News in Pictures: September 25, 2024

A WEEK FOR SEAFARERS

The BRP Cabra (above), a Philippine Coast Guard vessel that had been active in patrolling the West Philippine Sea, docks in Manila on Sunday for a different mission—to lead the commemoration of seafarers and fishermen who perished at sea as the country marked National Seafarers’ Day.

This being national maritime week as well, President Marcos on Monday signed into law the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers. The measure aims to help ensure that Filipino seafarers deployed around the world are trained according to world-class standards—in particular, the caliber of training sought by the European Maritime Safety Agency.

Meanwhile, the Department of Migrant Workers is holding a series of job fairs offering work overseas, with some 40 licensed manning agencies presenting more than 3,000 job opportunities in the maritime industry. —PHOTOS BY RICHARD A. REYES AND MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

DISPATCH AND DELAY

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin goes to the Senate on Monday to attend its hearing on the proposed P10.5-billion budget next year for the Office of the President. The Senate approved that budget in 10 minutes, as did the House of Representatives with the same dispatch on Tuesday. Vice President Sara Duterte, on the other hand, skipped Monday’s House plenary session for her budget—prompting lawmakers there to warn that it could be “deferred.” The House had earlier slashed the budget of the Office of the Vice President from P2 billion to P730 million. —RICHARD A. REYES

POLL PREPS AMID SCRUTINY

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair George Garcia visits the National Printing Office on Tuesday as he and Commissioners Ernesto Maceda (left) and Rey Bulay inspect printing machines provided by Miru Systems, the poll body’s contractor for the midterm elections next year. Amid Comelec’s preparations for that exercise, controversy still hounds the Korean company which won in March the P17.99-billion contract for the midterm polls’ automated system. A petition for a temporary restraining order on Miru’s operations remains pending before the Supreme Court. But the company said it is due to complete its delivery of vote-counting machines by the end of the year. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

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TO SEE THE HEAVENS AGAIN

Weather observer Ruben Cunanan of weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) on Tuesday conducts a demo presentation on basic astronomy at the Planetarium in Pagasa’s Science Garden Complex in Quezon City. After four months of renovation, the Planetarium, which has a seating capacity of 90, is again open to the public and may be visited on Mondays to Fridays. Entrance fee is P25 per head. Pagasa urges the public to contact the facility at 828-40800, locals 3015 to 3017 for inquiries about its activities. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

LIKE A PARKED VEHICLE

A technician on Sunday inspects a replica of Sweden’s JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet outside World Trade Center in Pasay City, ahead of the Asian Defense and Security Exhibition today until Thursday. The defense trade fair, now on its 10th year in the Philippines, will again highlight the country’s military modernization program—which has already prompted several allied nations to offer their aircraft and vessels to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE