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(Interaksyon) The Philippines has scrapped a deal to buy 16 Russian military transport helicopters because of fears of U.S. sanctions, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday, citing Philippine officials.

A former Philippine defense secretary, Delfin Lorenzana, said late on Tuesday the 12.7 billion peso ($227 million) deal to acquire the Mi-17 helicopters had been canceled. The decision to buy the helicopters was approved last month by former President Rodrigo Duterte, before their terms in office ended on June 30, the news agency reported.

“We could face sanctions,” the news agency quoted Lorenzana as saying in an interview.

Philippine government officials were not immediately available for comment.

U.S. security officials were aware of the decision and could offer similar heavy-lift helicopters for the Philippine military, Lorenzana said… Read More

(Fox News) A 7-magnitude earthquake in the northern region of the Philippines early Wednesday morning has left at least four people dead and dozens more injured.

The earthquake created small landslides and damaged buildings. The quake was centered in the mountainous area of the Abra province, according to the head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Renato Solidum.

At least 25 people were reportedly injured in Abra. Several structures suffered cracked walls, including some buildings that collapsed in Abra.

“The ground shook like I was on a swing and the lights suddenly went out. We rushed out of the office, and I heard screams and some of my companions were in tears,” Michael Brillantes, a safety officer of the Abra town of Lagangilang, said… Read More

(Manila Bulletin) Claudia Barretto, daughter of Dennis Padilla and Marjorie Barretto, is celebrating her 23rd birthday today, July 26.

Eager to commemorate the moment is Dennis who actually took to social media to greet her daughter the evening prior.

He did so twice.

First he posted a photo of a young Claudia.

He wrote, “Dearest Claui… Happy birthday anak… Miss you… God bless you more!!”

A few moments later, he posted a photo of them together.

He wrote, “Happiiii bday anak… God bless you more claui…. Love you.”

It isn’t known if Claudia saw both.

Whatever the case may be, she didn’t issue a reaction.

This, even with some fans tagging her.

Marjorie had a different experience posting an appreciation message for her on social media.

She wrote, “Beauty, intelligence, wit, humor, hardworker, determined, strives for perfection, organized, full of grace and strength. That is Claudia to me and her siblings. You have been living your life to the fullest and you deserve it, Clau because you have proven to be independent and very responsible. What an epic year it has been for you. Happy Happy 23rd Birthday my love. I’m proud and blessed to be your Mom. You don’t need me much anymore but you know how I am just behind you praying and rooting for you!”… Read More

(PRNewswire) Tonik announced today that Tomasz Borowski is joining the leadership team as Group Chief Operations Officer (COO). Most recently the Co-Founder and CEO of Asian fintech credit management leader FLOW, Tomasz was instrumental in overseeing FLOW’s rollout across three markets in Southeast Asia, as well as its achievement of profitability prior to Series B, the first such feat by any fintech in the region. With operations in Vietnam, Indonesia, and India, FLOW has redefined debt collection in Southeast Asia by using AI technologies, ethical practices, and data-driven insights.

Tomasz brings to Tonik ca. 20 years of experience in consumer finance, primarily focused on building efficient operations. Prior to coming to Asia to build FLOW, Borowski gained extensive experience in Consumer Finance across Emerging Europe, at market-leading institutions such as GE Capital, Raifessen Bank, and Platinum Bank. His knowledge of world-class standards and technologies in achieving high levels of efficiency in consumer finance will help Tonik bring its operational excellence to a new level.

“Tomasz is a seasoned global leader in consumer banking and fintech industry, especially in scaling up new businesses in emerging markets. Having worked with him previously in different ventures, over the years, I am convinced that his arrival comes at the perfect time as we gear up for increasing our operational efficiency in the latter half of 2022,” says Tonik Founder and CEO Greg Krasnov… Read More

(GMA News) President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has given Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz the marching orders to address five issues saddling the agency, according to Jun Veneracion’s “24 Oras” report on Monday.

“Five orders that are my marching orders. Number one, no drugs, absolutely no drugs. Number two, no guns. Number three, eliminate agricultural smuggling. Number four, increase revenue generation. Number five, go full automation and digitalization,” Ruiz said.

Before his designation as commissioner, Ruiz was the head of the Enforcement and Security Service (ESS) of the agency for almost five years since 2017.

He also spearheaded several enforcement projects and handled the operations that contributed to the intensified anti-smuggling campaign… Read More

(Radio Free Asia) In his first speech before the joint houses of Congress, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. promised on Monday to protect the Philippines’ territorial integrity from China, while also asking lawmakers to back programs for boosting an economy ravaged by COVID-19 lockdowns.

The new Philippine president delivered his more than hour-long State of the Nation Address mostly in English, unlike his immediate predecessor who usually addressed lawmakers in Tagalog.

“I do not intend to diminish the risks and challenges that we face in this turbulent time in global history, and yet, I see sunlight filtering through these dark clouds,” Marcos said. “The state of the nation is sound.”

As he discussed China’s renewed encroachment into Philippine-claimed waters in the South China Sea, Marcos did not mention Beijing by name but declared he would protect his country’s territorial integrity.

“We live in difficult times brought about by some forces of our own making, but certainly, also by forces that are beyond our control,” Marcos said in the nationally televised address. “But we have, and we will continue to find solutions… Read More

(Manila Bulletin) True to their message of unity during the May national elections campaign, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Monday, July 25, promised to work with her running-mate, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in the realization of his administration’s development agenda which he discussed during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA).

In her reaction to the President’s SONA, the Vice President lauded the current administration’s direction in continuing the gains of her father’s governance.

“As Vice President and Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), the nation can expect my 100 percent commitment to the achievement of the plans and programs that both offices have framed for the sectors that we serve,” she said, adding that she will ensure that the interest and welfare of Filipinos “will come first before everything else.”

As education chief, Duterte shared that she will implement the long-term remedy detailed by the Basic Education Development Plan 2030 (BEDP 2030) of the previous administration, which meant the DepEd needs to collaborate with the national government, local government units, local communities, the private sector, and international partners “to pool resources to increase investments in education that will benefit the entire education sector, particularly our learners.”.. Read More

(Manila Bulletin) Online shopping and rewards platform ShopBack said it gave back P927 million to over 5.2 million users nationwide after seven years of operating in the Philippines.

Already, ShopBack has over 600 partner merchants in the country, across industries ranging from travel, fashion, tech, and marketplaces.

So far, its online shopping partner merchants, including Lazada, SHEIN, Shopee, Agoda, Klook and Samsung, have realized over P23.5 Billion in Gross Merchandise Value.

Last year, ShopBack also launched its vouchers product line to allow shoppers to save more and earn additional cashback when they purchase vouchers from merchants like FoodPanda, Metromart PureGo, and more.

“Since our launch in 2015, our primary goal has always been empower customers to be smarter shoppers,” said Prashant Kala, ShopBack Regional Director, APAC.

“With the ongoing travel resurgence, new brands onboard, and vouchers being launched, we are happy to continue serving our Filipino customers in the years to come,” he added.

“Partnering with ShopBack, you are able to use their channels to communicate your campaigns to a different set of users, and that in itself, is a very big value,” according to FoodPanda’s Head of Strategic Partnerships, Amer Bakshi.

“Because you are able to cross-promote on their channel, there’s a certain monetary value added to it where you could actually bring their customer onto your platform, which is the best part of it,” he elaborated.

“What we actually saw as the winning factor was integrating a lot of various channels,” confirmed Karla Suguitan, the Director of Brand and Community of Edamama Philippines… Read More