Day: June 25, 2024

SEOUL, Medical professors at eight hospitals affiliated with the Catholic University of Korea and three hospitals affiliated with the Samsung Medical Center on Tuesday voted to shelve their plan on an indefinite walkout, following a decision by medical professors at Seoul National University to end their collective action.

The move came as expectations have grown over potential talks between the medical community and the government to resolve a monthslong standoff over medical reform.

The emergency committee of medical professors at the Catholic University said that about 70 percent of them voted in favor of alternative protest methods, such as reducing treatment for non-critical patients, instead of a walkout.

The committee, however, said 82 percent of the professors also vowed to join a walkout if necessary in the future.

“Hospitals of the Catholic University of Korea decided to put off an indefinite strike, although we will continue to protest and resist the government’s misguided policies in various
formats,” it added.

The emergency response committee of Sungkyunkwan University professors said the decision was made to postpone the walkout for some period after taking into consideration patients and the public. The professors work for the three hospitals affiliated with Samsung Medical Center — Samsung Seoul Hospital, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital and Samsung Changwon Hospital.

The latest decision came after medical professors at Seoul National University Hospital and its affiliates decided to end their indefinite strike last Friday, saying they could not put patients at risk anymore.

South Korea’s top doctors’ lobby group, the Korea Medical Association (KMA), also announced it will not begin an indefinite walkout Thursday as previously planned.

Medical professors at Asan Medical Center, which had earlier vowed to launch a walkout starting July 4, were seen closely monitoring situations at other hospitals as well.

“(The plan) is flexible depending on changes in the government’s stance,” an official from
the medical professors’ committee at Asan Medical Center said, hinting that doctors are considering maintaining treatments for critically ill patients.

Prospects for talks between the medical community and the government have been growing after Lim Hyun-taek, a hawkish head of the KMA, stepped back from the standoff, prompting the organization to form a special committee to initiate a dialogue.

Medical professors at three major hospitals of Yonsei University — Severance Hospital, Gangnam Severance Hospital, and Yongin Severance Hospital — however, have not yet announced a change to their plan to launch an indefinite walkout Thursday.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

MANILA: A tariff increase on imported rice may be recommended if prices of retail rice will ‘significantly’ decrease, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. said on Tuesday.

In a media forum organized by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Tiu-Laurel said first review on reduced tariff on imported rice will be done in November this year.

‘Kung mapababa natin yan ng PHP45 (per kilogram), I think malaking bagay na yon, di ba?. So parang (If we drop it to PHP45, I think it’s a big development, right? So, it’s like) I guess to maintain a price of PHP45 would be, PHP42 to PHP45 would be the right range for the moment, considering the world market,” he said.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. earlier issued Executive Order (EO) 62, reducing the tariff on imported rice from 35 percent to 15 percent to alleviate the impacts of price pressures on rice consumers.

According to the DA Bantay Presyo (price watch), the imported regular milled rice ranges from PHP48/kg. to PHP51/kg
. in Metro Manila, and well-milled rice from PHP52/kg. to PHP55/kg., while local regular milled rice ranges from PHP48/kg. to PHP52/kg. and local well-milled rice from PHP48/kg. to PHP55/kg.

‘If bumaba significantly, yes, if konti not yet. But then again we’re not saying naman na pababayaan lang namin mga farmer (If the retail prices declines significantly, yes. If minimal, not yet. But we are not saying that we will neglect our farmers). We have a program for giving more inputs to farmers,’ he added.

Tiu-Laurel said the November review is timely considering the expected easing of global market prices of rice, alongside the peak harvest for the wet season from late September to October.

‘November, so tamang-tama. Hopefully, bumaba na konti ang presyo ng (that’s the right time. Hopefully, there will be minimal decline in the prices in the) world market by that time as India is expected to lift its export ban sa rice. Iyon ang isang major factor e (in rice. That’s one of the major factors),” he said.

He ass
ured that ‘reasonable buying price’ to local farmers from the National Food Authority (NFA) in case no tariff adjustments are made during the first review.

“As far as farmers’ fear about this tariff reduction when it’s harvest season. Mayroon na kaming usapan ng (We already have agreement with the) NFA to buy rice at a certain price to support the farmers na hindi mababa, hindi mataas (that’s neither too high nor low). Something that the farmers will be comfortable with,” Tiu-Laurel said.

For the next harvest buying, he said they allocated PHP12 billion in funds, alongside other support for farm inputs and fertilizers.

Source: Philippines News Agency

SEOUL, Top economic policymakers of South Korea and Japan agreed Tuesday to take “appropriate actions” to curb excessive volatility of their currencies and enhance bilateral and multilateral cooperation on broader economic, financial and social issues, Seoul’s finance ministry said.

The consensus was made during the ninth Korea-Japan finance dialogue by South Korea’s Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok talks with his Japanese counterpart, Shunichi Suzuki, in Seoul, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

The two ministers shared “serious concerned about the recent sharp depreciation of the Korean won and the Japanese yen” and recognized the importance of “remaining vigilant” in policy actions to support economic growth and ensure financial stability.

“They reaffirmed that they continue to take appropriate actions against excess volatility and disorderly movements in exchange rates,” the ministry said in a release.

The joint verbal intervention came as volatility in the foreign exchange market remain
s high amid geopolitical instability stemming from the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere.

The Korean won and the Japanese yen have weakened markedly against the U.S. dollar in recent months.

The Korean currency ended at 1,387.5 won against the U.S. dollar, staying near the closely watched level of 1,400 won, and the Japanese yen has neared the 160 line against the U.S. dollar, a level unseen in decades.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

CEBU: The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Tuesday said the Public Employment Service Office of Bohol province was awarded the best ‘PESO’ for the first-class province category in Central Visayas.

Lilia Estillore, regional director of DOLE-7, said that the employment information and assistance office of Bohol bagged the 2024 Search for Best PESO Regional Winners held in Cebu City recently.

The Department of Manpower Development and Placement (DMDP)-PESO of Cebu City and Dumaguete City’s PESO won in the highly urbanized city and the component city categories, respectively.

The PESO in Talibon, Bohol also won the first-class municipality category while Mabini, Bohol bagged the top post for the 4th to 6th-class municipality category.

Estillore said the regional winners would vie for the National 2024 Search for Best PESO Award in October this year during the 2024 National PESO Congress.

The winners were judged based on their performance/achievement, including referral and placement of job applic
ants, labor market information, career guidance and employment coaching, DOLE programs being implemented, recipient of labor-related awards from prestigious institutions and leadership and membership with active involvement in any organization which contributes to employment.

The labor regional director lauded all the PESOs in the region for their commitment as an intermediary arm of the agency in delivering its programs and services.

‘We are grateful to the different local government units through their PESOs for the continued efforts in serving as extension hands of DOLE in the service of providing employment facilitation,’ she said.

The initiative, she said, is an avenue to acknowledge the exemplary performance of the PESOs as labor market information hubs and providers of employment services.

Source: Philippines News Agency

SEOUL, First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun will visit Japan and Malaysia this week for talks with each of his counterparts on bilateral relations and other issues, Seoul’s foreign ministry said Tuesday.

Kim will hold the “strategic dialogue” with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano in Tokyo on Friday, a meeting that comes about eight months after the previous talks.

“The two sides plan to discuss South Korea-Japan bilateral relations, as we also explore ways to cooperate in a broad range of areas, including regional and international issues,” the ministry said in a release.

The vice ministerial diplomatic dialogue was launched as a follow-up to the March summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last year.

The summit led to the dramatic warming of bilateral ties after South Korea proposed a solution to compensate Korean victims of Japan’s wartime forced labor without the contributions from Japanese firms.

Before traveling to Tokyo, Kim will make a t
hree-day visit to Malaysia starting Tuesday.

Kim will meet with his Malaysian counterpart, Amran Mohamed Zin, for the bilateral policy dialogue for broad discussions on issues of common interests and efforts to boost cooperation.

It will mark the resumption of the high-level diplomatic talks with the Southeast Asian country after 16 years, the ministry added.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

ILOILO: The Philippine National Police (PNP) has not monitored any Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POPO) in Western Visayas.

However, the public is encouraged to immediately report to the police should they monitor activities and individuals involved in illegal operations, Lt. Col. Arnel Solis, spokesperson the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO6), said Tuesday.

‘It is part of the tasks of our intelligence operatives and units to monitor and determine if illegal activities are happening in an area,’ he said in an interview.

He added that the cybercrime operations of the 17 Chinese nationals busted by the Iloilo City Police Office in November last year were not POGO-related.

‘In case of violations, our police officers are ready to operate. Not only Police Regional Office 6 but, of course, our national support units like the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Regional Anti-Cyber Crime Unit are there to help us when needed,’ he said.

Solis said at all times, the support of the public
is significant since there are areas where there are no law enforcement officers.

He said they can report to the nearest police stations, which are accessible through their hotlines and social media accounts.

In contrast, PRO-Central Luzon chief Brig. Gen. Jose Hidalgo Jr. is under investigation for his accountability over illegal POGOs in his area of jurisdiction, PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said Monday.

On June 5, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and the CIDG raided Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga, which resulted in the arrest of 186 foreign and Filipino workers.

Source: Philippines News Agency