A NONGOVERNMENT organization (NGO) involved in public interest environmental advocacy in the Philippines has collaborated with a state university in Ilocos Norte for the establishment of the Institute of Environmental Governance (IEG) in the province.

The partnership between the Tanggol Kalikasan (TK) Inc. and the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) kicked off through a webinar series on environmental governance for local government units (LGUs) department heads in the province. The webinar series started last October 27 and will culminate on November 26.

Daniel Tapaoan Jr. of the MMSU information office said the partnership was formalized last October 27 through a virtual launching and signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between MMSU President Shirley Agrupis and TK President Ramon Grimaldo.

“[Tanggol Kalikasan] has already partnered with 26 schools across the country for the establishment of IEG in their respective provinces,” Grimaldo said.

He explained the IEG is the strategic response to the ever-increasing demand for capacity building among LGUs in promoting environmental governance, and this time in the province of Ilocos Norte with MMSU as partner.

According to TK, the program caters to two levels with level one to serve the needs of barangay officials. Meanwhile, level two caters to the needs of municipal, city and provincial officials by training them to manage, plan, protect and conserve the environment.

During the MoU signing, Agrupis thanked the NGO for partnering with the university “in upgrading the quality of life in the province through environmental education.”

Under the MoU, Tapaoan said MMSU and TK have agreed to contribute their resources and expertise in the pursuit of environmental education in the locality.

He said MMSU as the host institution in Ilocos Norte will provide the venue, office space and other physical requirements of the IEG, and will lead the development, conduct and implementation of IEG’s research programs in aid of curriculum development, monitoring and evaluation.

On the other hand, TK will provide the initial resources for the development of the institute, and fund the development of training modules and other activities of the IEG, Tapaoan said.

Also under the MoU, both MMSU and TK will assign IEG coordinators, and allow their faculty members and staff to participate in the institute’s training programs.

To craft the policies and programs of the IEG, a management committee will also be created which will be composed of five individuals.

Tapaoan said there will be two representatives each from the school and agency while the fifth member will come from the local government of Ilocos Norte.

DETROIT: America’s love of big autos translated into blowout results Thursday (Friday in Manila) for General Motors, which also benefited from recovering sales in China following a big hit amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The US auto giant, which recently launched new sport utility vehicles to accompany its fleet of revamped pickup trucks, enjoyed lofty profit margins in North America, fueled by strong vehicle pricing and tight auto inventory.

Executives spoke of “pricing power” in the US, partly thanks to the approximately two-month closure of two US auto plants this spring due to Covid-19. Production resumed in May under strict safety protocols.

“You really have this demand out there that we haven’t seen in a long time, especially for full-sized pickups,” chief executive Mary Barra said on CNBC. “We just keep seeing demand for trucks continuing to grow.”

Barra said in an earlier briefing with reporters that she was confident that GM would be able to maintain auto production despite rising Covid-19 cases in the US. “When the protocols are followed, we don’t have facility spread (of Covid-19),” she said, adding that the company has brought on temporary workers at times in recent months.

GM scored a 72 percent increase in third-quarter profit to $4 billion from the year-ago period. That translated into earnings of $2.78 per share, more than twice the expected level. Revenues of $35.5 billion were roughly flat compared with last year’s level.

The company announced it expects to reinstate a shareholder dividend in mid-2021, after the automaker suspended the payout in the spring at the height of Covid-19 shutdowns.

Profit margins were “so great” during the reporting period that they could prompt analysts to boost long-term forecasts for the auto giant, said a note from JPMorgan Chase. The better-than-expected results showed GM’s ability to “manage the business through a global economy under severe stress,” the company said.

But Acting Chief Financial Officer John Stapleton cautioned that the company does not expect fourth-quarter profits to be quite as strong, noting that the third quarter has traditionally seen higher sales.

Leaders and representatives of indigenous peoples (IPs) shared their perspectives on the importance of IP communities in biodiversity conservation during Haribon Foundation’s Paninindigan sa Karapatan ng mga Katutubo, Susi sa Malusog na Kapaligiran (Asserting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Key to a Sustainable Environment) online seminar on Oct. 23, 2020.

The webinar sought to amplify the voices of IPs and provide them with a platform to voice out their concerns amidst the ongoing pandemic.

Elma Bauzon, tribal secretary for the Pakwan-Manobo Indigenous Cultural Community, said IPs are the frontliners in biodiversity conservation whose duty to protect nature comes from their dependence on natural resources.

“Hindi lang tao ang nabubuhay doon; marami ding wild animals ang naka-depende ang buhay [doon]. Lahat tayo ay magkaugnay eh; mula sa mga insekto hanggang sa mga hayop pati mga tao — magkakaugnay tayo (People are not the only ones living there; there are also wild animals depending on the environment. We are all connected; from insects up to the animals including people),” Bauzon said during the webinar.

The webinar also highlighted how acknowledging the culture and heritage of indigenous peoples communities helps protect the rights of IPs and the environment.

For Marcelino Tena, president of the Samahan ng mga Katutubong Agta/Dumagat at Remontado Na Ipinagtatanggo l at Binabaka ang Lupaing Ninuno, culture serves as both their identity and catalyst to fight for their rights.

The IP leader said that by upholding their culture, they are also defending their birthright to their ancestral lands and their rights as caretakers of the environment.

Acting Provincial Officer Ordonio Rocero Jr. of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)-Region 13 (Caraga) office echoed Tena’s statement, saying the culture of IPs are synonymous to their identity and is unique to them.

The webinar reiterated the need to continue protecting and prioritizing the needs and rights of indigenous peoples communities to help them uphold their culture and live sustainably.
Lawyer Arthur Herman, Regional Legal Officer for the NCIP-Region 4A (Calabarzon), said that it is not enough to simply appreciate the culture of IPs. He emphasized that the government should consult indigenous peoples in policymaking.

“Dapat kapag gagawa tayo ng isang plano — isang batas o polisiya — kasama natin ang mga katutubo dahil may mga traditional systems sila na dapat sundin (Whenever we develop a plan — law or policy

— we should include the indigenous peoples because they have traditional systems that they have to follow),” the legal officer added.

The webinar was part of Haribon’s Indigenous Peoples’ month celebration and #GoingViral webinar series that aims to promote the importance of biodiversity conservation and its relation to human health.

OAKLAND: Facebook on Thursday (Friday in Manila) banned a large group called “Stop the Steal” that supporters of President Donald Trump were using to organize protests against the presidential vote count.

Some members had called for violence, while many falsely claimed that Democrats are “stealing” the election from Republicans.

Though the group amassed more than 350,000 members before Facebook took it down, it was just one of several smaller groups that popped up as vote counting extended for days in several battleground states.

Inside the groups, members and organizers tried to ensure they would get around Facebook’s moderators and “trolls” who might report or mock them.

“In line with the exceptional measures that we are taking during this period of heightened tension, we have removed the Group ‘Stop the Steal,’ which was creating real-world events,” Facebook said in a statement.

“The group was organized around the de-legitimization of the election process, and we saw worrying calls for violence from some members of the group.”

Facebook said it will continue to watch for activity that violates its rules and will take action if it does. As of Thursday afternoon, a copycat “Stop the Steal” group was growing steadily, nearing 13,000 members, and others were easily searchable on Facebook.

Inside the groups, members posted baseless claims of voter fraud and organized protests. Calls for violence were not immediately apparent, although the the Center for Countering Digital Hate shared a screenshot of one post in the now-banned group that read “Neither side is going to concede. Time to clean the guns, time to hit the streets.”

In the new group, administrators — who create and moderate groups on Facebook, cautioned people to keep posts civil and vent frustrations without making threats.

They scrupulously warned members that they will remove anything that calls for violence, and said they were making plans to move the group to other, less-moderated platforms.

Imran Ahmed, chief executive officer of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which pressured Facebook to take down the group, said while it’s true that all this seems like a game of whack-a-mole, the moles are slowly learning their lesson.

TOKYO: Most Asian markets were mixed Friday after the week’s strong gains but traders remained upbeat as the chances of Joe Biden winning the US election increased and after the Federal Reserve indicated it could provide further economic support.

While Donald Trump again accused Democrats of committing voter fraud and his team launched a series of legal actions in various states, hopes a new stimulus package will eventually be passed were supporting sentiment.

Analysts said Tuesday’s election was good for equities as the expected Democratic sweep of Congress failed to materialize while Biden looked set to take the White House.

“The market reaction to the unfolding election news suggests that financial markets would prefer to see a constrained Biden presidency,” Paul O’Connor, at Janus Henderson Investors, said.

However, he added: “The economic backdrop to this election is one of an incomplete global recovery that remains threatened by the continued spread of Covid-19 in many major economies as well as fast-fading fiscal support measures.”

A Biden presidency and Republican Senate likely means Democrats will not be able to push ahead with regulatory changes and tax hikes, which observers said were both good for stocks.

Tech firms have fared particularly well as the sector had been considered vulnerable to more stringent political oversight.

And while lawmakers are expected to push through a new economic rescue package, it will not likely be as big as anything from a Democratic-led Congress, which National Australia Bank analysts said would put the onus on the Federal Reserve next year.

LOS ANGELES: Virgin Galactic said Thursday (Friday in Manila) that it expects to launch its first manned test flight into space from New Mexico this month.

The company’s spacecraft, VSS Unity, conducted two previous test spaceflights from Mojave, California, before moving in to its facilities at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

Testing there has included unpowered glide flights and now the spaceflight planned between Nov. 19 and 23.

The spaceport will be Virgin Galactic’s base for launching passengers on brief trips high above the Earth, starting with billionaire founder Richard Branson next year. The company did not announce a specific date for that event.

WASHINGTON, D. C.: The Federal Reserve kept its benchmark hobby fee at a file low near zero Thursday (Friday in Manila) and signaled its readiness to do extra if had to support an financial system below threat from a worsening coronavirus pandemic.

The Fed announced no new movements after its modern day policy meeting however left the door open to offer similarly assistance within the coming months.

The vital bank once more pledged to apply its “complete variety of equipment to aid the USA economic system on this hard time.” The economic system in recent weeks has weakened after mounting a tentative healing from the deep pandemic recession in early spring.

“I assume we have to be humble about wherein we’re,” Chair Jerome Powell said at a information convention whilst requested whether the economy turned into vulnerable to enduring a excessive setback with showed viral instances in the United States setting file highs. “We are very a long way from saying that we’ve were given this and removed” the dangers.

Several Fed officials have expressed challenge that Congress has failed so far to provide in addition resource for https://www.financebrokerage.com/deltamarket-review/ individuals and groups. The Fed’s policy assertion, issued after a two-day meeting, made no mention of lawmakers’ failure to act.

But while requested approximately the risk to the economic system without a brand new rescue aid package deal soon, the chairman was clear: “I suppose we are able to have a more potent recovery if we can get greater financial support” from Congress, Powell said.

A multi-trillion-greenback stimulus, enacted in the spring, had helped maintain jobless Americans and sick companies however has in view that expired. The failure of lawmakers to agree on any new aid has clouded the future for the unemployed, for small groups and for the economic system as a whole.

There is a few desire, although, that a logjam may be damaged and extra financial comfort may be enacted for the duration of a publish-election “lame-duck” consultation of Congress among now and early January.

“The outlook for the economic system is surprisingly unsure,” Powell said at the news conference. The chairman said the policymakers mentioned this week whether or not and how their bond shopping for program might be altered to provide extra economic help.

The Fed is shopping for $one hundred twenty billion a month in bonds — $80 billion in Treasury and $40 billion in loan bonds — to try to maintain long-term borrowing prices low. Powell’s remarks regarded to elevate the opportunity that modifications might be introduced as quickly because the Fed’s next meeting in December.

In addition to shopping for bonds to hold long-time period borrowing prices low, the Fed has kept its key brief-term price, which affects many corporate and man or woman loans, close to 0.

The Fed’s today’s coverage meeting coincided with an tension-ridden election week and an escalation of the virus across the united states of america.

Most economists warn that the economic system cannot make a sustained recuperation till the pandemic is brought under manage and maximum Americans are assured enough to go back to their ordinary conduct of shopping, journeying, eating and congregating in businesses.

“The latest rise in Covid-19 cases both here and overseas is specifically concerning,” Powell stated. “All of us have a role to play, to keep appropriate social distance and to wear mask in public.”

The relevant financial institution’s coverage announcement Thursday was permitted on a ten-0 vote. Robert Kaplan, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, who had dissented on the preceding meeting, voted with most of the people this time.

Another dissenter in September, Neel Kashkari, head of the Minneapolis Fed, become absent, together with his exchange, Mary Daly of the San Francisco Fed, approving the assertion.

The announcement changed into almost equal to the only the Fed issued in September. At that meeting, it adopted a coverage purpose alternate it had made in August to keep quotes low for a few time period even after inflation hits its 2 percentage annual target.

The motive became to allow the Fed to deliver an extended raise to the economic system and for unemployment to fall in addition earlier than the policymakers begin to worry about inflation.

At his information conference, Powell became asked approximately a nationwide shortage of cash that has evolved as a decline of consumers at retail stores has depressed the regular move of alternate.

He mentioned that the circulate of coins and forex changed into particularly critical for low-profits folks that do now not have credit score playing cards.

The slide within the Philippine stock market should now not be attributed to President Rodrigo Duterte’s relentless conflict on tablets and his outbursts in opposition to western leaders, a Davao lawmaker at the House of Representatives said on Tuesday.

In a statement, House appropriations committee chair and Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles attributed the collection of inventory marketplace losses to “international market forces”.

Nograles also stated that the inventory marketplace must now not be used as the gauge to measure the u . S . A .’s financial fitness, stressing that portfolio investments are clearly unpredictable as buyers are in consistent hunt for extra profitable shares.

“Portfolio investments need to now not be used to gauge the economic system because there are many elements that affect the inventory market that’s now not necessarily reflective of a rustic’s financial function,” Nograles stated.

The ADB also warned policymakers against any pass closer to protectionism which it said “might handiest undermine the healing”.

Looking to the future, the Manila-primarily based regional financial institution said it was more and more essential for developing Asia to cut its carbon emissions, which went from 25 percentage of the global overall in 1990-1999 to forty percent in 2012.

The results of weather exchange, from shorter rainy seasons to droughts and outbreaks of disease will be catastrophic if unchecked, it stated.

“If out of control, climate change can also result in economic loss equal to ten percent of GDP in 2100, reversing many difficult-won socioeconomic profits within the vicinity,” the record stated.

The ADB promotes social and monetary development in Asia and has sixty seven individuals, 48 from the region.

The bank revised up slightly its predictions for China boom to 6.6 percent in 2016 and six.4 percent in 2017. Both figures are up 0.1 percent from the bank’s previous document in March.

India saw a lift to personal intake after recently accredited increases in wages and pensions, and a wholesome monsoon is probable to raise rural earning, the ADB said.

It maintained its growth forecast for India at 7.Four percent for 2016 and seven.Eight percentage for 2017, with enhancements pushed with the aid of a recuperation in private funding and bank reforms.

However, a slow recuperation inside the US, the eurozone, and Japan will nevertheless weigh at the area, with question marks over financial coverage in the ones regions.

The document defined risks to the regional outlook as “tilted to the drawback”, with the possibility of a US Federal Reserve charge hike a possible danger to capital flows.

HONG KONG: The Asian Development Bank said on Tuesday that increase across the vicinity changed into holding stable regardless of international headwinds, with resilience in China and India retaining it on the right track.

GDP for growing Asia is expected to develop five.7 percentage in 2016 and 2017, according to the financial institution’s latest document—down barely from five.9 percent in 2015.

“Strong increase in the PRC (China) and India is assisting the region hold its increase momentum,” said ADB’s deputy chief economist Juzhong Zhuang.

“Still, policymakers need to watch for the drawback dangers which includes ability capital reversals that could be brought on by economic policy changes in advanced economies, especially the US.”

Although China boom has dropped from 6.9 percentage remaining yr, its performance to this point in 2016 exceeded the bank’s previous forecast, with fiscal and financial stimulus measures in the back of the growth, the ADB record stated.