Cavite Representative Elpidio Barzaga Jr.(File photo) MANILA -Cavite Representative Elpidio Barzaga Jr. on Thursday urged that the constitutional convention (con-con) to be composed of a combination of delegates elected by the public and experts who are appointed and vetted by Malacanang and Congress. The Cavite solon took the idea from the earlier proposal of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno suggesting for a "hybrid" con-con with delegates not exclusively limited to those elected by the public. Barzaga proposed to the House Committee on Constitutional amendments to initially anchor its substitute bill on Charter change on this "hybrid model" of con-con espoused by the retired chief magistrate. "While acknowledging that electing delegates to a Con-con remains the best mode to amend the Constitution, Puno does not want Congress to take the traditional route where all the delegates are directly elected by the people," he said. Earlier, Puno pr
SCRAP METAL ARTIST. Denis Fernandez, 55, a mechanic, welds scrap metals to form art pieces in this undated photo in Pozorrubio town, Pangasinan province. He started his hobby in 2016 and has now over 100 scrap metal art pieces. (Photo courtesy of Denis Fernandez) POZORRUBIO, Pangasinan - For a 55-year-old mechanic in this town, it is never too late to pick up a hobby and become an artist in the process after he was finally able to build his masterpieces from scrap metals in his workplace. Denis Fernandez started welding metal scraps into art pieces with his artistic and vivid imagination in 2016. "Bata pa ako gusto ko ng gawin ito kaya lang mahal yong pangwelding tapos mahal pa ang kuryente (I wanted to do this since I was young but the welding equipment is expensive as well as electricity)," he said. Fernandez studied architecture in college but did not finish due to financial constraints. His late father eventually taught him how to fix cars. He said his interest in scrap m
DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III(File photo) MANILA -A total of 1,171 hectares of agricultural lands in the three provinces in Central Visayas have been subdivided by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project, benefiting at least 1,321 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) In a press release issued on Wednesday, DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III said a total of 1,290 land titles were distributed in a simultaneous event in the provinces Bohol, Cebu and Negros Oriental on Tuesday. He said the lands were previously awarded under the collective certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs). "Hold on to your land titles and take care of your farmlands because this administration will pour out various support services in your community to boost your livelihood activities," Estrella told the farmer-beneficiaries. In Bohol, around 501 ARBs received 602 land titles covering 544 hectares. Of these land ti
(Photo courtesy of BOC) MANILA - The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Tuesday reported the seizure of various counterfeit goods estimated to be worth PHP1.5 billion in Pasay City. In a statement, the Bureau said the team led by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Intellectual Property Rights Division (CIIS-IPRD), armed with Letters of Authority (LOA) issued by Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, inspected the storage facility inside Building 127 along F. B. Harrison Street corner J. Fernando Street on Feb. 17. The items found include counterfeit goods bearing brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Nike, Adidas, Supreme, Tory Burch, Skechers, and Birkenstock, among others. Inventory is currently being conducted. The raiding team, which also includes members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), required proof of payment for the taxes and duties paid on all imported goods and proof of authenticity for the branded goods. Per initial report, there are approximately 70
Marijuana plantation (File photo) MANILA - Two members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday pushed for the passage of a bill legalizing marijuana or cannabis for medicinal purposes. During a public hearing, Surigao Del Norte 2nd District Representative Robert "Ace" Barbers, House Committee on Dangerous Drugs chairperson, said that while cannabis may be legalized for medicinal use, House Bill (HB) 6783 does not allow its recreational use. "Recently, more and more countries are easing regulations on the said drug for medicinal purposes. Other countries have already allowed its recreational use. For our purposes, we will limit it for medicinal purposes only," Barbers said. Former House Speaker and now Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez authored HB 6783 seeking to remove cannabis from the list of illegal drugs and substances. Alvarez said the classification of cannabis and its derivatives, as a dangerous drug, "makes no sense at all." "And we mu