Latest news with #Philippines
Al Arabiya
26 minutes ago
- Climate
- Al Arabiya
Earthquake of magnitude 6.1- quake hits off southern Philippines
A magnitude-6.1 earthquake struck deep off the coast of the southern Philippines on Saturday, the United States Geological Survey said. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the quake, which the USGS reported occurred at a depth of 101 kilometers (63 miles) about 70 kilometers from the nearest areas of Davao Occidental province. 'The shake was not that strong, but the tables and computers here at the office shook for (about five seconds),' Marlawin Fuentes, a provincial rescuer from the tiny island of Sarangani, told AFP. No tsunami alert was triggered. Quakes are a near-daily occurrence in the Philippines, which is situated on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. Most are too weak to be felt by humans, but strong and destructive ones come at random with no technology available to predict when and where they might strike.
Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Health
- Khaleej Times
Philippines: Overweight cops get 12 months to meet weight standards or lose jobs
Police officers who are overweight have one year to meet physical fitness standards or risk losing their jobs, according Speaking in a radio interview, Gen. Nicolas Torre III Torres emphasised his commitment to enforcing health and fitness requirements across the Philippine National Police (PNP). 'After one year, there will be a separation from the service," the PNP chief warned. Torre cited Republic Act 6975, also known as the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act, which mandates that officers maintain a weight no more or less than 5kg from the standard based on their height, age, and sex. "The standard weight will adjust automatically because one's build is taken into consideration. So you cannot say that you're overweight just because you're bigboned," Torres underscored. He also noted that the qualifications for police officers listed in the law are 'continuing in nature and failure in any one of them can be a cost for termination". "We have regulations for that. They will be given one year to comply with the standard," the PNP chief added. 40 push-ups required To support physical fitness, police officers working the 8am to 5pm shift are now allowed to end their workday at 3pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so they can engage in their chosen fitness routines. Personnel on frontline duties, however, must find their own time to exercise. The PNP chief also added that officers should also be able to perform at least 40 push-ups — or face dismissal. "The reckoning will come during the physical fitness test. We won't show any mercy there," he said. He also warned that if he gets suspicious and he encounters someone who supposedly passed the test, but couldn't do 40 push-ups when asked, he will "find out who approved his results — and both will be dismissed". Fitness as core standard Torre, the PNP's 31st chief, has made physical fitness a cornerstone of his leadership — one that applies to everyone from senior officials down to rank-and-file patrol officers. "It is incumbent upon every police officer to maintain a physical appearance acceptable for a police officer,' said PNP spokesperson Brigadier General Jean Fajardo. Fajardo encouraged officers to start monitoring their Body Mass Index (BMI), which is computed by dividing a person's weight in kilos by the height in meters squared. For officers dealing with health issues, the PNP chief said they are exploring two options: either a full disability discharge or reassignment to administrative roles. The PNP leadership also plans to consult the National Police Commission (Napolcom) regarding proper handling of personnel with medical conditions that affect their weight or fitness levels. 'The directive does not dictate how you are going to lose weight, but of course, we will give considerations,' Fajardo said. Not the first time This isn't the first time fitness has been pushed within the police force. In 2000, then-PNP chief and now Senator-elect Panfilo Lacson also introduced strict standards, famously saying no policeman should have a waistline exceeding 34 inches. His rationale: physical fitness helps project discipline — and a fat policeman 'gave the illusion' of being more prone to corruption. Back then, officers were given only a few months to comply, triggering a wave of fitness programs and mandatory workouts. Even senior officers found themselves under scrutiny, with at least one high-ranking official scolded by Lacson for missing a scheduled fitness test.
Khaleej Times
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
First batch of repatriated overseas Filipino workers from Iran arrive in Philippines
The Philippine government on June 28 repatriated the first group of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Iran escaping the conflict between the Islamic Republic and Israel. Six OFWs from Iran arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Pasay City via Emirates flight EK 334. This marked the initial batch of Filipino workers to be repatriated from the Islamic Republic since the June 13 breakout of the Israel-Iran conflict. Among the group, five were working as shrimp hatchery technicians, while one was a domestic worker based in Dubai who was accompanying her employer on a trip to Iran. They were received by personnel from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Owwa is covering their temporary stay in Manila as well as the cost of their return flights to their respective provinces. Two additional workers from Iran are expected to arrive on Saturday night, June 28. Prior to this, the government had also repatriated 31 OFWs from Israel due to the same conflict. While Iran is home to less than 30 OFWs, around 1,100 Filipinos are spouses and children of Iranians. So far, only eight Filipinos in Iran have sought government-assisted repatriation. The Department of Foreign Affairs on June 20 raised Alert Level 3 for both Iran and Israel, initiating voluntary repatriation efforts. This followed the DMW's announcement of stricter deployment measures for OFWs heading to the Middle East.
Asharq Al-Awsat
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Eala Makes History for Philippines by Reaching Eastbourne Final
Alexandra Eala became the first Filipino to reach a WTA Tour final as she beat fellow qualifier Varvara Gracheva 7-5 2-6 6-3 at the Eastbourne Open on Friday, while lucky loser Jenson Brooksby will meet holder Taylor Fritz in the men's final. Left-hander Eala, ranked 74th in the world, edged a tight first set before losing five games in a row in the second as the match appeared to be slipping away. But the 20-year-old regrouped in the decider and survived a tough seventh game before breaking her French opponent's serve to lead 5-3. She then enjoyed a love service game to seal victory. In Saturday's final she will face 19-year-old Australian Maya Joint who beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-3. It will be the youngest Eastbourne final since 1981 when Tracy Austin faced fellow American Andrea Jaeger. "I'm super happy because that was a tough match and there were some really tough moments," an emotional Eala, who is based in Mallorca and trains at the Rafa Nadal Academy, said on court. "It was tough physically and mentally because she is a tough player and also came from qualifying." Eala's run will not have gone unnoticed by Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, who has been drawn to play her in the first round at the All England Club next week. Krejcikova reached the quarter-finals at Eastbourne but withdrew with a thigh injury on Thursday. Joint continued her impressive run as she reached her first WTA final on grass, coming from 5-3 behind in the opening set against Pavlyuchenkova to take control. "I'm very excited," the 51st-ranked Joint said on court. "I've learned to love playing on grass this week." Three-times champion Fritz overcame Spanish sixth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 3-6 6-1 and will now face fellow-American Brooksby after the lucky loser beat French fourth seed Ugo Humbert. Fritz broke the Spaniard's first service game as he comfortably won the first set, and while Davidovich Fokina fought back to force a decider, the American broke twice in the last set to reach the final for the fourth time. Brooksby won his first ATP title in April at the US Men's Clay Court Championship, where he began as a wildcard in the qualifying rounds and his 6-7(7) 6-4 6-4 win over Humbert sees the American make it to another final. "I think it's a lot less pressure when you don't expect to be in the main draw and get the opportunity," Brooksby said. "You just want to make the most of it." Humbert came from 5-3 down to win the opening set on a tiebreak, before Brooksby bounced back despite the Frenchman's battling spirit. The American took a 3-0 lead in the next two sets and Humbert drew level on both occasions, but Brooksby clinched both sets with a break of serve.
Khaleej Times
6 hours ago
- Climate
- Khaleej Times
UAE's NCM records 6.3 magnitude earthquake in southern Philippines
A powerful earthquake shook the southern Philippines early Saturday morning, June 28, with tremors also recorded by seismic stations in the UAE. According to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), a 6.3-magnitude earthquake was detected in the Philippines at 3.07am UAE time. However, in the Philippines, authorities confirmed the tremor as a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that struck off the coast of Davao Occidental at 7.07am local time. The quake prompted residents to evacuate homes as tremors were felt across several provinces. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) initially measured the quake at magnitude 6.9 but later downgraded it to 6.1. The epicentre was located 85km southeast of Sarangani town, with a depth of 79 km. The quake was tectonic in nature. Despite the intensity of the tremors, Phivolcs confirmed that there is no tsunami threat linked to the seismic activity.
