Day: April 27, 2024

ATHENS: Greece handed the Olympic flame to Paris 2024 organizers in a ceremony Friday that was attended by thousands of spectators.

The ceremony took place in the Panathenaic stadium in central Athens, where the ancient Olympic Games were revived in 1896.

Following an 11-day relay through Greece starting April 16 from Olympia in the Peloponnese region – the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games – the flame arrived in Athens.

Greece’s silver water polo medalist in the Tokyo 2020 Games, Ioannis Fountoulis, was the last torchbearer before the flame was handed to Paris organizers.

Chief of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, Spyros Kapralos, gave the flame to the chairman of Paris 2024, Tony Estanguet, and it will remain at the French Embassy overnight before it embarks for the port of Marseille in southern France.

It is expected to arrive May 8 and be received by the first torchbearer – French swimmer Florent Manaudou.

The 33rd edition of the Summer Olympics will begin July 26 with an opening ceremony on the
River Seine.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: Tacloban Airport’s operational hours will be from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. from May 2 to Aug. 2 as part of the ongoing runway maintenance, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) announced Friday.

The airport’s original operating hours are from 4:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

“Sunrise-sunset operations will take place, while repairs will be carried out at night. This schedule allows ample time for the asphalt to cure before the first morning flight traverses the runway,” CAAP said in a statement.

‘The repair is being expedited in anticipation of the onset of the rainy season. The notice about the adjusted operational hours will be lifted ahead of the three-month schedule once the runway repair is completed.’

The runway repair, which includes asphalt overlay, will affect 12 flights to and from Manila.

CAAP urges the passengers to coordinate with the airlines for updates on their flights.

In an advisory, flag carrier Philippine Airlines said it has adjusted the schedule of several Tacloban flights f
rom May 2 to May 31.

Affected passengers could rebook their tickets within 60 days, or reroute to the nearest airport where PAL operates.

They could also convert the ticket value into travel credits, PAL said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) on Friday underscored the need for responsible digital parenting to combat online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC).

The CWC made the statement after the Department of Justice (DOJ) reported an increase in OSAEC incidents, with the age of victims averaging 11 years old, and the youngest being three months old.

During a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing, CWC Executive Director, Undersecretary Angelo Tapales, told parents and guardians to be vigilant in identifying red flags online.

“Let us be responsible digital parents or digital adults. Para po doon sa mga oldies natin ng kaunti, mag-aral po kayo ng Internet, social media, iyan mga gadget… para po alam po natin kung paano natin tuturuan ang ating mga anak (For the older ones, learn about the Internet, social media, these gadgets, so that we know how to teach our children),” he said.

Tapales, however, noted that the biggest problem is the “wrong mentality” of its facilitators.

According
to the DOJ report, 41 percent of reported OSAEC incidents were facilitated by biological parents, while 42 percent were done by other relatives.

“Ang iba pong magulang o mga kamag-anak ng bata ay wala silang nakikitang mali dito dahil pinipiktyuran lang naman daw o bini-video iyong bata (Some parents or relatives of children don’t see anything wrong with this because they think they are just taking pictures or videos of the child), so no touch,” he said.

“That is something that we want to eradicate, that bad mentality, that wrong mentality kaya po nagki-create talaga tayo ng (that’s why we’re creating) social awareness, and of course, we want to promote responsible digital parenting.”

From 2019 to 2020 alone, the DOJ Cybercrime office already recorded a 264 percent increase in cybertips.

From March to May 2020, the DOJ’s Office of Cybercrime received 279,166 cybertips, which is relatively higher than the 76,551 cybertips for the same period in 2019.

“Ito po iyong puwedeng imbestigahan ng ating mga pulis
and eventually i-pursue at maging kaso (These may be investigated by the police and eventually be pursued to become court cases),” Tapales said.

He encouraged Filipinos to help the government in its crackdown against OSAEC by reporting such cases through its hotline number Makabata helpline 1383.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. earlier ordered government agencies to ramp up efforts against offenders and abusers of children.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned of dangerous heat index levels in 44 areas across the country on Saturday.

Based on the weather bureau’s 5 p.m. forecast on Friday, the following areas may have a heat index ranging from 42°C to 48°C:

NAIA Pasay City, Metro Manila – 43°C

Science Garden, Quezon City, Metro Manila – 42°C

Sinait, Ilocos Sur – 45°C

Laoag City, Ilocos Norte – 44°C

Dagupan City, Pangasinan – 48°C

MMSU, Batac, Ilocos Norte – 43°C

Bacnotan, La Union – 45°C

Aparri, Cagayan – 46°C

Tuguegarao City, Cagayan – 45°C

NVSU Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya – 42°C

ISU, Echague, Isabela – 43°C

Iba, Zambales – 43°C

CLSU Muñoz, Nueva Ecija – 42°C

Clark Airport (DMIA), Pampanga – 43°C

Baler (Radar), Aurora – 43°C

Casiguran, Aurora – 43°C

Cubi Pt. Subic Bay Olongapo City – 44°C

Tayabas City, Quezon – 42°C

Sangley Point, Cavite – 44°C

Ambulong, Tanauan, Batangas – 42°C

Coron, Palawan – 43°C

San Jose, Occidental Mindoro – 43°C

Puer
to Princesa City, Palawan – 42°C

Aborlan, Palawan – 44°C

Daet, Camarines Norte – 42°C

Legazpi City, Albay – 43°C

Virac (Synop), Catanduanes – 44°C

Masbate City, Masbate – 42°C

Juban, Sorsogon – 42°C

CBSUA-Pili, Camarines Sur – 43°C

Roxas City Capiz – 44°C

Mambusao, Capiz – 42°C

Iloilo City, Iloilo – 43°C

Dumangas, Iloilo – 43°C

La Granja, La Carlota, Negros Occidental – 43°C

Catarman, Northern Samar – 43°C

Catbalogan, Samar – 43°C

Tacloban City, Leyte – 43°C

Guiuan, Eastern Samar – 45°C

Maasin, Southern Leyte – 42°C

Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte – 42°C

Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur – 43°C

Cotabato City, Maguindanao – 43°C

Butuan City, Agusan del Norte – 43°C

PAGASA said heat index is what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature.

The bureau advised the public to limit the time spent outdoors, especially at noon, and drink plenty of water.

People going outdoors are reminded to use umbrellas, or wear hats and sleeved clot
hing.

Meanwhile, the easterlies will bring partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms across the country.

The whole archipelago will have light to moderate winds and slight to moderate seas.

Source: Philippines News Agency