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IN MET R MANILAO
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 14 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES FEBRUARY 25, 2024
IN FULL BLOOM. Students clad in colorful floral-themed costumes perform during the 28th ‘Panagbenga’ flower festival in Baguio. Dave Leprozo
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FLEXI-WORK ARRANGEMENT FOR STATE WORKERS PUSHED CSC SAYS HYBRID MODE WILL HELP IMPROVE NCR TRAFFIC
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HE Civil Service Commission urged government agencies in Metro Manila to adopt the Policies on Flexible Working Arrangements (FWA) to help improve the traffic situation in the capital. “The National Capital Region has the largest number of government workers in the country, with 440,009 or 22.30 percent of career and non-career personnel. The prevailing traffic conditions in the metro not only hinder their mobility but also impact their productivity, particularly for those who commute daily,” CSC chairperson Karlo Nograles said in a statement. “By adopting the FWA, we can not
only enhance their efficiency but also safeguard their health, safety, and welfare,” he added. Last month, the National Capital Region topped 387 cities worldwide with the slowest travel time in the 2023 TomTom Traffic Index. The index noted that the average travel time for 10 kilometers in the metropolitan area would take 25 minutes and 30 seconds, compared to only 8 minutes and 40 seconds in
Kansas City in the US. Nograles said the Policies on FWAs in the government, crafted through CSC Memorandum Circular 6 in 2022, sought to institutionalize “adaptable and responsive work schemes for civil servants to promote [their] efficient and effective performance.” He, however, said the approval of the FWA is at the discretion of the head of the agency, provided that stakeholders and clients are assured of continuous delivery of services from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., including lunch break, throughout the workweek. “Let’s ensure that even with the FWA, we continue to deliver efficient, speedy, and reliable public service,” he said.
Under MC 6, government agencies may choose to adopt any of the six FWAs to enable support mechanisms for government officials and employees. Flexiplace is an output-oriented work arrangement that authorizes government officials or employees to render service at a location away from their office on a temporary basis, including working from home. The compressed workweek is an arrangement whereby the 40 hours workweek for five days is compressed to four days or less, as may be applicable, while a skeleton workforce provides for a minimum number of government officials or employees to staff the office when full staffing is not possible.
PRESIDENT TO ADDRESS AUSTRALIA PARLIAMENT NEXT WEEK By Vince Lopez PRESIDENT Marcos will embark on a two-day visit to Australia next week where he is scheduled to address the Australian Parliament in Canberra. He will be the first Filipino leader to address the Australian Parliament, the Presidential Communications Office said yesterday. Mr. Marcos, who will be in Australia from Feb. 28 to 29, is expected to discuss the vision for the strategic partnership between the two countries during his address before the parliament. The Philippines and Australia in September
signed a document to elevate bilateral relations to a strategic partnership, aiming to bring a “more dynamic, cooperative, and prosperous future” to both countries. The Philippines and Australia will mark the 78th anniversary of diplomatic relations in November. “Similarly, the visit will witness the signing of new agreements in areas of common interest to complement the already robust cooperation with Australia and expand engagements for mutual capacity building,” the PCO said. It is still unclear, however, whether President
BINAY CONCERNED OVER DWINDLING INTEREST IN EDSA By Joel Zurbano FILIPINOS seem to be not as interested now in marking the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, Senator Nancy Binay lamented yesterday. “Of course it is a cause for concern. During that moment, the whole world was admiring us for that peaceful revolution,” Binay said in a radio interview. Her father, former Vice President Jejomar Binay, was an active human rights lawyer then who brought the late Cory Aquino to her oath-taking as the country’s president at Club Filipino in San Juan on Feb. 25, 1986. “I hope we will not forget the spirit of EDSA—that is already part of our history,” she said. Aquino’s grandson, Francis Aquino Dee, earlier urged Filipinos to participate in activities marking today’s event. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines with its partner agencies will spearhead the commemorative rites to honor the 38th anniversary at the EDSA People Power Monument in Quezon City today.
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Marcos will tackle defense cooperation and possible military equipment deals with Australia. Australia is the Philippines’ second largest partner in defense and security. It is also one of only two countries that have a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) with the Philippines. As of 2022, about 408,000 Filipinos and Australians of Filipino descent reside in Australia.
NAVY CHIEF URGES FILIPINO TOURISTS TO VISIT PAG-ASA By Vince Lopez
NAVY’S TOP BRASS. Navy chief Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr. (center), Naval Forces West head Commodore Alan Javier (right); and former Navy chief Eduardo Santos tour Pag-asa Island in the town of Kalayaan in the West Philippine Sea on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. Philippine Navy
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THE country’s Navy chief visited troops and military facilities on Pag-asa Island on Friday and urged Filipinos and foreign tourists alike to explore Kalayaan town’s seat of governance. Navy chief Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr. arrived with Commodore Alan Javier of the Naval Forces West at Pag-asa Island “to demonstrate the country’s sovereignty over the contested area and its readiness to welcome everyone, including tourists,” said Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea. “Pag-asa is accessible to everybody. It is now open to tourism. It is
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ours, and we would like to encourage Filipinos to visit Pag-asa Island. It is also to show them what our country is doing on the island.” This developed as the Philippine Coast Guard released a drone footage over the weekend showing a Chinese Coast Guard vessel block blocking BRP Datu Sanday that was on a resupply mission for Filipino fisherfolk in Bajo de Masinloc on Feb. 22. The CCG ship was also seen deploying a new floating barrier in the area “Filipino fishermen have been generafishing in these waters for genera tions, long before the establishment of the Chinese Coast Guard,” PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said.
SARAH G: 1ST PINAY AWARDEE AT BILLBOARD GLOBAL FORCE NEWS | A2
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