Huge Fire at House Technology Industries at Cavite Economic Zone Injures Over 100

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Cavite Governor Boying Remulla held a presscon in front of EPZA confirming two (2) missing persons from the February 1 fire that broke out at the House Technology Industries Ltd., (HTI) factory located at the the Cavite Economic Zone in General Trias, Cavite. The fire, the biggest to hit the province, caused injury to over 100 while 10 are in critical condition. One was already reported dead. But are these the real numbers?

We should be refraining from circulating unverified information that might cause panic since all of these figures are not yet the final counts.

Thousands of employees were supposed to be on duty at the time of the factory fire, so there could be hundreds hurt or dead from the blaze. The factory is operational on a 24 hour basis and has three shifts for its workers.

If you have a missing relative or friend, you may report it to House Technology Industries' help desk at Gate 5 of the Cavite Economic Zone.

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the victims of the fire will get aid from them and also from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

HTI, CEPZ and EPZA should pay for the medical needs, or burials (if worst comes to worst), of the victims. The employees should be compensated fairly.

After Kentex (a slipper manufacturing factory in Valenzuela where 74 people were killed in a fire), now it is HTI. When will DOLE impose workplace safety standards? When will companies agree to obey them? The HTI EPZA tragedy again reflects how Filipino workers are deprived of proper occupational health & safety & other fundamental workers' rights.

It was also proper that Cavite took back its declaration of a state of calamity since that is not the real case.

Gina Lopez and DENR to Shut Down Mining Firms in Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Mining companies should pull off an Ellis Wyatt on Gina Lopez. 

"I am leaving it as I found it. Take over. It's yours."

What happened, Pilipinas?! Ganito na ka kalbo ang mga kabundukan natin and it only took a new DENR Secretary to reveal the truth behind our balding mountains.

"Now I know why there is fighting in Mindanao;" ; there are many mining companies in Mindanao, says Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Gina Lopez.

There are "22 mining companies are closed, 5 suspended , 2 differed, final decision is the President" reports Lopez. She earlier stressed the need for convergence and human development in the priority areas during a DENR Expanded Excom in Rizal province.

President Rodrigo Duterte throws weight behind Gina Lopez's closure of 21 mines. The President says he has never asked the Environment Secretary to 'slow down' with the DENR's mining audit. There's no slowing down! I hope many will fully back the goal to eliminate illegal mining in the country.

Most of these mining companies were closed on grounds of destroying watersheds, while 6 others were suspended for violation of environment laws. The Secretary remarked that those who benefit from the mining operations are only the businessmen and not the residents.

Gina Lopez is an amazing embodiment of true public service w/o being partisan. I think she is the few good appointees of the President. I hope this is true-to-goodness "change." We admire her for the passion in her work. Setting aside political differences makes a difference when you start working for the benefit of the people and environment.

Our utmost respect goes to her for rejecting the plans of Viacom for environmentally damaging Coron, Palawan with the Viacom Nickelodeon Spongebob Squarepants underwater theme park. "..You can't kill the corals.For a theme park? No, no way man." says Lopez. She said Investors are welcome, but let us not over-commercialize Palawan. Let's give a big hand to the DENR Minister for turning down a tourism project which would cause major ecosystem destruction . However, Palawan officials say there has been no application's received, but the developer says theme park is a go. Huh?

Last January, Lopez also cancelled the environmental clearance to reclaim 635 hectares of coastal waters along Paranaque-Las Pinas-Bacoor corridor. The Secretary buried Ramon Ang's Manila Bay reclamation project, while San Miguel Corporation (SMC) clarified it has no participation in the proposed reclamation plan that was scuttled by the DENR.

Please also save the trees along Commonwealth Avenue of Quezon City that will be affected in the construction of MRT 7. Only 623 will be transplanted while 1,215 will be cut down to make way for the project.

There's also the pending Quezon City government appeal to reconsider her plan to shut down the Payatas sanitary landfill. I hope she doesn't give in since the area is not healthy for living conditions.

She should also work with the Department of Health to test if the reported health problems of the residents in Limay, Bataan were caused by the ash fall or spill from a byproduct storage facility being used by SMC subsidiaries in the coal plant.

Kudos to to the DENR Secretary for being true to her mandate of protecting our environment. Do you have a feeling that she will someday run for a high position in the government and win?

Meanwhile, critics want her probed on an anomalous deal. But she denies the allegations on the mentioned Air Quality Monitoring equipment. She sees a hidden agenda behind the graft complaint and says there are no strides without enemies. She suspects that the filing of the complaint versus her with the Ombudsman has something to do with the publication of DENR's mining audit.

"Ansabe ni Gina Lopez sa mga pinasarang minahan na umaapela pa? 

Eh di..... NEVER MINE!" 

BOC Raids Kimstore's Tondo Warehouse Full of Smuggled High-End Gadgets

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Shit... so all this time, Kimstore's products were smuggled. It's all illegal and shit. I looked at my phone and then said "NOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

Well, I'm still #shookt that Kimstore, one of the top online shop in the country, got raided by the Bureau of Customs (BOC). I got my phone from them. I'm a purchaser in good faith and for value!

KimStore is a multi-awarded online store. A part of me sympathizes with it being shut down, and a part of me is angry at the government for double-charging people, including businesses, in taxes.

But there's always the other side of the story. Again, media are said to expose only half-baked truths. We have not heard the side of Kimstore yet. I'm pretty sure Kimstore is a legit business with authentic products but they seem to be lacking on proper paperworks or from what I've heard, they wrongly declared on gadget amounts to pay less taxes. What a waste. This should be a warning for everyone desiring for a business. DO IT RIGHT. I cannot stress this enough.

I bought some of my gadget accessories from them, and my Samsung S7 Edge for a price lower than other stores.. Yun pala.. sad.. Government, sana wag nyo ibulsa ang gadgets. We are watching you.

Rumor has it that Kimstore was harassed by customs people and was asked for bribes. I guess Kimstore didn't bribe the BOC officials well enough. Seriously, we will follow the news trail, and find out where these gadgets end up.

Dear BOC, What will happen to the 45M worth of gadgets you confiscated at Kimstore ? Just curious.

Early, or late, Christmas for the Bureau of Customs? After 2 days, employees from custom be like...""just got my 'new' laptop, mobile phone, tablet, power bank, etc." Damn those iPhones, iPads and MacBooks. If those raided gadgets at @kimstore is going to be used personally by those guys at customs then I will be pissed.

Yung CDR KING kaya? Hmmmm. Lol!

Me: Gusto ko bumili sa Kimstore ng Iphone7 

Also Me: kay SPO4 na lang kasi mas mura, kasama sya dun sa nag raid