News from home: Looming transport strike, another death by hazing

SYDNEY, Australia — From transport groups planning announcing a strike to protest the government’s push to replace the traditional jeepney phaseout to news of another student dying in fraternity hazing rites — these were among our headlines and news stories from the past week we think you should know if you’re a Filipino based abroad.

Overseas Filipinos

• Philippine authorities continue to work on bringing home trafficking victims trapped in neighboring countries. Just last week, eight more were brought home from Cambodia, where they were forced to hook people into a cryptocurrency scheme and were subjected to abuse if they failed to meet targets.
• The first batch of Filipinos repatriated from Türkiye arrived last week. The Department of Foreign Affairs assured the public that authorities continue to reach out to Filipinos affected by the earthquake as well as the subsequent ones.

Work and the economy

• The Philippine Competition Commission’s investigation into the ballooning prices of onions in the country could wrap up within this year. However, they noted that it could be difficult to prove that a cartel made prices skyrocket.
• Groups of jeepney drivers are suspending operations this week to protest the government’s shift to phase out the old public transportation utility vehicle. Around 40,000 jeepneys and UV Express are expected to take part in the protest in Metro Manila, causing some universities and schools to adjust class schedules and methods to the potential lack of commuting options
• There is still no taming inflation in the horizon, as of now, as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas forecasts the February print beyond 9%, ranging from 8.5% to 9.3% — faster than the 8.7% seen in January. This means commodity prices likely increased further in February.

Politics and the nation

• Another student dies in fraternity hazing rites. John Matthew Salilig from Adamson University was battered to death after taking paddle hits during the hazing rites of Tau Gamma Fraternity. The death, which sparked condemnation across sectors, is already being investigated by the government. Talks on review of the anti-hazing law and the administration-backed proposal to make ROTC mandatory again also followed the news of Salilig's death.
• The Department of Transportation suspended airport security caught stealing from a Thai tourist by taking cash from their wallet as their bag went through screening.
• Kalayaan LGU aims to be the next go-to for tourists as it prepares to launch its week-long Kalayaan island group expedition — giving the public an opportunity to explore and try game fishing.
  The LGU views it as a way to operate as a “regular municipality,” saying projects like these help assert the country’s sovereignty, especially given the tense geopolitical situation in the West Philippine Sea. 
  Meanwhile, organizations and local fisherfolk groups are calling to preserve the biodiversity and ecosystem of the WPS against threats to their livelihoods. 

You can view last week’s rundown here or sign up for the newsletter here.