On Saturday, Oct. 10, friends of journalist, poet, screenwriter, translator, essayist, editor par excellence Pete Lacaba are putting together a tribute/benefit for him by having musicians sing his Salinawit music numbers. His body of works have become part and parcel of our cultural life.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services recently issued a Policy Alert, warning people that USCIS may immediately deny any benefit request (a petition or application) if the applicant “fails to demonstrate eligibility for a benefit or fails to provide all required initial evidence when filing the application, without first issuing a Request for Evidence or a Notice of Intent to Deny.”

Macklemore announced three shows in London, Paris and Dublin for late October, with US dates also planned, and said all proceeds will benefit pro-Palestinian organizations.

MANILA, Philippines — A consumer advocacy group has backed moves to establish national rules for shared underground fiber conduits, saying the policy should ultimately be measured by whether it delivers more reliable connectivity and fewer disruptions for Filipino consumers. “A severed fiber line can stop a student’s class, prevent a worker from earning a day’s pay, and disrupt payments, orders and other transactions for businesses of every size, from neighborhood stores to major enterprises. Consumers bear the consequences regardless of which company owns the damaged cable,” said CitizenWatch Philippines co-convenor Tim Abejo. The proposed framework, submitted through the Private Sector Advisory Council’s Digital Infrastructure sector, calls for a coordinated national approach to the planning, construction and governance of underground conduit systems. Among the measures being proposed are common technical standards, clearer responsibility for maintenance, closer coordination between national agencies and local governments, and rules for the long-term shared use of underground infrastructure. Froilan Castelo, president of the Philippine Chamber of Telecommunications Operators and general counsel of Globe Telecom Inc., has said a common policy would give telecommunications operators a more consistent framework for network planning and deployment while improving infrastructure resilience.  Abejo said the initiative presents an opportunity to make consumer welfare a clear part of infrastructure policy. “For consumers, the test is straightforward: Will this lead to more dependable service and less disruption when infrastructure is damaged?” Abejo said. “Clear responsibility is critical. The rules should identify who maintains shared facilities, who acts when infrastructure is damaged, and how service providers keep affected subscribers properly informed during an outage.” The initiative also complements the Dig Once Policy under Republic Act 12234, or the Konektadong Pinoy Act, which provides for better coordination in the installation of telecommunications conduits alongside roadworks and other infrastructure projects. The policy is intended to reduce repeated excavation, shorten deployment time and improve coordination of civil works. Abejo said better planning can benefit both consumers and communities if implementation is accompanied by clear engineering, safety and road-restoration standards.  “Coordinating infrastructure works can reduce unnecessary excavation and inconvenience, but accountability for safety and proper road restoration must be clear,” he said.

An estimated five million families will benefit from the additional P27.41-billion funding allocated for the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients or MAIFIP program, according to the Department of Health.