At the onset, critics pointed out that Boracay beach closure seemed to be a drastic move, an isolated strategy. But the statement was nothing but a myth. When I visited Florida as part of the US Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), I learned that beach closures were part of a standard operating procedure relevant to Algal Bloom Monitoring. Recently, it closed Jupiter Beaches on Palm Beach County, Hobe Sound Beach, and Bathtub Beach in Martin County.In Rhode Island, the moment the concentration of Enterocci bacteria in beach water exceeds 60 colony-forming units per 100 mililiters, they issue a temporary closure. In 2018 alone, there were at least 40 beach closures in Rhode Island. - Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual 2nd Edition
Philippine Undersecretary, author, opinion columnist and advocate
Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo (born February 7, 1991) is a Filipino government official, academic, columnist, and author, currently serving as the Undersecretary for Public Affairs and Foreign Relations in the Department of Information and Communications Technology since November 2022. Notably, she is the youngest to hold this prestigious post. Before her current role, she the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs within the same department. Spanning eight years in government, Lamentillo also served as the chairperson of the Build, Build, Build Committee of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Lamentillo's commitment to national security is evidenced by her roles as an officer in the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA) with the rank of Auxiliary Commodore (one-star general), a reservist in the Philippine Army Reserve Force with the rank of First Lieutenant, and an adopted member of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Class of 2006, Bagsay Lahi. She is also a member of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) following the completion of its VIP Protection Executive Training (VIPPET) in 2023. She maintains a bi-weekly column in the Op-Ed section of Manila Bulletin and Balita.
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The United Nations has often defined culture as being created, contested, and recreated within the social praxis of diverse groups in economic, social, and political arenas. There is no point to segregation — to further an invisible line dividing Christians and Muslims. Just as men need to stand up for women in gender rights, Catholics must stand with our Muslim brothers and sisters for sustainable peace. We must be the first to oppose whenever Muslims are branded and discriminated against. As the old Chinese proverb say — Just as a fence has to be built with pegs, an able person needs the help of three others.
Before the six-month closure of Boracay, coliform bacteria in Bolabog reached as high as one million most probable number (MPN) per 100 mililiter (ml). The streets were so narrow and cars could not pass through. Pedestrians competed with pedicabs and tricycles for whatever little space was left on the street. There were no sidewalks. Establishments encroached on the shoreline, with some sections left with barely any sand.Six months later, water quality had significantly improved — with a recorded value of only 19 to 20 MPN/100 ml. This is even lower than the acceptable threshold of 100 MPN/100 ml for swimming areas and 200 MPN/100 ml for areas of non- contact sport.