Jollibee

Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC), the country's largest fast food operator, is acquiring a majority stake in a restaurant chain in Taiwan through its wholly-owned unit Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd.

In a statement, the company said Jollibee Worldwide signed a joint venture agreement with owners of the Lao Dong restaurant business that is based in Taipei.

Under the terms, JFC will buy 70 percent of Lao Dong for P61.1 million. It will also invest P30.6 million in the joint venture while the present owners will invest another P13.1 million. The deal is expected to be completed within this year.

"The joint venture shall operate and expand the Lao Dong restaurant chains in Taiwan and in the People's Republic of China," JFC said.

"Further, the head and one of the present owners of the Lao Dong business, Mr. Liu Cheng Hsiung, shall assist the Jollibee group in developing food products and processing and preparation techniques for its business units in China, the Philipiines and other countries."

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Oil sludge spills into Davao City coastal waters

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is now cleaning up the waters off the coast of Sasa Wharf, Davao City where more than 1,500 liters of oil sludge were spilt Saturday.

Commander Roy Echeverria, station chief of PCG Davao, said the spill may have been caused by the overflowing of water from plants located nearby. He said the area has been under heavy rain since Thursday night.

"It’s coco oil sludges....galing sa septic tank umapaw dahil sa baha. The spill can really affect the Davao Gulf and its immediate environment...but there's nothing to worry about. Naagapan naman agad ng Coast Guard," he said.

Residents living near the shore are complaining of the foul odor emitted by the spill.

The PCG, however, assured residents that they have nothing to worry about since the agency has already prevented the sludge from spreading.

The PCG is now probing where the sludge actually came from. It added that they will go after the company where the spill came from.

Source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

4.7-magnitude quake rocks

A 4.7-magnitude earthquake was felt in Northern Mindanao Monday afternoon, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

The Phivolcs branch in Surigao City recorded the earthquake at 2:56 p.m. The quake's epicenter was located 19 kilometers north, five degrees west of Butuan City.

The epicenter was five kilometers deep, Phivolcs added.

The quake was felt in Butuan City at intensity 4; intensity 3 to 2 in parts of Cagayan de Oro City; and intensity 1 in Camiguin.

An intensity 2 aftershock was also felt in Butuan City.

No damage caused by the quake has been reported.

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crashed quake chopper

CHENGDU, China - Chinese rescue workers continued to search for their own in the mountains of Sichuan province on Monday, after a military helicopter ferrying earthquake survivors crashed in heavy fog over the weekend.

The military transport helicopter with 19 people on board, including residents injured in the quake, crashed on Saturday near Yingxiu, close to the quake's epicenter, Xinhua news agency said.

The five-member crew of the helicopter was on their 64th mission since a devastating earthquake hit Sichuan nearly three weeks ago, Xinhua said.

China has mobilized its military to unblock roads, clear rubble and deliver food, water and tents to the estimated 5 million people displaced by the May 12 earthquake. Rescuers are racing to clear lakes and set up housing before the summer rainy season begins.

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Metro Manila floods

Only a few thousand hectares of Metro Manila land, which is equivalent to the area of one town, is expected to suffer from flooding during this rainy season, Chairman Bayani Fernando of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said Monday.

Fernando said the MMDA expects only 2,000 hectares of Metro Manila to experience intermittent flooding during the rainy season, down from the 13,000 hectares that is usually flooded in the past.

Fernando said the MMDA worked all throughout the dry months to rid the floodgates in Metro Manila of garbage, boulders and other debris. Blocked canals and waterways have also been cleared, he added.

He said the agency has also finished fixing five flood pumps in the Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela) area.

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Nature Reserve

WOLONG, China - Six rare giant pandas were evacuated Friday from the famed Wolong breeding center in southwest China due to food shortages and damage caused by last week's earthquake, staff said.

The endangered animals were trucked to another nature reserve in quake-hit Sichuan province, following eight others that were removed on Thursday in a departure planned before the earthquake, staff members told an AFP journalist.

"They left today. They are already gone," said one of several staffers at the now largely-deserted site to look after the roughly 46 pandas left there.

Three other pandas remained missing following the quake, staff said.

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Three injured in Cotobato bus terminal explosion

Three people were injured after a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) went off at the Weena Bus terminal in Cotabato City Monday evening.

The bomb was placed near the gate of the bus terminal at Jose Lim Street in Cotabato City at around 7 p.m. Monday.

Security guard Leopoldo Cabanyog, a tricycle driver identified only as "Ismael", and Weena bus driver Nestor Bayog were injured by the explosion. Most of them suffered feet injuries.

Initial reports said an aircon bus arriving from Davao City was entering the terminal when the explosive went off.

The Army's 6th Explosive Ordnace Disposal unit Commanding Officer Capt. Ramon Torres said initial findings point to an IED consisting of bomb chemical, TNT, placed inside a container, with a cellular phone used as triggering device.

Based on recovered pieces of evidence, investigators said these materials were similar to the bomb used at the April 26 Weena Bus bombing in Midsayap, North Cotabato.

Source: www.abs-cbnnews.com