MANILA: The government will release $38.23m to support the implementation of the Rehabilitation Plan for fishing communities in Central Philippines struck by Typhoon Haiyan, the Department of Budget and Management said. “Part of the (Aquino) Administration’s reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts for Haiyan-affected areas is the restoration of the communities’ primary means of livelihood,” DBM Secretary Florencio Abad said of the allocation which will first be sent to the Department of Agriculture — Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. According to the department, of the total amount, $11.18m will be used for rehabilitating BFAR facilities in the disaster areas and repairing the bureau’s official vessels, which sustained severe damage at the height of Typhoon Haiyan.
Haze shrouds Kuala Lumpur
KUALA LUMPUR: Haze shrouded Malaysia’s capital and its surroundings yesterday, causing “unhealthy” air quality due to fires from a drought that has led to water rationing. While dry spells are common in the tropical nation, the current two-month heat wave has been unusually long, sparking bush fires and water supply cuts to more than two million people.
The air pollution index rose as high as 150 yesterday in seven areas -- mostly in Kuala Lumpur and the central state of Selangor, the country’s economic hub which surrounds the capital. A reading of 100 to 200 means air quality is “unhealthy.” Visibility was lower than one kilometre in central Malaysia early yesterday, where the iconic Petronas Twin Towers were shrouded in smog that forced city residents to wear face masks.
“The moderate haze the country is experiencing is due to internal sources resulting from land and forest fires in a few states,” the department of environment said in a statement. Agencies
