Iloilo City prepares to bid out infra projects for this year

January 7, 2020 | 7:51 pm

CONSTRUCTION OF several buildings and the rehabilitation of public markets and plazas are among the top priorities of the Iloilo City government this year and bidding for the projects are already being prepared, according to Mayor Jerry P. Treñas. Among these are the P400 million multi-level legislative and parking building beside the city hall, the P38-million Iloilo City Action and Response Center (ICARE) command center, and a mid-rise condominium for city government employees. “The infrastructure projects that were approved last year will be our priorities. Our legislative building and command center, they already have a funding,” he said. Bidding for the legislative building is scheduled on February 22, while that for the command center is March. “I already instructed the City Engineer’s Office to give me the schedule so that we can set the timeline,” he said. For the rehabilitation projects, the mayor said P5 million has been allocated for the Central Market, P11 million for the Iloilo Terminal Market, and P5 million for the La Paz Plaza. On Monday, he also announced that a mid-rise condominium will be constructed in Jaro district to address the housing needs of regular employees. “We will prioritize the employees who have no houses,” Mr. Treñas said in an interview. The Iloilo City Urban Poor Affairs Office (ICUPAO) is already finalizing the guidelines for the condominium, which will have 120 units. “ICUPAO head Roy Firmeza will be coming up with the guidelines so that everyone will have equal chances,” he said. The city government already has an P88 million fund for the building. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

Zamboanga mayor asks water district to reconsider rate hike proposal

January 7, 2020 | 7:51 pm

ZAMBOANGA CITY Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar wants the water supply distributor to defer its proposed rate hike and first reassess its operations. Ms. Salazar, in a press briefing, said the Zamboanga City Water District (ZCWD) must look at other ways to raise funds to implement its development plan. “We have to look into the books of the ZCWD and utilize existing funds from loans. Before we increase the rates, we have to provide better service to them, it’s just as simple as that, by looking at an area where to improve,” she said. The mayor cited that ZCWD can, for example, digitize some of its systems to address non-revenue water. “Utilizing digital technology will help us curve the system’s loss without necessarily increasing the cost of water,” she said. Marli P. Acosta-De Fiesta, head of the ZCWD Engineering and Construction Department, said during the same press conference that they “respect the mayor’s stand,” but will try to convince her of the agency’s need for the rate hike through further discussions. “We see the opposition as an opportunity to further explain to the public the necessity of water rates adjustment,” she said. ZCWD is proposing to increase rates within the first quarter 2020 to fund its P5.3 billion investment program for the next 10 years. The proposed new rates are P278 for the first 10 cubic meters from the current P185, and P39 for the succeeding 11–20 cubic meters from P26. “The P185 rate is applied as of to date which was proposed in 2011 and was implemented in the year 2015. Note the time difference from 2011 up to its standing implementation, 2019. The significant increase of inflation has taken its toll over the years,” ZCWD General Manager Leonardo Rey D. Vasquez said in a Dec. 18 statement. A series of public consultations are ongoing until Jan. 16. — MSJ

Davao Region council thumbs down peace talks resumption as local governments pursue community-based programs

January 7, 2020 | 7:50 pm

THE DAVAO Regional Peace and Order Council has voiced its opposition to the planned resumption of peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF), the political arm of the communist rebellion. In a press statement released Monday afternoon, Davao Oriental Gov. Nelson L. Dayanghirang, chair of the multi-sector council, said negotiations with the communist group, which the government has tagged as a terrorist organization, “would not be a favorable move for our government as they will only use this window as a means to strengthen their forces and gain their foothold amid the impending lifting of the ceasefire agreement.” Mr. Dayanghirang, also a member of the Regional Development Council, said the local governments in the region have made significant strides in their peace and order initiatives under Executive Order 70 of President Rodrigo R. Duterte. The order spells out the Whole-of-Nation Approach to Attain Sustainable Peace and to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, which puts focus on localized programs to convince members of the New People’s Army, the armed group of the communist movement, to end the insurgency. At the same time, Mr. Dayanghirang stressed that the council supports the “President’s genuine intention to end the long-running Communist insurgency and we remain committed in our oath to continue to push for initiatives, reforms, and programs that will benefit our Dabawenyo constituents and to foster true and lasting peace in this part of our country.” The government and the NDF declared a ceasefire from December 23 to January 7 in observance of the Christmas and New Year holidays as well as pave the way for the resumption of peace talks. “The ceasefires are intended to generate a positive environment conducive to the holding of informal talks preparatory to the formal meeting to resume the peace negotiations,” the two parties said in a joint statement released on Dec. 22. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

Nationwide round-up

January 7, 2020 | 7:49 pm

Marciano to head PHL space program

JOEL JOSEPH S. Marciano, Jr. will be leading the Philippine’s space program following his appointment as the first director general of the newly-established Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA). Malacañang Palace on Tuesday announced the appointment, which was signed last Dec. 9. A professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) — Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute, Mr. Marciano previously served as manager of the Philippine Scientific Earth Observation Satellite program (PHL-Microsat) and also director of the Department of Science and Technology Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI). He holds a doctoral degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of New South Wales, according to the UPD site. He has co-authored a publication titled Capacity building in space technology in the Philippines through the PHL-Microsat program, which was submitted to the 31^st International Symposium on Space Science and Technology. PhilSA was created through Republic Act 11363, the Philippine Space Act, signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte last August. Under the law, PhilSA will get a P10 billion fund over the first five years from its establishment as the country aims to become space-capable within the next decade. — Gillian M. Cortez

Esperon asks: Who needs the CPP/NPA/NDF?

NATIONAL SECURITY Adviser Hermogenes C. Esperon Jr. has expressed stiff opposition to the planned revival of peace talks with communist leaders, citing their “duplicitous character and self-interest” as reflected in their proposed provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER). Mr. Esperon said the proposed CASER “do not directly reflect the best interest of the nation,” but that of the National Democratic Front (NDF), its allied organization Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and the armed wing New People’s Army (NPA). “For one, their CASER was crafted with the goal of turning the Philippine economic model to nationalist and socialist,” Mr. Esperon said in a statement on Jan. 7, the last day of the two-week ceasefire declared by the government and the NDF last month. In the joint announcement, both parties said the cessation of hostilities is in preparation for informal discussions leading to the formal peace talks resumption. Mr. Esperon, however, asserts, “After presenting the objectionable provisions of their proposed CASER, would it be beneficial to the nation that we engage the (communists) in another round of peace talks? We have alternatives to peace talks. We are now pursuing local peace engagements which have resulted to understanding and the mainstreaming of rebels.” The security adviser, who is also vice-chair of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict on the Peace Talks, further said, “Moreover, the government has the capacity to fulfill its obligations for social justice and development. Who needs the CPP/NPA/NDF?” — Gillian M. Cortez

Nation at a Glance — (01/08/20)

January 7, 2020 | 7:47 pm

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Factory output continues to decline in November

January 7, 2020 | 11:11 am

Factory output declined for the twelfth straight month in November, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported earlier this morning.

Preliminary results from the PSA’s Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries showed that the November factory output – as measured by the volume of production index – contracted by 6.1%. The recent figure was lower than the revised four-percent decline in October and a reversal of the 1.9% growth in November 2018.

The November figure marked the steepest decline since the 10.1% drop in August 2019.

Year to date, the factory output decline averaged 7.6% compared to the 9.1% growth average in 2018’s comparable 11 months.

Factory output has been declining since December 2018. This losing streak also matched the 12-month slump between November 2008 and October 2009.

In comparison, the Nikkei Philippines Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index dropped to 51.4 in November from 52.1 in October – its slowest in five months. A reading above 50 indicates an improvement in business conditions from the preceding month.

Average capacity utilization – the extent by which industry resources are used in the production of goods – was estimated at 84.5% with 12 of the 20 sectors registering capacity utilization rates of at least 80%%. — Edwin C. Aruta, Jr.

December inflation fastest in six months

January 7, 2020 | 10:44 am

The overall year-on-year pace in the prices of widely used goods picked up for the second straight month in December by its fastest pace in six months, the government reported this morning.

Preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed headline inflation at 2.5% last month, marking the fastest pace since June’s 2.7%, albeit still slower than the 5.1% in December 2018.

The December figure is higher than the 2.1% median in a BusinessWorld poll conducted late last week and falls near the high-end of the 1.8-2.6% estimate given by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) for last month.

Full-year inflation came in at 2.5% against the BSP’s 2-4% target range for 2019 and its full-year forecast of 2.4%. This was slower than the 5.2% average inflation rate posted in 2018 and marked the slowest since 2016’s 1.3%.

Core inflation, which discounted volatile prices of food and fuel, stood at 3.1% in December, picking up from 2.6% the previous month and the fastest since the 3.2% in July 2019.

For the entire year, core inflation averaged 3.2%, slower than 2018’s 4.2%.

“The uptrend in the inflation in December 2019 was mainly brought about by the 1.7% annual increment recorded in the heavily-weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages index. In the previous month, food and non-alcoholic beverages index registered an annual rate of zero percent,” the PSA said in a statement.

The food-alone index posted an inflation rate of 1.7%, a reversal from November’s 0.2% decline. — Marissa Mae M. Ramos

Ampatuan massacre principal suspect arrested in Maguindanao

January 7, 2020 | 1:02 am

ONE OF the principal suspects in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, also among the 80 who have evaded arrest for a over a decade, was arrested on Monday in Maguindanao, the police reported. Brig. Gen. Marni C. Marcos, Jr., police director of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said the 42-year old Faisal Dimaukom, also known as Kagi Faizal, was arrested in the town of Datu Saudi Ampatuan following intelligence-driven operations. “I am extending my gratefulness and appreciation especially to the stakeholders for this is a result of good intelligence work and coordination with them,” he said in a message sent via Viber. Mr. Marcos also said a fragmentation grenade was found in Dimaukom’s possession. Mr. Dimaukom, with a P300,000 bounty on his head, has been tagged as one of the principal suspects in the massacre where 58 people, including 32 journalists, were killed in Ampatuan town on Nov. 23, 2009. Last Dec. 19, Quezon City Regional Trial Court Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes handed out the verdict on the case, convicting two members of the powerful Ampatuan political clan along with 26 other principal accused. The court also ordered the arrest of all suspects still at large.— Emmanuel Tupas, PHILSTAR

Nationwide round-up

January 7, 2020 | 1:01 am

Overweight cops will not get promotion, training opportunities

IN THIS Sept. 11, 2017 photo posted on Twitter, members of the police force in Pontevedra, Capiz participate in a Zumba dance session “in connection w/MISSION: SLIM POSSIBLE, PNP’s Weight Lose Challenge.” — *@PCRPONTEVEDRA*

POLICE officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco F. Gamboa has ordered overweight cops to shape up or lose opportunities for career advancement trainings and promotion. Mr. Gamboa, in a press briefing Monday, said they will be strictly enforcing the policy on maintaining the ideal weight based on the body mass index (BMI). “You will be denied schooling until you comply to the BMI requirements,” he said. Mr. Gamboa said the directive covers all ranks, including non-commissioned officers. He cited that he ordered an overweight general to lose weight by going on a “yogurt diet,” but did not divulge the name. “Alam ko na kung sino tinutukoy n’yo (I know who you are referring to),” he told members of the media. “He has a particular target. Last week ko pa siya ni-remind at nagsimula na siyang bumili ng (I reminded him last week and he has already started buying) yoghurt,” he added, eliciting laughter from the press. Mr. Gamboa also acknowledged that he himself needs to lose four pounds to hit his ideal weight. The implementation of the intensified weight loss program follows a directive from Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo M. Año. — Emmanuel Tupas, PHILSTAR

Nation at a Glance — (01/07/20)

January 7, 2020 | 1:00 am

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Inflation accelerates in November for low-income households (2019)

January 7, 2020 | 12:33 am

INFLATION, as experienced by low-income families, accelerated in November after five straight months of slowing down, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Monday. Read the full story.

Inflation impact on poor picks up in Nov.

January 7, 2020 | 12:33 am

INFLATION, as experienced by low-income families, accelerated in November after five straight months of slowing down, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Monday.

The inflation rate for the country’s bottom 30% income households snapped five consecutive months of downtrend and accelerated to 1.7% in November. This was faster than 0.8% in October, albeit slower compared to 8.3% in November 2018.

The latest reading brought the year-to-date pace for this income segment to 3.3%, still slower than the 7.1% average in 2018’s comparable 11 months.

That compared to a 1.3% headline inflation experienced by the average household in November, which was faster than the 0.8% reading in October, but slower compared to six percent in November 2018. Headline inflation likewise inched up in November following five straight months of easing.

The PSA uses the 2012 base year in computing the headline consumer price index (CPI), while the bottom 30% income households’ CPI uses 2000 prices.

Aside from the two measures having different base years, the CPI for the bottom 30% income segment of the population reconfigures the model basket of goods in order to make it more representative of the spending patterns of the poor. For instance, food accounts for 75% of the theoretical basket of goods used by a poor household compared to an average household’s 35.5%.

Inflation for the food, beverage and tobacco index was 1.6% in November, faster than the 0.6% in October.

The food-alone index accelerated to 0.4%, a turnaround from the 0.6% decline in the previous month.

The fuel, light and water index likewise registered a reversal with a 0.2% uptick in November from October’s 0.7% contraction.

Indices that saw an uptick during the period were clothing (to 3% in November from 2.8% in October); housing and repairs (3.7% from 3.5%); and “miscellaneous” items (2.3% from 2.2%).

Services, meanwhile, slowed to 2.7% from 2.8%.

“Inflation for the bottom 30%, like headline inflation, is said to have reached its bottom and is said to be ‘normalizing,’” UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc. Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion said in an e-mail, adding that much of the high price levels seen in 2018 factored into last year’s inflation trend.

“With high base effects dwindling towards the end of 2019, inflation is expected to normalize towards the mid-point of the national government’s target of 2%-4% [for 2019]. Thus, one would expect the same trend when talking about inflation for the bottom 30% of the Philippine population,” Mr. Asuncion added.

For December 2019, Mr. Asuncion expected “another uptick” on inflation for the bottom 30% on account of “higher demand due to seasonal factors.”

“Another reason is the notable increase in fuel prices and electricity,” the economist added.

Last month, Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said the generation charge for December stood at P5.1967 per kilowatt-hour (/kWh), higher by P0.1650/kWh from the November rate. — Jobo E. Hernandez