The Global State of Democracy 2024, released by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, reports annual global rankings for each main categories of democratic performance. Out of 173 countries, the Philippines ranked 90th, 96th, 104th, and 64th, respectively, in Representation, Rights, Rule of Law, and Participation categories.
Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.
LEADERS of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Wednesday discussed progress toward a South China Sea code of conduct and agreed that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) should be the bloc’s basis for settling sea disputes, a Thai official said.
Nikorndej Balankura, a spokesman for Thailand’s Foreign Ministry, said the issue of ASEAN unity and prioritizing its centrality was also stressed during a retreat of ASEAN leaders in Laos.
Also on Wednesday, the Philippine presidential palace said President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. was set to join fellow ASEAN leaders for an “interface” with representatives of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC) in Vientiane.
The President would reiterate the Philippines’ commitment to working with the private sector in advancing ASEAN’s goals and objectives and call on the council to take a leading role in shaping the regional economy.
Meanwhile, the Philippines and Vietnam said they are exploring more areas of cooperation to boost a strategic partnership that they sealed in 2015 that includes defense and maritime ties.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued the statement on the sidelines of the 44th and 45th summits of the ASEAN in Laos.
“We have made a good deal of progress since our very first discussion and some of the engagements between our two countries,” he told the leader of the $409-billion economy, based on a statement from the presidential palace in Manila.
“And I am very happy that we will be able to pursue that. It also gives us the opportunity to explore new areas of cooperation and partnership,” he added.
Mr. Chinh, for his part, reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to its strategic partnership with the Philippines.
“I want to reaffirm that we always support the strategic partnership with the Philippines,” he said. “I’m glad to note that the discussions that we began two years ago have been implemented effectively.”
The two countries in November 2015 agreed on their strategic partnership that covers political and economic cooperation, defense and maritime ties, among other things.
Vietnam and the Philippines in January signed a deal to boost cooperation between their coast guards, amid China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea.
The two countries have also entered partnerships in rice trade and the prevention of accidents in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety.
One of the South China Sea features that has been a source of tension among the three nations is Scarborough Shoal, which lies just 600 kilometers from the Philippine province of Palawan.
A 2016 arbitral ruling that voided China’s claims in the South China Sea said the shoal is a traditional fishing ground for Filipino, Chinese and Vietnamese fishermen. China has controlled the shoal since 2012.
Data from the General Department of Vietnam Customs showed Hanoi posted a $2.41-billion trade surplus with Manila in the first eight months of 2024. Their bilateral trade rose by 21% to $5.7 billion from a year earlier.
Philippines imports from Vietnam hit $4.07 billion during the eight-month period, up 17%, with rice worth $1.71 billion as the top import commodity. Rice was the only Vietnamese export to the Philippines exceeding $1 billion.
The Philippine government in June reduced the tariffs on rice imports to 15% from 35% effective August until 2028, as it seeks to cool food inflation.
Vietnam accounts for 80% of Philippine rice imports, having exported 1.44 million tons of the commodity as of May 23.
Mr. Marcos and Mr. Chinh first discussed the rice deal during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta in September last year.
At that time, Mr. Marcos said his country hoped Vietnam would be an important partner in its shift to electric vehicles.
MILITARY BUDGET
Meanwhile, Senator Joseph Victor G. Ejercito pushed funding of at least P100 billion for the Philippine military’s modernization program, citing the need for more missile systems and fighter jets to deter Chinese aggression at sea.
“The acquisition and production of defense equipment takes time, and we really need this since we don’t want to be bullied anymore by China,” he told a news briefing. Mr. Ejercito told a news briefing.
The House of Representatives has approved on final reading next year’s national budget bill, which allots P204.4 billion to the Philippine Army, Air Force and Navy. Lawmakers also allocated P50 billion for modernization efforts of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Tuesday signed into law a bill requiring the government to pursue a defense posture that relies on local producers.
The US Navy, Marines and their Filipino counterparts on Monday kicked off their two-week joint military exercises in Subic Bay in northern Philippines aimed to boost interoperability between their military forces.
The navy and marine forces will conduct high-intensity drills focusing on anti-submarine, anti-air and anti-surface warfare, along with the use of maritime surveillance aircraft, according to the US Defense Department.
Mr. Ejercito said the government should increase military resources to deal with the precarious situation with Beijing in the South China Sea.
Chinese vessels on Tuesday fired water cannons at two ships of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) delivering supplies for Filipino fishermen at Scarborough Shoal, BFAR said.
“We really need to focus on external defense or the acquisition of multi-role fighters, war vessels and missile systems,” the Senate deputy majority floor leader said. “This is only for deterrence to aggression.”
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Portions of the waterway, where $3 trillion worth of trade passes yearly, are believed to be rich in oil and natural gas deposits, as well as fish stocks.
Senators have been pushing the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department to file a resolution with the UN body condemning China’s aggression in the South China Sea.
Manila also eyes raising its dispute with China at the ASEAN once it heads the regional body in 2027.
The ASEAN and China have been in talks as far back as 2002 to craft a code of conduct in the South China Sea.
In 2016, a United Nations-backed tribunal based in the Hague voided China’s claim to more than 80% of the South China Sea for being illegal.
The Philippines has been unable to enforce the ruling and has since filed hundreds of protests over what it calls encroachment and harassment by China’s coast guard and its vast fishing fleet.
“We do not want war, but we are just protecting our territory and what is rightfully ours,” Mr. Ejercito said. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and John Victor D. Ordoñez, with Reuters
THE PHILIPPINE government on Wednesday said it was awaiting diplomatic clearances for the repatriation of Filipinos from war-torn Lebanon.
This, as Southeast Asian leaders were expected to put focus on Middle East tensions during their four-day summits.
“We’re ready, willing and able to repatriate Filipinos at any time,” Defense Secretary Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo C. Teodoro, Jr. told President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in a Zoom conference, based on a press release from the presidential palace.
“We’re just waiting for the diplomatic clearances of the expatriates to be processed out of Beirut,” he added.
Mr. Marcos is in Laos for the 44th and 45th summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Before leaving Manila, he told reporters that Philippine embassies had been working on securing exit papers and transportation for Filipinos who wanted to come home.
“We are going to evacuate them,” he told Cabinet officials during the conference. “But the means of how to do that is something that we still have to determine because it is an evolving situation.”
Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Raymond Balatbat said they would exhaust all means to expedite the exit clearances.
Israeli warplanes launched more than 30 overnight air raids on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Oct. 6, according to the presidential palace.
As of Oct. 7, there had been no reported injuries or deaths among Filipinos, it added, noting that the airstrikes were focused on southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The palace said the Philippine Embassy in Beirut had received 1,721 applications for repatriation, 551 of whom have been repatriated and 171 were “ready for repatriation.”
Tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate following Israel’s bombardment of Gaza in response to missile attacks by the militant group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.
Israel launched a ground operation into southern Lebanon last week, as it vowed to conduct raids against “Hezbollah terror targets” that it said were an immediate threat to northern Israeli communities.
Mr. Marcos, in his departure speech on Tuesday, said no Filipino had been reported injured due to the conflict in the Middle East, referring to the “wave of attacks against Hezbollah targets in the past few days, and the consequent Iranian reprisal against Israel.”
“The Philippines urges all parties to refrain from escalating the violence and to work towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict,” said Mr. Marcos, whose country is eyeing a nonpermanent seat at the United Nations Security Council.
This month, the government targets to repatriate at least 162 overseas Filipino workers from Israel, the President said.
Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo Jose A. de Vega at the weekend said more than 100 Filipinos were set to be repatriated from Lebanon in batches from Oct. 11 to 28 amid Israeli bombardments.
The agency earlier said the Philippines was having a hard time securing landing rights for chartered flights.
The palace on Monday said the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) had given each repatriated OFW financial assistance worth P150,000.
“Reintegration assistance from the DMW and OWWA was also extended along with psychosocial assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and medical assistance from the Department of Health,” it added.
“The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority also distributed training vouchers to the repatriated OFWs.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
JOBS and economic growth topped Filipino voters’ concerns ahead of the midterm elections next year, according to a Pulse Asia Research, Inc. survey.
In a Sept. 6-13 survey of 1,200 adults commissioned by think tank Startbase ADR, 57% said job creation, livelihood generation and financial literacy should be part of senatorial bets’ campaign platform.
These were the top issues among 70% of Filipinos in Metro Manila, 60% in the Visayas and 57% in Luzon outside the capital region, and 47% in Mindanao.
The same issues were popular among the Class E or families earning up to P15,000 a month, at 61%, 60% among Class ABC or middle- to upper-class people and 56% among Class D.
In the survey, 44% said investment-led economic growth was the most important issue with a 50% rating in the Visayas 47% in balance Luzon, 41% in Metro Manila and 32% in Mindanao.
It was the most popular issue among Class ABC at 46%, 45% among Class D and 33% among Class E.
Investment-led economic growth was followed by fighting corruption at 41%, quality healthcare at 33% and quality education at 29%.
Peace and order came in sixth place at 24%, followed by wider internet access at 19%, building renewable energy sources at 18%, reliable mass transportation at 17% and fighting illegal drugs at 15%.
Sixty-one percent of the respondents said controlling corruption would boost the trust of citizens in the government, while 58% said it would improve the lives of ordinary citizens. Fifty-two percent said it would lead to economic growth.
Meanwhile, 65% of Filipinos said corruption leads to the loss of trust in the government and public officials, while 51% said it worsens poverty.
In the survey, 45% said corruption causes inefficient service delivery and 43% said it leads to abuse and intimidation by government officials.
The period for the filing of certificates of candidacy for the midterm polls next year ended on Tuesday. As of Monday, 127 people were seeking a seat in the Senate, while 137 groups had registered for the party-list race.
There were 573 politicians seeking congressional seats, according to data from the Commission on Elections. It said 230 people are seeking 82 gubernatorial posts, while 3,647 people are seeking 1,642 mayoralty posts. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
THE PHILIPPINE Business for Education (PBEd) asked the new Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary to mobilize local government units (LGUs) to address the learning crisis in the country.
“The education challenge we face is so immense that it requires a whole-of-nation approach. Local governments are in the best position to understand and address the specific issues their communities face,” PBEd Executive Director Justine B. Raagas said in a statement on Wednesday.
PBEd urged the newly appointed Interior Secretary Juanito Victor C. Remulla to use his experience in local governance to encourage local leaders in education and workforce development.
Mr. Remulla was the governor of Cavite prior to his appointment to the Cabinet of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. earlier this week. He replaced Benjamin “Benhur” de Castro Abalos, Jr., who is eyeing a Senate seat in the 2025 midterm elections.
“We need to ramp up local investments in education, put education at the heart of local development programs, upon which the growth and development of our community and entire nation rests,” Ms. Raagas added.
Filipino students were still among the world’s weakest in math, reading and science, according to the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment, with the Philippines ranking 77th out of 81 countries and performing worse than the global average in all categories.
Under the same report, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said 15-year-old Filipino students also ranked 63rd out of 64 countries in terms of creative thinking.
PBEd stressed the importance of empowering local school boards (LSBs) and optimizing the use of special education funds, which are collected through a one percent tax on real property. These funds, as mandated by the Local Government Code of 1991, are used to address the supplementary needs of local public schools, PBEd said.
Pending measures in the Senate call for the expansion of the role of LSBs to include policymaking aimed at improving the quality of education, the group added.
In response to the widening skills gap driven by digitization and automation, PBEd, in collaboration with Citi Foundation, launched the JobsNext project.
This initiative has equipped over 2,500 Filipino youth with critical skills for future jobs in fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data management.
It also included the NEXTGENeration Leaders program, which further trained 52 participants to develop digital solutions addressing key community challenges like unemployment, healthcare access, and disaster response. Graduates of the JobsNext workshops presented project proposals in collaboration with local government mentors, with many securing commitments for seed funding to bring their initiatives to life.
“We are planting seeds of change through these youth leaders,” Ms. Raagas said.— Chloe Mari A. Hufana
THE GOVERNMENT should comprehensively reform the congressional party-list system by banning political dynasties from participating, a political economy and business consultancy group said.
In a position paper, the Political Economic Elemental Researchers and Strategists (PEERS) also said the government should strictly monitor campaign financing, and level the playing field for marginalized groups amid the hijacking of political elites.
“To prevent political parties, wealthy individuals, and oligarchs from using the party-list system as a backdoor to Congress, a stricter and more explicit legal definition of ‘marginalized and underrepresented sectors’ should be established,” according to the group.
The position paper comes just as the Commission on Elections ended the filing period for certificates of candidacy, which saw 184 Senatorial aspirants and 190 party-list groups seeking congressional seats.
Apart from banning political dynasties, PEERS said the government should put a cap on financial contributions to party-list groups, with a stricter reporting requirement on campaign spending to prevent political elites from bankrolling them.
“Party-list groups should disclose their donors. A watchdog agency should audit these disclosures to ensure the funds are not from wealthy individuals or corporations that do not align with the marginalized sectors,” it said.
Moreover, changes to the party-list system should include the implementation of seat quotas for sectoral groups, ensuring balanced representation in Congress and revisiting the 2% national voting threshold for political parties, PEERS noted.
A party-list group must get at least 2% of the total national vote to secure a seat at the House of Representatives.
The current voting threshold could “favor more established or wealthier groups,” PEERS said, urging the government to lower the vote requirement or implement a proportional voting system, where received votes directly correspond to the number of seats a party-list can win.
“The number of groups participating in the party-list system has grown, but there has also been a shift toward more politically connected or mainstream parties securing these seats,” a part of PEERS’ position paper stated.
“While some genuinely marginalized groups continue to gain representation, others argue that the system has been diluted, with powerful families and political dynasties fielding candidates through this mechanism.”
The Philippine party-list system was created by the 1987 Constitution, with its framers seeing the system as allowing underrepresented sectors to participate in the lawmaking process. It has since been expanded in 2013 after the Supreme Court ruled that political parties could also participate in the party-list system.
“This broadened the system’s scope, prompting criticisms that traditional political elites and powerful interest groups were co-opting the party-list slots, weakening the system’s original intent,” PEERS said, referring to the tribunal ruling a decade ago.
The government should consider reducing the maximum seats for groups to provide more “diverse representation” in the chamber. Party-lists are currently limited to three seats in the chamber.
A certain percentage of congressional seats must be allocated to specific sectors, including labor, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples, among others, for more inclusive representation, it added.
At present, about 80% of the more than 300 congressmen are district representatives, while the rest of the seats are allotted to party-lists.
Further, PEERS said the Commission should be strengthened so it could screen party-list groups vying for a seat in Congress. “This may involve requiring groups to provide proof of grassroots organizing and a transparent platform that reflects the interests of marginalized sectors.”
Party-lists must also be required to submit yearly reports detailing the bills and services they rendered to the sectors they supposedly represent, PEERS added. Erring groups should potentially be barred from the system, it added.
They also pushed for a multi-stakeholder team composed of the academe, sectoral groups, and election watchdogs that would convene for regular reviews to ensure the party-list system still adheres with its “constitutional goals.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
THE PHILIPPINES’ anti-graft court’s dismissal of a 37-year-old lawsuit by the government against the estate of late former president and dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr. and former first Lady Imelda R. Marcos reeks of impunity, a party-list nominee said on Wednesday, noting that political candidates are now more motivated to run for public office in a bid to skirt accountability after the ruling.
Kabataan party-list group first nominee Renee Louise M. Co said the Sandiganbayan’s dismissal of an ill-gotten wealth case against the Marcoses exposed how public office has been abused as a tool to escape the long arm of the law.
In a 30-page resolution promulgated on Oct. 4, the Sandiganbayan Second Division dismissed the case against the Marcoses and an alleged crony, citing inordinate delay and violation of due process.
“Following the recent Sandiganbayan [resolution]… cases against the Marcoses have been dismissed by the courts since [President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.] took office in Malacañang,” she said in a statement in mixed English and Filipino.
“This is the only election promise he has kept — clearing his family name.”
In 2023, Mr. Marcos told the World Economic Forum that his entry into politics was motivated by the need to defend the Marcos family’s name after a 1986 revolution that toppled his namesake’s nearly two-decade dictatorship. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
CALAMITY FUNDS worth P18.81 billion have been released as of end-September to repair typhoon damages, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said.
According to its National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) status update, P18.29 billion has been released to state agencies, while P520.14 million was allocated to government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs).
Of the total, P11.09 billion was disbursed to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), while the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) received P6.39 billion.
Under the fund release, P374.97 million was given to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, P343 million to the Department of Finance, and P100 million to the Department of National Defense.
For GOCCs, P450 million was allocated to the National Irrigation Authority, P49.94 million to the National Housing Authority, and P20.2 million to the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA).
The DBM also said that P1 billion and P875 million were released to the DPWH and the DSWD to replenish their respective Quick Response Funds (QRFs).
The QRF is a standby fund to support relief and rehabilitation efforts during calamities. If a government agency’s QRF has reached below 50%, it may request the DBM for replenishment.
In September, P255.27 was released to the DPWH for typhoon damage repairs in Ilocos Sur. Likewise, the LWUA received P20.2 million to help rehabilitate water facilities at the Cagayan Region.
The DBM has yet to release P3.92 billion out of this year’s P22.74-billion NDRRMF budget. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) reported that P111.11 million worth “shabu” was seized at the Manila airport recently.
The shipment, which came from Mexico, contained illegal drugs concealed in wax and hidden in five hand-made cultural craft paintings. The package weighed 16.34 kilograms.
The illegal drugs were found in a Sept. 26 joint operation conducted by the BoC-Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group.
The confiscated drugs have been turned over to PDEA for further investigation.
“The BoC remains relentless in its fight against illegal drugs and shall further heighten its border control measures to adopt to the new methods of smuggling,” Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio said.
In June, the BoC-NAIA also intercepted an outbound shipment of P1.41 million worth of crystal meth concealed and misdeclared as kitchen wall stickers.
The Customs bureau said it has seized P2.28 billion worth of illegal drugs through 80 operations in the first half of the year, according to its midyear report. Shabu was the most seized drug, with a total value of P1.24 billion. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
ADOPTION of barcode technology could help the Philippines fight counterfeit medicines and medical supplies, an advocacy group said on Wednesday following the country’s inclusion in a US watchlist for pharmaceutical crimes.
“By leveraging barcode technology, we can establish a cohesive integration of global standards that prioritizes patient safety, particularly in regions facing serious challenges with counterfeit products,” said Roberto “Bobby” S. Claudio, president of GS1 Philippines.
The United States Trade Representative named the Philippines as one of the leading sources of counterfeit medicines distributed worldwide.
It also cited the country in its US piracy watchlist for growing concerns about the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit pharmaceutical products.
In response, GS1 Philippines has been implementing Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs). This standardizes labeling and tracking systems, streamlines the management of medicines and supplies, and improves the supply chain.
GS1 Philippines said GTINs improve product identification and verification as it can capture the date of manufacture, expiration date, and the name of manufacturer.
The group said it is also committed to preparing local industries for the global shift to 2D barcodes by 2027, aligning with international standards and enhancing the country’s competitiveness.
The 2D barcodes, including QR codes, ensure accurate brand information and better supply chain management. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante
THE PHILIPPINE government should boost its efforts to explore gas deposits and develop the importation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to compensate for the Malampaya gas field’s depleting reserves, according to a Philippine senator.
“We have to really further explore development of liquefied natural gas, and I hope we can find more deposits around the country,” Senator Joseph Victor G. Ejercito told a news briefing.
He said exploring more local energy sources is crucial since coal, diesel, and other traditional forms of fuel are spiking in prices globally due to geopolitical tensions such as the war in Gaza.
The Philippines is hard-pressed to find other sources of indigenous energy as the Malampaya gas field, which supplies a fifth of the country’s power requirements, nears depletion.
The gas field is expected to run out of easily recoverable gas using current techniques by 2027.
Manila plans to raise the share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix to 35% by 2030 and to 50% by 2040 from the current 22%.
Senators are set to continue deliberations on a bill a bill seeking to promote the production of indigenous natural gas and LNG, which the government sees as a transition fuel towards adopting more renewable energy sources.
The chamber is currently on break and will resume session in November. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
