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Minimal impact seen in US aid halt

BW FILE PHOTO

THE United States government’s temporary suspension of foreign assistance would only have minimal impacts on the Philippine economy, the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) said.

Foreign assistance from the US represents only a “small part” of the Philippines’ overall economic activities, NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said.

“Not so much directly. And in the short term, much of our loans now are with other countries and multilateral institutions,” he told reporters when asked about the potential impacts of US President Donald J. Trump’s freeze on foreign aid.

“If you are talking about the economy, that’s a small part,” he added.

He said any indirect effects could stem from its role as a key shareholder in multilateral lending institutions like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The potential impacts would likely be more medium-term in nature, he noted.

Mr. Balisacan also said the Philippines’ flagship infrastructure projects, which are largely funded by countries like Japan, Korea, and multilateral institutions like the ADB and World Bank, would not be significantly impacted.

“For our current infrastructure flagship projects, not much. Many of those projects are funded by Japan, Korea, ADB, and World Bank,” he said.

The suspension, announced by the US State Department, involves a “stop-work” order for all existing foreign assistance, in addition to halting new aid, as Mr. Trump recently ordered a 90-day pause in foreign development assistance. A stop-work order issued by the US State Department last week covers all existing foreign assistance. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Budget is constitutional — Quimbo

JCOMP-FREEPIK

THE PHILIPPINE Congress submitted to Malacañang the budget bill without any blank line items, a lawmaker said on Monday, allaying concerns about the constitutionality of the P6.326-trillion national budget this year.

In a statement, Marikina Rep. Stella Luz A. Quimbo said the 2025 budget’s bicameral conference committee authorized legislative staff members to “implement corrections” made to the spending plan, acknowledging there were blank line items in its committee report.

The 2025 national budget was put in the spotlight in mid-January after ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte said the budget bill had blank line items whose amounts were later filled out by the Executive branch, a claim that President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. denied.

“When the members of the Bicameral Committee signed the report, all appropriations had already been determined and approved — no changes were made,” she said.

“The Bicameral Report explicitly authorized the technical secretariats of both the Senate and the House of Representatives to implement corrections and adjustments as required,” she added. “These do not affect the integrity nor the legality of the budget.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

ERC power over bill deposits upheld

BW FILE PHOTO

THE Supreme Court (SC) upheld the authority of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to require consumers to provide bill deposits as security for their electricity bills, deeming it a legitimate exercise of the ERC’s rate-setting powers to safeguard the financial stability of electricity distributors.

The tribunal en banc, in a 32-page ruling promulgated on Oct. 8, 2024, but was only publicized on Jan. 27, said that judicial review necessitates an actual and finalized government action that directly impacts the petitioners.

As the ERC’s Rules on Bill Deposits are still in the process of being finalized, there is no definitive act subject to challenge.

“It is not our function to issue an advisory opinion on the questions of policy and regulations of administrative agencies. It is premature for this Court to intervene in the delicate exercise of the ERC’s rate-fixing functions since it has yet to finalize the rules on bill deposits and the more specific mechanisms for its implementation,” it said.

The case stemmed from the Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers, which ERC introduced in 2004. It mandated residential consumers to pay bill deposits equivalent to one month’s estimated billing as a guarantee for payments.

These deposits could be used for overdue bills, earned annual interest credited to customers’ accounts, and were refundable upon service termination. The ERC issued guidelines for the collection and refund of deposits.

In 2018, the ERC proposed draft rules for monitoring and reporting bill deposits and sought stakeholder feedback.

In 2019, former lawmakers Neri J. Colmenares and Carlos Isagani T. Zarate, among others, challenged the bill deposit requirement before the high court, arguing that it lacked sufficient regulations. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Halt vehicle inspection, Tulfo says

Motorists are stuck in traffic along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, July 28, 2022. — PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

A PHILIPPINE senator on Monday asked the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to halt its mandatory inspection of private vehicles to spare owners of needless costs, citing the need for the agency to focus on the roadworthiness of public utility vehicles (PUVS).

“Suspend that first (private motor vehicle inspection). Study this first and reduce the burden on private vehicle owners,” Senator Rafael T. Tulfo, who heads the public services committee, told a hearing in mixed English and Filipino.

“Most of these private vehicles are well-maintained by their owners, these delivery vans and bigger vehicles are what we see with smoke emissions.”

He said the agency should focus on buses and other public utility vehicles.

At a Senate public service committee hearing on Jan. 14, LTFRB Chairman Teofilo E. Guadiz III said the government would use these testing centers to certify jeepneys for road safety ahead of cooperatives’ vehicle modernization obligations once transport routes are finalized by 2026.

The agency earlier said it would come up with at least half of the final transport routes for modern jeepneys by the end of this year and finish these routes by 2026 with only about 15% of routes having been completed.

In August last year, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. rejected a proposal to suspend the government’s jeepney modernization program, rejecting criticisms that the plan had been rushed.

Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista earlier said suspending the modernization program would waste investments that have been made to roll out the plan. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Dengvaxia petitioners may pursue civil case instead — DoJ

OLGA KONONENKO-UNSPLASH

A Department of Justice (DoJ) official on Monday said the petitioners in the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine case might have a better chance of obtaining justice if they pursue a civil case rather than a criminal one after it withdrew charges against health officials.

“The remedy may not be criminal. There could be claims of civil damages whoever may be held responsible,” Justice Undersecretary Raul T. Vasquez told reporters in an ambush interview in Manila City.

“We’re not saying there is an obligation — we don’t want to speculate — but it is up to their lawyers to craft a legal strategy that could provide them with some assistance and support, particularly in seeking compensation for all their suffering. It’s truly a very difficult situation.”

This comes after the DoJ junked 98 Dengvaxia complaints, dismissing criminal charges against former Health Secretary Janette L. Garin and other officials.

The charges involve the deaths of 98 children who were inoculated with the anti-dengue vaccine.

In a resolution dated Jan. 10, and signed by Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla, the prosecutor general was directed to withdraw the charges filed before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court against Ms. Garin, along with co-respondents.

“In the scheme of things that transpired involving Dengvaxia, we found that the step-by-step procedures undertaken by respondents-appellants, leading to the implementation of the program, do not exhibit inexcusable lack of precaution to hold them liable for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide,” the resolution read.

The DoJ added that no causal link could be established between the Dengvaxia vaccination of school children, and the deaths cited in the victims’ complaint-affidavit. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Lawmaker wants temporary operation license for Elon Musk’s Starlink

BRISA PALOMAR/PACIFIC PRESS/SIPA USA VIA REUTERS CONNECT

A RESOLUTION urging the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to provide Elon Musk’s Starlink Internet Services Philippines, Inc. a temporary license to operate was filed at the House of Representatives last week.

Albay Rep. Jose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda wants the NTC to give Starlink a provisional authority to build, own, and operate satellite ground radio stations for at least a year, while its franchise is undergoing the legislative mill, according to House Joint Resolution No. 21 filed on January 23.

“Starlink Philippines was the first accredited Satellite Systems Provider and Operator in the Philippines and the first wholly foreign-owned company authorized to provide internet access services to Filipinos,” Ilocos Norte Rep. Angelo Marcos Barga said in House Concurrent Resolution No. 40, which was filed on January 22.

Starlink is a satellite internet service of Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX). According to its website, SpaceX continues to launch satellites into orbit to bring high-speed broadband to rural and remote areas.

Bills seeking to provide Starlink a 25-year franchise to operate have been filed at the Senate and House of Representatives last year. Both versions require Starlink to improve internet access to areas with scant connections, while also hiring residents near where a satellite station would be constructed.

Starlink’s domestic internet service operations started in Feb. 2023 and is currently operating under accreditations provided by the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the National Telecommunications Commission. – Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Legal education reforms sought

THE PHILIPPINE Chief Justice called for reforms to modernize the country’s legal education system, underscoring the need to prepare lawyers for the challenges posed by a rapidly evolving global landscape.

Speaking at the 2025 Philippine Association of Law Schools, Inc. (PALS) Annual Convention in Pampanga, Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo said current legal education must adapt to address technological advancements, internationalization and emerging issues such as environmental law and artificial intelligence (AI).

“AI and other technological tools are reshaping the practice of law, from legal research and document review to predictive analytics and case strategy,” he added.

He highlighted the need for a curriculum that integrates theoretical knowledge, practical expertise, and the values necessary for ethical and responsible legal practice.

Collaboration among stakeholders, especially between the Legal Education Board and PALS, was emphasized as essential for driving the necessary reforms in the legal education system. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Sex education lessons sans law questioned

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

A House of Representatives committee on Monday questioned the Department of Education (DepEd) for implementing sex education in Philippine schools despite the lack of an enabling law.

A 2018 DepEd order allowing schools to teach sex education could even be unconstitutional, Manila Rep. Bienvenido M. Abante, Jr. said, claiming that the 1987 Philippine Constitution places focus on “preserving moral values and protecting the youth.”

“We promote morality, we preserve moral values, and we protect our youth… in the Constitution, and [DepEd] Order No. 31 of 2018 is highly unconstitutional,” he told lawmakers.

“We will question this in the Supreme Court,” he added.

The Education department issued the 2018 sex education memorandum to raise students’ understanding regarding the “cognitive, emotional, physical, and social aspects of sexuality” in an age-appropriate manner.

The Education department is still implementing the sex education order, but it is currently undergoing review, DepEd Undersecretary Filemon Ray L. Javier said in the same hearing.

“There’s no decision to suspend. But the directive from us is to totally review Department Order No. 31… to ensure that its implementation is correct,” he said.

Sex education has been incorporated into the Philippine curriculum across all grade levels since the approval of the Reproductive Health Act of 2012.

“You have a different issuance, which complicates the matter and normalizes comprehensive sexuality education (CSE),” Pasig Rep. Roman T. Romulo, who heads the House basic education panel, said in mixed English and Filipino.

“[This] normalizes CSE, which is not yet a law. There is no CSE Act yet,” he added.

Measures seeking to make sexuality education a mainstay in the school curriculum have faced backlash from conservative sectors of the predominantly catholic country. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

PBEd helps 200 youth find jobs

PHILIPPINE STAR/RYAN BALDEMOR

A WORKFORCE development initiative has helped 200 Filipino out-of-school youth secure jobs in construction and automotive industries, addressing skills shortages in high-demand sectors while tackling unemployment, the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) said on Monday.

“Our out-of-school youth often face barriers in accessing training and employment opportunities, limiting their ability to showcase their full potential,” Hanibal E. Camua, PBEd deputy executive director for programs, said in a statement.

Project Human Capital Investment for Work Readiness and Employment (HIRE), was implemented by PBEd with funding from Wells Fargo. Conducted between June 2023 and September 2024, it offered enterprise-based education and training in South Cotabato, Mindanao and Pasig City.

Participants received training subsidies, mentoring, and core skills development to prepare them for employment, PBEd added.

It said the project aligns with the recently enacted Enterprise-Based Education and Training framework, which institutionalizes private sector involvement in technical-vocational training.

“Project HIRE harnesses private sector involvement in training, ensuring that young individuals… acquire the precise skills industries need,” Mr. Camua added.

Philippine Statistics Authority, in its October 2024 Labor Force Survey, found that 774,000 youth were not in education, employment, or training. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Dawlah terrorist killed in Lanao del Sur encounter

COTABATO CITY — Soldiers shot dead a member of the outlawed Dawlah Islamiya-Maute Group in a brief encounter in Barangay Kalangan in Piagapo, Lanao del Sur on Saturday.

Lt. Gen. Antonio G. Nafarrete, commander of the Army’s Western Mindanao Command, told reporters on Monday that personnel of the 44th Infantry Battalion were patrolling in a secluded area in Barangay Kalangan when the terrorists attacked them from two directions, sparking a gunfight that left one of them dead and a soldier wounded.

The soldiers were dispatched to the area to check on reports by municipal officials and barangay leaders about the presence of Dawlah Islamiya-Maute Group members collecting money and food from villagers at gunpoint.

Radio reports on Monday morning in cities in Central Mindanao stated that villagers in Barangay Kalangan identified the slain terrorist as Usman, who died instantly from multiple gunshot wounds sustained in the encounter.

Soldiers found beside the cadaver of Usman an M16 rifle, an M14 rifle, a pack of incendiary powder, and components of improvised explosive devices.

Mr. Nafarrete said they are thankful to local officials and traditional community leaders helping Army units in Lanao del Sur track down the few remaining local terrorists moving around the province. — John Felix M. Unson

87 more NPA members in Bukidnon surrender

COTABATO CITY — A group of 87 New People’s Army (NPA) guerillas, from different indigenous tribes in Bukidnon, surrendered on Friday and promised to help convince their few remaining comrades in the province.

The 87 tribesmen agreed to surrender through the joint intercession of local executives in Bukidnon, officials of the 89th Infantry Battalion under Lt. Col Antonio G. Bulao and his two immediate superiors, Brig. Gen. Mario T. Angcao of the 1003rd Infantry Brigade and Major Gen. Allan D. Hambala of the 10th Infantry Division (ID).

Mr. Hambala, commander of the 10th ID, told reporters on Monday that local executives in Bukidnon and different line agencies will cooperate in returning them to their ancestral lands to get reunited with their families and thrive peacefully as farmers.

The 87 NPA members renounced their membership with the group during a symbolic rite last Friday in Barangay Nacabuklad in San Fernando, a hinterland town in Bukidnon.

They first turned in their firearms and improvised explosive devices to Army officials before they pledged allegiance to the government in the presence of their tribal leaders, police and Army officials led by Mr. Hambala.

More than 500 NPA members had surrendered in the past 18 months to units of the 10th ID in cities and provinces in regions 10 and 11. — John Felix M. Unson

Chiefs beat Bills in AFC final game, will play Eagles in Super Bowl LIX

KANSAS CITY quarterback Patrick Mahomes ran in two touchdowns and threw for another as the Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills 32-29 in the AFC Championship game on Sunday to advance to a Super Bowl match-up against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Chiefs will make their fifth trip to the NFL title decider in six years and could become the first team to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy three years in a row if they beat the Eagles, who thrashed Washington in the NFC Championship game.

The Super Bowl in New Orleans on Feb. 9 will be a rematch of the NFL Championship game in 2023 when the Chiefs defeated the Eagles 38-35.

The Bills have not won a road playoff game since 1993 and while they staged an inspired second-half fightback they eventually buckled under the deafening roar of the Kansas City fans at Arrowhead Stadium in the final moments.

“I’m just so proud of my teammates and how they responded,” Mahomes said. “I’m just at a loss for words — excited for New Orleans.”

Buffalo trailed 21-16 at the half but came alive in the third quarter after running back James Cook made a flying leap into the end zone on fourth and goal, stretching his arm to get the ball over the line.

Mahomes, who threw for 245 yards and a touchdown, answered with a 10-yard scramble into the end zone five minutes into a nerve-searing fourth quarter and converted on a two-point attempt to take the lead back.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen leveled it four minutes later, converting on fourth and goal with a four-yard pass to Curtis Samuel, but the momentum flipped yet again as Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker made a 35-yard field goal on the next possession.

The Chiefs’ defense then amped up the pressure on Allen on the Bills’ final drive, with a deep pass to Dalton Kincaid slipping through the tight end’s hands.

“It’s not about one guy, it’s not about a couple guys, it’s about the whole entire team,” said Mahomes. “When we needed the defense to get stops, they got stops. Offense, we made plays. That’s why we’re so special — it was a team effort.”

Earlier on Sunday, the Eagles thrashed the Commanders 55-23 with running back Saquon Barkley rumbling for three touchdowns and quarterback Jalen Hurts accounting for four scores — three rushing and one passing.

“We just took it a play at a time,” said Hurts. “Can’t do any of those things without the guys around me, the preparation we put in.

“We’ve got to finish it.”

The Eagles will play for their second Super Bowl title after the heartbreaking loss to the Chiefs two years ago, when they squandered a 10-point halftime lead. — Reuters

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