Manufacturing output posted its sixth consecutive month of decline in May albeit at a slower pace, the government reported this morning.
Preliminary results of the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) latest Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries, showed factory output — as measured by the Volume of Production index — contracting by 4% year on year in May versus the revised 14.3% decline in April and the 13% growth in May 2018.
Year to date, factory output decline averaged 7.6% compared to the 14.2% growth average in 2018’s comparable five months.
“Six major industry groups registered annual decreases with furniture and fixtures and food manufacturing posting the highest annual declines of 35% and 14%, respectively,” the PSA said in a statement.
In comparison, the Nikkei Philippines Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) increased that month to 51.2 from April’s 50.9, but slower than last year’s 53.7.
A reading above 50 signals improvement in business conditions from the preceding month, while a score below that point indicates deterioration.
Average capacity utilization — the extent by which industry resources are used in the production of goods — was estimated at 84.4%. Eleven of the 20 sectors registered capacity utilization rates of at least 80%. – Mark T. Amoguis
The increase in the prices of widely used goods eased in June, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported this morning.
Preliminary data from the PSA showed headline inflation at 2.7% last month, down from 3.2% in May and 5.2% in June 2018. It was also the slowest since the 2.6% logged in August 2017.
The June result fell within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) 2.2%-3.0% forecast for the month and was lower than the 2.9% median estimate in BusinessWorld’s poll of 12 economists conducted late last week.
Year to date, inflation averaged 3.4%, past the midpoint of the BSP’s 2-4% target range though still above the 2.9% full-year forecast average.
Core inflation – which excludes volatile food and energy items in the consumer basket – was 3.3% last month, slower than May’s 3.5% and 4.3% in the same period last year.
“The slowdown of inflation in June 2019 was mainly driven by slower annual rate posted in the index of the heavily-weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages at 2.7% [from 3.4% in May],” the PSA said in a statement.
The food-alone index likewise eased to 2.6% versus the previous month’s 3.2% and 5.8% a year ago.
Slower annual increments were also observed in alcoholic beverages and tobacco (9.3% from May’s 9.5%); housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (3% from 3.3%); furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house (3.1% from 3.2%); transport (1.6% from 3.5%); and communication (0.3% from 0.4%).
Contributing further to the slowdown, the PSA noted, was the faster decline observed in the education index at 4.5% from May’s 3.8% contraction.
On the other hand, health (3.7% from 3.6%) and recreation and culture (3.2% from 3.1%) recorded faster rates. The indices of clothing and footwear (2.4%) and restaurants and miscellaneous goods and services (3.3%) remained unchanged. — Christine Joyce S. Castañeda
An interview with JUUL Labs’ Founder and Chief Technology Officer Adam Bowen
“I really wanted to develop something that has a positive impact on society,” JUUL Labs, Inc. Co-Founder Adam Bowen told BusinessWorld in an exclusive interview.
From these few words alone, one can already figure out what the driving force of JUUL Labs, a San Francisco-based technology company, is — its mission to improve the lives of the world’s one billion adult smokers.
JUUL Labs founders Adam Bowen and James Monsees
The JUUL, a smokeless nicotine device promoted as a true alternative to combustible cigarettes, is the brainchild of Bowen and James Monsees, who, interestingly, are former smokers of traditional cigarettes.
The idea started from a smoke break in 2004, when the two gentlemen were taking their Masters’ degree in product design at Stanford University, and talked about the drawbacks of their smoking habit. As smokers, the pair understands just how difficult it is to quit from the habit.
This awareness inspired them to create a modern, technologically-advanced alternative with a simple, intuitive, and easy-to-use design that can deliver nicotine in the same satisfying way expected by smokers but without the tar, carbon monoxide, and other chemicals present in combustible tobacco.
“Smoking remains to be the leading cause of preventable disease and death globally, claiming up to 7 million lives annually. In the Philippines, there are 16 million smokers — 75% of which wish to quit smoking but only 4% are able to successfully do so, due to the lack of viable alternatives. As product developers, we felt that it was both an opportunity, as well as a challenge, to create an effective alternative that can help in reducing smokers’ risk of illness and mortality,” Bowen said.
The JUUL device is a result of years of labor, experiments, and product iterations. Recalling the device’s first design more than a decade ago, Bowen described it as “unattractive” and “complicated.”
JUUL device and JUUL pods
The JUUL was first introduced in the US market in 2015, and has slowly yet definitively disrupted the tobacco industry. A study conducted by research group Nielsen showed cigarette pack sales in the US falling by as much as 11.2% as of May 2019.
“Obviously, it took a lot of trial and error to get the product right. But when we launched JUUL, we truly believed that it was the first true alternative to combustible smoking. And now, the numbers really reflect that,” Bowen said.
While JUUL Labs’ market share continues to grow across and outside the US, the clarity of its mission — improving the lives of the world’s one billion adult smokers — has been constant and unwavering.
Aside from being a mission-driven company, JUUL Labs greatly values innovation as part of its success. “Innovation is critical to the company, serving as its platform to deliver its mission,” Bowen declared.
“I would say the mission is the why; the technology is the how. And for us, what’s important is not just the word innovation and its literal definition — something new. It’s the why. Why are you innovating?,” Bowen asked.
As the chief technology officer of JUUL Labs, Bowen is responsible for coming up with new product improvements and innovations, which includes utilizing Bluetooth technology that can allow JUUL users to monitor their nicotine intake. In this case, JUUL Labs, he said, upholds a smoker-centric approach.
“We start by interviewing smokers to enable us to fully understand their needs. We then work backwards to identify the specific designs and technologies we need to leverage on to be able to adequately satisfy those needs,” he explained.
Because of their groundbreaking innovation, and also JUUL’s mission of revolutionizing the domain of public health, both Bowen and Monsees were included in TIME Magazine’s list of 100 most influential people.
While the recognition took Bowen by surprise, it also brought home the realization of how significant JUUL’s impact is to society. “I knew when we started working on this that if we succeed, it would create a huge impact on people. Seeing it come to life, to become reality, has just been a real thrill in many ways.”
In the years to come, Bowen is optimistic that JUUL Labs will continue to grow not only in the US but also abroad. In fact, they’re just getting started, he said.
Asked about where he sees himself 10 years from now, Bowen said: “It’s, honestly, something I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about because we still have so far to go in fulfilling our mission. [But] I definitely expect to see myself working in this industry for the rest of my life.”
THE PHILIPPINES’ “fairly robust” economic growth — though below official target so far — can be expected to generate profit and expansion opportunities for banks in the country, Fitch Ratings said on Thursday, adding that liquidity conditions will likely ease further due to central bank steps to loosen monetary policy in step with much of the world.
Elaine Koh, director for Financial Institutions at Fitch Ratings, said in an e-mailed response to questions that the global debt watcher’s 2019 Philippine projection of “6.2% is still a fairly robust GDP (gross domestic product) growth rate and we expect this to help sustain growth and profit opportunities for banks.”
The global debt watcher downgraded its 2019 GDP growth forecast for the country to 6.2% in April from the 6.6% projection it pencilled in December, dragged down by a four-month delay in national budget enactment and the lingering impact of significant interest rate rises in 2018.
Fitch further slashed its full-year growth projection for the Philippines to 6.1% in May, but at the same time affirmed the country’s credit rating at “BBB,” a notch above the minimum investment grade, with a “stable” outlook.
State economic managers in March slashed their GDP growth projection for this year to 6-7% from 7-8% originally in the face of a delay in national budget enactment. GDP grew by a four-year-low 5.6% in the first quarter, and both economic officials and private sector analysts now estimate that second-quarter growth would clock in at around six percent when data is reported on Aug. 8, compared to 6.2% a year ago.
“Global pressures are likely to dampen Philippine growth, but we see the Philippines as somewhat more insulated from these external headwinds compared with many of the other Asian emerging markets (EMs),” Ms. Koh said, noting that the Philippine economy is “more domestically driven” and is less export-oriented than other major EMs in Asia.
In its EM Banking System Datawatch report based on end-2018 data, the debt watcher said emerging economies in Asia are “vulnerable, albeit to varying degrees” to a stronger dollar, softening trade and general market volatility.
“Also, several markets in Asia are directly or indirectly exposed to slower growth in China,” read the report sent to reporters on Wednesday via e-mail.
Fitch said liquidity conditions will likely ease further given “loosening measures” done by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The central bank reduced benchmark interest rates by 25 basis points in its May 9 meeting. However, it opted to keep rates steady the following meeting on June 20 to observe and assess the impact of prior monetary policy adjustments including the reduction in reserve requirement ratio (RRR). Also in May, the BSP announced a 200-basis-point cut in RRR which will be completed on July 26.
“[C]redit growth should start to pick up again along with domestic infrastructure spending in the latter part of this year,” Ms. Koh said.
At the same time, Ms. Koh noted that Fitch has viewed the local banking industry’s fairly high credit growth over a number of years with “a degree of caution.”
“[P]rolonged double-digit loan growth has often preceded wider credit deterioration when growth finally slows, in our experience,” the Fitch analyst explained.
Ms. Koh also said that asset quality issues are more likely to emerge in the near term, given rising headwinds to growth and higher debt repayment costs due to the year-on-year increase in interest rates.
“Lending rates are higher now than at the start of last year, because of hikes in the benchmark policy rate by the Philippines central bank in 2018,” Ms. Koh noted.
Over the long term, the large unbanked population as well as growing consumer segment pose opportunities for the local banking sector, particularly banks that serve these markets in a prudent and cost-efficient manner.
“In the longer-term, new entrants will pose another challenge for the industry,” Ms. Koh said of Philippine banking.
“The pace of digital innovation is picking up everywhere, including in banking,” she noted.
“Banks that are unable to keep up and invest wisely in IT may see their franchises and business models eroded.”
CHANGING the Constitution in the second half of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s six-year term that began in mid-2016 would be “disruptive” to the economy, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said in an interview televised on Thursday.
“To me — I’ve seen many administrations — the best time to change the charter is during the first half of your term, not during the second half,” Mr. Diokno said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel when asked for his position on the legislature’s push for charter change.
“Changing the charter at this time is very disruptive, we’re doing great at this time, I describe it as ‘Goldilocks’ economy, just right,” he added.
This comes even as the President asked Congress in a June 25 speech to amend the 1987 Constitution, even if the change does not entail a shift to a federal system of government which he believes would give areas outside Metro Manila more opportunities and resources to develop.
Mr. Diokno said further that shifting to a federal system of government would be “very disruptive,” but said that changes to the Constitution’s economic provisions that will open up currently restricted industries and sectors further to foreign investors will benefit the overall economy.
“We’re only concerned with the confidence of the external investors coming in. How will they read the change? Is it a political move to perpetuate one person in power or something like that, but, if they see this change as favorable, it improves governance, they might come in,” he said.
“Right now the investors are convinced that the best game in town is the Philippines.”
Mr. Diokno said that any shift to a federal system will succeed only if — as in the United States, Germany and Switzerland — local governments are strong. In comparison, most Philippine local governments are “weak.”
“Do you know the most successful federal governments are those where the states are powerful in the first place,” Mr. Diokno said.
“Now provinces are weak, local governments are weak, so where is that element?”
Shifting to a federal form of government had long been a plan of the Duterte administration, beginning with the appointment of a 22-member Constitutional Commission, led by retired Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno, in January 2018. The ConCom, tasked to review the 1987 Constitution, later drafted the Bayanihan Federalism bill for submission to the 17th Congress.
The House of Representatives, however, came up with its own version, under Resolution of Both Houses No. 15.
The House version failed to secure Senate approval before the 17th Congress adjourned on June 3.
Sought for comment, University of the Philippines Political Science chairperson Maria Ela L. Atienza agreed that constitutional change at this point would be ill-timed, noting that the public might also see the move as an attempt to extend the president’s term.
“BSP Governor Diokno’s latest comments about charter change is consistent with what he said before the mid-term elections when he was still DBM (Department of Budget and Management) Secretary. This was consistent with the view of the economic team of the President. Together with NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority) Director General (Ernesto M.) Pernia and DoF (Department of Finance) Secretary (Carlos G.) Dominguez, they agreed that charter change, especially the shift to federalism, will be very costly and will endanger many of the ‘Build, Build, Build’ projects of the administration,” Ms. Atienza said in an e-mail on Thursday.
“It is also true that the Duterte administration missed the opportunity to educate people about charter change in the first half of his term and convince the majority to support his administration’s proposals. By pushing for charter change in the second half, and with the President himself saying that he may no longer push for federalism but instead other smaller amendments in the Constitution (which he did not elaborate which ones until now), the timing is no longer that favorable. More people will think that there are plans to lift term limits or extend the current term of the President. There will be more resistance now than before. It is also true that if the administration will focus on charter change this second half of the President’s term, many of the economic projects he promised may be jeopardized or not prioritized, especially if they need Congressional approval.”
For University of Santo Tomas Political Science chairman Dennis C. Coronacion, however, Mr. Diokno will always be against charter change.
“I think his statement is not reflective of the reality. I tried to recall his interviews and I noticed… that he has always been against charter change. During the first half of the President’s term, when he was still Budget secretary, he already voiced his strong opposition to charter change and federalism. He said that since a federal government would have more offices, it would need more budget,” Mr. Coronacion said in a mobile phone message when sought separately for comment.
A PLAN to expand the country’s renewable energy (RE) portfolio needs “careful study” — even if it is a step in the right direction — in order to prevent passing the burden to consumers, the chairman of the Senate’s energy panel said.
“Growing the renewable energy sector is a crucial factor for the Philippines to achieve energy security by 2040. By collaborating with the National Renewable Energy Board (NREB) to craft concrete plans to grow the renewable energy sector, the Department of Energy (DoE) has put itself right on track of its energy direction,” said Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian in a statement on Thursday.
However, he said to ensure its success and prevent any unnecessary pass-on charges to consumers, the two agencies “must conduct a careful study on the program, especially when it comes to the implementation of the green energy tariff rate, taking into consideration the declining costs of RE technologies.”
“Will this new tariff require subsidy and if so, how much will the rate effect on consumers be? These are some of the things that the DoE needs to thoroughly study before they push through with the plan.”
Mr. Gatchalian noted that in the past committee hearing on energy security, the DoE “painted a grim picture” that the contribution of renewables in the country’s energy mix is expected to shrink to 17% in 2040 from 36% in 2017 under its business as usual scenario. He said he was hopeful that through the new DoE and NREB proposal to build a renewable energy portfolio of 2,000 megawatts by offering a green energy tariff, “we will be able to grow the share of renewables in our energy mix.” — VVS
BACKED BY two years of research into the Philippines’ ongoing drug war led by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, Kolateral is a 12-track rap album that includes the numbers, the stories, and the effects of the war on drugs.
The album is created by Sandata — an artist’s collective which includes activist rappers BLKD and Calix, playwright and screenwriter Mixkaela Villalon, and researchers Nastassja Quijano, Abbey Pangilinan, and Ica Fernandez.
“Isasabuhay, mga salitang pumapaslang / Nakatago sa mata ng publiko ang makinarya ng pagtokhang,” says the album’s first single, “Makinarya.” The album not only lays bare the effects of the drug war but also force the listener to listen to the people whose relatives were killed in the ongoing war on drugs.
“Kolateral is a 12-track album featuring various Filipino artists, where each track is backed by real data and narratives on the Philippines Drug War. It is the product of two years’ worth of research and artistic collaboration. The data that informs the songs have been gathered from media reports and key informant interview at the front lines of the Drug War,” Ms. Quijano said in a Facebook post on June 13.
The tracks are not only poignant but stingingly visceral as in several songs, like “Makinarya,” one can hear gunshots and cries of grief. In “Papag” one hears a child talking about the death of his father at the hands of the police. “Distansya,” meanwhile, tells the real-life story of a domestic worker in Kuwait whose sick son was shot dead after being named a drug dealer.
“Sometimes they forget that we’re also humans,” Ms. Quijano noted in her Facebook post about the track, “Giyera na Bulag.”
“Real ‘numbers’ your face. ‘One corpse is already too many!’” she said about the track “Pagsusuma,” quoting a line from the song.
Kolateral is available for streaming and download on Soundcloud and Bandcamp. The album is also available on Spotify. — ZBC
Concert Review Boyzone Thank You & Goodnight Farewell Tour: Live in Manila June 23 SM MOA Arena
FANS OF 1990s boy bands died a little inside when Boyzone finally said goodbye after more than 25 years of performing and touring. But the group was not about to go out without a bang and delivered what was arguably a fitting finale show where they sang all their greatest hits, leading the entire SM Mall of Asia Arena to reminisce on the period that was.
It was safe to assume that most people in the audience had been longtime followers of Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, and Shane Lynch. Many appeared to be past their 40s, with some especially abled fans in wheelchairs making the extra effort to go to the venue to watch the phenomenal Irish group one last time.
The entire production was comparatively sparse but the quartet did not need an extravagant stage and the usual pyrotechnics. Boyzone has not been known for its flamboyance and for the finale, they chose to keep it straight and simple. All Access Productions set up one huge LED screen and wooden stage stairs where the boys stood and/or sat in some numbers. However, this writer felt that the lone lady backup singer gyrating on stage right was unnecessary.
Boyzone last held a concert in Manila in 2015 and the group managed to fill the Smart Araneta Coliseum. It was such a memorable show that Boyzone did not think twice to include the Philippines as a stop in their final world tour.
Brian McFadden, formerly of Westlife, was the show’s front act. He performed around six songs, including “My Love” and “Uptown Girl.” In between songs, he told the audience that Westlife owed Boyzone for allowing them to open some of their biggest concerts in Dublin. Though he was witty and entertaining, it was when Boyzone finally appeared on stage that the crowd came to life.
It was a night of nostalgia as Boyzone included classics such as “Isn’t It A Wonder,” “Every Day I Love You,” “When You Say Nothing At All,” and “No Matter What” in the 22-song set list. They were relaxed the whole time, the result of more than two decades of togetherness. Even their dance steps — them in their Dad bods — looked unrehearsed but smooth. Their mission, as they explained at the start of the concert, was to perform all the songs that the audience wants to hear, and more.
As a take-home gift, they sang “Picture of You,” and by then, it was not unusual to see some fans shedding tears. Mr. Keating’s “Life Is A Rollercoaster” was also part of the encore.
Known for putting their own touch on famous covers, Boyzone also performed Tracy Chapman’s “Baby Can I Hold You,” “You Needed Me” by Anne Murray, and John Michael Montgomery’s “I Love the Way You Love Me.”
Mr. Keating has not lost his touch after all these years, leading the group perfectly in Cat Stevens’ “Father and Son,” which, incidentally, was his prepared piece when he auditioned for Boyzone in Dublin in 1993. His own take on the Bee Gees’ “Words” made the crowd wish that it was not the last time that they would hear the 42-year-old sing the song live.
The other covers included “Love Me For A Reason” by The Osmonds as well as Billy Ocean’s “When The Going Gets Tough.”
“A Different Beat” still sent shivers through the audience, with the members leading that symbolic hand waving in the chorus. Boyzone may have hung their jerseys, but their pieces — including “A Different Beat” — will go down as among the iconic songs of the ’90s.
As expected, there was a tribute to Stephen Gately, the Boyzone member who passed away in 2009. Although there was also a similar tribute in 2015 Manila concert, it was more extensive this time around. Boyzone said there was never a concert anywhere in the world that they did not include Mr. Gately and the finale was no exception.
The drawing of the curtains on Boyzone signaled the end of 1990s boyband era. Boyzone thankfully said their proper goodbyes to their Filipino fans. It was very good while the 25-year run lasted. And there were a lot of memories that they left for their supporters to savor in the years to come.
SMC Global Power Holdings, Inc. raised an additional $300 million from the issuance of senior perpetual capital securities that will be listed on the Singaporean exchange.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. on Thursday, the company said the funds came from additional subscriptions it received in relation to the $500 million worth of senior perpetual capital securities it issued on April 25.
Together with the original issuance, SMC Global Power now has $800-million outstanding securities.
The power generation arm of conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) engaged Credit Suisse (Hong Kong) Limited, Merrill Lynch (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., and UBS AG Singapore branch to act as joint lead managers for the additional securities.
The company also noted it has already secured approval in principle from the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (SGX-ST) for the listing and quotation of the shares.
“The additional securities are expected to be admitted to the official list of the SGX-ST on July 4, 2019,” the company said.
SMC Global Power intends to use the proceeds from the issuance for general corporate purposes, investments in power-related assets, and debt refinancing.
The company currently has a combined capacity of 4,197 megawatts (MW) from a combination of natural gas, coal, and hydropower sources. It accounts for 19% of the national grid’s power supply and a quarter of the Luzon grid.
Its portfolio includes the 218-MW Angat Hydroelectric power plant in Bulacan, the 450-MW greenfield power plant in Limay, Bataan, the 300-MW greenfield power plant in Malita, Davao Occidental, and the 684-MW Masinloc Power Generating Facility in Masinloc, Zambales.
Aside from this, the company is looking at the start of commercial operations of Unit 4 of the Limay Greenfield Power plant with 150 MW, and Unit 3 of the Masinloc Power Plant with 335 MW within the year. These facilities will bring SMC Global Power’s total attributable capacity to 4,682 MW.
SMC Global Power’s operating income grew 23% to P9.8 billion in the first quarter after consolidated revenues also went up 41% to P34.7 billion. Meanwhile, its parent SMC saw a 22% decline in attributable profit to P5.71 billion in the period amid a seven percent uptick in gross revenues to P250.92 billion.
LABOR Secretary Silvestre H. Bello said the proposal to implement 14th-month pay requires further study in Congress since it could affect employers adversely.
A bill proposing the payment of an additional month’s salary beyond the current legal requirement of 13th-month pay was re-filed in the Senate Monday.
Mr. Bello told reporters Tuesday that the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) believes employers’ ability to pay needs to be a consideration.
“The proposed bill to enforce or require a 14th month pay, definitely the department will support but this is subject to the capability of the employer,” Mr. Bello said.
On Monday, Senator Vicente C. Sotto III re-filed Senate Bill No. 10, “An Act Requiring Employers in the Private Sector to Pay 14th Month Pay” ahead of 18th Congress’ opening on July 22. The bill calls for all private sector rank and file employees to be paid 14 months’ salary every year.
Mr. Sotto wrote in his explanatory note that the bill aims to help millions of Filipinos in the private sector to deal with high cost of goods and services.
Mr. Bello said that while there are good intentions behind the bill, DoLE’s position is that many employers are already having trouble paying for 13 months’ salary.
“Kahit ipasa ang panukalang ganyan, kung hindi naman kaya ng employer (Even if you pass a law like that, what if the employer can’t afford it)? You might as well find out if management can absorb the additional cost… The way I see it, nahihirapan sila sa (they already have difficulty with) 13th-month pay. Kung kaya (If they can do it), by all means go for it,” he said.
“This should not cause an imbalance in the management. It needs to be studied very well,” he added.
Mr. Bello also added that DoLE also wants to avoid possible retrenchment in case companies cannot absorb the extra cost. This could affect productivity for businesses which could end up with less manpower and higher prices of goods and services. Most businesses employ less than 100 employees.
“If you recall, our business landscape is that almost 90% are micro, small, and medium enterprises. Only about 1% are big businesses…it could be an option that 14th month pay will be applied only to big businesses but this could be a discriminatory provision,” Mr. Bello said. — Gillian M. Cortez
HAVING TAKEN a break after its third season in 2016, The Voice Kids returns with original coaches Sarah Geronimo, Bamboo Mañalac, and Lea Salonga.
The singing competition is open to contestants aged seven to 12 years old. The blind auditions began in May.
During a set visit to the show on July 3, Ms. Salonga observed that the kids who auditioned this season have been very driven.
“They all seem like driven, hardworking, and good human beings. The talent will get them in… We hope that during coaching sessions and rehearsals, they keep a good head,” Ms. Salonga told members of the press.
“It’s exciting in the studio because, even we can’t predict what’s about to happen,” she added.
All the coaches have had wins in the previous seasons. Lyca Gairanod of Team Sarah won in the first season, while Elha Nympha of Team Bamboo, and Joshua Oliveros of Team Lea won in the second and third season, respectively.
The show will be hosted by Robi Domingo and Toni Gonzaga.
The Voice Kids Season 4 will replace Search for the Idol Philippine in its weekend timeslot on ABS-CBN. When the show will start to air has yet to be announced. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman
LABOR Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III disputed the International Trade Union Confederation’s (ITUC) finding that the Philippines oppresses labor organizations.
In its Global Rights Index 2019 published last month, ITUC gave the Philippines a score of 5, signifying that the country gives no priority to the rights of workers. The Index’s ratings are 1 for “Sporadic violations of rights”; 2 for “Repeated violations of rights; 3 for “Regular violations of rights”; 4 for “Systematic violations of rights”; 5 for “No guarantee of rights” and 5+ for “No guarantee of rights due to breakdown of the rule of law.”
In a statement Wednesday, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) cited the Global Rights Index 2019 findings and urged the government to take action in protecting workers.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Mr. Bello said that the number of actual killings of trade union leaders or members is less than claimed.
“I take strong exception to the claim of this International Trade Union Confederation. Kasi unang-una (first of all), if you look at the statistics, from 2003 to 2016 the recorded killings of labor union members and officers is about 60 plus. But under the term of President Rodrigo R. Duterte… Only four have been killed or subject to frustrated homicide. Those are the only recorded killings of labor union members or officers,” he said.
“I challenge them to give me one name out of the 43 cases na sinasabi nila (they are claiming). We have been asking that… Name the place where he or she was killed. When was he killed. Why was he killed? Wala (Nothing). Obvious na illusory and imaginary itong ginagawa nila (It’s obvious that their findings are illusory and imaginary). I don’t know what their intentions are but I really take exception,” he added.
Mr. Bello said that the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) is doing all it can to fulfill its mandate to safeguard Filipino workers. He added that the department also needs more manpower to conduct further inspections of establishments to detect labor violations. Additional inspectors will be provided through the Department of Justice (DoJ), Department of Finance (DoF), and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
“That is why were advocating for additional labor law compliance officers. I am sounding like an old record. We only have 800 inspectors and we are inspecting over 900,000 business establishments… Do you expect one inspector to inspect 1,000 in one year? Almost impossible but fortunately with the help of DTI, DoF, and DoJ I think we will be given additional labor law compliance officers of about 5,000,” he said. — Gillian M. Cortez
