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Retired general appointed chairman of BCDA board

THE Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said it appointed Retired Police General Thompson C. Lantion as the new chairman of its board of directors.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the BCDA announced the appointment of Mr. Lantion, who was the secretary general of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas.

He will be replacing former defense secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana, who held the post for near three years.

Serving as defense secretary between 2016 and 2022, Mr. Lorenzana also held directorships at Heritage Park Management Corp., Fort Bonifacio Development Corp., North Luzon Railways Corp., and the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development Council.

He also held positions at Bonifacio Estate Services Corp., Bonifacio Global City Estate Association, Bonifacio Arts Foundation, Inc., Filinvest BCDA Clark, Inc., and the Philippine Japan Initiative for CGC, Inc. Under Mr. Lorenzana, BCDA booked a P3.7-billion net profit last year, up 20.6%. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

PAGCOR expecting nearly 2,000 slot machines for Casino Filipino

THE Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp.’s (PAGCOR) casinos trading under the Casino Filipino brand will receive around 2,000 new slot machines by mid-September, the regulator said on Tuesday.

PAGCOR Chairman and chief executive Alejandro H. Tengco said at a forum: “As we prepare for the planned privatization of PAGCOR casinos, we intend to increase their value by modernizing our gaming facilities and equipment to make them more attractive to potential investors.”

The new slot machines are expected to enhance Casino Filipino’s profitability.

According to PAGCOR, 3,341 new slot machines overall have been ordered for Casino Filipino sites. The first batch, consisting of 1,968 units, will be arriving within the week.

PAGCOR has said it plans to begin privatizing government-operated casinos by May 2025. Some 45 Casino Filipino properties will be included in the sale.

Mr. Tengco also noted that more integrated resorts will be opened in key destinations over the next few years.

PAGCOR reported that gross gaming revenue (GGR) rose 32.32% in the second quarter, led by the electronic games (e-Games) business.

Revenue generated by the e-Games segment rose 525% to P30.85 billion, PAGCOR said.

Licensed casinos generated P49.48 billion in the second quarter, providing the second-largest contribution to GGR. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

Egg industry dev’t program to feature storage projects

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it will pursue storage, processing, marketing, and waste management projects for the egg industry.

“The Egg Industry Development Project (EIDP) is aimed at sustaining the growth of the egg industry by providing support for modernization; overcoming challenges in the egg sector; and ensuring biosecurity and availability of healthy eggs,” the DA said in a memorandum circular.

The DA said eligible beneficiaries for cold and dry egg warehouses are Farmer’ Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs) located in major producing regions with experience in executing such projects. Funding of P50 million may be granted.

Eligible FCAs seeking to establish an egg processing facility may be allocated between P5 million and P50 million.

FCAs and local government units (LGUs) in major producing regions may also be granted up to P30 million in market support for small-scale egg producers. The uses for such funds include delivery vehicles and other logistics items.

Eligible FCAs are those that can assist poultry farmers in waste management and are endorsed by LGUs.

The projects will be overseen by the Livestock Locally Funded Project Steering Committee and supported by DA livestock agencies and regional field offices.

The program’s technical working group will review and evaluate proposals for facilities.

“To ensure sustainability, DA shall lead the promotion of the egg products and crafting of an inter-agency agreement with the various government agencies, LGUs and relevant stakeholders to utilize eggs in feeding programs and calamity programs,” the DA said.

It added that program participants will have access to the KADIWA store network. — Adrian H. Halili

Transport dep’t urged to abandon stalled foreign-funded projects to save on fees 

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) must make prompt decisions on abandoning stalled foreign-funded projects to save on commitment fees, a senator said.

“We have a lot of foreign assisted projects, and I think it is high time to decide whether we are going to continue or stop these projects for good. Because there are stalled projects that were funded pending review, and we continue to pay commitment fees. It is time to cut our losses,” Senator Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay told the Committee on Finance on Tuesday.

The Senate flagged the continued payments on projects that have been delayed or remain under review, like the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line.

The DoTr is seeking a budget of P180.89 billion for 2025 to fund flagship rail, aviation, maritime, and road projects.

“The Cebu Bus Rapid Transit phase one is ongoing, we just encountered problems on one station because of the complaint of the provincial government,” Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said.

Mr. Bautista said the Cebu BRT phase 1 will be operational within the year as construction is nearly complete.

The Cebu BRT forms part of the DoTr’s flagship initiatives outlined in the National Expenditure Program for 2025.

The DoTr has said that the timeline for the launch of the Cebu BRT’s full operations has been pushed back to 2027.

The Cebu BRT is a 13.8-kilometer line with 17 stations, one terminal and one depot.

Once completed, the Cebu BRT system is expected to serve up to 160,000 passengers a day.

“There is another project, the EDSA greenways, it is the same. The payment of commitment fees continues while we are still reviewing the projects being implemented. It is a loss,” she said.

Mr. Bautista said the EDSA Greenways project is now undergoing review by the National Economic and Development Authority, which must sign off on the expected change in cost.

The P8.79-billion EDSA Greenways involves the construction of elevated walkways at four mass transit stations — Balintawak station of Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1, Cubao station of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), Guadalupe station of MRT-3, and Taft station of MRT-3 and LRT-1.

The project was initially set for completion in 2022, and been pushed back to November. Further delays are expected.

“For EDSA Greenways, there are issues on the right of way, specifically the relocation of utilities. Because of that there will be an increase in cost,” Mr. Bautista said. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

VP Sara snubs House committee as 2025 budget hearing resumes

VICE-PRESIDENT SARA DUTERTE-CARPIO FACEBOOK PAGE

By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter

VICE-PRESIDENT Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio on Tuesday pulled a no-show to the scheduled resumption of the congressional briefing on the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) spending plan, drawing the ire of lawmakers looking to question its proposed P2.02-billion budget.

In a letter, dated Sept. 10, Ms. Duterte-Carpio reiterated that her office will defer to the discretion of the House of Representatives, leaving it to the chamber to decide on the 2025 OVP budget. The letter was addressed to Speaker and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and Party-list Rep. Elizaldy S. Co, chairman of the appropriations committee.

“We defer entirely to the discretion and judgment of the Committee regarding our budget proposal for the upcoming year,” the letter read in part. Not one official from the OVP attended the congressional hearing.

In a statement, Mr. Co said the panel will recommend that some OVP funds for social services be transferred to line agencies, such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of Education.

Citing the poor track record of the Vice President in handling public funds, as seen in the P125-million confidential and intelligence funds (CIF), Mr. Co reconsidered whether to grant the OVP P2 billion for next year.

“Amid all these funds misuse and apparent corruption, should we still entrust her with another P2 billion in 2025?” he said in a statement. “Now, should we give her P2 billion that she claims the OVP will use to help the poor? We should give this instead to the right agency.

Party-list Rep. Raoul Danniel A. Manuel recommended to slash the OVP’s budget to P128 million from P2 billion, citing redundancies in the office’s proposed spending plan with other government agencies.

Teodoro A. Casiño, chairperson of political group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, told BusinessWorld before the budget briefing that “almost 80% of the OVP’s budget is for projects that are not under the purview of the office.”

The OVP has a P2-billion budget under the 2025 National Expenditure Program, an 8% increase from the P1.9 billion budget for this year.

SECOND CHANCE
The House appropriations committee, which oversees matters concerning the government’s spending, deferred the OVP’s budget in late August after she refused to answer the inquiries of congressmen directly, opting to instead repeat a canned response.

In the Aug. 27 hearing, the Vice President was asked by the panel to explain P73.3 million of the P125-million OVP CIF in 2022, flagged by state auditors due to the lack of documents supporting the spending.

In 2022, the OVP reportedly spent P125 million within 11 days back, generating controversy among the public. Ms. Duterte-Carpio did not answer questions about the secret funds, noting the 2025 OVP budget request did not include CIF funds.   

“Even though we gave the Office of the Vice President a second chance… to explain the budget… she decided to boycott us,” Deputy Minority Leader and Party-list Rep. France L. Castro said in Filipino.

“I don’t recall any government agency or executive branch ever boycotting Congress during budget hearings and deliberations.”

The absence of OVP officials from the hearing was deemed as “unconstitutional” anew by Manila Rep. Bienvenido M. Abante, Jr., asserting Congress’ power of the purse.

“My goodness, without the presence of any of the officers and officials of the Vice President, we are facing a blank wall here,” he told congressmen in the same hearing.

“Being a collegial body, as given the mandate by the Constitution to brief and ask questions concerning the budget, the fact that the head of the agency is not here today, is… I think unconstitutional,” he added.

PARLIAMENTARY COURTESY
Party-list Rep. Rodante D. Marcoleta argued the panel should instead exercise parliamentary courtesy to Ms. Duterte-Carpio, a congressional privilege traditionally extended to the Office of the President and the OVP.

“I have observed a tradition. The tradition is the two highest positions of government, namely the Office of the Vice President and the Office of the President, are not traditionally subjected to questions. I have observed this for so long a time,” Mr. Marcoleta said.

He sought to terminate the proceedings on the OVP budget, but his motion was rejected with 45 panel members voting against the motion. This outnumbered three votes in favor of the motion to end the OVP budget briefing.

Accountability should be prioritized over the House’s parliamentary courtesy to the country’s top executive officials, Hansley A. Juliano, a political science lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“The best recourse they have is to void or decide on their own what the appropriate budget for the OVP will be if Ms. Carpio will not cooperate,” he said.

EO places irrigation agency under President’s office

PHILIPPINE STAR/BOY SANTOS

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has issued an executive order (EO) placing the National Irrigation Agency (NIA) under the Office of the President from the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Under EO No. 69, which was signed on Sept. 5 and released on Tuesday, the irrigation agency would be transferred to the Office of the President to “streamline and rationalize the functional relations of agencies… in order to promote coordination, efficiency and coherence within the bureaucracy,” based on a copy of the order uploaded to the Official Gazette.

The agency had been under the Office of the President since it was established in 1963, before being moved to the DA in 1992.

“Irrigation management and development are vital towards achieving food security and ensuring infrastructure development in the country, which are among the Administration’s priority initiatives,” according to the EO.

Philippine Senators have chided the NIA for slow progress in state irrigation efforts, as they also raised concerns about rigged public bidding in carrying out its projects.

NIA Administrator Eduardo G. Guillen has said his agency only completed 68% of its national irrigation development commitments as of last year, servicing an estimated 2.11 million hectares, with 1.1 million hectares yet to be irrigated.

Mr. Marcos also ordered the Governance Commission for government-owned or -controlled corporations to study the reorganization of the NIA board of directors.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. welcomed what he described as a “strategic move” to attain a modern and more productive farm sector.

“Under normal circumstances, NIA should be under the DA,” Secretary Tiu Laurel said in a statement.

“However, given the urgent need to irrigate over a million hectares of land to boost agricultural productivity, especially for rice, President Marcos made a strategic—possibly a game-changing—move that would ensure that NIA receives the substantial funding necessary to fulfill this crucial mandate swiftly.”

Mr. Tiu Laurel said the transfer will address the urgent need for substantial funding to irrigate approximately 1.2 million hectares of land. He noted that the DA had proposed a budget of P512 billion for next year, which includes plans to roll out more irrigation projects. This was however reduced to P200 billion in the National Expenditure Plan for 2025.

In transferring the NIA, Mr. Tiu Laurel said the government is aiming to mobilize additional funds to accelerate irrigation projects and improve agricultural outcomes. This is expected to “significantly” enhance food production, particularly rice.

Under next year’s proposed P6.352-trillion national budget, P24.6 billion will go to irrigation services.

In his third address to Congress, the President pushed for more irrigation dams and bulk water projects to ensure sources of usable water for local communities.

A farmers group, however, questioned the intention of the NIA transfer. “If the goal is to advance the irrigation system to help ensure the country’s food security, why move it?” Bantay Bigas Spokesperson Cathy L. Estavillo said in a Viber message in Filipino.

“He could direct the NIA to fulfill its mandate and programs, such as ensuring that funds are used for irrigation canal development and implementing free irrigation for all Filipino farmers.”

She added that, the privatization of dams has intensified, benefitting only private entrepreneurs and foreigners. — John Victor D. Ordoñez with reports from Adrian H. Halili

Guo cohort, 53 others face human trafficking complaints

KATHERINE CASSANDRA L. ONG — HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PHILIPPINES FB PAGE

GOVERNMENT authorities on Tuesday filed qualified human trafficking charges against Katherine Cassandra L. Ong and 53 others for their alleged participation in the Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) in Porac, Pampanga.

Filed before the Department of Justice (DoJ), the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), authorities alleged Ms. Ong and 53 other respondents of being involved in the Lucky South 99 POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga.

Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix L. Ty, during a briefing at the DoJ office in Manila City on the same day, said PAOCC and PNP are eyeing to file other trafficking complaints against the respondents.

“This is only the first of many cases we will file against people behind Lucky South 99,” he said in Filipino.

Lucky South 99 was raided earlier this year by law enforcement authorities due to its expired license to operate and alleged human rights violations, such as torture and trafficking.

Ms. Ong’s legal counsel, Ferdinand S. Topacio, did not immediately respond to a Viber message seeking comment.

Aside from Ms. Ong, other respondents include an official of the now-defunct Technology Resource Center and other Chinese nationals working in POGO, and a Singaporean “big boss” of the Lucky South 99 POGO, who is believed to have helped ex-Bamban Mayor Alice L. Guo escape to Indonesia.

PAOCC Spokesman Winston John R. Casio during the same briefing said they learned this Singaporean national helped Ms. Guo escape to Batam, proof that the Bamban and Porac POGOs are interconnected.

There are 14 victim-complainants in the charge, ten of which are foreigners.

“The foreign nationals you saw earlier were kidnapped and abducted to work for Lucky South 99. Some of them were taken from casinos, loaned money, and when they couldn’t pay, they were forced to work in online gaming,” Mr. Casio said in mixed English and Filipino.

“We confirmed their testimony through an ocular inspection to verify the credibility of the witnesses.”

Ms. Ong is also facing 87 counts of money laundering filed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), National Bureau of Investigation, and PAOCC last month.

AMLC lawyer Adrian Arpon said in a Senate hearing last week that Ms. Ong, along with Ms. Guo and her siblings, is facing a penalty of at least seven years in jail and as much as 14 years per count. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

DoJ names Immigration OIC after chief’s sacking over Guo

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE Department of Justice (DoJ) on Tuesday named Deputy Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado as the Bureau of Immigration (BI) officer-in-charge (OIC) after the dismissal of its former chief for the escape of an embattled former mayor.

In a statement, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said the appointment of Mr. Viado will take effect immediately and will remain until President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. appoints a new commissioner.

“It is essential that we assure our people that the services of our immigration bureau will remain uninterrupted and consistent regardless of any transition in leadership,” Mr. Remulla said in a statement.

“Viado will be in charge of the day-to-day operations of the bureau under the supervision of the Justice Secretary,” the DoJ said.

This comes after President Ferdinand R. Marcos on Monday dismissed Norman G. Tansingco as his Immigration chief for failing to prevent the escape of dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice L. Guo and her cohorts from the Philippines in July. 

Mr. Remulla earlier said he was disappointed with Mr. Tansingco’s performance due to BI’s lapses under his watch.

“This has been a big problem for the longest time, we have not been lacking reminders to the Immigration Commissioner about these problems,” he said in the same statement.

Mr. Remulla on Sept. 4 said he was not talking to Mr. Tansingco after he failed to promptly inform the DoJ about Ms. Guo’s escape. She was later arrested in Indonesia and brought back to Manila.

Mr. Tansingco learned of Ms. Guo’s departure on Aug. 15 but only reported the information after five days. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

P16B in calamity funds released

PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

CALAMITY FUNDS released to government agencies as of end-August stood at P16.66 billion, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said.

In an update, the DBM said National Government agencies received the bulk or P16.16 billion of the fund release as of end-August.

Broken down, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) received the biggest allocation at P9.84 billion, followed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) at P5.51 billion.

Of the total, P374.97 million went 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.

Some P499.94 million was allocated to government-owned and -controlled corporations. Under which, the National Irrigation Authority received P450 million, while the National Housing Authority was given P49.94 million. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

Paris direct flights to start on Dec. 8

MARK OLSEN-UNSPLASH

AIR FRANCE-KLM Group on Tuesday said it would start non-stop direct flights from Manila to Paris on Dec. 8 to boost tourist arrivals in both countries.

At a Palace briefing, Air France-KLM General Manager for Southeast Asia and Pacific Femke Kroese said the direct flights, would operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Each flight would take 14 hours to complete.

She said the airline would start ticket sales for the flights on Tuesday, with economy class flight return fares starting at $1,258 (P71,030.45).

The direct flights would connect the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Ninoy Aquino International Airport, which Ms. Fontanel said would serve as a gateway to Europe for Filipinos.

“The Philippine market has always been on our radar and Southeast Asia as a whole is a key strategic market for Air France and KLM,” Ms. Kroese said.

“Knowing that Paris is the second most visited destination by Filipinos in Europe, we do believe that there is a strong market.”

Last week, Philippine Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said the direct flights were expected to roll out in December, after the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and its French counterpart the Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile Française signed a deal to boost aviation cooperation.

French Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontanel told the same briefing that the direct flights will boost trade and tourism exchanges.

“In foreign direct investment, by removing a psychological barrier to trade and boosting the interest of French and European investors in a particularly dynamic Philippine market,” the envoy said.

She added that the modernization of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) made the “project possible” or getting it off the ground. Air France-KLM is also set to reopen an office in Manila following the launch of the direct flights.

Air France-KLM is also set to reopen an office in Manila following the launch of the direct flights. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

More digitalization funds sought

PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

THE DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) is asking for an additional P9.2 billion to its proposed P12.6-billion digitalization budget next year as more than 18,000 schools still don’t have internet access.

“We want speed up the process (of digitalization)… this is a priority of the President and the department seeing how increased digitalization can help us leapfrog some of the traditional resource gaps given some schools are doing double and triple shifting,” Education Secretary Juan Miguel “Sonny” M. Angara told a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the DepEd’s proposed P793.177-billion budget next year.

He said artificial intelligence-based education platforms could also compensate for the shortage of teachers and other resource gaps.

The secretary also cited partnerships with online education provider KhanAcademy opening 31 pilot schools in the country.

In a July report last year, the Asian Development Bank said the Philippines should use education technology to bridge the skill gap or risk job losses due to rapid technological advancements. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Sierra Madre dev’t body bill urged

A CONGRESSMAN on Tuesday urged Congress to pass a bill mandating the creation of a body tasked to protect the Sierra Madre Mountain Range from deforestation as part of efforts to prevent widespread flooding during torrential rains.

Filed by Rizal Rep. Juan Fidel Felipe F. Nograles in 2022, the measure seeks to establish the Sierra Madre Development Authority, which would oversee and protect the mountain range from deforestation, illegal construction of infrastructure, and help in the economic development of the indigenous population.

Mr. Nograles cited the need to quickly enact the measure after President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. noticed deforested areas in the mountain range during an aerial inspection on the damages caused by Severe Tropical Storm Yagi (Enteng) last week.

“I hope that the President’s recent statement about Sierra Madre’s deforestation will serve as a nudge in the right direction for us in Congress to prioritize the creation of the Sierra Madre Development Authority,” he said in a statement. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

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