By Camille A. Aguinaldo, Reporter
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has certified the Universal Healthcare Bill as an urgent measure, presidential spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said on Tuesday.
“I am very pleased to announce that our pet bill when we were in Congress, (the) Universal Health Care which we sponsored and defended in the Lower House, was certified urgent by the President,” he said at a press briefing in Indang, Cavite.
The Universal Healthcare Bill provides for the automatic inclusion of all Filipinos under National Health Insurance Program of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp (Philhealth).
The proposed measure remained pending at the Senate committee level while its counterpart measure in the House of Representatives passed on third and final reading in September 2017. It has been identified as among the priority bills of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).
A bill certified urgent by the President will allow Congress to pass the proposed measure on second and third reading on the same day.
In a statement, Senator Joseph Victor G. Ejercito, chair of the Senate committee on health, vowed to pass the measure when Congress opens its third regular session on July 23.
“I view universal health care as an integral to our anti-poverty drive. Ensuring good health for Filipinos is crucial to economic development as because ensuring the well-being of all Filipinos means that they can be more productive, which further means they can better overcome poverty,” he said.
“Hoping to work on the passage of this landmark legislation once we resume session,” he added.
By Gillian M. Cortez
A LABOR group on Monday said it will send a rejoinder “within the week” to a business group’s motion to dismiss the wage hike petition of P320 in the National Capital Reigon.
“We are going to reply with our rejoinder to the motion filed by ECOP (Employers Confederation of the Philippines),” Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) spokesperson Alan A. Tanjusay said. “In that rejoinder, we will insist by saying there is an extraordinary situation that merits our across-the-board P320 wage increase petition filed before the wage board even though the one-year prescriptive will lapse on October 2018.”
ECOP announced on its Web site last June 29 that it has filed a Motion to Dismiss the Trade Union Congress’(TUCP) wage petition to the NCR Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board (RTWPB).
“In its Motion to Dismiss, ECOP cited as grounds that the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB), National Capital Region (NCR), is inhibited from entertaining said petition pursuant to Rule IV of National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) Guidelines No. 01, Series of 2007, Amended Rules of Procedure on Minimum Wage Fixing,” the employers group said in a statement June 29.
ECOP said “there exists no supervening conditions that would allow the entertainment of the wage hike petition and demand a review of the wage rates prescribed under Wage Order No. NCR-21.”
NCR RTWPB’s Wage Order No. NCR-21 took effect on October 5, 2017, pegging the daily minimum wage in Metro Manila at P512.
TUCP said in a statement last month that the current NCR minimum wage of P512 “is not enough for a household with at least five members to survive and live a decent life.”
Wage boards cannot act on wage petitions if a wage order has not reached its one-year effectivity. There will be an exception to this if a region deems an existing “supervening condition” such as high inflation.
Mr. Tanjusay said, “There is a supervening event by what is going and by what will happen to our economy in forthcoming months. This is evidenced by the fact that there was an ‘unexpected’ 5.2% rise in inflation rate observed by no less than the NEDA — a member of the wage board.”
TUCP filed for an across-the-board wage increase for workers in the private sector at the NCR wage board on June 14. This petition is in line with House Bill 7805, filed by TUCP party-list Representative Raymond C. Mendoza, seeking a P320 wage increase in all regions.
VP Robredo ready to head united opposition groups in 2019 polls
REUTERS
VICE PRESIDENT Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo on Tuesday said she is ready to take on the role as the leader of opposition groups planning to unite ahead of the 2019 midterm elections. At a press briefing in Quezon City, Ms. Robredo, the opposition Liberal Party’s chairman, said she has been standing as an opposition leader, citing the instances where she voiced her statements against the policies of the Duterte administration. This time, she said, she wants to be the voice of the opposition groups united in dissent. “There are many groups that have the same beliefs. There are many groups voicing the same opinions against an issue. But because of the lack of discussion at one another, the voices are not united. And that is the role I want to take: to ensure that those voices are united so it would be listened to, to ensure that the message is understood clearly, and to urge those who believe the same sentiments to unite with us,” she said. For his part, Senator and Liberal Party president Francis N.Pangilinan said in a statement that Ms. Robredo’s declaration to lead the coalition “only formalizes what has been her role since her election into office two years ago: a stabilizing balance to those in power and their mistaken policies and their abuse of the people’s trust that put them in power.”
”Now, amid the naked rule of force, utter disrespect for life, and abandonment of the people, especially the poor, Vice President Leni is the voice of reason, calm, and sobriety”, he said. — Camille A. Aguinaldo
List of experts to study Dengvaxia cases submitted to Palace
THE LIST of experts recommended to study the Dengvaxia cases in the Philippines has been submitted to the Office of the President, Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said on Tuesday, July 10. Mr. Roque could not reveal the names of the experts yet, but he said there are four, one each from Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. Mr. Roque also said that Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III reported the development during the Cabinet meeting last Monday. President Rodrigo R. Duterte is expected to choose three from the list. The spokesperson, speaking in Filipino at a press briefing in Indang, Cavite, also assured that the government has the budget to invite the experts who will study the “real effect of Dengvaxia.” — Arjay L. Balinbin
OSG defends decision to drop Comelec in voting threshold case
THE OFFICE of the Solicitor General (OSG) has defended its decision to not represent the Commission on Elections (Comelec) before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) in Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo’s motion to uphold a 25% voting threshold in her ongoing election recount against losing candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. Solicitor-General Jose C. Calida, in a manifestation submitted on Friday, dropped the Comelec as its client and urged the PET to uphold its earlier April 10 resolution to impose a 50% threshold as there “is no basis to impose a 25% threshold in determining whether a vote is valid.” He added that “the Comelec has no jurisdiction over vice-presidential election contests.” Mr. Calida also asked the PET to give the Comelec 10 days to submits its comment on Ms. Robredo’s petition. Responding to criticism of the agency’s decision, the OSG said in a statement released on Tuesday that “it is the Solicitor-General’s duty to present to the Presidential Electoral Tribunal the position he perceives to be in the best interest of the Republic, notwithstanding the stance of his client, specifically the Comelec, on the issue.” The OSG cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in Pimentel vs. Comelec which ruled, “the Solicitor-General may, as it has in instances, take a position adverse and contrary to that of the Government on the reasoning that it is incumbent upon him to present to the court what he considers would legally uphold the best interest of the government although it may run counter to a client’s position.” Ms. Robredo’s camp was sought for comment but did not respond as of writing. — Dane Angelo M. Enerio
THE BUREAU of Internal Revenue (BIR) filed last June 28 separate criminal complaints with the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor against three individuals in Batangas for operating businesses that are not registered with the agency. Charged were Leoncia Diaz, owner of Household Needs for Less in Balayan, Guillerma S. Masalunga, owner of Masalunga Beach House Resort in San Juan, and Lamberti P. Sulit, owner of Dakila Beach Resort, also in San Juan. The two resorts were issued business permits by the local government of San Juan, but all three did not have a BIR registration. BIR said the respondents committed the offense of Unlawful Pursuit of Business for failure to register with the BIR as required under the Tax Code.
THE NATIONAL Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) will meet with local government and regional officials in Palo, Leyte, on Wednesday, July 11, for a regional summit on food security. “As the state-of-the-nation speech of the President draws near, it is important that we take stock of how we could better reverse the impacts of disasters on poor Filipino families in Eastern Visayas… especially those who have been affected by calamities in the past years,” said NAPC Secretary Liza L. Maza in a statement released Tuesday, July 10. Eastern Visayas was the worst hit region by super typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) that struck in November 2013.
THE DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has started assessing the status of education in the region as it prepares a transition plan for the new Bangsamoro, the entity expected to replace the ARMM if the Bangsamoro Basic Law is approved. “This (transition) is a huge struggle (on the part of the agency),” said DepEd-ARM Secretary Rasol Y. Mitmug Jr. during a press conference held in Davao City on Tuesday. He said in the past, documents were not properly turned over to the next administration and there was no basis in developing new plans and programs. Mr. Mitmug said they are now focusing on making sure that documents and all data are in order to ease the transition. PEACE PACT
The DepEd chief said they have made significant strides in the sector over the last few years with increased funding from the national government and assistance from international agencies. The peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front has also paved the way for the delivery of better education services. “We have been fortunate because the peace process has been holding as this has lessened the incidents of children leaving schools due to the armed conflict,” he said. Among the main education program partners of the ARMM is the Australian government through the Pathways to Peace in Mindanao, the successor of the Basic Education Assistance for Muslim Mindanao (BEAM-ARMM). Other agencies that have been implementing programs on education include Plan International and the United Nations Children’s Fund. — Carmelito Q. Francisco
THE ZAMBOANGA Peninsula Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB-9) has approved a P20.00 minimum wage hike for all industries. Ofelia B. Domingo, RTWPB-9 chair and also the regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), announced that Wage Order RIX-20 has been submitted for final approval by the National Wages and Productivity Commission. “We have deliberated based on the adopted formula and the consumer price index,” Ms. Domingo said. She explained that the adopted formula was anchored on the poverty threshold, poverty index, and the value of the peso against the US dollar. The current minimum wages for the city are P296.00 for non-agricultural businesses with more than 30 workers, and P271.00 for all other sectors. The RTWPB-9 earlier conducted a series of consultations in different parts of the region for a possible increase in minimum wage rates in view of the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law beginning this year. The last wage adjustment in the region took effect on Oct. 1, 2017, based on Wage Order No. RIX-19 issued on Aug. 15, 2016. — Albert F. Arcilla
THE prime lesson for drivers of every skill level is pretty simple and straightforward: Confine racing ambitions to the track — not everyday streets. People can get hurt, or worse.
That out of the way, who doesn’t entertain visions of pulling off a masterful, Vettel-esque right- or left-hander where not much velocity is lost, then nailing the exit with aplomb? But pure, pedal-to-the-metal fast won’t slice it. In fact, go too quickly and risk ending up in the gravel or smacking the track wall. Truly, the PlayStation 4 game can never give the vehicle feedback or appropriate professional instruction needed.
So who in his or her right mind can turn down a chance to vastly increase driving proficiency — while at the wheel of some of the world’s most desirable sports cars?
German car maker Porsche, through its Asia-Pacific office, staged the fourth iteration of the Porsche Media Driving Academy (MDA) at the Porsche Experience Center in Sepang, Malaysia, a former stop of the Formula One series. Debuting at the Bira Circuit in Pattaya, Thailand, in 2015, the MDA “allows media to experience the maximum performance of Porsche cars through consecutive courses designed to sharpen driving skills with world-class Porsche instructors,” according to a Porsche statement.
Participating journalists from nine countries within the Porsche Asia Pacific (PAP) purview are cycled through three course levels: Individual, Professional, and Elite — gradually increasing their driving proficiency while having a greater appreciation of the performance potentials of Porsche vehicles.
This year’s staging highlighted the fact that PAP now has at its disposal 16 brand-new cars for its exclusive use through the MDA program and the Porsche Experience Center (open to the general public) — including high-specification variants such as the 718 Cayman GTS, 718 Boxster GTS, and the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, to more rarefied models like the 911 GT3.
In the Professional module, participants are taught how to tackle curves or bends, appreciate the physics of load change through an abrupt lane change (more commonly known as the “moose test”) and slalom maneuvers, and once again experience the incredible acceleration of Porsche vehicles — amply matched by commensurate stopping power.
Amid the full complement of safety technologies which basically allows for a latitude of driver errors, chief instructor Matthias Hoffsuemmer reminded that “any system cannot eliminate physics.” This means drivers are ultimately responsible for understanding how cars behave and how they should comport themselves when behind the wheel, particularly when trying to extract heightened performance.
The MDA also affords participants an opportunity to more closely inspect the track, and ascertain braking points and the apexes of turns — things better appreciated at the subsequent Elite portion of the program. This allowed greater application of sport-oriented driving through “trail-braking, controlled over-steering, and advanced driving on the track.”
Established in 2001, PAP currently oversees 12 economies from its Singapore headquarters — offering support to importers and dealers in Brunei, Cambodia, French Polynesia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Caledonia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. Last year, a total of 5,390 Porsche models were sold in the region.
IT STILL seats seven in luxury, is propped up by a monocoque, and is propelled by the same engine. But the new Mazda CX-9 introduced locally on July 2 costs nearly P500,000 less than the variant it joins in the brand’s Philippine lineup.
This is because of the new CX-9 Sport Touring’s front-wheel drive layout, an inherently cheaper alternative to an all-wheel drive system — which the CX-9 Grand Touring, introduced by Mazda Philippines earlier, packs. But in all other respects, particularly when it comes to convenience features, the CX-9 Sport Touring is a match to its all-wheel drive sibling. Mazda Philippines bills the front-wheel drive variant as “luxury within reach.”
The company sells the new CX-9 Sport Touring at a starting price of P2.350 million. In contrast, prices for the Grand Touring start at P2.830 million. Both models are imported from Japan.
“The CX-9 Sport Touring represents Mazda Philippines’ desire to provide customers a prestigious product at a more attractive price point,” said Steven Tan, Mazda Philippines president and CEO, who pointed out the new CX-9 variant is the “only premium seven-seat crossover” sold locally that costs less than P2.5 million, and which is “certainly a superior alternative to pickup based SUVs out in the market today.”
The executive added the CX-9 Sport Touring has the “same plush interior, superior car-like ride, comfort and handling, as well as outstanding performance and fuel economy, as [the] CX-9 Grand Touring.” Front-wheel drive CX-9 retains the cabin space, seven-seat layout of the all-wheel drive version.
Marking out the CX-9 Sport Touring from the CX-9 Grand Touring are the former’s dark silver 18-inch wheels.
Most of the cabin features are shared between the two variants, namely leather-covered furniture, driver and front passenger power seats, six air bags, and the Mazda Connect Information and Entertainment system that has a six-speaker audio unit.
What the CX-9 Sport Touring does not get are the higher variant’s adaptive LED head lamps, electric glass sunroof, power lift gate, 12-speaker Bose sound system, active driving display, auto dimming rear-view mirror, rear sunshade and chrome door trim.
Both CX-9 variants are fitted with the 2.5-liter, four-cylinder SkyActiv-G gasoline engine which, through a dynamic-pressure turbocharger, makes 228 hp and 420 Nm. Mazda Philippines said these figures are identical to those made by “older generation six-cylinder engines… but without penalizing fuel economy.”
And, like with all Mazda models sold locally, the CX-9 Sport Touring comes with Yojin 3 Total Care, Mazda’s comprehensive preventive maintenance service package which is free for the first three years of ownership, or for 60,000 kilometers. — BMA
PEUGEOT Philippines has completed its SUV lineup with the arrival of the Peugeot 5008, which joins the French brand’s 2008 and 3008 models introduced in late 2017.
The 5008 is now “available in select dealerships” for P2.990 million, according to the company.
Having transitioned from an MPV into an SUV, the 5008 retains its seating for seven in which Peugeot said even third-row occupants get “generous” head- and legroom. Company President Glen P. Dasig said that “no details” were spared in designing the model, explaining the space inside the cabin.
“We want all passengers to have the same level of comfort as is standard with our vehicles. When not in use, the third-row [seats] can be folded and stowed easily, creating an impressive boot space of 962 liters. Removing the individual third-row seats further expands the rear capacity to a total of 1,060 liters,” Mr. Dasig said. Peugeot’s iCockpit feature makes it to the new 5008.
Peugeot said the 5008 features the brand’s iCockpit, basically a combination of an elevated driving position, a compact steering wheel, and a digital dashboard and control panel. The model is also fitted with Visiopark 2, a system that provides a 360-degree view of the vehicle’s surroundings when parking, and park assist, which takes over the steering — but not the pedals — also during parking.
Powering the 5008 SUV is a 1.6-liter gasoline engine equipped with a high-pressure turbocharger.
Mr. Dasig said that “combining agility and fuel efficiency in a large vehicle is one of the unique traits” of the 5008. The executive cited the light frame of Peugeot’s Efficient Modular Platform 2 as a key factor in reducing the vehicle’s weight and fuel consumption while increasing overall responsiveness. This, he said, “results in the perfect balance between comfort and road handling.”
TO celebrate the return of Formula One to France (at the historic Paul Ricard circuit) this year, Bell & Ross brought out a special rendition of its Vintage model. Called BR V2-94 R.S.18, this chronograph watch honors both Bell & Ross’s partnership with the Renault Sport Formula One Team and the 2018 French Grand Prix via unique details — like a black rubber strap stamped with the French flag, and the black and yellow livery of Renault Sport. Additional red detailing highlights the 30-minute register, and the watch’s dial is fashioned from carbon-fiber, a material extensively used in motor racing. The watch is limited to 999 pieces. MOVEMENT: Calibre BR-CAL.301 (ETA 2894-2 base) self-winding chronograph with 42-hour power reserve CASE: 42-millimeter satin-finish and polished stainless steel, carbon-fiber dial, 100-meter water resistance, domed sapphire crystal, crystal case back BRACELET: Calfskin leather strap with carbon-fiber pattern and yellow stitching, or three-link metal bracelet (both have a steel folding clasp)
