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Opposition lawmakers bare SALNs

By Charmaine A. Tadalan
MORE opposition lawmakers on Wednesday bared their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).
ACT Teachers Representative France L. Castro released a copy of her SALN, which showed her richer by P480,000 in 2017 with a net worth of P1.38 million.
Her previous SALN declared her worth at P904,000. Ms. Castro’s wealth increased by 53.6%, the highest compared to seven other lawmakers that made their SALNs public.
Rep. Antonio L. Tinio from the same party had the least increase in wealth with P4.21 million, a 1.7% gain from P4.14 million in 2016.
Anakpawis Rep. Ariel B. Casilao, meanwhile, incurred the most losses, with his net worth down by 78.2% to P1.09 million from P5.05 million.
Ifugao Rep. Teodoro B. Baguilat, Jr. also shared his SALN, which revealed his wealth at P6.55 million, 34.62% richer than his 2016’s P4.87 million net worth.
Further, Gabriela Reps. Arlene D. Brosas and Emmie A. de Jesus are each wealthier by 2.72% to P514,000 and 4.6% to P1.30 million, respectively.
The lawmakers followed the footsteps of Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani T. Zarate and Magdalo Rep. Gary C. Alejano, who both initiated to publicize their wealth on Tuesday.
Mr. Zarate’s SALN showed his net worth is P1.65 million, 21.9% higher from P1.35 million; while Mr. Alejano is P16.25 million, 13.6% higher from P14.3 million in 2016.

Senator pitches designated survivor during SONA

SENATOR Panfilo M. Lacson on Wednesday said the government may consider assigning a designated survivor during the State of the Nation Address to be enshrined in the new draft Charter.
“It is worth considering, because during the SONA, everyone is all there. If Charter change is adopted, having a designated survivor should be included,” he said in a radio interview.
The 1987 Constitution does not provide having a designated survivor in case the presidential line of succession is wiped out. In case of death, permanent disability, removal or resignation of the President, the Vice-President shall serve the unexpired term.
The Senate President is next in the order of succession. In case of his or her inability, the Speaker of the House of Representatives would take the helm.
If the Acting President position becomes vacant, the Congress, by law, may provide who shall serve as President until the new President and Vice President are elected.
In the United States, a designated survivor is chosen among Cabinet members to stay away from State of the Union speeches attended by the president and other high government officials in case of a catastrophic event that wipes out the line of presidential succession.
During President Donald Trump’s State of the Union last January, United States Agriculture Secretary George Perdue III was the designated survivor. The tradition can be traced to the Cold War era, amid fears of nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union.
The practice also inspired the American political drama with the same name starring Kiefer Sutherland and Natascha McElhone.

Nationwide Round-up

Lacson defends Senate building project

SENATOR PANFILO M. Lacson on Wednesday defended the P4.58-billion new Senate building project in Taguig City, dismissing the claims of newspaper columnist Rigoberto Tiglao that the structure would be costlier than projected. “For nearly 20 years, (the Senate) has been paying rental fees worth P127 million per year or P2.24 billion. Thus, the cost of our lease payments have become enough to construct a permanent, iconic home for the Senate,” Mr. Lacson, who chairs the committee on accounts handling the project, said in a statement. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is set to bid out the construction contract following the selection of architectural firm AECON Philippines as the building’s designer. Mr. Lacson said they are targeting to open the third regular session of the 18th Congress in the new Senate building. The current 17th Congress is on its second session. — Camille A. Aguinaldo

Job fairs set on Independence Day

THE DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment (DoLE) will hold a series of job fairs across the country on June 12, Independence Day. The Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan (TNK) job and business fairs will be rolled out in 21 locations. “The Department of Labor, together with the Department of Trade and National Historical Commission of the Philippines, would want to provide service, provide opportunity to our people,” DoLE Undersecretary Jacinto V. Paras said in a press conference on Wednesday. A total of 63,426 local jobs will be on offer by 501 employers, including 7,770 government positions. Overseas work will also be available for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Japan, Oman, and New Zealand from 120 employers. — Gillian M. Cortez

HRW nudges Congress to pass LGBT rights protection law

HUMAN RIGHTS Watch (HRW) urged the Philippine Congress to pass a law to protect the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) sector as it lauded the approval of an anti-discrimination ordinance in Mandaluyong, one of the cities in the capital Metro Manila. “The wave of local ordinances stands in stark contrast to the Philippine legislature, which has not passed similar anti-discrimination legislation,” HRW said in a statement on Wednesday. HRW noted that while the House of Representatives passed its anti-discrimination bill last year, the Senate version has failed to move forward due to opposition from religious groups and conservative senators. “The recently appointed Senate president, Senator Vicente Sotto III… is likely to strongly oppose any legislation aimed to protect the rights of LGBT people,” HRW said. — Minde Nyl R. dela Cruz

US military gives protective equipment to PHL marines

THE UNITED STATES military recently turned over P178 million worth of new sets of personal protective equipment to two units of the Philippine Marine Corps to boost the country’s counter-terrorism efforts. The equipment given to the Philippine Marine Special Operations Group and Inshore Boat Battalion consisted of 525 sets of ballistic vests, lightweight ballistic plates, tactical ballistic helmets, and accessories. — Minde Nyl R. dela Cruz

School service check


Representatives of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) check private school transport services nationwide for safety compliance and valid franchise papers. The random inspection, which started Wednesday, will run until June 8.

​House proposes fund transfer to MMDA after DoTr shelves BRT project

A HOUSE of Representatives committee on Wednesday proposed that the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) be tasked to improve bus routes in the city as an alternative to the Department of Transportation’s (DoTr) suspended Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) project.
Marikina Rep. Bayani F. Fernando, vice-chair of the committee on Metro Manila Development and a former MMDA chairman, put forward a proposal to order the agency to continue the BRT projects he previously initiated along the EDSA and España-Quezon Avenue Line with variations.
“I move that we put to task the MMDA… to continue the organized bus route, improve it and (provide) with a corresponding financial support that they may need to perfect the system,” Mr. Fernando said.
Meanwhile, Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo, the committee chair, requested the DoTr to submit a copy of the evaluation it used as basis to withdraw the BRT project.
“When you went to Congress last time, you asked (for) this project, to have it funded. You justified it and we were convinced. That’s why, it is part of the GAA (General Appropriations Act). Now you have asked us to shelve it for a reason we still do not know,” Mr. Castelo said.
The committee proposed that the funds provided to the DoTr be transferred to the MMDA.
Finance Assistant Secretary Maria Edita Z. Tan said this fund transfer will have to undergo standard procedure.
The allotted budget for the construction of the BRT EDSA line was P37.76 billion, and P5.47 billion for the BRT España-Quezon Avenue Line. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Unisan ex-mayor Alpay convicted for fake papers in agri equipment

ANTI-GRAFT court Sandiganbayan has convicted former Unisan town mayor Cesar P. Alpay for 19 counts of falsifying documents in the distribution of more than P285,000 worth of agriculture equipment. The Office of the Ombudsman, in a statement on Wednesday, said Mr. Alpay, who was in office in 2001-2004 and 2007-2019, has been given a minimum jail sentence of six months and one day and maximum six years and one day, plus a fine of P5,000 for each falsification count. Mr. Alpay was charged for falsified disbursement vouchers and other supporting documents indicating that 19 beneficiaries received funds for the purchase of hand tractors and motor engines. Ombudsman prosecutors presented the supposed beneficiaries as witnesses, who denied receiving any fund.

Cebu orders Badian, Dalaguete towns to co-manage Osmeña Peak

CEBU GOVERNOR Hilario P. Davide III has issued an executive order (EO) creating a joint management committee for the management of the disputed Osmeña Peak as an ecotourism destination. The towns of Badian and Dalaguete will jointly oversee the preservation and operations of the peak, a popular destination for local and foreign visitors. The EO, signed on May 25, recognizes Osmeña Peak as part of Barangay Patong in Badian town, but at the same time acknowledges that Dalaguete is “the only convenient” access to the site through one of its highland barangays, Mantalongon. The EO directs the fair sharing of the tourism revenues between the two towns. Aside from municipal officials, representatives from provincial and national agencies are named part of the committee, including the regional directors of the Department of Environment and Natural resources and the Department of Tourism. “Osmeña Peak as an ecotourism destination is a shared responsibility of the national government, the local governments concerned and other stakeholders, thus, all efforts toward that end must adhere to the guidelines prescribed,” the EO reads. — The Freeman

Misamis Oriental prosecutor suspended over office rage

Ombudsman LogoASSOCIATE PROVINCIAL Prosecutor Joan A. Albarece has been suspended for a month and one day by the Office of the Ombudsman for throwing a fit at a co-worker at the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Misamis Oriental. In a statement released Wednesday, the Ombudsman said the case stemmed from a complaint filed by Quennie Ebonia, who accused Ms. Albarece of having “a fit and slammed the case folders on the table, threw the stapler and puncher, pushed her, and shouted at her.” The Ombudsman junked Ms. Albarece’s argument that her actions have no bearing on her performance as a prosecutor. “The fact that respondent’s acts were committed within the premises of the OPP strengthens this Office’s view that such acts were intimately connected to her office. Verily, respondent is liable for misconduct for acting menacingly towards complainant,” reads the decision. “Employees in the government service are bound by the rules of proper and ethical behavior. They are expected to act with self-restraint and civility at all times, even when confronted with rudeness and insolence,” it added.

Dole executives, pilot survive helicopter crash

A HELICOPTER ferrying three executives of Dole Philippines, Inc. crashed Wednesday morning shortly after take-off at the DoLE-Stanfilco Avocado Farm in Tupi, South Cotabato, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) reported. All three passengers and the helicopter’s pilot suffered minor bruises but were conscious when rescued and brought to a nearby hospital. CAAP said it immediately dispatched Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board (AAIIB) inspectors to probe the cause of the crash. According to the spot report of Tupi Police Station, on board were pilot Capt. Dennis Figueroa,foreign nationals Dr. Jorge Gonzales and Cecilia Donaire, and Filipino Alica Bengco. The helicopter was en route to Surallah, another town in South Cotabato. — Denise A. Valdez

OWWA-Davao seeks collaboration with graduating students to help OFWs on livelihood loan

THE DAVAO regional office of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) wants to tap graduating students, specifically those taking entrepreneurial and accountancy courses, for assisting overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who want to apply for the agency’s livelihood assistance program. OWWA, in partnership with the Development Bank of the Philippines and Land Bank of the Philippines, offers livelihood financing of up to P2 million. OFW applicants must submit a feasibility study for their project to avail of the loan. OWWA-Davao Regional Director Petrona M. Bergado said most OFWs would not have the capacity to prepare a proposal, which is why they want to collaborate with accounting and entrepreneurial students to help the applicants. “There are applicants already,” she said, but the hindrance is their lack of “skills to prepare the project feasibility study.” — Maya M. Padillo

Nation at a Glance — (06/07/18)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Stocks flat on quiet trading overseas

Shares barely moved on Wednesday, June 6, tracking the muted trading overseas but remaining on the upside in light of slower inflation data for May.
The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index eked out gains of 0.04% or 3.38 points to finish at 7,689.14, staying mostly flat within the entire session. The broader all shares index also picked up 0.11% or 4.99 points to 4,669.28.
“The Philippines traded quietly, slightly above on a more optimistic note,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Managing Director Luis A. Limlingan said in a mobile message.
Inflation for the month of May accelerated by 4.6%, outpacing April’s 4.5% to record another all time high in five years. However, this is slower than the 4.9% forecast by the Department of Finance, and sits at the lower end of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)’s target range of 4.6% to 5.4%.
“While the sequential pace of price increases moderated due to an easing in food prices, headline inflation remains meaningfully above the upper end of the BSP’s inflation target. This was also taken as positive today as signs of normalizing continued,” Mr. Limlingan said.
Trading was also muted overseas due to lack of fresh leads. The Dow Jones Industrial Average went down 0.06% or 13.71 points to 24,799.98. The S&P 500 index added 0.07% or 1.93 points to 2,748.90, while the Nasdaq Composite index gained 0.41% or 31.40 points to 7,637.86.
Back home, four sectoral indices stayed in positive territory, while two ended with losses.
The property counter climbed 0.46% or 17.65 points to 3,819.67, followed by financials that rose 0.37% or 6.99 points to 1,894.76. Industrial added 0.25% or 26.97 points to 10,783.23, while services went up 0.21% or 3.19 points to 1,505.81.
Holding firms shed 0.33% or 24.90 points to 7,626.05, while mining and oil lost 0.07% or 6.78 points to 10,145.75.
Some 1.506 billion issues switched hands for a value turnover of P5.94 billion, slightly higher than the P5.41-billion turnover seen on Tuesday.
Advancers outpaced decliners, 108 to 97, while 43 issues remained unchanged. — Arra B. Francia

British chamber banks on PHL’s new ease-of-doing-business law to attract foreign investors

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter
The British Chamber of Commerce Philippines (BCCP) on Wednesday, June 6, said it is set to meet with local businessmen in the United Kingdom (UK) “next week” to present and discuss the “ease of doing business” in the Philippines, following the enactment of Republic Act 11032 or the ease-of-doing-business law.
“We are leaving again for the UK on Friday evening, and I got a meeting in Manchester with the chambers of commerce in the UK maybe next week, and I will discuss and present to them the ease of doing business [in the Philippines],” BCCP chairman Chris Nelson said in a phone interview on Wednesday evening.
“It’s a meeting with the [local] businesses, because I would like to increase the relationship between the Philippines and the UK by trying to attract more companies to invest in the Philippines,” he explained.
Mr. Nelson likewise said the new law is “something the BCCP can use to promote and help make the Philippines more attractive to UK companies, especially “the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) because that is what the BCCP tends to focus on.”
In an interview last Sunday, Mr. Nelson also said he recently “spent two weeks in the UK, from the 30th of April to mid-May, promoting the Philippines to British companies.”
“I met over 90 companies across nine different cities and towns organized by the chambers of commerce and the Department of the International Trade, so this is to promote trade and investment between the two countries. And now we are following up with those contacts to hopefully get them to start doing business in the Philippines,” Mr. Nelson narrated.
The BCCP, Mr. Nelson also said, is “currently in discussions with eight” UK companies. He noted too that businessmen often ask him back home about “regulations and ease of doing business” in the Philippines.
The BCCP, according to its Web site, represents over “200 member-companies and individuals with a membership network of over 400 entrepreneurs and senior executives of multinational corporations and SMEs.”
The Chamber also said it assists “UK companies particularly SMEs through the Business Support Service (BCC) with services such as but not limited to market introduction, meeting arrangement, contact services, event management and trade mission.”
Also according to its Web site, the BCCP is set to hold its fourth joint economic briefing on foreign direct investments in the Philippines, with Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua and Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez expected to take part. The event will be held at the Makati Diamond Residences on June 19.
“With the current aggressive stance of the government, roads are opening for foreign investors, but sustainability is critical. Representatives from various industries will also be sharing their experiences and insights on current government policies and initiatives that either support or go against their goals for achieving profitability,” the chamber said.
Also sought for comment, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) President George T. Barcelon said in a phone interview on Monday, “The Ease of Doing Business Law will help move the country and attract SMEs. It is for them to grow. Most of our employers in the Philippines, actually, are from the SMEs, not from big companies. So, we should help these guys.”

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