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DoF confident China-backed projects will pay off

THE PHILIPPINES will sign its second loan agreement with China in July, the Department of Finance (DoF) said, adding that the Philippines is capable of meeting its obligations despite higher Chinese interest rates compared with other funds on offer.
Asked which projects will be up next for signing loan agreements with China, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III told reporters that funding will go to the New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam project.
This is the second of three projects under the “first basket” of China-funded projects. The Philippines last month signed the first loan agreement with China for the P3.14-billion Chico River Pump Irrigation Project with an interest rate of 2% per annum and a maturity period of 20 years, inclusive of a seven-year grace period.
The financing agreement for the P151.3-billion North-South Railway Project (NSRP) South Commuter Line, meanwhile, is expected to be signed in the third quarter.
The loan agreement signed with Japan for the P51-billion Metro Manila Subway Phase 1 has a 0.10% interest rate payable in 40 years with a 12-year grace period.
Mr. Dominguez said that loan rates from China are “higher than Japan,” but noted that Chinese loans are cheaper than the funds borrowed from the US in January, in the form of $2 billion worth of dollar-denominated bonds.
“It’s 2%, we can pay it. We borrowed at 3% in the US, why can’t we borrow 2% from China,” he said, while noting that Japan debt also involves third-currency exchange rate risk.
Asian Development Bank President Takehiko Nakao has warned countries participating in China-funded infrastructure projects under its Belt and Road Initiative against falling into a “debt trap” due to unsustainable borrowing.
Sri Lanka failed to repay China for loans taken on to build Hambantota port, which struggled to attract shipping traffic. As a result, it handed the port over on a 99-year lease in exchange for debt relief.
Mr. Dominguez, however, said that the Philippine projects funded by debt have better revenue-generating prospects.
“If you borrow money for projects that don’t already have underlying demand, there’s a chance that your estimates are going to be wrong and your revenue is not going to be enough. However, what are we borrowing for… we already have obvious demand and there are people willing to pay for that,” he said.
“People need that. We can pay for those projects we are financing with Chinese money.”
Mr. Dominguez described the Kaliwa Dam project as a “need” which is “long overdue.”
China has pledged about $7.34 billion in soft loans and grants to the government after the Philippines announced a China-centered foreign policy.
The projects being considered for Chinese funding include the P57.6-billion Subic-Clark Railway, the P25.63-billion Davao City expressway, and the P27.16-billion Panay-Guimaras-Negros Inter-Island Bridge.
“We have a very good credit standing, we don’t owe anybody any collateral and we are borrowing very prudently,” Mr. Dominguez said. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan

GSIS offers loan relief program for teachers

THE Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) will start to accept on Tuesday applications for the GSIS Financial Assistance Loan (GFAL) program for teaching personnel of the Department of Education (DepEd).
In a statement, the state-run pension fund said it will lend a maximum of P500,000 to DepEd borrowers under the GFAL program in pay down outstanding balances of loans extended by eligible private lending institutions.
Under GFAL, qualified applicants may borrow up to P500,000 provided that they have a take home pay of P5,000 after deduction of monthly obligations.
Borrowers may consolidate their loans and transfer the total amount to GSIS if they are indebted to more than one private lender.
The interest rate of the GFAL program is 6% per annum computed in advance payable in monthly installments for six years. Payments will be automatically deducted from the borrower’s salary.
Jesus Clint O. Aranas, GSIS president and general manager, said the GFAL program is a balance transfer and debt-consolidation facility in one.
“It allows the members to take a second look at their spending habits — if they are heavy borrowers, they might be spending beyond their means,” Mr. Aranas was quoted as saying in the statement.
DepEd personnel may qualify for the GFAL program if they are active and regular GSIS members with permanent status and paid premiums for the last three years.
Borrowers must not be on leave without pay, have an outstanding loan from DepEd-accredited lending institutions and have no due and demandable loan account with the pension fund.
Mr. Aranas added that the pension fund opted to open the GFAL program nationwide instead of conducting a pilot run in selected areas.
“We decided to open it to all teachers and teaching personnel nationwide because we want more teachers to benefit from lower interest rates and better terms of payment from GSIS,” Mr. Aranas said.
“Reduced interest rates and smaller amortization spells savings and higher take-home pay for our members. This will definitely lighten their load.”
Last month, GSIS and DepEd signed a memorandum of agreement witnessed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte to help teachers and other employees manage their finances, and keeping them from becoming too indebted. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan

Chelsea in advanced talks with foreign partners for ‘third player’ telecom bid

CHELSEA Logistics Holdings Corp. (CLC) is in “advanced” talks with foreign companies seeking to become the third entrant in the Philippine telecommunications industry.
“We’re in talks with some of the local players… We’re in advanced talks with players from countries within the region, like India, China, and Singapore,” CLC President and CEO Chryss Alfonsus V. Damuy said in a phone interview.
Mr. Damuy said the company hopes to take a minority stake in the so-called “third player,” with a larger stake to be taken by a company within its Udenna group, which is controlled by Davao businessman Dennis A. Uy, or the parent company itself, Udenna Corp..
While he did not identify the companies involved in the talks, China Telecommunications Corp. is the company nominated by the Chinese government to participate in third-player selection. Leading Indian telcos include Bharti Airtel Ltd., Idea Cellular Ltd., and Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. The top Singapore telcos are Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (SingTel), which has a partnership with domestic incumbent Globe Telecom, Inc.; M1 Ltd., and Starhub Ltd.
Mr. Damuy said the company is awaiting the final terms of reference (ToR) for third-player selection to be released by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
“It all depends on the final ToR if necessary, and if it’s aligned with what we want to do,” Mr. Damuy said.
Last month, the company amended its Articles of Incorporation, in particular the second article, to expand its primary purpose to include infrastructure facilities and systems.
Mr. Damuy had said that the move will also be beneficial in the long term once the company enters e-commerce. The company has been studying an e-commerce venture due to the growth and potential of the segment.
Chelsea reported a net profit of P115 million, up 326%, due to the acquisition of Starlite Ferries, Inc. and Worklink Services, Inc.
The government is set to select the third player within the year.
The DICT amended provisions of its memorandum order on the policy guidelines or selecting the third player. The company or consortium must have paid-in capital of at least P10 billion; experience in providing, delivering, and operating of telecommunications services for the last five years; a congressional franchise not related to either PLDT, Inc. or Globe Telecom, Inc.; and no uncontested liabilities with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) as of Jan. 31, 2018.
The DICT has said that the re-inclusion of the P10-billion paid-in capital requirement for the selection of the third player will not deter interested parties.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Patrizia Paola C. Marcelo

Clean Air Act review to tighten standards, tackle rural pollution

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said it is conducting its periodic review of the Clean Air Act of 1999 with an eye towards stricter standards and enlisting local governemnts to crack down on rural pollution arising from the burning of fields.
Section 19 the Clean Air Act authorizes the DENR to review emissions standards every two years, especially for stationary sources of air pollution such as fuel-burning equipment and industrial plants.
With around 70% of the air pollution especially in urban areas generated by vehicles, the government’s main concern in rural areas is controlling biomass burning, which includes the slash-and-burn method known as “kaingin” as well as the post-harvest burning of fields to clear them for the next planting.
Environmental Quality Division Engineer III Jundy Del Socorro said the review hopes to make emissions standards stricter, with a Chinese crackdown set as the model. Mr. Del Socorro also said that the DENR is closely coordinating with local government units (LGUs).
“We need the LGUs [to regulate things like] open burning or kaingin,” he added.
“Although that’s not much of a big contributor to pollution, the transboundary pollutants, which are haze, are very tiny, small aerosols. They’re very light and can [stay in] the atmosphere for very long time.”
Tsinghua University Dean of the School of Environment and Chinese Academy of Engineering member He Kebin said that China was able to reduce its air pollution levels in the last five years due to stricter policies.
In a seminar at the Asian Development Bank on Friday, Mr. He said that this included the national government applying “pressure” to lower levels of government.
“We started measuring pollution monthly, and made a ranking system so that they would be pressured to arrive at their own solutions,” he added.
Mr. He, who is also a trustee of the non-government organization Clean Air Asia, noted that even though agricultural is a small source of pollution, biomass burning continues to affect China’s efforts to curb air pollution.
“Biomass burning is not largest emittor but when it reaches summer or harvest period, it becomes the source of peak emissions for the season,” he added. — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

Napocor activates Calapan-Puerto Galera transmission line after rehab

NATIONAL Power Corp. (Napocor) brought online on Saturday the 69-kilovolt (kV) Calapan-Puerto Galera transmission line in Oriental Mindoro to help improve the reliability of power dispatch in the province, the Energy department said.
“The completed and ongoing rehabilitation projects are consistent with the orders of President Duterte and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi in addressing energy resiliency and supporting the economic activities of the Mindoreños,” said Department of Energy (DoE) Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella said in a statement on Sunday.
He said power project in the area support the booming tourism industry in Puerto Galera and elsewhere on Mindoro Island.
Government-owned Napocor is mandated to energize far-flung, off-grid areas and islands.
Pio J. Benavides, Napocor president and chief executive officer, said the completion of the P37-million rehabilitation project will help Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Ormeco) improve the efficiency of its 13.8-kV distribution line and save money from reduced systems loss.
“The 41-km transmission line has undergone rehabilitation works which covered the replacing of wood poles with steel and the installing of new insulators, power conductors and other line hardware,” he said.
“It can contribute to the efficiency of electricity services that will result in more savings to Mindoreños,” he added.
Right-of-way issues remain a challenge for the area, resulting in the exclusion of six structures from the rehabilitation that covered 336 pole structures of the transmission line.
“Right-of-way issues are the usual factors that hamper our energy projects. Nonetheless, we see to it that we find ways to resolve them either through further negotiations with assistance from the local government units or through re-routing measures,” Mr. Benavidez said.
He said the company “continues to explore other methods in dealing with [right-of-way] disputes.”
Earlier in the week, Napocor energized the 69-kV Mobo-Cataingan transmission line in Masbate to assist the 13.8-kV distribution line of the Masbate Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Maselco).
Napocor is also implementing other projects in the provinces of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro “to complete the transmission system loop that will allow for a more stable and reliable power supply,” it said.
The company said the projects include the construction of a switching station in Mansalay, expansion of substations in Bansud and San Jose, rehabilitation of the Calapan-Bansud 69-kV transmission line, and the installation of a 69-kV line along Bansud to Mansalay and Mansalay to San Jose. — Victor V. Saulon

Gateway airport decision up to future governments — NEDA

A FUTURE government will end up making the decision to designate a main international gateway airport for Metro Manila, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said, due to the long timelines for the airports under development around the nation’s capital.
Designating a main gateway “is not within our control. Because (the development of airports) is 10 years, at least, down the line. So it may not be the next administration, but the next after the next. We can only make definite plans for the time when the administration is still in position,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia told reporters on May 4.
After the NEDA Board approved San Miguel Corp.’s proposal to build a P735-billion airport in Bulacan, Mr. Pernia said economic planners are also looking at proposals to rehabilitate and decongest Metro Manila’s current international gateway, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Sangley Airport Infrastructure Group, Inc., led by All-Asia Resources and Reclamation, Corp. and Belle Corp., in March proposed to the government a $12-billion airport that can accommodate about 120 million passengers annually at Sangley Point in Cavite, currently a naval base with a small airport, with a concession period of 50 years.
“But there is no full feasibility study yet, or full submission of requirements,” Mr. Pernia said when asked for updates on the unsolicited proposal.
“It can only be a maximum of three, because NAIA will be one of those. They cannot operate at the same time, NAIA and Sangley,” Mr. Pernia said.
Mr. Pernia added that the NAIA redevelopment would be a “fallback” if the Bulacan or Sangley airport are delayed.
However, he said that proponents should still evaluate scenarios for “the coexistence of two big airports.”
Conglomerates Aboitiz Infra Capital, Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp., Alliance Global Group, Inc., AEDC, Filinvest Development Corp., JG Summit Holdings, Inc. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp., submitted to the government in February a P350-billion proposal to redevelop NAIA, with a concession of 35 years.
Megawide Construction Corp. and India-based GMR Infrastructure Ltd. also submitted an offer to rehabilitate NAIA for $3 billion.
Apart from the new unsolicited airport proposals, the government is currently constructing a new terminal of the Clark International Airport to help decongest NAIA. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan

Cash utilization by government agencies falls to 65% in April

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT agencies’ cash utilization fell to 65% in April, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said.
The utilization rate measures funds usage relative to the disbursement authority issued at the start of the second quarter. A year earlier, the utilization rate was 67.6%.
The Notice of Cash Allocation (NCA) is a quarterly disbursement authority issued by the DBM to government agencies, allowing them to withdraw funds from the Bureau of the Treasury to pay for contracted projects.
A total of P222.14 billion was spent by government offices in April out of the P647.83 billion the DBM authorized them to disburse, leaving a balance of P425.68 billion.
Although NCA utilization was higher a year earlier, the absolute amounts were much smaller at P143.67 billion out of P212.55 billion released, with P68.87 billion left unutilized.
Agencies have until the end of the second quarter before their NCAs lapse.
The Department of Tourism had the highest utilization rate in April at 74%, followed by the Office of the President at 73%.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology was third at 72%, followed by the 71% of the Department of Finance.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development, meanwhile, was at the bottom of the table at 41%, followed by the Department of Agriculture’s 42%.
Some 88% of NCAs released for Government Owned and Controlled Corporations was used, while the rate was 74% for local government NCAs.
The government has a P3.767-trillion budget this year, and 84% or P3.165 trillion has been released as of the first quarter, leaving a balance of P601.67 billion. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan

A financial reporting framework made simple for small and micro entities

In 2005, the Philippines adopted the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) — renamed Philippine Financial Reporting Standards (PFRS) — in order to make financial reporting practices in the country consistent with international guidelines. Since that time, entities registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have been required to apply PFRS as their financial reporting framework.
In 2010, the SEC adopted PFRS for Small and Medium-sized Entities (PFRS for SMEs), which eased the financial reporting burden of entities that have less complex structures and transactions. However, feedback from the SMEs is that compliance with PFRS for SMEs is still quite complex and burdensome, particularly for micro and small entrepreneurs.
In response to this feedback, the Association of Certified Public Accountants in Public Practice (ACPAPP) drafted a new accounting framework called PFRS for Small Entities. The framework was endorsed to the Financial Reporting Standards Council (FRSC), the country’s accounting standard-setting body. According to J. Carlitos G. Cruz, President of the ACPAPP Foundation, the framework was in “response to the Government’s efforts to transform the country’s economy to make it more inclusive, and to encourage micro entrepreneurs to comply with reportorial requirements by providing them with simplified financial reporting.” To further facilitate compliance and for ease of reference, the ACPAPP also drafted illustrative financial statements applying the new framework.
After due process, the new framework was approved by the FRSC in December 2017.
SIMILARITIES WITH PFRS FOR SMES
Even though PFRS for SMEs was considered the “simpler” framework (as opposed to full PFRS), PFRS for Small Entities was designed to further simplify it for small and micro businesses. PFRS for Small Entities and PFRS for SMEs, however, take off from the same set of general principles, which include:

• The objective behind the financial statements.

• Key concepts, such as the “recognition of assets, liabilities, income and expenses,” accrual basis of accounting and offsetting.

• The requirement to “present fairly the financial position, financial performance and cash flows of an entity.”

• The key principles for financial statement presentation such as the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern, consistency of presentation and classification of financial statement items from period to period, disclosure of comparative information, materiality and aggregation and disclosures on accounting policies.

• Certain provisions of PFRS for SMEs such as those for related party disclosures, changes in accounting estimates and subsequent events, among others.

KEY DIFFERENCES FROM PFRS FOR SMES
As PFRS for Small Entities aims to simplify a number of requirements under PFRS for SMEs, there are key differences between the two financial reporting frameworks, such as the following:

• PFRS for Small Entities does not have the concept of other comprehensive income and does not require entities to present a statement of comprehensive income.

• For the statement of income, PFRS for Small Entities does not provide for a list of minimum items to be presented in the statement of income, making this new financial reporting framework less prescriptive than PFRS for SMEs, as far as this statement is concerned.

• PFRS for Small Entities has fewer disclosure requirements. One example is that PFRS for Small Entities does not require the disclosure of significant accounting judgments and estimates.

• For changes in accounting policies or correction of prior period errors, PFRS for Small Entities has less onerous requirements. For example, they don’t require small entities to restate prior year’s balances. Any impact from the change in accounting policy or correction of errors will only be reflected in the opening balances of the current year’s financial statements.

• PFRS for Small Entities simplifies the requirements for measuring inventories (i.e., assessing if they are impaired) as it only requires the comparison of cost against the “probable selling price to willing buyers as of reporting date” (i.e., the market value), instead of the “selling price less costs to complete and sell” concept under PFRS for SMEs.

• PFRS for Small Entities also simplifies lease accounting as it does not contain the concept of “finance lease” nor does it require lease expenses or income to be recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. Under PFRS for Small Entities, lessees and lessors shall recognize lease expense or income in the period when they are incurred or earned, respectively.

• Lastly, PFRS for Small Entities incorporates more policy options for small entities. One example is that small entities are now allowed to measure their investment properties either at cost or at fair value. Another one is that small entities with biological assets can now carry such assets as either at cost or at current market price. PFRS for SMEs, in both cases, only allow such assets to be carried at fair value.

FULL SUPPORT FROM REGULATORS
The new framework had drawn the support of the Board of Accountancy, which approved the framework on 20 February 2018. The SEC has also shown its full support behind this initiative to ease the financial reporting burden on micro and small entrepreneurs. On March 26, through Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 5, the SEC officially adopted the PFRS for Small Entities as “part of the SEC’s rules and regulations on financial reporting.”
To facilitate such an adoption, the SEC amended Part 1 of Section 2 of the Securities Regulation Code (SRC) Rule 68 by providing the specific criteria that entities must meet before they can be categorized as “small entities.” More specifically, entities that have total assets or total liabilities between P3 million to P100 million, do not need to meet the requirements under Part II of SRC Rule 68, are not listed or in the process of listing and are not secondary licensees, shall use PFRS for Small Entities as their financial reporting framework. Exemptions from mandatory adoption of this financial reporting framework were also incorporated in the same section of the amended SRC Rule 68.
EFFECTIVITY OF THE NEW FRAMEWORK
The new financial reporting framework is effective for annual periods beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2019. While early adoption is permitted and highly encouraged, small entities should take note of the full retrospective approach required upon initial adoption. However, this should not hinder small entities from adopting (and even early adopting) this new framework considering its simplified requirements and the minimal costs and effort the adoption will entail.
For small and micro businesses, profit margins are often quite thin and operating the business usually requires significant time and effort for the business owners. The adoption of this new framework reduces the choices for accounting treatments, eliminates non-relevant topics, simplifies recognition and measurement methods, and reduces disclosure requirements. Furthermore, on an overall basis, its usage decreases the undue cost and burden in complying with reportorial requirements. This way, small and micro businesses can worry less about the expense and effort needed to ensure compliance, and instead, allocate valuable resources into the business of growing the enterprise.
This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional advice where the facts and circumstances warrant. The views and opinion expressed above are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of SGV & Co.
 
Ma. Emilita L. Villanueva is a Senior Director of SGV & Co.

BBL, charter change lead legislative agenda

By Camille A. Aguinaldo and Charmaine A. Tadalan
CONGRESS RESUMES session on Tuesday with the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) leading the priority measures of both chambers and charter change and amendments to the Human Security Act among the Senate’s priorities.
The proposed BBL or Senate Bill No. 1717, which remained pending on second reading, would establish the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and replace the existing Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
The House Committee on Local Government is set to hold on Tuesday a joint meeting with the Committees on Muslim Affairs and on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity to draft the committee report on House Bill (HB) 6475 in consolidation with three other bills on BBL.
Voting 2-3, the House panels on April 16 moved to adopt HB 6475, principally authored by Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez. The bill is similar to the version submitted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) to the House.
This will be consolidated with HBs 92, 6121, and 6263, authored by Representatives Bai Sandra A. Sema, Gloria M. Arroyo, and Mohammad Khalid Q. Dimaporo, respectively.
“We want to finish it (BBL) before we adjourn sine die,” Deputy Speaker Raneo E. Abu told BusinessWorld in a text message. “And be part of the SONA (State of the Nation Address) of the President when we open the third regular session of (the) 17th Congress.”
The Senate, for its part, will also prioritize charter change proposals in the proposed shift by the Duterte administration towards a federal form of government.
Another priority measure is the Prevention of Terrorism Act of 2017 or Senate Bill No. 1715 which seeks to amend the Human Security Act and impose stiffer penalties for individuals committing acts of terror. The bill was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Vicente C. Sotto III.
On proposed measures aimed at improving government processes, the Senate prioritized the proposed Open Access in Data Transmission Act, the Philippine Energy Research and Policy Institute Act, the National Museum Act, the Retirement Law of the Office of the Ombudsman, amendments to the Fair Elections Act, as well as the proposed Department of Disaster Response and Preparedness and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Also in the Senate’s list of priority bills are reforms to the justice system such as the proposed Anti-Discrimination Act, Criminal Investigation Act, and the Community Service in lieu of Imprisonment Act.
On health and social service reforms, the Senate plans to approve on third and final reading the proposed Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy At, the Enhanced Universal Health care Act, the One Town: One Doctor Act, and the amendments to the Social Security Act.
On economic reforms and consumer rights, the Senate will tackle the proposed amendments to the Corporation Code of the Philippines, amendments to the Agricultural Tariffication Act, amendments to the Government Procurement Act, Budget Reform Act, the proposed Innovative Startup Act, and the Philippine Fare Discount Act.
Mr. Sotto said the Senate is targeting to approve on third and final reading at least 24 bills.
As for the second package of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law, “The Committee (on ways and means) has not started (discussions) yet,” Deputy Speaker Eric D. Singson said in a text message.
“What I know (is) they only got briefing, no public hearing yet and it was not included in those to be tackled and approved within the remaining three weeks of session days.”
A bill on the second package of the tax reform law, filed on March 21 by ways and means chair and Quirino Representative Dakila Carlo E. Cua, seeks to gradually decrease corporate income tax rates to 25% from 30% and streamline fiscal incentives.
For her part, Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy said in a statement: “If the next two weeks are not enough to produce the priority legislative agenda of Congress and of President Duterte, I believe a special session of Congress in the first two weeks of June would be possible, reasonable and appropriate.”

Comelec, other agencies all set for village, youth polls

By Minde Nyl R. dela Cruz Reporter
and Gillian M. Cortez
LAW ENFORCEMENT agencies together with the Commission on Elections and other agencies are on alert with the holding today, May 14, of the village (barangay) and youth council (Sangguniang Kabataan or SK) elections.
The Comelec reminds voters that voting will be manual, with voters 15-17 years old to be handed SK ballots, while voters 18 to 30 will be given both SK and barangay ballots, and voters 30 and above, barangay ballots. The poll body will also be active on its social media platforms for inquiries.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) earlier tagged 7,915 election hot spots nationwide, with 619 areas under the red category. A total of 1,415 of election hot spots are found in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), 1,304 in Bicol, and 661 in SOCCSKSARGEN.
But PNP Chief Director-General Oscar D. Albayalde in a mobile phone message over the weekend also said, “(We) do not foresee any violent disturbance during this BSKE. However, our troops are ready for any eventuality and all polling centers will be guarded by uniformed policemen and some with AFP personnel.”
In his text message, PNP Spokesperson PCSupt. John C. Bulalacao said, “While we are (optimistic) that the barangay and SK elections on Monday will be peaceful and orderly, we still continue to monitor the barangays with history of violence and those with current intense political rivalries to preclude the occurrence of violence among supporters.”
The PNP deployed today 163,000 police officers nationwide.
For his part, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Spokesperson Colonel Edgard A. Arevalo on Sunday said “there are no serious threat monitored, (but)contingency measures were laid out,” particularly in areas under the red category or areas with reported violent incidents and presence of rebel groups such as the New People’s Army, Abu Sayyaf Group, and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
The Eastern Mindanao Command, for its part, deployed 8,500 troops to assist the PNP and the Comelec.
“AFP transport equipment within EMC control such as floating and flying assets are on alert status and will be deployed, if necessary, upon the deputization and order of the COMELEC (Commission on Elections),” Major Ezra L. Balagtey, spokesperson of the command, said.
In addition, troops will be “on standby to form part of the Regional, Provincial, and Municipal Rapid Deployable Force and Quick Reaction Teams” and Election Monitoring Action Centers in all levels of command will be established, Mr. Balagtey said.
Other agencies taking part in ensuring orderly polls are the Department of Health (together with the Red Cross), Department of Interior and Local Government, and the Inter-agency Council for Traffic (IACT), which in a statement said will be on the lookout for “colorum” vehicles that may be carrying flying voters.
IACT urges the public to report illegal activity possibly involving flying voters through its Facebook page or DoTr’s Action Center Hotline 7890.

Former Senate leader Edgardo Angara, 83

By Camille A. Aguinaldo
FORMER Senate president Edgardo J. Angara has passed away at the age of 83, his son Senator Juan Edgardo M. Angara announced on Sunday.
“Sad to say my father, former Senator Edgardo Javier Angara, passed on from this life this morning at the age of 83, from an apparent heart attack,” the younger Mr. Angara said in a statement. “We ask for prayers for the repose of his soul,” he added.
The older Mr. Angara was appointed special envoy to the European Union (EU) in 2017 by President Rodrigo R. Duterte amid the EU’s criticism of the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign. He was also chosen as chairman of the New Clark City.
Mr. Angara, who hails from Baler, Aurora, obtained his law degree from the University of the Philippines, an institution he would later serve as president, and master of laws from the University of Michigan.
His political career started when he was elected one of the youngest delegates to the 1971 Constitutional Convention. He later co-founded top law firm Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz Law Offices (ACCRA Law) in 1972.
After the 1983 Aquino assassination, Mr. Angara was also among the leading figures in the National Movement for Free Elections during the crucial parliamentary elections of 1984 and snap presidential election of 1986.
He was thereafter elected to the Senate in 1987 and served in that institution until 1998 and from 2001 to 2013. He became Senate President from 1993 to 1995.
At the Senate, he pushed for the passage of that chamber’s more significant laws, including the Free High School Act, laws establishing the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) and the Technical Education and Skill Development Authority (TESDA), the National Health Insurance Act (Philhealth), Senior Citizens Act, the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act, Renewable Energy Act, and the Procurement Reform Act.
After losing the vice-presidential bid in 1998, Mr. Angara was appointed Agriculture Secretary under the administration of President Joseph Ejercito Estrada from 1999 to 2001. He also had a brief stint as Executive Secretary in 2001 amid the ongoing impeachment trial against Mr. Estrada that led to the Second People Power uprising.
He also became president of the Philippine Bar Association in 1975, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in 1979, chairman of the Philippine National Bank (PNB) from 1998 to 1999, and charter president of the Southeast Asia Parliamentarians Against Corruption (SEAPAC) in 2005.
He was chosen as founding president of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Law Association in 1980. He also rekindled the Philippines’ historic ties with Spain and Mexico, which led to the institutionalization of the Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day Act. He was also the official representative to the Union Latina, an organization consisting of 37 member-nations of the neo-latin languages.
He was awarded the Cordon of the Rising Sun by the Emperor of Japan for his contributions to the Philippine-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (PJEPA), a bilateral trade agreement enforced in 2008.
In his statement Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. called Mr. Angara “one of our great leaders and statesmen.”
“Mr. Angara’s contribution to nation-building was immense and his name will always be prominent in the pages of our country’s modern political history. He will be missed,” Mr. Roque also said.
Incumbent senators also paid tribute to Mr. Angara as of this reporting, with Senator Francis N. Pangilinan saying in part that Mr. Angara “was one of the senior legislators we looked up to in the Senate.”
Privacy Commissioner Raymund E. Liboro in his statement said Mr. Angara “had binoculars trained to the future and throughout his lifetime championed the country’s competitiveness in: education, agriculture, health, science and technology and the protection of the Filipinos’ well-being in today’s digital age.”
“Millennials owe Senator Ed Angara a debt of gratitude for ensuring them a more protected future through his authorship of 21st Century laws like the Cybercrime Prevention Act and the Data Privacy Act. He was a visionary and he will be missed,” Mr. Liboro also said.
Senator Loren B. Legarda in her statement said in part, “We lost a great man, a visionary, an indefatigable worker, esteemed public servant, a deep thinker, one of the Philippines’ most brilliant minds, a dear friend.”
“Ed was a great Filipino statesman and leader whom I had the privilege and honor of working closely with for causes bigger than ourselves,” Ms. Legarda also said.
In his statement, Senator Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV said, “We always appreciated Tito Ed’s ready advice and guidance for us younger public servants.”
“We will do our best to continue his reforms for the education sector,” Mr. Aquino also said.
EU Ambassador Franz Jessen called Mr. Angara “a great patriot and a true friend of the EU.”
Vigil for the late Senate leader begins Monday, May 14, at Chapels 6 to 9 at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City.

Labor group welcomes added benefits but worried over SIF sustainability

AN ORDER issued last week by the President increasing workers’ benefits has been welcomed by a labor group, but warned against the potential impact on the State Insurance Fund (SIF).
President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed on May 8 Executive Order 54 (EO 54) increasing the benefits of disabled workers from the private sector and qualified beneficiaries from the public sector.
The SENTRO ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO), in an e-mail reply and a press statement over the weekend, said any benefit added to workers are “welcomed” but called for the release of data on how it would affect the SIF’s sustainability.
The SIF comes from two institutions: the Social Security System (SSS) for the private sector and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) for the public sector.
“We agree that increases in benefits for workers with permanent disabilities should somewhat be aligned with the increase granted to pensioners without permanent disabilities. We are, however, concerned about the sustainability of the State Insurance Fund,” said Daniel L. Edralin SENTRO’s 1st vice-chairperson for the private sector.
EO 54 states that based on actuarial studies of the SSS and GSIS, the SIF can grant the benefits to disabled workers “without affecting the stability of the SIF.”
SENTRO, however, said they are still waiting to see these results.
Both the SSS and GSIS have yet to release the results of the actuarial studies.
Mr. Edralin also pointed out that “this matter was never discussed in the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (NTIPC).”
SENTRO also cautioned that this move by the administration to earn “brownie points” among the working sector could mean employees having to pay “additional premiums” later on.
EO 54 provides a P1,150 across the board increase to all disabled workers from the private sector and qualified beneficiaries from the public sector. Carer allowance from both sectors is also raised to P1,000 from P575 a month. — Gillian M. Cortez

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