Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube
Home Blog Page 12718

Grab urges LTFRB to increase cap on TNVS units

By Arra B. Francia, Reporter

GRAB PHILIPPINES (MyTaxi.ph, Inc.) is urging the Land and Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to raise the cap on transport network vehicle services (TNVS) units plying the country to around 75,000, based on its estimated number of active units on the road.

Grab Country Manager Brian P. Cu on Tuesday said the figure is based on the active riders using its platform and rival Uber Philippines (Uber Systems, Inc.).

Both companies previously submitted a master list to the LTFRB showing 54,000 units were under Grab’s service network, while 70,000 were under Uber, or a total of  around 124,000 units.

Of this number, Mr. Cu estimated 40% use both service networks, while another 10,000 to 15,000 are inactive units. This leaves around 75,000 active units in the country.

Mr. Cu’s suggestion is higher than the cap set by the LTFRB through Memorandum Circular 2018-003, which limits the number of Grab, Uber, and other ride-sharing units to 45,000 in Metro Manila, 500 in Metro Cebu, and 200 in Pampanga.

“We provided them with all the numbers kung ilan ang active per hour, ilan ang active daily, weekly. Kaya nung lumabas ang 45,000, nagulat din kami kung saan nanggaling yun (When the LTFRB came out with 45,000, we were also surprised because we don’t know where they got it),” Mr. Cu told reporters after the company’s press conference in Quezon City on Tuesday.

The Grab executive, however, said the company has not made a formal suggestion to the LTFRB.

“All I can suggest is the method on how to determine. We were never asked on that method. So I will suggest is take up both lists, take away the duplicates, and see who’s active, and use that as the process,” Mr. Cu said.

At present, Mr. Cu said around 35,000 to 40,000 Grab drivers are active on a weekly basis. This number serves about 65% of passengers, which means that only six out of 10 passengers will be able to book a ride.

To increase the chances of successfully booking a ride, Mr. Cu said the company needs 2,000 to 3,000 more drivers.

“With 3,000 more, I’ll be able to serve 75% of anyone that books,” he said.

Meanwhile, the LTFRB will start accepting TNVS franchise applications on Feb. 5 to fill the gap between the 45,000-limit and the 14,789 units that have either been registered or have pending applications with the transport authority.

Mr. Cu said Grab will announce how the company can assist Grab drivers with their franchise applications this week.

Peso slumps to three-month low as markets watch Yellen’s last Fed policy meet

THE PESO slumped further against the dollar on Tuesday, logging a three-month low, as market players remained cautious ahead of outgoing US Federal Reserve chair Janet L. Yellen’s last monetary policy meeting.

The local currency ended yesterday’s session at P51.42 versus the greenback, 23.5 centavos weaker than its P51.185-per-dollar finish on Monday.

This is the local unit’s weakest close in three months or since it finished at P51.61 against the greenback last Oct. 30.

The peso traded weaker the whole day, opening the session at P51.30 versus the dollar, which was also yesterday’s best showing. The peso’s intraday low, meanwhile, stood at P51.495 against the greenback.

Dollars traded rose to $926.45 million from the $892.25 million that changed hands in the previous session.

“The peso plunged again today due to caution ahead of the Federal Reserve meeting on Thursday and bets of hawkish remarks from Yellen’s last speech as Fed chair,” a trader said in an e-mail on Tuesday.

Analysts are expecting a hawkish remarks from Ms. Yellen after her last Federal Open Market Committee meeting, which began last night.

However, it is unlikely that the Fed will raise its interest rates during the said meeting, as market players are looking at the March rate hike and two others within the year.

Meanwhile, Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion, chief economist of UnionBank of the Philippines, said expectations of a protectionist rhetoric from President Donald J. Trump’s State of the Union address was also factored in during yesterday’s trading.

“The trend is going south; it’s weakening. But potentially, I see it as not something bad because you see that the pressure on the peso has been coming from increasing imports,” Mr. Asuncion told BusinessWorld in a mobile phone interview.

Data released early this month showed that the country booked a record $3.78-billion trade deficit in the month of November as imports rose 18.5% to $8.74 billion compared with the same period in 2016, while exports only grew 1.6% to $4.96 billion.

For today, Mr. Asuncion said the peso will move between P51.10 and P51.60, while the trader gave a higher range of P51.25 to P51.65.

“The local currency is expected to continue depreciating as markets await for possible cues prior to the Fed meeting and with the last day of [Ms.] Yellen in the US Federal Reserve,” the trader noted. — Karl Angelo N. Vidal

8990 unloads P3 billion worth of receivables

MASS HOUSING developer 8990 Holdings, Inc. unloaded close to P3 billion worth of receivables to generate cash for its projects.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange on Tuesday, 8990 Holdings said its subsidiaries entered into an agreement with Dearborn Resources and Holdings, Inc. for the transfer of the real estate firm’s contract-to-sell (CTS) receivables worth P2.8 billion.

The sale of receivables to Dearborn, a financial holding company based in Metro Manila, is on a non-recourse basis and is based on the outstanding principal balance of the CTS receivables.

8990 Holdings has been selling its receivables to the banking sector in previous years, helping the company increase its cash flow to fund its projects, a company official said in a mobile phone message.

The latest batch of receivables were sourced from 8990 Davao Housing Development Corp. (P215.50 million), 8990 Housing Development Corp. (P1.80 billion), 8990 Luzon Housing Development Corp. (P559.96 million), 8990 Mindanao Housing Development Corp. (P5.45 million) and Fog Horn, Inc. (P248.78 million).

The CTS receivables were generated from the sale of housing units in 24 residential projects nationwide.

The company has developed a CTS Gold in-house financing program, allowing customers to pay a minimal downpayment and quickly move in to their homes. The company retains ownership of the homes until full payment is made by the homebuyer.

CTS Gold has two categories, namely: CTS Gold Convertible, which carries a fixed rate of 8.5% per annum and is intended for Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG) take-up; and CTS Gold Straight, which carries an interest rate of 11.5% per annum and is not intended for Pag-IBIG take-up.

8990 Holdings, Inc. is setting aside P3 billion in capital expenditures this year to bankroll the construction of its projects and the acquisition of land properties.

At the same time, 8990 Holdings will be launching five projects located in Cebu, Iloilo, Ortigas, and Davao that will generate P60 billion in sales.

8990 Holdings saw a 22% decline in attributable profit for the first nine months of 2017 to P2.47 billion, weighed down by delays in processing of permits.

Shares in 8990 Holdings shed five centavos or 0.79% to P6.30 each on Tuesday. — Krista Angela M. Montealegre

Gov’t supporters in spotlight at Senate hearing on fake news

By Camille A. Aguinaldo

SHOULD PUBLIC officials let go of their private blogs in social media once they enter government? This question was raised on Tuesday’s inquiry by the Senate committee on public information on the proliferation of fake news in social media led by Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares, committee chairperson, questioned Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin M. Andanar regarding the actions of his colleague, Assistant Secretary Esther Margaux Uson on her blog in social media.

Ms. Uson is known as a staunch supporter of President Rodrigo R. Duterte and has expressed her stand on issues related to the President through her Facebook page.

At the hearing, Ms. Poe noted that it could be “very hard” to separate Ms. Uson’s personal opinion from being a communications official and that her blog might have overlapped with her official functions.

“Have you considered that it is a conflict of interest and should be shut down?” Ms. Poe asked.

“I’ve spoken to Mocha about it. We’ve also spoken about her freedom of expression and also of her way of speaking on her own Facebook page,” Mr. Andanar replied, adding that Ms. Uson has taken down some of her statements on her Facebook page after he had called her out on these posts. The issue on the apparent overlap of official functions among bloggers occupying government posts was highlighted once again in the hearing following the statements of Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, who pointed out that not all misinformation in social media came from bloggers supporting the President. She also claimed: “The misinformation, lies and all these misleadings do not come exclusively from the Duterte camp, neither do they come from officials identified with the government. In fact, the Vice-President (Maria Leonor G. Robredo) is the primary purveyor of fake news. And that the President is maybe a bigger victim than she is,” she said.

Blogger Tonyo Cruz then asked, “Is that the official position of the PCO (Presidential Communications Office) that they are accusing the Office of the Vice-President of spreading fake news? Or is that the personal opinion of Ms. Badoy?”

Ms. Badoy clarified that her statement was a personal opinion. In an interview with reporters, Ms. Poe said the PCO should fix its policy especially on the behavior of its officials in social media. “I am not forbidding them to publish or to say their personal opinion. But if you are with the government, it would result (in) confusion so if you want that privilege, they can do it as a private citizen instead,” she said in Filipino.

For her part, Marie Rafael-Banaag, Communications Assistant Secretary for Operations and Legislative Affairs, told the hearing that the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is coming up with a draft executive order on the conduct of government officials in social media.

As for policing individuals spreading fake news, media practitioners as well as Mr. Andanar said there was no need for additional laws to counter fake news but instead current laws on media only needed to be imposed. “Is legislation the proper remedy? We note that there are existing laws that may be tapped by anyone seeking redress against fake news or false information,” Mr. Andanar said.

Mr. Andanar then cited provisions on libel and false news publication in the Revised Penal Code and the cyber-libel provision of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. Bills have also been filed in Congress seeking to penalize those who spread false information in the Internet.

For his part, InterAksyon and BusinessWorld editor-in-chief Roby Alampay said: “At bottom, there are enough laws on libel, cybercrime, anti-bullying, anti-violence against women and children, against disinformation. There are laws that hold government accountable for data or info they come up with.”

Rappler Chief Executive Officer Maria A. Ressa echoed Mr. Andanar’s statement, saying that “the biggest problem is the lack of accountability, the impunity.”

While acknowledging the sentiments of media practitioners, Ms. Poe, meanwhile, believed “legislative solutions exist” but warned on attempts to regulate freedom of expression.

“We may want to erase all the misinformation-disinformation. We should be very careful in trying to regulate or criminalize any speech,” she said.

“Media literacy is the best long-term solution but it should not just be the government. We are grateful for all the private entities, particularly those coming from the media, that teach the netizens how to distinguish real from false information,” she added.

Ms. Poe also encouraged people to use existing laws and institutions, such as the Cybercrime Division of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Her committee is also set to subpoena Facebook, Google and Eduardo “Cocoy” Dayao, the blogger allegedly behind the SilentNoMore Facebook page, to attend the next hearing as well as to invite DICT and telecommunications providers Globe and Smart and the DICT.

Alaska stakes 4-game win run against Phoenix

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

ONE of the hottest teams in the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup, the Alaska Aces trek back to the court today against the Phoenix Fuel Masters with an eye on extending their winning run which now stands at four games.

Following a 0-2 start to the season-opening tournament of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), the Aces have made a complete turnaround in their games after to put themselves in the top three in the standings midway into the race.

They now focus their attention in adding the Fuel Masters (3-3) to their list of victims when they collide in the main game set for 7 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Alaska comes into game fresh from their conquest of the Blackwater Elite last Saturday, beating the latter, 88-84.

The Aces played in said game sans star forward Calvin Abueva who excused himself to attend to a “family emergency.”

But while Alaska was without one of their stalwarts, it still handled the situation well, standing their ground, particularly on the defensive end, and taking head-on the challenge that the Elite presented.

Chris Banchero and Vic Manuel paced the Aces with 16 points apiece and the two combining for 13 boards.

Kevin Racal had 14 points and rookie Jeron Teng finished with 10 points, three of which came in a crucial juncture late in the match that helped preserve the win for the Aces.

“I love the defensive effort and energy that we showed tonight. And we look forward to sustaining it in our coming games,” said Alaska coach Alex Compton following their victory.

Looking to halt the streak of the Aces are the Fuel Masters, themselves coming off a big victory over the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings, 87-82, last Friday.

Willy Wilson led Phoenix in the victory, scoring 19 points, on 7-of-7 shooting, against his former team while adding five rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Matthew Wright and Jeff Chan also had 19 points each to help push the Fuel Masters back on the winning track after losing their previous three matches.

The spirited play of Mr. Wilson incidentally won for him the player of the week honors, beating teammate Chan, Rain or Shine’s Maverick Ahanmisi, Alaska’s Banchero and Manuel, Magnolia’s Mark Barroca, San Miguel’s June Mar Fajardo, Ginebra’s LA Tenorio and Raymond Aguilar and GlobalPort’s Kelly Nabong and Jonathan Grey for the award.

Meanwhile playing in the curtain-raiser at 4:30 p.m. are the TNT KaTropa (3-3) and Kia Picanto (1-5).

Both teams are coming off losses in their previous games with TNT bowing to the Magnolia Hotshots, 91-83, last Saturday while the Picanto were pounded by the Meralco Bolts, 105-76, last Wednesday.

Faeldon asks SC to free him from Gordon’s ‘bullying’

NICANOR E. FAELDON, a former Bureau of Customs chief and now deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense, has filed a motion asking the Supreme Court (SC) to urgently resolve his prior petition for his immediate release, saying that the Jan. 29 hearing at the Senate is a clear example of Senator Richard J. Gordon’s “bullying” and “abuse of power.”

“If there is still any lingering doubt in the minds of the Honorable Justices of [the Supreme Court], that the provisional reliefs prayed for by the Petitioner are absolutely necessary under the premises, then Respondent Sen. Gordon’s latest public display of bullying, pomposity, and utter abuse of power, should be more than enough,” Mr. Faeldon said.

He added that Mr. Gordon also threatened him publicly of a transfer from his detention at the Senate’s Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) to the Pasay City Jail if he would not show up in Monday’s hearing.

Mr. Faeldon recently asked the high tribunal to declare null and void the arrest and detention order issued by the Senate blue ribbon committee, headed by Mr. Gordon, dated Sept. 7, 2017 and to grant his release from the OSAA.

He was cited for contempt by Mr. Gordon for his absence in the Aug. 31, 2017 hearing of the committee in relation to the P6.4-billion illegal drug shabu, which entered the Port of Manila in May last year.

Named as respondents in the SC case are Mr. Gordon, the Senate blue ribbon committee, and Senate Sergeant-at-Arms M/Gen. Jose V. Balajadia Jr. — Minde Nyl R. dela Cruz

Fil-Aussie Jason Day clinches Torrey Pines title via playoff

LA JOLLA — Australia’s Jason Day sank an 18-inch birdie putt on the sixth playoff hole Monday to defeat Sweden’s Alex Noren and win the US PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open.

Noren found the water with his second shot of the morning while Day placed his third inches from the cup to seal their fates.

Darkness halted their duel after five extra holes Sunday at Torrey Pines South Course after each finished 72 holes on 10-under par 278.

It was Day’s 11th US PGA victory and his first since the 2016 Players Championship.

“It has been a long time coming,” Day said. “It’s special because I worked very hard in the off-season to get back in this position.”

The triumph came after Day withdrew from a Wednesday Pro-Am with back issues that had him wondering if he could even compete after an MRI on his back 10 days earlier.

“I was in Palm Springs and I threw it out,” Day said. “I’m always going to try to maintain and be on top of it.”

He found bulging discs that can hit nerves under the stress of shotmaking.

“When they get bigger they get closer to the nerve and I get shooting pains down my legs,” Day said. “I just have to keep my core strong and hopefully I’m out here battling when I’m 40 or 45.”

The playoff continued at the par-5 18th hole, which both players birdied three times earlier in the playoff. They also parred 16 and 17 once in Sunday’s late-day drama.

On Monday, Day pulled his tee shot well right to begin the sixth playoff hole while Noren found the edge of the short rough left of the fairway.

Noren blasted his second shot onto the raised green but the ball rolled back into a water hazard, prompting Day to leave his second shot short of the water.

“I’m not regretting my decision. It’s just margins,” said Noren, a nine-time European Tour winner seeking his first US triumph.

“I had the perfect yardage to the pin with the 3-wood, 230 meters. I had the advantage I thought. If I hit a good one it would hit the back of the green. If I hit it short it would be perfect.”

Day rolled his approach inside of two feet from the cup, forcing Noren to try and hole his 40-yard pitch and run shot for birdie. He ran the ball well past, missed a long par putt and took the bogey before Day’s victory tap-in.

“We just had to stay patient,” Day said. “My goal is to get to number one and this is a start in the right direction.

“I’ve just got to take it in right now. I was up all night thinking about trying to get that 11th win.”

‘IT’S A GOOD DAY ANYWAY’
World number 14 Day’s US title total, topped by his 2015 PGA Championship title, also includes the 2015 Torrey Pines crown, putting him alongside such two-time winners as Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson.

Only Phil Mickelson with three wins and Tiger Woods with eight have won more often at the famed California course. Woods continued his latest comeback from nagging back injuries at the event, sharing 23rd.

World number 19 Noren’s runner-up finish was his best in a US event.

“I like playing over here. I know what to expect more now,” he said. “That’s my goal, to win in these conditions. I learned a lot. I’m proud of myself for stepping up when it got tough. It’s a good day anyway.”

Day and Noren were joined in the playoff by American Ryan Palmer, who was eliminated with a par at the first playoff hole, 18.

No spectators were permitted on the course to see the finish of the tournament, organizers citing security reasons with only 12 course marshals available to handle the resumption.

It was the third playoff in as many weeks on the PGA Tour, all of them at least four holes and two of them lasting at least six. — AFP

Malacañang stands by Carandang’s suspension

By Arjay L. Balinbin

MALACAÑANG maintained on Tuesday, Jan. 30, that its suspension of Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur H. Carandang is “immediately executory” unless a temporary restraining order (TRO) from a competent court is issued.

“That’s subject to his decision whether he wants to run to the court…Without a TRO from the court, that’s immediately executory,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said in a press briefing in Sagonsongan village, Marawi City.

Mr. Roque announced last Monday that “the Executive Secretary has formally charged Mr. Carandang for grave misconduct and grave dishonesty for misuse of confidential information and disclosing false information….”

The spokesman said the charge was pursuant to a complaint filed Oct. 3 last year by lawyers Manolito R. Luna and Elijio P. Mallari. The charge stemmed from unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, which the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) clarified was not the source, the spokesman explained.

“The Office of the Executive Secretary placed under preventive suspension Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur H. Carandang for a period of 90 days effective immediately upon receipt of this order,” Mr. Roque said.

“[T]he formal charge as well as the preventive suspension had to do, and I quote, with statements made by Deputy Ombudsman Carandang as follows: We can confirm that we received bank transactions coming from AMLC, bank transactions generated by AMLC.”

In a separate statement on Tuesday, Solicitor-General Jose C. Calida said: “The Constitution is clear that only the Ombudsman is subject to impeachment proceedings. While silent as to the disciplinary authority over a Deputy Ombudsman, the subsequent enactment of the Ombudsman Act filled this gap and expressly granted the authority to the President.”

Mr. Calida also noted that “the Supreme Court has held that the power to discipline is lodged in the same authority in whom the power to appoint is vested.”

He pointed out as well that “Deputy Ombudsman Carandang is free to seek redress before the competent court.”

“Nonetheless, my office is ready to defend the action of the Office of the President in suspending Carandang. We are confident that the Supreme Court will reverse its 2014 ruling,” he also said, in reference to the high court’s declaring as unconstitutional Section 8(2) of the Ombudsman Act of 1989, which grants the President the power to remove a deputy ombudsman. An earlier ruling in 2012 ruled on the constitutionality of the assailed provision, Mr. Calida noted.

‘3rd player’ entry terms geared to aggressive telecom investment

THE GOVERNMENT could require the new entrant into the telecommunications industry to remit to the government any unused portion of its five-year investment commitment, the acting head of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said.

DICT Officer-in-Charge and Undersecretary Eliseo M. Rio, Jr. said that the department plans to include this condition in the terms of reference for taking in a “third player.”

“If the company has something left from its five-year committed investment, then they can give that to the government,” Mr. Rio said in a phone interview.

The government will require from the third player a commitment of P60 billion annually or P300 billion for five years to compete with PLDT, Inc. and Globe Telecom, Inc.

This potential condition indicates that the government hopes to encourage aggressive investment by the third player to ensure the delivery of services to satisfy market demand.

Mr. Rio also posted on social media that 30 days after the award, the third player could be made to deposit its investment in a designated bank, with the planned annual investment to be deposited on the anniversary of the award.

The third player can withdraw the money to implement its capital spending program.

“So far, (potential investors) have no objections to this,” Mr. Rio said.

The DICT may move the selection of the third player to May instead of March, as interested participants have asked for more time to prepare.

Other requirements for the third player are a congressional franchise for fixed-line and mobile services and have no affiliation with incumbents PLDT, Inc. and Globe Telecom, Inc.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Patrizia Paola C. Marcelo

Buck stops for Ceres-Negros FC in AFC Champions League qualifiers as it falls, 2-0, to Tianjin Quanjian

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

WHAT was an historic and spirited run in the 2018 AFC Champions League qualifiers for local side Ceres-Negros FC came to an end yesterday after it fell, 2-0, to Tianjin Quanjian FC in their final preliminary round qualifying match in China.

While it hardly played like a team that had little time to acclimatize to the conditions in Tianjin after getting there just 12 hours before game time, still the home team, boosted by its star players, proved to be a tough nut to crack throughout the match as it went on to advance to the group stages of the AFC Champions League while eliminating the “Busmen.”

Showing that it was not only at the Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium to go through the motions but to go all-out and compete, Ceres, which had its arrival delayed after having trouble getting visas to travel to China, got the home team working early with good ball movement.

Sun Ke got Tianjin in scoring position in the 11th minute but his shot went off and failed to hit the mark.

Not to be outdone, Ceres put itself in a spot to score when Stephan Schrock narrowly missed the goal in the 12th minute.

As the opening half progressed, Tianjin grew more confident, unrelentingly testing the defense of Ceres.

It eventually broke through in the 19th minute when Frenchman Anthony Modeste headed the ball into the goal off a corner to give his team the upper hand.

Tianjin tried to build on the cushion with more aggressiveness in its attack but Ceres’ defense would hold its own to keep its deficit to a manageable one point by the halftime break.

With the outcome of the match still open, the two teams started the second fold aggressively, trying to create opportunities for early goals.

The home team though would beat Ceres anew to the punch, with Mr. Modeste beating the defense to score anew at the 57th minute off a pass from teammate Alexandre Pato.

Tianjin continued to put pressure on Ceres with Mr. Pato nearly adding another goal at the 69th minute.

Despite being buried in a hole in the wind-up, Ceres kept fighting with Mr. Schrock and Bienvenido Maranon trying to make things happen.

The Chinese team stayed firm and on top of things the rest of the way and booked the victory.

With the win, Tianjin earned a spot in Group E of the Group Stage of the AFC Champions League along with South Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC, Hong Kong’s Kitchee SC and another qualifier from the East Region bracket.

For Ceres, the Philippines Football League inaugural champion, the defeat saw its “head-turning” ways in the tournament end.

Not highly regarded as the other competing teams in the preliminary round, it went on to beat Myanmar’s Shan United in the first round and then upset Brisbane Roar in the second round to come within one win of making further history in the Champions League.

Traffic crisis management bill in House plenary

THE HOUSE of Representatives as of this reporting Tuesday afternoon began plenary debates on the long-standing traffic crisis management bill.

House Bill No. 6425, or the proposed Traffic Crisis Act — which covers traffic management in Metro Manila, Metropolitan Cebu, and Metropolitan Davao — was presented by the House committees on appropriations and on transportation, headed respectively by Representatives Karlo Alexei B. Nograles and Cesar V. Sarmiento.

Implementation of the measure, if enacted into law, will be led by the transportation secretary as Traffic Chief, who shall supervise all local government units (LGUs) within the metropolitan areas, among other comprehensive powers and functions defined by the bill.

The Traffic Chief, in coordination with the covered agencies, shall also develop a Traffic Management Plan for each of the defined metropolitan areas and a comprehensive traffic rules and regulations handbook identifying such offenses as reckless driving, counter-flow, and lack of inadequate parking spaces and driveways and their corresponding penalties.

The Traffic Chief, in coordination with the component LGUs, shall also identify private subdivisions or village roads which shall be designation as friendship routes that will serve as additional access points and secondary channels for road traffic.

The bill also has provisions on route rationalization for public utility vehicles (PUVs), revocation and modification of PUV franchises and permits, roadworthiness of PUVs and financial assistance to PUV modernization.

“Effective January 1, 2018, licensed professional drivers operating PUVs in the metropolitan areas must undergo testing and examination prior to the issuance of new professional driver’s licenses,” the bill also reads in part.

Effectivity of this measure is three years from its enactment into law, whose implementation will also be monitored by the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee.

Zamboanga Peninsula wage board to hold consultations for daily pay hike

Zamboanga wage rates

THE ZAMBOANGA Peninsula Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB-9) will conduct a series of consultations for the possible increase in minimum wage rates in light of the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law beginning this year. Department of Labor and Employment Regional Director Ofelia B. Domingo, also the chair of RTWPB-9, said the discussions would include statistics on consumer price index and poverty threshold. The consultation will start on Feb. 20 in Zamboanga City, and will continue until March, covering Isabela City in Basilan, Ipil in Zamboanga City, Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur, and Dipolog City in Zamboanga del Norte. Ms. Domingo said it is very likely that there will be a “wage increase,” but the rates would depend on the consultations as well as data-based assessment. The last wage adjustment in the region took effect on Oct. 1, 2017 based on Wage Order No. RIX-I9 issued Aug. 15, 2016. — Albert F. Arcilla

1...12,71712,71812,719...13,852Page 12,718 of 13,852
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube