Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube
Home Blog Page 1321

Musk’s X gets OK to resume service in Brazil after bending to top court’s demands

REUTERS

BRASILIA — Brazil’s Supreme Court cleared X to resume service in the country on Tuesday, after the social media platform reversed course and started complying with court rulings billionaire owner Elon Musk had previously vowed to resist.

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who had been locked in a months-long feud with Mr. Musk, gave X the green light to resume operations in Latin America’s largest country effective immediately.

In the decision, Mr. Moraes said X had met all the necessary requirements to start operating again in the country.

The platform formerly called Twitter had been suspended in Brazil, one of its largest and most-coveted markets, since late August after not complying with court orders related to hate speech moderation and failing to name a legal representative in the country, as required by law.

Mr. Musk, who had denounced the orders as censorship and called Mr. Moraes a “dictator,” started to reverse his position in recent weeks, with his social media network blocking accounts flagged by the court, tapping a local representative and paying pending fines.

Mr. Moraes, in his Tuesday decision, ruled that Brazil’s telecommunications regulator Anatel must work to allow X to come back online within 24 hours. Users in Brazil were still unable to access the platform as of 7 p.m. local time.

Through its Global Affairs account, X said it was proud to return to Brazil, adding that it “will continue to defend freedom of speech, within the boundaries of the law” in the countries where it operates.

The Brazil dispute was one of a series of recent face-offs between Mr. Musk, who views himself as a champion of free speech, and governments including Australia and the United Kingdom seeking to prevent the spread of online misinformation.

Brazil’s communication minister said on Tuesday that X’s decision to pay the fines and comply with court orders was a “victory for the country.”

“We showed the world that here our laws should be respected, by whomever it may be,” Juscelino Filho said in a statement.

JUDICIAL BATTLE
X’s suspension initially came after an individual ruling by Mr. Moraes, who has spearheaded a local crusade against perceived attacks on democracy and the political use of disinformation.

His ruling was later unanimously backed by a five-member panel of the Supreme Court and its chief justice.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also voiced support for the move, saying that people with businesses in Brazil must follow local laws and the world was “not obliged to put up with Mr. Musk’s far-right ideology just because he is rich.”

Justices flagged at the time, however, that they would be open to reconsidering the suspension if X complied with rulings. The social media company initially said it would not abide by them because they were “illegal.”

Brazil is X’s sixth-biggest market globally and as of April had about 21.5 million users, according to data platform Statista. During the suspension, many users migrated to rival platforms such as Bluesky and Meta Platforms-owned Threads.

X had legal representation in Brazil until mid-August, when it decided to close its offices in the country due to the orders from the court, which it dubbed “censorship orders,” without naming someone to assume legal responsibilities for the firm locally.

That eventually triggered the suspension, in a judicial battle that also affected another prominent business controlled by Mr. Musk, satellite Internet provider Starlink, whose accounts Mr. Moraes temporarily froze in order to cover fines imposed on X.

A new X representative, lawyer Rachel de Oliveira Conceicao, was tapped in late September, when X also said it had started to block accounts ordered by the court.

Earlier this month, the firm paid pending fines it had previously disdained, opening the door for reinstatement in the country.

With the suspension, X remained out of service in Brazil during the final month of the country’s municipal elections, which occurred on Sunday.

In many cities, however, including Sao Paulo — Latin America’s largest city — mayoral elections will head to runoffs on Oct. 27. — Reuters

In Russia, an upstart whiskey distiller looks to break the vodka mold

DYLAN DE JONGE-UNSPLASH

KEMLYA, Russia — Russia may be known for its vodka, but in a rural village a few hundred miles east of Moscow, a whiskey distillery is hoping to tempt Russians to embrace a different tipple.

Western alcohol producers slashed their exports to Russia after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Though some brands are now shipped through grey import channels, the sudden supply slump helped domestic producers, whose sales have more than tripled in the last two years.

Russia’s nascent whiskey industry is one of many examples of domestic producers seeking to fill gaps left by foreign companies that stopped operations in Russia over the conflict in Ukraine.

In Kemlya, a small settlement 500 kilometers east of Moscow in Russia’s Mordovia region, the Kemlya Distillery is hoping the quality of its oak-aged whiskies will attract discerning Russian drinkers, provided they can stomach higher prices.

“The maths is simple,” Gennady Silivanov, Kemlya’s master blender told Reuters. “A Russian man would buy one bottle of a quality liquor instead of 10 bottles of cheap stuff like vodka or something like it, and drink less.”

Kemlya’s whiskies, with names such as Russian Oak and Balkan Virgin, sell from between 11,000 and 16,000 roubles ($115-$167), about 20 times higher than the average price for a bottle of vodka.

The company, which has been producing whiskey since 2015, plans to release a blended whiskey at a cheaper price for mass consumption by the end of 2026.

Sales of Russian whiskey, including from local distillates, have grown three times in the last two years, NielsenIQ Russia said in August.

Imports slumped in 2022, as the likes of Diageo, Pernod Ricard and other independent alcohol producers cut back on Russiasales, but they recovered in 2023 after Russia legalized so-called “parallel” imports that allow goods to enter the country without the brands’ permission, according to specialist publication RBC Wine.

Imports of Scotch, upon which Kemlya bases its own production, have particularly suffered.

“Exports of Scotch Whisky to Russia have fallen from £28 million ($36.6 million) in 2021 to £12.7 million in 2023,” a spokesperson for the Scotch Whisky Association told Reuters. “In addition, shipments to indirect routes to market have also decreased significantly.”

EQUIPMENT SWITCH
Kemlya has also struggled to access parts. Forsyths, the Scotland-based specialist equipment maker for Scotch whisky has cut exports to Russia, too.

“Unfortunately, we are in such a situation now that it is extremely difficult to place an order for equipment with them,” Silivanov said.

The solution, so often the case with Russian manufacturing shortages now, is to turn to China.

“Chinese engineers have replicated one of the Scottish models,” Silivanov said, showing off equipment commissioned in Shanghai. “The exact shape of pot stills that we specifically needed.”

Kemlya’s whisky went down well in Bruce Bar, a whiskey specialty bar tucked away on a side street in central Moscow, garnering interest from whiskey enthusiasts as a genuine Russian single malt.

In blind tastings, Kemlya’s whiskies have rubbed shoulders with those from Scotland and other countries, sometimes outperforming even Scottish brands, Daniil Vinner, co-owner of Bruce Bar told Reuters.

“If whiskey is produced in Taiwan or New Zealand, why can it not be produced in Russia?,” he said. — Reuters

DITO Telecommunity targets up to 16 million subscribers by yearend

DITO Telecommunity Corp. is targeting to reach between 15 million and 16 million subscribers by the end of the year, driven by its network expansion plans, its chief executive officer (CEO) said.

“Hopefully [by yearend] we will reach 15 million or 16 million,” DITO Telecommunity CEO Ernesto R. Alberto told reporters on the sidelines of the company’s gala late Tuesday night.

The telecommunications company just reached 13 million subscribers last week, Mr. Alberto said.

“We will achieve this] by continuous engagement, winning away customers, right? Getting our fair share of the customers given our investment in the network,” Mr. Alberto said.

He said the company is working on filling in the gaps by improving its connectivity services and reaching more customers in far-flung areas.

DITO Telecommunity, the country’s third major telco player, secured its certificate of public convenience and necessity from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in 2019.

Last month, the telco provider passed its fifth technical audit from the NTC after achieving nationwide coverage of 86.3% and a minimum average broadband speed of 92.87 megabits per second (Mbps) and 597.7 Mbps for 4G and 5G sites, respectively.

Mr. Alberto is also optimistic that the company will break even by its sixth year or by 2025.

“We should be. That is our ambition. Next year is our sixth year, EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) breakeven, [we should have] positive cash flow,” he said.

DITO is allocating between P25 billion and P30 billion for its capital expenditure (capex) budget, mainly for its network rollout for 2024.

For 2025, Mr. Alberto did not provide an exact figure for its capex budget but said that it will be lower than this year’s capex budget.

“Obviously, it will taper down. But we will still have to spend. Because there are two things that we need to spend on. We have to cover the few gaps in our coverage and expand 5G. It should be much lower capex because the capex for the last five years is for the build-out,” Mr. Alberto said. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Claims of connections

FREEPIK

IT USED to be a mark of social status to be “well connected.” One’s network of friends and acquaintances needs only to be mentioned to open doors and secure favors. Fraternities, alumni associations, civic organizations, political parties, even religious sects, and membership in prestigious clubs provide the right social networks.

Does name dropping still work in terms of access to power? In our highly connected culture, does “know-who” still trump “know-how”? Why is name dropping even necessary? Is it because one’s name doesn’t merit any respect? (Do you know who I am?)

Dropping names as a way of accessing power or gaining respect through reflected glory is a sort of “status by association.” The practice of claiming closeness, affinity, shared experiences, even claimed friendship since childhood (he used to swim in our pool) with someone now powerful. Maybe VIPs are beginning to resent their names being used by so many, what with so many investigations going on. Connections are not always welcome.

Social media has too quickly exposed false claims when checked by the importuned personality. The claimed relationship is too easily verified by simple online queries. (He says you used to hitch with him to get to your bus.) The quick disclaimer is noted. (We weren’t even in the same school.)

Maybe the same few names, sometimes initials, are dropped. With the acquisition of companies under fewer and fewer owners, the droppable names are getting fewer. (The executives under them though are multiplying.) Names of former owners of businesses are no longer worth dropping. In terms of probability, the name of one who controls a tenth of the GDP of this country is likely to be mentioned too many times by too many people to be even taken seriously — Oh, sure, you know the name of his dog.

The dropped name is not always checked to find out if he is even acquainted with the name-dropper. The time of the CEO is too valuable to be taken up by a mundane query from HR. (Sir, do you really know this pest?) It puts the big boss on the spot if he acknowledges that indeed he knows the person. He may then ask why the caller is asking him. Does HR think the only qualification for the job is some connection to him? Can this querying bureaucrat please give her name, rank, and direct report, please? (And don’t call him a pest.)

Name-dropping may be passé. It no longer intimidates anybody into a favorable frame of mind. If the mighty one really endorses a proposal, he would have given an indication for a favorable review. Gatekeepers can ignore anyone who resorts to this overrated approach to getting an appointment.

A subtler version of name dropping involves conversational rambling. This seemingly aimless narration of invitations received, dinners shared, gifts exchanged, vacations planned, opinions sought may involve a person in power. A touch of reluctance and even hesitation in mentioning some trivia (I didn’t even want to go to his resort, but he was insistent) makes this form of bragging more effective. No specific request is mentioned in the conversation. It is capped by a throwaway line to further dazzle the listener — these days, it’s so difficult to differentiate between mere name-droppers and real friends.

Shakespeare has commented on the traps of name-dropping. In Henry the Fourth, Glendower makes a claim: “I can call spirits from the vasty deep.” Hotspur replies: “Why, so can I or so can any man. But will they come when you call them?” This exchange can be roughly translated in modern terms as: Of course, you can message her, but will she reply? (Who’s this?)

It is socially discreet not to mention powerful people as friends or even acquaintances. If one is pressed to reveal any connection (Wasn’t he your neighbor?), one can plead a foggy recollection — It was so long ago. We do bump into each other at parties. Anyway, there’s always a long line of people that want to have their selfies with him. It’s just a circus wherever that VIP shows up.

The name dropper has been known to forget names dropped before, especially when these have fallen from grace. When confronted by those who remember, the name dropper simply shrugs — I don’t really know what he’s up to nowadays.

 

Tony Samson is chairman and CEO of TOUCH xda

ar.samson@yahoo.com

BSP launches financial inclusion website

BW FILE PHOTO

THE BANGKO SENTRAL ng Pilipinas (BSP) has launched a website to promote financial inclusion.

The website will serve as a “one-stop shop for financial inclusion news and resources, making relevant economic and financial information accessible to consumers, industry players, regulators, and other stakeholders supporting the effective implementation of the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI),” the central bank said.

The project was developed by the Financial Inclusion Steering Committee. The committee was established in 2016 to implement initiatives under the NSFI.

“The website, as you have seen, will have comprehensive content on financial inclusion and financial health from partner government agencies, financial service providers, and other supporting institutions,” BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona, Jr. said during the launch on Wednesday.

The BSP also said the public can “submit blog posts or videos to share their stories related to financial inclusion” on the website.

“Our hope is that making financial inclusion information more easily accessible, this empowers and inspires our countrymen,” Mr. Remolona said.

Through the NSFI, the government aims to promote digital finance, strengthen financial education and consumer protection, enhance access to risk protection and social safety nets, and enhance the agriculture and micro, small, and medium enterprise financing ecosystem.

“We hope the information and stories on the website inspire everyone, those who need it and those who can help provide it, to work together to advance the whole country’s journey toward financial inclusion and financial health,” the BSP chief said.

“Financial health is a newer aspiration beyond financial inclusion. It means you don’t have to have a bank account, but can still meet financial obligations, save and invest for the future, and bounce back in case of shocks.”

The share of Filipinos with bank accounts reached 65% of the adult population in 2022. The BSP wants at least 70% of adult Filipinos to be part of the formal financial system. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

How does the Philippines’ State of Democracy compare with its neighbors? 

The Global State of Democracy 2024, released by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, reports annual global rankings for each main categories of democratic performance. Out of 173 countries, the Philippines ranked 90th, 96th, 104th, and 64th, respectively, in Representation, Rights, Rule of Law, and Participation categories.

How does the Philippines’ State of Democracy compare with its neighbors?

How PSEi member stocks performed — October 9, 2024

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.

ASEAN leaders tackled South China Sea code of conduct, says Thailand

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. attends the 44th and 45th summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Laos. — PPA POOL

LEADERS of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Wednesday discussed progress toward a South China Sea code of conduct and agreed that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) should be the bloc’s basis for settling sea disputes, a Thai official said.

Nikorndej Balankura, a spokesman for Thailand’s Foreign Ministry, said the issue of ASEAN unity and prioritizing its centrality was also stressed during a retreat of ASEAN leaders in Laos.

Also on Wednesday, the Philippine presidential palace said President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. was set to join fellow ASEAN leaders for an “interface” with representatives of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC) in Vientiane.

The President would reiterate the Philippines’ commitment to working with the private sector in advancing ASEAN’s goals and objectives and call on the council to take a leading role in shaping the regional economy.

Meanwhile, the Philippines and Vietnam said they are exploring more areas of cooperation to boost a strategic partnership that they sealed in 2015 that includes defense and maritime ties.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued the statement on the sidelines of the 44th and 45th summits of the ASEAN in Laos.

“We have made a good deal of progress since our very first discussion and some of the engagements between our two countries,” he told the leader of the $409-billion economy, based on a statement from the presidential palace in Manila.

“And I am very happy that we will be able to pursue that. It also gives us the opportunity to explore new areas of cooperation and partnership,” he added.

Mr. Chinh, for his part, reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to its strategic partnership with the Philippines.

“I want to reaffirm that we always support the strategic partnership with the Philippines,” he said. “I’m glad to note that the discussions that we began two years ago have been implemented effectively.”

The two countries in November 2015 agreed on their strategic partnership that covers political and economic cooperation, defense and maritime ties, among other things.

Vietnam and the Philippines in January signed a deal to boost cooperation between their coast guards, amid China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea.

The two countries have also entered partnerships in rice trade and the prevention of accidents in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety.

One of the South China Sea features that has been a source of tension among the three nations is Scarborough Shoal, which lies just 600 kilometers from the Philippine province of Palawan.

A 2016 arbitral ruling that voided China’s claims in the South China Sea said the shoal is a traditional fishing ground for Filipino, Chinese and Vietnamese fishermen. China has controlled the shoal since 2012.

Data from the General Department of Vietnam Customs showed Hanoi posted a $2.41-billion trade surplus with Manila in the first eight months of 2024. Their bilateral trade rose by 21% to $5.7 billion from a year earlier.

Philippines imports from Vietnam hit $4.07 billion during the eight-month period, up 17%, with rice worth $1.71 billion as the top import commodity. Rice was the only Vietnamese export to the Philippines exceeding $1 billion.

The Philippine government in June reduced the tariffs on rice imports to 15% from 35% effective August until 2028, as it seeks to cool food inflation.

Vietnam accounts for 80% of Philippine rice imports, having exported 1.44 million tons of the commodity as of May 23.

Mr. Marcos and Mr. Chinh first discussed the rice deal during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta in September last year.

At that time, Mr. Marcos said his country hoped Vietnam would be an important partner in its shift to electric vehicles.

MILITARY BUDGET
Meanwhile, Senator Joseph Victor G. Ejercito pushed funding of at least P100 billion for the Philippine military’s modernization program, citing the need for more missile systems and fighter jets to deter Chinese aggression at sea.

“The acquisition and production of defense equipment takes time, and we really need this since we don’t want to be bullied anymore by China,” he told a news briefing. Mr. Ejercito told a news briefing.

The House of Representatives has approved on final reading next year’s national budget bill, which allots P204.4 billion to the Philippine Army, Air Force and Navy. Lawmakers also allocated P50 billion for modernization efforts of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Tuesday signed into law a bill requiring the government to pursue a defense posture that relies on local producers.

The US Navy, Marines and their Filipino counterparts on Monday kicked off their two-week joint military exercises in Subic Bay in northern Philippines aimed to boost interoperability between their military forces.

The navy and marine forces will conduct high-intensity drills focusing on anti-submarine, anti-air and anti-surface warfare, along with the use of maritime surveillance aircraft, according to the US Defense Department.

Mr. Ejercito said the government should increase military resources to deal with the precarious situation with Beijing in the South China Sea.

Chinese vessels on Tuesday fired water cannons at two ships of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) delivering supplies for Filipino fishermen at Scarborough Shoal, BFAR said.

“We really need to focus on external defense or the acquisition of multi-role fighters, war vessels and missile systems,” the Senate deputy majority floor leader said.  “This is only for deterrence to aggression.”

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Portions of the waterway, where $3 trillion worth of trade passes yearly, are believed to be rich in oil and natural gas deposits, as well as fish stocks.

Senators have been pushing the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department to file a resolution with the UN body condemning China’s aggression in the South China Sea.

Manila also eyes raising its dispute with China at the ASEAN once it heads the regional body in 2027.

The ASEAN and China have been in talks as far back as 2002 to craft a code of conduct in the South China Sea.

In 2016, a United Nations-backed tribunal based in the Hague voided China’s claim to more than 80% of the South China Sea for being illegal.

The Philippines has been unable to enforce the ruling and has since filed hundreds of protests over what it calls encroachment and harassment by China’s coast guard and its vast fishing fleet.

“We do not want war, but we are just protecting our territory and what is rightfully ours,” Mr. Ejercito said. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and John Victor D. Ordoñez, with Reuters

PHL waiting for consent for exit of Pinoys from Lebanon

SMOKE rises over Beirut’s southern suburbs after a strike, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Sin El Fil, Lebanon, Oct. 1, 2024. — REUTERS

THE PHILIPPINE government on Wednesday said it was awaiting diplomatic clearances for the repatriation of Filipinos from war-torn Lebanon.

This, as Southeast Asian leaders were expected to put focus on Middle East tensions during their four-day summits.

“We’re ready, willing and able to repatriate Filipinos at any time,” Defense Secretary Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo C. Teodoro, Jr. told President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in a Zoom conference, based on a press release from the presidential palace.

“We’re just waiting for the diplomatic clearances of the expatriates to be processed out of Beirut,” he added.

Mr. Marcos is in Laos for the 44th and 45th summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Before leaving Manila, he told reporters that Philippine embassies had been working on securing exit papers and transportation for Filipinos who wanted to come home.

“We are going to evacuate them,” he told Cabinet officials during the conference. “But the means of how to do that is something that we still have to determine because it is an evolving situation.”

Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Raymond Balatbat said they would exhaust all means to expedite the exit clearances.

Israeli warplanes launched more than 30 overnight air raids on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Oct. 6, according to the presidential palace.

As of Oct. 7, there had been no reported injuries or deaths among Filipinos, it added, noting that the airstrikes were focused on southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut.

The palace said the Philippine Embassy in Beirut had received 1,721 applications for repatriation, 551 of whom have been repatriated and 171 were “ready for repatriation.”

Tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate following Israel’s bombardment of Gaza in response to missile attacks by the militant group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

Israel launched a ground operation into southern Lebanon last week, as it vowed to conduct raids against “Hezbollah terror targets” that it said were an immediate threat to northern Israeli communities.

Mr. Marcos, in his departure speech on Tuesday, said no Filipino had been reported injured due to the conflict in the Middle East, referring to the “wave of attacks against Hezbollah targets in the past few days, and the consequent Iranian reprisal against Israel.”

“The Philippines urges all parties to refrain from escalating the violence and to work towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict,” said Mr. Marcos, whose country is eyeing a nonpermanent seat at the United Nations Security Council.

This month, the government targets to repatriate at least 162 overseas Filipino workers from Israel, the President said.

Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo Jose A. de Vega at the weekend said more than 100 Filipinos were set to be repatriated from Lebanon in batches from Oct. 11 to 28 amid Israeli bombardments.

The agency earlier said the Philippines was having a hard time securing landing rights for chartered flights.

The palace on Monday said the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) had given each repatriated OFW financial assistance worth P150,000.

“Reintegration assistance from the DMW and OWWA was also extended along with psychosocial assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and medical assistance from the Department of Health,” it added.

“The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority also distributed training vouchers to the repatriated OFWs.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Jobs, livelihoods are top Filipino concerns before 2025 midterm polls

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

JOBS and economic growth topped Filipino voters’ concerns ahead of the midterm elections next year, according to a Pulse Asia Research, Inc. survey.

In a Sept. 6-13 survey of 1,200 adults commissioned by think tank Startbase ADR, 57% said job creation, livelihood generation and financial literacy should be part of senatorial bets’ campaign platform.

These were the top issues among 70% of Filipinos in Metro Manila, 60% in the Visayas and 57% in Luzon outside the capital region, and 47% in Mindanao.

The same issues were popular among the Class E or families earning up to P15,000 a month, at 61%, 60% among Class ABC or middle- to upper-class people and 56% among Class D.

In the survey, 44% said investment-led economic growth was the most important issue with a 50% rating in the Visayas 47% in balance Luzon, 41% in Metro Manila and 32% in Mindanao.

It was the most popular issue among Class ABC at 46%, 45% among Class D and 33% among Class E.

Investment-led economic growth was followed by fighting corruption at 41%, quality healthcare at 33% and quality education at 29%.

Peace and order came in sixth place at 24%, followed by wider internet access at 19%, building renewable energy sources at 18%, reliable mass transportation at 17% and fighting illegal drugs at 15%.

Sixty-one percent of the respondents said controlling corruption would boost the trust of citizens in the government, while 58% said it would improve the lives of ordinary citizens. Fifty-two percent said it would lead to economic growth.

Meanwhile, 65% of Filipinos said corruption leads to the loss of trust in the government and public officials, while 51% said it worsens poverty.

In the survey, 45% said corruption causes inefficient service delivery and 43% said it leads to abuse and intimidation by government officials.

The period for the filing of certificates of candidacy for the midterm polls next year ended on Tuesday. As of Monday, 127 people were seeking a seat in the Senate, while 137 groups had registered for the party-list race.

There were 573 politicians seeking congressional seats, according to data from the Commission on Elections. It said 230 people are seeking 82 gubernatorial posts, while 3,647 people are seeking 1,642 mayoralty posts. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

New DILG chief told to engage LGUs in fixing learning crisis

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE PHILIPPINE Business for Education (PBEd) asked the new Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary to mobilize local government units (LGUs) to address the learning crisis in the country.

“The education challenge we face is so immense that it requires a whole-of-nation approach. Local governments are in the best position to understand and address the specific issues their communities face,” PBEd Executive Director Justine B. Raagas said in a statement on Wednesday.

PBEd urged the newly appointed Interior Secretary Juanito Victor C. Remulla to use his experience in local governance to encourage local leaders in education and workforce development.

Mr. Remulla was the governor of Cavite prior to his appointment to the Cabinet of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. earlier this week. He replaced Benjamin “Benhur” de Castro Abalos, Jr., who is eyeing a Senate seat in the 2025 midterm elections.

“We need to ramp up local investments in education, put education at the heart of local development programs, upon which the growth and development of our community and entire nation rests,” Ms. Raagas added.

Filipino students were still among the world’s weakest in math, reading and science, according to the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment, with the Philippines ranking 77th out of 81 countries and performing worse than the global average in all categories.

Under the same report, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said 15-year-old Filipino students also ranked 63rd out of 64 countries in terms of creative thinking.

PBEd stressed the importance of empowering local school boards (LSBs) and optimizing the use of special education funds, which are collected through a one percent tax on real property. These funds, as mandated by the Local Government Code of 1991, are used to address the supplementary needs of local public schools, PBEd said.

Pending measures in the Senate call for the expansion of the role of LSBs to include policymaking aimed at improving the quality of education, the group added.

In response to the widening skills gap driven by digitization and automation, PBEd, in collaboration with Citi Foundation, launched the JobsNext project.

This initiative has equipped over 2,500 Filipino youth with critical skills for future jobs in fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data management.

It also included the NEXTGENeration Leaders program, which further trained 52 participants to develop digital solutions addressing key community challenges like unemployment, healthcare access, and disaster response. Graduates of the JobsNext workshops presented project proposals in collaboration with local government mentors, with many securing commitments for seed funding to bring their initiatives to life.

“We are planting seeds of change through these youth leaders,” Ms. Raagas said.— Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Extensive reforms in party-list system needed, Group says

The House of Representatives is seen at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City. — PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

THE GOVERNMENT should comprehensively reform the congressional party-list system by banning political dynasties from participating, a political economy and business consultancy group said.

In a position paper, the Political Economic Elemental Researchers and Strategists (PEERS) also said the government should strictly monitor campaign financing, and level the playing field for marginalized groups amid the hijacking of political elites.

“To prevent political parties, wealthy individuals, and oligarchs from using the party-list system as a backdoor to Congress, a stricter and more explicit legal definition of ‘marginalized and underrepresented sectors’ should be established,” according to the group.

The position paper comes just as the Commission on Elections ended the filing period for certificates of candidacy, which saw 184 Senatorial aspirants and 190 party-list groups seeking congressional seats.

Apart from banning political dynasties, PEERS said the government should put a cap on financial contributions to party-list groups, with a stricter reporting requirement on campaign spending to prevent political elites from bankrolling them.

“Party-list groups should disclose their donors. A watchdog agency should audit these disclosures to ensure the funds are not from wealthy individuals or corporations that do not align with the marginalized sectors,” it said.

Moreover, changes to the party-list system should include the implementation of seat quotas for sectoral groups, ensuring balanced representation in Congress and revisiting the 2% national voting threshold for political parties, PEERS noted.

A party-list group must get at least 2% of the total national vote to secure a seat at the House of Representatives.

The current voting threshold could “favor more established or wealthier groups,” PEERS said, urging the government to lower the vote requirement or implement a proportional voting system, where received votes directly correspond to the number of seats a party-list can win.

“The number of groups participating in the party-list system has grown, but there has also been a shift toward more politically connected or mainstream parties securing these seats,” a part of PEERS’ position paper stated.

“While some genuinely marginalized groups continue to gain representation, others argue that the system has been diluted, with powerful families and political dynasties fielding candidates through this mechanism.”

The Philippine party-list system was created by the 1987 Constitution, with its framers seeing the system as allowing underrepresented sectors to participate in the lawmaking process. It has since been expanded in 2013 after the Supreme Court ruled that political parties could also participate in the party-list system.

“This broadened the system’s scope, prompting criticisms that traditional political elites and powerful interest groups were co-opting the party-list slots, weakening the system’s original intent,” PEERS said, referring to the tribunal ruling a decade ago.

The government should consider reducing the maximum seats for groups to provide more “diverse representation” in the chamber. Party-lists are currently limited to three seats in the chamber.

A certain percentage of congressional seats must be allocated to specific sectors, including labor, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples, among others, for more inclusive representation, it added.

At present, about 80% of the more than 300 congressmen are district representatives, while the rest of the seats are allotted to party-lists.

Further, PEERS said the Commission should be strengthened so it could screen party-list groups vying for a seat in Congress. “This may involve requiring groups to provide proof of grassroots organizing and a transparent platform that reflects the interests of marginalized sectors.”

Party-lists must also be required to submit yearly reports detailing the bills and services they rendered to the sectors they supposedly represent, PEERS added. Erring groups should potentially be barred from the system, it added.

They also pushed for a multi-stakeholder team composed of the academe, sectoral groups, and election watchdogs that would convene for regular reviews to ensure the party-list system still adheres with its “constitutional goals.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

1...1,3201,3211,322...12,998Page 1,321 of 12,998
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube