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Disaster Resilience dep’t bill OKd

PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

A House of Representatives committee on Tuesday approved a bill seeking the creation of a government agency solely tasked to handle the country’s natural disaster preparation and response, a proposal seen bolstering the country’s disaster resilience efforts.

Approved by the House government reorganization and disaster resilience committees, the unnumbered substitute bill seeks the establishment of the Department of Disaster Resilience, which would spearhead the state’s disaster response efforts.

“The department shall be the primary government agency responsible for leading, organizing, and managing the national effort to reduce disaster risk, prepare for and respond to disasters, recover and rehabilitate, and build forward better after the occurrence of disasters,” a part of the unnumbered substitute bill obtained by BusinessWorld stated.

A version of the bill was approved by the House in the 18th Congress, but its counterpart measure did not hurdle the Senate as several lawmakers questioned its practicality and the funding required to set up another department.

The country’s emergency preparedness and response programs are under the helm of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, which is led by the Defense department with secretaries of other agencies serving as its vice-chairpersons. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Act vs work heat stress, gov’t told

JOSUE ISAI RAMOS FIGUEROA-UNSPLASH

A LABOR group urged the Philippine government to take immediate and serious action against the impending threat of heat stress in workplaces, following the release of the latest State of the Climate report in Azerbaijan.

“Climate change is destroying jobs, lives and livelihoods. While recovering from the destruction from devastating typhoons, we should expect extreme heat to hit us as hard, if not harder,” Julius H. Cainglet, vice-president of the Federation of Free Workers said in a statement on Tuesday.

The World Meteorological Organization report presented at the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan said that global air temperatures in January and September 2024 averaged 1.54 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, highlighting the urgent need for measures to address the increasing risk of heat stress.

Mr. Cainglet suggested innovative measures like heat stress insurance and broader climate adaptation efforts for communities and businesses as labor advisories alone will not be enough to confront this issue.

At COP29, trade unions from the Global South, including the Filipino group Workers for Just Transition, are advocating for the Global North to commit trillions of dollars toward climate initiatives in poorer and developing nations.

COP29 commenced last Nov. 11 until Nov. 22. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Senate hikes DoH 2025 budget by nearly 28%

BW FILE PHOTO

THE SENATE has increased the total proposed budget of the Department of Health (DoH) and its attached agencies next year to P277.996 billion from the P217.388 billion proposed by the Executive branch.

Citing the Senate’s committee report on House Bill No. 10800, Senator Pilar Juliana S. Cayetano, who sponsored the department’s budget told the plenary that the increase would be used to build new outpatient clinics, the procurement of vaccines, and renovation of other hospitals next year.

“These are all part of our commitment to integrate the sustainable development goals into our National Development Plan and policies… ensuring healthy lives and to promote the wellbeing of all ages,” she said during Tuesday’s session.

Senator and Finance Committee chairperson Mary Grace Natividad S. Poe-Llamanzares earlier told the Senate floor that the Senate’s P6.352-trillion national budget bill would include funding for the construction of 700 rural health units, 300 local government units and DoH hospitals, and other clinics and health facilities next year.

In the 2025 National Expenditure Program — the document prepared by the National Government detailing its spending priorities before the budget is legislated — the Department of Budget and Management slashed the proposed funding for agriculture, health, and social welfare sectors by 4.7%, 7.6%, and 3.4%, respectively.

“We can do so much better than this than to see our countrymen lining up because we have funds,” Ms. Cayetano said. “It is really a matter of managing our resources properly and putting it into good use.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez

SC clarifies PhilHealth policies 

THE Supreme Court (SC) ruled that the authority to revoke accreditation from healthcare providers lies exclusively with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) Board of Directors, not with its president.

In a decision released on Nov. 12 and penned by Associate Justice Ramon Paul L. Hernando, the top court’s First Division ruled that under the National Health Insurance Act, only PhilHealth’s board has the power to withdraw or terminate accreditation.

“This power can only be exercised by the PhilHealth Board, and it requires a majority vote from its members,” it said in a statement.

The high tribunal clarified that the application for accreditation and revocation are two different processes.

“While the PhilHealth President may resolve applications, only the PhilHealth Board has the authority to act on withdrawals or revocations of accreditations,” it added.

The case stemmed from a spot inspection, in which PhilHealth’s fact-finding team found that a medical center had submitted fraudulent claims for patients who had already passed away.

The report said that a doctor from the center certified that one patient had undergone dialysis sessions after July 16, 2016, despite records showing the patient died on said date.

The doctor claimed that he and other medical staff were also victims of the center’s fraudulent practices, arguing that the two whistleblowers had publicly confessed to forging signatures to submit false claims for non-existent dialysis treatments.

PhilHealth later informed the doctor that his accreditation was revoked due to alleged misrepresentation involving false information.

He appealed the decision to PhilHealth’s regional office but was denied by the PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer.

He elevated the case before the Court of Appeals, ruling in his favor. The court said the revocation of his accreditation was invalid as it was issued without proper authority. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Publicized budget deliberation urged

BW FILE PHOTO

SOME minority lawmakers of the House of Representatives filed on Monday a resolution seeking to make public the bicameral conference committee’s deliberations of the proposed national budget, citing the need to make the budget process transparent and open to scrutiny.

Filed by Party-list Reps. France L. Castro, Arlene D. Brosas and Raoul Danniel A. Manuel, the resolution urges the chamber to open to the “public and media” the proceedings of congressmen and senators as they reconcile differences between the budget bills passed by their chambers.

The bicameral panel has historically discussed the budget bill behind closed doors, leaving a blind spot for the public to scrutinize the changes being made to the annual spending plan.

The House should also freely provide the public with the documents concerning the national budget, including the transcripts of the joint panel’s hearings.

“The lack of transparency in Bicameral Conference Committee proceedings has enabled the insertion in the budget law of provisions that were not in the versions approved by either House, and oftentimes not even discussed in the deliberations of either House, effectively circumventing proper legislative scrutiny,” a part of House Resolution (HR) No. 2067 stated.

The lawmakers cited a special provision under the 2024 budget law that allowed the National Government to siphon the unused funds of state-owned companies, such as the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

The Finance department used the budget provision as grounds to order PhilHealth and the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. to transfer P89.9 billion and P110 billion, respectively, to the NG’s coffers.

“Public access to the proceedings of bicameral conference committees will serve as a deterrent against questionable insertions and ensure that discussions remain within the scope of reconciling legitimate differences between the House and Senate versions,” the resolution read.

Hansley A. Juliano, who teaches politics at the Ateneo de Manila University, said the chamber will only act on the resolution if they were keen on demonstrating their transparency.

“Greater coverage on the committee-level hearings of the government is always a good indicator of government transparency,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“It’s there for the political and governance actors interested in what they have to say, and it’s also a means to cross-check previous public pronouncements.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

BoC warns public vs new scam

BW FILE PHOTO

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) on Tuesday warned the public against a new scam, involving individuals impersonating Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio to extort payments.

“These scammers pose as the Commissioner, misleading individuals into thinking they are engaging in legitimate transactions and soliciting payments for customs-related services,” it said.

The Bureau said it does not conduct transactions through social media or messaging platforms, including WhatsApp.

“The BoC urges the public to remain cautious, especially when receiving unsolicited messages or calls requesting sensitive information or payments,” it added.

It also advises against engaging with suspicious messages and urges prompt reporting, which helps the Bureau in prevention and investigation. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

DBM: Rice grant helps MUPs in remote locations

REUTERS

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said the issued administrative order (AO) 26 or rice assistance to all military and uniformed personnel (MUP) help those stationed in remote provinces and even local farmers.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. signed the AO 26 on Nov. 7, providing a uniform quantity of 25 kilograms of rice to all active MUP, as of Nov. 30 this year.

“When we learned that having rice assistance is very important to them, especially those stationed in remote provinces and isolated areas, we recommended this to the President,” Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said in a statement on Tuesday.

She added that this will benefit local and participating farmers of the Kadiwa program.

DBM said that the rice grant will be distributed to authorized representatives of MUPs from Dec. 2024 to March 2025 in designated National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses, based on a schedule set by NFA.

“The funding requirement for the grant of the rice assistance shall be charged against the Contingent Fund under the FY (fiscal year) 2024 General Appropriations Act, subject to compliance with relevant laws, rules, and regulations,” she said. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

NBI-CAR to double efforts against drugs, cybercrimes, financial scams

TOWFIQU BARBHUIYA-UNSPLASH

BAGUIO CITY – Diosdado N. Araos, who has taken over the helm of the National Bureau of Investigation-Cordillera Administrative Region (NBI-CAR) as Regional Director, promised more aggressive efforts against illegal drugs, cybercrimes, and financial scams plaguing the highland region.

Mr. Araos stressed the need for a more aggressive approach on “developed cases” on drugs, cyber-related cases and scams. Though he assured that NBI investigators will still continue working on complaints received towards their final prosecution.

The newly installed NBI Regional Director, Mr. Araos said he will intensify NBI-CAR’s efforts in running after wanted personalities “with emphasis on subjects issued with warrants of arrest in connection with cases investigated and filed by our Office.”

On the administrative side, he plans to pursue the construction of a new NBI-CAR building initiated by past Regional Directors, funded by the Department of Public Works and Highways; while pursuing the establishment of district and satellite offices in the Cordillera region.

The new NBI-CAR chief also vowed to initiate reforms “within our ranks to further bolster efficient and effective service to the Cordillera people.” — Artemio A. Dumlao

Basilan governor wants BARMM polls reset to 2026

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

COTABATO CITY — The governor of Basilan has expressed support for Senate Bill No. 2862 and House Bill No. 11034, both aiming to reset next year’s first ever parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to 2026.

The now three-termer Gov. Hadjiman H. Salliman told reporters via text message on Tuesday that resetting the first regional elections in BARMM is good for the Mindanao peace process and will give voters in its component-provinces and cities adequate time to fully understand the intricacies of a parliamentary elections.

Mr. Salliman said resetting the BARMM elections in 2026 will also provide lawmakers time to amend the regional law that established the parliamentary districts in the region, adversely affected by a recent Supreme Court ruling that removed Sulu from the provinces in the core territory of the autonomous region.

He said it can also provide regional lawmakers enough time to work out the setting up, through an enabling measure passed by the 80-seat BARMM parliament, of an additional parliamentary district in Lamitan City in Basilan as requested by the local communities.

“The Bangsamoro government and its constituent-communities also need time to put in place facets for strong governance in the autonomous region. Holding the regional elections too soon can only cause fragmentation of the local communities,” Mr. Salliman said.

Two members of the present interim Bangsamoro parliament, lawyer Suharto M. Ambolodto and civil engineer Baintan A. Ampatuan, had also separately expressed favor for the postponement of next year’s BARMM elections.

Ms. Ampatuan, who authored a Bangsamoro parliament resolution urging the chambers to extend the transition period to 2028 from 2025, said she is in favor of the bills.

Mr. Ambolodto said regional lawmakers also need to initiate adjustments first on the configuration of the parliamentary districts in the Bangsamoro region to cushion the adverse effects of the Supreme Court’s exclusion of Sulu from the provinces covered by BARMM.

“That Supreme Court ruling has caused the need for adjustments in the electoral districts and extensive planning for the regional elections. The affected areas need to be carefully reconfigured to reflect the new political landscape and logistical planning also needs adjustments as well to accommodate these changes,” Mr. Ambolodto said. — John Felix M. Unson

Senator files bill creating new province in BARMM

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

A PHILIPPINE senator has filed a bill that seeks to create a new province called Kutawato within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) that would cover residents from 63 “orphaned” villages that joined the region and ensure they can vote in the elections.

Under Senate Bill No. 2875, which Senator Robinhood Ferdinand C. Padilla filed on Monday, the proposed Kutawato province will be composed of the towns of Pahamuddin, Kadayangan, Nabalawag, Old Kaabakan, Kapalawan, Malidegao, Tugunan, and Ligawasan.

“To facilitate the swift development of these newly established municipalities within the special geographic area and to ensure the provision of essential services to their constituents, it is essential to establish a province that will oversee and support these localities,” he said in the bill’s explanatory note.

Mr. Padilla added that the creation of the province would streamline the delivery of basic services and enhance local government operations within the region.

In 2019, a total of 38,682 residents — comprising a majority — voted in favor of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which included Cotabato City in the new Bangsamoro region.

The city, although geographically within Maguindanao province that was already part of the now defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, was previously under the SOCCSKSARGEN region.

The new BARMM, borne out of a peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), has expanded political and financial autonomy.

“It outlines the powers and functions of the provincial government, including but not limited to revenue generation, taxation, land use regulations, consistent with the provisions of the Local Government Code of 1991,” Mr. Padilla said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Peso sinks to over four-month low on tariff worries

BW FILE PHOTO

THE PESO sank to an over four-month low against the dollar on Tuesday on fears that US President-elect Donald J. Trump’s plan to hike tariffs could stoke inflation in the world’s largest economy.

The local unit closed at P58.831 per dollar on Tuesday, weakening by 23.6 centavos from its P58.595 finish on Monday, Bankers Association of the Philippines data showed.

This was the peso’s weakest finish since it ended at P58.86 a dollar on June 26.

The peso opened Tuesday’s session sharply weaker at P58.73 against the dollar, which was already its intraday best. Its worst showing was at P58.845 versus the greenback.

Dollars exchanged went down to $1.12 billion on Tuesday from $1.31 billion on Monday.

“The peso tracked the dollar’s rise overnight as the market continued to digest Trump’s victory, with worries about tariffs boosting the dollar,” a trader said by phone.

Cautious trading was also seen as the market awaited the release of US consumer and producer inflation data this week, the trader added.

Mr. Trump’s expected policies could also affect the pace of future rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a Viber message.

For Wednesday, the trader sees the peso moving between P58.50 and P59 per dollar, while Mr. Ricafort sees it ranging from P58.70 to P58.90. — Aaron Michael C. Sy

PSEi sinks to 6,800 level on Trump policy jitters

REUTERS

THE MAIN INDEX plunged to the 6,800 level on Tuesday amid continued worries over the reelection of Donald J. Trump as US president.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) declined by 1.87% or 129.90 points to close at 6,810.11 on Tuesday, while the broader all shares index fell by 1.2% or 46.68 points to 3,820.34.

Tuesday’s close was a near three-month low for the PSEi as this was its worst finish since it ended at 6,692.91 close on Aug. 15.

“The local market extended its decline to a fifth straight day this Tuesday. Lingering headwinds including the weak peso and the impact of US President-elect Donald Trump’s planned protectionist policies on the global economy continued to weigh on sentiment,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. Senior Research Analyst Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco said in a Viber message.

“Adding to this was Fitch Solutions’ BMI’s downgrade of its Philippine 2024 economic growth forecast from 6% to 5.8%,” he added.

Asian stocks tumbled on Tuesday dragged by Chinese markets and chip shares as investors worried about Mr. Trump’s policies, Reuters reported.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 1.7% to its lowest since Sept. 25, with Taiwan shares sliding over 2% and South Korean stocks 1% lower.

Meanwhile, the peso dropped to an over four-month low of P58.831 per dollar on Tuesday, down by 23.60 centavos from its P58.595 close on Monday, according to Bankers Association of the Philippines data.

“Philippine shares sank as investors weighed a drop in foreign direct investments. Many are already making assumptions heading into 2025 with more companies reporting third quarter earnings,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan added in a Viber message. “Meanwhile, in the US, stocks climbed Monday as post-election rally pressed forward.”

All sectoral indices closed lower on Tuesday. Property retreated by 2.32% or 61.56 points to 2,590.14; services dropped by 2.21% or 47.42 points to 2,089.32; industrials went down by 1.72% or 166.21 points to 9,465.27; financials sank by 1.64% or 37.34 points to 2,234.20; mining and oil decreased by 1.46% or 119.59 points to 8,029.55; and holding firms declined by 1.09% or 64.65 points to 5,837.24.

“There were only three index members that gained this Tuesday, led by DMCI Holdings, Inc., climbing 1.12% to P10.82. Universal Robina Corp. was at the bottom, plunging 5.42% to P90.75,” Mr. Tantiangco said.

Value turnover rose to P5.59 billion on Tuesday with 622.73 million shares traded from the P3.84 billion with 548.52 million issues that changed hands on Monday.

Decliners outnumbered advancers, 134 versus 61, while 63 names were unchanged.

Net foreign selling climbed to P1.11 billion on Tuesday from P740.09 million on Monday. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave with Reuters

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