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Delegation to Thailand studies upgrades to Region II corn, dairy

DA.GOV.PH

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said its Cagayan Valley regional office and the Ilagan City government mounted an investment mission to Thailand to seek modernization opportunities for the region’s corn and dairy industries.

In a statement on Thursday, the department said that DTI Region II officials and representatives from Ilagan City, the capital of Isabela province, “explored further mechanization and development opportunities for the corn industry.

“The itinerary included visits to private companies and government-operated facilities in Thailand which employ advanced machinery and export-quality corn products,” the DTI said.

“This visit aimed to assess the feasibility of integrating Thai technologies into Ilagan City’s existing infrastructure,” it added.

Ilagan City produces 155.77 million kilograms of corn per season, representing 2.1% of the country’s output and 13.9% of Isabela province’s.

“With 33% of its land dedicated to agriculture, the city government is actively pursuing initiatives to transform corn production into a sustainable and lucrative enterprise for its residents,” the DTI said.

The delegation visited Thailand’s National Corn and Sorghum Research and Development Center at Kasetsart University. 

It also visited the Thai Danish Dairy Farm, operated by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Cooperative Farming Promotion Organization.

The delegation also visited the KU Beef and River Kwai meat and corn processing facilities, to investigate how to increase production in Region II.

“The visit builds on previous initiatives, including DTI Region II’s visit to the Hualam Collective Farm in 2022. This encouraged the DTI to form a technical working group and explore opportunities in export-quality corn silage production in Ilagan City,” the DTI said. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

Public financial management roadmap to help upgrade gov’t services — DoF

DOF.GOV.PH

THE PUBLIC financial management reform roadmap will help improve government services through digitalization, the Department of Finance (DoF) said.

“This will serve as the country’s strategic blueprint that will enable a fully digitalized, efficient, and transparent public financial management system, ensuring faster and more effective government services,” Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto said in a statement.

The Public Financial Management (PFM) Reforms Roadmap 2024-2028 is set to be presented to the President this month.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) provided technical assistance to the government for the roadmap.

Core reform areas include stronger planning and budgeting linkages; cash management; public asset management; accounting and auditing; PFM capacity building; and digital PFM.

“To ensure that national and regional development priorities are aligned, the roadmap focuses on enhancing information technology (IT) systems for planning and budgeting,” the DoF said.

“Implementing a modernized system for the release of payments is also emphasized to improve the accuracy of cash flow programming and cash releases,” it added.

The roadmap also seeks to reinforce the implementation of the eGovPay platform.

ADB Philippine Country Director Pavit Ramachandran was quoted as saying that the government should also look into the digitalization of tax mobilization and expenditure management efforts. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

Gov’t reviewing water subsidies for poor

BW FILE PHOTO

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said its Water Resources Management Office is in the process of reviewing water subsidies to better target low-income households.

“We want a targeted subsidy… those who are really in need of lower price of service,” Undersecretary Carlos Primo C. David said on the sidelines of a seminar hosted by Maynilad Water Services, Inc. in Quezon City  on Thursday.

The concessionaires of Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), Maynilad and Manila Water Co., Inc., implement a Lifeline Rate program with discounted rates for residential customers who consume 10 cubic meters or less per month.

“We used to think that if a household is low-income, water use is only minimal as they do not have washing machines, cars to clean or gardens to tend to,” Mr. David said.

“But in truth, when we did our study, it seems that many low-income households utilize more water than 10 cubic meters per month,” he added.

He said many low-income households have many users.

The push for review was based on a study of 3,000 customers of both Maynilad and Manila Water between February and March, Mr. David said.

Maynilad estimated that 25% of its billed customers avail of the Lifeline Rate. With a customer base of around 1.5 million connections, its Lifeline Rate customers would total around 375,000.

Manila Water said its Lifeline Rate customers as of May numbered 58,246 connections.

Separately, Mr. David said the National Water Resources Board approved the MWSS request for a water allocation of 52 cubic meters per second (cms) for June 16-30.

For June 1-15, the MWSS had a water allocation of 51 cms. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

Immigration bureau, Pagcor urged to shut down illegal online gaming firms

Several Chinese who illegally worked at a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) were deported by the Philippine government in this photo taken in February. — PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

THE IMMIGRATION bureau and gaming regulator should work together to shutter illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) and cancel the visas of foreign workers linked to crimes, a senator said on Thursday.

“Aside from security concerns raised on POGO operations near our military bases, reports on some 250 others operating without licenses should prompt our concerned authorities to conduct a crackdown on these illegal entities,” Senator Jose “Jinggoy” P. Estrada said in a statement.

“Through the cooperation of the Bureau of Immigration and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), they should not hesitate to shut down illegal or unlicensed POGOs,” he added.

Immigration spokesperson Dana Krizia M. Sandoval and Pagcor did not immediately reply to separate requests for comment via Viber and e-mail.

Mr. Estrada’s call comes after the reported discovery of Chinese military uniforms in a POGO hub raided by authorities in Porac, Pampanga in northern Philippines last week.

Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. on Wednesday said criminal syndicates posing as POGOs, which are mostly Chinese gambling companies that operate online casinos from the Philippines, are national security threats and must be stopped.

“We should stop these criminal activities operating out of our base, which weaken our financial standing, our country ratings (and) corrupt our society,” he said in a statement.

Several congressmen on Tuesday filed a bill that seeks to ban POGOs and impose a 10-year jail sentence on those that continue to operate under a ban.

Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian earlier filed a similar bill, saying POGO links to crime outweigh their economic benefits.

“In addition to the proliferation of heinous crimes associated with POGOs, the industry has raised serious national concerns that must be associated promptly and with strong political will,” he said in a separate statement on Thursday.

“As Defense secretary, he (Mr. Teodoro) possesses privileged information and intelligence that convinced him to make that statement,” Mr. Gatchalian said.

The Senate is in the middle of a probe into crimes linked to these gambling operations.

The Ombudsman has ordered a six-month suspension on Bamban City Mayor Alice L. Guo over her alleged involvement in human trafficking and other crimes linked to POGOs in Tarlac.

The mayor has denied the allegations. Her lawyer on June 3 said the business permit issued to one POGO in her province was above board and based on Pagcor recommendations.

About 4,000 people were victimized by POGO-related crimes in the first half of last year, the Philippine National Police said in October.

The presidential palace in April ordered the Anti-Money Laundering Council to freeze the assets of a POGO hub in Tarlac province in northern Philippines, where 868 POGO workers were rescued during a March 13 raid after the company was linked to human trafficking and torture crimes.

Meanwhile, in an advisory on Thursday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Chinese nationals applying for temporary visitor’s visas must now submit their Chinese social insurance record certificates.

The certificates must be valid for at least six months.

Chinese students with proof of enrollment and retirees above 55 years old are exempted from the requirement.

“The additional visa requirement is part of the DFA’s continuing efforts to enhance its visa policies and regulations for the safe and efficient entry of foreign visitors,” the agency said.

Economists have said offshore gambling operators complicate Philippine efforts against money laundering and work against its ambition to become an investment hub.

The Philippines has been under the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) gray list of countries under increased monitoring for dirty money since 2021, in part due to its loosely regulated gaming sector.

Congress under ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte passed a law taxing POGOs to legalize them, despite mounting concerns about the social costs of gambling.

The sector has grown exponentially since 2016, as operators capitalized on the country’s liberal gaming laws to target customers in China, where gambling is banned.

At their peak, POGOs employed more than 300,000 mostly Chinese workers, before a coronavirus pandemic forced many of them to transfer operations elsewhere. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Speaker: Senate agreed to rice tariff law changes

PHILIPPINE STAR/RYAN BALDEMOR

By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio and John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

SENATORS have agreed to amend the law that gave local traders control over rice imports, Speaker and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said in a statement on Thursday after a meeting between leaders of the Philippines Senate and House of Representatives.

The Senate would discuss proposed changes to the Rice Tariffication Law of 2019 independently and not rely on the version approved by the House, the Speaker said.

“A key focus of the meeting was the amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law, identified as a top priority,” Mr. Romualdez said.

Senator Cynthia A. Villar, who heads the agriculture committee, would file her own version of the bill, he added.

It was not clear whether senators at the meeting had agreed to restore the National Food Authority’s (NFA) power to import and sell rice at subsidized prices.

The House last month approved on final reading changes to the law including restoring the NFA’s power to import the staple during national emergencies.

Congressmen fast-tracked the approval of the bill amid spiraling rice prices. The House bill also increased the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund to P15 billion from P10 billion.   

Ms. Villar earlier bucked the House proposal to reinstate the NFA’s ability to directly import and sell rice.

Her Senate Bill No. 2601 seeks to extend RCEF’s validity to 2031 and provide financial aid to farmers who till fewer than two hectares of land.

The bill does not touch the NFA’s regulatory powers unlike House Bill (HB) No. 10381, which will expand its regulatory and importation functions.

Retail prices of regular-milled rice averaged P48 to P51 per kilo, while well-milled rice was P52 to P55 per kilo in Metro Manila markets, according to the Department of Agriculture. Premium rice costs P52 to P62 per kilo, while special rice averaged P57 to P65 per kilo.

“Amending the Rice Tariffication Law is a crucial step towards ensuring food security and economic stability for our farmers,” Mr. Romualdez said.

Also on Thursday, Ms. Villar called on the Agriculture department to improve its implementation of the P30-billion national rice program this year, saying the agency should stop buying overpriced hybrid seedlings that fail to boost rice output.

At a Senate hearing, the lawmaker told Agriculture officials to stop buying “rejected” hybrid seedlings from overseas that often fail to grow on local soil.

“These hybrid seedlings are very expensive at P250 per kilo compared with local inbred seedlings that are only 30 pesos per kilo,” she said in Filipino.

“You were not effective in the national rice program, yet you buy hybrid seedlings worth P15 billion and chemical fertilizer worth P10 billion,” she added.

This came after Agricultural Undersecretary Asis G. Perez asked that they be allowed to directly manage the rice program instead of assigning the task to an ad hoc group.

At the hearing, Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) research fellow Roehlano M. Briones said that aside from extending the rice fund, Congress should also allot more budget for underfunded programs such as small water impounding and support for organic fertilizer production.

He also opposed the plan to restore the NFA’s power to import and sell rice, which he said could open the door for corruption.

“Imports are still a more cost-effective option for procuring buffer stocks,” he said, adding that rice imports should be assigned to another agency with the authority to import and incorporate modalities such as the ASEAN Plus Three.

ASEAN Plus Three is an agreement between Southeast Asian countries to cooperate on ensuring emergency rice reserves that can be accessed by signatory countries.

Senator Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos has opposed the proposal to bring back the NFA’s import powers, saying the agency had failed to boost rice stocks.

Marcos signs property valuation measure into law

PRESIDENT FERDINAND R. MARCOS, JR. — PCO.GOV.PH

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has signed into law a priority bill that seeks to fix inconsistencies in the country’s property valuation, while offering limited amnesty on interests, surcharges and penalties for unpaid real property tax.

The two-year amnesty on interests and penalties for taxpayers with unpaid real property tax would “encourage long-term and consistent tax compliance,” he said at a signing ceremony for the law at the presidential palace on Thursday.

The amnesty does not cover delinquent real properties that have been disposed of at a public auction, are covered by a compromise agreement and subject to a pending lawsuit.

The Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act allows the use of a single valuation system that should reflect prevailing market values and comply with international standards. It must be used by all local governments.

The Philippine Valuation Standards will be led by the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF), according to the law.

The law insulates property valuations from politics by transferring the power of approving the schedule of market values to the finance secretary of the local council.

It creates central and regional consultative committees that will set and adopt international valuation standards.

The reform will address overregulation and overlapping policies by professionalizing the assessors and separating the technical and political aspects of the valuation process, Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto said in a statement.

“The new law will not only foster investor confidence and public trust in the government’s valuation system but also increase local government units’ revenue generation and resource mobilization, helping them fund their service delivery requirements,” he added.

Each local government must have a real property valuation unit, according to the law.

For the first year of the approved schedule of market values, any increase in real property taxes would be limited to 6%.

Local government may enact an ordinance to limit the increase in real property taxes for the succeeding years.

The law will “reduce undervaluation and overvaluation of real properties, resulting in more equitable pricing,” John Paolo R. Rivera, president and chief economist at Oikonomia Advisory & Research, Inc. said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “This will mitigate extreme losses and windfall profits.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Marcos signed into law another priority measure creating the Negros Island region. It removes Negros Occidental and Bacolod City from Western Visayas, and Negros Oriental and Siquijor from Central Visayas, to form their own separate region.

The law creates regional offices in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental covering agriculture, peace and order, governance, human development, infrastructure and industry.

It tasks a technical working group to develop a roadmap for the region’s development.

“This union is long overdue and makes very practical sense, especially on Negros Island, where people are located on one island but are governed under separate administrative regions,” Mr. Marcos said in a separate speech.

“Our people are eagerly awaiting the passage of the 17 priority bills certified by LEDAC (Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council), which we will be discussing very, very soon,” he said.

If passed, these bills would “steer our national development and improve the conditions of our fellow countrymen,” he added.

Hungary to speed up EU-PHL free trade talks 

HUNGARY seeks to speed up negotiations for a free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and the Philippines before Manila’s trade perks under the Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) expire in 2027, according to its top envoy. 

“Many rounds of negotiations will be held, and we will make sure that the free trade agreement will be only about trade, and not about political issues,” Hungary Minister of Foreign Affairs Pйter Szijjбrtу told a news briefing in Makati City on Thursday.  

“We should conclude negotiations before then (2027),” he added.  

The Central European nation will assume the EU chairmanship next month. 

The agreement, which requires the Philippines to uphold commitments to 27 international conventions on human rights, labor, good governance and climate action, was extended until 2027 before it expired at the end of last year. 

Last month, Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual said he expects free trade talks with the EU to finish ahead of 2027. 

“No, (there is no target date yet) but we would like to finish it as soon as possible,” Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo told reporters on the sidelines of his meeting with Mr. Szijjбrtу. 

“In 2027, our GSP+ will be up again so it is better to have it in place well before that,” he added. — John Victor D. Ordonez 

3 OFWs die, 5 more hospitalized in Kuwait fire

DMW FACEBOOK PAGE

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

AT LEAST three Filipinos were killed from smoke inhalation in a fire at a housing complex for foreign workers in Mangaf, Kuwait, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said on Thursday.

In a statement, the DMW said five other overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were hospitalized, two of whom were placed in intensive care.

“We are in touch with the families of all the affected OFWs, including the families of those two in critical condition and the families of the three fatalities,” Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac said.

While six other Filipinos caught in the fire have been declared safe, five other OFWs in the housing complex are still unaccounted for.

“Secretary Cacdac instructed MWO-Kuwait (Migrant Workers Office in Kuwait) to stay in touch with hospital authorities until they can fully ascertain the status of the five unaccounted overseas Filipino workers,” the DMW said.

Mr. Cacdac has also ordered the MWO-Kuwait and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to “see to the needs” of the OFWs affected by Wednesday morning fire that killed 49 people, based data released by Kuwait’s Interior Ministry.

Probe ‘diploma mills,’ CHED told

COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION FACEBOOK PAGE

A CONGRESSMAN called on the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on Wednesday to investigate schools that serve as mere “diploma mills” and take action against them after more than 80% of those who took the latest civil service examination failed.

“I alert the Commission on Higher Education to this because of how and why college graduates fail to hurdle the very basic CSC (Civil Service Commission) exam,” Bohol Rep. Kristine Alexie B. Tutor said in a statement.

She bewailed the results of the March CSC examination unsatisfactory as only around 17.2% or 57,683 of the total 335,385 exam takers passed.

“That’s just too high a failure rate,” said Ms. Tutor, adding that the CHED should conduct a “data analysis” to determine the schools of those who failed the exam and investigate them.

CHED did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.

Ms. Tutor said the low passing rate is a result of schools with substandard educational standards. “This is most probably a chronic symptom of the low standards of diploma mills in both urban and rural areas,” she said. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

P8.5B in calamity funds released

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

A TOTAL of P8.51 billion has been released as of the end of May to finance state relief and rehabilitation efforts, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said on Thursday.

Latest data from the DBM showed that the Department of Social and Welfare Development (DSWD) received P2.89 billion, while the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was given P4.7 billion.

Also, in its National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund status update, P374.97 million was allocated to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), while P100 million was released to the Department of National Defense.

The National Irrigation Authority also received P450 million to reconstruct the Mahayag Dam Salug River Irrigation System after incurring damages from a shearline in 2022, DBM said.

In May, P97.34 million was released for calamity-related infrastructure projects in Cagayan while P861.27 million was for the implementation of slope-protection structures in Tarlac.

Under the DND, the Office of Civil Defense was replenished its Quick Response Fund (QRF) at P100 million, DBM reported.

The QRF is a stand-by emergency fund to support the aid, relief, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of calamity affected areas.

If a government office’s QRF has reached below 50%, it may request the DBM for replenishment.

Also in May, the DHSUD was allocated P272.07 million for 25,649 households in Abra and the Mountain Province with houses damaged by an earthquake in 2022.

The remaining calamity fund stands at P14.23 billion, according to the DBM. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

SSS offers loan to OFWs in Taiwan

THE SOCIAL Security System (SSS) has made its Calamity Loan Assistance Program (CLAP) available to members affected by the recent magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Taiwan. The deadline for applications for a loan of up to P20,000 will be until Aug. 20.

“The calamity loan offered to members in Taiwan was a historic first for SSS since we have never extended financial assistance to calamity-hit members outside of the Philippines until now,” SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Rolando L. Macasaet said in a statement on Thursday.

Members must visit the SSS Taiwan Foreign Office in Neihu District, Taipei City, to secure a Calamity Loan Reference Number (CLRN) for their loan applications.

To qualify, members must have a My.SSS account at www.sss.gov.ph; have at least 36 monthly contributions, six of which must be posted within the last 12 months; must be an overseas Filipino worker SSS member; and must be living, residing, or working in Taiwan during the time of the earthquake.

Also, applicants must be 65 years old or below at the time of loan application; have not been granted any final benefit such as permanent total disability or retirement; have no past due SSS Short-Term Member Loans; and have no outstanding restructured loan or calamity loan.

The loan can be paid in two years or 24 equal monthly installments with an annual interest rate of 10%.

SSS Senior Vice President for Lending and Asset Management Group Pedro T. Baoy noted that the 1% fee has already been waived.

The first loan amortization will start in the second month following the loan approval date, while the payment deadline is due every last day of the month.

Proceeds from the loan will be credited to the member’s registered Unified Multi-Purpose Identification (UMID)-ATM Card or their active accounts with a Philippine Electronic Fund Transfer System and Operations Network (PESONet) participating bank.

SSS’ net income rose by 58% to a record P83.13 billion in 2023 due to the mandatory contribution hike and the increase in new members. — Aaron Michael C. Sy

Bangsamoro int’l airport mulled

FREEPIK

COTABATO CITY — The Bangsamoro government and local officials in Sultan Mastura, Maguindanao del Norte have forged an agreement to jointly study the viability of setting up an international airport in the municipality, the first ever in the autonomous region.

Bangsamoro Transportation and Communications Minister Paisalin P. Tago told reporters on Thursday that he and the mayor of Sultan Mastura, Zulficar Ali H. Panda, signed last Monday an agreement binding their offices as the Bangsamoro Development Agency and other government entities initiate a feasibility study on the construction of the facility.

The proposed location is only 20 kilometers from this city, which is the seat of the BARMM government.

“If this initiative pushes forward as envisioned, we shall have our first ever international airport in the Bangsamoro region,” Mr. Tago said. — John Felix M. Unson

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