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Ballot printing to resume on Jan. 24

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it would resume printing ballots on Jan. 24, after the Supreme Court (SC) ordered the inclusion of two more candidates in the midterm elections this May.

This followed the issuance of temporary restraining orders (TROs) against the poll body on Tuesday after it disqualified social media personality Francis Leo Marcos and dismissed Albay Governor Noel E. Rosal.

In a Viber chat with BusinessWorld on Wednesday, spokesman John Rex C. Laudiangco said the printing would restart on Friday to include two political bets, while the mock election would be on Saturday, Jan. 25.

The poll body started printing ballots for the May 12 midterm elections last Jan. 6, but halted printing after the top court issued the first round of TROs from Jan. 14.

Comelec said about 6 million ballots were wasted, amounting to P22 each.

Meanwhile, Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia said Comelec will commence its three-month training of field officials on Jan. 27.

“Monday next week (Jan. 27) is the start of our national and local elections (NLE) training. It will last until May,” Mr. Garcia told reporters in a Viber chat on Wednesday.

The training covers operations for the automatic counting machines, which the election commission will use for the first time in May, replacing the previously used precinct count optical scanners. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Lawmakers slam delays in VP ouster

VICE-PRESIDENT SARA DUTERTE-CARPIO — PHILIPINE STAR/ RYAN BALDEMOR

A GROUP of minority congressmen on Wednesday urged the House of Representatives’ top official to submit the consolidated impeachment complaints against Vice-President (VP) Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio to the office of the House speaker so discussions for her removal could begin.

House Secretary-General Reginald S. Velasco should no longer “sit on” the impeachment complaints by handing them to Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, Party-list Reps. France L. Castro, Arlene D. Brosas, and Raoul Danniel A. Manuel said.

“Never in the history of Congress have we witnessed impeachment complaints languishing in the Secretary-General’s office for more than a month,” they said in a joint statement.

“The House Secretary-General cannot continue to sit on these three complaints. The Constitution mandates that impeachment proceedings must be initiated upon proper filing of complaints,” they added.

The 1987 Constitution states that ouster raps against impeachable officials “shall be included in the Order of Business within 10 session days,” and for it to be referred to its “proper committee” three session days after.

Mr. Velasco did not immediately respond to a Viber message confirming the number of session days since the filing of ouster complaints against Ms. Duterte.

The estranged vice-president is facing three impeachment complaints at the House since last month, with civil society organizations, clergymen, and activists seeking her removal from office due to alleged corruption, bribery, and betrayal of public trust. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Revilla has highest social media engagement

PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

PHILIPPINE Senator and reelectionist Ramon “Bong” B. Revilla, Jr. topped the list of senatorial candidates with the highest social media engagement last month heading into the midterm elections this year, according to a report by PUBLiCUS Asia, Inc.

In its Auditus survey, published on Wednesday, Mr. Revilla garnered a score of 53.2% positive social media engagement from Dec. 16 to Jan. 15, followed by  former Senator and boxing legend Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao (44.2%), and Senate Majority Floor Leader Francis N. Tolentino (37.6%), former Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos, Jr. (36.8%).

Party-List Rep. Erwin T. Tulfo got 27.3%, while Senator Christopher Lawrence T. Go, and Senator and presidential sister Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos scored 30.6% and 21.1% in engagements, respectively.

The report tracked mentions, engagements, sentiments, and topics related to 31 senatorial candidates on Facebook, X, Instagram, news reporters, forums, and Reddit,

“Strategies such as raffle draws and personalized content have proven effective in fostering a stronger personal connection with voters, significantly enhancing positive engagement,”  PUBLiCUS Asia said.

It added that Mr. Abalos was seen as overexposed during the campaign season due to the “omnipresence” of his advertisements on billboards, soap operas and public utility vehicles, while Las Piñas Rep. Camille A. Villar had been criticized online for presenting herself as a candidate with a “new perspective” despite her ties to the Villar political family.

“Camille Villar’s ‘new perspective (Dapat May Bago)’ campaign was perceived as an attempt to project herself as a new candidate but clashed with the reality of her association with a political dynasty,” PUBLiCUS Asia said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Baguio activates dedicated health team vs Mpox

REUTERS

BAGUIO CITY — The Baguio City Health Services Office (CHSO) said it has activated a dedicated health team to focus on the prevention, detection, and management of monkeypox (Mpox) cases.

The team is currently conducting communication campaigns, contact tracing, and establishing procedures for case management and transmission prevention.

On Saturday night, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong reported the city’s first Mpox case — a 28-year-old male, which was caused by the less severe Clade II Mpox virus type.

As one of the modes of transmission of Mpox is intimate skin-to-skin contact (hugging, kissing, sexual contact, etc.), CHSO chief Dr. Flor C. Brillantes profusely urged people to avoid such contact especially with the manifestation of symptoms.

Common symptoms of Mpox are skin rashes or muscle lesions which can last two to four weeks. These lesions are accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.

Residents were also advised to visit their nearest District Health Center for a check-up if symptoms manifest.

She also appealed to hotels, inns, lodges, AirBnBs, and transient houses to implement stricter sanitation procedures as Mpox can be transmitted through infected items, such as beddings, and other frequently touched objects or surfaces.

Ms. Brillantes emphasized that bedding, towels, and similar items must be washed and sanitized after every use by guests or clients.

Employees of these tourism service establishments were also advised to wear face masks, gloves, and long sleeves when handling the housekeeping and laundry of such items to avoid the spread of infection.

Food establishments, including food delivery services, were likewise reminded of sanitation practices especially handwashing and making these sanitation areas in the establishments visible to all customers.

She also urged tourists and residents to wear masks, long sleeves, and long pants when visiting crowded places and events. She advised frequent handwashing and the use of hand sanitizers.

Event organizers were also urged to apply transmission preventive measures for all activities to be held in the city.

As a proactive move, the health team is also preparing the reactivation of an isolation facility for patients whose own houses may not be conducive for home isolation, Ms. Brillantes said.

The CHSO is also in coordination with the Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council for other preparedness and mitigation measures. — Artemio A. Dumlao

3 schoolgirls dead after truck ramming in Bukidnon

COTABATO CITY — A speeding truck rammed three grade schoolgirls walking along a stretch of a highway in Barangay Cayaga in San Fernando, Bukidnon on Tuesday, killing all of them instantly.

Senior officials of the Bukidnon Provincial Police Office told reporters on Wednesday that truck driver Reynaldo Algame Camaso first sped away but surrendered eventually several hours later to the San Fernando Municipal Police Station.

Major Christian D. Serdeña, San Fernando municipal police chief, said Mr. Camaso is now detained and that they have compelled the owner of the truck to reach out to the families of the three fatalities and provide them with essential support needed for their burials.

Mr. Serdeña said the Mitsubishi Fuso truck, bearing license plates RJT 835, is now in their custody.

Witnesses told police investigators who responded to the incident that the victims were on their way to the Cayaga Elementary School when they were hit by the truck, headed in the same direction, at the highway in Purol 2-B in Barangay Cayaga. — John Felix M. Unson

LRT-1 Cavite extension phase 2 alignment seen finalized by Q1

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) is hoping to finalize the realignment of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) Cavite extension within the first quarter.

“Around February or March,” Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Jeremy S. Regino told reporters in response to queries about the timeline.

The Transportation department considers the LRT-1 extension as among its 16 flagship infrastructure projects.

Mr. Regino said the second phase of the LRT-1 Cavite extension, which includes Las Piñas and Zapote stations, needs to be realigned due to a flyover set to be built in the area.

“Once we resolve the conflict with the skyway, we also hope to resolve the remaining right-of-way acquisition in Las Piñas within the year,” he said.

Last year, the first phase of the LRT-1 Cavite extension was opened which will accommodate an additional 80,000 passengers daily. This initial phase adds a total of 6.2 kilometers from Pasay City to Parañaque City. The five new stations are Redemptorist–Aseana Station, MIA Road Station, PITX Station, Ninoy Aquino Avenue Station, and Dr. Santos (formerly Sucat) Station.

In August the DoTr said the second and third phases of construction of the LRT-1 Cavite extension may begin by 2026 amid right-of-way acquisition issues. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

NFA seeks extra P9B for rice procurement

PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

THE National Food Authority (NFA) said on Wednesday that it is seeking an additional P9 billion to procure domestically grown rice that it plans to add to its grain reserves this year.

In a statement, the NFA said that the increased funding would allow it to accomplish its buffer stock goals in compliance with Republic Act (RA) No. 12708 or the Agricultural Tariffication Act.

“We were initially allocated a budget of P9 billion for buffer stocking this year, based on the nine-day requirement. But the additional six days will necessitate an extra P9 billion considering that our palay procurement price increased in 2024,” NFA Administrator Larry R. Lacson said.

RA 12708 raised the NFA minimum rice reserve level to 15 days’ demand from the previous nine days.

The law also allocates about P2 billion for NFA rice procurement from rice tariffs in excess of the P30 billion earmarked for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund.

The NFA said that the national consumption of rice is projected to average 37,000 metric tons (MT) per day.

“The additional six days of reserve will require the NFA to procure approximately 300,000 MT of palay (unmilled rice) from farmers at an estimated price of P23 per kilo,” the agency said.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said NFA procurement should be equivalent to up to 20% of domestic production or about 4 million MT. The NFA’s current procurement rate is 3% to 4% of the harvest.

“The NFA used to be a market maker — both a buyer and seller of rice. Now it is restricted to buffer stocking and buying rice from rice farmers,” Mr. Laurel added.

“We aim to restore its influence on palay pricing by purchasing more rice, helping to boost farmers’ profitability,” he said.

Additionally, the NFA Council had also approved a resolution allowing the NFA to sell rice stocks to local government units (LGUs) for disaster preparedness.

“The NFA should ideally release around 25,000 MT of rice every month to LGUs without jeopardizing the buffer stock needed to respond to emergencies, calamities, or a national food emergency declaration aimed at stabilizing rice supply and prices,” Mr. Lacson added.

Last week, Mr. Laurel said the Department of Agriculture is proposing to declare a food security emergency focused on rice to enable the NFA to offload 300,000 MT in rice stocks onto the market. — Adrian H. Halili

Tourism department targets Indian market for growth

REUTERS

THE Department of Tourism (DoT) said it hopes to increase visitor arrivals from India by executing the memorandum of cooperation on tourism signed by India and the Philippines in 2019. 

In a statement on Wednesday, Tourism Secretary Ma. Esperanza Christina G. Frasco said that the Philippines welcomed around 79,000 Indian visitors last year, up 12.4%.

“While this number is smaller relative to our ASEAN neighbors, it represents significant growth,” Ms. Frasco said.

“We see tremendous potential in India’s outbound tourism market, and we are committed to making the Philippines a top destination for Indian tourists,” she added.

Ms. Frasco met with Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat of India’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism on the sidelines of the ASEAN Tourism Forum meetings.

She expressed the Philippines’ readiness to sign an implementation program to execute the 2019 Memorandum of Cooperation.

“We are very hopeful that through our meeting today, through the forthcoming implementation program, and the work that both our teams will do, we can increase from the 79,000 Indians that arrived in the Philippines last year to allow the Philippines to have a bigger share of the over 5 million that arrived to ASEAN in 2024,” Ms. Frasco said. 

The implementation program would cover the expansion of air connectivity, the exchange of travel professionals, and joint marketing promotions to mutually increase tourism flows.

“India and the Philippines both share a long (history of) cultural ties,” said Mr. Singh.

He added that the Philippines “deserves much more” of a share of Indian tourists visiting ASEAN.

VISA LIBERALIZATION
At the Kapihan sa Manila Prince on Wednesday, Ms. Frasco said: “What happened after the pandemic is that our ASEAN neighbors became very aggressive in their visa liberalization policies, either by adopting electronic visas or implementing visa-free policies for citizens of many countries,” she said.

“That is why the DoT, as early as the start of the administration, advocated (for more liberal visa policies with) the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Bureau of Immigration,” she added.

An electronic visa system used to be in place for Chinese visiting the Philippines; however, this scheme was suspended.

“Visa liberalization is critical. And so with the challenges that we are facing pertaining to the Chinese market, we are now looking at India,” she said.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has given a directive to improve and implement a more efficient and competitive e-visa system for Indians.

“During the ASEAN Tourism Ministers meetings, Thailand announced that it is removing visa requirements, if I’m not mistaken, for at least 90 countries,” Ms. Frasco said.

She added that the Philippines should try to liberalize visa policies for as many countries as possible.

“But in terms of priority, it’s really India that we’re looking at right now for visa liberalization,” she added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

SRA to support millgate prices by holding raw sugar in reserve

BOC - PUBLIC INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE DIVISION (BOC-PIAD)

THE Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said it will undertake a limited voluntary purchasing program for raw sugar to prop up soft millgate prices.

“The target for this voluntary limited-volume purchase of domestically produced raw sugar is to ensure a stable and reasonable farmgate price while maintaining the prevailing level of retail price,” the regulator said in a draft sugar order (SO).

The SRA has reported that millgate price for raw sugar had declined to as little as P2,400 per 50-kilogram bag.

The regulator said the purchasing program will acquire a maximum of 300,000 metric tons (MT).

Raw sugar purchased through the program will be reclassified as “C” or reserve sugar, to be kept from market circulation.

Participants deemed eligible for the purchasing program are farmers, farmer’s groups, farmer’s cooperatives, farmer’s associations, sugar millers/refiners, manufacturers, and beverage makers.

Participants in the SRA’s voluntary purchase program will be eligible to take part in a future round of imports.

SRA Administrator Pablo Luis S. Azcona said it hopes the draft sugar order can be signed within the month, with the maximum volume subject to change.

During the 2023-2024 crop year, the SRA had implemented a voluntarily purchase program to stabilize farmgate and retail prices. Participants were also eligible for allocations of imported sugar.

Under Sugar Order No. 2, the SRA allowed qualified participants to purchase 300,000 MT of raw sugar to stabilize prices.

Last year, the SRA had approved the import of 200,000 MT of refined sugar to stabilize retail prices.

Separately, the Sugar Council said that the proposed SO will protect farms from price fluctuations during the peak of the harvest.

It added in a statement that Mr. Azcona has reiterated that “there will be no imports until May or June when the harvest is finished.”

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has said that it will postpone any sugar import plans until the middle of the year, as domestic supply is expected to be sufficient.

The SRA projects a 7.2% drop in sugar production from the 1.92 MMT reported during the previous crop year, citing damage sustained during the dry conditions brought about by El Niño.

It added that the move should reduce the volume of available sugar in the domestic market during the harvest months “thus helping stabilize millgate sugar prices.” — Adrian H. Halili

DBM outlines plan to immunize spending from Congress tweaks

BW FILE PHOTO

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it has prescribed measures for agencies finding their budgets disrupted by last-minute adjustments by Congress.

“This is to clarify matters pertaining to the instruction of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to various National Government Agencies (NGAs) to ensure sufficient funding of legacy projects and programs, which were affected by Congress-introduced changes or adjustments in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA),” the DBM said in a statement. 

Mr. Marcos had directed agencies to focus on programs ready for implementation and to look for possible savings that can be reprogrammed, in light of “suboptimal” spending plans resulting from budget cuts.

The DBM said it is committed to remedy any funding deficiencies of various departments in 2025, through the use of the Contingent Fund or Unprogrammed Appropriations, as well as savings realized by the agencies.

It said any such releases are subject to conditions and requirements prescribed in the applicable Special and General Provisions contained in the P6.326-trillion 2025 GAA.

“First, available allotments within an agency’s budget can be declared as savings, as defined in Section 77 of the General Provisions of the 2025 GAA. The utilization of these funds will be subject to the rules on augmentation provided in Section 78,” it said.

Tapping of the Contingent Fund — which is used exclusively for requirements of new and/or urgent projects and activities — must be paid during the year, and requires Presidential approval.

The DBM also listed the infrastructure and social programs that may be covered by Unprogrammed Appropriations. The conditions attached to the use of such funds include the availability of excess revenue, which must be certified by the Bureau of the Treasury.

“We are one with the President in addressing the validated funding deficiencies,” the DBM said.

“Nevertheless, it is understood that the process and procedures to be undertaken shall strictly adhere to budgeting, accounting, and auditing laws, rules and regulations,” it added.

In a separate statement, the DBM also rejected allegations that it altered the GAA.

“There is no truth to the rumors disseminated by fake news peddlers and professional government destabilizers that the DBM edited the 2025 General Appropriations Act to fill in the blanks, as there is no single page or figure missing from the 2025 GAA,” the DBM said. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

‘Moderate’ global FDI growth seen on improved financing, pickup in M&A

REUTERS

GLOBAL foreign direct investment (FDI) flows are expected to post moderate growth this year, driven by strong economic prospects in the US and the European Union (EU), according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

In its Global Investment Trends Monitor, UNCTAD said that it is “cautiously optimistic” about global FDI growth this year.

“Looking to 2025, moderate FDI growth is expected, supported by improved financing conditions and renewed M&A (mergers and acquisitions) activity. However, risks and uncertainties — including geopolitical tensions and global economic instability — pose significant challenges,” it said.

In 2024, global FDI flows grew 11% to $1.4 trillion. However, flows dropped 8% when financial flows through European conduit economies are excluded.

“Greenfield project announcements, primarily in industrial sectors, saw a moderate decline of 8% in number and 7% in value,” UNCTAD said. 

“Despite the drop, the value of greenfield projects remained high, second only to the record reached in 2023, driven by large-scale investments in semiconductor manufacturing and AI technologies,” it added.

UNCTAD said that it expects FDI flows to grow more rapidly in the US due to strong economic growth prospects and in the European Union, which currently has very low levels of investment.

According to the report, North America posted a 13% rise in FDI in 2024 due to an 80% increase in M&A, while FDI in Europe fell 45% with 18 out of 27 EU countries seeing drops.

Meanwhile, UNCTAD said that regions that are well connected to major developed markets could benefit from global supply chain restructuring.

These include ASEAN, Eastern Europe, West Asia, North Africa, and parts of Central America.

ASEAN posted 2% growth in FDI last year to $235 billion. This is a record for the 10-economy bloc.

Asia had a 7% decline in FDI, Latin America and the Caribbean a 9% drop, and Africa an 89% jump to $94 billion.

“The continued decline in greenfield investments and international project finance underscores the need for robust, diversified strategies to attract and sustain investment, especially in sectors critical for sustainable development,” UNCTAD said.

“For both developed and developing economies, the stakes are high as they navigate this complex landscape,” it added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

Negros, Catanduanes, Leyte port rehab, expansion deals awarded 

DOTR FACEBOOK FILE PHOTO

THE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said it awarded expansion and rehabilitation contracts for three ports, valued at a combined P773 million.

In separate notices posted on its website, PPA said it awarded the contract for the San Carlos, Negros Occidental port improvement project; the Virac, Catanduanes port rehabilitation project; and the San Ricardo, Southern Leyte port expansion project. 

The PPA said the San Carlos contract of P350.13 million was awarded to Silver Dragon Construction and Lumber and Glass Supply, Inc. 

The Bacolod City-based company will have 630 days to complete the improvement works.

Meanwhile, a Bicol-based construction company, Bemkar Construction and Supply, bagged the P119-million Virac project.

The company was given 450 days to complete the rehabilitation works.

Additionally, the PPA said Quezon City-based MRBII Construction Corp. secured the P303.80-million San Ricardo expansion and upgrade contract, which it was given 660 days to complete. 

For the year, PPA said it will continue accelerate its infrastructure projects to help sustain cargo and passenger volume growth.

Between 2024 and 2028, the PPA has allocated about P16 billion to fund infrastructure works, including 14 flagship projects. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

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