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Sugar, sodium crackdown urged for products marketed to children

PHILSTAR

THE government should limit the sugar and salt content of food products marketed to children as an anti-obesity measure, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said.

In a statement, UNICEF cited the need to crack down on “misleading and deceptive labeling” of food products targeted at the very young.

As a result, the number of overweight Filipino children has tripled since 2003, considered “high” under global standards, it said.

“Children have a right to good nutrition. Without updated and enforced food regulations to protect children, they will consume more unhealthy foods that have high sugar content and sweeteners,” UNICEF Representative to the Philippines Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov was quoted as saying in the statement.

“This can displace needed essential nutrients, harm their dental health, and cause them to prefer unhealthy food later in life, leading to obesity and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases,” she said.

The government should monitor and enforce national regulations on sugar and salt content and enforce the proper labeling of commercially produced complementary food, the UNICEF said.

A recent study by the UNICEF and Complementary Foods in Southeast Asia (COMMIT) found that a third of food products marketed for Filipino babies and young children have added sugars and sweeteners.

It also found that unhealthy products were promoted for children up to three years old.

Nutrition labels did not come in Filipino languages, making it difficult for parents and caregivers to understand nutritional information in food products, according to the study.

Labels were seen focusing on claims on product composition or nutrient content, like “no artificial colors” and “100% natural,” but only 2% of product labels note the importance of continued breastfeeding.

While most of the products are under the recommended sodium thresholds, fortification levels for nearly all dry or instant cereal products do not meet standards. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

DBM urges early procurement, digitalization to use up budget

BUDGET SECRETARY AMENAH F. PANGANDAMAN — COURTESY OF DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT FACEBOOK PAGE

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said early procurement and a bigger push for digitalization projects will help ensure the timely spending of this year’s budget.

 “For this year, what’s important to note is that the 2024 budget (has all of the Secretaries) priority projects and programs,” Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said during the Philippine Economic Briefing on Monday.

Republic Act No. 11975 or the 2024 General Appropriations Act includes a provision for early procurement, enabling government agencies and offices to bid out their projects on time, Ms. Pangandaman said.

Early procurement is also a feature of the proposed New Government Procurement Reform Act, which is awaiting the signature of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.

If changes to the procurement law are enacted, “agencies can bid out their projects by the time we issue the national expenditure program to Congress,” Ms. Pangandaman said.

“That will give them time to actually bid out their projects and by the time we have the General Appropriations Act,” the procurement process will be further along, she said.

Ms. Pangandaman also noted the available funding to digitize most government transactions.

“We expect those will increase efficiency in terms of government spending and implementation of their projects,” she said.

The government’s cash utilization rate hit 99% at  the end of the first quarter, the DBM said.

Meanwhile, Ms. Pangandaman asked Congress to approve the Budget Modernization bill, the proposed Public Financial Management measure, and the rightsizing bill to ensure efficient spending and financial management. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

FAO aids El Niño-affected Isabela rice, corn farmers

REUTERS

THE Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) said it distributed cash to rice and corn farmers in Isabela that have been affected by El Niño.

“With El Niño forecast to persist until late May with its effects to be felt until August, it is important to act early to reduce the risks posed to the country’s food security,” FAO Country Representative to the Philippines Lionel Henri Valentin Dabbadie said in a statement Monday.

The FAO said about 964 rice and corn farming households in the province were given a one-time distribution of multipurpose cash.

“Beneficiaries used the funds to buy food, cover school-related expenses and even pay debts.  Others used the funds to engage in vegetable trading as drought conditions peaked in the province,” the FAO said.

The fund distribution under its Anticipatory Action program is designed to act ahead of predicted hazards to prevent or reduce acute humanitarian impacts before they fully unfold.

Agricultural damage due to El Niño has been estimated at P9.5 billion, with rice and corn the most affected crops, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

“Anticipatory actions against drought, linked with shock-responsive social protection, can help build resilience in the agriculture sector,” Mr. Dabbadie added.

“This is of urgent concern because globally, more severe and frequent disasters are producing unprecedented levels of damage and loss in the sector, and the Philippines is among the countries most vulnerable to climate and human-induced hazards,” he said. — Adrian H. Halili

Almost there: VAT on digital services

Last week, the Senate, in a unanimous vote, approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. 2528, which seeks to impose a 12% value-added tax (VAT) on digital services delivered by either resident or nonresident digital service providers with no physical presence in the Philippines.

According to the Department of Finance, the bill is expected to bring in P83.8 billion in revenue from 2024 to 2028. The final step to reaping this additional revenue is the approval of the President once the bill is forwarded to his office.

Let’s look at the proposed changes to the National Internal Revenue Code (Tax Code).

VAT ON DIGITAL SERVICES
The bill proposes to add a proviso in Section 105 of the Tax Code stating that any person who, in the course of trade or business, renders services, including digital services, is subject to VAT. An additional proviso states that digital services delivered by nonresident digital service providers are considered performed or rendered in the Philippines if the digital services are consumed in the Philippines. This additional proviso will cover digital services even if rendered or performed outside the Philippines, as they are subject to Philippine VAT rules for as long as they are consumed in the Philippines.

DEFINITION OF DIGITAL SERVICE AND DIGITAL SERVICE PROVIDER
The bill provides that “digital service” refers to any service that is supplied over the internet or other electronic network with the use of information technology and where the supply of the service is essentially automated. These services include but are not limited to: (1) online search engines; (2) online marketplaces or e-marketplaces; (3) cloud services; (4) online media and advertising; (5) online platforms; and (6) digital goods.

On the other hand, “digital service provider” refers to a resident or nonresident supplier of digital services to a consumer who consumes digital services subject to VAT in the Philippines. A nonresident digital service provider has no physical presence in the Philippines.

If the bill is signed by the President and becomes law, the Philippine VAT rules will extend to cover e-commerce firms such as Amazon, Shein, Rakuten, Taobao, AliExpress, and Temu, even if they do not have a physical presence in the Philippines.

VAT REGISTRATION OF DIGITAL SERVICE PROVIDER
Under the bill, both resident and nonresident digital service providers are required to register for VAT purposes if their gross sales for the past 12 months have exceeded P3 million or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that their gross sales for the next 12 months will exceed P3 million.

To aid the registration of nonresident digital service providers since they do not have a physical presence in the Philippines, the bill will mandate the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to establish a simplified automated registration system.

REMITTANCE OF VAT TO BIR
When nonresident digital service providers provide digital services to consumers who are VAT-registered, the latter is liable to withhold and remit to the BIR the VAT due on its purchases of digital services consumed in the Philippines from nonresident digital service providers within 10 days following the end of the month the withholding was made.

On the other hand, when nonresident digital service providers required to be registered for VAT transact with consumers who are non-VAT-registered, the former must remit the VAT on the digital services that are consumed in the Philippines.

In addition, if a VAT-registered nonresident digital service provider is classified as an online marketplace or e-marketplace, it must also remit VAT on the transactions of nonresident sellers that go through its platform, provided that it controls key aspects of the supply and performs any of the following: (a) it sets, either directly or indirectly, any of the terms and conditions under which the supply of goods is made; or (b) it is involved in the ordering or delivery of the goods, whether directly or indirectly.

Please note that VAT-registered nonresident digital service providers are not allowed to claim creditable input tax.

Meanwhile, resident digital service providers are liable for remitting VAT to BIR on digital services consumed in the Philippines.

VAT-EXEMPT TRANSACTIONS
The bill proposes to include as VAT-exempt transactions online courses, online seminars, and online training rendered by private educational institutions duly accredited by DepEd, CHED, and TESDA, as well as those rendered by government educational institutions and the sale of online subscription-based services to DepEd, CHED, TESDA, and educational institutions recognized by such government agencies.

Likewise, bank and nonbank financial services rendered through the various digital platforms are VAT-exempt.

BLOCKING OF NONCOMPLIANT DIGITAL SERVICE PROVIDERS
The bill seeks to expand the power of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue to suspend the business operations of taxpayers, which will include the blocking of digital services provided to the Philippines by a digital service provider who is noncompliant with the tax rules. Such shall be implemented by the Department of Information and Communications Technology through the National Telecommunications Commission.

TAKEAWAYS
If signed into law, tax revenue collections will certainly increase, and so will the additional burden for taxpayer-consumers, for they may be required to withhold and remit VAT, and take on the additional expense of VAT on digital services.

Let’s Talk Tax is a weekly newspaper column of P&A Grant Thornton that aims to keep the public informed of various developments in taxation. This article is not intended to be a substitute for competent professional advice.

 

Nikkolai F. Canceran is a partner from the Tax Advisory & Compliance division of P&A Grant Thornton, the Philippine member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd.

pagrantthornton@ph.gt.com

Manila protests China fishing ban

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

THE PHILIPPINES has protested Bejing’s yearly four-month-long fishing ban in the South China Sea, saying it violates international law, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday.

In a statement on Monday, the DFA said Manila has filed a diplomatic note with China protesting the fishing ban, which started on May 1 and will end on Sept. 16, saying it would worsen tensions in the waterway.

“The Philippines stressed that the unilateral imposition of the fishing moratorium raises tensions in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, and directly contravenes the understanding between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Chinese President Xi Jinping to manage differences through diplomacy and dialogue and to de-escalate the situation at sea,” it said.

The agency said China cannot impose the ban within Philippine maritime zones, over which Manila has sovereign rights and jurisdiction.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment by reporters via Viber.

Manila has filed 158 diplomatic protests against China under the Marcos administration over the tension at sea, 25 in all this year, Philippine Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ma. Teresita C. Daza told reporters in a WhatsApp message on Monday.

She noted that the Philippines protests the fishing ban regularly.

This year, however, China has declared the ban alongside its intentions to detain foreign nationals it deems trespassing in areas of the South China Sea still being contested by other nations.

Beijing also issued new rules that would enforce a 2021 law that explicitly allows the Chinese Coast Guard to fire on foreign vessels within these contested waters.

Last Friday, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. said these orders by Beijing on how its coast guard could operate in the South China Sea are a “provocation” and cause for international maritime concern.

‘TAIWAN INVASION’ RAISES RISK FOR PHL, SAYS EXPERT
China’s potential invasion of Taiwan should be a major defense issue for the Philippines as it may strengthen Beijing’s presence in the South China Sea, a geopolitical expert said on Monday following recent Chinese military drills near the democratic island-nation.

Manila should not only talk about repatriation of overseas Filipino workers in Taiwan amid escalating Chinese aggression in parts of Taiwan, which is just over 300 kilometers away from the northernmost province of Batanes, said Robin Michael U. Garcia, president and chief executive officer of WR Advisory Group.

“Beyond the repatriation issue — a very, very important issue — we have to go beyond that and think that Taiwan is a defense issue for the Philippines,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the WR Numero security forum in Makati City

“It’s actually a defense issue. That if there’s an impending or imminent occupation of Taiwan, the conflict will spill over to Luzon,” he added, “and Manila is in Luzon.”

“So even if you actually successfully repatriate the Philippines back to the Philippines, the war and the conflict might actually be in Luzon,” he added.  “So that’s something that we have to talk about.”

China has launched military drills surrounding Taiwan, days after the inauguration of new Taiwanese President William Lai (Lai Ching-te), whom China has called a “dangerous separatist.” 

In January, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. drew the ire of China when he congratulated Mr. Lai on his electoral victory. Mr. Marcos later clarified it was just an act of “courtesy,” reiterating that the Philippines is still committed to the “One China” policy, which was signed by his late father and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in 1975. — with a report from Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

PAGASA says Aghon will intensify as it exits PHL Wednesday

PAGASA.DOST.GOV.PH

By Adrian H. Halili, Reporter

THE STATE weather bureau said on Monday that typhoon Aghon (international name: Ewiniar) is expected to further intensify and may leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Wednesday.

In its 5 p.m. bulletin on Monday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the typhoon was last seen 155 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora.

The typhoon is projected to move in a generally northeastward direction over the Philippine Sea for the entirety of the forecast period.

“Aghon will continue to intensify over the next 24 to 36 hours as it moves northeastward over the Philippine Sea,” it added.

“A weakening trend may begin on mid or late Wednesday as the typhoon begins interacting with the mid-latitude environment and undergo post-tropical transition,” PAGASA said.

It was moving northwestward at 10 kilometers per hour (kph) with maximum sustained winds of 140 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 170 kph.

“Typhoon Aghon is less likely to directly bring significant amount of rainfall within the next three days,” it said.

PAGASA raised tropical wind Signal No. 1 over the eastern portion of Quirino, the southern portion of Nueva Vizcaya, the eastern portion of Isabela, Aurora, the northern portion of Quezon, Polilio Islands, and the northwestern portion of Camarines Norte including Calaguas Islands.

“Minimal to minor impacts from strong winds are possible within any of the areas under Wind Signal No. 1,” it added.

Wind speeds of 39 to 61 kph is expected within at least 36 hours intermittent rains may be expected within 36 hours.

Additionally, PAGASA had hoisted a gale warning over the areas of over the coastal waters of Cagayan (eastern portion), Isabela, Aurora, and the northern coastal waters of Quezon including Polillo Islands.

“Sea travel is risky for small seacrafts, including all motorbancas of any type of tonnage,” the state weather bureau said.

World Bank cites need for IPs to own land to fight poverty

REUTERS

By Chloe Mari A. Hufana

WITH the majority of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) rating themselves as poor, especially in the Southern Philippines, a World Bank report launched on Monday recommended a speedy processing of Certificates of Ancestral Domain Titles to aid them in their development.

The “No Data, No Story: Indigenous People of the Philippines” report highlighted the importance of a formal recognition of the rights of IPs to their ancestral domains to boost their economic activity and aid them out of poverty.

It showed that 257 ancestral domains represent 20.5% of total lands available in the country. However, only 20% of these are fully registered, partly due to overlapping and conflicting land management mandates.

“For Indigenous Peoples, land is a fundamental aspect of their identity, culture, and subsistence,” World Bank Senior Social Development Specialist Carlos Perez-Brito said. “Protecting Indigenous Peoples’ land rights is therefore a crucial step in addressing poverty and conflict in the country.”

Nadia Belhaj Hassine Belghith, Senior Economist of World Back told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of the launch that IPs have a strong knowledge of agriculture, which can be a potential area for economic development in their communities.

The study cited the Indigenous Peoples Survey in 2023, which said about 60% of IP households are in farming, reaching 70% in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Despite this, 51% of IPs consider themselves “food poor.” While over 85% of IPs and non-IPs in BARMM consider themselves “food poor.”

“They look at the assets they have, the type of life they have, in terms of how much they are able to meet their basic needs, and that makes them feel frustrated and feel they are poor,” explained Ms. Belghith on how IPs considered themselves poor.

The World Bank report added that enhancing the access of IPs to water and sanitation, education, health services, and economic opportunities, while preserving their cultural identities, could greatly improve their living standards.

Education is a top priority for the IPs, Ms. Belghith said, but the report showed access to infrastructure for Muslims and IPs is limited, with only 10% of IPs having access to a college education, 15% of Muslims, and 20% of non-IPs.

Almost 90% of IPs said they’re proud of their identity and over 70% have a strong sense of belonging to the Philippines.

About 9.4 million Filipinos consider themselves indigenous, and 87% live in geographically disadvantaged areas.

The Cordillera Administrative Region has the highest density of IPs, followed by the Cagayan Valley.

Voters’ digital literacy crucial to 2025 elections — experts

PEXELS-ELEMENT DIGITAL

By Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

DIGITAL literacy amid the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) tools that generate deepfake content becomes a basic need for Filipino voters as they are likely to be targeted by misinformation in view of the midterm elections next year, experts said.

This fear was raised as a “deepfake audio” of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. falsely ordering the military to attack China surfaced amid tensions in the West Philippine Sea surfaced recently.

Among the recent victims of “stolen likenesses” are prominent figures composed of journalists, politicians, doctors, and influencers to promote sham products or cryptocurrency scams.

Kontra Daya Lead Convenor Danilo A. Arao, citing a 2022 Social Weather Stations survey that found five of 10 Filipinos have difficulty in spotting fake news, said: “The likelihood of people being hoodwinked into accepting certain videos as being the truth would be there.”

Mr. Arao said disinformation would be at its peak a few days before Election Day and hopes the public can foster a culture of fact-checking particularly on social media.

He also urged the media to strengthen its media literacy and fact-checking mechanism.

Likewise, the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) National Chairperson Lito “Angel” S. Averia, Jr. said AI tools especially deepfake content can be used to attack individual candidates, political parties, or even the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

“We are proposing the crafting of a code of conduct on AI, using the phrase code of conduct because it addresses the behavior of the parties in the upcoming elections,” he said.

Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos said their agency has seen an increase in activities in the use of the deepfake in the country.

“It can mimic anybody. Before our problem was masking, now, the culprits don’t need [it]. Culprits came up with a new technology of masking, that is, by representing themselves through avatars,” Mr. Ramos told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of an economic forum on May 22.

Mr. Ramos said these “avatars” are a copy of their subject matter, which spells out identity theft.

As fears may be used in the 2025 elections, the CICC said it is working closely with Comelec and other stakeholders “to ensure fair and honest election.”

“As far as AI is concerned, [election] operates within that particular framework of elite politics and money politics. Unfortunately, the purveyors of fake news they have more than enough financial resources to maximize such technologies in the coming elections,” said Mr. Arao.

“We would really see the intensification of disinformation. The usual distribution of memes or videos that would try to distort the narrative so that they can impose their own alternative truths to the people,” he added.

Even with a code of conduct on the use of AI, Mr. Averia noted that this is not an end-all-solution to the proliferation of misinformation or disinformation in general but serves as a guardrail on the use of AI when parties for instance come up with their campaign materials or propaganda materials.

Mr. Ramos said the solution does not mainly depend on technology, but sharpening digital literacy and policy development instead.

He also warns that regulating the use of AI might come off as censorship. “We are one of the highly appreciated democracies in the nation because of our liberal policies and we would like to stick to it,” he said.

Mr. Ramos admitted that unregulated AI is hard to control and there should be a flexible law that can accommodate emerging threats of the ever-changing technology.

In 2023, Cavite Representative Lani Mercado-Revilla, Ramon Revilla III, and Agimat Rep. Bryan Revilla filed House Bill No. 9425 or proposed the Penalizing Deepfake Act.

This was said to “establish clearer parameters for determining the appropriate legal consequences for deepfake-related actions.”

According to the Analytics & Artificial Intelligence Association of the Philippines President Michelle Alarcon, the group is working with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on building the Philippine AI Governance Framework, eyed to be launched in the third quarter.

This framework balances the impact on society of AI without stifling innovation, Ms. Alarcon said.

“These are just guidelines but will be what we call a risk-based approach. You can regulate just like the European Union (EU) AI Act,” she said.

The EU Council gave its final green light to its AI Act last week, which aims to reshape how firms and other organizations in Europe use AI for everything from healthcare decisions to policing.

She cited high-risk applications of AI which are deemed “unaccepted” such as detecting emotions based on your facial expressions for credit or loan applications but will be allowed for detecting criminal activity.

Meanwhile, lax guidelines are expected for entertainment use and marketing.

“We just need to practice vigilance and to be critical of the videos or pictures that we see. Just the same initiatives by the government and even the civic societies to be more critical of information that they receive,” Ms. Alarcon said.

Likewise, Digital Pinoys National Campaigner Ronald B. Gustilo warns the public to be discerning and shares tips on how to detect it.

“Usually, AI-generated videos have flaws — missing or excess body parts such as fingers, limbs, and mismatched eyes. The speech and the movement of the mouth are also mismatched,” he said.

Mr. Gustilo said there are AI video detectors available where netizens can check if a video or photo is AI-generated.

This month, OpenAI released a tool designed to detect content created by its popular image generator, DALL-E.

However, it was not designed to detect images produced by other popular generators like Midjourney and Stability.

In a previous interview with the Undersecretary for Infostructure Management, Cybersecurity, and Upskilling Jeffrey Ian C. Dy of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the agency has reached out to social media platforms such as Meta and YouTube.

He noted that Meta is eyeing to deploy its “Made with AI” labels on AI-generated video, audio, and images on Facebook this month.

College calendar shift urged

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

A CONGRESSMAN called on the government on Monday to revert the academic year of colleges and universities back to the old June-March calendar for the same reason the President approved the shift for the K-to-12 school year: to spare students and teachers from heat exhaustion.

“We just have one question: are college students heatproof? Is it enough that we shift to online classes or distance learning every time heat skyrockets for college students?” Party-list Rep. Raoul Danniel A. Manuel said in a statement in Filipino.

The Department of Education (DepEd) had proposed shifting the calendar’s end to March next year before temperatures start reaching unbearable levels, which President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. approved last week.

Mr. Manuel said the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) should review the policy of colleges to start their academic year around August.

CHED did not respond to a Viber message seeking comment on the matter.

At present, most colleges and universities in the Philippines are to begin their academic calendar in August or September to end by around June next year, even if they experienced the same problem of having to cancel face-to-face classes due to extreme heat conditions in the summer months.

“Did the quality of education become better due to the calendar shift?” he said in Filipino. “We just went along to follow the standards set by foreign universities and companies,” referring to the decision to shift the academic calendar to its current schedule. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Agro-industry roadmap pushed

CARDPH.COM

A ROADMAP to modernize the country’s livestock, poultry and dairy industries is crucial to boosting agricultural production and ensuring food security, a Philippine senator said on Monday.

In a statement, Senator Cynthia A. Villar cited Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) figures showing that agricultural output expanded by only 0.4%, well below the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) 2.3%–2.5% growth target.

She had filed Senate Bill No. 2558 in a bid to create a Livestock, Poultry and Dairy Competitiveness Enhancement Fund from tariffs collected on imported products from these industries worth P7.8 billion yearly for the next 10 years.

The measure would also establish the Office of the Undersecretary of the National Livestock, Poultry, Dairy, and other Animals Program to craft policies for developing production in these sectors. 

“For the longest time, the Livestock, Poultry and Dairy sector has been left to be run by the private sector, now with this Act, the government will actively support and participate in the development of the sector,” said Ms. Villar.

She said these industries accounted for more than a quarter of agricultural output, based on the PSA report, and that while crop, livestock, and poultry production increased, the figures were tempered by a decline in fisheries.

In the first quarter of this year, farm output was flat expanding by 0.05% amid a prolonged dry spell induced by the El Niño weather event.

Pushing for SB 2558’s approval, Ms. Villar said: “Our native animals, such as hogs, chicken, horses, carabaos, among others, will not only be preserved but promoted and their population multiplied.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Manila eyes wider car-free Sundays

MANILA is looking at the possibly of extending its Move Manila Car-Free Sundays to the Pasig River Esplanade and the Binondo District.

Speaking on television on Monday, Manila Mayor Maria Sheilah “Honey” H. Lacuna-Pangan said the extended route would enable people to “appreciate the beauty” of the historical buildings of Binondo and Escolta.

Ms. Lacuna-Pangan on May 13 signed an ordinance allowing a portion of Roxas Boulevard to be closed for physical activities from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. every Sunday.

In addition to extending this car-less Sunday to cover Binondo area, Ms. Lacuna-Pangan said the city would also be ensuring heritage buildings in the area are maintained by exercising the city’s regulatory powers.

Apart from encouraging physical activity, the capital city aims to promote tourism and business activities in the area.

Vehicles are diverted to other highways, such as Taft Avenue, Quirino Avenue, Maria Orosa Street, Kalaw Avenue, M.H. del Pilar Street, and Bonifacio Drive to avoid the closed portion of Roxas Boulevard. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

BIFF bomb-maker dies in clash

IMPROVISED explosive devices (IED) left by members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters driven away by soldiers from Barangay Butilen in Salibo, Maguindanao del Sur last Saturday are now in the custody of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division. — PHILIPPINE STAR/JOHN FELIX M. UNSON

COTABATO CITY — A suspected bomb-maker of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) was killed in an air and ground anti-terrorism operation in Barangay Butilen, Salibo town, Maguindanao del Sur.

Major Gen. Alex S. Rillera, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, told reporters on Monday that the calibrated anti-terror operation last Saturday resulted in the seizure of 26 powerful improvised explosive devices (IED).

He said the offensive was launched after municipal officials reported the convergence in the area of BIFF members, as if preparing for a large-scale attack.

Soldiers dispatched to clear the area, after the aerial maneuvers by Philippine Air Force attack helicopters and fixed-wing bombers, engaged the BIFF terrorists in a gunbattle that ended in the death of the suspected BIFF bomb-maker. — John Felix M. Unson

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