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10 agri-traders blacklisted for alleged smuggling

GENERAL view of a public market in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, Feb. 9, 2023. — REUTERS

THE Department of Agriculture on Tuesday said that it has blacklisted a total of 10 traders in the past six months for engaging in illegal agricultural activities.

“We have blacklisted more companies in the past six months than in the past six years combined.” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said in a statement.

“This should serve as a clear warning to those who attempt to challenge our resolve in going after smugglers and unscrupulous traders whose illegal activities harm our farmers, fisherfolk, and consumers,” he added.

Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) Director Gerald Glenn F. Panganiban said the licenses of the blacklisted firms have been revoked, and those without licenses were banned based on derogatory findings by the BPI.

The agency said that it is intensifying its efforts to combat agricultural smuggling, profiteering, hoarding, and cartel activities that drive up food prices and destabilize the local market.

“With the recent passage of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, (the) government is prepared to take more decisive actions against violators,” Mr. Tiu Laurel said.

Republic Act No. 12022 classified agricultural smuggling, hoarding, profiteering, and its financing as economic sabotage.

The law also imposed fines equivalent to five times the value of any smuggled or hoarded agricultural products, with violators also facing the prospect of life imprisonment.

“Government will continue to hold violators accountable and take further measures to ensure the integrity of the country’s agricultural trade system,” Mr. Tiu Laurel said.

The agency said that blacklisted firms had been importing vegetables, fruits, and other food products without the necessary sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances from BPI.

Companies found to be involved in anti-competitive practices, such as price manipulation and collusion, have also been blacklisted.

Traders are yet to respond to messages seeking comment as of press time. — Adrian H. Halili

PNP speeds up emergency response

PNP 911 Command Center

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) now responds to emergency calls within three to five minutes, bolstered by the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) Revitalized Emergency 911 initiative.

Brigadier General Warren Gaspar A. Tolito, head of the PNP Communications and Electronics Service, said over 90% of calls to Police 911 are answered within the target response time, a marked improvement driven by upgraded systems and protocols.

He said most common cases involve traffic accidents, domestic violence, disturbances, theft and robbery.

The enhanced system, powered by NGA 911 Philippines, enables responders to be dispatched in as little as 40 seconds after a call is received. The technology aligns with US and European standards, said Robert Andrew Llaguno, NGA 911 Philippines’ country head.

PNP Chief Police General Rommel Francisco D. Marbil directed police to maintain the three-to-five-minute standard, aligning with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s vision of world-class emergency services.

The DILG’s E911 National Office signed a memorandum with NGA 911 in August, adopting Next Generation 911 technology to further enhance emergency capabilities. Supported by PLDT’s network, the partnership aims to elevate the Philippines’ emergency response to global standards. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

OFWs to get cancer treatment access

REUTERS

OVERSEAS Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families will soon have access to specialized cancer treatment with the establishment of the Bagong Pilipinas Cancer Care Center, part of the OFW Hospital in Pampanga.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac on Tuesday led the groundbreaking ceremony for the facility.

Mr. Cacdac said all services at the new facility will be free for OFWs, whether working abroad, preparing for deployment, or retired, and their dependents.

The P80-million facility, scheduled for completion in November 2025, will feature chemotherapy services. It will be operational by 2026.

The DMW is also eyeing to introduce radiotherapy and advanced diagnostic imaging, in partnership with other institutions.

“Everything is free, whether you are an OFW now, just going abroad, or retired from the service, you and your loved ones will be welcomed here at the OFW Hospital and we will strive to meet all your medical needs under our New Philippines,” he said in Filipino.

It will also help lessen overcrowding in the hospital’s Outpatient Department (OPD), which currently serves more than 160 patients every day.

The OPD will relocate to the new site once operational, allowing the current OPD space to be repurposed for pre-departure and post-arrival medical examinations for OFWs. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Bill postponing BARMM polls passed on second reading

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE House of Representatives on Monday approved on second reading a measure postponing the first general elections of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) by a year to 2026.

House Bill (HB) No. 11144 proposed to hold the general elections of BARMM on the second Monday of May 2026, and to be subsequently held every three years after.

Lawmakers sought to defer BARMM’s elections after the Philippine Supreme Court decided to exclude Sulu from the autonomous region after its constituents rejected the Bangsamoro Organic Law during a 2019 plebiscite.

The House floor adopted amendments introduced by Basilan Rep. Mujiv S. Hataman, which included mandating automated elections for BARMM.

He also introduced a new section requiring the Bangsamoro government to allocate to Sulu province its share of the annual block grant from the National Government, providing the segregated region a funding source for its 2025 programs.

It also authorized President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to appoint 80 interim members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, while no successors have been elected, according to the proposed law. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Lack of policy vs bullying flagged

BW FILE PHOTO

THE newly signed Republic Act (RA) No. 12080, the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act, highlighted the lack of localized anti-bullying policies in more than 10,000 schools, the Senate said on Monday.

In November, the Second Congressional Commission on Education reported 10,018 schools with no regulations to safeguard children against bullying despite being required by the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, under RA 10627.

“This absence has contributed to the Philippines recording the highest rates of bullying among students in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018,” the Senate said in a statement.

In the 2018 PISA report, 65% of Filipino students reported being bullied a few times in a month, much higher than the average 23% of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries.

The Department of Education Learner Rights and Protection Office noted that since the legislation of the Anti-Bullying Law in 2013, the number of reported incidents from 2018 to 2019 reached 20,172, the highest among reported incidents from 2013 to 2023.

Meanwhile, the 2022 PISA report revealed that 43% of girls and 53% of boys experience bullying multiple times a month.

Through RA 12080, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who co-authored the law, hopes to address these alarming issues of bullying and support the mental health of students.

“This law seeks to address gaps in the education system’s ability to support student mental health, especially since the Philippines has the highest reported cases of bullying among students in the world,” Mr. Gatchalian said in a statement.

“We hope to ensure a safer, more supportive environment for Filipino learners,” he added.

The newly signed law mandates a school-based mental health program for all public and private basic education institutions to promote mental health awareness and provide services such as screening, evaluation, monitoring of students’ mental well-being, mental health first aid, crisis response, and referral systems.

New plantilla positions will also be created for school counselors, counselor associates, and school division counselors to address the “alarmingly low” ratio of guidance counselors to students in many public schools and give adequate support to students in need.

In addition, a mental health and well-being office in every school division is also required by the law to monitor, train, and provide the framework for school-based mental health programs.

“When our learners and school personnel are mentally healthy, academic performance improves, absenteeism decreases, and a culture of compassion and understanding flourishes,” President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. said in a statement. — Almira Louise S. Martinez

2 Moro farmers killed in Maguindanao ambush

COTABATO CITY — Gunmen killed two Moro farmers in an ambush in Datu Paglas town in Maguindanao del Sur on Monday.

The fatalities, Kamaro G. Balulao and Kasan M. Sulayman, were riding a motorcycle together and were about to pull over to buy something from a store along a highway in Datu Paglas when they were shot with pistols by men positioned along the route, killing them both on the spot.

Brig. Gen. Romeo J. Macapaz, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, said on Tuesday that the victims were on their way to Lutayan town in Sultan Kudarat when they were attacked by gunmen who had immediately escaped before responding volunteer community watchmen and barangay officials could reach the crime scene.

Mr. Macapaz said investigators in the Datu Paglas Municipal Police Station and local officials are cooperating in identifying the killers for prosecution. — John Felix M. Unson

30 tons of giant clam shells seized in Sulu

COTABATO CITY — Policemen and personnel of the Bangsamoro agriculture and fisheries ministry seized 30 tons of giant sea clam shells in a joint operation in Barangay Taglibi in Patikul, Sulu on Sunday.

Officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MAFAR-BARMM) and the Sulu Maritime Police Station estimated the giant clams (Taklobo) to be valued at P45 million.

Brig. Gen. Romeo J. Macapaz, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, told reporters on Tuesday that the giant clams are now in the custody of the MAFAR-BARMM.

MAFAR-BARMM officials said the giant clams (Tridacna gigas) are considered as endangered species.

Mr. Macapaz said officials will intensify their common campaign against poaching of giant clams in the territorial seas of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

He said their intelligence agents in Sulu are now trying to identify the poachers who had stockpiled the giant clam shells found in Barangay Taglibi in Patikul, apparently to be sold to a buyer in mainland Mindanao. — John Felix M. Unson

Mt. Province twin raids yield drugs, guns

BAGUIO CITY — Drugs and illegal guns were seized by authorities during simultaneous raids in Barangay Otucan, Bauko town and in Sitio Tam-awan, Barangay Guinzadan Sur, Bauko town, both in Mountain Province on Monday.

Operatives from the Philippine National Police Provincial Drug Enforcement Group-Special Operations Unit Cordillera (PNP-PDEG SOU CAR), Mt. Province Provincial Police together with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Cordillera (PDEA-CAR), caught the owner of the house where eight sachets of crystal meth (shabu), weighing around 10 grams, were confiscated. It was valued at P50,000.

Other drug paraphernalia, firearms, and ammunition were also discovered, said PDEA-CAR Regional Director Derrick Arnold C. Carreon, prompting authorities to sue the suspect, whose name had been withheld.

A composite team of PDEA-Mt. Province agents together with policemen also raided a house in Sitio Tam-awan and seized six sachets of shabu, weighing an estimated 22.5 grams with a value reaching P112,000, along with various drug paraphernalia.

The suspect, a 36-year-old mechanic will be facing illegal drug charges while the caught drug suspect from Otucan, Bauko will be facing drug charges and illegal firearms cases. — Artemio A. Dumlao

Clark food hub private partner to be selected by end of 2025

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By Justine Irish D. Tabile, Reporter

THE Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) said it hopes to award the National Food Hub project to a private partner by the end of 2025, keeping it on track for first-phase completion before the Marcos administration steps down.

CIAC President Joseph P. Alcazar said that the feasibility study being conducted by the Asian Development Bank is due for completion by March.

“After we get that, then we will steam ahead with the development and invite investors. The feasibility study is important for us to be able to do a proper tender for the food hub,” Mr. Alcazar told reporters on Tuesday.

“After the feasibility study we will be entertaining public-private partnership proposals,” he added.

He said the project has received inquiries from foreign firms with local partners.

“Nothing is official… there are no letters of intent yet. But there are two or three groups trying to explore what needs to be done,” he said.

“There are foreign firms, and most of the foreign firms have local partners. I think with the amount of investment that is needed, there will definitely be foreign components,” he added.

He said studying the proposals takes around three to six months, including the Swiss challenges.

“Hopefully before 2025 ends, we have a partner already. That’s our timeline,” he said.

“The ultimate objective is to be able to launch at least a phase of it within the term of the President. But of course, we will push for as much infrastructure to be built. But at least the first phase should be there by that time,” he added.

He said that the food hub needs infrastructure like roads and access.

He said the CIAC is also batting for the passage of the Clark National Food Hub Act to establish a comprehensive program for the management and operation of the food hub and its strategic nationwide trading network.

“Part of (the bill) is the allocation of budget for the National Food Hub and the additional incentives over and above CREATE MORE for the investors and the locators of the food hub,” he added.

Signed into law by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., CREATE MORE, or the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy Act, aims to attract more investment by lowering the corporate income tax to 20%, among others.

Written by Representatives Rufus B. Rodriguez, Maria Angela S. Garcia, and Anna Victoria Veloso-Tuazon, the food hub act, or House Bill 10678, is currently with the House Committee on Trade and Industry.

POGO shutdown on track for end of year

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) said it is on track to shut down all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) by the end of the year.

“You can expect that there will be no more licensed POGOs operating by the end of this year,” PAGCOR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alejandro H. Tengco said on Tuesday.

In 2019, there were a total of 298 licensed POGOs. The regulator brought it down to 48 earlier this year.

“Today, we are proud to announce that only 17 POGOs remain in operation,” Mr. Tengco said.

During his State of the Nation Address in July, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. banned all offshore gaming operations, citing POGO links to illegal activities such as money laundering and financial scams.

“By Jan. 1, 2025, all these operators that will still continue to operate… will be deemed illegal. All their licenses will be canceled,” Mr. Tengco said.

He expects some companies continuing to operate “guerilla” style, he said.

“They will go to different provinces. In fact, a few months back, or even two weeks ago, we saw some renting resorts and hotels outside Manila, offering one-year advance rentals.”

“These are the problems that I believe will be the challenge for law enforcement agencies.  We really have to be vigilant,” he added.

Mr. Tengco also clarified that all licenses will be canceled, be they for POGOs or Internet Gaming Licensees.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tengco said the POGO ban will have no effect on the gaming industry’s revenue.

He expects gross gaming revenue (GGR) to rise  this year, primarily driven by electronic gaming.

GGR could top P350 billion this year, he said, which would be a record.

Meanwhile, PAGCOR revenue could double this year. “I think the net income of PAGCOR this year will be between P12 billion to P15 billion. I have a feeling it will almost double,” Mr. Tengco added.

Last year, the gaming regulator booked a net profit of P6.81 billion. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

House approves electric vehicle zero-tariff measure

Image via Ivan Radic/CC BY 2.0

THE House of Representatives has approved on final reading a bill providing tax and duty exemptions on imported electric vehicles (EVs).

House Bill No. 10960 received approval from 196 lawmakers, with three against its passage and one abstention.

The tariff waiver covers imported two-, three- or four-wheeled EVs and their charging equipment from 2025 to 2030, bringing President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s order removing tariffs on EVs closer to becoming law.

The exemption is designed to boost EV adoption, while also helping the Philippines make its transportation greener.

The measure also calls for a review on the import of capital equipment used for the manufacture and assembly of EVs for possible inclusion in the strategic investment priority plan.

Last year, Mr. Marcos issued an executive order that removed import duties on EVs until 2028. It was expanded by the National Economic and Development Authority Board in May to include electric motorcycles, tricycles, and hybrid EVs.

The Philippines is moving to decarbonize its transportation system, amid a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030, in line with commitments made under the 2021 Paris Agreement.

The Department of Energy’s (DoE) roadmap for the wider adoption of EVs sets “specific targets and activities” to guide the transition towards electrified transportation.

An electric vehicle incentives scheme will likely be endorsed to Mr. Marcos by year’s end, giving the EV adoption campaign more impetus. The scheme is expected to result in the domestic manufacture of about four million EVs in the coming decade.

The proposed policy will likely contain incentives for consumers, such as purchase subsidies through financial rebates, discounts, tax credits, or value-added tax exemptions, the DoE has said. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Kanlaon eruption raises sugarcane yield concerns

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO/ROB ILUMBA UGBINADA

THE Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said the eruption of Mount Kanlaon on Negros Island has raised concerns about sugarcane yields in the current crop year.

“If the farmers cannot push (the ash) away from their sugarcane, it will have a burning effect… that will lower yields,” SRA Administrator Pablo Luis S. Azcona said in a briefing on Tuesday.

Kanlaon erupted on Monday, emitting a column up to 3,000 meters high, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

The volcano is located in Negros Occidental near the Negros Oriental border. Negros Island produces most of the country’s sugarcane.

The regulator is already projecting a 7.2% drop in sugar production from the 1.92 million metric tons reported during the previous crop year, citing crop damage sustained earlier during the dry conditions brought about by El Niño.

He said that the ashfall from the eruption could raise acidity levels in the areas planted to cane.

“So that’s the scary part… our buffer stock will be affected in the end,” Mr. Azcona added.

According to a report by the SRA’s research and development arm, the immediate impact of volcanic ash is physical damage to the leaves, reducing their capacity for photosynthesis, as well as disruption to the chemical makeup of the soil, which can both lead to reduced yields.

The SRA added that the long-term effects on crops could include nutrient imbalances in the soil, compaction, erosion and chemical leaching.

Phivolcs had raised Alert Level three in the immediate vicinity of the volcano, signifying a magmatic eruption in progress and the possibility of further explosive eruptions.

“We will try our best to save the affected sugarcane because we need every ton of it for this year,” he said.

The SRA said that during the June eruption of Kanlaon, constant rains washed away the ashfall which had blanketed the sugarcane farms in the area.

“We were very concerned for the first two or three days (of the June eruption) because we found out the ash was acidic. However, there were non-stop rains. So after about a week or less than two weeks, it was gone and the pH levels of the soil normalized,” he said.

Kanlaon’s eruption on June 3 displaced more than 9,000 families in Bago, La Carlota, La Castellana, Moises Padilla and Pontevedra, Negros Occidental. — Adrian H. Halili

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