House adopts Senate natgas bill

November 13, 2024 | 9:17 pm

Malampaya-Ocean-Oil-Rig — PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE House of Representatives has adopted on Wednesday the Senate’s version of a measure seeking to develop an indigenous natural gas (natgas) industry amid government efforts to transition toward the wider adoption of renewable energy sources.

Congressmen agreed to a proposal to adopt Senate Bill (SB) No. 2793 during plenary, citing that authors of House Bill (HB) No. 8456 concurred with the version of their senate counterparts.

Senators on Monday approved their version of the natural gas industry development bill, while HB No. 8456 was passed in Aug. 2023.

Under the bill, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is tasked with keeping track of the government’s share of revenue related to the production of indigenous natural gas sold to power plants.

Downstream natural gas industry projects, as certified by the Department of Energy, will also be entitled to a value-added tax exemption on the purchase and sale of indigenous gas attributed to aggregated fuel, as authorized by the ERC. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

DMW to assist possible deportees

November 13, 2024 | 9:16 pm

THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said it stands ready to support Filipinos in the United States, including undocumented overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), facing potential mass deportation tied to upcoming shifts in US immigration policies under President-elect Donald John Trump.

About 370,000 undocumented Filipino immigrants may be affected by the proposed mass deportation of the returning American president, the agency said on Wednesday.

DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac, in a statement, said a whole-of-government team is in place to support possible deportees, under President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s directive.

“We will continuously coordinate with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and with the US authorities on monitoring the developments on the ground,” he added. “Rest assured that DMW, along with its partner agencies, is ready to provide support and assistance to our OFWs.”

In coordination with the DFA and through its attached agency, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the DMW has established financial, medical, and legal support mechanisms, including the AKSYON and Emergency Repatriation Funds. These funds will ensure that returning Filipinos receive immediate assistance.

The AKSYON Fund will provide financial and reintegration support for deportees, while other government agencies will contribute additional resources. The National Reintegration Center for OFWs will assist returnees in job retooling, reskilling, and finding employment, in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Trade and Industry, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

During Mr. Trump’s previous administration, 300,000 undocumented immigrants were deported annually, with over 3,500 of them being Filipinos, peaking at 503 in 2018. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Senate adds P1.6B to DoJ budget

November 13, 2024 | 9:16 pm

Senate-of-the-Philippines-010319 — *BW FILE PHOTO*

THE SENATE has approved an additional budget of P1.6 billion for the Department of Justice (DoJ)’s programs intended to address online sexual abuse of children, cybercrime, and the rental of K9 dogs to sniff out contraband in prisons.

“The funding was augmented for important programs such as the funding of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), online sexual abuse of children, an increase of budget for the board of claims for unjust detention and victims of violent crimes, cybercrime and investigating criminals…” Senator and Finance Commitee Chairperson Mary Grace Natividad S. Poe-Llamanzares told the plenary floor as she sponsored the DoJ’s proposed P42.26-billion budget next year.

She noted this included a P10-million confidential fund for IACAT programs next year, and additional funds would also go to repairs to prisons handled by the Bureau of Corrections.

Nearly one in every 100 children in the Philippines were trafficked to produce child sexual exploitation material in 2022, according to data from the International Justice Mission and the University of Nottingham’s Rights Lab.

Justice department Spokesman Jose Dominic F. Clavano IV said in April that the government intensified efforts against cases of child pornography and abuses by putting in place policies and operational plans. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

LANDBANK OKs P14-M typhoon aid

November 13, 2024 | 9:15 pm

LAND BANK of the Philippines (LANDBANK) has approved the release of P14 million to help the recovery of 130 local government units (LGUs) in Luzon and Visayas hit by severe tropical storm Trami (Kristine).

“This funding provides critical support for our LGU partners to augment their Calamity Funds and sustain vital services for evacuees. As recovery timelines remain uncertain, LANDBANK is committed to helping LGUs respond swiftly and effectively to the needs of their communities,” LANDBANK President and Chief Executive Officer Lynette V. Ortiz said in a statement on Wednesday.

The state-run lender is also offering financial assistance to affected micro, small, and medium enterprises, cooperatives, large corporations, and electric distribution utilities through the LANDBANK CARES Plus (Community Assistance and Reintegration Support Plus) lending program.

Meanwhile, LANDBANK has waived servicing fees for the Electronic Salary Loan (eSL) until Dec. 31, 2024.

The program provides quick funds for government and corporate employees with LANDBANK payroll services.

“Existing eSL borrowers may also apply for early renewal if they have completed at least one month of paid amortization,” the lender added.

LANDBANK credit cardholders may also convert available credit limits into emergency cash, repayable up to 36 months through the EasyCash for Emergencies feature. — Aaron Michael C. Sy

DBM clarifies rules for CNA incentives

November 13, 2024 | 9:15 pm

THE COLLECTIVE negotiation agreement (CNA) incentive will be granted to government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) that achieve at least 75% of their performance targets, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said.

The CNA incentive is a form of reward granted to both management and rank-and-file employees of agencies in recognition of their efforts in accomplishing performance targets at a lesser cost.

“GOCCs covered by RA No. 10149 should have accomplished, by September 30, 2024, at least an average of 75% of all the targets under their respective Performance Scorecard,” DBM said in a budget circular dated Nov. 11.

Meanwhile, Local Water Districts should have a positive net balance in the average net income for the period Jan. 1 to Sept. 30 this year, to be validated by the Local Water Utilities Administration.

Local government units (LGUs) should have accomplished as of Sept. 30, at least an average of 75% of all the targets under their “programs/projects/activities approved in the LGU budget for FY 2024.”

In the document, DBM said in all cases, the CNA Incentive shall not exceed P30,000 per qualified employee. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

Nuclear scientists get scholarship

November 13, 2024 | 9:15 pm

THE PHILIPPINE-American Education Foundation or Fulbright Philippines has committed $100,000 (P5.87 million) to support Filipino scholars studying fields related to nuclear energy as Manila tries to address power shortages, Washington’s ambassador to Philippines said on Wednesday.

“The United States is fully committed to supporting the development of the Philippines’ nuclear sector with a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach,” US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay L. Carlson said in her speech at the Philippine International Civil Nuclear Supply Chain Forum in Quezon City, based on a transcript sent to reporters via Viber.

“These (Filipino) scholars will have the chance to attend top US technical and engineering programs, tapping into the full range of resources that Fulbright offers.”

The Department of Energy expects nuclear power to start feeding into the country’s grids by 2032, Energy Director Michael O. Sinocruz earlier told congressmen.

Washington and Manila’s Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, also known as the 123 Agreement, entered into force on July 2, the US State Department said in a statement on July 9. Both countries signed the deal in November.

The pact provides a legal framework for the export of nuclear materials, equipment and components from the US to the Philippines.

“Building a safe, secure civil nuclear industry, however, requires more than technology and materials,” Ms. Carlson said. “It needs strong institutions, supportive policies, and a skilled workforce.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez

PAOCC Spox slapped with slander rap

November 13, 2024 | 9:14 pm

A RELIEVED government official is facing a slander complaint from his alleged victim, whom the official slapped three times in a raid in Bataan last month.

In an 8-page complaint filed before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor of Bataan, the business process outsourcing worker said he suffered depression, trauma and lack of sleep after relieved Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) spokesman (Spox) Winston John R. Casio slapped him thrice.

The complainant said hundreds of people and members of the media witnessed the incident in which Mr. Casio ordered his staff to “drag” him, leading to Mr. Casio’s suspension from his post.

In his complaint written in Filipino, he said he was deeply humiliated, and his dignity and self-worth were trampled upon. He said he also feared for his and his family’s safety.

The spokesman had issued an apology after he earlier claimed the worker disrespected PAOCC during the raid of an illegal Internet Gaming Licensee hub in Bagac, Bataan, admitting he had slapped the worker. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Inquiry sought over gold exploration in Abra

November 13, 2024 | 9:14 pm

BAGUIO CITY — Abra Rep. Ching B. Bernos on Tuesday asked the House Committee on Natural Resources and Committee on Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICC) and Indigenous Peoples (IPs) to investigate the gold exploration activities in her home province.

Ms. Bernos filed House Resolution No. 2073, seeking intervention in a bid to protect the ancestral lands of the Tingguians along the northern towns of Abra — Sallapadan, Licuan-Baay and Lacub.

This comes as an exploration permit was already awarded by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to a mining company without getting the consent of the IPs in the area as a legal requisite.

Rep. Bernos also said the firm’s disregard of the rights of the Tingguians over their land should be stopped as the IPs and the ICCs should be consulted first because it is their ancestral lands

“The controversy must be probed so that truth will come out, in the name of the welfare of the Tingguians of Abra,” she said. — Artemio A. Dumlao

CoA flags P20-M Baliwag assets

November 13, 2024 | 9:13 pm

COA-Audit-3 — PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

THE Commission on Audit (CoA) has flagged the city government of Baliwag in Bulacan province for failing to transfer under its full ownership eight purchased land parcels, opening it to land ownership disputes.

State auditors said the title of eight land lots with a total area of 23,000 square meters were not transferred under the city government’s ownership, which exposes it to land claims.

“The Transfer Certificates of Title (TCTs) on eight parcels of land with a total land area of more or less 23,085 square meters, with a market value totaling P20,409,040, have still not been transferred to the name of the City,” a part of the CoA report stated.

The city government of Baliwag did not immediately respond to an e-mail and Facebook Messenger chat requesting comment.

State auditors recommended the LGU to create a “special committee” that will register the parcels of land under the city’s ownership. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Cops, soldiers watch out for retaliation after Zamboanga Sibugay clash

November 13, 2024 | 9:13 pm

COTABATO CITY — The police and military are guarding against retaliations by the companions of three gunmen killed in a gunfight at the border of Naga and Kabasalan towns in Zamboanga Sibugay on Tuesday.

The fatalities, Abdul Jain Sahibad, his younger brother Fahad, and Mursid Ansao Ahod, died on the spot from multiple bullet wounds sustained in the encounter.

The older Sahibad was tagged in the Oct. 17 abduction in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte of American national Elliot Onil Eastman, married to a Tausug woman, whose family is residing in the municipality.

Radio reports in Central Mindanao on Wednesday stated that the mayor of Naga, Rino O. Delos Reyes, indefinitely suspended classes in all schools in the municipality since Tuesday, anticipating another possible encounter between the group of the three slain local terrorists and pursuing government security forces.

Lt. Gen. Roy M. Galido, commander of the Philippine Army, told reporters in Cotabato City on Wednesday via text message that Tuesday’s clash in Barangay Canacan in Kabasalan erupted when armed men opened fire at soldiers and policemen dispatched to check on reports by villagers about their presence in the area.

“There is close coordination between Army units in the Zamboanga peninsula and the police in addressing that security issue,” Mr. Galido said.

Local officials told reporters that four other terrorists wounded in the encounter were seen being carried away by companions who scampered away when they sensed that more reinforcements were closing in. — John Felix M. Unson

3 drug den operators in Lanao del Sur busted

November 13, 2024 | 9:13 pm

COTABATO CITY — Anti-narcotics agents clamped down three drug den operators in an entrapment operation in Barangay Western Wao in Wao town in Lanao del Sur on Monday.

Gil Cesario P. Castro, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO-BARMM), told reporters on Wednesday that Saadudin Mitmug Bagul, who is a security guard, and his cohorts, John Mark Villasista Tolentino, and Jayson Belong Valeria are now detained, awaiting prosecution.

The operators were immediately arrested after selling P68,000 worth of crystal meth (shabu) to non-uniformed Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-BARMM agents and personnel of units under the Lanao del Sur Provincial Police Office in a trade off right in the premises of their drug den at Purok 5 in Barangay Western Wao. — John Felix M. Unson

Maharlika tapped to study financing options for nuclear tech introduction

November 13, 2024 | 9:02 pm

By Sheldeen Joy Talavera, Reporter

THE Department of Energy (DoE) said it tapped Maharlika Investment Corp. (MIC) to assist in studying how to finance the introduction of nuclear energy technology to the Philippines.

“We have asked the Maharlika to study the costing and what financing mechanisms might be available,” Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla said on the sidelines of the Philippine International Nuclear Supply Chain Forum on Wednesday.

The DoE wants to explore how to raise financing “in such a way that the upfront cost in building nuclear power plants will not be shouldered alone by the current generation of Filipinos.”

Mr. Lotilla noted, however, that there are still no decisions on investments involving Maharlika. “We are taking advantage of the people that they have to study the financing options.”

MIC President and Chief Executive Officer Rafael D. Consing, Jr. has said that energy is one of the priority investment areas of the sovereign wealth fund, and is expected to take up the bulk of its initial investments.

MIC is looking to raise $1 billion to fund energy projects.

Mr. Lotilla said that the investment in nuclear technology will be determined once the government decides on related issues, such as the sites of the power plants.

Maharlika’s participation in nuclear-power investments remains uncertain, according to Patrick Aquino, Energy Utilization Management Bureau director. He added, though, that he would not be surprised if the fund did invest eventually.

“For a country like us and our aspirations, electric power is a big component. We leave it up to the sound judgment of Maharlika whether it comes in at whatever stake,” he told reporters separately.

Under the Philippine Energy Plan, the government aims to have commercially operational nuclear power plants by 2032 with at least 1,200 megawatts (MW), and 2,400 MW by 2035.