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Australian $3-M waste-to-energy project to be operational this year

REUTERS

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said on Wednesday that an Australian waste-to-energy project is projected to start operations by the end of 2024. 

In a statement, the DTI said that Australian startup Cyclion Pty. Ltd. signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Development Co. (NDC) last month for an investment of $3 million in the waste-to-energy project.

NDC General Manager Antonilo DC Mauricio said: “Our joint efforts will advance waste management solutions, contributing to the national agenda on energy security and environmental sustainability.”

“We are excited to work on this partnership and contribute to the country’s sustainable future with our innovative and sustainable solutions,” Cyclion Founder and Chief Executive Officer Philip Major said.

Under the agreement, Cyclion will build a processing plant in Manila employing the Australian company’s technology for converting bio waste into green fuel.

“The facility’s modular design will enable the processing of 900 tons of waste daily, highlighting the project’s scalability and adaptability to varying waste volumes,” the DTI said.

Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual said that the partnership between the NDC and Cyclion highlights opportunities for Australia and the Philippines to collaborate.

“By strengthening the collaboration between our public and private sectors, we can unlock new avenues for growth and innovation in key sectors like agriculture, education, critical minerals, and clean energy,” Mr. Pascual said. 

Aside from the partnership with NDC, Cyclion also signed a letter of intent with Murdoch University’s Algae Harvest Pty. Ltd. for a research collaboration last year.

The DTI said that the collaboration aims to study new ways of using algae to turn waste into “high-value” products which will be used in the Australian firm’s projects in the Philippines. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

Reducing rice imports to require larger farms, more mechanization

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

LARGER farm sizes and mechanization will help reduce dependence on rice imports, an economist said at an Asian Development Bank (ADB) forum on Wednesday.

“(The) Philippines has been increasing imports of rice. Indonesia has a problem of high production costs of rice, so they restrict imports. That is going to continue, unless we expand farm size, facilitate mechanization, and facilitate labor saving technology,” Keijiro Otsura, a development economics professor at the Kobe University Graduate School of Economics, said at the ADB’s Food Security Forum. 

Milled rice imports to the Philippines totaled 886,963.11 metric tons (MT) as of March, running ahead of the pace for imports in the first quarter of 2023.

El Niño is expected to weigh on rice production this year. The US Department of Agriculture forecasts that Philippine rice imports could hit up to 4 million MT this year.

Food security experts also noted the importance of extending financing to small-scale farmers and food producers, who supply 80% of the Asia-Pacific region’s food, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. 

Paul Winters, executive director of the Innovation Commission for Climate Change, Food Security, and Agriculture at the University of Chicago, noted that around 2-3% of climate financing goes to small-scale farmers, who are deemed most vulnerable to climate change impacts.

“We need to explore opportunities, not just working with governments, but working directly with farm cooperatives, farm organizations, and direct funding (to increase small-scale farmers’ allocations),” he told the forum.

Jyotsna Puri, associate vice-president of the International Food for Agricultural Development, said inputs from small-scale farmers are essential, as they are “more likely to be incorporating biodiverse methods, agro-ecology, agro-forestry.

Meanwhile, André Zandstra, global director for Innovative Finance & Resource Mobilization at the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers, noted that financial institutions should be more precise in their agendas for agricultural and food systems funding.

“Obviously, there’s been a very clear interest and importance in agriculture and food systems… but it’s also creating competition and fragmentation that we need to resist,” he said. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

MWSS: Angat can support water allocation of 50 cms

THE Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) said Angat Dam water levels have not dropped below 195 meters, arguing for a water allocation of 50 cubic meters per second (cms), which it said was needed to ensure uninterrupted water supply.

“(The Angat Dam water level) did not drop below 195 meters,” which can accommodate a water allocation of 50 cms, Patrick James B. Dizon, a manager with the MWSS water and sewerage management department, said in a Viber message.

The National Water Resources Board set the raw water allocation for Metro Manila at 50 cms for March and early April.

“For MWSS, we want to provide a continuous 50 cms to avoid water interruption for our users,” Mr. Dizon said.

Angat Dam is the main source of water for the National Capital Region, accounting for about 90% of its potable water supply.

As of Wednesday morning, the water level in Angat Dam was 195.85 meters, against the 196.15-meter reading a day earlier, according to the government weather service, known as PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration). 

The current level is 16.15 meters below the dam’s normal high level of 212 meters. The minimum operating level is 180 meters and critical level 160 meters.

The MWSS water concessionaires have prepared more than 130 static tanks to be deployed if needed, Mr. Dizon said. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

El Niño impact to worsen, Greenpeace says

REUTERS

THE effects of El Niño are likely to worsen in the next few years, causing more  damage to the livelihoods of farmers and fisherfolk, Greenpeace Philippines said.

“We are seeing a trend that El Niño is getting worse…there’s a worrying trend in the past few years that its effects are increasing,” Jefferson M. Chua, a campaigner for Greenpeace Philippines told BusinessWorld.

He added that with human-induced or anthropogenic climate change causing temperatures to rise, the effects of El Niño are magnified.

The weather phenomenon has started weakening but will persist until May, according to the government weather service, known as PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration).

Its effects, however, are expected to last until August, with rains brought about by La Niña taking over.

PAGASA said there is a 62% probability that La Niña will develop between June and August.

“What is happening now is that there are a lot of farmers and fisherfolk being affected, and the social safety mechanisms implemented to not make the impact too hard for them are failing,” Mr. Chua said.

He said that the government should implement proactive policies to support “the most vulnerable in society.”

“The problem is that (the government) has been reactive… the key feature with our systems here is that we can only access emergency funds when a calamity is declared,” he added.

Agricultural damage caused by El Niño has been reckoned at P2.63 billion, affecting 54,203 farmers and 53,879 hectares of farmland, according to a Department of Agriculture (DA) bulletin.

Rice was the most affected crop with 72,733 metric tons (MT) of damage, equivalent to P1.7 billion or about 65% of all agricultural losses.

This was followed by corn with 35,885 MT of damage, valued at P591.74 million.

“What complicates matters is that kahit walang El Niño (even without El Niño) the effects of climate change will invariably affect food security either way,” he said.

PAGASA has reported that 19 provinces in Luzon, 14 in the Visayas, and eight in Mindanao are experiencing meteorological drought; 23 provinces are undergoing dry spells; and eight have reported dry conditions.

In a report last week, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said that 18 local government units have declared states of calamity due to El Niño. — Adrian H. Halili

Most-favored nation clause: Tax credit limitation clarified

The Philippines has about 44 bilateral tax agreements to eliminate or mitigate double taxation of cross-border transactions involving certain types of income (e.g., service fees, dividends, interest, royalties). In eliminating double taxation, the 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Commentaries on the Model Tax Convention on Income and on Capital provide two leading principles — the principle of exemption and the principle of credit.

One of the oldest tax treaties we have is with the US, which grants US residents the lowest Philippine tax rate that may be imposed on a resident of a third State or what we call the “most-favored nation (MFN)” clause for royalty income. Further, the US allows a credit against the US tax equivalent to the taxes paid or accrued in the Philippines, provided that the tax credit does not exceed the limitations set by US law for the taxable year.

How can the reduced withholding tax rates for royalties under any of the other existing tax treaties of the Philippines be applied for the enjoyment of the MFN clause?

In G.R. No. 127105 dated June 25, 1999, the Supreme Court (SC) held that for the MFN clause to apply, the royalties derived by the resident of the US and of the third State (Germany in this case) must be of the same kind and that the same mechanism for eliminating double taxation must be employed by the US and Germany. The Court ruled that the taxpayer is not entitled to the concessional tax rate of 10% under the Philippines-West Germany Tax Treaty as the Philippines-US Tax Treaty does not give a matching credit of 20% for the taxes paid on royalties as allowed under the former tax treaty.

In 2002, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 46-02 which confirmed that the method for elimination of double taxation under the Philippines-China Tax Treaty is similar to the method employed under the Philippines-US Tax Treaty. Thus, the tax on royalty payments to residents of the US and China are paid under similar circumstances and the MFN clause would apply.

While there are no similar BIR circulars confirming the application of the MFN clause for other tax treaties, there are several BIR rulings issued prior to 2020 confirming the applicability of the MFN clause using the tax treaties between the Philippines and the Czech Republic and the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates, among others. However, it is worth noting that in 2020, the SC ruled otherwise as regards the Czech Tax Treaty.

In G.R. No. 203346 dated Sept. 9, 2020, the taxpayer filed a claim for refund of overpaid withholding tax on royalty income paid to a US entity after securing a 2007 BIR ruling, which confirmed the US entity’s entitlement to the reduced withholding tax rate under the Czech Tax Treaty pursuant to MFN clause. However, both the Court of Tax Appeals and the SC denied the application for refund since the taxpayer failed to show evidence that the Czech and US Tax Treaties grant similar tax reliefs on royalty payments.

In determining whether Czech and US Tax Treaties employ similar methods of tax relief, the Court laid down the provisions in the tax treaties regarding the elimination of double taxation. While the Court agreed that both countries adopt the credit principle, the treaty provisions showed that the Czech Tax Treaty is more specific as to how the tax credit is computed as compared with the US Tax Treaty. The US Tax Treaty simply states that the allowable tax credit may not exceed the limitations set under US law. Thus, without pertinent evidence of the specific credit that the US law allows, the claim for refund was denied.

Following this SC case, the subsequent rulings issued by the BIR where the Czech Tax Treaty (and even the UAE Tax Treaty) was invoked in relation to the MFN clause were denied by the BIR for failure to submit a copy of the internal tax laws of the US.

It thus appears that submission of a copy of the US tax laws, specifically Section 904 of the US Tax Code providing the tax credit limitation (as adopted in our tax laws), will suffice for purposes of confirming that the Czech Tax Treaty satisfies the condition that the tax is paid under similar circumstances.

While the BIR may consider issuing updated guidelines which expressly requires a copy of the US tax laws as part of the requirements to be submitted for purposes of filing a request for confirmation or a tax treaty relief application for those invoking the MFN clause, my hope is that the BIR can work directly with the tax authorities of relevant treaty countries to confirm the application of the MFN clause and just issue a circular for everyone’s guidance. That will be a great service to the taxpaying public, as it will remove limitations in their ability to avail of treaty benefits, and will bring to life the intention of the parties when they wrote the MFN clause.

The views or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Isla Lipana & Co. The content is for general information purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for specific advice.

 

Maria Alyssa Mae A. Panis is an assistant manager at the Tax Services department of Isla Lipana & Co., the Philippine member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers global network.

maria.alyssa.mae.panis@pwc.com

Marcos ‘horrified’ by idea of Duterte having compromised PHL sovereignty

SCREENGRAB FROM YOUTUBE

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Wednesday said he is “horrified” by the thought that Philippine sovereignty might have been compromised under a “gentleman’s agreement” between his predecessor and China over Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.

“I am horrified by the idea that we have compromised, through a secret agreement, the territory, the sovereignty and the sovereign rights of Filipinos,” he told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Metro Manila.

Tensions have worsened in the past year as China’s coast guard continues to block resupply missions to Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines grounded a World War II-era ship in 1999 to assert its sovereignty.

He said his government needs to clarify with Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian and former officials under ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte the details of the deal.

“We don’t know if it’s a secret agreement,” Mr. Marcos said. “We don’t know anything about it. There is no documentation, there is no record. We were not briefed when I came to office.”

Former presidential spokesman Harry L. Roque earlier said the Philippines had agreed with China to keep the status quo at Second Thomas Shoal, which meant only basic supplies, not building materials, would be delivered to the grounded ship BRP Sierra Madre.

The Philippine Foreign Affairs department last month said Beijing had raised the gentleman’s agreement in its proposals to Manila on how to ease tensions in the South China Sea.

“It would be difficult to follow an agreement that says we have to seek permission from other countries to be able to move within our own territory,” Mr. Marcos said.

Former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo has said his former boss had not entered into a gentleman’s deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Antonio P. Contreras, a political expert from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, said Mr. Marcos is in a good position to dig deeper into the deal, noting that Filipinos support his South China Sea policy, based on opinion polls.

A December poll by Octa Research showed than seven of 10 Filipinos wanted the government to boost patrols and troop presence within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the waterway.

Mr. Contreras expects the sea dispute with China to become a major issue in the midterm elections next year.

It will mainly affect the political ambitions of the ex-President’s daughter, Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio, he said, adding that it does not help that she continues to be silent on Chinese aggression. “It’s going to hurt her.”

“There will be an interesting realignment of political forces,” Mr. Contreras said by telephone, noting that some opposition groups support moves to hold the Duterte government responsible to for its pro-China policy.

“The commander-in-chief has all the right to be horrified at this possibility given how the gentleman’s agreement had set false expectations that Manila is easy to give in and lacks sophistication in international relations,” said Joshua Bernard B. Espeña, who teaches international relations at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

Chester B. Cabalza, founder of the International Development and Security Cooperation in Manila, said China is expected to use the deal in trying to influence Philippine politics ahead of next year’s elections.

“Possibly, Beijing will insist on this card for political intervention during elections in the Philippines as many politicians are hoping to get a slice of the China funding during the campaign season,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

‘FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION’
Mr. Marcos, 66, has veered away from his predecessor’s pro-China policy, boosting Philippine ties with the United States and its allies in the region.

The Philippine leader was set to fly to Washington, D.C. later in the day for his three-way summit with US President Joseph R. Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on April 11.

The trilateral summit seeks to secure freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, Mr. Marcos said. “Essentially, it’s an agreement on cooperation in terms of maintaining security and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. That’s the essence of it.”

“And, of course, it will contain more details in the sense of how, in terms of cooperation, it will be implemented,” he added.

The Philippines has given the US access to four more military bases on top of the five existing sites under their 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

The two countries held their first Maritime Cooperative Activity within Philippine waters in November, with the third leg done in February.

The treaty allies are set to hold their annual Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises on April 22 to May 18, with 5,000 Filipino soldiers and 11,000 US military personnel expected to participate.

For the first time, it will be held beyond the Philippines’ 12-nautical-mile territorial waters, according to the Philippine military.

The three leaders are expected to advance a trilateral partnership built on historical ties, growing economic relations, shared democratic values and a “shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” according to the White House.

They will also discuss how to advance their economic and climate cooperation.

Washington is expected to “reaffirm ironclad alliances” with Manila and Tokyo, which are both treaty allies.

Mr. Marcos and Mr. Biden were expected to have a separate meeting.

MMDA mandates earlier work hours to ease traffic jam

Vehicles and motorcycles are stuck in traffic along EDSA in this file photo. — PHILIPPINE STAR/WALTER BOLLOZOS

By Chloe Mari A. Hufana

THE METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday ordered local governments to adjust their working hours an hour earlier to 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. amid worsening traffic congestion in the capital region.

“The persistent traffic congestion in Metro Manila demands innovative solutions for the improvement of commuting conditions and the well-being of the citizens of the National Capital Region (NCR),” according to a copy of the Feb. 28 resolution released to media.

It also advised government agencies in Metro Manila to follow the schedule.

MMDA said the traditional 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. working hours in government offices align with private companies’ working hours, adding to the traffic congestion.

“Adjusted work arrangements, while not necessarily bad, will not solve our basic need for mobility,” AltMobility PH Director Ira Cruz told BusinessWorld in a Viber message.

“Back to basics — moving away from car-oriented policies and reducing car-dependence by improving infrastructure for walking and cycling, promoting other forms of personal mobility and prioritizing mass public transportation on roads,” he added.

Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. at a town hall meeting with various agencies on Wednesday cited the importance of public transportation.

Other government agencies in the capital and nearby cities should follow the MMDA schedule to ensure maximum benefits, Mr. Cruz said.

The MMDA is also banning e-tricycles, e-bikes and other light vehicles from major roads in NCR starting April 15 due to the growing number of accidents involving these vehicles. Violators will be fined P2,500, while unregistered vehicles will be impounded.

These policies are part of the agency’s efforts to decongest traffic in Metro Manila, dubbed the world’s worst in the TomTom Traffic Index in January.

“As our cities grow, the government must prepare for the influx of people in cities by making sure that we have proper transport systems to serve travel needs,” Mr. Cruz added.

Poll says Filipinos most concerned about cybersecurity, data privacy

PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

ABOUT 87% of Filipinos placed high approval on bolstering cybersecurity and safeguarding data privacy amid security breaches of Philippine government network systems, a new survey by PUBLiCUS Asia, Inc. revealed.

The consultancy firm said noteworthy support for enhancing cybersecurity in the country was observed particularly in regions like Visayas, among the 50-59 age group, and among high-income individuals.

Since last week, web servers of government agencies have been hit by cyberattacks with the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) and the Bureau of Customs (BoC) being the latest victims of data breaches. Among the biggest cyberattacks were those on state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) late last year and early this year.

“The public wants to see the government address the growing concern of against cybercrimes related to hacking, data compromise, and other related issues,” Digital Pinoys National Campaigner Ronald B. Gustilo said via Viber message in reaction to the latest poll.

He said the state should allocate funds for cybersecurity tools and hiring of experts that will ensure that the country’s cybersecurity infrastructure is safe and can fend off attacks.

More on the poll, PUBLiCUS Asia said its PAHAYAG first quarter survey of 1,500 respondents showed that apart from cybersecurity, economic initiatives were among the main priorities of Filipinos even though it also reflected little support for economic Charter change or “Cha-cha” through a people’s initiative at only 28%

Garnering the second highest approval among Filipinos at 78% was the Senate’s passing of the daily minimum wage of P100 pesos in the private sector, followed by the proposed review of the Free Tertiary Education Program in all state and local universities and colleges at 74%.

The establishment of a living wage and the distribution of various financial assistance drew 72% and 69% support, respectively.

This was followed by the establishment of the Reciprocal Access Agreement between Japan at 64% and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. extending the deadline for the Public Utility Vehicles consolidation at 61%.

Among the least favored national issues were allowing the International Criminal Court to arrest former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, Vice President Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio, Senator Bato dela Rosa, etc. (28%) and insertion of P800-billion peso unprogrammed funds in the 2024 national budget (22%). 

The study asked respondents from the National Capital Region, North Central Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to rate the issues from one to five, where one is strongly disapproved while five is strongly approved.

The margin of error is 3%.

3 CYBERSECURITY STRATEGIES
Meanwhile, Mr. Marcos issued last April 7 Executive Order 58 to adopt the National Cybersecurity Plan (NCSP) 2023-2028 of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

“The NCSP rationalizes the roles of every government agency in cybersecurity. It detailed how the National Computer Emergency Response Team should be strengthened so it can respond to critical cybersecurity incidents in government agencies, and Critical Information Infrastructures (CII),” DICT Assistant Secretary for CyberSecurity and Upskilling Jeffrey Ian C. Dy told BusinessWorld via Viber message on Wednesday.

Mr. Dy said the DICT is expecting three outcomes out of the implementation of NCSP by 2028, beginning with a consensus in the use of secure routing protocols among internet service providers and telecommunications companies for internet routing, setting up secure cyberspace active elements, and more.

The second is producing more cybersecurity professionals. “We need to set-up civil service positions in cybersecurity. Currently, government has no cybersecurity position,” he said, adding that there are plans for setting up an ICT academy and a cybersecurity center.

Lastly, to enact a cybersecurity law that mandates reporting for critical cybersecurity incidents among CIIs, and government agencies.

However, Mr. Dy said the DICT still needs to discuss with the Department of Budget and Management regarding the budgetary requirement for implementing the NCSP until 2028. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

Marcos urged to ban offshore gaming operators due to rising criminality

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO/ PNP ACG

THE GOVERNMENT of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. should outlaw Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO), a senator said on Wednesday, blaming these for the country’s growing crime problem.

“The detrimental social cost of gambling far outweighs the economic gains the government receives from it, particularly when considering the criminality, corruption and destruction of families that results from it,” Senate Majority Floor Leader Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva said in a statement.

This comes after Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin ordered the Anti-Money Laundering Council to freeze the assets of a POGO hub in Tarlac province in northern Philippines.

A total of 868 POGO workers were rescued during a March 13 raid after the company was linked to human trafficking and torture crimes.

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission seized about P6 million in cash and passports in 11 vaults found in the POGO hub. Authorities also seized at least 60 cars.

“This should be enough proof that there is really a need to finally cease all POGO operations and reexamine the government’s policy when it comes to gambling, especially online gambling,” Mr. Villanueva said.

He said the Palace move showed that the government is serious about stopping crimes linked to POGOs.

More than 4,000 people have been victimized by crimes related to POGOs such as human trafficking in the first half of last year, the Philippine National Police said in October.

Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian earlier filed a resolution seeking to permanently ban POGOs in the country, saying many of these companies are still licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) despite their links to crime.

In August, Pagcor said it would start privatizing its 45 casinos by the third quarter of 2025, which is expected to generate P60-P80 billion in revenue.

Mr. Gatchalian said the move would make up for the state losses from shuttered POGO firms after it was reported that Pagcor had failed to collect P2.2 billion in unpaid dues from them. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

SC ruling on prisoners scored

PHOTO BY MIKE GONZALEZ

THE SUPREME COURT’s (SC) ruling allowing prisoners convicted of heinous crimes to be entitled to the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) diminishes the weight of the penalty imposed on those found guilty by the judicial system, a congressman said on Wednesday.

“Granting GCTA to individuals who committed rape and other heinous crimes normalizes brutal offenses,” Party-list Rep. Arlene D. Brosas said in a statement.

Heinous crimes, as defined under Republic Act No. 7659, include treason, murder, plunder, rape, and kidnapping, among others.

For National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) President Ephraim B. Cortez, the SC’s ruling “does not diminish the weight of penalty” of those found guilty of these crimes.

“They are required to serve a four-fifth of their prison term before they could qualify, which means that they have to stay in prison for a substantial number of years,” he said.

The SC reaffirmed last week the entitlement of convicts of heinous crimes to a shortened prison sentence through the GCTA.

“The Court…is clear that any convicted prisoner is entitled to GCTA as long as the prisoner is in any penal institution, rehabilitation or detention center, or any other local jail,” the SC decision read.

“The Department of Justice exceeded its authority when it excluded those convicted of heinous crime from its coverage, when the law it is implementing does not make such distinction,” Mr. Cortez commented on the SC ruling.

He stressed that incarcerated convicts may develop a change in behavior, which can be seen as an indication that they have redeemed themselves since the commission of the crime, he added. “This is in fact the reason why the GCTA was devised and implemented in the first place,” he said.

The GCTA was the center of a controversy in 2019 when former Caluan Mayor Antonio L. Sanchez, a convicted rapist and murderer, was able to avail himself of an early release under the mechanism of law. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Aid El Niño-hit farmers — senator

A farmer guides his carabao on dry and cracked farmland in San Juan town, Batangas, April 18, 2010. — REUTERS

A PHILIPPINE senator on Wednesday urged the government to fast-track financial support for farmers whose livelihoods are suffering from the El Niño weather phenomenon.

“It is important that we have funds to provide the necessary support to protect our farmers’ investments and to revive their crops,” Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian said in a statement. “We have to be ready to aid our agriculture sector, especially the rice sector, to guarantee the availability and supply of agricultural products.”

Meanwhile, Senator Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos filed on Monday a resolution seeking to probe the adverse effects of dry spells and drought on the country’s water supply, despite state efforts to conserve water.

“Despite the various efforts and initiatives being conducted by the government and the increase in water rates, the entire country is still experiencing strained water resources and water crisis in various regions and provinces,” according to a copy of Senate Resolution No. 986 sent on Wednesday.

The agricultural damage due to El Niño totaled to P2.63 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture. The government has distributed assistance worth P1.1 billion to those affected.

Mr. Gatchalian , who heads the Ways and Means Committee, earlier said Manila must seek more rice deals with countries like India and Vietnam since the country’s rice production still needs work to ensure food security.

The Bureau of Plant Industry has said Philippine rice imports reached 995,841 as of March 21.

The US Department of Agriculture expects Philippine rice imports to reach 4 million MT this year.

“The disruption of El Niño on the agriculture sector could be devastating to the economy and to our farmers as we have seen in previous El Niño episodes and thus the need for a timely release of fund support for farmers in areas affected by El Niño,” Mr. Gatchalian said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Women in STEM education pushed

THE BRITISH Council in the Philippines said it aims to further strengthen its mission on culture, arts, and education in the country through its Women in STEM scholarship for post-graduate degree studies in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in the United Kingdom.

“Educating, training, and hiring more women in STEM can lead to better scientific and financial outcomes, increasing diversity in the workforce, bringing variety in perspectives and ideas, and giving organizations a competitive edge,” British Council Country Director Lotus Postrado told BusinessWorld through an e-mail.

“This year, Filipinas were eligible to apply for scholarships at Bath University, University of Warwick, and Imperial College London.”

Running in its fourth year, the Women in STEM program is expanding its reach by “providing additional scholarships across ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian) countries and Timor-Leste.”

The program aims to address the low global enrolment of female students in Information and Communications Technology at 3%; natural science, mathematics, and statistics at 5%; and engineering, manufacturing, and construction at 8%.

For its cultural mission, Ms. Postrado said: “The British Council strongly values Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). Our work is based on building meaningful, enduring, and respectful relationships across different cultures and this cannot be done without our commitment to EDI.”

Its Connection through Culture grant, which focuses on diversity and inclusion, and climate change themes, is a partnership between British and Filipino artists who create projects that “celebrate diverse cultural expression and knowledge sharing,” she said.

The Council also runs a global LGBTQIA+ film festival, called “Five Films for Freedom.” The films were screened last year at the Great British Festival in Bonifacio Global City.

“Just last March, we partnered with institutions such as the National Teachers College and the University of the Philippines Cebu, bringing films and raising conversations on the topic through in-person screenings,” Ms. Postrado said. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

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