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Lifting of ban on new NCR ecozones expected to benefit IT-BPM industry

BW FILE PHOTO

THE lifting of the moratorium on developing new economic zones and information technology (IT) parks in Metro Manila will benefit the IT and business process management (IT-BPM) industry, property consultancy Colliers said.

In a statement, Colliers said Metro Manila remains the preferred “starting point” for investors setting up shop in the country given its infrastructure, large talent pool, vibrant business centers, and ease of doing business.

“This is also evident in the office real estate market given the current Metro Manila to countryside office demand split of 80:20,” it said.

On Nov. 24, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. signed Administrative Order (AO) No. 11, which amended AO No. 18 (2019). The earlier AO had imposed a freeze on the processing of ecozone applications in Metro Manila.

“Colliers believes that the IT-BPM sector will greatly benefit from this amendment as this will allow Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA)-registered entities or even prospective locators considering PEZA to move forward with their projects and consider more locations within Metro Manila,” the firm said.

“Allowing more accredited IT parks in (the region) also provides an opportunity for local government units outside the major business districts to host new IT-BPM locators that will help facilitate job generation,” it added.

Under AO No. 11, applicants granted pre-qualification clearances from PEZA before the moratorium’s effectivity will be allowed to resubmit their applications.

According to Colliers, the available PEZA-accredited office stock in Metro Manila is currently at 1.5 million square meters, or 57% of the 2.6 million square meters of total available space in the region as of September.

“With the recent amendment to AO 18, enterprises registered with an investment promotion agency will have more options to explore for their future real estate plans — may it be a new setup, expansion, or relocation,” Colliers said. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

Customs goods seizures hit P42.5 billion

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) said it seized P42.5 billion worth of illicit goods in the year to date ending Dec. 1.

According to preliminary data, the BoC showed that counterfeit goods made up the bulk of seizures at P24.36 billion, followed by illegal drugs (P7.58 billion), smuggled agricultural products (P3.78 billion), and cigarettes and tobacco (P3.77 billion).

The seized items also include general merchandise (P964.1 million), fuel and oil (P716.4 million), steel products (P585.2 million), used clothing (P351 million), and vehicles and accessories (P264.1 million).

Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio said the smuggled goods seized during the period doubled from a year earlier.

Seized items are typically disposed of through auction, condemnation, or donation.

In the 11 months to November, the BoC collected P813.651 billion, or about 93% of its full-year target. Collections were 2.2% higher than the P795.966-billion target for the period and up 3.09% from a year earlier. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

PhilMech completes farm equipment design facility in Nueva Ecija

PHILSTAR

THE Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) said it has completed an agricultural machinery design center in Nueva Ecija which it expects to start operating soon.

In a statement, PhilMech said construction of the Agricultural Machinery Design and Prototyping Center has wrapped up.

The facility will focus on developing and adapting equipment suitable for the Philippine agricultural environment.

PhilMech Director Dionisio G. Alvindia said the facility will also help come up with post-harvest solutions.

“The farm equipment manufacturing industry in the Philippines also stands to gain from the AMPDC as the center will take the lead in modernizing the industry by helping improve their manufacturing systems and design of their products,” Mr. Alvindia added.

The facility is partly funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

The facility’s construction cost was P370.55 million. About P289 million was provided by the South Korea through KOICA.

Between this year and 2026, PhilMech will focus developing and improving 10 to 12 types of agricultural machinery with the aid of South Korean technical experts. — Adrian H. Halili

PHL universal water access to depend on governance, incentive policies — World Bank

THE PHILIPPINES must address concerns about institutions, incentives, and investments — the so-called “three I’s” — in order to expand universal access to safe water and sanitation, according to a specialist from the World Bank.

“We need to strengthen policies and governance within institutions. And these are policies and governance not just in water supply but also equally importance on water resource management,” Fiorella Delos Reyes Fabella, senior water supply and sanitation specialist from the World Bank, said during a forum in Quezon City on Thursday.

With over 30 agencies responsible for water resources, Ms. Fabella said that there is a need to strengthen institutional governance, “not just in water supply but also equally important on water resource management,” she said.

Regarding incentives, she said that the lack of clear regulation has caused “overlaps” in regulatory authority.

“Different delivery standards and a different rate setting principles across many water service providers in the Philippines are subjected to different regulatory standards and this has led to water pricing that does not recover the costs. And then it has also led to an unsustainable trajectory,” she said.

She said that service providers will need tariffs that “accurately reflect the cost of services,” which includes capital, operating and maintenance costs.

“Regulation will push water service providers to meet certain targets and standards as well as to get the correct tariffs,” she said.

According to the World Bank, only 48% of the population are currently receiving piped water services, and approximately 63% have access to safely managed sanitation services or proper collection, treatment, and disposal of human waste.

“These figures are significantly lower than the regional East Asia Pacific (EAP) average, which stands at around 74% for safe water access and 69% for access to sanitation,” the World Bank said.

On the investment side, it said that municipalities and cities need strong support from the National Government to achieve universal access to safe water and sanitation.

“We have a decentralized setup in the country. It is the LGUs (local government units) that are ultimately responsible but when you look at the LGUs and their capacity. If they could actually, with their funding that they will get from the Mandanas Ruling, they can actually do the expansion to meet universal access to safe water and sanitation in their areas,” Ms. Fabella said. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

Coast Guard rescues 5 Pinoy fishers after boat rammed by Chinese ship

A COAST guard team helps survivors of another ramming incident in the South China Sea.

THE PHILIPPINE Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday rescued five Filipino fishermen whose boat was destroyed after it was allegedly rammed by a Chinese bulk carrier in waters near Paluan, Occidental Mindoro in the South China Sea.

The outrigger was tied to a fish aggregating device, used by Filipinos to catch small pelagic fish, when the bigger MV Tai Hang 8 hit it in the afternoon of Dec. 5, the coast guard said in a statement on Thursday, citing the victims.

The fishermen deployed a smaller service boat where they jumped to when it was clear the Chinese vessel was not stopping, boat owner Jaziel Juano told ABS-CBN News TeleRadyo. “They were thrown out because of the impact even if they were already in the boat,” she said in Filipino.

The fishermen were left adrift as the foreign vessel continued its voyage, the coast guard said. Philippine authorities are investigating the incident.

The PCG said it had received information regarding the incident at noon the following day after the fishermen reported the event to the boat owner in Puerto Princesa, Palawan province.

The owner sent three rescue boats, which the coast guard helped.

The Tuesday event followed an incident on Oct. 1, when a foreign oil tanker registered under the flag of Marshall Islands rammed into a Filipino fishing boat near Scarborough Shoal, killing three crew members.

“Upon arrival at the Port of Sablayan, the PCG ensured the fishermen were all in good physical condition and provided them with essential supplies.”

The coast guard said it had advised the boat owner to file a marine protest. The agency was set to report the incident to China “in adherence to maritime incident procedures.”

“The Coast Guard is diligently engaged in coordinating with the ship’s company, aiming to uncover the truth surrounding the incident,” it added.

Meanwhile, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said the House of Representatives is committed to do everything in its power to protect Philippine rights in the South China Sea.

“We fully support our troops and our coast guard patrolling our exclusive economic zone against China’s vessels that turn away our fishermen with a legal right to fish in the West Philippine Sea,” he said in a statement, referring to areas of the sea within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

Congressmen on Wednesday adopted House Resolution 1494 “strongly condemning China’s illegal actions in the West Philippine Sea.”

The resolution calls on the government of Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to uphold the country’s sovereignty over its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

It also urged the government to enforce a landmark 2016 ruling by a United Nations-backed arbitration court that voided China’s claim to more than 80% of the South China Sea based on a 1940s map.

China has violated the arbitral ruling by building military islands in various parts of the South China Sea, according to the resolution.

The Philippines has filed 129 diplomatic protests against China from July 2022 to Nov. 28. Sixty-two of these were filed this year, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ma. Teresita C. Daza said on Tuesday.

The House cited Chinese harassment, dangerous maneuvers and radio challenges; unilateral imposition of a fishing moratorium; and unauthorized marine scientific research activities at sea.

It also scored China’s continued blocking of Filipino fishermen trying to fish near Scarborough Shoal, as well as the harassment of Philippine boats at Second Thomas Shoal.

“The Philippine government must strengthen its ability to patrol and protect the country’s maritime zones by building a self-reliant defense posture program and upgrading the capabilities of the Philippine Coast Guard,” according to the resolution.

“We commit to enhancing our defense posture in the West Philippine Sea through legislation and by exercising Congress’ power of the purse,” Mr. Romualdez said.

“China has sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao (South China Sea islands), which consists of Dongsha Qundao, Xisha Qundao, Zhongsha Qundao and Nansha Qundao,” the Chinese Embassy in Manila said in a Viber message.

“China has internal waters, territorial sea and contiguous zones based on Nanhai Zhudao. China has an exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, based on Nanhai Zhudao. China has historic rights in the South China Sea. China’s position as stated above is clear, consistent and solidly grounded in history and law,” it added.

The embassy said the 2016 arbitral award is “illegal, null and void.” “China does not accept or recognize it and will never accept any claim or action based on the award.” — KATA and Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

US to support Manila’s efforts vs drug abuse

PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

THE UNITED STATES Embassy in Manila on Thursday said the US would continue helping the Philippines craft solutions and strategies to deter drug abuse.

In a statement, the embassy said its Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) has partnered with the Association of Anti-Drug Abuse Coalitions in the Philippines, Inc. and the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America to exchange information on preventing rampant drug use in communities.

“The US government will continue to support the development of effective anti-drug abuse coalitions and facilitate opportunities for sustainability at both the local and national levels,” INL Director Kate Riche said at a drug abuse conference in Laguna province this week, according to the embassy.

At the event, more than 130 representatives from more than 42 anti-drug abuse coalitions were trained to develop marketing and media campaigns, community engagement programs and other strategies against the spread of drug abuse in local communities, the US embassy said.

The program is part of a P22-million ($400,000) grant provided by the US to bolster Philippine efforts against illegal drug use through advocacies and by setting up anti-drug coalitions in local governments.

In May, the Philippine Department of Interior and Local Government and Department of Health partnered with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to enhance community-based drug rehabilitation programs nationwide.

Under the deal, USAID will provide information and drive programs on behavioral change in relation to illegal drug use.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in January reopened its probe of ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s deadly drug war, saying it was not satisfied with Philippine efforts to probe human rights abuses in the campaign.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has said his government is considering rejoining the ICC, which is investigating his predecessor for alleged “crimes against humanity.”

He had ruled out cooperation with the international court, saying its probe violates Philippine sovereignty given the country’s fully functional justice system. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Health dep’t: No outbreak of  ‘walking pneumonia’

UNSPLASH

CASES of mycoplasma pneumoniae detected in the Philippines from January to November make up a small fraction of influenza-like illnesses that have been reported this year, according to the Department of Health (DoH).

Only four confirmed influenza-like illnesses during the period were due to the respiratory illness called “walking pneumonia,” it said in a statement on Thursday.

“More than half of confirmed influenza-like illnesses were due to other well-known and commonly detected pathogens,” the agency said, adding that the four walking pneumonia patients have recovered.

It said their surveillance systems could detect these respiratory diseases and could confirm through laboratories what may be causing them.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a known and common pathogen detected in the country in the past using various methods, it said. “The DoH reassures the public that detecting M. pneumoniae is not new or unusual.”

The disease is one of the influenza-like illnesses that cause a fever, sore throat and cough, DoH said.

“Those with a weak immune system and living in closed settings are at a higher risk for more severe [symptoms],” it said, adding that younger children might exhibit cold-like symptoms.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae could spread via respiratory droplets, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa on Tuesday said DoH had not reported any outbreak of “walking pneumonia.”

But Health Undersecretary Enrique “Eric” Tayag earlier noted that there’s no routine testing for the disease. He said the bacteria is 90% to 95% drug-resistant in China. — K.A.T. Atienza

Senator proposes body for nuclear energy use

PHILIPPINE STAR/ GEREMY PINTOLO

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

A BILL seeking to establish a national regulatory body and a national framework on atomic and nuclear energy use has been filed in the Senate.

Last Dec. 5, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian filed Senate Bill No. 2506, aiming to establish a legal framework that ensures the safe and peaceful utilization of nuclear energy and ionizing radiation in the country’s pursuit of tapping into this power source.

Under the proposal, the government will establish the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulation Commission to oversee licensing, protection, safety and other activities related to the development and use of nuclear energy.

“By establishing a comprehensive legal framework in the Philippines, with strong transparency and governance provisions, we ensure that the complex risks accompanying activities involving nuclear energy and ionizing radiation are addressed and public trust and cooperation are built,” Mr. Gatchalian said in the bill’s explanatory note.

He said the government must use state-of-the-art technology in pursuing the development of the nuclear industry to ensure safety in harnessing the energy source.

Last month, the House of Representatives passed on final reading a bill that would establish a similar body called the Philippine Atomic Regulatory Authority that will “have the sole and exclusive jurisdiction to exercise regulatory control for the peaceful, safe and secure uses of nuclear energy and radiation sources.”

Earlier, Speaker Martin G. Romualdez said the proposed legislation would aid the Philippines’ path toward energy security.

The Philippines and the United States on Nov. 17 signed a deal that would allow Washington to export nuclear technology to Manila so it can develop a civilian nuclear energy infrastructure.

4 new Italy visa centers open

THE EMBASSY of Italy in Manila launched on Thursday four state-of-the-art visa application centers: one in Taguig City in the National Capital Region; another in Batangas, south of the capital; Cebu City in the Central Visayas region; and Davao City in the southern Philippines.

In a statement, the embassy said the new visa centers will make it more convenient for travelers to apply for visas and provide a host of additional services such as courier services and travel insurance.

The new application locations were developed in collaboration with VFS Global, the world’s largest visa outsourcing and technology firm.

“The Philippines is a key source of tourism and business market for Italy, and we are taking every possible measure to ease and streamline processes for travelers,” Italian Ambassador Marco Clemente said during the inauguration of the main visa application center in Taguig.

The embassy clarified that the additional services and more modern facilities would not have a bearing on how long an application would be approved.

“These new visa application centers will help us in providing high-quality service to Italy visa applicants in the Philippines through a seamless visa application submission process,” Mr. Clemente said.

These centers now processing all Italian visa categories are located at: Ground Floor, One Campus Place, Building A, McKinley Town Center, McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, Metro Manila; Unit F01, Block J, Ground Floor, The Outlets at Lipa, LIMA Technology Center, Barangay Bugtong na Pulo and San Lucas, JP Laurel Highway, Lipa City, Batangas; Unit 1001C & 1004B, 10th Floor, Kepwealth Center Samar Loop, cor. Cardinal Rosales Ave, Cebu City; and FES 07, 2nd Floor, Alfresco Area, Felcris Centrale, Brgy., 40-D Quimpo Blvd, Davao City. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Tribes support mining in Tampakan

THE BLAAN AND T’BOLI express their eagerness in awaiting the extraction of copper and gold in Tampakan, South Cotabato on Thursday. — PHILIPPINE STAR/JOHN FELIX M. UNSON

KORONADAL CITY — Ethnic Blaan and T’boli community leaders in South Cotabato came together on Thursday to express support for the start of engineering preparations in 2024 for the extraction of copper and gold in their tribal domains in the hinterland town of Tampakan.

“There has not been any copper and gold mining activity in Tampakan ever since. We are happy it will soon start, most likely between 2024 to 2025,” Blaan leader, Domingo N. Collado, said on Thursday, in reference to Sagittarius Mines Incorporated (SMI) which had been contracted by Malacañang for the project.

Experts in the central office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and visiting mining engineers from Europe and Australia had, in studies done in the past five years, placed at no less than US$200 billion their estimate of the copper and gold deposits in Blaan ancestral lands.

Mr. Collado, who is Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative to the Municipal Council of Tampakan, said the Regional Development Council 12, chaired by Cotabato Gov. Emmylou T. Mendoza, had endorsed the project last September via a resolution stating that the venture will generate for the national government and the South Cotabato provincial treasury billions worth of revenues and employment for thousands of residents in the province, the region’s administrative capital.

Officials of the DENR-12 here said on Thursday that the Blaans in Tampakan, about 15 kilometers from this city, the capital of South Cotabato, had been wanting, since 1996, to have the copper and gold deposits in the municipality explored for their benefit, aware of what they can gain from it as provided for by the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act, also known as the Republic Act 8371.

“There has not been any mining operation there in Tampakan since they discovered in the early 1990s that there are enormous deposits of copper and gold there. It is time for the Blaans to benefit from the bounties obtainable in their ancestral lands there,” said Edmund T. Ugal, a T’boli chieftain from another South Cotabato town.

He said the T’boli support the Blaan’s efforts to have the copper and gold deposits in their municipality explored soon.

Dalena M. Samling, a scion of a noble Blaan clan and also a tribal leader in Tampakan, said they are certain of achieving peace and sustainable development in their municipality and in nearby towns once the SMI operations proceed as planned, with permission from the national government.

“There has not been any mining activity in Tampakan yet, but this company has already spent hundreds in millions worth of money for various humanitarian projects in the provinces of South Cotabato, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat. Surely, our tribe shall get shares from mining operation earnings and benefit from more very costly social responsibility projects of SMI,” Ms. Samling said. — John Felix M. Unson

PISTON urges franchise deferral

JEEPNEY drivers sit on the sidewalk in Manila as they continue their three-day strike on Tuesday against franchise consolidation under the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program, which effectively phases out commuter jeepneys. — PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

A GROUP of jeepney drivers and operators mounted a protest in the House of Representatives on Thursday to call for the postponement of the deadline for mandatory franchise consolidation which they said would lead to jeepney phaseout.

Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (PISTON) staged a protest on the same day that the Makabayan bloc filed a House resolution calling for the deferral of the Dec. 31 deadline for franchise consolidation applications.

Partylist Reps. Raoul Danniel A. Manuel, Arlene D. Brosas, and France L. Castro, in their resolution, urged the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to revoke the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines which mandated the consolidation of franchises of public utility vehicles (PUV).

“Given the economic issues that the franchise consolidation is causing amongst the PUV sector, it is only prudent to remove the deadline that the LTFRB has set,” according to a copy of the resolution.

PISTON said that the deadline is not just for franchise consolidation but for the operation of traditional jeepneys, citing that the policy excludes individual operators who cannot afford new franchise fees.

“The disregard for the rights of small operators to hold individual franchises is equivalent to a phaseout, impacting not only their vehicles but also their livelihoods,” said PISTON national president Mody Floranda in a statement in Filipino.

Transport groups called authorities to repeal the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP) which effectively phases out traditional jeepneys in favor of new generation transport vehicles by yearend.

Another group, Manibela revealed last week that they are in discussions with PISTON and other transport groups for the mounting of a simultaneous nationwide transport strike before the end of the year. PISTON said it will release an announcement soon after discussions with Manibela. The two groups waged separate three-day strikes last month. — Jomel R. Paguian

House commits to SDGs by 2030

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

THE HOUSE of Representatives on Thursday committed to pursue programs on good governance and poverty reduction to achieve the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said.

“The House leadership is fully committed to the aspirations of the 4th Asia-Pacific Evaluation Association (APEA) Conference to institutionalize evidence-based decision-making for national development and the SDGs,” Mr. Romualdez said during the 2023 APEA Conference at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.

The House leader also signed the Manila Declaration, which “signifies the commitment of the signatories to institutionalize program monitoring and evaluation towards the attainment of the SDGs meant to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030, all people enjoy peace and prosperity.”

He said that the National Evaluation Policy (NEP), which seeks to assess governance improvement and bureaucratic efficiency, is a priority measure in Congress.

“The enactment of this policy will strengthen our legal and institutional framework for conducting regular evaluations of government interventions, fostering a culture of evaluation in the public sector,” he said. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

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