Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube
Home Blog Page 252

Philippines eases official restrictions on Taiwan investment-related visits

BW FILE PHOTO

By Adrian H. Halili, Reporter

THE PHILIPPINES has relaxed restrictions on travel to Taiwan for economic, trade and investment purposes by government officials, limiting the ban to the President, Vice-President, Foreign Affairs and Defense secretaries.

In a memo signed by Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin on April 15, the presidential palace said other state officials visiting Taiwan for economic reasons may do so as long as they use their ordinary passports and without using their official titles.

They must also inform the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) about the purpose of their visit and coordinate with the agency during their travel, according to Memorandum Circular No. 82. Officials must also submit a report on their travel to MECO and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

The memo clarifies Executive Order (EO) No. 313 issued in 1987 in recognition of the Philippines’ One China policy of strategic ambiguity regarding Taiwan.

China claims Taiwan as its own territory and views it as a breakaway province. The Philippines adopted the One China principle, which states that there is only one official Chinese nation, in 1975, despite the division between China and Taiwan in the aftermath of the Chinese civil war.

EO 313 prohibited all officials of the Philippine government from visiting Taiwan and from receiving Taiwanese officials to the Philippines.

Under the April 15 memo, Philippine government officials and their agencies may now receive delegations from Taiwan for economic, trade and investment purposes through MECO.

Like the 1987 order, the April 15 memo still bars any Philippine government officials from signing agreements, memos exchange of notes and similar documents with any Taiwanese organization or agency without clearance from the DFA and the Office of the President.

The eased rules would “further maximize opportunities for the development and expansion of the Philippines’ priority areas of investments,” according to the memo.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines declined to comment when contacted via Viber.

Raphael J. Cortez, who teaches diplomacy at De La Salle College of St. Benilde in Manila, said the relaxed official travel restrictions would let the Philippines and Taiwan boost trade ties.

“Given that government engagements can already be undertaken, then this easing may pave the way for negotiations for agreements relating to trade and the economy in general,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

He added that Taiwan could also maximize opportunities as other counters seek out alternative trade partners in the region due to the US government’s reciprocal tariffs.

US President Donald J. Trump has imposed sweeping reciprocal tariffs on trading partners aimed at addressing trade imbalances and protecting US industries.

On the other hand, Mr. Cortez said that relaxed restrictions could worsen Philippine ties with China. “This is something of course that does not align with the Chinese government’s perception of Taiwan, and something that they do not want their trading partners to engage in.”

Philippine-China ties have worsened in recent years due to repeated encounters between their coast guard ships in the South China Sea over competing claims on the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal, among other sea features.

China claims more than 80% of the South China Sea based on a 1940s map, which a United Nations-backed arbitration court in The Hague voided in 2016 for being illegal.

Health experts urge PHL Congress to hike ‘sin taxes,’ boost funding vs obesity

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

PHILIPPINE lawmakers should raise the taxes on sugary and alcoholic drinks as well as cigarettes to curb consumption and generate revenue for public health programs, health experts said.

The extra revenue could help fund Philippine Health Insurance Corp.’s (PhilHealth) expanded benefit packages as well as state programs against obesity, said Madeleine de Rosas-Valera, a former Health undersecretary.

“Maybe we need a 10% increase in sin taxes per year,” she said in an interview, adding that tax increase rates under the law are not enough to fund the state health insurer.

The Philippines levies “sin taxes” on alcoholic beverages and tobacco products to deter consumption, with annual tax rate hikes of 6% and 5%, respectively, according to the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Sugary drinks are taxed a flat P6 or P12 depending on the type of sweeteners used without yearly increases, based on Republic Act No. 10963 or the 2018 Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law.

The Finance department last year said it is not keen on raising taxes on sin products.

“How will PhilHealth be able to come up with benefit packages for prevention?” Ms. Valera asked. “They have it for hypertension and diabetes but there’s still no preventive program for obesity.”

The state health insurer provides a consultation package for members that covers medical check-up and essential medicines for conditions such as diabetes, asthma and infections requiring antibiotics, according to its website.

Lawmakers should also consider crafting laws addressing noncommunicable diseases and illnesses linked to lifestyle and genetics, such as heart attacks, asthma and diabetes, said Lourdes Desiree D. Cembrano, healthcare policy director at the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines.

“We have a mental health law, we have a rare diseases law, we have a cancer law,” she said in an interview. “But for noncommunicable diseases in general… it should be looked at. There’s no cardiovascular law, obesity law or diabetes law.”

Ms. Valera said the Education department should require school cafeterias to display boards with the nutritional value of meals served. “The schools should really measure the nutritional value of the food offered to students.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Supreme Court asked to stop Samal-Davao bridge project

PH.CHINA-EMBASSY.ORG

ENVIRONMENTALISTS on Monday filed a 200-page petition before the Supreme Court (SC) seeking to halt the Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) Project and declare its construction results in “actual, serious, and irreversible damage” to coral reefs in both areas.

The groups filed a Writ of Kalikasan with an urgent prayer for the issuance of a Temporary Environmental Protection Order to stop ongoing construction of the 4.76-kilometer bridge, which is damaging the Paradise Reef in Samal Island and the Hizon Marine Protected Area near Davao City.

“The bridge is already being constructed, it is destroying coastal and marine biodiversity and resources in Samal Island and Davao Gulf,” lawyer and former Environment Undersecretary Antonio Gabriel M. La Viña told reporters in Filipino. “So, we’re hopeful that the Supreme Court will act on this petition soon.”

Also, among the petitioners were Ecoteneo, Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS), Sustainable Davao Movement, and Dyesabel Philippines.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.

In January, the DPWH said it is on track to complete the P23.52-billion project by September 2028 as it reached a completion rate of 12%.

The petitioners argued that the SIDC Project violates the constitutional right to a “balanced and healthful ecology,” which includes the preservation of coral reef systems.

The project reveals “both a slow and an immediate death of the coral reefs in the Davao gulf and of the ecosystems, including local communities, that collectively depend on these reefs for their continued existence,” the petition read.

It added that the destruction of the reefs poses an actual threat to local communities near the area.

“If the coral reefs that have been relied upon by peoples and ecosystems for centuries would die, it is a tragedy — where the powerful, the State itself, plays god.”

They also asked the SC to declare the Environmental Compliance Certificate, issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in relation to the project, as “null and void” as well as direct respondents to implement measures to restore and rehabilitate the coral reefs.

Among the respondents were the DPWH, DENR, Samal Island Protected Landscape and Seascape Protected Area Management Board, and the China Road and Bridge Corp. The project is expected to be completed by September 2028. — Adrian H. Halili

VP Sara endorses full Senate slate

VICE-PRESIDENT SARA DUTERTE-CARPIO — PHILIPINE STAR/ RYAN BALDEMOR

VICE-PRESIDENT (VP) Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio on Monday endorsed senatorial candidates aligned with the ruling party during her father’s presidency, along with two candidates from outside the party, amid the widening rift between two of the country’s most influential dynasties.

Ms. Duterte endorsed ten senatorial candidates from the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) slate and included Senator Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos and Las Piñas Rep. Camille A. Villar, citing her vision of a “prosperous Philippines” behind the move.

“This vision is solid enough to break through the walls of the existing political division in the country,” she said in a statement.

The PDP slate includes James Patrick R. Bondoc, Senators Ronald “Bato” M. dela Rosa and Christopher Lawrence “Bong” T. Go, Raul L. Lambino, televangelist Apollo C. Quiboloy, Party-list Rep. Rodante D. Marcoleta, former Presidential spokesperson Victor D. Rodriguez, Jesus V. Hinlo, Jr., Richard T. Mata, and Phillip R. Salvador.

Lawmakers on Sunday said Ms. Duterte is endorsing senatorial candidates in a bid to shore up support in the Senate, which is set to convene as an impeachment court where she faces ouster.

The Philippines has been embroiled in a deepening political feud between the Marcos and Duterte clans. Once close political allies, their alliance publicly eroded last year after a series of escalating tit-for-tat exchanges stemming from policy differences.

Presidential sister Ms. Marcos left the administration’s Senate ticket in late March, saying she could no longer stand on the same platform as her former peers.

Ms. Villar was still a member of the administration slate Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas (Alliance for a New Philippines) when Ms. Duterte endorsed her.

Her father, businessman and former Senate President Manuel B. Villar, Jr., has said he sees no reason to join the quarrel between President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and his predecessor Rodrigo R. Duterte, both of whom are his friends.

“We are glad that they share our goal for a peaceful and prosperous Philippines. But turning that vision into reality takes more than words,” Navotas Rep. Tobias Reynald M. Tiangco, campaign manager of the administration’s Senate ticket, said in a separate statement. “It requires a clear direction, steady leadership, and a track record of delivering results.”

“Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas stands on performance, not promises. Our candidates are working… to push for difficult but necessary reforms that will strengthen our institutions and improve lives,” he added. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

MRT-3 deploys additional trains

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said it had deployed additional train sets for Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) to accommodate more passengers.

In a media release on Monday, DoTr said it will be deploying three four-car trains during peak hours starting Monday, which can carry over 1,500 more passengers.

MRT-3 resumed its operations on Monday after its suspension from April 17-20 for maintenance. Last month, the DoTr also extended the operations of MRT-3 by an hour to cater to more passengers.

In 2024, MRT-3 recorded a total of 135.89 million passengers, 3.5% higher than 129.03 million passengers in 2023. This translates to 375,474 average daily passengers, MRT-3 said.

Further, the Transportation department said it is also studying the possibility of implementing cashless payment for single journey tickets; as well as the possibility of providing Wi-Fi access for commuters. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

NNIC logs higher passenger volume during Holy Week

REUTERS

NEW NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC), the private operator of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) saw higher passenger volume at the country’s main gateway during the Holy Week. 

In a media release on Monday, NNIC said over 1.7 million passengers traveled through NAIA from April 13-20. This is 12.7% higher than the comparable period a year ago, NNIC said.

The operator of the country’s main gateway also logged growth in both international and domestic travel, with international passenger volume increasing by 11.21% and domestic passenger volume climbing by 14.19%. 

NNIC said it also recorded the highest single-day volume on April 20 at 156,635 passengers, while the daily average for the week was 146,611.

“NAIA recorded an on-time performance of 83.28% across all terminals throughout the Holy Week period — an indicator of smoother airport operations and more efficient turnaround for airlines,” NNIC said.

NNIC, which took over the operations of NAIA in September last year, said it is working with government stakeholders to deliver upgrades at NAIA to meet the growing demand while also supporting long-term economic growth.

Separately on Monday, the Philippine Ports Authority said it had logged 2.29 million passengers at the country’s seaports during the Holy Week. This is 37.14% higher than the 1.67 million passengers who traveled through the country’s ports in the same period last year. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Stop fake news, Marcos says

STOCK PHOTO | Image by memyselfaneye from Pixabay

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Monday ordered his government to combat fake news and disinformation, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said.

“The directive of the President is to prevent and stop fake news,” PCO Undersecretary Claire B. Castro said in a Palace briefing, without providing details.

“Fake news is really increasing here in the Philippines. So, this is no longer a joke, we really need to pay attention to it,” she added.

Ms. Castro said that the President had also conducted a meeting with the Department of Information and Communications Technology to stop the spread of fake news.

The Philippine National Police last week, created a specialized committee to tackle growing cases of misinformation and disinformation.

Earlier, the Presidential Communications Office pushed for the creation of a state regulatory body tasked to monitor fake news and to weed out troll armies that operate via dummy accounts.

Similarly, the House of Representatives in February floated the possibility of requiring social media companies to secure a franchise to operate as part of efforts to combat the spread of disinformation. — Adrian H. Halili

Penalties vs gov’t officials sought for negligence in raids

BUREAU OF CUSTOMS

A PHILIPPINE Senator on Monday called for administrative penalties on government officials who were negligent in following policies in the raid of smuggled cigarettes.

In a statement Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian said some court cases filed against smugglers were dismissed due to technicalities.

Mr. Gatchalian added that officials of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs found to be repeatedly negligent in following standard operating procedures should be charged administratively and penalized to deter cases from getting dismissed.

He said that two cases reviewed by his team showed that cases against smuggled cigarettes were dismissed due to technicalities.

“There was an operation, and the smuggled products were seized but we lost the case because of technicalities. This should have been ironed out even before the operation. Even if the evidence is strong and we’re very confident that it will prosper, but when the case is filed, we lose because of technicalities,” he added in mixed Filipino and English. — Adrian H. Halili

DBP boosts DENR’s forest rehab

STOCK PHOTO | Image by JAY PARK from Pixabay

THE Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) on Monday said it plans to aggressively expand its network of sectoral partners to boost the government’s efforts to rehabilitate forests in the country.

DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Michael O. de Jesus said in a statement the DBP has committed to reforest 7,500 hectares of land through its DBP Forest Program (DFP).

This is also in alignment with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) flagship program which targets planting 5 million indigenous trees by 2028.

The DENR’s Forest for Life: Five Million Trees by 2028, launched in March, aims to restore critical forest ecosystems in Ilocos Norte, Bataan, Rizal, Leyte, Bukidnon, and Lanao del Norte.

Mr. De Jesus said through the DFP, the Bank could help mobilize more partners to conduct reforestation activities.

“As of March 2025, DBP has already reforested 50 project sites and planted 6.65 million seedlings in 6,386 hectares of land in key areas nationwide,” he said. — CAT

More LGU role over Laguna Lake pushed

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

A SENATORIAL candidate on Monday said local government units (LGU) surrounding the Philippines’ largest lake, Laguna de Bay, should have a greater say in its cleanup, rehabilitation and management.

Government units around the lake could coordinate and consolidate their efforts to rehabilitate the waterbody, ex-Senator Panfilo M. Lacson said in a statement.

“LGUs will have a voice on how to rehabilitate, maintain and develop the lake. The LGUs can contribute different perspectives because they are the ones on the ground and may know better how to manage Laguna Lake,” he said.

Laguna Lake is used as a source of irrigation water, industrial cooling water, fish supply and hydroelectric power generation by the provinces of Rizal and Laguna and some towns of Batangas, Cavite, and Quezon provinces and cities in the Philippine capital region, according to the Laguna Lake Development Authority. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Army unit deployed in Basilan for poll security missions

COTABATO CITY — A hundred rapid deployment Army combatants, trained in ranger-style maneuvers, arrived in Basilan on Sunday to support the security efforts of the Commission on Elections in the island province.

Brig. Gen. Alvin V. Luzon, commander of the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade in Basilan, and Brig. Gen. Romeo J. Macapaz, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), separately told reporters on Monday that the troops belong to the 113th Division Reconnaissance Company (DRC) of the 11th Infantry Division in Sulu.

Sulu and Basilan are both component-provinces of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“The deployment of this unit in Basilan is part of the effort of the Western Mindanao Command and the Joint Task Force Orion to ensure safe and clean elections in the province in May 2025,” Mr. Luzon told reporters on Monday.

The Army-led Joint Task Force Orion (JTF-Orion) is an anti-terror contingent covering the island provinces in Western Mindanao.

“The deployment of this Army reconnaissance company augurs well with our joint police-military election security initiatives in Basilan,” Mr. Macapaz, speaking on PRO-BAR’s behalf, said.

Mr. Luzon and his two superiors, Lt. Gen. Antonio G. Nafarrete, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, and Major Gen. Leonardo I. Peña, who is overseeing the JTF Orion, together presided over an election security dialogue in Isabela City on Saturday among officials of all Army units in Basilan, where they discussed their preparations for the May 2025 elections. — John Felix M. Unson

Tariff pause seen as window to attract relocating manufacturers

RAUL JOSEPH A. CONCEPCION — FACEBOOK.COM/RAULJOSEPHCONCEPCION

THE PHILIPPINES should take advantage of the 90-day pause before the higher US tariffs set in to attract manufacturers relocating from heavily tariffed China, an industrialist said.

Concepcion Industrial Corp. Chairman and President Raul Joseph A. Concepcion called the 90-day pause a strategic opportunity as “many countries and companies (look), because of the tariff differentials, to move away and to deleverage against China,” he said on the Money Talks with Cathy Yang program on One News.

“As a result of that, then you will see, I think, an opportunity for the Philippines to invite manufacturers to come in, and this is the time. I think we have that small timeframe to ask people to come into the Philippines,” he added.

The Philippines was assigned a 17% tariff, the second lowest in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after Singapore’s baseline rate of 10%.

ASEAN member countries are facing some of the highest duties. Cambodia was assigned a 49% tariff, followed by Laos (48%), Vietnam (46%), Myanmar (44%), Thailand (36%), Indonesia (32%), Malaysia (24%), and Brunei (24%).

US President Donald J. Trump has since announced a 90-day pause on the tariffs, leaving only the blanket 10% duty on most trading partners until July.

Asked how the tariffs have been affecting businesses, Mr. Concepcion said companies in the last two weeks have received calls inquiring whether they can manufacture products for export to the US.

“That opportunity is available to us today, and the ability to do that now is very important for us. We just have to work smarter. Right now the government, together with the private sector, has to look for those opportunities and then obviously focus and pursue those,” he said.

“We’ve got to look at making the Philippines a destination. We have to broadcast that and market that and really put up the support services that help companies that are willing to transfer here,” he added.

However, he said that a free trade agreement may not be beneficial for the Philippines in the long term.

“It is good if it helps. But at the end of the day, I do not think that that is something that is sustainable in the long term. Companies do not come in and invest just because of trade deals,” he said.

He added that more than a trade deal, the Philippines should ready its infrastructure, logistics, downstream industries, and workforce.

Ateneo de Manila Professor Luis F. Dumlao said that the Philippines should articulate to the US that the two economies are complementary.

“We do have a deficit in electronics, but what we export to them are parts that the US can complete as manufactured end-user products, which they can export around the world, including the Philippines,” he said.

“We should sit down basically as partners, not as trade competitors,” he added.

Meanwhile, Mr. Dumlao said that he does not think that a free trade deal is possible between the Philippines and the US.

“The US, for political reasons, will never get rid of its subsidy on agricultural products. So we have to rely on second best,” he said.

“That is why we have to sit down together and get to something that is as close to free trade as possible. Knowing that we should not be naive that absolute free trade is possible,” he added.

Further, he said that there is a need for the Philippines to market its second-lowest tariff in ASEAN.

“We should try to take advantage of the fact that others will be diversifying instead of putting all their eggs on China in terms of manufacturing. We are not going to get them all, but it is just an opportunity to get a piece of the action,” he added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

1...251252253...12,801Page 252 of 12,801
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube