Bonifacio Day protesters demand higher wages, transport subsidy

November 30, 2023 | 9:38 pm

higher wages Protest — POLICE hold their ranks as members of labor group, Kilusang Mayo Uno (May First Movement), are joined by other activists in a protest march along Kalaw Avenue in Manila on Thursday morning, marking Andres Bonifacio Day with a call to government to address their grievances. —PHILIPPINESTAR/ERNIE PEÑAREDONDO

By Jomel R. Paguian

LABOR GROUPS on Thursday marched along the streets of Manila to voice out concerns on workers’ welfare as transport groups and anti-war coalition activists denounced the phaseout of jeepneys and foreign military intervention.

The demonstrations were staged to mark the 160th birth anniversary of national hero and revolutionary, Andres Bonifacio.

Transport group Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (PISTON), which led a three-day transport strike last week, joined the protest to urge the government to include a P31.57-billion public utility vehicle (PUV) rehabilitation subsidy in the 2024 national budget.

The subsidy, proposed by Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas on Wednesday, would be used in upgrading 63,140 traditional PUVs per year.

The transport group argued that with the proposed subsidy, the government has no reason to make franchise consolidation mandatory under the PUV Modernization Program since government subsidies will be inclusive for all legitimate franchise holders, regardless of consolidation status.

“When this is enacted, there is no reason for the government to push for franchise consolidation because the budget will now be allocated directly to the rehabilitation of old public vehicles,” PISTON national president Mody T. Floranda said in a statement in Filipino.

Labor groups, among them the Kilusang Mayo Uno, also demanded substantial wage increases, highlighting the stagnant daily income amid inflation. They argued that current earnings fall significantly below the family living wage standard of P1,186 per day, even with the P610 daily minimum pay in Metro Manila — the highest regional minimum wage in the country.

National Confederation of Labor president Ernesto Arellano urged for the implementation of a P750 wage increase across all regions in the country, and the reestablishment of national minimum wage which will junk regional wage boards.

The groups also called for an end to “contractualization” schemes — the labor practice of hiring workers on a short-term or contractual basis — and demanded regular job and employment opportunities.

An anti-war coalition comprised of labor and human rights groups, No To War network, also joined the protest to rally against the aggression of foreign powers in the South China Sea, condemning the joint military exercises with the United States and the ongoing discussion to have a similar program with the Japanese military. The coalition also called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

“It is imperative to stop these wars so that focus is redirected to more immediate and pressing concerns faced by the world’s people, particularly the urgent battles against poverty, inequality, and the climate crisis,” said Partido Manggagawa Chair Renato Magtubo in a statement.

Greenpeace demands COP28 action

November 30, 2023 | 9:37 pm

ONE of the world’s largest green organizations said it will continue to block access to Shell Pilipinas Corporation’s import terminal in southern Luzon until the Philippine delegation at the COP28 demands accountability from climate-polluting firms.

The blockade, which started on Wednesday morning, involves Greenpeace International’s flagship vessel Rainbow Warrior, and kayaks, hindering Shell’s access to the Tabangao port in Batangas. It continued on Thursday as world leaders commenced their climate conference in Dubai.

“Our protest will go on until we get a response from the Philippine delegation at the COP28 represented by [Environment] Secretary [Maria Antonia] Yulo-Loyzaga that it will heed the call to make climate polluters pay up for the loss and damage suffered by communities,” Greenpeace Philippines campaigner Jefferson Chua said by telephone.

Timothy James Laurel, government relations advocacy manager at Shell Pilipinas, did not immediately reply to an email and a text message seeking comment.

“For it to happen, the Philippine government needs to advocate for a strong and fair loss and damage facility at COP28. It needs to push for a national legislation that will make climate justice and accountability a state policy to secure accountability for impacted communities,” said Mr. Chua.

While Greenpeace Philippines recognized remarks from the Philippine government that developing nations must fulfill their climate finance promises, it said the country must also demand that corporations pay reparations and pursue a green transition.

“The call has been for developed countries to pay up and deliver climate action. What we are saying is that not only developed countries should deliver but also big corporations that continue to damage the environment,” Mr. Chua said.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, 66, on Wednesday vowed that the Philippines will “use this (COP28) platform to rally the global community and call upon nations to honor their commitments, particularly in climate financing.”

“We are once again poised to lead,” he told the beneficiaries of the Philippines’ P1-billion People’s Survival Fund, a long term finance stream that was institutionalized through a 2012 law that amended the Climate Change Act of 2009.

Separately, Philippine environment chief Ms. Yulo-Loyzaga said at a Wednesday briefing that the negotiation for a loss and damage fund will be one of the most critical agenda during the UN climate conference.

After a long fight, we now have loss and damage on the agenda,” she said. “We anticipate at this point that there will be many issues relating to climate-vulnerable countries that will be addressed by this loss and damage fund.”

“We need an assurance and commitment from the government that big polluters like Shell will be held to account,” Mr. Chua said.

Greenpeace’s vessel, with a banner that read “Make Climate Polluters Pay,” has been anchored in front of the terminal since the first day of the blockade.

Greenpeace had yet to assess how the blockade has affected Shell’s operations but Mr. Chua said the Tabangao port is key to the entry of various petroleum products into the country.

The Shell Import Facility in Tabangao, also known as SHIFT, was previously one of the country’s two oil refineries that had been holding about 100,000 barrels of oil daily.

SHIFT, which Shell calls a world-class import terminal, was inaugurated in 2021. In the same year, Shell Pilipinas said that through the facility, it would be able to meet fuel demand not just in the capital region but also in Southern Luzon and Northern Visayas.

Mr. Chua said the Philippine government also needs to assure that it will explore options for climate litigation “against big polluters,” which he said has already been done by other governments.

For example, the state of California sued five corporations such as Shell, BP, ExxonMobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips as well as the trade American Petroleum Institute for allegedly deceiving the public over dangers linked to fossil fuels and causing billions of dollars in damage to communities and the environment.

“There are also residents from a small island in Indonesia who are taking Holcim, a Swiss cement company, to court for damaging the environment,” Mr. Chua added. “Litigation can be through different means.”

Scientists worldwide have warned that rising global temperatures caused by destructive activities are making typhoons more powerful. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Smartmatic challenge expected

November 30, 2023 | 9:36 pm

THE COMMISSION on Election (Comelec) said on Thursday that it expects its En Banc resolution that disqualifies voting technology provider, Smartmatic, from participating in Philippine elections to be challenged before the Supreme Court (SC).

It became apparent during the Comelec press conference that Comelec Chairman George M. Garcia was holding back on comments on their resolution. “Any moment from now, somebody will go to the Supreme Court, and therefore, any statement we will make now will and can be used against the commission,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.

“We don’t want the decision to be disregarded simply because of a loose tongue. What we say may be used against us when it reaches the Supreme Court,” he added.

A day after the resolution was made public, Smartmatic said it was not given the opportunity to provide comments or respond to the grounds used by the commission ban the firm.

“We are very confident that had Comelec informed us of the matter, allowed us to explain our side and present countervailing evidence, the unfair disqualification would not have been meted out,” it said in a statement.

It added that the reasons cited for Smartmatic’s disqualification were not even included in the complaint filed by the group led by former Information and Communications Technology Chief Eliseo M. Rio, Jr.

In its resolution released on Wednesday, Comelec cited the allegations revolving around former Comelec Chairman Juan Andres D. Bautista who allegedly received bribes in exchange for awarding a contract for Smartmatic during the 2016 national elections.

In response to Smartmatic, Mr. Garcia said in the briefing that the issue of bribery was included in the series of petitions filed against them, and they neglected to address it during the hearing of their disqualification case. “If it’s included in the allegations, they should counter it because if they don’t respond, it constitutes a general denial, and a general denial is a weak denial,” he said.

Immediately after the press briefing, Smartmatic posted another statement denying that they were given the opportunity to present evidence on the bribery case.

“It is grossly misleading, therefore, to claim that we have been accorded our right to due process,” Smartmatic said in response to Comelec’s press briefing. “On the contrary, we find the decision to have been very arbitrary and was marked by grave abuse of authority.”

Mr. Garcia clarified that the investigation of the bribery case involving the former Comelec chairman is still ongoing and is aimed to conclude before the end of the year. He clarified that “the investigation [of bribery allegation] is separate and distinct from the [disqualification] case.”

Amid the ongoing investigation of bribery, Mr. Garcia said they disqualified Smartmatic “because we want to preserve the integrity of the electoral process.” He said, “When there’s bribery and alleged rigging of bidding, explaining to the public becomes extremely challenging once doubts arise. We want to prove that the public can trust Comelec.”

When asked why Smartmatic was disqualified despite not being indicted of the allegation, Mr. Garcia said the commission has the administrative power to disqualify a bidder even without a filed case, explaining that there was no grave abuse of discretion “so long as due process was observed.”

Smartmatic responded: “Chair Garcia repeatedly mentioned that Comelec, in disqualifying Smartmatic, was not using its quasi-judicial function, which is subject to oversight, but its administrative function, which in his interpretation gave the Comelec overly broad and unfettered powers that could not be questioned.”

The company also criticized the chairman for equating the commission’s administrative power to disqualify an entity with relocating a voting precinct, stating that it is “a faulty and dangerous analogy that trivializes the serious nature of the disqualification.” — Jomel R. Paguian

Scientists lobby for CASER amid planned peace talks

November 30, 2023 | 9:35 pm

NATIONAL industrialization and other comprehensive socioeconomic reforms should be at the core of peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the local Maoist movement, Filipino scientists said.

“We hope the resumption of peace talks will pick up and develop further the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio Economic Reforms (CASER) as one of the frameworks of the peace negotiation,” AGHAM said in a statement.

CASER, which sought to establish a framework for laws and policies on agrarian reform, rural modernization, and national industrialization, was the main component of the previous peace negotiations between the National Democratic Front (NDF) and the government in 2016.

The Philippine civil society had said the CASER was the “meat” of past peace negotiations as it contained concrete steps needed to solve the problems of poverty and economic backwardness, which are considered the root causes of the longest-running insurgency in the world.

The parties were in the middle of discussing CASER when the talks were unilaterally halted by former President Rodrigo R. Duterte in 2017 through a presidential proclamation.

“If pursued, the gains from national industrialization will be used to enhance the country’s agriculture sector, creating a synergistic relationship between agriculture and industry, which is necessary for self-reliance,” AGHAM said.

The Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the NDFP on Nov. 23 cited “serious socioeconomic and environment issues” as well as “foreign security threats” for agreeing to “a principled and peaceful resolution” of their armed conflict. The joint statement was made in Norway, which has been facilitating the talks since 2011.

The NDF is a coalition of Maoist revolutionary groups that represents the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing New People’s Army in the negotiations with the government.

AGHAM urged the two camps to enjoin scientists and industrialists in the talks.

“National industrialization, in particular, is a field in which scientists, engineers, and technologists can contribute their knowledge and expertise,” it said.

National industrialization will not only develop the country’s science and technology sector “but will also lead to a self-sufficient economy that will end the country’s dependence on foreign products and technologies,” it added.

Aside from socioeconomic reforms, the four substantive agendas in the previous talks also included respect for human rights and the international humanitarian law, political and constitutional reforms, and cessation of hostilities and disposition of forces.

The decades-long armed conflict has been the “single biggest justification of the government in perpetrating countless human rights violations against Filipino civilians and human rights defenders,” In Defense for Human Rights and Dignity Movement (iDEFEND) said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“The government’s counter-insurgency campaign had terrorized communities into silence, restricted necessary resources, and undermined organizing efforts of democratic forces especially among indigenous peoples, farmers, workers, urban poor and students,” it said. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

CARP for Bangsamoro deal inked

November 30, 2023 | 9:34 pm

Brief4-CARP — AGRARIAN Reform Secretary Conrado M. Estrella, III and Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod B. Ebrahim pose with other officials on Tuesday after signing an agreement to pursue the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program in the Bangsamoro region. —HANDOUT/DAR

THE DEPARTMENT of Agrarian Reform (DAR) said it has signed a deal with the Bangsamoro government to improve the region’s agriculture sector by implementing the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in the region.

In a statement on Thursday, the DAR said that it has signed the memorandum of understanding with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (BARMM) Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Agrarian Reform last Tuesday.

“The signing of the policy framework… is an important milestone as BARMM establishes a partnership with the DAR for the first time since the implementation of the (CARP) in 1988,” it said, citing an aggregated 103,344.58 hectares available for distribution to 65,379 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB), 280 ARB organizations, and 110 agrarian reform communities in the region.

Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III said that the DAR aims to implement land distribution, agrarian justice delivery, and provision of support services programs.

BARMM Chief Minister Ahod B. Ebrahim said that the deal would ensure the better implementation of the agrarian reform program in the region.

Mr. Estrella said the DAR would also supply beneficiaries with more infrastructure projects, farm equipment, and agricultural inputs, through additional funding.

“We will also provide new agricultural technologies and introduce more modern and scientific ways of farming to BARMM’s farmer-beneficiaries,” Mr. Estrella said. — Adrian H. Halili

5 agencies unite vs child labor

November 30, 2023 | 9:33 pm

KORONADAL CITY — Officials of five agencies on Thursday wrapped up their four-day workshop on the expansion of a foreign-funded children’s rights protection campaign in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) with focus on ending child labor.

The representatives of BARMM’s education, local government and labor ministries, the Development Academy of Bangsamoro, and the Bangsamoro Youth Commission vowed to cooperate in implementing the Supporting Children’s Rights through Education, the Arts and the Media or SCREAM campaign in all of BARMM’s six provinces and three cities.

Elias G. Salazar, International Labour Organization’s project officer in BARMM, said on Thursday that they are to test the SCREAM’s implementation soon in Cotabato City; Wao in Lanao del Sur; and South Upi in Maguindanao del Sur.

“We can also encourage the local government units in these areas to get involved in that initiative,” BARMM Regional Local Government Minister Naguib G. Sinarimbo said. — John Felix M. Unson

With high prevalence of child labor in some areas in BARMM due to poverty caused by decades of secessionist strife, Bai Sara Jane S. Sinsuat, director of the Bureau of Employment, Promotion and Welfare of the Ministry of Labor and Employment-BARMM, said their minister, Muslimin G. Sema, is ready to support the SCREAM program.

The Japanese government and the International Labor Organization of the United Nations are the main benefactors of the SCREAM campaign. — John Felix M. Unson

SMNI defends discussion on Speaker’s travel expenses

November 30, 2023 | 9:32 pm

Brief6-Survival — PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. presents Governor Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr. of Mountain Province with a P271.15-million grant for a Climate Field School on Wednesday in Malacañang Palace. —PPA POOL/YUMMIE DINGDING

THE SONSHINE Media Network International (SMNI) said on Thursday that it did not deliberately disseminate fake information when its anchors questioned a claim from an unnamed source that House Speaker Martin G. Romualdez spent more than P1.8 billion for trips abroad.

“What we are doing here, we acted in good faith… we are conducting an internal investigation on if there was a statement about the P1.8 billion,” Mark Tolentino, legal counsel for SMNI, told a House Legislative Franchise Committee hearing looking into alleged red-tagging and fake news peddling practices committed by the network.

“We deny that there’s a statement (on the fund), it was just a question answerable by yes or no,” Mr. Tolentino said.

Offering clarity to the issue, House Secretary General Reginald S. Velasco told the same hearing that the combined travel expense abroad for 2023 of Mr. Romualdez and other congressmen amounted to P39.6 million.

In his privilege speech on Tuesday, Quezon Rep. David C. Suarez asked the committee to investigate the claim made in the SMNI’s evening program, saying the report was designed to mislead the public and tarnish the reputation of the lower chamber and its Speaker.

“The franchise given to SMNI is not a right, it’s a privilege that comes with responsibility and norms that they should abide by,” said Mr. Suarez said.

“Any responsible media practitioner, if given information, would first validate that information before they go out in public,” he added. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Mountain Province gets P271-M climate change survival fund

November 30, 2023 | 9:31 pm

MtProvince-people-MOUNTAIN-PROVINCE-TOURISM-OFFICE — MOUNTAIN PROVINCE TOURISM OFFICE

BAGUIO CITY — Malacañang has granted P271.15 million to Mountain Province to fund the local government’s efforts to curb the effects of climate change.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno awarded the province’s share of the People’s Survival Fund (PSF) during a ceremony at the Palace last Wednesday.

Mountain Province Governor Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr. said the fund was through the initiatives of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), Mountain Province LGU and the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College.

He said that once all the required documents are processed, the fund will be downloaded from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Mr. Lacwasan thanked the national government for priority allocation given to Mountain Province which received almost 50% of the P541-million climate adaptation fund for beneficiary-local government units (LGUs) under the PSF-Climate Change Commission.

Another P2 million was received by Besao, a municipality of Mountain Province, for the same effort to parry off the dire effects of climate change. — Artemio A. Dumlao

NGCP seeks resolution of TRO on Panay-Guimaras tower sites

November 30, 2023 | 9:04 pm

THE National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said it is seeking an “urgent resolution” from the Supreme Court (SC) of a temporary restraining order (TRO) that blocked it from working on a site needed for its Panay-Guimaras 138-kilovolt interconnection project.

“We are hopeful for the urgent resolution of the issue so as not to hamper the interconnection which will improve the region’s power transmission line projects,” the NGCP said in a statement on Thursday.

The SC had granted the petition of the Iloilo Grain Complex Corp. (IGCC) for Certiorari and Prohibition with Very Urgent Application for Temporary Restraining Order and/or Writ of Preliminary Injunction.

IGCC owns the property where two towers are set to be erected. The NGCP said the site is “crucial as this 1.7-kilometer transmission line will connect the proposed Iloilo Substation to the Ingore Cable Terminal Station.”

The cable terminal station will serve as the connection point of the submarine cable to Guimaras Island.

The NGCP filed an expropriation case on Sept. 30, 2022 to acquire the property, which was approved by Iloilo Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 33 on Nov. 3, 2022.

A writ of possession was then issued on Dec. 12, 2022, but the IGCC submitted a motion for reconsideration on Jan. 18, which was denied by the RTC.

The dispute was then elevated to the SC, which granted the TRO.

The NGCP said that the TRO prevents it from carrying out a component of the project crucial to linking the two islands.

“The Supreme Court’s decision is disheartening as it hinders us from fulfilling our commitment to the residents of the islands of Panay and Guimaras, including fast-developing Iloilo City,” the NGCP said.

“Nevertheless, we steadfastly maintain our dedication to enhancing power transmission within the area despite this setback,” it added.

The interconnection project is an upgrade of the existing submarine cable connecting Panay and Guimaras. It is targeted to be completed in December next year.

The NGCP said it continues to seek “an expeditious and amicable settlement” with the landowner. However, the grid operator said that it is reluctant to move forward with IGCC’s proposal, which involves a reroute through a residential area affecting five households.

“When we plot the route of our transmission line projects, a major consideration is the existence of structures and residents. We aim to traverse areas that will cause least destruction to property, and result in the least number of persons displaced,” it added.

According to the grid operator, “any deviation in the established route may also affect adjacent towers and cause further delay to the completion of the project.” — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

Senate MUP pension reform measure approved by four committees

November 30, 2023 | 9:03 pm

Police personnel-wc — The government wants to reform the pension system for military and uniformed personnel (MUP) to avert a fiscal crisis. — PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

A SENATE bill seeking to overhaul retirement benefits for military and uniformed personnel (MUP) has been approved by four of the chamber’s committees.

On Thursday, the Senate Committees on National Defense and Security, Unification and Reconciliation; Government Corporations and Public Enterprises; Ways and Means; and Finance released their committee report on Senate Bill No. 2501, which seeks to set monthly retirement pay at 50% of the base pay for the last position held by retired MUPs.

Under the bill, retirees may choose to receive benefits in lump sum or directly through an accrual method.

New MUPs will be required to contribute to the new pension fund system.

Members of the military will be required to contribute 7% of their base monthly salary, with the National Government contributing 14%, according to a copy of the measure dated as filed on Nov. 29.

The contribution scheme for other uniformed personnel is 9% of salary and a government top-up of 12%.

The current system does not require MUPs to contribute to their pension fund, which are funded entirely by the National Government.

The measure, if passed, would permit a guaranteed 3% annual increase in the base pay of active personnel and in the pension benefits of retirees for the next 10 years.

In September, the House of Representatives approved its version of the bill on third and final reading. House Bill No. 8969 or the proposed Military Uniformed Personnel Pension System Act, also requires new entrants to contribute to their pension fund, at a rate of 9% of monthly salary with a 12% government top-up.

The measure is on the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council’s list of priority bills.

The measure authorizes the President to adjust the pension and survivorship benefits “due to adverse fiscal or economic conditions,” as determined by the Development Budget Coordination Committee. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

SRA calls for sugar SRP to be set at P85 per kilo

November 30, 2023 | 9:02 pm

THE Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said on Thursday that it is pushing for a suggested retail price (SRP) for refined sugar at P85 per kilogram.

Administrator Pablo Luis S. Azcona told reporters that the SRA and the Department of Agriculture (DA) are currently studying an SRP scheme following the failure of prices to drop despite increased supply.

“We have been pushing for an P85 SRP. The only (snag) there is how it will be enforced,” Mr. Azcona added.

He said government agencies need to be able to enforce the SRP for refined sugar at retail.

The SRA has said that retail prices for refined sugar have remained stable since February last year at P80 per kilo to P110 per kilo in supermarkets.

“They said before that price (of sugar) went up because the supply was not enough; the supply is here, and we are also milling. But the retail price has not yet decreased,” he added.

According to the regulator’s Sugar Order No. 1, raw sugar production was estimated at 1.85 million metric tons during the 2023 to 2024 crop year.

Mr. Azcona said that the farmgate price of raw sugar had declined by about P10 per kilo to an average of P2,620 per 50-kilo bag.

“One thing that is being talked about is getting the other agencies involved; they are the ones who have control on the retail side. The DA and SRA charter say that we cannot participate in the market price of sugar,” he added.

He said that sugar prices are not reflecting the decline in the farmgate price of the commodity.

The SRA had projected earlier that the farmgate price of raw sugar will hit P3,000 per 50-kilo bag.

“We will see how we can fix it, but that’s an immediate concern because prices are sliding and farmers are being affected,” Mr. Azcona added. — Adrian H. Halili

UK eyeing gov’t-to-gov’t setup for major PHL procurement deals

November 30, 2023 | 9:01 pm

By Justine Irish D. Tabile, Reporter

THE United Kingdom (UK) said it is working to develop a government-to-government scheme that will simplify major procurement exercises with the Philippines.

“We are in the process of working with the government to develop a memorandum of understanding to facilitate government-to-government agreements on trade. That is a conversation that’s happening right now,” Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils said on Thursday.

The ambassador said the talks are in their early stages, with no specific timetable set.

She added that such a scheme will “simplify government-to-government trade and simplify government-to-government arrangements for big procurements.”

Government-to-government procurement deals will function in parallel with the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which allows the tariff-free entry of 99% of Philippine exports to the UK.

She also said that a Joint Economic and Trade Committee with the Philippines is also under discussion.

According to Ms. Beaufils, UK-Philippine trade rose 32% in the year to March to 2.9 billion pounds.

The Philippines is the 59^th largest trading partner of the UK.

Chris Nelson, executive director of the British Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, added that British meat exports to the Philippines could recover next year.

“I think this year will be lower than last year, but I think what we’re looking for is to continue the relationships which we’ve established here with the key meat importers. Therefore, I think it’s more important that we will likely see a recovery,” Mr. Nelson said.

However, he said that the extension of lowered tariffs for meat and the passage of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act will be key to an export rebound next year.

“We should be realistic. It will not happen probably in the initial part of the year but further on,” he said.

“I’m optimistic that in 2024 we will see a strong rebound, but probably more towards the latter half of the year because obviously they’ve got to gear up for that,” he added.

The UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board estimates that UK pork exports to the Philippines declined 67.5% as of Nov. 11, while beef exports declined 57.1%.