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Bill on PhilHealth premiums passed

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE SENATE on Tuesday approved on third and final reading a bill that seeks to cut Philippine Health Insurance (PhilHealth) premiums to 3.25% next year from 5% this year under the Universal Healthcare Act.

Nineteen senators unanimously approved Senate Bill No. 2620, which originally sought to lower the premium to 4% this year.

The measure would set PhilHealth premium contribution at 3.25% this year for those with a monthly income of P10,000 to 50,000, with incremental increases of 0.25% each year.

The agency started hiking its monthly contribution rate in 2019 so that it can sustain the benefits given to its members. The contribution rates this year will stay at 5% from 2.75% five years ago.

PhilHealth spent P75.8 billion for its benefit pay-outs last year, almost half of the amount paid by state insurer in 2022 at P143 billion and P140 billion in 2021, PhilHealth Executive Vice President Eli Dindo D. Santos told congressmen in May. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Electoral reforms bill approved

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE HOUSE of Representatives electoral reforms committee on Tuesday approved a proposal postponing Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) by a year to 2026 to avoid cutting local officials’ terms short.

The panel sponsored House Bill No. 10344, which seeks to move the schedule of polls for barangay officials to Oct. 2026 from Dec. 2025. This is in accordance with the Local Government Code of 1991 which prescribed a three-year term for local officials.

“As the Local Government [Code] would specifically provide, the term of barangay officials should be three years… we should not cut short their terms,” Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund F. Villafuerte, Jr. said in an interview.

“The right of the people to elect an official [entails that] they expect the elected official to perform it in three years… they cannot [effectively] perform [their duties] in two years,” he added.

The bill seeks to harmonize the barangay election cycle as the 2022 polls for barangay officials were postponed to Oct. 2023, a move which the Supreme Court declared as unconstitutional. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Revised auditing code pushed

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

THE COMMISSION on Audit (CoA) on Tuesday pushed to amend the Auditing Code to bolster the agency’s authority in examining public service corporations and private entities engaged in public-private partnerships (PPP) with the government, citing the need boost state accountability mechanisms.

At a Senate hearing, CoA Assistant Commissioner Fortunata M. Rubico said the agency is proposing for lawmakers to amend the code to include “public service corporations” within CoA’s jurisdiction to conduct special audits on whether rate charges, franchise taxes and other fees were reasonably imposed.

“The ultimate goal of this reform is to uphold the integrity of public office and to safeguard public trust,” CoA Commissioner Gamaliel A. Cordoba told the same hearing.

“With this new auditing code, we are not just keeping pace with change, we are positioning ourselves at the forefront of governmental reform.”

Under Senate Bill No. 2746, or the Revised Government Auditing Act filed by Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero on July 23, CoA is tasked to setup a program allowing civil society organizations to assist state auditors in evaluating and monitoring government projects in remote and critical areas.

The proposed code also bars cash transfers between agencies unless specified under a memorandum of agreement between them. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

PHL daylight saving time bill OKd

UNSPLASH

A HOUSE of Representatives panel approved on Tuesday a measure allowing the Philippine President to advance clocks in the country by one hour in the first six months of a year to maximize labor and educational productivity during the dry season.

Endorsed by the House economic affairs committee, House Bill No. 7750 grants the President the power to declare daylight saving time from Jan. 1 to June 1 of a given year to offset productivity losses in the second half of the year due to the rainy season.

“Currently, both the labor and the educational sector are suffering from interruptions in the productive hours brought about by torrential rains and the consequent floodings during the rainy season,” according to the measure.

“It is essential that the state take preventive measures in this decline in productivity by adjusting the Philippine Standard Time (PST) by one hour during the dry season,” it added.

Daylight saving time is a practice of adjusting clocks by an hour ahead during the dry season when days are longer and turning it back by an hour in the latter parts of the year to nullify possible productivity loss.

Previous administrations had briefly applied daylight saving time, with the most recent implementation in 1990 under the government of ex-President Corazon “Cory” C. Aquino when the country was grappling with electricity issues. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

JICA boosts Baguio wastewater treatment

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE JAPAN International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has partnered with Japanese manufacturing company FujiClean Co Ltd. to improve wastewater treatment in Baguio City.

“It is crucial for the local government to seek alternative solutions to increase wastewater treatment coverage and alleviate further water pollution in the city,” JICA said in a statement.

“The updated general effluent standards for selected parameters set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) necessitated a cooperation with entities with proven expertise in this field.”

Baguio City’s Sewerage Treatment Plant, which was funded by Japanese aid in the 1980s, currently covers just 10% of the city’s population. The plant has also incurred infrastructural challenges due to typography issues, it said.

“Our joint collaboration will lead to a further sustainable and clean environment, livable standards, tourism development, economic boost, job opportunities, and so on,” JICA Philippines Chief Representative Sakamoto Takema said in a statement.

To help meet the city’s wastewater requirements, FujiClean’s decentralized wastewater treatment system will be integrated with Baguio City’s current centralized sewerage network. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

Marcos: Immigration aided Guo escape

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Tuesday said some Immigration staff had aided the escape of a former mayor accused of coddling illegal offshore gambling operations in the country.

He said he had been told by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla earlier in the day that their investigation into ex-Bamban Mayor Alice L. Guo’s escape was almost complete.

“He’s almost finished with a very thorough investigation, and we will identify all those who are involved and we will act very quickly,” he told reporters at the presidential palace.

Mr. Marcos said he has a “very good idea” of whose heads would roll over Ms. Guo’s escape.

Meanwhile, Sheila Guo, the former mayor’s sister, told a Senate investigation she and her siblings — Alice and Wesley — had hopped on three different boats to flee the country last month.

She said she and her siblings left Manila via a five-hour van ride before boarding a small white boat. They then transferred to a bigger fishing boat and moved to another small boat to reach Malaysia.

Sheila told senators she separated from her siblings on July 19 after reaching Indonesia. She and another companion were sent back to the Philippines by Indonesian authorities after they were arrested in Jakarta last week. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and John Victor D. Ordoñez

The Eraserheads kicks off UAAP opening at Araneta on Sept. 7

THE ERASERHEADS

ONE of the most iconic standouts from host University of the Philippines (UP) will electrify the opening ceremony of the highly-anticipated 87th Season of the UAAP on Sept. 7 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

Legendary original Pilipino music rock band The Eraserheads, which was founded at the UP Diliman campus in 1989, has been announced as the UAAP opening headliner in a rare reunion to throw it back in time with the new era music fans from the eight of the country’s premier universities.

Paying tribute to their alma mater, Ely Buendia, Marcus Adoro, Raymund Marasigan and Buddy Zabala performing in front of the new generation champions the UAAP Season 87’s theme of “Stronger, Better, Together.”

“We’re happy that the Eraserheads are going to share their magic with the UAAP as we start Season 87,” said UP Office for Athletics and Sports Development (OASD) Dir. Bo Perasol.

“They reached the top, disbanded, reunited, and now, full circle na sila sa homecoming nila sa UP and sa UAAP. They are true music icons and legends and our national pride.”

UP’s announcement of The Eraserheads’ guesting came on the heels of the music icons’ reception of the Gawad Oblation Award — the highest distinction that UP bestows on its alumni for their significant contributions and extraordinary service — last week at the Diliman campus.

Besides the Eraserheads, the UAAP opening ceremony will feature other famous artists and top notch performers who will bring the theme of Stronger, Better, Together to life.

It also followed the inaugural EsportsTournament of the UAAP last week in Ateneo to formally kick off the 87th Season.

But before the band serenades the fans with their timeless hits like “Ang Huling El Bimbo,” “Ligaya,” “Magasin” and “With A Smile,” UP will officially kick start the countdown to the season with a visit to seven other universities to gift them with a symbolic, LED-lit torch like the Olympic Flame.

All schools have also been invited to interpret the season theme with artworks of their own in “The Unity Wall” to be displayed during games. Pep rallies then follow suit starting with Univeristy of the East on Aug. 28, Ateneo and Far Eastern University on Aug. 30, National University and UP on Sep. 3, De La Salle and UST on Sep. 4, and Adamson on Sep. 5 before the opening.

Separate tickets will be sold for the Opening Ceremony and the first basketball game between the UP Fighting Maroons and the Ateneo Blue Eagles on Sept. 7 that will tip off later in the day. Tickets will be available at Ticketnet. — John Bryan Ulanday.

Alex Eala slides to No. 153 in WTA rankings

ALEX EALA — POC-PSC MEDIA POOL

ALEX EALA slightly slid down outside the Top 150 of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings after a tough finale defeat in the US Open women’s singles last week in New York.

From No. 148 prior to her US Open pro debut, Ms. Eala tripped to No. 153 in the latest WTA list on Wednesday though still in good position to climb the ladder the rest of the year.

For the third straight qualifying tournament of a Grand Slam event, Ms. Eala reached the finals only to fall one win shy of a coveted main draw slot, where she could have been the first Filipina to ever qualify.

Unseeded and all, the 19-year-old Filipina sensation braved on against more seasoned counterparts before falling prey to No. 20 seed and WTA No. 123 Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania in the final, 6-3, 1-6, 4-6. But still, the lefty graduate of the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain still impressed with big wins against WTA No. 180 Maddison Inglis of Australia and No. 99 Nuria Parrizas Diaz of Spain, also the No. 15 seed, in the first two rounds.

Ms. Eala, who won the US Open girls’ singles crown in 2022, achieved the same finale feat in the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year.

There, Ms. Eala lost to Argentina’s Julie Riera, 6-4, 6(3)-7, 4-6 loss in the Roland Garros and absorbed a 6(3)-7, 5-7 defeat against New Zealand’s Lulu Sun in the Wimbledon.

There’s no giving up for the former world junior No. 2 Ms. Eala, who is determined to scale the heights of the women’s pro circuit in her still blossoming career. — John Bryan Ulanday

Huge crowd watches Indiana hold off Atlanta

INDIANA FEVER — SCREENSHOT FROM WNBA YOUTUBE CHANNEL

KELSEY MITCHELL scored a game-high 29 points, helping lead the visiting Indiana Fever to an 84-79 win over the Atlanta Dream on Monday.

Caitlin Clark added 19 points, seven assists and seven rebounds for the Indiana Fever (14-16), who have won three of four. Aliyah Boston chipped in 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, while Damiris Dantas tallied 11 points off the bench.

Tina Charles led Atlanta (10-19) with 28 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Rhyne Howard scored 16 points. Allisha Gray logged 12 points and Jordin Canada had 10 for the Dream, who dropped their second straight game.

The contest drew a crowd of 17,608, a franchise record for a Dream home game. The game was played at the Atlanta Hawks’ venue, State Farm Arena, instead of the Dream’s usual locale, Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia.

After Indiana led by 14 at halftime, Ms. Mitchell extended the visitors’ advantage to 55-38 with a 3-pointer on the opening possession of the third quarter.

With Indiana up 68-51 after Dantas’ 3-pointer with 1:54 left in the period, the Dream went on an 8-0 run before Ms. Clark’s layup with 21.2 seconds remaining gave the Fever a 70-59 lead entering the final quarter.

The Dream’s Nia Coffey began the fourth with a layup before Ms. Clark and Ms. Mitchell drained 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions, giving the Fever a 76-61 lead.

From there, Atlanta went on a 13-0 run, with Ms. Howard’s triple cutting Indiana’s lead to 76-74 with 4:13 to go.

Indiana responded with a 5-0 spurt, as Ms. Mitchell converted a three-point play to give Indiana an 81-74 edge. After Ms. Charles hit a jumper on the next possession, neither team scored again until Boston split a pair of free throws to put the Fever up 82-76 with 1:09 left.

Ms. Coffey then cut the deficit in half with a 3-pointer at the 53 second mark. Ms. Mitchell missed a 3-point attempt on the ensuing possession, giving the Dream a chance to tie the game. However, Ms. Coffey and Ms. Charles each missed game-tying 3-point tries before Boston stole Ms. Coffey’s pass. Ms. Mitchell then drained two free throws with five seconds left, sealing Indiana’s win.

The Fever led by five points after one quarter, and 11 points from Ms. Mitchell in the second quarter boosted the halftime margin to 52-38. — Reuters

Rusty Djokovic starts Grand Slam record bid with Albot thrashing

NEW YORK — Novak Djokovic’s bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title kicked off on Monday with a 6-2 6-2 6-4 win over qualifier Radu Albot in the US Open first round as the defending champion returned to the court after his Olympic triumph.

Three weeks after winning the singles title at the Paris Games, Mr. Djokovic lacked his golden touch in the night match at Arthur Ashe Stadium as he struggled with serve and racked up nearly twice as many unforced errors as winners.

But the 37-year-old Serb had more than enough weapons to handle the Moldovan journeyman in their first tour clash.

While having never played Mr. Albot before, Mr. Djokovic said he had done his homework on the 34-year-old, who beat both his younger brothers Marko and Djordje during their playing days.

Mr. Djokovic duly avenged the family name in three rusty sets, closing out the match with a big serve to set up an all-Serbian clash with Laslo Djere for a place in the third round.

Level on 24 Grand Slam titles with Margaret Court, Mr. Djokovic will hope for better from his game as he looks to take the record outright at Flushing Meadows. — Reuters

Diamond Sports Group reaches NBA and NHL teams broadcast deals

DIAMOND Sports Group will continue to carry local game broadcasts for 20 National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Hockey League (NHL) teams in the 2024-25 season.

Diamond reached agreements with the NBA and NHL that were disclosed Friday in filings with the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.

The subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group had been operating the Bally-branded regional sports networks that carried NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball games in many markets around the country. Diamond filed for Chapter 1 bankruptcy in March 2023 and were ordered that spring to pay four MLB teams 50 percent of unpaid media rights fees that were owed to them.

The behind-the-scenes business troubles at Diamond led to uncertainty about where teams would be able to broadcast their games when not on national television.

In the NBA, Diamond will continue to carry local broadcasts for the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.

In the NHL, the group will keep broadcasting the Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Diamond will no longer go forward with the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans, the latter of whom recently reached a deal with New Orleans’ local Fox affiliate to air games. The Mavericks were long considered likely to part with Bally, and Dallas’ NHL team, the Stars, previously split from Diamond in favor of starting their own streaming platform.

“We are appreciative of the ongoing collaboration and long-term partnerships with the NBA and NHL,” Diamond Sports CEO David Preschlack said in a statement.”

Diamond’s next bankruptcy hearing is scheduled for Sept. 3. — Reuters

Olympic champ Zheng staying grounded to avoid post-Paris letdown

NEW YORK — Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen said she refuses to let history repeat itself as she hopes for a deep run at the US Open after claiming China’s first tennis singles gold in Paris.

She has in the past followed big tournaments with sub-par showings, a fate the 21-year-old would need to avoid to win her first major.

Ms. Zheng cleared the first hurdle as she battled back from a set down to defeat American Amanda Anisimova in New York on Monday.

“It’s the typical match I will lose, especially after huge success, because as I know myself. Usually after huge success I will get a little bit too high,” Ms. Zheng said.

“So this time when I get a success, I’m telling myself, I don’t want to let this happen. I’m going to continue working hard, keep the stable mindset,” she said. — Reuters

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