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Study on Manila Bay reclamation to be done by September

PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

THE DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Thursday said it seeks to wrap up its study on the environmental impacts of reclamation projects at the Manila Bay by September, after senators blamed these for heavy flooding.

“We believe by September we will be able to complete even the three-dimensional visualization of these impacts of reclamation,” Environment Secretary Maria Antonina Yulo-Loyzaga told a Senate public works committee hearing.

In August last year, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. suspended all reclamation projects at the bay, except for one, ordering the DENR to review their environmental effects.

Senators Juan Miguel F. Zubiri and Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva earlier blamed the reclamation at Manila Bay for heavy flooding, especially in Manila, Pasay City and Bulacan province.

“In general, reclamation projects will slow down the flow of water and will change the circulation and retention of pollutants and organic materials that are already in the bay,” Ms. Yulo-Loyzaga said.

Public Works Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan on Tuesday told a news briefing that more than 5,000 flood control projects would be implemented across the country this year, after dozens died in floods caused by Super Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon rains last month.

At the hearing, the Public Works chief said flood control projects in Bulacan and Pampanga that were supposed to be ready this year were still in preparatory stages.

“The process of doing the detail and design for this type of mega-project takes time because we have to go on the ground,” he said.

Senator Ramon B. Revilla, Jr., the committee chairman, told the hearing that the government has spent about P1 trillion on flood control projects in the past decade.

Senator Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay told the committee that flood control projects over the years had “failed to produce the necessary improvements to safeguard communities.”

“It is deeply concerning that despite the significant funds allocated to the DPWH and the Metro Manila Development Authority, our flood management systems remain inadequate,” she said.

The Marikina River reached as high as 20 meters. Its water level rose to 21.5 meters during the 2009 devastation of Typhoon Ondoy, which killed more than 700 people, and to 22 meters during 2020’s Typhoon Ulysses, which killed about 100 people.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez has said the House of Representatives would look into the government’s flood management budget to determine if it had been spent wisely.

The Philippines’ disaster agency on Tuesday said the death toll from the combined effects of Super Typhoon Carina (Gaemi) and the southwest monsoon had hit 39 and that the number of affected people had risen to 4.8 million. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Immigration bureau warns vs rising use of fake passports

NINOY AQUINO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (NAIA) Terminal 3 — PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

THE BUREAU of Immigration on Thursday sounded the alarm about a rise in the use of fake foreign passports, citing threats from child trafficking.

The agency recently intercepted two Vietnamese girls at the Ninoy Aquino International (NAIA) Terminal 1 who presented illegally obtained German passports.

In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Norman G. Tansingco said this might be a case of child trafficking.

The two girls, aged 15 and 17, arrived in the Philippines from Saigon. They presented stolen German passports, whose owners had similar facial features.

Mr. Tansingco said the photos of the two girls matched only 4% and 9% of the photos on the German passports.

The girls, who showed their Vietnamese passports, admitted that the German passports were stolen and were given to them by fixers.

The German passports were surrendered to the German Embassy.

“They were look-alikes, but were detected as both German passports, which prompted a hit in the Bureau of Immigration’s Interpol derogatory check system, indicating that their travel documents were reported as lost or stolen,” Mr. Tansingco said.

They were denied entry to the Philippines and blacklisted.

Another Vietnamese minor was intercepted at the same terminal on July 23 before boarding a Korean Airlines flight bound for Incheon, en route to Toronto for his final destination.

The 17-year-old boy also presented a fake German passport.

During the interview, he admitted his real identity and showed authorities his Vietnamese passport.

He also confessed that he used the German passport to illegally enter Canada.

“It was surprising to hear how easy it was for him to acquire the passport online,” Mr. Tansingco said. “This seems to be another scheme illegal migrants use to be able to secure work abroad.”

Meanwhile, the Immigration bureau said it needs about P1.3 billion next year to upgrade its outdated security systems at Philippine airports so it could block members of criminal syndicates and other fugitives from justice.

“We need an upgrade because our matching system has a limited capacity,” Immigration bureau Management Information Systems Division chief Jolly Bert G. Galeon told a Senate committee on public services hearing.

“If people change their names even by one letter, it has trouble matching (their identity) in our database,” he added.

He said only electronic gates at airports could crossmatch identities accurately, but Immigration booths still lack updated technologies.

In June, the bureau nabbed two Chinese fugitives wanted for extortion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

In January, the agency said 3,359 foreigners including wanted fugitives and sex offenders were barred from entering the country last year.

“If we need to upgrade or change the system, let’s do it even if it would cost billions to do so,” Senator Rafael “Raffy” T. Tulfo told the hearing in Filipino. “Because when it comes to national security, there should be no compromise.” — Chloe Mari A. Hufana and John Victor D. Ordoñez

Nutribun makes comeback

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/SAMHOLT6

BAGUIO CITY — The late President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr.’s iconic bread project Nutribun was relaunched in his home province, led by his grandson Matthew Manotoc who is the governor of Ilocos Norte.

The province relaunched the Nutribun and pasteurized milk feeding project at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena in Laoag City on Wednesday in celebration of the 50th Nutrition Month.

The program seeks to combat malnutrition and promote healthy eating habits among children and families in the province by distributing Nutribuns, pasteurized carabao milk, multivitamins and hygiene kits to underweight children.

The Nutribun feeding program was first revived by Mr. Manotoc in 2021. The Ilocos Norte provincial government’s version of the Nutribun comes in various flavors such as squash, mung bean, ube, choco and yema, all produced by Bakers PH, a homegrown bakery chain.

The Nutribun is paired with pasteurized carabao choco-milk flavored drinks from the Philippine Carabao Center-Ilocos Norte. — Artemio A. Dumlao

Unprogrammed funds questioned

STOCK PHOTO | Image by iiijaoyingiii from Pixabay

SEVERAL minority congressmen on Thursday asked the House of Representatives leadership to halt the practice of including unprogrammed funds in the annual budgets submitted by the Executive, which they said could lead to corruption.

They also raised concerns about the potential inclusion of a provision in the 2025 General Appropriations bill allowing the National Government to do a cash sweep on unused and excess funds of government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCC) to fund unprogrammed projects.

“[We should] stop the inclusion of unprogrammed appropriations because it bastardizes the budget process and weakens the power of the legislative branch to scrutinize the proposed budget from the executive branch,” Party-list Rep. Raoul Danniel A. Manuel told reporters in Filipino.

The Executive has allotted P158.6 billion for unprogrammed appropriations under the proposed P6.352- trillion national budget for next year, according to the 2025 National Expenditure Program. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Heart disease main cause of death

MANIACVECTOR-FREEPIK

ISCHEMIC heart disease, tumor growth and cerebrovascular diseases including stroke remained the three leading causes of death in the Philippines last year, according to the local statistics agency.

In a report, it said deaths due to ischemic heart disease — heart weakening caused by reduced blood flow to the heart — reached 122,027, 18.8% of 647,893 deaths listed last year.

Neoplasms or tumors were the second-highest cause of death with 69,449 or 10.7% of the total, followed by cerebrovascular diseases with 65,224 or 10.1%.   

Completing the top five causes of deaths were diabetes mellitus at 41,056 or 6.3% and pneumonia at 40,082 or 6.2%.

In a separate report, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the country’s birth, death, and marriage rates declined by 7.6%, 4.7% and 13.3%, respectively from 2022.

Philippine births in 2023 fell to 1.3 million from 1.5 million, while deaths went down to 647,893 from 679,766. Marriages fell to 389,673 from 449,428. — Abigail Marie P. Yraola

Probe of Miru contract sought

A CONGRESSMAN has filed a resolution seeking to investigate the contract between the Commission on Elections and a South Korean technology provider Miru Systems Co, Ltd. to supply election equipment for the 2025 midterm elections.

Party-list Rep. Rodante D. Marcoleta, who sought the probe, accused the parties of collusion.

“I welcome any probe on the matter,” Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia told BusinessWorld in a Viber message. Miru Systems Co., Ltd. did not immediately reply to an e-mail seeking comment.

The congressman alleged that 49 offshore bank accounts registered in China, the US, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Cayman Islands owned by a top election official received P120 million from Miru officials.

“I issued a sworn affidavit of denial and sworn waivers of all the accounts and properties mentioned,” Mr. Garcia said. “I even authorized the National Bureau of Investigation and Anti-Money Laundering Council to investigate the truthfulness of the allegations.”

He said he only has two visas and has never been to the countries named by Mr. Marcoleta “and I have no intention to go there.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

SC rules on co-op franchises

BW FILE PHOTO

THE SUPREME COURT (SC) on Thursday said electric cooperatives (co-op) have no constitutional right to an exclusive franchise within their coverage areas.

The full court in a July 30 decision junked the petition of the Iloilo Electric Cooperative, Inc. I, II and III (ILECO) that questioned the validity of Republic Act No. 11918.

The law expanded the franchise of another energy provider, MORE Electric and Power Cooperation to areas within ILECO’s franchise to promote competition.

The 1987 Constitution bars exclusive franchises, according to the decision written by Justice Rodil V. Zalameda.

It added that since a franchise is a privilege granted by the state and is not the exclusive property of the franchisee, it should always serve the common good.

The top court had yet to upload a copy of the ruling on its website. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Japan backs voter awareness

REUTERS

THE JAPANESE government will provide about ¥234 million (P91 million) for a program that seeks to raise voter awareness in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Commission on Elections (Comelec) aims to improve voter education and promote election digitalization.

“The Philippines is very much a significant country for Japan,” Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya told reporters after the signing of the deal. “The Mindanao peace process shows that issues can be solved through consultations and dialogues.”

The partnership aims to enhance democratic participation and inclusion by improving voter education.

It also seeks to use data analytics to help Comelec deal with the needs of localities and vulnerable populations.

The project will run for 18 months from Aug. 1. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Manila affirms stance vs nukes

MACROVECTOR-FREEPIK

PHILIPPINE Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Carlos D. Sorreta on Wednesday reaffirmed to foreign diplomats in Geneva Manila’s stance against the use of nuclear weapons.

“Ambassador Sorreta stated that the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons should be at the forefront of the efforts towards nuclear disarmament,” the Philippine Embassy in Geneva said in a statement.

He issued the remarks on the sidelines of the Second Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Akbayan members eye Senate

AKBAYAN Party on Thursday said it would field senatorial candidates for the 2025 midterm elections, citing the need to boost opposition in the Senate.

The party will ensure that its chairman emeritus, Senator Ana Theresia “Risa” Hontiveros-Baraquel, will have allies in the Senate as part of the democratic opposition, Akbayan President Rafaela David said at a party meeting.

Ms. Hontiveros-Baraquel failed in her first two senatorial bids that started in 2010. She won a Senate seat in the 2016 and is now the highest elected official among opposition forces.

Ms. David said Akbayan thinks former Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” A. Aquino IV, Senator Francis “Kiko” N. Pangilinan and Jose Manuel I. Diokno could all “add to the voice of the democratic opposition” in the Senate.

Liberal Party spokesperson Leila M. de Lima earlier said Mr. Aquino, Mr. Pangilinan and Mr. Diokno would run for senator next year. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

DOTr-ADB agreements expedite PPP transport projects

Department of Transportation Sec. Jaime J. Bautista | source: DOTr

Agreements between the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) aim to accelerate the progress of transportation projects, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said on Thursday. 

“These agreements for ADB transaction services will help us fast-track project structuring towards a better commuting experience,” he said in a press release. 

In a separate statement last April 24, Mr. Bautista said that the ADB’s assistance is crucial in completing the transportation projects under the Marcos administration. 

“We derive much confidence in being able to complete these projects with ADB by our side,” he said at the 4th DOTr-ADB coordination meeting.

Based on the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center’s data, 205 PPP projects are under implementation, 164 are in the pipeline, and 56 were concluded and terminated. 

Mr. Bautista added that the agreement concretized the collaborative relations between the department, ADB, and the PPP Center.  

Further, the partnership with ADB extended the concession agreement for the Philippine Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS) projects. 

“Automatic fare collection projects are major strides in transforming public transport, even when they are still years from completion,” Mr. Bautista said. 

Included under the signed agreement were transaction advisory services for the AFCS project and the operations and maintenance of MRT-3 and the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project (DPTMP). – Almira Louise S. Martinez

Carlo Paalam’s bid for Paris Games gold is off and running

CARLO PAALAM (right) — REUTERS

PARIS, France — Carlo Paalam promised he’s not to relax or lower down his guards even as he has got past the top favorite in their weight category in the Paris Olympics.

Mr. Paalam is keeping a mindset that there’s no easy bout in the Olympics and he’d rather focus on the task at hand.

Mr. Paalam reaching the 57kg quarterfinals with a unanimous win over Commonwealth Games titlist Jude Gallagher of Ireland Wednesday at the Paris North Arena.

Up next for Mr. Paalam is Australian Charlie Senior, 4-1 winner over Belgian Vasile Usturoi.

A win will assure Paalam of a bronze medal — if ever his second Olympic podium finish after winning silver in Tokyo in 2021.

But like against Mr. Gallagher, the Takalag, Bukidnon bet will be giving much in height and reach versus the 22-year-old 5-foot-10 Mr. Senior, gold medalist in the 2023 Pacific Games.

Nonetheless, Elmer Pamisa, Mr. Paalam’s discoverer in Cagayan de Oro and who has since been guiding the young fighter in his journey, is confident the Filipino bet can handle Mr. Senior.

And Mr. Paalam may use the same strategy he did in his first bout.

It was a strategy that worked, leading to Mr. Paalam drawing the nod of all five judges.

And his chase for Paris gold is off and running. — Nelson Beltran

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