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Gov’t urged to develop ecosystem for recycling before banning, taxing plastics

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (Philexport) said the government needs to develop the collection and recycling industry before it cracks down on the use of plastics or taxes it.

“I think they should look at the collection and reuse systems rather than banning any plastic use,” Philexport President Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis said last week on the sidelines of the 10th Philippine Die and Mold Machineries and Equipment Exhibition at the World Trade Center.

“If we can fix the collection (in such a way that) the plastics will not be trashed and be recycled into something that people can use again, I think the problem won’t be so big,” he said.

He said plastics collection is still not being enforced, adding that consumers are not sufficiently disciplined in segregating recyclable material.

“Because of that, we cannot process it accordingly. I think that is what we should fix first rather than imposing tax because that will just increase the costs,” he said.

In his second State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. sought the support of the Congress for the passage of tax measures, including an excise tax on single-use plastics.

In November, the House approved House Bill (HB) 4102 or the proposed Single-Use Plastic Bags Tax Act, which seeks to impose an excise tax of P100 per kilogram on single-use plastic bags.

However, its counterpart measure is still with the Senate ways and means committee.

Mr. Ortiz-Luis added: “If you prohibit the use of plastic, this will encourage the use of paper which will cause us to cut more trees… We might think that we are saving the environment, but paper comes from wood.”

“And if you look into the households, the housewives would do the shopping are a lot more comfortable carrying their groceries in plastic bags which have handles, unlike paper bags,” he added.

Earlier this month, the Philippine Retailers Association also sought clarity on what kind of plastics will be covered under the single-use plastic tax.

The retailers also brought up the added costs that both the retailers and the consumers will shoulder once the tax is imposed.

HB 4102 defines single-use plastic bags as “secondary level plastics made of synthetic or semisynthetic organic polymer,” which include “ice” and “sando” bags. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

Bicameral report for LGU income reclassification ratified by Senate

BW FILE PHOTO

THE SENATE on Tuesday ratified the bicameral report of a measure calling for the automatic reclassification of local government units (LGUs) by their income levels.

At the Senate’s plenary session late Tuesday, Senator Joseph Victor G. Ejercito, who led the Senate contingent to the bicameral session on Aug. 23, said the legislators decided to classify LGUs into five income classes.

The current system has six classes of municipality.

The bicameral report reconciled Senate Bill 2165 and House Bill No. 7006, which is one of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s priority bills. The bicameral committee adopted the Senate version as the working draft during discussions.

“The reconciled bill also restored, as one of the uses of income classification, the compensation adjustment for personnel of LGUs pursuant to the Salary Standardization Law of 2019,” Mr. Ejercito said.

The Senate approved its bill on Aug. 8, while the House of Representatives approved its measure in March.

The reconciled version of the measure also adjusted income thresholds for provinces. Second-class provinces are those with yearly income of between P900 million and P1.5 billion. The equivalent range for third-class provinces is between P700 million and less than P900 million, fourth-class provinces between P500 million and less than P700 million; and fifth-class provinces less than P500 million.

“We have propounded that the three main objectives of the bill are to regularly and accurately update the income classification of LGUs based on their current financial capabilities; to provide predictable and transparent indicators in adjusting the income brackets; and to incentivize the LGUs’ efforts in terms of locally sourced income,” he said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

How does PHL’s air quality compare with other countries?

SINGAPORE — Despite improvements in China, air pollution across the globe continues to pose the greatest external risk to human health, with countries in Asia and Africa suffering most of the impact, new research showed on Tuesday. Read the full story.

Typhoon ‘Goring’ following same track as last storm; crop damage seen minimal

CROP DAMAGE due to Typhoon Goring (international name: Saola) is expected to be minimal as it is following nearly the same track as a previous storm, where damaged crops have yet to be replanted, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

Typhoon Egay (international name: Doksuri) from late July had tracked to the northwest, making landfall in the Babuyan Islands and inflicting damage to Northern and Central Luzon. It later caused extensive damage in China.

“The areas hit by Typhoon Goring were almost the same path hit by Typhoon Egay before. If there is any damage to be reported it will be minimal, because these areas were already hit by the previous typhoon,” U-Nichols A. Manalo, director of the DA Field Operations Services office, said.

He said that the flooding in some areas affected by Typhoon Egay have also been aggravated by Typhoon Goring, which was east-northeast of Tuguegarao as of Tuesday afternoon.

He added that the total damage caused by Typhoon Egay was estimated at P11.8 billion, including infrastructure, particularly irrigation systems.

“In term of volume corn losses were higher, but by value lost rice was larger,” Mr. Manalo said.

He said that about 67,528 metric tons of rice valued at P3 billion were affected. The equivalent totals for corn were 124,576 MT valued at P2.3 billion.

The DA has yet to release estimates of the crop damage done by Goring but is currently monitoring the storm’s track.

In a bulletin issued on Tuesday, the agriculture office said the areas likely to be affected by Goring include the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR), as well as Regions I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII and VIII.

“To date, the standing crop that may be affected by (Goring) amounts to 2,150,881 hectares — 1,602,482 hectares for rice and 548,399 hectares for corn,” the DA said. — Adrian H. Halili

Natural gas reliance seen hindering PHL transition to renewable energy

REUTERS

THE GOVERNMENT adoption of natural gas as a “transitional fuel” as it move towards cleaner forms of energy will hinder the rise of renewable energy (RE), a non-government organization said.

A natural gas policy “will undermine the ongoing transition to renewable energy. This has been a long process. We have already defeated the dependence on coal imports… ngayon naman ay nag-po-promote ng panibagong fossil fuel (now it is promoting another form of fossil fuel), LNG,” Gerry C. Arances, convenor of Power for People Coalition, said in a virtual briefing.

Mr. Arances said that the pushing for the utilization of liquefied natural gas exposes the Philippines to energy price volatility, which may make electricity more expensive.

He estimated the current level of coal dependence for power at “more than 60%,” he said.

The Malampaya gas field is the country’s only indigenous commercial source of natural gas. It is expected to be largely depleted of easily recovered gas using current extraction techniques by 2027.

“Even though we have Malampaya, which is depleting, we remember that even the price of domestic gas is pegged to world market prices,” Mr. Arances said.

“Hindi ibig sabihin na kapag domestic gas ay talagang mababa. (Domestic gas doesn’t mean low prices). Relatively it is lower than imported but because it is pegged to international prices, eventually if world gas prices rise, the (domestic gas price) will also increase,” he added.

Asked to comment, the Department of Energy (DoE) said it stands by its statement on the natural gas draft circular that it issued on Friday.

The DoE said the use of support technologies such as power storage systems and flexible power plants fueled by natural gas are crucial to achieving RE targets.

“Natural gas-fired power plants can serve as quick-starting reserves, which could complement the variability of RE technologies such as solar and wind,” it said.

At the end of 2022, RE accounted for about 22% of the energy mix, with coal-fired power plants accounting for nearly 60%.

The government hopes to increase the share of RE to 35% by 2030 and 50% by 2040. Last year, the DoE raised the Renewable Portfolio Standards requirement to 2.52% per annum starting 2023 from 1% previously.

The DoE also said that the proposed policy will also ensure the reliability of the power system.

According to the draft circular, distribution utilities on the Luzon grid are required to source a share of their power needs from natural gas-fired generation facilities.

Such sourcing will be conducted via auction, the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, or a competitive selection process. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

Philippines told to seek partner for Reed Bank

PHOTO FROM GOOGLE MAP

THE PHILIPPINES should seek the help of foreign companies when it decides to explore Reed Bank in the South China Sea for oil and gas, a Philippine senator said on Tuesday.

“This is a very technical, highly risky, a type of business that [involves] a lot of capital,” Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian told EuroTV Philippines, based on an e-mailed transcript sent to reporters. “No business in the Philippines will have that capability, especially on the technical side.”

Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla told a House Representatives budget hearing on Aug. 16.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. Had given the go-signal for the government to conduct drilling and exploration activities at Reed Bank and other areas of the South China Sea.

Former Supreme Court Justice Antonio T. Carpio earlier urged the government to explore Reed Bank amid rising energy costs and the drying up of the Malampaya natural gas field.

Tensions between the Philippines and China have worsened after the Chinese Coast Guard fired water cannons to block Manila’s resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal on Aug. 5.

Second Thomas Shoal is about 200 kilometers from the Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000 kilometers from China’s nearest major landmass, Hainan Island.

Mr. Carpio said the move was China signaling to Manila not to send survey ships to Reed Bank.

“I think that is connected,” the former magistrate said. “It’s very clear that they are flexing their muscle to intimidate us not to send our survey and drilling ships to Reed Bank.”

The late President Benigno S.C. Aquino III ordered a halt on exploration activities at Reed Bank in 2012 amid rising tensions with China.

His successor, Rodrigo R. Duterte, lifted the suspension in 2020, resuming drilling activities in the disputed water, including Reed Bank, and advancing a 2018 deal with China for joint oil and gas exploration.

Reed Bank may hold as many as 5.4 billion barrels of oil and 55.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, according to a 2013 report from the US Energy Information Administration.

Last week, Senator Ana Theresia N. Hontiveros-Baraquel filed a resolution seeking an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the Philippine Coast Guard’s capacity to safeguard outposts in the South China Sea through additional marine radar stations and automatic tracking systems for increased surveillance.

She said the coast guard should get as much as P600 million in intelligence funds.

‘GLOBAL STABILITY’
Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday for an official visit aimed at boosting the United Kingdom’s security and trade ties with the Philippines.

He met with his Philippine counterpart Enrique A. Manalo to discuss the two countries’ “various positions on things” and the UK’s growing focus on Southeast Asia.

He also paid a courtesy call to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., who has pursued closer ties with western countries amid China’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea.

“It is not traditional for us to look to Europe to seek alliances and partnerships when it comes to security and defense,” Mr. Marcos told Mr. Cleverly, who is set to become the first British Foreign minister to visit China in five years.

“But that seems to be the evolution, the geopolitics these days. It is a welcome evolution in my view,” the Philippine leader said. “And again, your visit here, I think, is a clear indication of that intent.

The UK and other European countries were among the countries that immediately issued statements of concern over the Aug. 5 water cannon incident.

The British official was also set to meet with the Philippine Coast Guard to discuss cooperation on maritime security, counterterrorism and environmental protection, his office said in a website post.

He was set to “reiterate the necessity of upholding the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in the interests of global stability and the protection of maritime trade routes,” it said.

It noted that about 60% of global shipping passes through the Indo-Pacific region, “directly benefiting households and businesses in the UK and worldwide.”

Mr. Cleverly said the UK is “very focused” on the Philippines’ response to climate change and renewable energy generation.

“That’s an area where we can work very, very closely together,” he told Mr. Marcos. — John Victor D. Ordoñez and Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Harsher punishment for trigger-happy cops sought

Rodaliza Baltazar, the mother of minor Jemboy Baltazar, turns emotional as she looks at her son’s dead body during his funeral in Barangay Kaunlaran, Navotas City on August 11, 2023. — PHILIPPINE STAR/ERNIE PENAREDONDO

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

A SENATOR on Tuesday sought harsher criminal and administrative penalties for “trigger-happy and abusive” cops who violate protocol.

“The Philippine National Police (PNP) needs to answer many questions about operational lapses or loopholes during their police operations,” Senator Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel told a Senate hearing investigating the killing of 17-year-old teen Jerhode Baltazar.

Six Navotas policemen shot and killed the teenager on Aug. 2 after he was mistaken for a suspect in a previous shooting incident.

“We should not forget that the lives of our countrymen rest on the proper implementation of the PNP’s processes,” she said.

The government should punish cops who violate basic protocol to address impunity in the country, Maria Kristina C. Conti, secretary of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Metro Manila and legal counsel of several drug war victims, said in an e-mail.

“In many cases, law enforcement officers have shown overzealousness just to meet targets, forgoing quality, violating procedure and even manufacturing scenarios,” she said. “The abuse of the processes to unduly persecute [suspects] cannot go uninvestigated or unpunished. “

During the hearing, Ms. Hontiveros-Baraquel cited one of the policemen in contempt for lying about former Navotas police chief Colonel Allan B. Umipig failing to order a paraffin test after the shooting incident.

The police officer’s claim was refuted by three other policemen and Mr. Umipig, who was relieved from his post on Aug. 15 over the incident.

“Many of the officers heard me when I issued the instruction to subject officers in these incidents under paraffin tests as part of PNP’s standard procedure,” Mr. Umipig told senators.

Northern Police District (NPD) chief Brigadier General Rizalito G. Gapas said only ballistic tests were conducted, which showed gunpowder residue in the cops’ guns.

Senator Ronald M. dela Rosa, who was ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s national police chief, told the hearing whistles and batons should be brought back as part of police uniforms, citing the need for a nonlethal approach to law enforcement.

“You don’t have whistles or batons,” he said in Filipino, addressing the policemen involved in the shooting.  “You only have guns which is why police use them immediately since they don’t have any other option.”

“The use of firearms is justified if the offender poses an imminent danger of causing death or injury to the police officer or other persons,” he added.

Ms. Conti said the Commission on Human Rights’ (CHR) willingness to cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) probe of Mr. Duterte’s deadly drug war would allow a complete investigation.

“This shows that a comprehensive investigation of the war on drugs will surface from sources other than those under the Executive department,” the human rights lawyer said.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla has urged CHR to respect the Marcos government’s decision not to rejoin the ICC and allow state investigation of the deadly war on drugs.

The commission has said Mr. Duterte had encouraged a culture of impunity by hindering independent probes and failing to prosecute erring cops.

It said the Marcos government should view the ICC’s probe as an opportunity to show its commitment to punish human rights violators.

Last month, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said the Philippines would no longer engage with the ICC after it rejected a plea to suspend its probe of the drug war.

Mr. Remulla earlier said his agency wants to do away with the quota system for police arrests, blaming it for low conviction rates, especially in illegal drug cases. He said he had spoken with national police chief Benjamin C. Acorda, Jr. and his predecessor about removing the quota system for good.

Senator Rafael “Raffy” T. Tulfo earlier called on police to change the neuropsychiatric exams for law enforcers, saying it does not effectively measure a person’s criminal tendencies.

The Philippines has accepted 200 recommendations from the United Nations Human Rights Council, including investigating extralegal killings and protecting journalists and activists.

The government estimates that at least 6,117 suspected drug dealers were killed in police operations. Human rights groups say as many as 30,000 suspects died.

Bill on regional specialty health centers signed into law

BARANGAY HEALTH CENTER in San Nicolas, Iriga City

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has signed into law a measure mandating specialty centers in every region to ensure accessible and affordable healthcare services for Filipinos.

Under the law, the Health department will set up specialty centers in regional and government-owned and -controlled hospitals.

The specialty centers will prioritize cancer, cardiovascular, lung, renal, brain and spine, trauma and burn care, as well kidney transplant.

They are also expected to provide “orthopedic care, physical rehabilitation medicine, infectious disease and tropical medicine, toxicology, mental health, geriatric, neonatal, dermatology, eye, ear, nose and throat care.

The Department of Health (DoH) will categorize the specialty centers as National Specialty Centers, Advanced Comprehensive Specialty Centers and Basic Comprehensive Specialty Centers pursuant to the Philippine Health Facility Development Plan.

House health committee Chairman and Batanes Rep. Ciriaco Gato, Jr. welcomed the bill’s enactment, saying he was elated by the inclusion of ear, nose, and throat (ENT) centers in the law.

“We fought tooth and nail for the inclusion of ENT centers in this act,” he said in a statement. “As an ENT surgeon, I have seen how a simple ear infection resulting from minor issues can escalate into something serious due to lack of accessible specialized care.”

The presidential palace did not immediately reply to media questions seeking clarification on whether the regional centers will have a budget under the 2024 national budget.

The Health department must release the rules implementing the law within 60 days.

The palace in July issued a memo adopting the Philippine Health Facility Development Plan 2020-2040, the country’s overall strategy for infrastructure and medical investments.

The order tasks DoH, the Department of Trade and Industry and Board of Investments to create policies that will encourage both domestic and international enterprises to invest in health facilities.

Limited frontline health facilities remain a challenge, according to the plan, noting that health stations, rural health units and health centers are “supposedly the entry points of individuals, families and communities into health system practice.”

“In practice, however, patients go directly to hospitals and other specialized clinics, resulting in large health system inefficiencies.”

All villages in the Philippines should have at least one health station or village health station, according to the plan. While the number of village health stations had doubled to about 22,000 in 2019 from 11,000 in 1990, only half of the country’s villages had at least one health station.

The plan also noted that while the number of hospital beds has increased over the years, it has not kept pace with the fast-growing population. The bed to population ratio of 1.2 beds per 1,000 population is comparable to those of the poorest countries in the world. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

DA eyes boosting tobacco exports to trade for cheaper fertilizer, rice

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

By Artemio A. Dumlao

BAGUIO CITY — Boosting the production of export-quality tobacco in the regions will help put the country in a position to trade with Indonesia for cheaper fertilizers or even rice, a senior official of the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

In a recent meeting with the Governing Board of the DA-attached National Tobacco Administration (NTA), Agriculture Undersecretary Deogracias Victor B. Savellano said they should focus on a farming strategy that would boost production of quality tobacco without sacrificing other domestic crops — particularly rice and corn.

The NTA quoted Mr. Savellano as saying that once the country increases the tobacco supply for export, the national government could engage in barter-to-barter (B2B) arrangements with Indonesia, a producer of low-cost rice and fertilizer.

He said the DA is seeking to upgrade the country’s tobacco production for export to sustain the strong contribution of the industry to the local economy, farmers’ livelihood, and job generation.

The NTA said the tobacco industry provides livelihood to at least 2.1 million Filipinos, including more than 430,000 farmers, farm workers, and their family members. It also contributes P74 billion to the Universal Health Care program annually.

For 2022, the NTA recorded a total of 43.81 million kilograms of tobacco produce, of which 53% (23 million kilos) were exported and 47% (20.81 million kilos) were supplied to local tobacco manufacturers.

During the meeting, Mr. Savellano also cited innovative ways to enhance the contribution of tobacco production to government revenue.

“Aside from our dream to increase our tobacco production for export, we are also looking at the other alternative products from tobacco and its commercialization like tobacco dust,” he said.

On Tuesday, NTA Administrator Belinda S. Sanchez said the NTA’s tobacco industry roadmap, Sustainable Tobacco Enhancement Program (STEP), seeks to enhance farming systems in tobacco-producing areas where block farming is one component strategy.

“Through this roadmap, our field technicians are continuously providing new and advanced farming technologies for the quality tobacco production by our local farmers to increase,” Ms. Sanchez said in an emailed reply to BusinessWorld.

In 2020, the tobacco industry brought in P149.7 billion in terms of excise tax collections. As a result, tobacco-producing local government units received a P19-billion share for their priority programs and projects.

Media welfare, protection pushed

BW FILE PHOTO

SENATE bills seeking to boost protection for media workers must include provisions that would ensure their security of tenure and address the plight of contract-based workers in the industry, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said on Tuesday. 

Addressing the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development hearing, TUCP legislative officer Carlos Miguel S. Oñate said: “We want to emphasize the loss of employer-employee relationships of many workers in the [media] industry.” 

He cited how cameramen in certain TV stations are hired as independent contractors instead of regular employees, an arrangement used by employers to evade general labor standards. 

Senator Jose “Jinggoy” P. Estrada, who chairs the panel, and Sen. Rafael “Raffy” T. Tulfo have filed measures seeking to provide enhanced protection, security and benefits for media workers. 

“We need to give them full-time pay, health benefits, security of tenure so we can call on them to do excellent jobs,” said Mr. Tulfo, who also noted that media workers are not paid enough for the dangers they face in their occupation. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Blacklist shady suppliers — group 

BW FILE PHOTO

CONGRESS, having exposed alleged overpriced and outdated laptops purchased for the Department of Education (DepEd) last year, must demand for the blacklisting of the suppliers from further deals, a digital advocacy group said on Tuesday.  

“Congress should use its power of the purse to compel DepEd to blacklist the suppliers involved,” Digital Pinoys national campaigner Ronald B. Gustilo said in a Viber chat with reporters.

Making the call a day before the DepEd’s scheduled presentation of its proposed P758.6-billion budget for 2024, Mr. Gustilo added: “It is only prudent that DepEd should also comply (if asked by Congress to blacklist suppliers involved in the laptops deal) to prevent a repeat of the incident.” 

Last year, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee found that laptops purchased through the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) were overpriced by P979 million. State auditors also flagged the cost per unit as against the laptop specifications. 

“The Education department should do away with suppliers that transact with the government with ill intentions,” said Mr. Gustilo. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

Senate approves Caregiver’s Act 

BW FILE PHOTO

THE SENATE has approved on third and final reading a bill seeking to provide caregivers with comprehensive benefits and protection against abuse and harassment. 

In a unanimous vote, 21 senators approved on Tuesday Senate Bill No. 2019, the proposed Caregiver’s Welfare Act, which will require working hours for caregivers to be based on employment contracts signed by both parties and in accordance with the Labor Code. 

“We have passed a law that will give protection to one of the most ‘vulnerable but vigorous’ sectors of our society,” said Senator Jose “Jinggoy” P. Estrada, who chairs the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development. 

Mr. Estrada said caregivers are encouraged to get certified to take full advantage of the benefits provided under the measure, such as 13th month pay, leave benefits, and overtime pay, among others. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

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