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April commercial release targeted for ASF vaccine from Vietnam

REUTERS

THE Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said it is working to ensure the commercial release by April of a Vietnamese vaccine against African Swine Fever (ASF).

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel V. de Mesa said at a briefing the possible April timing of vaccines for the commercial market will ensure that supply will be adequate even before the vaccine stocks procured by the government for a test rollout are exhausted.

The utilization rate for the 160,000 doses procured by the government is currently 17.46%. They were administered at 29 farms identified as ASF hotspots.

Mr. De Mesa said based on initial data, the ASF vaccine has been effective, with only 51 deaths recorded among inoculated hogs.

He said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. had asked the BAI to ensure that commercial approval of the vaccine is issued by the Food and Drug Administration by April.

Citing conversations with members of the hog industry, Mr. De Mesa said growers expect a “significant rebound” this year.

He said an April release should mitigate seasonal increases in ASF cases in the latter half of the year.

The hog population has fallen to nine million from 15 million since ASF was first detected in 2019, he noted.

As of March 14, there were 39 barangays in 13 provinces and 27 cities and municipalities affected by ASF, according to the BAI. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Ajinomoto considering third Philippine facility

AJINOMOTO Philippines Corp. said it is currently studying the viability of adding a third factory in the Philippines.

“We have two factories here in the Philippines, in Bulacan and Cebu, but the capacity is approaching 100%,” Koichi Ozaki, the company’s president, told reporters this week.

“We need to think about our future production strategy. But it has not been decided yet, just under study,” he added.

He said that the company expects its plants to hit full capacity in three to five years’ time.

The Bulacan facility was built in 1991 and the Cebu one in 2004. The company currently employs around 2,000 employees.

The third facility will likely support plans to make recently released products to the Philippines.

“Our product lineup is expanding. So it is not only seasoning but (other products from Ajinomoto group). We just entered the frozen food and instant soup segments,” he said.

He said the company is currently importing frozen food and instant soup products from Thailand.

“We have a frozen food factory in Thailand. So now we are importing from Thailand. But of course, if the business becomes bigger, we also want to produce them here in the Philippines,” he added.

Currently, Ajinomoto’s factories in the Philippines manufacture over 90% of the products sold in-country.

In partnership with ACEN Renewable Energy Solutions, the two factories are now powered by 100% renewable energy, significantly lowering their scope 2 carbon emissions, which cuts carbon dioxide emissions by around 5,000 metric tons each year. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

Manila Water units outside east zone planning to enter contestable power market

MANILA WATER

MANILA WATER Co., Inc. said some of its units outside its east zone service area are preparing to enter the contestable market for power, allowing them to select their providers under the government’s retail aggregation program (RAP).

“We have several business units outside Metro Manila. Sunod-sunod na ’yan. (they will enter in sequence). I don’t want to preempt but there is a lineup. I hope every month we can switch business units [to retail aggregation],” Melvin John M. Tan, chief operating officer of Manila Water’s NEZ Philippines, said on the sidelines of the Water Philippines 2025 on Wednesday.

NEZ refers to the group’s “non-east zone” businesses.

The expanded RAP allows the aggregation of demand within the same franchise area with the threshold set at 500 kilowatts (kW). Qualifying entities will be allowed to contract with their preferred supplier.

“All the business units that qualify under RAP, we will take advantage of it,” Mr. Tan said.

Manila Water was the first ever expanded RAP customer after enrolling 10 facilities with an aggregate demand of 500 kW, to source power from PrimeRes Energy Corp., the retail electricity unit of Prime Infrastructure Capital, Inc. 

The water company consolidated power services for Heroes Hill Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), FTI South STP, Kalayaan STP, San Mateo North STP, East Avenue Lift Station, Road 5 Project 6, Mahabang Parang Lift Station, UP Diliman STP, Diego Silang STP and Olandes Marikina STP.

Manila Water provides water supply, wastewater, and sanitation services to over 7.3 million customers in 23 cities and municipalities of the east zone of Metro Manila and Rizal province.

The company also operates outside the east zone through its subsidiaries Boracay Water, Clark Water, Laguna Water, and Estate Water. It also has investments in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

Tourism businesses cite burdensome cost of power interruptions, fluctuations

TRAVELORIENTALMINDORO.PH

By Justine Irish D. Tabile, Reporter

BUSINESSES in four major destinations are complaining that unreliable power is costing them up to hundreds of thousands of pesos a day, according to ILAW, a non-government organization representing energy consumers.

Citing results of focus group discussions conducted by the group with business owners from the Island Garden City of Samal, Siargao, Cebu, and Puerto Galera, ILAW said electric cooperatives serving tourism hubs have caused them to incur losses or even forced their closure.

ILAW noted significant regional variations in power reliability, infrastructure, and common challenges faced by businesses in the four destinations.

In Samal, an island in the Davao Gulf just off the coast of Davao City, “the range of losses starts from P10,000 to as high as P100,000 a day from brownouts or blackouts. These losses are substantial, especially for resorts and hotels,” Agnes C. Garcia, national convenor of ILAW, said.

Ms. Garcia said that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) on Samal pay an average electricity bill of P18,000 a month.

“This becomes an even more pressing issue with the anticipated demand for electricity from the upcoming Davao-Samal Bridge Project. People are excited about this because it’s going to cut the transportation to Samal from Davao from 30 minutes to 5 minutes,” she said.

“Of course, what this also means is that with more people coming into Samal, the demand for electricity will also increase, which currently is already insufficient,” she added.

In Siargao, the average electricity bill of MSMEs is P55,000, she said, with daily losses due to power outages estimated at P42,000.

“If you compare the electricity cost to the average losses, there is only P13,000 or less of revenue left. So, what we can notice here is that the power crisis within Siargao has led to systemic vulnerabilities,” ILAW Youth Convenor Francine DG. Pradez said.

Resorts in Siargao are spending P60-70 per liter of fuel for their generators, while laundry businesses spend P3,500 per eight-hour shift on fuel.

In Cebu, the average monthly electricity bill for large businesses was P1.17 million; for MSMEs it was P160,000.

Losses for large businesses in Cebu averaged P216,000 a day during outages, while the equivalent amount for MSMEs was P82,000 a day.

“Long-term concerns include the need for modernization of energy infrastructure,” Ms. Garcia said.

“They have actually projected that in the next couple of years, as Cebu continues to grow and become even more urbanized and information technology-driven, they are going to need more energy, as the current energy that is being set aside for them is just not going to be enough,” she added.

In Puerto Galera, the average electricity cost for MSMEs was P22,000 a month, with average losses during outages estimated at P30,000 a day.

“Puerto Galera reported high electricity costs per month for tourism businesses, especially for the accommodation sector,” ILAW said.

“The dependence on Mindoro’s external power sources has led to frequent power interruptions, requiring businesses to invest in backup power systems,” it added.

Puerto Galera’s tourism establishments often have to issue refunds and slash prices to maintain occupancy, impacting their profitability.

“Power outages significantly damage the reputations of these destinations, with negative reviews and cancellations directly linked to electricity problems,” ILAW said.

“This reputational damage has led to declining competitiveness compared to other Southeast Asian destinations where power infrastructure is more reliable,” it added.

Fuel surcharge for airline passengers cut in April

STOCK PHOTO | Image from Pixabay

THE Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) said it reduced the airline passenger fuel surcharge in April.

In an advisory on Wednesday, the CAB lowered the passenger surcharge to Level 4 from Level 5 in March.

At Level 4, the passenger fuel surcharge is between P117 and P342 for domestic flights and P385.70 and P2,867.82 for international flights originating from the Philippines.

For airlines collecting the fuel surcharge in foreign currency, the applicable rate for the period is P57.94 to the dollar, the CAB said.

At Level 5, the fuel surcharge for domestic flights ranges from P151 to P542. For international flights, the surcharge is P498.03 to P3,703.11.

“Airlines wishing to impose or collect fuel surcharge for the same period must file its application with this office on or before the effective period, with fuel surcharge rates not exceeding the above-stated level,” CAB Executive Director Carmelo L. Arcilla said.

Fuel surcharges are triggered by the movement of jet fuel prices, using a benchmark known as MOPS (Mean of Platts Singapore).

The global average jet fuel price fell 1.5% week on week on March 14, to $86.69 a barrel.

Year on year, the global average jet fuel price dropped 12.5%, according to the International Air Transport Association. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

DoE targets 2026 release of PHL Energy Plan

FREEPIK

THE Department of Energy (DoE) said it is looking to release the next edition of the Philippine Energy Plan (PEP) by next year, with targets likely to remain unchanged.

“We are looking at updating it maybe every two years. So, depending on the developments. But the targets will remain,” Michael O. Sinocruz, director of the Energy Policy and Planning Bureau, said on the sidelines of PhilEnergy 2025 expo on Wednesday.

“Maybe we will add more strategies and measures to the plan to help us achieve the targets,” he said.

The DoE described the PEP 2023-2050 as a guiding framework for the energy transformation over the next decades.

The updated PEP will focus on “increasing the share of renewable energy in the power generation mix, developing alternative fuels and emerging energy applications, adopting advanced smart grid technologies, and establishing “a resilient, green, and climate-proof energy infrastructure.”

“It is difficult to keep changing the targets. So, you need to work on the target set under the PEP. That’s our direction right now,” Mr. Sinocruz said.

“Specifically, meeting the targets under the reference scenario, the 50% RE (renewable energy share) by 2040,” he added.

As of February 2024, the DoE said it endorsed 12 energy projects for system impact studies with the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.

Such studies assess the adequacy and capability of the grid to accommodate new connections.

Of the 12 projects, 11 are renewable energy projects and one a battery energy storage system.

Among the large-scale energy projects is Basic Energy Corp.’s 300-megawatt (MW) Panay Wind Power Project and Airstream Renewables Corp.’s 300-MW Dapdap East Wind Farm.

To date, the DoE has issued 24 SIS endorsements, of which 18 projects are renewable energy, five battery energy storage systems, and one conventional power project. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

NEDA Board approves community dev’t, irrigation, road improvement projects

BW FILE PHOTO

THE National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board approved on Wednesday a P56.7-billion community development project of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to prepare them for natural disasters, the construction of the P13.9-billion Tumauini River Multipurpose project in Isabela, and changes to a project aimed to improve road infrastructure in Mindanao.

The Board also greenlit changes in the scope, cost and implementation for the Balog-Balog Multipurpose irrigation project in Zambales, NEDA said in a statement.

The Zambales project is designed to irrigate about 21,935 hectares in the Zambales mountains and stabilize irrigation for 12,475 hectares in its first phase.

“By prioritizing regional growth, we are not only enhancing infrastructure but also creating sustainable economic opportunities throughout the country,” NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said.

“These initiatives reflect our vision of a nation where every region thrives and plays a significant role in driving national progress.”

The DSWD’s P56.7-billion Philippine Community Resilience Project is set to benefit about 4.13 million households across 500 municipalities in projects that aim to prepare localities for economic shocks such as natural disasters, NEDA said.

The National Irrigation Administration’s Tumauini River Multipurpose Project in Isabela is designed to irrigate about 8,200 hectares across 26 villages in Tumauini, Isabela, three villages in Cabagan, and three villages in Ilagan.

It is scheduled to be implemented from September this year to September 2030, boosting the productivity of about 5,860 farmers in the area.

The board also approved the reallocation of funds and a change in scope in the Improving Growth in Mindanao Road Sector Project, which aims to upgrade Mindanao’s road transportation network.

At the same meeting, NEDA said the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center updated President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on the ongoing 224 PPP projects, including works at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the Bulacan International Airport, the Laguindingan and Bohol International Airports, and the Metro Rail Transit Line 7.

The PPP said about 175 projects are in the pipeline, including the Iloilo International Airport, the Boracay Bridge Project and the School Infrastructure Project Phase 3.

“To address issues in project implementation, we must strengthen our coordination and streamline processes across all levels of government and among stakeholders,” Mr. Balisacan said in a statement. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

RPVARA: The game changer for PPPs

The Philippines is one of the first adopters of Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) or Public-Private Partnership (PPP) schemes for infrastructure development in Asia. To date, there are 174 PPP projects in the government’s pipeline. In 2023, Republic Act No. 11966, or The PPP Code of the Philippines, was signed into law to create a unified regulation for all PPP projects, including Joint Ventures (JVs).

Apart from addressing concerns over the government’s contingent liabilities in PPP projects, the PPP Code also sets the rules for the fair valuation of government assets in PPP projects. The law requires the fair valuation of: (1) government contributions in unsolicited proposals to determine appropriate compensation and in JV arrangements in order to assess whether it complies with the 50% limitation (based on Project Cost for contractual JVs or based on outstanding capital stock for a JV company); and (2) the reclaimed land portion granted to a concessionaire as part of a project’s investment recovery mechanism. Moreover, almost all PPP Projects require land use, land acquisition for the project site, and/or right-of-way (ROW) acquisition. Given this requirement, the signing into law of Republic Act No. 12001, otherwise known as the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act, (RPVARA), could not be timelier.

Effective July 3, RPVARA centralized the government’s property valuation system. The law’s primary objective is to resolve issues on overlapping rules on valuation and outdated valuations by centralizing the task of land valuation under one agency and establishing a comprehensive real property electronic database.

The salient features of the law are as follows:

1. Appointment and reorganization of the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) Central Office to be the primary agency tasked to implement the law.

2. Centralization of the Real Property Valuation System. Before RPVARA, real property valuation was done by referring to the current market values from recent sales of property in a vicinity, the BIR schedule of zonal values, or the schedule of market values (SMV) of the local government units (LGUs). RPVARA now requires that valuation of the government’s real properties be performed using the SMV that will be prepared solely by the Local Government, which will then be reviewed by the BLGF and approved by the Department of Finance (DoF). This SMV will then be the standard valuation to be used as basis in the adjustment of assessment levels and real property tax rates, for calculation of local transfer taxes and national internal revenue taxes, as well as for determining the amount for payment of just compensation in expropriation and public land disposition.

3. Development of Property Valuation Standards (PVS). PVS refers to the latest national valuation standards to be used in the Philippines, which will be based on international valuation standards duly approved by the Secretary of Finance. The BLGF is tasked to develop, adopt, maintain, and review the PVS every three years or often as necessary to align with globally accepted principles. SMVs will also be prepared pursuant to the PVS and other rules and regulations set by the DoF.

4. Development of Real Property Information System. The BLGF is responsible for the development and maintenance of an up-to-date electronic database of the sale, exchange, lease, mortgage, donation, transfer, and all other real property transactions and declarations in the country and on the cost of construction or renovation of buildings and on prices of plant, machinery and equipment. This database will be available to LGUs, government agencies, and the private sector.

Property valuation is a crucial element in identifying suitable land for infrastructure projects, more so if such real property, oftentimes identified as the project site, is a deliverable of the government. As reported in the Senate Brief for the advancing of PPP in the Philippines, significant delays of major PPP Projects, such as the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX), which was originally due for completion in 2020; and the Light Rail Transit 1 Extension Projects, are caused by ROW acquisition issues. For instance, the prolonged construction of the 4 km-long Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway which took nearly four years to complete could have been much shorter had ROW issues been addressed in a timely manner.

The RPVARA is set to put an end to delays caused by the determination of an acceptable valuation procedure to assess the value of government property. Any incongruency in pricing and resulting delays will be mitigated as government pricing is now closer, if not identical to, the prevailing market price. A streamlined property valuation process would also pave the way for a more accurate determination of the financial viability of a PPP project, thereby allowing government, especially in solicited projects, to arrive at market-acceptable and bankable financial bid parameters with better precision.

Finally, implementing agencies can now also better plan and budget for land acquisition/expropriation, which will further allow a swifter process for acquiring ROW in PPP and infrastructure projects. This will also assure affected private landowners that they will receive fair compensation.

These benefits remain to be seen, however, since the RPVARA gives LGUs two years from the law’s effectivity to update their SMVs. As such, how swiftly LGUs update their SMVs, and how the BLGF can help shepherd this, are the hurdles that need to be overcome.

Much like the PPP Code and its IRR before it, the RPVARA is bound to revolutionize how PPP and infrastructure projects are developed and implemented. If rolled out as planned, it will significantly improve the planning, valuation, budgeting, and acquisition of project sites and rights-of-way for such projects. I look forward to the day when delays in ROW acquisition become a thing of the past.

The views or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Cabrera & Co. The content is for general information purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for specific advice.

 

Cielo Maasin-Ellaser is a legal advisor of Cabrera & Co., a Philippine member firm of the PwC network.

cielo.b.maasin@pwc.com

Philippine Coast Guard to conduct sea training with US, Japanese peers

A SCREENGRAB from Philippine Coast Guard shows a Philippine vessel being water cannoned by the China Coast Guard on April 30, 2024. — PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD PHOTO

By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter

THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is planning to conduct maritime exercises with its US and Japanese counterparts later this year, its chief said on Wednesday.

The Philippines may hold a trilateral maritime exercise with the US Coast Guard and Japan Coast Guard in the “mid or later part of this year,” PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil L. Gavan told BusinessWorld.

“We also have a trilateral maritime security exercise with Japan and the US… we will be doing one this year,” he said on the sidelines of a House of Representatives transportation committee hearing. He did not provide any more details, saying the plan is still a “work in progress.”

The PCG first held its joint exercises with the US and Japan in June 2023 in the waters off Bataan province near the South China Sea. They conducted search and rescue exercises, maneuvering drills and maritime law enforcement training that year.

The Philippines and China have repeatedly clashed in the South China Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, due to overlapping claims over disputed maritime features.

Manila has been at the forefront of efforts to contest Beijing’s expansive sea claim, organizing joint sails into the South China Sea with western countries and regional allies like Japan and Australia.

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

“The security of the West Philippine Sea is not our sole concern,” Mr. Gavan told the House hearing, referring to areas of the South China Sea within the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone. “It affects the whole world.”

“While it is true that the Philippine Coast Guard is there to protect the territorial integrity of this country, [in a] globalized world… we have to engage our foreign partners, our allies and those who have a stake in global trade to also do their part,” he added.

The South China Sea is a key conduit for $3 trillion of annual ship-borne trade.

Meanwhile, Mr. Gavan said the coast guard is still “doing the paperwork” for its official development assistance-funded acquisition of 40 35-meter fast patrol craft from France worth $439 million, but is expecting deliveries to start next year.

The PCG also expects the delivery of five 97-meter ships from Japan in 2027, financed through a $413-million loan from Tokyo, he said. “The earliest could be 2027, but it’s still a work in progress.”

“We are sincerely hoping to position the coast guard to be the… most capable coast guard, at least in Southeast Asia, in the next five years,” Mr. Gavan said.

Also on Wednesday, the House transportation committee approved a measure that seeks to strengthen the PCG by through policy and organizational reforms to make it more responsive amid tensions in the South China Sea.

The body approved House Bill No. 11433 a month after President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. signed into law a proposal seeking to fix the term of the coast guard commandant to three years, which was a watered-down version of the measure originally proposed by the House.

“I filed this bill with the intention of reviving House Bill No. 10841, the one earlier adopted with amendments by the Senate, enabling the passage of Republic Act No. 12122,” Romblon Rep. Eleandro Jesus F. Madrona, a vice-chairman of the panel, told the hearing.

He said the bill seeks to improve the PCG’s capability to perform its maritime security and safety functions. “This can be done by establishing a well-defined organizational structure, as well as by providing them the needed resources to upgrade their capability in terms of manpower and equipment.”

Mr. Gavan said the measure would help the PCG become more responsive to its maritime responsibilities amid “evolving geopolitical challenges.”

The bill seeks to let the PCG receive loans and grants from local or foreign sources to boost modernization efforts.

It also seeks to establish a trust fund for its modernization program to come from fines and fees it collects from operations, but it would likely be scrapped once the bill hits the House floor due to opposition from the Budget department, Mr. Madrona said.

“Any funding for the PCG is included in the GAA (General Appropriations Act), so we recommend the same moving forward,” Budget Director Trisha M. Baraan said.

“While it is still in the bill as proposed, the modernization provision will probably be deleted,” Mr. Madrona said, adding that a separate bill would be filed for the proposed PCG trust fund in the next Congress.

House prosecutors ready for VP Sara’s impeachment trial

VICE-PRESIDENT SARA DUTERTE-CARPIO — FACEBOOK.COM/MAYORINDAYSARADUTERTEOFFICIAL

THE CONGRESSMEN who will serve as prosecutors in the trial of Vice-President (VP) Sara Duterte-Carpio are prepared to make their case when the Senate convenes as an impeachment court, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said on Wednesday.

The Senate should ensure that there would be no “unnecessary delays” during the trial, which he said is important to keep Philippine institutions credible and accountable.

“The report I received from the House of Representatives prosecutors is that they are ready to present the case any time the impeachment court is convened,” he said in a statement in Filipino.

“We trust that the Senate will carry out its constitutional duty and proceed with the trial without unnecessary delays, in accordance with the rule of law,” he added.

The House impeached the Vice-President on Feb. 5, alleging secret fund misuse, unexplained wealth, acts of destabilization and plotting the assassination of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and his family.

Ms. Duterte has denied any wrongdoing.

The impeachment complaint was filed and signed by more than 200 congressmen, more than the one-third legal requirement before it could be sent to the Senate.

The Senate plans to present the articles of impeachment and approve the revised impeachment rules once it reconvenes for a two-week session in June.

“I trust that the Senate will exercise its role as the impeachment court with the utmost fairness and independence,” Mr. Romualdez said. “The House has done its part in impeaching the Vice-President, and now it is up to the Senate to conduct a fair trial based on facts and evidence.”

Also on Wednesday, House Deputy Majority Leader and La Union Rep. Francisco Paolo P. Ortega V said the Senate should start Ms. Duterte’s impeachment trial.

“If the Senate can convene during recess to discuss other matters, then it should also be ready to deliberate on the impeachment case against the Vice-President,” he said in a separate statement.

The Philippine Congress has been on a four-month break since February for the midterm election campaign. Filipinos will pick a new set of congressmen, 12 of the 24-member Senate and other local government officials on May 12.

“If there’s time for other issues even during recess, why not focus on a matter that deeply impacts our nation?” Mr. Ortega asked.

The Senate in March held hearings into the collapse of a multi-billion-peso bridge in Isabela province and a dismissed mayor implicated in the operations of illegal online casinos. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

DBM approves release of P16.89-B subsistence allowance for soldiers

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the release of P16.89 billion to increase the subsistence allowance of officers and personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“This is a big help for the family of our military,” Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said in a statement on Wednesday, noting that a decade has passed since soldiers got an allowance increase.

The fund release is mandated by Executive Order No. 84, which President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. signed on March 14.

The executive order deemed the subsistence allowance of military personnel to be no longer adequate.

The allowance increase to P350 per day from P150 aims to “protect and promote their welfare and recognize their sacrifices and perseverance in defending and upholding the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Budget department said.

Under the order that took effect on Jan. 1, officers and enlisted personnel of the AFP, including trainees and probationary second lieutenants and ensigns undergoing military training will be covered by the increase.

Citizen military training cadets on summer camp training and reserve officers and enlisted reservists undergoing training and assembly and mobilization tests and Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit members will also get an increase.

“The total requirement for the purpose shall be charged against the available personnel service appropriation of concerned agencies under the AFP, such as the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Navy, naval Forces, Philippine Marine Corps and general headquarters,” the agency said.

The AFP said the increased allowance is part of their efforts to ensure the welfare of soldiers and strengthen the well-being of their troops, especially those who serve on the frontlines.

“The adjustment in our military personnel’s allowance has been studied for a long time,” Ms. Pangandaman said. “We are happy that this was passed in the 2025 General Appropriations Act.” — Aaron Michael C. Sy

Malaysian gov’t refusing to cooperate in probe of ex-Bamban Mayor’s escape, Remulla says

DISMISSED Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo. — PHILIPPINE STAR/JESSE BUSTOS

THE MALAYSIAN government is withholding information about the travel history of a former Bamban mayor, who escaped from Philippine authorities in July amid investigations into alleged illegal activities linked to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), the Philippine justice secretary said on Wednesday.

“The case of Alice Guo is a very peculiar case because Malaysia refused to cooperate with us,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla told reporters in a briefing.

“Malaysia is supposed to give us the information. They know what flight entered, what aircraft entered, and where she was riding, but they refused to give it to us,” he added.

The Malaysian Embassy is currently obtaining the necessary information in relation to Mr. Remulla’s claims, Malaysian Ambassador Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino Anthony said in a WhatsApp message.

Ms. Guo is accused of having ties to Chinese criminal syndicates and money laundering linked to POGOs.

She and her cohorts escaped in July but was deported after her arrest in Jakarta on Sept. 4, 2024. Her travel records showed she fled to Malaysia and Singapore, before arriving in Indonesia, using her Philippine passport.

Mr. Remulla noted the Department of Justice and the Department of Foreign Affairs had already “done everything” to negotiate with Kuala Lumpur, but they had “faced a stone wall.”

Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado, in a Senate hearing on Tuesday, alleged Ms. Guo used Tawi-Tawi as a backdoor exit as she left no records of her leaving the Philippines.

National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director Ferlu J. Silvio had likewise said that she and her companions might have fled the country through Tawi-Tawi since it was much nearer to countries like Malaysia.

The Justice chief said one of the reasons for their refusal to cooperate may be due to an arbitration ruling in favor of Malaysia, which the Philippine government has not implemented.

This ruling is in connection with a Sabah dispute between the heirs of a former sultan of Sulu and the Malaysian government.

France’s highest civil court last Nov. 6, 2024, rejected the appeal of the heirs of a former sultan who sought almost $15 billion from Malaysia over an 1878 land deal, according to a Nov. 7 report by Reuters.

The heirs initially won the arbitration case in 2022 but were denied enforcement by a Paris court.

“As a matter of policy, we don’t interfere in the case. It is the heirs of the sultan of Sulu who are in that case, but they want us to implement the case, which we’re not doing,” Mr. Remulla said. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

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