BPO industry signs skills-upgrade partnership with StackTrek

June 8, 2023 | 8:24 pm

THE Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) said it signed a partnership agreement with global training company StackTrek to improve its workforce’s digital and artificial intelligence (AI) skills.

The IBPAP said in a statement on Thursday that the National IT Talent partnership with StackTrek will focus on “embedding training” for industry-relevant skills into the curriculum and internship programs of higher education institutions.

“In what could be an AI-driven economy, proactive collaboration is crucial to empower the Filipino talent, enabling them to flourish in roles that involve higher-value work,” IBPAP President and Chief Executive Officer Jack Madrid said.

IBPAP said the partnership will lead to the establishment of an AI and Programming Academy; the StackLab which will establish AI research and development units and deliver AI software applications to clients; and the AI Executive Education Program.

“The partnership between StackTrek and IBPAP represents a groundbreaking collaboration that will help the Philippine IT-BPM industry seize the tremendous economic opportunity presented by AI,” StackTrek Chief Executive Officer Bill Yuen said.

“We believe that with our combined expertise, resources, and vision, we can empower individuals and organizations to embrace AI, redefine business landscapes, and drive the industry forward,” he added.

For 2023, the IBPAP set a target of 1.7 million full-time employees (FTEs) and $35.9 billion worth of revenue. Last year, IBPAP grew revenue by 10.3% to $32.5 billion with FTEs rising 8.4% to 1.57 million. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

ERC orders distributors to explain higher-than-approved power charges

June 8, 2023 | 8:23 pm

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has issued show-cause orders against some distribution utilities (DUs) for charging more than authorized power generated under emergency power supply agreements (EPSAs).

In an advisory posted on Wednesday, the ERC reminded DUs that they can only procure EPSAs after a declaration of force majeure.

ERC Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Monalisa C. Dimalanta said that the advisory was meant to clarify the procedure for procuring emergency supply.

“We observed from our records that some DUs signing EPSAs are implementing rates that do not comply with the DoE (Department of Energy) circular stating that the EPSA rate cannot be higher than the latest ERC-approved tariff for the same technology in the area. We have issued show-cause orders to some DUs because of this,” Ms. Dimalanta said in a Viber message on Thursday.

Ms. Dimalanta did not identify the DUs other than to say that they include Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).

Meralco signed EPSAs with AboitizPower Corp. to partly cover the 670-megawatt capacity it lost from South Premiere Power Corp.

“To avoid these situations, the advisory is issued so that the DUs will implement the correct rate and file their EPSAs without delay so we can authorize the proper rate for them,” she said.

In its advisory, the ERC also ordered EPSAs to be filed immediately upon signing, adding that such deals are not eligible for subsidies like the Universal Charge for Missionary Electrification for Small Power Utilities Group areas. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

New defense chief assures cautious reforms in pension scheme for MUP

June 8, 2023 | 8:16 pm

Army-soldiers-parade — PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and Keisha B. Ta-asan, Reporters

NEW Defense Secretary Gilbert C. Teodoro on Thursday assured that reforms in the pension system for military and uniformed personnel (MUP) will be implemented gradually, with consideration for the interests of both beneficiaries and the government coffers.

Mr. Teodoro made the statement after being asked to comment on warnings that there could be a mass exodus of enlisted personnel from the military, police, and other uniformed forces should the government push through with its plan to implement mandatory contributions for the pension fund.

Speaking to Palace reporters, Mr. Teodoro said that having come from the financial sector prior to his new post, he understands the need to adopt changes in the MUP pension system cautiously.

“Because I also came from the financial sector, this would not happen abruptly,” he said in Filipino.

“We will just lessen the bleeding, as the government calls it, until the system becomes self-sustaining,” he added.

Mr. Teodoro earlier said President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s first marching order for him is to resolve issues concerning the MUP pension.

He guaranteed that financial risk management standards will be applied to protect the MUP contributions.

“The financial sector knows that, that there should be governance standards, prudential standards, proper risk management, proper audit, transparency,” he said, adding that management of the pension fund should be subject to the central bank’s monitoring.

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), which handles the pension fund for civil servants, said on Thursday that the MUP fund will be kept separate.

Speaking to around 300 Philippine National Police (PNP) officers and at least 1,000 online participants during the government’s second round of consultations, GSIS Senior Vice President George S. Ongkeko said the GSIS will only manage the MUP funds.

“The GSIS will ensure there will be no co-mingling of funds, so do not worry. The GSIS manages various funds, and in all of those funds, we make sure there is no co-mingling,” Mr. Ongkeko said in Filipino, based on a statement from the Department of Finance.

The government is looking to start requiring all active MUP and new recruits to contribute to their pensions starting next year.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon told reporters in a Viber message that the GSIS will be a trust fund manager, but a committee composed of the Department of Finance, Department of Budget and Management, Office of the President, and the GSIS will oversee the fund.

“There will be separate account for the MUP as well as sub funds for different MUP services,” Ms. De Leon said, adding that they will monitor the respective contributions and disbursements for members.

“MUPs will not be GSIS members,” she added.

MORE DISCUSSIONS
DoF Undersecretary Maria Luwalhati C. Dorotan Tiuseco said the government is looking forward to have more discussions to address other concerns and details.

“Rest assured that we would be more than willing to talk in smaller groups if needed so we can better explain the proposals,” she said.

Meanwhile, PNP Lieutenant General Michael John Dubria said the police would remain “open to further discussions.”

“It is a fact that the President himself intended for this project,” he said. “(Everyone) hopes for the best, for the good of the economy, the nation, and the welfare of all.”

In a note, GlobalSource analysts Romeo L. Bernardo and Maria Christine Tang said the changes in the MUP pension reform may help improve tax administration.

“DoF officials are now doing the rounds of consultation with MUPs and the likely outcome would be a set of more modest changes that will reduce the annual drain on the budget and slow the growth of pension liabilities,” they said.

Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno in late March warned of a possible “fiscal collapse” should the government fail to reform the MUP pension system, noting that the government has set aside P120-130 billion for the pension program for this year alone.

He said the amount that the government allocates for the pension of retirees from the security sector is much bigger than the funds being earmarked for the maintenance and operating expenditures of the whole Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Under the current setup, the pension of retired personnel increases by 100% when the salary of the incumbent personnel is doubled. The average monthly pension of a military personnel is around P40,000.

Military or uniformed personnel who choose to retire after 20 years of service can already receive a pension since there is no minimum “pensionable” age, Mr. Diokno said. Some personnel even get recruited at the age of 20 so they can retire by 40.

Earlier this month, Mr. Marcos Jr. said the MUP pension fund would be depleted in the next five to six years if the present setup continues.

The Defense department, on the other hand, had previously warned that should the government push through with its plan to reform the MUP pension, an estimated 70% to 80% of the military’s enlisted soldiers may retire early.

The MUP pension program covers members of the AFP, PNP, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Public Safety College, Coast Guard, and Bureau of Corrections.

The proposed MUP pension reform is among the legislative priorities of the Marcos administration. It is still pending at the committee level in both chambers of Congress.

“I hope that as soon as possible, Congress will act on it and the President will sign it,” Mr. Teodoro said, noting that his agency is at the same working with various sectors for the proposal.

Teodoro asks China to be ‘magnanimous’ in relations with PHL

June 8, 2023 | 8:16 pm

Teodoro-Gilbert-DNDspeech20230607-DND — DEFENSE SECRETARY GILBERTO C. TEODORO, JR. — DND

THE PHILIPPINES’ relations with China are more than just their sea disputes, Defense Secretary Gilbert C. Teodoro said on Thursday, and asked Beijing to be “magnanimous” as they nurture trade and partnerships in other sectors.

“Relations between the two countries are not mono-dimensional. There are other relationships that we need to build up,” he told a Palace news briefing.

Mr. Teodoro said that the Philippines is still a “net importer” and China is a major export destination.

“China is a big market for this country and we have realized that, and I think the United States realizes it too.”

China is the Philippines’ largest trade partner, with the two countries’ total trade amounting to $2.54 billion in February. Philippine exports to China hit $611.59 million in February, while its imports from the Asian “superpower” reached $1.93 billion.

Foreign policy experts have said boosting trade with China would unlikely temper its expansive activities in Philippine waters in the South China Sea, citing Manila’s relationship with Beijing under the former administration.

Former President Rodrigo R. Duterte led a foreign policy pivot to China when he took office in 2016. He had been criticized for gambling Philippine territories to appease China in exchange for investment pledges that only few had materialized.

The Philippines’ relationship with China has become more complicated after a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship used a military-grade laser in February to harass a Philippine ship supporting a rotation and resupply mission of the Philippine Navy in the Second Thomas Shoal, which is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

Beijing said the CCG action was intended for navigational safety.

A near-collision incident between a CCG ship and a Philippine patrol vessel carrying journalists was also reported last April 23.

Mr. Teodoro said that China, as a stronger country, has the “bigger obligation to be magnanimous and show trust, and to earn the trust of the Filipino people by conforming its activities to recognized norms of international law.”

He cited the 1980s United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which China has invalidated, and the 2016 arbitral award that favored Manila in its territorial dispute with Beijing.

“We are talking about the arbitral award. It has already been stated by our two past presidents that our rights and territory are defined by UNCLOS and it has been stated too that this cannot be frittered away or bargained away by passages of administration or passage of time,” Mr. Teodoro said.

“It is not only important to take into consideration what the specifics of the arbitral tribunal said, but the process by which it was done. It was done by an independent arbitral tribunal of experts in International Law, where had China participated, it would have had a chance to demonstrate its legal position in a fair and impartial proceeding,” he added. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

De Lima supporters say bail plea denial an injustice

June 8, 2023 | 8:16 pm

De-Lima-20221104-PHILSTAR-RUSSELL-PALMA — SENATOR Leila de Lima attends the hearing at Regional Trial Court Branch 204 in Muntinlupa City on Nov. 4, 2022. — PHILIPPINE STAR/RUSSELL PALMA

SUPPORTERS of former Senator Leila M. De Lima, one of ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s staunchest critics, said a trial court’s recent denial of her plea to post bail is an injustice and reflects the continuing human rights violations in the Philippines.

“Every day of her continuing detention, just like that of the more than 700 political prisoners at present, is a day of injustice against her,” Cristina E. Palabay, secretary general of human rights group Karapatan, said in a Viber message.

Ms. Palabay said the former lawmaker has been incarcerated for six years on politically motivated charges by the Duterte administration.

United States Senator Richard Joseph Durbin on Thursday said Ms. De Lima should not spend another minute in jail on what he called “bogus” charges.

“This is a tragic decision and a sad day for human rights champions in the Philippines,” he tweeted.

Senator Ana Theresia N. Hontiveros-Baraquel said Ms. De Lima deserves a speedy trial provided under the Constitution.

“Again, for the sixth year in a row, this ruthless tide of injustice against Leila must stop, and the trumped-up charges immediately dropped,” she said in a statement.

In a statement late Wednesday, Ms. De Lima said her lawyers will file a motion for reconsideration to raise the issue of the credibility of inmate witnesses.

“I am of course disappointed,” said the former lawmaker. “But with a clean conscience, I cannot and will not lose hope.”

A Muntinlupa trial court rejected Ms. De Lima’s motion for bail, saying it could not overlook the testimonial evidence against her.

She is being tried for allegedly conspiring to commit illegal drug trading during her term as justice secretary, based on testimony provided by inmates from the national penitentiary.

In an order made public on Thursday, the trial court’s administrator gave the tribunal nine months to decide on the case, considering that it has been pending for six years.

“Under the trial court’s rules, whether the evidence of guilt is strong or not should be determined summarily, and does not need a full-length trial,” Ephraim B. Cortez, president of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, said in a Viber message.

The Muntinlupa court dismissed a separate illegal drug trafficking case against Ms. De Lima and her former aide on May 12, citing reasonable doubt.

The former senator originally faced three illegal drug cases. The tribunal dismissed her first case in 2021.

Last year, the Ombudsman cleared her and her former aide of bribery charges for lack of evidence. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

LTO driver’s license backlog hits 690,000

June 8, 2023 | 8:16 pm

THE LAND Transportation Office’s (LTO) backlog for physical driver’s license cards has reached 690,000, according to the Transportation chief.

Speaking at a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Thursday, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said, “As of today we have only around 70,000 identification cards available nationwide,” noting that these are reserved mainly for overseas Filipino workers who need cards before leaving the country.

Mr. Bautista said the LTO is in talks with a card provider and is aiming to get 500,000 licenses in July.

Former LTO chief and now Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Chairman Teofilo L. Guadiz III said the supposed procurement of plastic ID cards last year was about 75% done before he left his post.

“By Nov. 15, [2022,] I was replaced so I turned over whatever we have done to the incoming assistant secretary for his appropriate actions,” Mr. Guadiz told the hearing.

Senator Grace L. Poe expressed dismay over the LTO’s inefficiency.

“We all know that digitalization is the future of government transactions, but the LTO is full of old problems like backlogs in vehicle plates and license cards, slow and unserviceable portals, and long lines and slow turnover of services,” she said in Filipino.

In a 2021 Consolidated Annual Audit Report, state auditors flagged the LTO for the “undue payment given to its foreign information technology contractor, Dermalog, despite incomplete turnover of deliverables for the P3.19-billion Road IT Infrastructure Project.”

The 2018 contract was awarded to Dermalog, Holy Family Printing Corp., Microgenesis Software Inc., and Verzontal for a total of P3.15 billion, the Commission on Audit said.

Verzontal Infrastructure Corp. President Jose Silvestre Natividad told the committee it has pending case against its joint venture partner, Dermalog Identification System, due to “nonpayment of the complete deliverables that we provided.”

The Blue Ribbon Committee issued a subpoena to former LTO officials and the representatives of Dermalog to attend the next hearing. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

DTI tightens watch on vape shops

June 8, 2023 | 8:14 pm

vape-PHILSTAR-FILE-EDD-GUMBAN — PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

THE DEPARTMENT of Trade and Industry (DTI) is tightening its watch on vape shops across Metro Manila as part of enforcing Republic Act No. 11900 or the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act.

In a statement on Thursday, the DTI said less than half or only 229 out of 583 validated physical vape stores have been deemed compliant, while 175 out of 28,584 online vape shops are compliant as of June 1.

Some 26,986 stores are undergoing physical validation.

The DTI said its Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB) has so far confiscated 13,784 products worth P4.25 million from non-compliant stores, while 72 firms received notices of violation/show cause orders.

“We aim to balance the interest of both businesses/manufacturers and also protect our youth from these harmful substances,” Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual said.

Majority of the violations involve rules on product packaging requirements; sale of vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products, their devices, or novel tobacco products; restrictions on product communication, advertisements, and sponsorships; and prohibition on the use of nicotine and non-nicotine products in public places, according to the DTI.

Meanwhile, the DTI said that the FTEB’s adjudication division has received 74 formal charges as of June 1, of which 73 were filed against physical stores and one against an online store.

“The DTI conducts monitoring across major social media and e-commerce platforms to ensure that minors will not have access to these substances online,” the agency said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Rights groups push for renewed peace talks with Maoist rebels

June 8, 2023 | 8:14 pm

NPA-returnees-OPAPRU — FORMER members of the New People’s Army, also referred to as communist terrorist group by the government, attend an orientation activity in Nueva Ecija as part of the reintegration program for rebel returnees. — OPAPRU/PEACE.GOV.PH

RIGHTS groups are worried about the new Defense chief’s opposition to public calls for the resumption of peace talks between the government and Maoist rebels, saying it signals the continuation of the government’s “militaristic” approach to the root causes of the insurgency.

In a statement, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), an umbrella of progressive groups, said Defense Secretary Gilbert C. Teodoro’s remarks against calls for the resumption of peace talks between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, which represents rebels in legal negotiations, is “unfortunate and may signal more of the same militaristic approach to the roots of the armed conflict.”

“The Marcos regime is sorely mistaken if it thinks these issues can be addressed through militaristic means,” Bayan said.

In a Palace briefing on Thursday, Mr. Teodoro said he’s opposed to calls for the government to engage the Philippines’ Maoist rebels — who have the longest-running rebellion in the world — in peace negotiations.

“My personal position is no. That’s been my position on that ever since,” he said in mixed English and Filipino. “And I think that is the position of the security cluster as of this time.”

Mr. Teodoro cited the existence of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, which he said has been promoting the return of rebels to the fold of the law.

He also mentioned the government’s anti-communist task force, which has been slammed for tagging critics as communist rebels or sympathizers.

Mr. Teodoro said Maoists should join electoral politics instead of pushing for their cause via insurgency.

“The issue can be discussed in a proper forum — that’s Congress — and they should join the legitimate political process,” he said, noting that the law that outlawed the Communist Party of the Philippines was already repealed.

“But the indirect and direct support to armed groups, that’s the problem.”

Temario C. Rivera, executive director of the Center for People Empowerment in Governance Inc., said the most politically acceptable and least costly resolution to legitimate armed movements is through negotiated political settlements through peace processes.

“There are deep structural reasons such as poverty, economic and power inequities, human rights abuses, and injustice that push people to take up arms against an oppressive and exploitative order,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

He said it will be wise for the Marcos administration to revive peace talks with armed Maoists because without it, “we will continue to face a costly protracted people’s armed struggle.”

Bayan urged the new Defense leadership to “pick up” from where the peace talks left off in 2017 and “seriously address the roots of the armed conflict.”

“Hubris and arrogance will not solve the insurgency,” it said. “It is time to talk about socio-economic reforms as a way to achieve a just and lasting peace.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Almost 8,500 MSMEs assisted by DTI-Davao

June 8, 2023 | 8:14 pm

MSMEbooths-trade-expo-2022-DTI-ROMEO-CASTANAGA — DTI ROMEO CASTANAGA

ALMOST 8,500 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Davao Region have received assistance from the government in the first four months of the year, according to a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) official.

“For this year we would like to highlight that we have an annual target of 27,000 MSMEs assisted. As of April, we have assisted 8,496 or 31% of the total, with different interventions given,” DTI-Davao information officer Jenny Grace M. Mendoza said at the Habi at Kape media forum.

She said the assistance programs vary from free seminars on entrepreneurship, product development training, and developing labels and packaging, among others.

“Because we believe that we should not only focus on production but on promotion and marketing. We have several MSMEs in Davao Region who have graduated, meaning they have entered the export market,” she said.

MSMEs are enterprises with a capitalization of up to P100 million.

The DTI has also set up 53 Negosyo Centers in the region, which covers Davao City and the provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, and Davao de Oro.

Ms. Mendoza said these Negosyo Centers have conducted 300 training sessions from January to April, covering topics such as development of entrepreneurial skills, improving productivity, government regulations, financing, and technical demonstrations. — Maya M. Padillo

Authorities seize P78M worth of marijuana in Cordillera and Sulu

June 8, 2023 | 8:14 pm

ABOUT P78 million worth of marijuana plants were destroyed by police and anti-narcotics forces in different parts of the country since last week.

In the northern provinces of Kalinga and Benguet, marijuana plants valued at P64.9 million were eradicated along with the seizure of over P61,000 worth of methamphetamine or shabu and dried marijuana fruiting tops, according to Cordillera Regional Police Director David K. Peredo, Jr.

He said follow-up operations are ongoing to identify the marijuana cultivators.

In Sulu, an island province in the south, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) of the Bangsamoro region confiscated and burned as estimated P13 million worth of marijuana shrubs found in a secluded village in Kalingalan Caluang town.

PDEA-Bangsamoro Director Christian O. Frivaldo told reporters Wednesday the anti-narcotics operation was conducted with the police and the Philippine Army’s 21^st Infantry Battalion. — Artemio A. Dumlao and John Unson

House leaders reaffirm support to Romualdez amid tensions with VP

June 8, 2023 | 8:13 pm

LEADERS of the House of Representatives on Thursday issued statements of support for Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez after an apparent rift between Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio and he.

“One thing is clear: Speaker Martin has created an atmosphere of certainty and trust. His strong, compassionate leadership brought all of us together to work on a single vision: to pass measures focused on achieving a prosperous, inclusive and resilient Philippines,” House Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio D. Gonzales, Jr. said in a statement.

Speculations of a political rift between Mr. Romualdez and Ms. Duterte-Carpio resurfaced after the latter’s statement on Wednesday denying that the former was key to her decision to run in the 2022 elections.

“To say that he ‘tremendously helped in pushing for’ my Vice Presidential bid is acutely inaccurate — an insult to thousands of groups and individuals who incessantly implored me to reconsider an earlier decision not to join national politics,” Ms. Duterte-Carpio said in reaction to a claim made by Cavite Rep. Elpidio F. Barzaga, Jr.

House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose M. Dalipe said in a separate statement that “the House of Representatives will not be slowed down by premature partisanship.”

Political tensions started last month after Mr. Gonzales ascended to the ceremonial senior deputy speakership post, replacing Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was demoted to deputy speaker.

In the same week, Ms. Duterte-Carpio announced her resignation from the ruling Lakas-CMD, which Ms. Arroyo serves as president emeritus and Mr. Romualdez leads as president.

In a statement, Mr. Romualdez brushed off any escalating tensions with Ms. Duterte-Carpio.

“We will not allow any distraction to derail our efforts at finding appropriate and timely solutions to the problems affecting the lives of our people,” he said. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

SNAP celebrates wins at Nordic Sustainability Awards

June 8, 2023 | 6:01 pm

SN Aboitiz Power Group (SNAP), a joint venture between Scatec of Norway and AboitizPower, celebrated two wins at the Nordic Sustainability Awards held on May 24, 2023 in Makati. SNAP was recognized as the runners-up for CSR Business Partner of the Year and Sustainability Business Partner of the Year by the Nordic Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (NordCham).

“This recognition comes at a key point in our sustainability journey,” SNAP President and CEO Joseph Yu said. “As a renewable energy company, we’ve always championed sustainability; it’s at the heart of what we do as a company. This recognition encourages us to continue along the path to sustainability – because we know that despite the challenges, this kind of work is critical, not only in energy but across all industries.”

SNAP Group was also a finalist for Sustainability Business Partner of the Year at last year’s Nordic Sustainability Awards. This year’s event also featured a panel discussion with sustainability leaders, including the Aboitiz Group’s Chief Sustainability and Reputation Officer, Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar, where she talked about the Group’s ambition to become the Philippines’ first Techglomerate by utilizing innovation and technology to deepen its sustainability commitments.

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