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FTA signing with South Korea expected by November — DTI

REUTERS

A FREE trade agreement (FTA) between the Philippines and South Korea is expected to be signed by November, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

“The feedback that I got from the team that is working on (the FTA) is that the target date for signing is November this year,” Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual told reporters on the sidelines of the Israel Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines’ 26th General Membership Meeting in Makati City late Wednesday.

The Philippines and South Korea began FTA negotiations in June 2019 and concluded in October 2021.

Once in force, the FTA is expected to generate more investment and jobs, alongside expanded trade.

Some of the Philippine products covered by the FTA are banana, pineapple, and other tropical fruit. South Korean products that will enjoy free-trade privileges include vehicles and auto parts.

In October, the DTI announced that Philippine banana exports to South Korea will be charged zero duties in five years while processed pineapple exports will be duty-free in seven years.

It added that the tariffs on some South Korean automotive parts will be eliminated in five years.

Mr. Pascual said it is also possible to elevate the investment promotion and protection agreement (IPPA) between the Philippines and Israel into an FTA.

“Everything is possible. I hope we can build up the trade between the two countries,” Mr. Pascual said.

The Philippines and Israel signed their IPPA on June 7.

“Israeli investors and businesses may continue to find the Philippines a suitable destination for investments a source of a talented (workers); and an enabling environment with a robust regime for strategic trade management and intellectual property and data protection,” Mr. Pascual said.

Mr. Pascual said he hopes to start FTA negotiations with other countries like the US.

“We don’t have an FTA with the US yet; we don’t have an FTA with the European Union yet,” Mr. Pascual said.

He also confirmed that the renewal of Philippine participation in the US Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) is under negotiation.  

“We have a team already talking to the US counterparts on that,” Mr. Pascual said.

Eligibility for the GSP expired at the end of 2020. The GSP program permitted duty-free entry of more than 5,000 Philippine products into the US, such as electronics and agricultural products. 

Separately, Mr. Pascual confirmed that the DTI is currently reviewing the suggested retail price (SRP) list for school supplies.

He said that the DTI is aiming to release the SRP before the start of five-days-a-week in-person classes by November. The formal start of the 2022-2023 school year is Aug. 22.

“I saw the SRP, the range is very wide. It should include specifications (of various products). It does not indicate the type of notebook or how many leaves,” Mr. Pascual said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Revenue bills like digital services VAT lead House priorities

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE House of Representatives will prioritize revenue measures like a 12% value-added tax (VAT) on digital transactions as well as ease of paying taxes programs, a senior legislator said on Thursday. 

Albay Rep. Jose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda, who heads the House Ways and Means Committee, told BusinessWorld via Viber in reply to a query that budget reform is also on the table.

“We are also studying measures to combat technical smuggling, as brought up by the President in his State of the Nation Address (SONA),” he added.

He called inflation “the greatest challenge to this administration’s first year in office,” alongside food sufficiency and income security.

Rizal Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a Viber message that “new tax measures or higher tax rates could lead to higher inflation, as seen in past, such as the TRAIN Law in 2018.”

“Any new taxes or higher tax rates could add to the current inflationary pressures and would lead to higher headline inflation,” Mr. Ricafort added.

“New taxes and higher tax rates need to be fair, equitable, and progressive, especially targeted at those that can afford them or those from the higher income brackets or those that at least do not add to the burden to the poor, the most vulnerable sectors, and/or those hit hard by the pandemic,” he said.

Maria Ela L. Atienza, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines, said the government runs the risk of new taxes being received negatively by the public.

“A recent SWS survey also found out that more Filipinos feel poorer or worse off now than before,” Ms. Atienza said. “Pulse Asia surveys also show that people are mainly concerned with economic issues like unemployment, poor pay, and inflation.”

“Add to this is the fact that the current President (Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.) and his family still have issues regarding their tax liabilities and ill-gotten wealth.”

She said even if the government fails to address rising prices, protests are not expected until the administration loses popular support.

Mr. Salceda said once the food security and income issues are addressed, “housing should be atop the President’s priorities… That’s the single biggest untapped source of household and national wealth.” — Matthew Carl L. Montecillo

Trade department upholds authority of PEZA OIC

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reiterated that it recognizes the authority of the temporary head of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), rejecting the former office-holder’s claim that she remains the agency’s leader even after the departure of the President that appointed her.

Trade Undersecretary Herminio C. Bagro III said in a statement on Thursday that the PEZA Director-General position was “legally deemed vacant as of June 30 noontime” following the issuance of Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 1 by Executive Secretary Victor D. Rodriguez.

June 30 marked the departure from government of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who had appointed the former Director-General, Charito B. Plaza.

“To ensure the continuous and effective delivery of government services, MC No. 1…  provided that the ‘next-in rank and most senior official’ ‘shall’ become the OIC until July 31, 2022, or until a replacement has been appointed or designated, whichever comes first,” Mr. Bagro said.  

“Thus, (PEZA) Deputy Director General Tereso O. Panga, as the most senior career official in the agency, was under a clear legal obligation to assume the position of OIC by virtue of MC No. 1. He did not have to wait for a designation, as MC No. 1 correctly laid out the rule in filling up the vacancies it created, in order to avoid any disruption in government service delivery,” he added.  

Mr. Bagro rejected Ms. Plaza’s contention that heads of government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) are not coterminous with the appointing President.

He said Section 4 of Republic Act No. 10149 or the GOCC Governance Act excludes economic zone authorities from the coverage of the law.

Ms. Charito B. Plaza told reporters on Wednesday asserted her right to remain in position as head of a “government instrumentality” and cited a Supreme Court ruling to support her position.

Ms. Plaza said she is seeking clarification from the Office of the President (OP) and will abide by its decision.  

Mr. Bagro said that Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual exercised his duty by issuing Department Order No. 22-68 on Aug. 2, which affirmed the term extension of Mr. Panga as PEZA OIC Director General until Dec. 31 or until a replacement has been appointed or designated, whichever comes first.

“With due respect to the former PEZA Director General, as Chairman of the PEZA Board and under whose department the PEZA is attached, Secretary Pascual was not interfering but was merely exercising his duties and functions in issuing the Department Order to address the controversy occasioned by your actions,” Mr. Bagro said.  

“The Secretary was well under his rights to step in and clarify the lines of authority in PEZA, which we reiterate, is an agency attached to the DTI,” he added.

Separately, the PEZA Employees Association, in a statement issued Aug. 3, said the dispute has affected morale. 

“This issue has been dragging since last week and has greatly affected the employees of PEZA and the image of the agency. We strongly refute former Director-General Plaza’s statements in the press conference,” the association said.

Asked to comment, Ms. Plaza said in a Viber message that the Office of the President should decide the issue. 

“I’ll abide by the response of OP to my clarification request because PEZA is not a sari-sari store that will just be given to anybody,” Ms. Plaza said.

“The OP is still the highest office (to determine) the correct interpretation of their memo… As long as we’re still a democracy and every citizen’s right to expression is still being heard, the decision of the OP is the highest order,” she added.  — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Investigation into energy security proposed in Senate

PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

A SENATOR has filed a resolution seeking to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation on the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on the Philippines’ energy security.

“There is a need for Congress to be apprised of the short-, medium-, and long-term effects and implications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the Philippine economy, in particular, the country’s oil supply and the effects of the continuous elevated global oil and coal prices on domestic oil and petroleum products,” Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said in a statement on Thursday.

The senator, who led the Senate Energy Committee in the last Congress, filed Senate Resolution 78 due to the drastic increase in global oil and coal prices, which have led to continuous increases in pump prices.

The resolution cites the 22% increase in gasoline prices to P77.71 per liter in May from P63.58 per liter in January, while diesel pump prices rose by 49% to P75.92 per liter from P50.95 per liter.

“The people of the country can no longer afford the constant increase in the price of petroleum products, which has also caused the increase in the price of basic commodities,” Mr. Gatchalian said.

Over the same period, he said many public utility drivers chose to abandon their usual routes, while provincial buses and taxis only operating at 20% to 30% capacity, leading to a fall in available public transportation capacity.

High coal prices have also led to some generation companies to seek permission to pass on their higher fuel costs to the public, despite fixed-price power supply agreements. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Rice seed program targets farmers tilling 1.8M hectares

NEDA

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it hopes to distribute inbred and hybrid seed to farmers tilling 1.8 million hectares (ha) across 15 regions, to provide relief from high input costs.

The DA’s National Rice Program (NRP) will handle the operation, which targets adequate distribution in time for the wet and dry cropping seasons.

More than P6.4 million worth of seed has been distributed to farmers tilling 582,780 ha, according to Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Operations Arnel V. de Mesa.

“NRP has dispensed P5.32 million worth of hybrid seed and P1.11 million worth of certified seed to eligible farmer-beneficiaries this year,” he added.

Mr. De Mesa said that the government will also offer vouchers for discounted fertilizer.

The program is available to rice farmers in the agriculture registry, with incentives for farmers using high-yield seed.

“We give vouchers amounting to P1,131 for every hectare planted with inbred (seed), and P2,262 for every hectare planted with hybrid,” he added.

Mr. De Mesa said that beneficiaries may also claim various types of fertilizer and bio-stimulants.

“Except for the National Capital Region (NCR) and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, all regions are included in the voucher program,” he added.

To date, 176,394 vouchers worth P285 million have been generated, according to the DA.

The NRP has also been distributing and promoting the use of Nitrogen-fixing bio-fertilizer, which can reduce fertilizer use by 25% to 50% while maintaining yield performance.

“Except NCR, this initiative covers 200,000 ha of irrigated (with intermittent irrigation) or favorable rainfed areas across the country,” Mr. De Mesa said. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

Supreme Court affirms illegal dismissal finding in publishing company case

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed a ruling by the Court of Appeals (CA), which had found that publisher Vibal Co. dismissed an employee illegally.

The CA in turn had affirmed a decision by the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), which found that April Grace C. Morquin was illegally dismissed from the publishing firm since her position should not have been considered redundant.

In an 11-page resolution on April 19 and made public in late July, the SC that the Vibal failed to provide substantial grounds for the dismissal of its former staff writer.

The high court ordered the company to pay Ms. Morquin’s attorney’s fees, equivalent to 10% of the total monetary award.

The case was remanded to the labor arbiter for appropriate computation of amounts due to the dismissed employee.

“In sum, there is substantial evidence to support the findings of the NLRC that respondent was illegally dismissed,” the court said.

“Petitioners (Vibal Company) failed to convincingly show that fair and reasonable criteria were indeed employed in ascertaining what positions are to be abolished.”

Vibal argued that the firm had suffered a severe decline in magazine sales with the termination of its textbook project with the Department of Education. It decided to reduce its staff writers from 19 to eight.

The SC noted that the publishing company did not serve written notice to the former staff writer at least one month before the intended date of her termination.

Under the labor code, employers must issue written notice to both the employee and the Department of Labor and Employment at least one month prior to the intended date of termination.

The High Court added that Ms. Morquin’s position should not have been considered redundant since she was not even part of the textbook project.

“Petitioners, as employers, bear the burden of proving the factual and legal basis for the dismissal of its employees on the grounds of redundancy,” it said.

“Its failure to do so would necessarily lead to a judgment of illegal dismissal, as in this case.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Analysts: Philippines can’t stay neutral on Taiwan

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd and U.S. Coast Guard cutter Munro conduct Taiwan Strait transits August 27, 2021. — U.S. NAVY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

By Alyssa Nicole O. Tan, Reporter

THE PHILIPPINES will have a difficult time staying neutral in case tensions further escalate between the United States and China over Taiwan, according to political analysts.

“While trying as much to evade the Pelosi-rekindled dispute over Taiwan, the Philippines cannot be a mere passive observer because it is directly exposed by sheer geographic proximity, and in view of a number of shared interests it has with the protagonists,” Jaime B. Naval, who teaches political science at the University of the Philippines, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“The Marcos administration must be clear as to which interests it would consider primordial, and on how it can safeguard and advance them given the increasingly conflictual trajectory of these rival powers,” he added.

“The Philippines is concerned with the rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait, just north of the Philippines,” the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “The Philippines adheres to the One-China policy.”

“The Philippines urges restraint by all parties concerned. Diplomacy and dialogue must prevail.” 

The government on Wednesday said it was “closely monitoring” China’s moves in light of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory.

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles refrained from commenting on Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian’s call for the Philippines to abide by the One-China policy.

On the sidelines of a meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers in Cambodia on Wednesday, Wang Yi told reporters Ms. Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan was a “complete farce” and that “those who play with fire will perish by it and those who offend China will be punished,” according to Chinese state-run news channel CGTN.

Four US warships, including an aircraft carrier, were positioned in waters east of Taiwan on what the US Navy called routine deployments on Tuesday amid Chinese anger over Ms. Pelosi’s visit to the island.

Ms. Pelosi is the highest-ranking official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. She said her visit is part of a “broader trip” to the Indo-Pacific region that focuses on “mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance.”

“The Marcos administration has so far astutely maneuvered not to be dragged into the latest episode of major power rivalry by declining to comment at the moment, at least, until the latest barrage of denunciations and threats have simmered,” Mr. Naval said.

“But for how long and how well it will be able to steer clear of the cantankerous exchanges remains to be seen. On one hand, you have a long-drawn security ally, and on the other, a penultimate economic partner. We have a mix of other vital interconnected issues and interests at stake with both,” he added.

Like Taiwan, the Philippines has strong bilateral ties with the US, with several prevailing joint treaties and agreements including the visiting forces agreement, enhanced defense cooperation agreement and the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

Since the treaty requires both sides to help each other in case of any external aggression, the Philippines would naturally be on the side of the US, Renato C. de Castro, an International Studies professor at De La Salle University, said in a Viber message.

“In the real world, strategy and politics trump economics,” he said “The US is China’s main trading partner, but why is China triggering the crisis in the Taiwan Strait by holding several military drills around Taiwan?” he asked.

“Fighting a major war against the US and its allies? Good luck to China,” he added, noting that in the last major conflict China fought, the People’s Liberation Army suffered a major defeat in the hands of the Vietnamese militias in 1979.

“If China only huffs and puffs after issuing all those threats, President Xi Jinping’s political standing could get severely undermined.”

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said China would “definitely take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the US Speaker’s visit,” it said in a statement posted on its website.

“All the consequences arising therefrom must be borne by the US side and the Taiwan independence separatist forces.”

Mr. Naval said the Philippine stance should not depend on its defense treaty with the US. “It must be because of our superordinate interests, material and otherwise, and not because of our parochiality or temporal convenience or, God forbid, sheer incompetence or indolence by us and our government leaders.”

Anna Rosario Malindog-Uy, a political analyst from think tank Philippine-BRICS Strategic Studies, said the best solution would be to not get involved.

“China’s fundamental military doctrine and principles won’t allow it to attack any country unless attacked first,” she said in a Viber message. “China will not attack the Philippines despite differences over the South China Sea and whatever eventuality in the Taiwan Strait.”

“But if the Philippines is used as a launchpad to attack China militarily, that’s a different story altogether. Of course, China will retaliate and that will be most unfortunate,” she added.

She said the Philippines should reject any alignments with the US and reconsider its defense deals with its former colonizer.

“The Philippines has no enemies and should not create one at all costs,” Ms. Uy said. “There’s no need to defend itself from any country for that matter, and no need to choose a side. Our relations with each country should be based on our national interests and should be based on what’s good for the country and not for the benefit of other countries at our expense.”

Rights group asks ICC to continue drug war probe

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

A HUMAN rights group on Thursday urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to pursue its investigation of the Philippine government’s deadly war on drugs after President Ferdinand R. Marcos’ decision not to rejoin the international tribunal.

In a statement, the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) said the president’s decision shields former President Rodrigo R. Duterte and his agents from prosecution and shows intent to continue the crimes.

“The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines is extremely disappointed but not surprised by the new Marcos administration’s decision to keep the Philippines outside the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court,” Chairman Peter Murphy said. “This is part of the continued and ongoing state cover-up of crimes against humanity.”

The group said the ICC would be impartial in case it continues its probe of Mr. Duterte’s anti-illegal drug campaign that has killed thousands.

“We reiterate that the ICC should vigorously pursue the full investigation of the previous Duterte administration for these alleged crimes against humanity so that, finally, justice may be served and impunity ended.”

The Hague-based tribunal on July 14 gave the Philippines until Sept. 8 to comment on the ICC Office of the Prosecutor’s request to resume the probe into alleged crimes against humanity by Mr. Duterte and his officials. It also allowed victims to make written submissions through their lawyers.

Mr. Marcos, Jr., a close political ally of the Dutertes, this week said the Philippines would not rejoin the ICC. Mr. Duterte canceled Philippine membership in the international tribunal in 2018.

In March, ICHRP vowed to sanction the architects of Mr. Duterte’s war on drugs. The campaign sought to impose travel and financial bans on officials allegedly involved in human rights violations.

This was a follow-up on a report conducted last year by Investigate PH, an independent human rights group that alleged patterns of systemic human rights violations, including crimes against humanity by the government.

Former national police chief Ronald M. dela Rosa, the main enforcer of the drug war and now a senator, said the probe is an insult to the Philippine Justice system. He said he would not cooperate with the investigation.

The ICC, which tries people charged with crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes and aggression, suspended its probe of the anti-illegal drug campaign last year upon the Philippine government’s request.

In a 53-page request to the international court’s pre-trial chamber, ICC Prosecutor Karim Ahmad A. Khan said the Philippines had failed to show it investigated crimes related to the campaign.

He said the chamber should issue an order on an “expedited basis.” It should “receive any further observations it considers appropriate from victims and the government of the Philippines,” he added.

Several human rights groups have urged Mr. Marcos to rejoin the ICC and to work closely with the tribunal in its probe of Mr. Duterte’s anti-illegal drug campaign.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla told a press briefing on Wednesday the agency would pursue cases against rogue cops and appealed to witnesses to cooperate.

He also said they would share information with the Commission on Human Rights.

The Department of Justice had only brought five of the 52 cases involving 150 police officers to court since it started its own probe last year. An inter-agency committee formed 15 teams last year that probed alleged extralegal killings and human rights violations involving the government’s anti-illegal drug operations.

Data from the Philippine government released in June 2021 showed that at least 6,117 suspected drug dealers had been killed in police operations as of April 2021. Human rights groups estimate that as many as 30,000 suspects died. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Over P2 billion needed for rehab of quake-hit classrooms; emergency employment rolled out for affected workers 

Damage validation Teams from the Department of Education central office validate damage reports on schools in Abra, the epicenter of the magnitude 7 earthquake that struck northwestern Luzon on July 27. — DEPED-ABRA
Damage validation
Teams from the Department of Education central office validate damage reports on schools in Abra, the epicenter of the magnitude 7 earthquake that struck northwestern Luzon on July 27. — DEPED-ABRA

MORE than P2 billion is needed for the rehabilitation of classrooms damaged by the magnitude 7 earthquake that rocked northwestern parts of the country last week, the Department of Education (DepEd) said on Thursday.  

In a news conference, DepEd Spokesperson Michael T. Poa said the cost for repairs and reconstruction of damaged classrooms has increased to P2.1 billion.  

Mr. Poa said the agency is considering building “temporary learning spaces” or “tent-style” makeshift classrooms for the damaged schools, noting that the number of schools affected by the major earthquake rose to 427.  

He said the agency was realigning funds for the construction of the learning spaces.   

“If there are projects which are not priorities or would not push through or if there are savings, we will realign these for our quick intervention,” he said.  

DepEd earlier said schools in areas hit by the quake are still expected to proceed with the opening of classes on Aug. 22.  

Mr. Poa said about 15.2 million learners have enrolled for the new school year as of Thursday morning.  

Abra province was the epicenter of the earthquake that also affected other parts of the Cordillera region as well as Ilocos and Cagayan Valley.  

Its tremors were also felt in the capital region Metro Manila, forcing workers to evacuate buildings and halting train operations.  

In a post, DepEd’s office in Abra said the agency’s central office visited the province to validate local risk-based reports.   

“The findings of their assessment will be the basis of a streamlined and well-coordinated rehabilitation and recovery plans,” DepEd’s Abra office said.   

“There is also an on-going identification of schools who will be needing temporary learning shelters this next school year.”  

Last week’s major quake, which has claimed 10 lives and injured 410 others, has affected 118,207 families or 443,152 people, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) said in an 8:00 am situation report on Thursday.  

The earthquake also damaged 30,066 houses, 549 of which were totally destroyed, the agency said. 

Damage to infrastructure has reached almost P1.27 billion, NDRRMC said.   

Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) on Thursday said 21 business establishments have yet to reopen after the earthquake. 

In a live-streamed news briefing, DoLE administrator for the Cordillera Administrative Region Nathaniel V. Lacambra said about 426 formal sector workers are out of work as of Thursday.  

“We also have what we call informal sector workers like our farmers and fisherfolk who can’t work because of the earthquake,” he said. 

The Labor department has allocated P50 million for emergency employment and rehabilitation in the Cordillera and Ilocos regions.  

He noted that DoLE’s Cordillera regional office has already given 4,625 affected workers emergency employment involving clearing operations and recycling.    

AID
NDRRMC reported that more than P90 million worth of assistance has so far been provided, including those from the national and local governments, non-government organizations, and the private sector, among others. 

The European Union said on Thursday that it will provide €800,000 (P45.3 million) in emergency funds to assist victims of the earthquake. 

The funding will provide for safe drinking water and sanitation, hygiene, mental health and psychosocial support services, and education for the most vulnerable in the hardest-hit areas. 

Chargé d’Affaires Ana Isabel Sánchez Ruiz of the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines, said: “With this assistance, the European Union reaffirms its commitment and solidarity towards the victims of humanitarian disasters in the Philippines.” 

China has donated P10 million worth of rice to Abra and nearby areas, according to a Facebook post made by the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines on Thursday. 

“We are confident that under the leadership of President Marcos the Filipino people will rise above difficulties and rebuild their home soon,” Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian said.  

The Chinese Embassy handed over the donation, sponsored by the embassy and the Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., to the Department of Social Welfare and Development on Tuesday.  

Meanwhile, the United States joined Australia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and other partners in Puerto Princesa, Palawan for the Pacific Partnership 2022 (PP22) on Wednesday, the US Embassy said in a Thursday statement. 

PP22 is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster preparedness exercise conducted in the Indo-Pacific, it said. 

Activities began on July 27 with the arrival of the USNS Mercy, a 1,000-bed hospital ship commissioned in 1986 to provide medical services to support US disaster relief and humanitarian operations worldwide. 

“The impact of disaster emergencies transcends borders and requires comprehensive coordination among nations for an effective response,” PP22 Mission Commander Hank Kim said in a statement on Thursday.  “I am confident that the planning and hard work that we have invested with our partners will have a long-lasting impact here in the Philippines.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, John Victor D. Ordoñez, and Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Iloilo City eyes more PPP projects after partnership with SM Prime on development of 2 markets 

AN INITIAL concept design for the Iloilo City Terminal Market. — PPP.GOV.PH

THE ILOILO City government is pursuing at least three more projects under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement, its mayor said on Thursday. 

“I am awaiting for a waste-to energy-proposal which will probably be submitted by next week,” Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said in a statement.  

“This is also one of the areas where we requested the PPP Center for assistance when we first entered into administration in 2019,” he said, referring to the government agency in charge of facilitating PPP programs and projects.  

Two other projects that have been offered to investors are the development of a reclamation area, and the city’s slaughterhouse.  

On Tuesday, the city government formally signed a 25-year lease contract with SM Prime Holdings, Inc. for the redevelopment of the city’s Central Market and Iloilo Terminal Market.   

SM Prime will be investing about P3 billion for the combined projects, which are targeted for completion within two years.    

Mr. Treñas assured existing legitimate stall holders that they will not be displaced by the development of the two markets. — MSJ 

FVR was a ‘symbol of stability’, peace broker — Marcos

THE LATE Presidents Fidel V. Ramos (L) and Corazon C. Aquino share a light moment after attending a mass celebrating the 20th anniversary of "People Power" at EDSA Shrine in Manila on Feb. 25, 2006. — REUTERS

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter 

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Thursday said the late President Fidel V. Ramos (FVR) was a “symbol of stability” after a popular uprising in 1986 that restored the country’s democracy.  

Mr. Marcos made the statement during his visit at the wake of Mr. Ramos, who supported an anti-dictatorship campaign that sent the Marcoses into exile in the United States. 

“I just reminded Mrs. Ramos of how FVR, when he became president, was a symbol of stability after all the tumultuous events of 1986,” Mr. Marcos said, based on a transcript sent by his office.  

“When he came into the presidency, he brought calm and he brought stability to our country,” he said. “For that, we will always be grateful to him and for all his service all throughout his life — as a soldier and as a public servant.”   

Mr. Ramos helped topple the regime of his second cousin, the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr. Mr. Ramos was a military general and headed the police force under Marcos Sr.’s government.   

“We clearly have suffered a loss for our country,” the younger Marcos said. “But the memories of him will be good because of all the good work he did for the Philippines.”  

Mr. Ramos, who died at the age of 94 on Sunday, will be given a state funeral on August 9, according to Mr. Marcos’ office.   

FVR, a United States-trained soldier who became a fighter during the wars in Korea and Vietnam, oversaw the recovery of institutions and sectors ravaged by the Marcos dictatorship.  

“He was a minority president who managed to improve the Philippine economy in the 1990s,” Arjan P. Aguirre, who teaches political science at the Ateneo De Manila University, said in a Messenger chat. 

But Mr. Ramos’ rule had not been spared from criticisms, most of which stemmed from his pro-market policies involving privatization and liberalization of several economic sectors. 

PEACE BASED ON JUSTICE
Makabayan, a progressive bloc in the House of Representatives that had been critical of his policies, said he was a leader “who understood that for our country to prosper we need peace based on justice and that it can only be attained by addressing the root causes of armed conflict.”  

“Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would do well to follow his example on the question of peace,” the bloc said in a statement.   

Mr. Ramos oversaw the revision of a 1981 anti-subversion law, which human rights advocates said was used during Martial Law years to justify mass arrests, mass detention, and torture of critics. The law outlawed membership in the local communist party and other organizations supposedly associated with it.   

The Marcosian law was repealed during Mr. Ramos’ administration in 1992, allowing membership in the local communist party.  

“By assuring communist insurgents of political space, we also challenge them to compete under our constitutional system and free market of ideas — which are guaranteed by the rule of law,” Mr. Ramos said in a 1992 speech.  

Law experts and several government officials have said mere membership in the communist group does not constitute a crime. It is allowed as long as activism remains in the realm of ideology, they said.  

“As an intelligence guy during his military days, he is known for his data-driven and evidence-based analysis of any situation,” Mr. Aguirre of Ateneo said.   

“After his stint as president, FVR remained as one of the sought-after figures and seasoned politicians.” 

Maria Ela L. Atienza, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines, remembered Mr. Ramos as “a staunch supporter of decentralization and autonomy.”  

“He vetoed a bill that sought to ‘recentralize’ health services,” she said in a Viber message. “He and his administration brokered a [peace] deal with the [separatist] Moro Islamic Liberation Front.” 

VP’s office aims to expand free transport program

OVP INDAY SARA DUTERTE OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE

THE OFFICE of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio on Thursday said it would pursue partnerships with the private sector to expand its program offering free rides to commuters. 

Ms. Carpio’s office is planning to get additional buses and open more routes for the program, spokesperson Reynold S. Munsayac told a news briefing. 

“It’s clear that the government needs more buses that will provide services, especially at no cost,” he said. “Our goal is to find private partners that will also lend buses. We will shoulder the fuel, the salary of the drivers and, if needed, the repair and maintenance of the buses.” 

Ms. Carpio’s office launched the program on Wednesday with five buses, two of which have been deployed to a bus carousel along EDSA, the capital region’s major thoroughfare. The other three were deployed in Bacolod City and Cebu City in central Philippines and Davao City in the country’s south. 

Mr. Munsayac said the office now targets the bus route from Commonwealth and Fairview in Quezon City to Quiapo in the capital Manila. “We received reports that there were many passengers there.” 

Mr. Munsayac said students can avail of the free rides. 

The new school year is opening on Aug. 22 under a hybrid setup, but the Department of Education, which is headed by Ms. Carpio, is set to implement five days of face-to-face classes starting November. 

The Transport department earlier assured that public transport could cope with a potential spike in demand as a result of the resumption of physical classes this year. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

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