Filipina star Alex Eala soars to new career-best WTA ranking of No. 138

January 8, 2025 | 9:32 pm

ALEX EALA zoomed to a new career-best in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings despite an early exit in the qualifying round of the 2025 Australian Open.

From No. 147 to start the New Year, Ms. Eala leaped nine spots to No. 138 to continue her ascend among the world’s best tennis players at only 19 years of age.

Her previous career-high was at No. 143 last year after completing a twin title in singles and doubles tournaments of the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain.

The budding Filipina star absorbed a 7-5, 6-2 defeat at the hands of seasoned Croatian Jana Fett in Round 1 of the Australian Open on Tuesday at Melbourne Park.

Prior to that though, Ms. Eala made her first WTA 125 tourney semifinal finish in the Workday Canberra International that accounted the most for her ranking improvement.

Unranked and unseeded in Canberra as part of her Australian Open preparations, Ms. Eala clawed all the way from the qualifiers to the Final Four to start her season with a bang.

She strung five straight wins before losing to China’s Sijia Wei, 7-5, 6-2.

The Australian Open, where Ms. Eala was a previous junior champion, was her first major tournament this season, in which she hoped to etch history by becoming the first Filipina player to make it to a Grand Slam main draw.

She came so close to achieving in the three other majors last season — the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open — by reaching the qualifying final but to no avail in the Land Down Under this time around. — John Bryan Ulanday

Philippine lacrosse secured a trip to World Lacrosse Women’s Championship in Tokyo

January 8, 2025 | 9:32 pm

FOR a sport that is relatively just on its infant stage in the country, Philippine lacrosse has gone a long way.

Unheralded, the national women’s team was unfazed and played David against the sport’s Goliaths in securing a historic trip to next year’s prestigious World Lacrosse Women’s Championship in Tokyo, Japan.

The ticket was punched via a pair of emphatic victories over world-ranked Hong Kong and China at the start of the Asia-Pacific Women’s Lacrosse Championship in Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia.

The team is composed of Ria Lagdameo, Mallory Ngitngit, Bailey Truex, Olivia Pugh, Kaitlynn Lazaro, Caroline Roxas, Minka Martinez, Abigail Beattie, Kaila Stasulli, Daryl Coss, Andrea Macalalad, Sarah Nelson, Kylie Yap, Lizzie de Guzman, Cat Roxas, Carolyn Carrera, Nia Carrera, and Cailey Canessa.

Coming into the tournament unranked and as complete underdogs, the Filipinas sent shockwaves down the tournament area early with that giant-sized 14-2 decimation of the World No. 16 Hong Kongese and 15-3 destruction of the World No. 19 Chinese.

These two triumphs booked the country a breakthrough spot to the Worlds where it will join Australia and Taiwan.

The Filipinas were battling the heavily favored Aussies on Wednesday for a chance to stay unscathed.

But whatever happens, the country, which started to play the game — invented by indigenous North Americans centuries ago — only 12 years back, has already done something that will be remembered for a long, long time. — Joey Villar

Gilas women headline Manila Hustle 3×3 at the SM Mall of Asia on Feb. 8-9

January 8, 2025 | 9:31 pm

GILAS PILIPINAS WOMEN headline a stacked cast made up of local and foreign teams in the third season of the Manila Hustle 3×3 on Feb. 8 to 9 at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.

Gilas will be led by Camille Clarin and Jhaz Joson while other seasoned national team players will carry different colors this time around.

Afril Bernardino, alongside Kaye Pingol, spearheads Uratex Dream, Trina Guytingco and Stefanie Berberabe represent the Titans while Janie Pontejos will banner Army Altama.

Uratex Tibay, Gilas U23 and New Zealand Blue Fire are the other teams made up of local aces as eight or more overseas teams are expected to join the fray to complete the 16-team field.

One of them is Zoos Tokyo, led by international 3×3 sensation Ama Degbeon, which will be out to defend its crown.

At stake in the tourney co-presented by Smart, Uratex and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) is a $4,000 grand prize and a ticket to the WKBL 3×3 in South Korea.

The runner-up takes home $2,500 with the third-place settling for $1,000. — John Bryan Ulanday

Thunder, Cavs carry long win streaks into marquee clash

January 8, 2025 | 9:30 pm

THE Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Nos. 3 and 2 teams in the Eastern Conference en route to extending their overall winning streak to a franchise-best 15 games.

Next up for the Thunder? Well, it’s the team with the best record in the East — and the NBA, for that matter — as they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

Oklahoma City boasts an 11-0 record versus Eastern Conference foes while Cleveland sports a 10-0 mark against Western Conference representatives.

The Cavaliers also are riding high on a 10-game winning streak — all by double digits, mind you — and are a scintillating 18-1 at home this season.

“It’s going to be hard on the road to get off to the slow starts that we’ve been getting off to lately. So we have to kind of fix that,” Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We got to throw the first punch, especially on the road against good teams with their environment, their crowd behind them.”

Oklahoma City head coach Mark Daigneault has faith in his team after ending the New York Knicks’ nine-game winning streak on Friday and defeating the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics two nights later.

“More pressure, more grit, more intensity,” Daigneault said. “We’ve got a level we can play at that can really be good (on defense).”

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 33 points in each of the last two games and has served as the team’s leading scorer in each of the last eight. The two-time All-Star owns team-best averages in points (31.3), assists (6.1), steals (2) and blocks (1.1).

Oklahoma City’s current winning streak matches the longest of the season by an NBA team. Cleveland began the campaign with 15 straight victories.

The Cavaliers made some noise after their last game, as Darius Garland expressed a bit of frustration as to why his team isn’t getting the recognition he feels it deserves.

“I wish I had an answer to that because I think that we deserve to have recognition for being the best team in the league,” Garland said, per Cleveland.com. “Especially with the group that we have, the brand of basketball that we play. I think it’s really exciting. I think it’s fun.

“I think it’s actual great basketball, and it should be shown a lot more. It should be just really out there, in my opinion. But I guess (we’re) a small market. That’s the only thing I can really think of, to be honest with you.”

Garland made a statement on the court as well, scoring 25 points in the Cavaliers’ 115-105 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. He is averaging 20.5 points to trail only Donovan Mitchell (23.3) for the team lead. — Reuters

China sends replacement for ‘monster ship’ loitering in Philippine backyard

January 8, 2025 | 9:24 pm

Chinese coast guard-CCG-PCG — CHINA COAST GUARD VESSEL 5901, nicknamed the “monster ship,” off the coast of Capones Island, Zambales on Jan. 4, 2025. — PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

CHINA’S biggest coast guard vessel has left the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea and was set to be replaced by another ship, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Wednesday.

The PCG has tracked China Coast Guard (CCG)-3103, which left Guangdong Province on Tuesday and was heading directly to the previous location of China’s “monster ship” CCG-5901, it said in a statement.

CCG-3103 was detected by Canada’s dark vessel detection system at 60 nautical miles from Pundaquit, Zambales province north of the Philippine capital as of 3 p.m. on Jan. 8. “This indicates that CCG-3103 is likely serving as a replacement vessel for the monster ship, thereby sustaining its illegal presence within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.”

The “monster ship” left the coastline of Zambales and was about 90 nautical miles offshore, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

“The China Coast Guard conducts intrusive patrols within its neighbors’ EEZ in order to normalize its claims of sovereignty and jurisdiction over their waters,” Raymond M. Powell, a fellow at the US-based Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, said in an X message.

“Huang Yan Dao (Scarborough Shoal) is China’s territory,” the Chinese Embassy in Manila told reporters in a Viber group chat. “The China Coast Guard conduct its patrols and law enforcement activities in relevant waters in full accordance with the law.”

PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil L. Gavan ordered the deployment of the PCG Islander to the area, where it has confirmed the presence of CCG-3103 operating near the area previously occupied by the monster ship.

“Additionally, the PCG vessel BRP Cabra is currently heading towards the location of CCG-3103 to monitor and challenge its presence.”

On Tuesday evening, the Philippine Coast Guard said a People’s Liberation Army Navy helicopter had hovered above its ship that was monitoring China’s biggest coast guard vessel, which had loitered within the Philippine EEZ since Sunday.

“Despite the PCG’s efforts to address the illegal presence of the CCG vessel through measured law enforcement operations, the People’s Republic of China has provocatively deployed a People’s Liberation Army-Navy helicopter, tail number 47, which hovered above the PCG vessel,” it said in a separate statement.

Mr. Gavan had ordered the PCG “to remain unthreatened and to refrain from actions that could escalate tensions.”

“The Philippine Coast Guard remains resolutely committed to safeguarding our sovereign rights and will not allow the presence of the Chinese Coast Guard vessel to infringe upon our maritime jurisdiction,” it added.

‘BEIJING’S MESSAGE’
The PCG on Sunday said it had promptly dispatched the 44.5-meter BRP Cabra after detecting China’s “monster ship” using Canada’s dark vessel detection system.

At that time, the Chinese ship was positioned 54 nautical miles off the coast of Capones Island, Zambales north of the Philippine capital.

Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin, who heads the National Maritime Council, earlier on Tuesday said the government views the monster ship’s presence “with concern.” “The Coast Guard, our Coast Guard, has always been very alert in following up the presence of that monster ship.”

“The monster ship, which is the largest coast guard ship in the world, was designed specifically to intimidate and coerce China’s neighbors into submission,” Mr. Powell said. “Beijing’s message to those countries is to accept the inevitability of its supremacy.”

Josue Raphael J. Cortez, a diplomacy instructor at De La Salle-College of St. Benilde’s School of Diplomacy and Governance, said it is highly doubtful that China is not aware that the ship was loitering in the Philippines’ backyard.

“This gesture exerts further pressure on our end, and we can say that China is doing it in light of the fact that our Western allies, particularly the US, will soon have its transition towards a new regime,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

He cited the “big possibility” that American presence in the Indo-Pacific region “would continue to increase.” “It is something that they do not want, of course, given the ironclad commitment of the US to us.”

US President-elect Donald J. Trump during his first term as president promoted the concept of a “free and open Indo-Pacific region” at the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum in the Philippines in 2017.

Outgoing US President Joseph R. Biden has widely supported the concept, launching the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework in 2022 with a dozen initial partners.

The Philippines joined the informal economic grouping in the same year and signed a supply-chain agreement along with other members in 2023.

“We can expect growing tensions once Trump takes his oath as America’s chief executive,” Mr. Cortez said. “China will do everything in its power to test, not just the Philippines, but more importantly our allies who rally behind us in this matter.”

Joshua Bernard B. Espeña, who teaches international relations at Polytechnic University of the Philippines, said the scenario “demonstrates a clear picture that the gray zone has gone darker than last year.”

“That China is civilianizing the area is contrary to the fact of its quick deployment of People’s Liberation Army Navy assets in a dangerous maneuver using rotary wing craft used for anti-ship operations,” he said via Messenger chat.

“This also shows how vast the area the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) covers, as such wing capability is compatible with frigates and destroyers,” he said. “So, the PLA has already maximized all possible berthing areas and ports in its occupied areas of the West Philippine Sea.”

The PCG on Wednesday said its leadership fully supports Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s stance not to surrender “a square inch of our territory to any foreign power.” — with John Victor D. Ordoñez

Meta ditching fact-checkers could worsen disinformation before Philippine elections

January 8, 2025 | 9:23 pm

By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Reporter

TECH GIANT Meta Platforms, Inc.’s move to do away with fact-checkers on its social media platforms could aid disinformation ahead of midterm elections in May, analysts said.

Karl Patrick R. Mendoza, an associate professor at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Department of Communication Research, said the move reinforces Filipinos’ view that social media platforms have been politicized.

“Meta’s decision to remove fact-checkers highlights a broader issue — the perception of truth is not just about the accuracy of information but about the political and cultural frameworks through which people interpret facts,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

Meta, which owns Facebook, on Tuesday said it would end its third-party fact checking program on all its platforms including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

“We’re going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms,” Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said in a video posted on his Facebook page.

The removal of fact-checkers would make it harder to fight disinformation in the country, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines Chairman Jonathan de Santos said.

“Even if fact-checking was never meant to be a silver bullet against misinformation and disinformation, having that service has helped,” he said in a Viber message. “This decision will make it even more difficult for Filipinos, and the audience in general, to sift through the flood of information online.”

About 62% of Filipinos get their news from social media, particularly on Facebook, according to a 2024 survey by political consultancy firm Publicus Asia.

Mr. De Santos noted that Meta’s decision forms part of a long campaign to discredit fact checking and legitimate news sources in general. It also puts pressure on legitimate news sources to be more strict in verifying information while being transparent about its methods and errors, he added.

FREE SPEECH
Mr. Zuckerberg noted that last year’s US presidential election felt like a “cultural tipping point towards once again prioritizing speech.”

In 2016, Meta introduced its fact-checking program amid criticisms of Facebook’s role in spreading false information during the 2016 US election.

“But the fact-checkers have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they’ve created,” Mr. Zuckerberg said.

Fact-checkers will be replaced by Community Notes similar to X (formerly Twitter), a tool that allows users to add context to posts, Mr. Zuckerberg said. However, researchers have criticized the feature for being unreliable.

The notion that fact-checking limits free speech comes from a misunderstanding of its purpose, Mr. Mendoza said. “Fact-checkers do not prevent people from expressing their views; rather, they provide a corrective lens to help audiences critically evaluate information.”

“The key is to foster a media environment that encourages critical thinking, where fact-checking complements rather than replaces individual discernment,” he added.

To balance free speech and mitigate the spread of lies, social media platforms should recognize that the mere existence of false information is not the root problem “but the dominance of hegemonic narratives that shape how facts are framed and understood.”

“Platforms should prioritize transparency in how content is promoted and provide users with greater control over what they see,” Mr. Mendoza said.

Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco, a lawyer and senior research fellow at the Ateneo Policy Center, said social media platforms have unreliably advocated free speech.

“They can proclaim adherence to free speech all they want, but the reality is revenue and profit will always be their primary concern,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

The Philippine government should pass an anti-disinformation law to protect free speech across the public sphere including social media platforms, Mr. Yusingco said.

Influenza-like diseases in PHL fell by 17% in 2024, says Health dep’t

January 8, 2025 | 9:22 pm

crowd-facemask1 — PHILIPPINE STAR/ WALTER BOLLOZOS

THE PHILIPPINES’ influenza-like cases fell by 17% or 37,000 last year, according to health authorities, as the World Health Organization (WHO) flagged rising respiratory infections earlier this month.

The Southeast Asian nation logged 179,227 influenza-like illnesses in 2024, the Department of Health (DoH) said in a statement on Wednesday.

“This decrease may be attributed to better health-seeking behaviors and practices and better preparations by the health sector,” it said.

Influenza-like diseases, characterized by coughs, colds and fever, are commonly caused by respiratory viruses, with rhinovirus, enterovirus, influenza A, respiratory syncytial virus and adenovirus on the top five, the DoH said.

The WHO reported in its disease outbreak news on Jan. 7 that rising common acute respiratory infections including respiratory syncytial virus and human metapneumovirus.

“This upward trend is expected during the winter season in China and other countries in the Northern Hemisphere,” the DoH said. “Chinese authorities have also clarified to the WHO that the Chinese healthcare system is not overwhelmed and that no emergency declarations or responses have been triggered.”

The WHO said human metapneumovirus (hMPV), which was discovered in 2001 by Dutch researchers in nasal samples from children with respiratory infections caused by unknown pathogens, is “not a new disease.”

In the Philippines, hMPV is being tested as part of an expanded panel for specimens that test negative on panel 1 (for Influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and RSV) as part of Influenza-like diseases and severe acute respiratory illness surveillance, it added.

The DoH said hMPV ranked sixth among the causes of influenza-like illnesses in the Philippines last year. It noted that 5.8% or 284 of the 4,921 positive influenza-like illness samples taken from Jan. 1 to Dec. 21 were due to hMPV.

“More recently from Dec. 1 to 21, 2024, 10 of 339 (2.9%) positive samples were due to hMPV,” it said. “hMPV is being detected sporadically, with no unusual clustering or pattern, throughout the year.”

The DoH said most people infected with hMPV only have mild upper respiratory symptoms including cough, fever, nasal congestion and wheezing.

“The rare severe cases can result in bronchitis or pneumonia, particularly among infants, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals,” it said. “Those with pre-existing lung conditions, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema are at higher risk of severe outcomes.”

“hMPV is not a new virus,” Health Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa said. “We have been able to identify it for a long time. Its symptoms are not severe. Like the common cough and cold, it heals on its own as long as our resistance is strong.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Newly signed IRR codifies seafarers’ rights based on international standards

January 8, 2025 | 9:21 pm

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Wednesday approved the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Republic Act No. 12021, the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers, codifying seafarer’s rights based on international laws, standards and practices, and conventions.

The IRR is “designed to strengthen the rights, welfare, and dignity of our Filipino seafarers who traverse the seas of the world,” Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac said in a statement.

“This document reflects months of thorough consultation, rigorous review, and sincere dialogue among all stakeholders, ensuring that every provision serves the interests of our seafarers and their families,” he added. “This process encapsulates the essence of the principles of tripartism.”

The IRR particularly provided for seafarers’ rights to information, to information of seafarer’s family, to safe passage and safe travel, to consultation, against discrimination, to be protected against all forms of harassment and bullying, right to free legal representation, to an appropriate grievance mechanism, to immediate medical attention, to access to communication, to record of employment, to fair treatment in the event of maritime accident, to fair medical assessment, and to vote in national elections.

The IRR, in particular, mandated that contracts between seafarers and their employers should include specific terms regarding working hours, rest periods, job descriptions, compensation, and working conditions.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is mandated to conduct periodic reviews of the Standard Employment Contract (SEC) every 10 years, or sooner as may be deemed necessary, in consultation with the Maritime Industry Tripartite Council (MITC), to cope with prevailing maritime industry standards.

The law was signed in September 2024, more than a year after the European Commission cited deficiencies in the Philippines’ seafarer education, training and certification system.

Mr. Marcos, in a speech at a signing ceremony, said the IRR promotes a “well-prepared and competitive maritime workforce.”

“By enhancing access to advanced training and requiring maritime education institutions to adopt cutting-edge facilities, we are equipping our seafarers and cadets to compete in the global arena,” he said.

The law signed in September 2024 emphasized training and education, requiring the provision of training programs that meet international standards to enhance the seafarers’ skills and qualifications.

The IRR said the Maritime Industry Authority has jurisdiction over maritime education.

The Magna Carta also emphasizes the importance of health and safety for seafarers, requiring employers to provide proper medical care, facilities, and occupational safety training, providing for the protection of seafarers from epidemics, pandemics, and other public health emergencies, and mandating shipowners to institute measures on health emergency prevention in accordance with flag state health regulations and World Health Organization guidelines.

Under the IRR, seafarers who have contracted a disease after departing from the point of hire, while in transit, or under quarantine, shall be entitled to paid sick leave or sickness benefits as long as they are incapacitated to work until the seafarer joins the vessel or until the seafarer returns to the point of hire.

The IRR also provides a financial security system to assist seafarers in case of injury and other causes.

The IRR also provides a detailed list of rules on dispute resolution for overseas seafarers, institutionalizing onboard and onshore grievance machinery.

A pool of trained maritime industry conciliator mediators, labor arbiters, and accredited maritime industry voluntary arbitrators will be established to handle the mediation, conciliation, or arbitration of all issues relating to the employment of seafarers.

In case of conflict between the company’s and seafarer’s physicians, the disability or fitness to work of a seafarer should be determined by a third doctor duly accredited by the Health department and is an expert on the illness or injury of the seafarer.

The IRR also mandated the creation of seafarer welfare facilities in major crew-change ports, which should offer services that promote the welfare of and cater to the recreational, cultural, religious, communication, and legal needs of all seafarers.

It also required the creation of one-stop shop centers for seafarers.

The IRR also highlighted women’s participation in the maritime industry, mandating shipowners, manning agencies, and maritime training institutions to formulate and implement policies on gender and development. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

DMW to help 220 OFWs from UAE

January 8, 2025 | 9:20 pm

THE DEPARTMENT of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Wednesday committed to provide more than 200 Filipino workers pardoned by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with reintegration programs to help them find quality jobs when they return to the Philippines.

In a statement, the agency said it will coordinate with the Philippine Embassy in the UAE to process their repatriation.

“We are also committed to providing comprehensive support to ensure their smooth and successful reintegration into Philippine society, through a whole-of-government collaboration with other government agencies,” it said.

“This very welcome gesture highlights the strong and enduring relationship between the Philippines and the UAE…”

The Department of Foreign Affairs said the UAE and the Philippines agreed on the deal in view of the “distinguished friendship” between both countries.

“It is the direct result of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s meeting with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, last November,” it said.

In June last year, 143 Filipinos detained in the UAE were also pardoned on the occasion of Eid al-Adha.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose A. De Vega last year said their offenses ranged from drug abuse, theft, to immigration-related violations such as absconding and overstaying.

The UAE was the second-leading destination of overseas Filipino workers in 2023 among Asian countries, according to the local statistics agency. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

SSS urged to collect firms’ debt

January 8, 2025 | 9:20 pm

A PHILIPPINE senator on Wednesday called on the Social Security System (SSS) to double its efforts to collect the more than P90-billion debt from firms before it raises contribution rates.

“We also need to look at their shortcomings and what management is not doing, like collecting debts,” Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian told a news briefing.

“The idea is that when you contribute to a pension, the money is invested, and the investment returns pay for the benefits, making it self-sustaining.”

The senator said he plans on filing a resolution that seeks to look into the agency’s management practices and debt collection efforts.

The SSS on Tuesday said it does not see the need for further increases in its contribution rate as the last tranche of hikes would double the fund life to 28 years.

Robert Joseph M. de Claro, SSS president and chief executive officer (CEO), said the SSS fund is projected to last until 2053 with the scheduled 1% increase in the contribution rate to 15%, which takes effect this month.

The SSS also raised the monthly salary credits to P5,000 from P4,000, and the maximum credits to P35,000 from the previous P30,000.

Under Republic Act (RA) No. 11199 or the Social Security Act of 2018, the SSS implemented incremental contribution rate hikes of one percentage point every two years starting in 2019 from the original contribution rate of 11%.

Of the 15% contribution rate, employers will shoulder 10% of the contribution, while employees will pay the rest.

“I don’t want to jump the gun, but definitely, the P93 billion in debt is a sign that there is a management problem, and the P93 billion must be collected,” Mr. Gatchalian said in mixed English and Filipino.

Meanwhile, a resolution seeking to defer the SSS contribution rate hike was filed at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, with lawmakers calling for the pension fund to make its collections “more efficient.”

In a statement, Baguio Rep. Mark O. Go said he filed House Resolution No. 2157 to ease the economic burden faced by Filipinos by suspending the scheduled SSS rate hike this year.

“There is a wide clamor from all sectors to defer the implementation of the scheduled increase in the rate of contribution for SSS for year 2025 in consideration of the current economic situation that affects our low income earners,” the resolution stated.

In a separate statement, Rizal Rep. Juan Fidel Felipe F. Nograles urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to suspend the pension fund’s rate hike and mandate SSS to make its collections efficient first.

“The SSS should address systemic bottlenecks and gaps first to ensure that our collection efforts are maximized,” he said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez with Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

BI sets reimbursement guidelines

January 8, 2025 | 9:20 pm

BI-Bureau-of-Immigration — PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has issued guidelines for reimbursing the travel expenses of offloaded passengers.

The agency’s joint memorandum circular outlines the criteria and procedures for reimbursing all international-bound Filipino passengers who were deferred by the Immigration department from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024.

Signed by the bureau, the departments of Budget and Management, and Justice, the memorandum circular will be effective 15 days after its publication in the newspaper of general circulation.

According to the joint memorandum circular, passengers shall personally file a claim with the international port of entry and exit management office.

It said that the BI will not receive and process claims without complete documents.

BI noted that passengers eligible for claims are only entitled to one reimbursement claim per year, regardless of the number of deferred departures.

“Only travel expenses that a passenger or a declared sponsor personally paid for will be considered for reimbursement,” it said,

Further, funding for the reimbursement will be sourced from the special trust fund collected for the year, the Immigration department said. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

BoC seizes P84.36-B smuggled goods

January 8, 2025 | 9:19 pm

THE BUREAU of Customs (BoC) seized a total of 1,572 smuggled goods last year, amounting to P84.36 billion.

“Turning to our enforcement efforts, the Bureau of Customs intensified its campaign against smuggling. So from January to November 2024, we conducted 1,572 seizure operations resulting in the confiscation of smuggled goods valued at P84.356 billion,” BoC Assistant Commissioner Vincent Philip C. Maronilla said in a speech on Wednesday.

In terms of volume, the BoC conducted the most collections at 977 of agricultural products worth P856.79 million.

“This focus reflects our dedication to protecting local industries and ensuring food security by preventing the unlawful entry of contraband agriculture,” Mr. Maronilla said.

In terms of value, counterfeit goods were worth the most at P34.698 billion with only 16 collections.

Meanwhile, the BoC revoked the Customs Accreditation of 48 exporters and customs brokers.

It also filed 39 criminal cases with the Department of Justice for violation of customs regulations.

Under its fuel marking program, the BoC also marked 18.23 billion liters of fuel, generating P220.77 billion in taxes.

“Additionally, the Bureau seized 209,634 liters of on-market fuel, further preventing the leakage and ensuring proper taxation,” Mr. Maronilla said. — Aaron Michael C. Sy