Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube
Home Blog Page 5406

Comelec lets cash aid distribution amid spending ban

THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) has allowed the government to distribute cash aid to public drivers and operators amid an election spending ban on public works and social welfare dole-outs.

“The petition of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for its fuel subsidy program has been granted, but subject to the strictest implementation of the program,” Election Commissioner George Erwin M. Garcia told a news briefing on Wednesday.

Mr. Garcia said the LTFRB must wait for the release of the Comelec order before continuing its program. “We will definitely release the resolution right away, the earliest is by tomorrow and the latest by Friday.”

Last month, Comelec allowed Vice-President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo to continue her pandemic response initiatives during the campaign period.

Senator Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares on Monday asked Comelec to fast-track its decision on LTFRB’s exemption application.

The election spending ban runs from March 25 to May 8. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Metro Manila mayors eye policy to force booster shots 

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARGAS

MAYORS in the capital region Metro Manila are considering the imposition of a policy that would compel people to get a booster shot against coronavirus, according to the country’s health chief. 

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said at a televised Cabinet meeting on Tuesday night that he had a meeting with Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Romando S. Artes to discuss the policy, which he said is being eyed since a large number of Filipinos have yet to receive a third dose.  

The policy would be similar to mobility and entry restrictions imposed on those who are unvaccinated, he said.  

“I talked to Metro Manila Chairman Don Artes, and he said he would convene NCR (National Capital Region) mayors and study if they could also do this with booster dose since our booster coverage is still low,” Mr. Duque said. 

The Metro Manila Council, composed of the NCR’s 17 mayors, governs and sets policies for implementation by the MMDA.  

“We’re only 25% of our eligible population of about 46.4 million individuals who are supposed to be given the booster dose,” Mr. Duque said. 

The Philippines, with a population of 109 million, has fully vaccinated 66.34 million people as of April 5, while 12.26 million people have received booster shots, according to government data.  

NCR, which has a population of over 13.48 million, has one of the highest vaccination rates among regions across the country.  

LEGISLATION 
Mr. Duque, meanwhile, has asked Congress to pass a measure that would make coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination, including the injection of booster shots, mandatory. 

Senators, however, scoffed at the health secretary’s call for legislators to show “political will” by passing such law that critics have tagged as discriminatory and may lead to political divisions.  

“It’s his way to pass on his problem to us,” Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III, who is running for vice president, said in a Viber message to reporters on Wednesday. 

“We have six days left (in plenary sessions),” he added, which means there would be no time for a new measure, especially one that could be contentious, to go through the legislative process.  

“We are converting into the National Board of Canvassers not to mention the Human Rights aspect.” 

Senator Panfilo M. Lacson, Sr., who is running for president, said “there is no political will in violating the basic rights and freedoms that belong to any person.” 

The act of forcing a person to get vaccinated, he said, is a clear violation of human rights. Instead of “passing the burden to Congress,” he called on the health department to be proactive by implementing house-to-house campaigns. 

Meanwhile, Senator Aquilino Martin “Koko” L. Pimentel III, who chairs the Senate Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship Committee, said Mr. Duque’s suggestion was “not a valid idea” as it is unconstitutional. 

“Since COVID-19 vaccines are still experimental, then it is scientifically unsound to make them mandatory,” he said.  

Mr. Pimentel also said that it was “unethical and immoral” for the health chief to suggest such legislation just because a large number of vaccines are about to expire.  

VACCINATION PLAN 
At the Cabinet meeting, President Rodrigo R. Duterte asked authorities to conduct a house-to-house COVID-19 vaccination program to use the doses that are due to expire in the next few months. 

“The vaccines are here and ready to be utilized, just in case. A good number of Filipinos continue to refuse to be vaccinated,” he said. “Wala na tayong magagawa (We can’t do anything about that).” 

“The most we can do, a last minute program, is we embark on a program to deliver the vaccines to houses (in the countryside)” he added. 

Citing the country’s pandemic task force, Palace Spokesman Jose Martin M. Andanar said on Wednesday that most of the vaccine doses that will expire by July were either donated by other countries or procured by local governments and the private sector. 

“A 1.54% estimated wastage rate among vaccines purchased by the national government has been recorded,” Mr. Andanar told a regular news conference. “This is below the 10% indicative rate of the World Health Organization.” 

He said the Department of Health and the national task force against COVID-19 are working with manufacturers “to extend the shelf life of vaccines based on updated scientific data such as updated stability studies.” 

Mr. Andanar said the top three challenges in the government’s vaccination program against the coronavirus are the low turnout during the recent national vaccination days, declining daily output, and low coverage in the Bangsamoro region. 

The Philippines, which remains at minimal risk from the coronavirus, has experienced four waves of COVID-19 since 2020. It reported the highest single-day tally on Jan. 15 at 30,004. 

Authorities have said that the Philippines is ready should the new highly infectious recombinant variant of COVID-19, dubbed XE, enter the country. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and Alyssa Nicole O. Tan 

Lacson plans 85% national budget share for LGUs; Ka Leody, Domagoso vow local jobs for OFWs 

SENATOR Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson, Sr. on Wednesday said if he wins the presidential race in May, his administration will distribute 85% of the annual budget to local government units as a strategy to combat corruption.   

He said he was able to test the effectivity of this scheme when he led the Philippine National Police from 1999 to 2001.  

“Because at that time, 60% (of the funds) were at the headquarters, only 40% were going to the frontline units,” the senator said in mix of English and Filipino in a statement.   

“This can’t be, because the police (on the ground) would be tempted to extort money without proper funding. So, I said, the headquarters would only take 15%, 85% (would go to regional offices).”  

The senator also said that he used his discretionary fund as police chief, which amounted to as much as P100 million at that time, to provide financial assistance to the families of uniformed personnel killed in the line of duty.  

These experiences, he said, formed his advocacy to “lead by example” and solidified his resistance to corruption.  

OVERSEAS WORKERS
Meanwhile, two other presidential contenders have vowed to provide more local opportunities for returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).   

“As a long-term solution, let us start as early as now to strengthen our local economy so that the efforts and capabilities of our OFWs may be directed towards the development of our society,” Labor leader Leodegario “Ka Leody” de Guzman said in a statement in Filipino.  

He also plans to implement a “labor first” policy in the operation of the newly-established Department of Migrant Affairs. 

“This (institution) should always serve migrants rather than the principal employer or manpower agencies,” he said.    

Mr. de Guzman also reiterated his planned shift in economic policies, focusing on the modernization of the agricultural sector and massive industrialization.  

Among the Partido Lakas ng Masa standard-bearer’s platforms is to develop local industries, and move away from the import-dependent and export-oriented policies of past administrations. 

“Who would still want to leave our country if everything we need is here,” he said. “Workers wouldn’t need to endure living far from their families if we had a lot of decent jobs and equal opportunities to work with dignity.”  

Presidential aspirant Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” M. Domagoso, for his part, said he would ensure returning OFWs have access to livelihood or job opportunities through the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).  

“Some of them have savings and houses, while others do not. How do we help them integrate?… That’s only two things. Either they find jobs through DTI or go back to planting, agriculture. They will need the government for that,” he said in Filipino in a live-streamed interview held in Zamboanga del Sur.  

Mr. Domagoso, the standard-bearer of Aksyon Demokratiko, also said that his administration will invest in the development of a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) educational program as well as agricultural courses. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan, John Victor D. Ordoñez, and Jaspearl Emerald G. Tan 

System for identifying, locating learners with disabilities urgently needed — senator 

EDUCATION authorities must immediately set up a system for identifying and locating learners with disabilities, as mandated by a new law, to address the drop in enrollment among this group due to the coronavirus pandemic, a senator said on Wednesday. 

“We need to intensify our search for young people with disabilities so that they will not be left behind to have a better future,” Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who sponsored the bill and chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture, said in Filipino in a statement. 

Republic Act 11650 requires the rollout of a “child find” system that will identify, locate, and evaluate learners with disabilities up to 24 years old to ensure they receive basic education. The law was signed last month.  

The education department recently announced plans to increase enrollment for this group.  

The number of enrolled learners with disabilities dropped by almost 74% to 93,895 in the current school year from 360,879 before the coronavirus pandemic that prompted school closures and other restrictions starting March 2020, according to data released by the education department. 

It also reported a decline in the number of schools enrolling learners with disabilities to 13,408 from 21,270 in the same period. 

The new law provides support services for learners with disabilities and requires the implementation of various inclusive education programs. It also mandates the establishment of at least one Inclusive Learning Resource Center in every city and municipality. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan 

Davao water utility seeks 60% rate hike over 3 years 

BW FILE PHOTO/ LSDAVALJR

DAVAO City’s water supply distributor has filed for a 60% rate increase, which it plans to implement over a three-year period, an official said.  

Davao City Water District (DCWD) spokesperson Jovana Cresta T. Duhaylungsod said the proposed rate adjustments — at 30% in the first year, then 20% and 10% in the two succeeding years — is still under evaluation by the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA). 

“Rest assured that once there is a decision (by LWUA)… we will implement it in tranches to cushion the financial impact,” she said in a media briefing.  

DCWD currently charges residential customers P137.40 for the first 10 cubic meters (cu.m.) plus meter maintenance fee between P25.00 to P40.00. 

Additional consumption is priced in brackets of P14.40 for the next 10 cu.m., P18.60 for 21-40 cu.m., P24.70 for 31-40 cu.m., and P36.00 per cu.m. thereafter.  

DCWD’s last rate increase was approved in 2005, and was implemented under a staggered scheme up to 2013.  

Ms. Duhaylungsod said the proposed rate adjustment is necessary for DCWD to generate funds for service area expansion and keep up with public and private infrastructure developments in the next 10 years.  

She noted that while DCWD is categorized as a government-owned and controlled corporation, it has not been receiving any subsidy from the national or local government.  

“What we use are the water bill payments that we receive to fund our operation and expansions,” she said. — Maya M. Padillo 

P63-M worth of counterfeit goods seized in Greenhills  

THE NATIONAL Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR) has seized P63 million worth of counterfeit products at the Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan City on April 4.   

In a statement on Wednesday, NCIPR member Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) said 755 pieces of fake Louis Vuitton products were confiscated during a raid led by the National Bureau of Investigation.   

“The activity is part of the NCIPR’s commitment to remove Greenhills from the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) list of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy. The shopping center is the lone market in the country to be in the list,” IPOPHL said.   

IPOPHL Deputy Director General Teodoro C. Pascua said the government is taking action because Greenhills’ reputation as a “go-to for fake goods” harms the country’s standing.  

Meanwhile, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has confiscated nearly P6 million worth of uncertified products in the National Capital Region and the Visayas in central Philippines.   

In a separate statement on Wednesday, the DTI said its Fair-Trade Enforcement Bureau has sequestered 37,870 pieces of uncertified products after a series of random spot-checking activities within March across 324 local establishments in these areas.  

Of those checked, 175 establishments were given notices of violation for selling consumer products that do not have marks indicating compliance to the required certification process. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave  

Party-list vows representation for 4M tricycle drivers 

ZAMBOANGA CIO

A NOMINEE of a new party-list that seeks to represent tricycle drivers said Wednesday that he will push for a bill that grants benefits to this sector. 

Valenzuela City Councilor and Towards Development and Action (TODA) Party-list 1st nominee Rovin Andrew M. Feliciano said a Magna Carta for Tricycle Drivers will be among his priority legislation.  

“Based on a 2019 survey, it reveals that there are four million tricycle units in the whole country. This means that the tricycle drivers make up a huge sector of our society. Unfortunately, not one bill on the privilege of tricycle drivers was passed in Congress,” he said in Filipino in a radio interview. 

Related bills that were submitted in both chambers of Congress included provisions on tricycle drivers’ membership in the Social Security System and a national budget allocation for the sector. — Jaspearl Emerald G. Tan 

2 Koreans wanted for telecom fraud nabbed 

PHILIPPINE immigration officers have arrested two South Korean nationals wanted for telecommunications fraud in their home country. 

The Bureau of Immigration (BI), in a statement dated April 5, reported the arrest on Sunday of the two fugitives who have red notices from the International Criminal Police (Interpol). 

A red notice is a request to authorities worldwide to arrest a fugitive wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence. 

Communication between BI and Interpol showed that the fugitives are members of separate telecom and voice phishing fraud syndicates that swindled victims of $66,000 and $43,200, respectively. 

The suspects made calls to victims who were duped into transferring money to the syndicates’ bank accounts. 

Immigration Chief Jamie H. Morente issued a deportation order for one of the fugitives in 2017 while the other has yet to undergo deportation proceedings before the BI legal division. 

“The two of them will be expelled, blacklisted, and banned from re-entering the country for being undesirable aliens,” Mr. Morente said. 

BI said the South Koreans’ passports have been revoked by their government and have been hiding in the Philippines for almost six years. 

The two are detained at the BI holding facility in Taguig while awaiting deportation. — John Victor D. Ordonez 

Business chambers support booster requirement by June

BUSINESS CHAMBERS declared their support for a requirement to show proof of vaccination booster shots by June as a condition for entry into most establishments, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose Ma. A. Concepcion III said.

In a statement on Wednesday, Mr. Concepcion said the organizations supporting the booster requirement were the  Philippine Franchise Association, the Philippine Retailers Association, the Philippine Marketing Association, the Philippine Association of Legitimate Service Contractors, the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Financial Executives Institute, the American, European, and Indian Chambers of Commerce, the Nagkakaisang Samahan ng Nangangasiwa ng Panlalawigang Bus sa Pilipinas, and other groups representing personal service businesses like salons and spas, amusement park owners, and event organizers and venues.

He added that airlines and restaurants would like to offer various incentives to customers who have received coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) booster shots. Other groups are also studying the proposal.

“We in the business community know only too well how important it is to keep the economy open, not just for our own businesses but for the entire economy,” Mr. Concepcion said.  

“The real barrier here is citizens who are putting off their boosters or are rejecting them altogether,” he added.

According to Mr. Concepcion, the Philippines is risking a surge of COVID-19 cases in the second half unless the vaccine and booster adoption rate rises.

“Right now, there is no danger. The danger is in the next semester when the waning immunity might be felt already. And this is not counting the possibility that new variants might emerge,” Mr. Concepcion said.

“We already know what might happen if we don’t act, and we know what needs to be done. If we close down again in the second semester, we risk losing our gains in the last two years. This can be entirely preventable if we act now,” Mr. Concepcion said.  

“The proposal gives people 60 days to get their boosters once the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) finalizes the resolution. It will also allow all persons regardless of priority category to get their booster shots. It is also being proposed that booster cards become the proof of vaccination for use in registering on VAXCERT PH,” he added.

Mr. Concepcion said in a Laging Handa briefing on Wednesday that there is no need to implement travel restrictions in response to the emergence of a more transmissible COVID-19 variant known as Omicron XE.

“I don’t think there’s a need for that… You cannot prevent these variants from coming in. The best you can do is to prepare for it,” Mr. Concepcion said.

The countries where Omicron XE has been detected include Thailand and the UK. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

No major breach of inflation target expected this year

PHILSTAR

INFLATION is not likely to significantly exceed the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) 2-4% target range for the year, with drivers of price growth viewed as transitory, Pantheon Macroeconomics said in a report.

Pantheon Chief Emerging Asia Economist Miguel Chanco said that the 4% inflation reading in March, announced on Tuesday by the Philippine Statistics Authority, was mainly due to food inflation of 2.8% during the month, or more than double the 1.2% rate in February. Food accounted for over half of the growth in headline inflation.

Mr. Chanco revised his inflation forecast for the Philippines to 3.9% from 3.5% early in March. The 3.9% view matches the expected outcome for 2021.

“But the bump was (also) caused to a large extent by the further unwinding of favorable base effects, which won’t be as pronounced going forward,” he added.

Headline inflation in March was also affected by an increase in housing and utilities costs of 6.2%, from 4.8% in February. He expects these rates to rise again in April. 

The inflation surge is not expected to last long, even taking into account the lagging impact of higher oil prices following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Mr. Chanco expects housing and utilities inflation to ease by the third quarter of the year, “despite the stickiness in oil implied by the futures market.”

“Indeed, inflation now looks set to hug the 4% upper limit of the BSP’s target range for the rest of 2022.” Mr. Chanco said. “Nonetheless, we maintain that policy normalization still is unlikely anytime soon.”

Mr. Chanco said a blowout past 4% inflation does not guarantee of rate hikes, adding that the central bank maintained its 2% key policy rate last year in the face of serious breaches of the inflation target, including a 4.9% inflation reading in August 2021.

BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno has said that the key policy rate could hit 2.75% by 2023.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said that the uncertainty in oil and commodity prices caused by the Russian-Ukraine War and petitions for wage and transport fare hikes could cause inflation to accelerate.

“Further worsening of the Russia-Ukraine conflict that could lead to higher global oil, energy, and commodity prices could lead to faster inflation globally and locally,” he added.

Pantheon estimates Philippine gross domestic product growth of 6.4% and 7.2% for the first and second quarters, respectively, while the consumer price index is expected to come in at 4% in the first two quarters. It could rise to as much as 4.4% by the fourth quarter. — Tobias Jared Tomas

Cebu City grants original proponent status for waste-to-energy facility 

REUTERS

CEBU CITY’s Joint Venture Selection Committee has approved an unsolicited proposal from New Sky Energy Philippines, Inc. for a waste-to-energy (WTE) facility, and invited competing proposals.

The WTE facility will process municipal solid waste using grate incineration technology.

In its notice, the committee granted New Sky Energy original proponent status, paving the way for rival groups to match or improve on New Sky Energy’s proposal, which is for a facility with a waste processing capacity of 800 metric tons a day.

Grate incineration WTE technology heats non-recyclable waste, which generates steam that is used to generate electricity. This method does not require prior sorting or shredding of waste and can thus take in larger volumes of feedstock.  

In a circular published by the Department of Energy in March, the development of WTE facilities using waste to generate renewable energy was recognized for its potential to improve solid waste management.

When the feedstock is biomass, “WTE is recognized as a relevant intervention in reducing methane emission by conversion of wastes into usable heat, electricity, or fuel,” the department said in the document.

Third parties have 30 days to submit competing bids.

Prior to the construction and operation of a WTE facility, the proponent will need to submit an Environmental Technology Verification statement and report in compliance with Republic Act No. 8749 (the Clean Air Act), Republic Act No. 9275 (the Clean Water Act) and Republic Act No. 9003 (the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act). — Ram Christian S. Agustin

PCC flags franchise contracts that dampen competition  

OFFICIALGAZETTE.GOV.PH

THE Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) said some provisions of franchise contracts may be anti-competitive, including pricing restrictions and the imposition of geographic territories on franchise holders.

At a webinar organized by the Philippine Franchise Association (PFA), PCC Chairman Arsenio M. Balisacan said the industry faces “challenges” in sustaining a competitive environment.

“The franchising industry… requires balancing competition enforcement with maintaining contractual limitations that protect intellectual property rights and trade secrets of franchisors. For this reason, the PCC wants a proactive approach to ensure that the sector remains competitive as it grows,” he said.

He said franchisees are bound to follow a limited set of formats or supplies offered by the franchisor to remain in compliance with brand standards, though the pricing and geographical clauses in their contracts may not pass competition review.

“Franchising is a popular gateway for starting businesses and an established track of bringing in international brands to the country. As the antitrust regulator, the PCC recognizes PFA’s important role in ensuring that pro-competition practices are observed in the sector,” Mr. Balisacan added.

He said the challenge lies in enforcing Section 15(e) of Republic Act No. 10667 or the Philippine Competition Act, which forbids the imposition of restrictions on the contract for sale of goods or services, but deems franchising, licensing, merchandising, and distributorship agreements acceptable business practices.

“The PCC is strengthening competition awareness in the growing franchising sector as it sees the industry gaining popularity and fast becoming an important contributor to the Philippine economy,” it added. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

1...5,4055,4065,407...13,066Page 5,406 of 13,066
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube