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Malaysian trade official urges PHL to sign up for RCEP  

A MALAYSIAN trade official urged the Philippines to ratify the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade agreement, citing the benefits from improved market access.

Abu Bakar Yusof, Malaysia External Trade Development Corp. (MATRADE) deputy chief executive officer for exporter development, said at a news in Makati City on Tuesday that joining RCEP will also be an important gesture to the rest of the region.

“We would like the Philippines to be a part of RCEP… in the spirit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN),” Mr. Abu Bakar said.

MATRADE is the national trade promotion agency of Malaysia.

“The decision of course, is up to new government, but I believe that the inclusion of Philippines in the RCEP will further enhance the trade and investments between Malaysia and the Philippines,” he added.

RCEP, touted as the world’s biggest trade agreement, started coming into force in the various signatory countries on Jan. 1. It involves Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and the 10 members of the ASEAN.

The Philippines has yet to finalize its entry to the trade agreement after the Senate was unable to give its concurrence in the previous Congress. Some senators had expressed concern over protections for the agriculture industry.

Mr. Abu Bakar said even without RCEP, Philippines-Malaysia trade will proceed under the terms of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA).

“Every government or country may have their own considerations. But we have an existing arrangement that we have had so far which is the AFTA. This is been an effective platform for many, many years. Businesses have benefitted from the AFTA from the movement of goods and services,” Mr. Abu Bakar said.

AFTA was signed in January 1992.

On Aug. 22, Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual urged the Senate to ratify RCEP, citing the impact of remaining out of the deal on potential investment.

“It is very important, I’d like to emphasize, that RCEP be ratified or be confirmed by the Senate because we’ve always been asked by prospective investors, foreign chambers about how soon (we can ratify) RCEP because their own people… are asking them, before they consider investing in the Philippines,” Mr. Pascual said during a Senate Committee hearing.

MATRADE is currently conducting an Export Acceleration Mission (EAM) in the Philippines, which runs until Aug. 26. The Malaysian delegation includes 12 companies. The mission was organized by MATRADE, the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, and SME Bank.

“The objective of this EAM is to promote products and services to the Philippines by providing a platform for Malaysian companies to explore and identify new business opportunities through business matching, pitching sessions as well as market visits,” MATRADE said in a statement.

According to MATRADE, Malaysian trade with the Philippines in the first half of 2022 grew 30.1% to $4.5 billion. Exports from Malaysia hit $3.23 billion, while imports from the Philippines totaled $1.62 billion.

Malaysian brands operating in the Philippines include CIMB Bank, Air Asia, Petronas, and Maybank.

“The top five main exports (to the Philippines) were electrical & electronic products, palm oil & palm oil-based agricultural products, petroleum products, chemical & chemical products, and iron & steel. The Philippines is ranked as Malaysia’s 15th (largest trading partner) and Malaysia ranked as the Philippines’ 10th largest trading partner in 2021,” MATRADE said.

Separately, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said in a statement that it signed an agreement with Indonesian trade platform Andalin to improve business-to-business interactions between the two countries.

The DTI’s Export Management Bureau (EMB) and Andalin signed a memorandum of understanding on Aug. 19, which covers initiatives to promote the onboarding of Philippine exporters in Andalin’s e-commerce platform, known as Andalin Trade.

“Through Andalin Trade, we hope to encourage our exporters to look for new markets and partners and boost the confidence of would-be exporters in engaging in cross-border trade. We aim to conduct joint briefings with exporters to promote onboarding in Andalin Trade,” DTI-EMB Director Christopher Lawrence S. Arnuco said.

Andalin’s technology is supported in 200 global ports and 200 service partners across the world. Users can complete payments via Letters of Credit, Telegraphic Transfer, or escrow.

The company has active partnerships with Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

“Andalin enables international trade buyers and sellers to connect easily and safely on our platform in a more safe, transparent, and efficient way. Buyers and sellers can join Andalin Trade for free; they only need to pass a strict selection and verification system to ensure all parties can maximize the platform as much as possible,” Andalin Chief Executive Officer Rifki Pratomo said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave  

People in northern Luzon flee from storm; classes suspended

STUDENTS in Manila braved the rains after classes were suspended later on Tuesday. — PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

MORE than 500 people in the Philippines were evacuated on Tuesday, according to the state disaster agency, as Tropical Storm Ma-On, locally named Florita, pounded Northern Luzon.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. suspended government work and classes in public schools in the capital region and nearby provinces on Tuesday afternoon until Wednesday.

Ma-On, the Philippines’ sixth storm this year, made landfall in Maconacon, Isabela province at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, according to the state weather agency, which warned of widespread flooding and landslides in the province and nearby Zambales, Tarlac, Bataan and Pampanga.

Also covered by the work and class suspensions were the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan, Zambales and Bataan, the presidential palace said in a statement.

“The same course of action for private schools and offices is left to the discretion of their respective heads,” it added.

Agencies that deliver basic, health and other vital services and deal with disasters would remain open, according to the palace circular.

Ma-On was packing maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and up to 150 kph gusts, the weather bureau said. 

At 11 a.m. on Tuesday, it raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3 over the northern areas of Ilocos Norte, Apayao, the southern portion of Babuyan Islands, mainland Cagayan, and the northeastern part of Isabela.

Signal No. 2 was hoisted over the rest of Babuyan Islands, Isabela and Ilocos Norte, Quirino, northern and eastern portions of Nueva Vizcaya, Abra, Kalinga Mountain Province, Ifugao, northern Benguet, Ilocos Sur and the northern part of Aurora.

Ma-On was expected to move northwestward and cross the northern portion of Isabela and mainland Cagayan, emerge over the Babuyan Channel on Tuesday night and exit the country on Wednesday morning.

Mark Cashean E. Timbal, spokesman for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), said they were monitoring areas in the region affected by the magnitude 7 earthquake last month.

“We are focusing on landslide- and flood-prone areas that may be hit by the typhoon in northern Luzon,” he told a televised news briefing in Filipino. “There’s a high chance of landslides in these areas.”

The agency had more than P800 million in standby funds for typhoon victims, he said. About 480,000 food packs were available, while face masks were also ready to be given out to evacuees.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development, which was on red alert, had P1.7 billion in standby funds, aside from basic goods for those affected by the storm.

SCHOOLS CANCELED
A total of 162 classes were canceled in several regions in Luzon, while work in about 60 cities were suspended.

Three roads in the Bicol region and a bridge in Cagayan Valley were not passable, the NDRRMC said.

To prevent coronavirus transmission, only one family should use one modular tent and two related families should use one classroom at evacuation sites, Mr. Timbal said.

Schools in the Philippines opened on Monday, and the government has ordered both public and private schools to start full face-to-tace classes by November.

Filipino students endured heavy traffic on their way to cramped classrooms on the first day of school.

In Macabebe, Pampanga in the country’s north, classes continued while students’ feet were submerged in dirty ankle-deep floodwater, according to news reports.

The government does not yet have a policy on building climate-resilient classrooms, said Terry L. Ridon, convenor of InfraWatch PH.

“However, it needs to be stressed that we cannot build climate-resilient schools without building climate-resilient communities,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “We cannot have flood-free schools within perenially flooded communities.”

The Philippines is 91,000 classrooms short this school year, according to data from the Department of Education, which is headed by Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio.

About P86.9 billion was set aside in the 2023 budget for classrooms, the agency said earlier.

Ms. Carpio on Monday said the lack of classrooms could not be an excuse to delay classes.

The United Nations Children’s Fund this week said prolonged school closures, along with poor health risk mitigation and household income shocks had the biggest impact on learning poverty. Many Filipino children fail to read and understand a simple text by age 10..”

“Vulnerable children such as children with disabilities, children living in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, and children living in disaster and conflict zones fare far worse.”

The Philippines lies along the typhoon belt in the Pacific and experiences about 20 typhoons each year. It also lies in the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a belt of volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes strike. — Norman P. Aquino and Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Marcos government issues 2023 holiday list

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s office has released a list of regular holidays and special non-working days for 2023.

A proclamation signed by Executive Secretary Victor D. Rodriguez on Aug. 22 declared the commemoration of the EDSA “People Power” uprising on Feb. 25, 1986 that toppled the martial law regime of his late father and namesake a special nonworking day.

It also declared the death anniversary of democracy icon Benigno “Ninoy” S. Aquino, Jr. on Aug. 21 a special nonworking day.

Three major observances for Filipino Catholics — Black Saturday (Apr. 8), Feast of the Immaculate Concepcion (Dec. 8) and All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1) — were also declared special nonworking days.

Nov. 2 and Dec. 31 will likewise be special nonworking days.

Christmas Day (Dec. 25), New Year’s Day (Jan. 1), Maundy Thursday (Apr. 6) and Good Friday (Apr. 7) will be regular holidays.

Several events to commemorate Filipino heroes were also declared regular holidays, including Araw ng Kagitingan (Apr. 9), Labor Day (May 1), Independence Day (Jun 12), National Heroes Day (Aug. 28), Bonifacio Day (Aug. 30) and Rizal Day (Dec. 30). 

The proclamations declaring Muslim holidays including Eid’l Ftr and Eid’l Adha will be issued after the specific dates are known, according to the order.

The Labor department will issue the rules that will enforce the proclamation.

REGULAR HOLIDAYS
January 1 (Sunday) — New Year’s Day
April 9 (Sunday) — Araw ng Kagitingan
April 6 — Maundy Thursday
April 7 — Good Friday
May 1 (Monday) — Labor Day
June 12 (Monday) — Independence Day
August 28 (last Monday of August) — National Heroes Day
November 30 (Thursday) — Bonifacio Day
December 25 (Monday) — Christmas Day
December 30 (Saturday) — Rizal Day

SPECIAL NONWORKING DAYS
February 1 (Tuesday) — Chinese New Year
February 25 (Saturday) — EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary
April 8 – Black Saturday
August 21 (Monday) — Ninoy Aquino Day
November 1 (Wednesday) — All Saints’ Day
December 8 (Friday) — Feast of the Immaculate Concepcion of Mary
December 31 (Sunday) — Last Day of the Year

ADDITIONAL SPECIAL NONWORKING DAY
November 2 (Thursday) — All Souls’ Day

Lawmaker renews call to scrap oil excise tax, VAT amid rising prices

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

A CONGRESSMAN has urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to push the scrapping of the excise tax and 12% value-added tax (VAT) on petroleum products as face-to-face classes resumed.

Party-list Rep. Arlene D. Brosas issued the call after a new round of oil price increases took effect on Tuesday. 

“The quickest way to bring down local oil prices is to scrap the TRAIN Law excise tax and VAT on oil, yet the Marcos Jr. administration still has not made any mention of it,” the assistant minority leader said.

Several lawmakers including Ms. Brosas has filed House Bill 400, which seeks to do away with excise taxes and VAT on oil products.

This could cut pump prices by as much P15 a liter for diesel and by P33 for an 11-kilogram liquefied petroleum gas, she said.

“Whatever is deducted from the profits of the government by House Bill 400 can be made back with a wealth tax for Filipino billionaires,” she said, adding that the administration should consider repealing the Oil Deregulation law. — Matthew Carl L. Montecillo

US donates P11M to Philippine Coast Guard 

USCGC Stratton (WMSL-752) is the second cutter of the US Coast Guard to visit the country. — PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD

THE UNITED STATES has donated P11 million worth of coast guard equipment to support Philippine law enforcement efforts, the US Embassy in Manila said in a statement on Tuesday. 

“The Philippine Coast Guard is on a promising trajectory, and we are committed to support them in achieving their vital and ambitious development goals and in responding to a wide range of maritime challenges,” US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said in her remarks during the turnover ceremony in Manila on Monday. 

The donation, provided through the US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, included visual detection and monitoring equipment, first aid kits and tools for conducting shore-based maintenance of coast guard vessels. 

“The United States government has consistently shown its support for this organization throughout the years,” Philippine Coast Guard Deputy Commandant for Operations Vice Admiral Eduardo D. Fabricante said in the statement. 

“They are one of the most vocal advocates for improving PCG capabilities, in addition to the funding for education and training of the men and women of the PCG,” he added. 

The partnership was made to help the Philippines enhance its maritime domain awareness and expand the operational coverage of its exclusive economic zone. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Postponing village, youth council elections will more than double budget to P18B  

PHILSTAR
PHILSTAR

THE PROPOSED one-year postponement of the December 2022 elections for village and youth council leaders will mean a budget requirement of up to P18 billion, more than double the current P8.44-billion allocation, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair said on Tuesday.   

Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia told senators during the Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation hearing that the higher cost is due to an expected increase in voters as the application process will have to be reopened, and the corresponding supplies this will entail such as ballots.   

Teachers who will be serving as electoral board members will also have to be paid a higher honoraria, which is no longer subject to tax exemption.   

“The big bulk of this budget is actually intended for the payment of our electoral board members,” Mr. Garcia said. “The reason is because of the increase in honoraria.”   

Senator María Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos, who chaired the hearing, questioned the big difference in cost, but admitted that she personally does not support a postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.   

“I will admit that in my personal opinion, we should not postpone, having made a promise to Sen. Drilon in the 18th Congress that this will be the last postponement. However, like the Comelec, I am here at your disposal and better judgment,” Ms. Marcos said in her opening speech for the committee hearing.     

The barangay and SK elections were supposed to be held in 2021, the mandated three years from the previous one.   

The Comelec chairman also said that between May and December next year, he prefers to have the elections in May because “December is really close to 2024 and the preparation for the 2025 elections, so May is the ideal month to conduct the election in the event that Congress will deem it necessary to postpone the elections.”  

Mr. Garcia has assured that Comelec is prepared if Congress chooses to push through with the elections on December 5. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Overseas workers, local jobs tackled in Cabinet meeting  

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

PRIORITY programs for Filipino workers abroad and those locally employed were discussed during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, according to Malacañang.   

The Department of Migrants Workers (DMW) and Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) discussed their key programs during the meeting. 

“Some of the priority projects that the DMW will take into action are the One Repatriation Command Center, OFW (overseas Filipino worker) Mobile Application, and National Reintegration Program,” the Office of the President said in a statement. 

“For DoLE, the core priority will be increasing employment opportunities, ensuring just and humane working conditions, and delivering accessible, prompt, and continuous services to the people,” it added.  

In a news briefing, Press Secretary Rose Beatrix “Trixie” Cruz-Angeles said bilateral labor agreements were also tackled during the meeting. 

“They will discuss with details later on, possibly next week for the specifics of their plans and programs,” she said.  

Registered OFWs, a major dollar source for the country, decreased by 18.6% to 1.77 million in 2020 from 2.18 million in 2019 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, based on the latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Survey on Overseas Filipinos released in March. 

Within the country, PSA data showed the number of unemployed Filipinos stood at 2.99 million in June, 62,000 more than the 2.927 million in May. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza 

Australia-funded coral restoration project underway in Zambales  

MEAD-FOUNDATION.ORG

RESTORATION work is underway in damaged reefs in Iba, Zambales in northeastern Philippines through a P15.3-million project funded by the Australian Embassy. 

The Mead Foundation, one of the implementers, said the two-year project will use several best practices for coral restoration for the first time in the Philippines. 

“Essentially, we want to help restore coral reefs and promote greater resilience in our project sites, not only in Zambales but also in other parts of the country in future,” Ben Mead, founder of The Mead Foundation, said in a statement on Tuesday. 

Professor Peter Harrison of Australia’s Southern Cross University, the project lead, said it is “an exciting opportunity to combine both larval restoration of corals using millions of larvae cultured from coral spawning events, with traditional coral gardening approaches to restore coral communities in damaged reef areas near Iba.” 

The Marine Environment and Resources Foundation, Inc. of the University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute is also involved in the coral conservation program. 

Mr. Mead said “the project is designed for long term impact, and whilst the funding from the Australian Government covers the project’s first two years’ of operation, we have plans to make this project self-sustaining in future. “

Coral restoration will be undertaken in areas covered by the Calanga Marine Protected Area (MPA) and nearby MPAs. 

“This aims to improve local fishing community earnings through improved catch and eco-tourism,” Mr. Mead said.

“As part of our initiative we have opened a dive shop located near the project area, so recreational divers can experience the project research as well as other good reef sites nearby. All the profits go to sustaining the conservation project and helping with the management of the MPA, and in that way we plan for it to become self-sustaining,” he said. — MSJ

Baguio solicits proposals for hydroelectric, bulk water, cable car projects 

DOT.GOV.PH

THE BAGUIO City government has put up three projects — a renewable energy plant, water supply, and transport — for proposals as part of its priority investments program. 

“The city government is accepting proposals for three more big ticket projects: 

Asin Hydro Electric Plant, Cable Car System as Public Transport, Bulk Water,” it said in a post on its official Facebook page late Tuesday. 

Proposals may be submitted starting this week to Sept. 22. 

City Budget Officer Leticia O. Clemente, in a separate statement on Monday, said they recently presented the local government’s 12 priority investment areas to local businessmen, which will be pursued through various financing schemes, including public-private partnership (PPP). 

“On water and energy resources development,” Ms. Clemente said the city government is looking to set up a “waste-to-energy project, rehabilitate the city-owned Asin minihydro power plants and revive the bulk water supply and distribution project.” 

The cable car project is part of the planned mass transportation and facilities system, which also includes an intermodal transport terminal, multi-level parking, and elevated monorail, among others. 

Other priority investment areas include Smart City mobility system and information technology-enabled services; tourism-oriented and related establishments such as parks development, eco park and multi-level greenhouse at Botanical Garden; market development and slaughterhouse modernization; mass housing; and business incubation hubs and co-working spaces, among others. 

Ms. Clemente said aside from the PPP scheme, they are looking to bankroll the projects using local revenue collection, borrowing or bond flotation, foreign and local grants, capital income from sale or use of assets, or a combination of these different options. — MSJ 

Task force to use anti-money laundering mechanisms to fight online exploitation of kids 

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla on Tuesday said an inter-agency task force would employ the country’s anti-money laundering mechanisms to restrict transactions related to online exploitation of children.

Mr. Remulla told a live-streamed press conference that he would ask telecommunications companies to implement filters that would block these malicious websites and payments.  

“Law enforcement agencies around the world know that the Philippines is one of the favorite places for these perverts who exploit children,” he said. 

“This is not a source of pride but a source of shame, which is why we are declaring war against the exploitation of children.”  

The task force is composed of the Department of Justice (DoJ) and its attached agencies, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).  

Mr. Remulla said the government will also be coordinating with the United States Department of Homeland Security to track down foreigners in the country who are involved in child exploitation.  

DILG Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos, Jr. told the same briefing that his department plans to obtain forensic software that would help track of those who exploit children online.  

Data from the DILG shows that authorities conducted 227 operations combating online sexual exploitation and convicted 67 individuals behind these illegal websites from 2017 to July 2022.  

In March, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center, a separate task force, rescued 134 sexually exploited children and arrested 15 offenders from 51 operations since last year.  

The NBI also opened its Cyber Trafficking in Persons Monitoring Center, which monitors cyber-space for human trafficking.  

The United Nations Children Agency in 2017 said one of three internet users were children below 18, and were at risk of harmful content and contact. — John Victor D. Ordoñez 

SC grants protection to activists allegedly abducted by soldiers 

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE SUPREME Court (SC) has ordered the protection of two activists who went missing after allegedly being abducted by military officers. 

In a statement on Tuesday, the tribunal said its full court issued a writ of amparo in favor of activists Elizabeth Magbanua and Alipio Juat.  

It also ordered acting National Defense Chief Jose C. Faustino, Jr., retired General Ricardo F. de Leon, Lieutenant General Romeo S. Brawner, Jr., and other military officers to acknowledge the protection order and to comment on the petition before the Court of Appeals within 72 hours of the issuance of the order.  

The respondents, composed of several high-ranking military officials, were also prohibited from going within one kilometer of the activists’ families.  

Relatives of the missing activists sought for the remedy due to the violation of the two activists’ fundamental rights.  

The writ of amparo is a legal remedy available to anyone whose right to life, liberty, and security is violated by a public official or employee.  

The tribunal has yet to post a copy of the resolution on its website. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Red tide warning up in three provinces

PHILSTAR

THE BUREAU of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has issued a red tide notice on the coastal waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol; Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur; and Lianga Bay in Surigao del Sur. 

Based on BFAR’s latest laboratory results, shellfish collected from these areas still tested positive for paralytic shellfish poison or toxic red tide beyond the regulatory limit.  

All types of shellfish and Acetes sp. or alamang gathered from these waters are not safe for human consumption, according to the agency. 

Meanwhile, fish, squids, shrimps, and crabs are considered safe for human consumption provided that these are fresh and washed thoroughly, and internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking.   

People who consume shellfish contaminated with red tide can experience gastrointestinal and neurological distress, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, muscular aches, and tingling in the tongue, lips, throat and extremities. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson 

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