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Chinese businessman Yang asks PHL High Court to nullify Senate orders

FORMER presidential economic adviser Michael Yang Hong Ming on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to void the arrest orders and subpoenas issued against him by the Philippine Senate.

In his 46-page petition filed through lawyer Raymond Parsifal A. Fortun, Mr. Yang also asked the High Court to declare as null and void the lookout bulletin issued by the country’s immigration bureau against him.

The Davao City-based Chinese businessman said in his petition that the Senate committee probing the government’s multi-billion deals with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. cannot compel him to submit tax records and other information on his properties.

He asked the high tribunal to order the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to stop compelling him to attend future hearings.

The Senate committee earlier used its contempt power to compel Mr. Yang, who had acted as guarantor and financier of Pharmally, to attend its hearings. The arrest orders against him were issued last Sept. 7 and 10.

The respondent Senate panel has acted “with grave abuse of discretion amounting to a lack or excess of jurisdiction” in treating resource persons during its hearings, the petition read. It “unrightfully” judged its guests as ‘lying’ “at the slightest hint of inconsistency and completely ignoring any explanations made,” it added.

The petition also argued that the Senate had deprived Mr. Yang and other resource persons of their Constitutional right to counsel. It claimed that such a move perpetuated a scenario “where ‘witnesses’ are subjected to compound/complex or vague questions, and exposed to bullying or badgering that would have otherwise been obviated by timely objections by counsel.”

In a statement hours after Mr. Yang filed the petition, Senator Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, one of the committee members, maintained that the “oversight powers of the senate are well-settled in law and jurisprudence.”

“The resource persons’ evasiveness and their resistance to cooperate with our investigation come at actual great cost to the government,” she said. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Senate resolution filed to amend law to keep pace with cybercrimes

TWO SENATORS on Thursday filed a resolution seeking to amend the country’s cybercrime law to keep up with the proliferation of illegal activities using digital platforms, following fake online orders that were addressed to opposition officials.

Senator Francis “Kiko” N. Pangilinan, one of the victims, and Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon filed Senate Resolution 953 that calls to address the increasing frequency of online fraud and disinformation while the current law “falls short of the realities of the times, particularly the rise of social media platforms.”

“The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 was passed when social media platforms and other applications were still smaller than what the giants they are today,” they said in the resolution, noting that platforms such as TikTok, Grab Food, Lalamove, among others, were not yet established at that time.

“As technology and social media platforms become more and more integrated into the everyday lives of Filipinos, there is a need to review the country’s existing criminal laws,” it added.

Mr. Pangilinan earlier said that his office received a message that P90,000-worth of frozen meat and wine, which they had not ordered, would be delivered to them.

Similar incidents were reported by Senator Ana Theresia “Risa” N. Hontiveros-Baraquel and Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo.

The National Bureau of Investigation said that people who book fake orders by posing as someone else could face six to 12 years of imprisonment for identity theft. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

House probe sought on national sports policies following Obiena-PATAFA row

A RESOLUTION was filed in the House of Representatives seeking a probe into policies and the dynamics between national athletes and sports institutions in light of the ongoing row between an Olympian pole-vaulter and the Philippine Athletic Track and Field Association (PATAFA).

Manila Rep. Rolando V. Valeriano filed a yet to be numbered House Resolution asking the Committee on Youth and Sports Development to investigate the funding-related conflict between Tokyo Olympian pole-vaulter Ernest John “EJ” U. Obiena and PATAFA.

“Our national athletes have long complained of Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) accredited NSAs (national sport associations) engaging in endless politicking, not having sustainable development programs, being heavily dependent on government funding, and… lacking communications with and support for athletes, among other issues,” according to a copy of the resolution.

Mr. Valeriano said there could be a need to review rules and relationships of the athletes with the POC, NSAs, and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

PATAFA has accused Mr. Obiena of falsifying liquidation documents on payments to his Ukrainian coach, Vitaly A. Petrov, and ordered the athlete to return €85,000 or about P4.8 million to the association.

Mr. Obiena and Mr. Petrov have both denied the accusations.

Mr. Valeriano said the incident showed the PATAFA’s “failure (to) promote his welfare, or worse, even a sabotage of the career of a distinguished national athlete.”

The PSC said it will mediate and call for a dialogue between the two parties, and urged them to refrain from making public statements.

PSC’s statement came after the Senate recalled the proposed budget of the agency for next year due to their “hands-off” stance on the matter.

The POC has also ordered its ethics committee to investigate the incident. — Russell Louis C. Ku

Belgium considers Davao Oriental for chocolate factory, hydropower project

BELGIAN companies eyeing to invest in the cacao and hydropower industries may consider locating in Davao Oriental, the provincial government said following a recent trade mission led by Belgium’s top envoy to the Philippines.

“(A)mong the investments that Belgian companies are interested in is establishing a complete chocolate-making factory and a cacao fermentation facility in the Philippines,” the local government said in a news release.

Belgian Ambassador Michel Parys “saw the potential of Davao Oriental for this investment opportunity following his visit to some cacao farms in the province,” it said.

The Davao Region, composed of five provinces and one independent city, has been declared as the Philippines’ cacao capital. In the fourth quarter 2020, the region accounted for 82% of national cacao output, based on Philippine Statistics Authority data. The country produced about 8,490 metric tons (MT) of cacao in 2019.

Data from the province show it currently has 5,291 hectares planted with cacao and another 2,660 hectares identified as potential expansion areas. It has a production capacity of 3,191 MT annually.

Another possible venture is the establishment of a micro hydropower plant in Cateel, a coastal town known for its Aliwagwag Waterfalls.

“Many Belgian companies think that if they come to Manila, (they are already) trading with the Philippines. I am trying to prove them wrong. Maybe you  should not stay in Manila. You have to go to Cebu, Davao,” Mr. Parys is quoted as saying in the press release.

“In order to tell this message… I have to learn what is possible in Davao, in Mindanao. The more information I can give, the more chances that more companies will be interested,” he said.

The Davao Oriental government, for its part, said it is “optimistic about the promising investment opportunity and partnership with the Kingdom of Belgium through its Embassy as it would help more locals, particularly farmers, boost their livelihood while also helping boost the local economy.” — MSJ

NGO finds wipes with banned ingredients still available in Antipolo, Caloocan stores

WET WIPES containing ingredients banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are still available in the market, a non-government organization said.

In a news release on Thursday, EcoWaste Coalition said they were able to procure from retail stores in Antipolo and Caloocan four unauthorized brands of wipes containing such ingredients as methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone.

The brands are: 123 Kid’s Baby Wipes, Dong Bang Baby Wipes, and two variants of Collagen Make-Up Cleansing Wipes.

Last year, the FDA banned the brands Dong Bang Happy Baby Wipes and Baby Q Baby Wipes for containing the ingredients that can cause allergic reactions, especially on babies’ sensitive skin.

“The manufacturers, importers, and distributors of wet wipes containing these banned ingredients should cease and desist from making and trading these non-compliant products, which can pose health risks, particularly for babies,” EcoWaste Coalition’s Chemical Safety Campaigner Thony Dizon said.

The group also said that manufacturers of such wet wipes were given ample time to reformulate their products and to withdraw from the market those that contain the hazardous chemicals.

The FDA prohibited on Aug. 10, 2017 the said chemicals in leave-on cosmetic products, and gave manufacturers more than a year or until Aug. 31, 2018 to conform.

The FDA also issued Advisory 2021-2656 on Oct. 28 and posted it online on Nov. 15 to warn consumers of the hazardous chemicals contained in wet wipes imported from China as clinical data “indicates that no safe concentrations of methylisothiazolinone for induction of contact allergy or elicitation have been adequately demonstrated.”

EcoWaste also cited the US Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s definition of methylisothiazolinone, which is often used in combination with methylchloroisothiazolinone, as “a chemical that will lead to an allergic response following skin contact.” — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

‘Digitalize or die,’ Trade dep’t tells leaders of small companies

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

STARTUPS and micro, small, and medium enterprises must be agile in using technology with the consumption of digital services expected to continue into the new normal, a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) official said.

“The drive now is really towards digital transformation, leading to more innovation and application of new technologies in addressing social, economic, environmental, and health problems,” according to Trade Undersecretary Rafaelita M. Aldaba, speaking at the BusinessWorld Virtual Economic Forum Thursday.

“There’s a need to adopt new ways of working to increase resilience, and (businesses) need shared responsibility and collaboration (with) industry, academe, government, and other stakeholders, to address social and environmental challenges together,” she said, adding that the focus must be on inclusive growth.

The Philippines, ranked the 51st most innovative economy in the world out of 132 economies, is weak when it comes to infrastructure, institutions, financing, and market sophistication, according to this year’s Global Innovation Index. Addressing these will be vital in order to maintain the Philippines’ ranking and further boost innovation, she said.

“The whole-of-society approach is needed in order for us to build a robust startup and innovation ecosystem,” she said. “Hence, the (DTI’s) role of coordinator and facilitator is really crucial for us to be successful in building a healthy ecosystem.”

Some regulatory policy changes being implemented by the public sector are the Ease of Doing Business Law, which streamlines government procedures in starting a business to take half a day instead of the initial 33 days, and the Philippine Innovation Act, which will establish innovation centers, business incubators, a National Innovation Council and an innovation fund amounting to P1 billion.

DTI also has an Inclusive Innovation Industrial Strategy, which aims to grow globally competitive and innovative industries. Ms. Aldaba stressed the role of disruptive technologies like social media, analytics, and the cloud in this growth.

The Philippine industry ecosystem could “provide the foundation for generating quality jobs and investments, creating new products and services, and ensuring shared prosperity for all,” she added.

One way to assure this vision is to promote a digital entrepreneurial mindset — a precursor for individual as well as collective growth.

“Design thinking and innovation can actually make the world a better place, help people become more effective, and allow more social mobility,” Ms. Aldaba said.

With the Philippines touted as the fastest-growing internet economy in the region based on Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company’s 2021 e-Conomy Southeast Asia Report, digital technologies should be maximized to drive inclusive, resilient, and sustainable industrial development and innovation.

Examples of such technologies are voice recognition, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, robotics, and 5G connectivity, which have been used for smart buildings, smart home technology, smart manufacturing, smart cities, precision agriculture, digital health, e-gaming, and education technology, among others.

“As the race for survival intensifies, more innovation will emerge and the less innovative will fall behind. In fact, our mantra now is ‘innovate or die,’ ‘digitalize or die,’” Ms. Aldaba said. — Brontë H. Lacsamana

Innovation policy must push ‘appropriate’ tech amid lack of online access — UN ESCAP

INCLUSIVENESS AND APPROPRIATE, cost-effective technology must be core features of any innovation policy because of the uneven nature of access to online resources, a United Nations expert said.

“Putting inclusivity at the heart of STI (science, technology and innovation) policy in a post-pandemic world will be absolutely vital,” according to Jonathan Wong, chief of technology and innovation of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP).

Speaking at the BusinessWorld Virtual Economic Forum on Thursday, he said there are over 2 billion people in the Asia Pacific — or around half of the region’s population — without internet access, pointing to deep inequality.

Countries that lag in STI capability, said Mr. Wong, should spend on cost-effective appropriate technology with proven results instead of investing valuable resources in new frontier technologies.

“It’s natural for people like me who work in technology and innovation to get carried away with new frontier technologies like AI (artificial intelligence) or blockchain,” he said, “but there are many technologies that are already out there that could have a huge impact now and not in the future.”

In the Philippines, the Science for Change Program bill proposes to increase the allocation of research and development to 2% of gross domestic product within the next five years.

While this sends a good signal, Mr. Wong said that the government should think carefully about where these investments go, and recommended improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education in order to develop human capital.

Another way to push “mission-oriented” STI is to tap the private sector, which has been a source of economic dynamism and innovation in the region.

“Governments can really … incentivize businesses to develop innovations that are more inclusive, that benefit the very poorest people, that engage more women and girls, that look at addressing social and environmental challenges as well as addressing profit,” Mr. Wong said.

The Association for Southeast Asian Nations signed off on guidelines for the promotion of inclusive business in 2020. The framework is meant to guide institutions and governments that aim to support inclusive businesses.

Thailand has the Social Enterprise Promotion act, which gives special provisions to businesses or enterprises that both make profit and have social purpose.

Mr. Wong added: “I advise governments … to put inclusion at the heart of innovation policy. It’s as simple as that. That’s what we need to do if we are to leave no one behind.” — Brontë H. Lacsamana

NGO alliance calls waste-to-energy systems ‘incinerators in disguise’

REUTERS

THE Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) Asia Pacific said waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities proposed for the Philippines are effectively incinerators, fueled by municipal waste, that release toxic chemicals into their immediate surroundings.

“WTE is simply waste incineration in disguise. It burns tons of municipal wastes to generate a small amount of net energy while emitting massive amounts of toxic pollutants and greenhouse gases,” Jorge Agustin O. Emmanuel, a Silliman University expert on managing waste, said at a GAIA briefing.

GAIA is a network of over 800 environment groups in over 90 countries.

“Continuous monitoring of the state-of-the-art waste-to-energy plant in Harlingen, Netherlands revealed dioxin levels exceeding legal limits so much so that grass and eggs in farms up to 10 km away had high amounts of dioxins,” Mr. Emmanuel said.

He added that although governments have adopted international emissions standards, these are no guarantees against the release of dangerous emissions.

The Philippines is the first and only country so far to ban incineration under Republic Act No. 8749, or the Philippine Clean Air Act.

In September 2020, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian backed (Senate Bill No. 1789 or the proposed Waste-to-Energy Act that allows the use of waste-to-energy facilities for the management and disposal of household waste.

Mr. Gatchalian has said that “contrary to arguments that the operation of a WTE plant poses a threat to public health and the environment, such facilities will require air pollution control systems to ensure emissions are within the standards of the Philippine Clean Air Act.”

In January, Speaker Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco passed a version of the bill in the House as a proposed amendment to Republic Act 8749 or the Clean Air Act of 1999.

If enacted, the bill would allow the use of any WTE technology, including incineration, that does not produce poisonous or toxic fumes.

“There are several waste incinerator proposals in the Philippines and all proposals claim that incinerators are clean and safe. What they don’t tell is that even in Europe, where standards are high, waste incinerators have been recorded to emit highly toxic pollutants… and release immense amounts of carbon dioxide,” GAIA Asia Pacific Climate and Clean Energy Campaign Associate Yobel Novian Putra said in a statement.

Emissions such as dioxins, the World Health organization has found, can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and cause cancer.

“In truth, waste incinerators would add fuel to (the problem of) toxic waste, air pollution, and climate change,” Mr. Putra said, adding that Zero Waste is still the preferred option. — Marielle C. Lucenio

DA insists on beneficial impact of rice tariffication

THE Rice Tariffication Law has benefited consumers while raising farmers’ incomes, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said, dismissing claims that the main benefit of cheap rice is based on misleading data.

Rice tariffication, as authorized by Republic Act No. 11203, signed in March 2019, has brought down the retail price of rice compared to prices before the law came into force, with farmers also increasing their output and income, Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said in a statement Thursday.

“In particular, regular-milled rice is now cheaper, at P36 to P38 per kilogram (/kg), which is P2 to P8 less than in 2018; well-milled rice is also cheaper by P2 to P5; and premium and special rice are sold P1 to P6/kg less than in 2018,” Mr. Dar said, citing data compiled by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and DA’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service.

“Despite the blabber and noise by detractors, we see the (law and its Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) as) testaments to what a sustainable policy can do to help ensure food security for more than 100 million Filipinos,” he added.

Mr. Dar said the law is a “transformative reform” that helped the industry’s stakeholders.

“It liberalizes rice trade by imposing tariffs on imports in lieu of quantitative restrictions, and provides a yearly P10-billion budget to the RCEF for six years to empower Filipino rice farmers and enable them to compete with their ASEAN counterparts,” Mr. Dar said.

Of the P10-billion RCEF budget, P5 billion goes to farm machinery and equipment, P3 billion to inbred seed, P1 billion to farm credit, and P1 billion to training.

According to the DA, RCEF raised the output of palay, or unmilled rice, while lowering production costs.

“Average palay production has increased by 17% to 4.26 metric tons (MT) per hectare (/ha), from 3.64 MT/ha in 42 RCEF provinces. Average production cost was reduced by P1, from P12.52/kg to P11.52/kg; and seed requirement per hectare using mechanical seeders decreased by 67%, from 90 kilograms to 30 kilograms; and by 33% to 60 kilograms via manual method,” the DA said.

RCEF seeks to increase average palay output to 5 MT/ha, lower production cost by P2/kg to P3/kg, reduce postharvest losses by 2%-3%, and improve farmer income by 30%.

The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) has expressed its opposition to the DA’s claims that the performance of the rice sector is improving as a result of tariffication.

FFF National Manager Raul Q. Montemayor said the DA’s claims on production costs and prices are misleading and erroneous.

“The DA is hiding the fact that rice prices after the RTL enactment were actually the same or slightly higher than prices in 2017, which was a more normal year. Official data from the PSA show that (the law) has actually been a flop in terms of lowering rice prices, particularly for poor consumers,” Mr. Montemayor said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

PHL rice inventory declines 26.2% at start of October

THE rice inventory on Oct. 1 fell 26.2% year on year to 1.95 million metric tons (MT), according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The PSA said in its rice inventory report that all holders of stock saw their holdings decline across the board.

Rice held by households as of Oct. 1 fell 26.9% to 1.06 million MT while inventory in commercial warehouses fell 23.9% to 728,690 MT.

Holdings recorded by the National Food Authority (NFA) also fell 30.7% to 166,340 MT.

The PSA reported that the rice inventory rose 46.7% compared to the 1.33 million MT recorded in Sept. 1.

Month on month, household rice stocks, commercial inventories, and NFA depositories increased 66.1%, 34.2%, and 10%, respectively.

“About 54.2% of this month’s total rice stocks were held in households, 37.3% were in commercial warehouses/wholesalers/retailers, and 8.5% were at NFA depositories,” the PSA said.

The PSA said corn stocks as of Oct. 1 fell 47.9% year on year to 513,930 MT.

Household corn stocks fell 49.3% to 213,160 MT while commercial corn inventory fell 46.8% to 300,770 MT.

Month on month, the PSA said the corn stocks fell 8.3% compared to the 560,610 MT posted on Sept. 1.

Compared to the previous month, household corn stocks as of Oct. 1 rose 13.8% while commercial inventories fell 19.4%.

“As of Oct. 1, about 41.5% of the total corn stocks were from households, and 58.5% were from the commercial warehouses/wholesalers/retailers,” the PSA said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Optimized manufacturing seen as striking balance of automation, labor

Human use computer to control the robot arms working in procuction convoyed in the smart factory industry 4.0, high tech machinery, isolated flat illustration

MANUFACTURERS need to find an optimal balance between automation and labor during the ongoing digital transformation, according to a World Economic Forum advanced manufacturing specialist.

Francisco Betti, the World Economic Forum’s head of shaping the future of advanced manufacturing and value chains, said the future of manufacturing will involve finding such a balance.

“It is all about finding the right level that will deliver the most optimal level of adaptability, flexibility, and agility,” Mr. Betti said during the second day of the BusinessWorld Virtual Economic Forum Thursday.

Mr. Betti also said companies must have the ability to combine technology with human-driven tasks and activities.

“The highest levels of flexibility and agility were achieved by those companies that were able to develop and find a new balance in automation and worker augmentation,” Mr. Betti said.

“Through digital transformation, companies are able to deliver solid results when it comes to reducing energy consumption, water consumption, material consumption, and optimizing waste management,” he added.

Mr. Betti said he has seen many companies looking into the development of a decentralized networks of manufacturing ecosystems in response to the effects of climate change.

He added that this trend can become a major opportunity for the Philippines.

“As global companies rethink their strategies, one of the opportunities for National Governments is to further strengthen and build a more attractive manufacturing sector and become one of the sources of these broader value chains,” Mr. Betti said.

Mr. Betti said companies are putting people at the center of their strategies and is one of the catalysts for their success.

“Most digital-successful companies have massively invested in upskilling and reskilling. That is one of the key drivers of success,” Mr. Betti said.

Mr. Betti added that companies need to be careful in approaching technology, as they will face the risk of overspending.

“We need to be very careful… that we don’t end up wasting resources,” Mr. Betti said.

“Technology is not a goal on its own. Technology is a tool that can help us overcome specific production and business problems,” he added.

Mr. Betti also said retraining the workforce should not be left to the hands of a single entity.

“We need governments, academia, civil society groups, and workers to work together with companies to design the next generation of upskilling and reskilling programs, specifically with an eye on the future needs of manufacturing,” Mr. Betti said.

“If you take the manufacturing ecosystem of any given nation, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make up to 98% or 99% of the ecosystem. The large manufacturing companies are the few. What is the process through which we’re going to help SMEs to stay competitive and adopt technology to be able to train people? That is a major challenge,” he added. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Legislator pushing for investigation into text scam offering fake jobs

A LEGISLATOR has called for an investigation by various government agencies into text message scams offering high-paying jobs.

Quezon City Rep. Alfred D. Vargas filed House Resolution 2378 urging the Department of Information and Communications, National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), and the National Privacy Commission (NPC) to investigate and take legal action following the proliferation of the text messages.

“There have been growing concern and reports of spam, scam, and phishing attempts through circulating text messages which have caused inconvenience and problems to telecommunications customers,” according to a copy of the resolution.

Mr. Vargas also said that these messages violate Republic Act 10173 or the Data Privacy Act and also points to the possible illegal sale of data.

He noted that the Anti-Money Laundering Council has found an increased vulnerability to financial scams during the pandemic after it recorded a 57% increase in reports of suspicious transactions in the first eight months of 2020.

The NPC has said the groups behind the text scams might belong to an international crime syndicate and called data privacy officers from telecommunication companies to a meeting to address the growing problem.

The President’s acting spokesman Karlo Alexei B. Nograles also said Monday that the messages are a “cause of concern,” but added that the NTC is investigating the matter.

Senators also said that the spam messages could hinder the government’s pandemic response by encouraging a reluctance to share personal information for contact tracing. — Russell Louis C. Ku

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