Former DA chief says rice law made smuggling easier

July 12, 2022 | 8:30 pm

THE Rice Tariffication Law must be amended to re-establish the role of the National Food Authority (NFA) as industry regulator, after the liberalization of imports opened the doors to rampant smuggling of the staple grain, former Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said.

“We don’t need to repeal the law. We only need to amend it. Number one, we need to bring back the regulatory and supervisory powers of the NFA over the rice industry,” Mr. Piñol said on One News.

“While the government was able to collect a lot from tariffs, there is so much technical smuggling. No one is supervising what kind of rice is being brought in,” he added.

Signed in 2019, the law, also known as Republic Act No. 11203, allowed private parties to freely import the grain, on which they paid tariffs of 35% on shipments originating from Southeast Asia. It also reduced the role of the NFA, formerly the primary importer of rice via government-to-government deals, to maintaining emergency rice stocks.

The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and the new Congress to review the law and propose amendments as necessary.

“Officials of the Department of Finance (DoF) have been insisting that law made rice more affordable by cutting the retail price by P7 per kilo, from its alleged peak of P46 per kilo during the rice crisis in 2018,” the FFF has said.

“These figures were deceptive because they compared current rice prices to their levels in 2018, when prices were abnormally high due to the rice crisis,” it added.

FFF National Manager Raul Q. Montemayor said that although the law allowed the entry of cheaper imported rice, the savings were mostly captured by importers and traders and were not passed on to consumers.

“Also, most of the imports were for premium rice grades for sale to well-off consumers, not the more affordable grades that NFA used to import for the poor. That is why poor consumers today are actually paying almost the same as in 2016 and 2017. To top it off, the P27 per kilo rice that the NFA used to distribute has disappeared from the market,” he added.

ING Bank N.V. Manila Senior Economist Nicholas Antonio T. Mapa said that he hopes the law is retained.

“The law was an important legislation passed by the previous administration and was instrumental in helping lower prices in the Philippines. Part of the law was the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), which funds the improvement of domestic rice production,” he said in an e-mail.

“Given the short-term benefits, like lower rice prices, and medium-term benefits, which is improved rice production domestically, we hope that the law will not be touched,” he added.

Mr. Piñol added that he supported the decision of Mr. Marcos to take over the Department of Agriculture (DA) which would “get things going.”

“I really believe that if Mr. Marcos would like agriculture to develop and flourish during his term, he should hold on to that position until the end of his term,” he said. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

Agricultural and biosystems engineering law IRR signed

July 12, 2022 | 8:29 pm

robot-vegetable-farm — AGRICULTURAL & BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING — DON MARIANO MARCOS MEMORIAL SU FB PAGE

THE GOVERNMENT has signed the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 10915, also known as the Philippine Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABE) Act of 2016, according to an official whose board regulates the ABE profession.

“The implementation of the IRR of ABE will greatly help in increasing the food production thrust of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s administration,” Professional Regulations Board of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (PRBABE) Director Ariodear C. Rico said in a statement.

Mr. Rico said that the signing of the IRR will help with future partnerships and collaboration in agriculture, fisheries, veterinary medicine and foresters.

He said that the IRR has been subjected to several rounds of consultation with various Professional Regulations Boards (PRBs).

“The main issues raised during these meetings focused on overlaps and encroachment in the practice of the profession. The PRBABE has taken these into consideration and addressed these concerns,” Mr. Rico said.

These include a rule in the IRR which states “the board, may, after due consultations with the appropriate boards and subject to the approval of the commission, enter into a joint resolution and/or appropriate memorandum of agreement to clarify, delineate or define the interface of the activities constituting their respective professional practice.”

The PRBABE added that it entered a joint resolution with the PRB of Real Estate Service on Valuation. It also signed a memorandum of agreement with the PRB of Fisheries and the PRB of Foresters. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

Russia, Belarus athletes may face Paris 2024 ban — Reedie

July 12, 2022 | 7:23 pm

ATHLETES from Russia and Belarus may not be allowed to compete at the Paris 2024 Games over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Craig Reedie said.

The IOC issued guidance to sports governing bodies in February to remove the two countries’ athletes from competition. Belarus has been used as a staging ground for Russia’s invasion, which Moscow calls a “special military operation.”

“A decision is going to have to be taken on what happens to each of these two countries, and my guess is that the general feeling would be that they should not qualify,” former IOC vice-president Reedie told British media.

Athletes will miss qualification events for Paris as a result of the measures, and IOC President Thomas Bach said in May that Russia’s participation was unclear. — Reuters

NBA may penalize teams that ‘take fouls’ during fastbreaks

July 12, 2022 | 7:23 pm

THE National Basketball Association (NBA) may start to penalize teams that stop an opponent’s fastbreak by fouling in transition, according to a Monday report from Yahoo! Sports, which cited league sources.

The league’s Competition Committee, which began meetings in Las Vegas last weekend, is moving ahead with a proposal that would grant the team being fouled on the play one free throw as well as possession. Previously, the team that was fouled would only resume possession out of bounds.

The so-called “take foul” is under increased scrutiny because it allows teams to negate their opponents’ fastbreak opportunities, especially when the opponent has the numbers advantage.

The committee’s recommendations, including another that deals with players’ conduct on the bench, are expected to be approved when they’re made to the league’s Board of Governors, the sources told Yahoo! Sports.

One of a few bench decorum issues concerns players who remain standing during long stretches rather than taking their seats during games. Fans who are sitting behind teams’ benches, typically in pricey seats, have complained that their views of the game are obstructed.

The committee is mulling stiffer penalties for players who fail to stay seated, per the report. — Reuters

Subdued Novak

July 12, 2022 | 7:22 pm

In the wake of a remarkable run to the top of Wimbledon’s men’s singles draw, Novak Djokovic was subdued at best. Forget that he ruled the All England Club for the fourth straight year. Never mind that he thereby managed to move past living legend Roger Federer with his 21^st Grand Slam title. Even as he appreciated the feat, he understood that it represented a blip in the grand scheme of things. The start of the year saw him miss out on the Australian Open, the other major championship in which he could be considered an overwhelming favorite. The end of the year could find him in the sidelines as well, unable to travel to America for a stab at his fourth United States Open crown. And while the situation puts a major crimp on his plan to finish his career with the highest number of trophies of all time from the sport’s four holy grails, he’s at peace with the development.

As far as Djokovic is concerned, it’s a matter of principle. He got in trouble with immigration authorities in Australia due to his failure — or, to be more accurate, refusal — to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. And because inoculation is a requirement to get a visa to the US, he’s slated to be on the outside looking in, literally and figuratively, for the last Grand Slam event of 2022. He knows that the pandemic shows no signs of abating, so the prerequisite for competition doesn’t seem headed to the scrap heap anytime soon. And that’s all right for him.

Perhaps Djokovic believes that the mark will ultimately be his, anyway. As the youngest, and fittest, of the Big Three that also includes provisional leader Rafael Nadal, he does seem to be in the best position to end up with the most crowded mantel. That said, “seem” is the operative word, since he’s doing himself no favors in slashing his chances by half from the outset. And here’s the thing: No matter how he spins his beliefs, they go against science, not to mention the need to protect the population at large. In other words, his cause is far from worthy or worthwhile, and yet he has seen fit to plant his flag on it, head held high.

It’s a wonder, really, because Djokovic cares about public opinion. In fact, he has been trying hard — make that very, very hard — to be on the good graces of fans who can’t, or don’t, think of him as fitting of adulation, his otherworldly successes on the court notwithstanding. In this particular case, though, it isn’t that he’s not trying hard enough. It’s that he’s not trying, period. Which, in the final analysis, puts him right where he wants to be, and exactly where he deserves to be — in the crosshairs of critics who feel just as strongly that the tennis alone won’t be enough.

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

Climate researcher picked as Environment chief

July 12, 2022 | 6:59 pm

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has picked Ma. Antonia “Toni” Yulo-Loyzaga as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), according to the presidential palace.

“Her nomination will still be subject to the fulfilment of the required documents,” Press Secretary Rose Beatrix “Trixie” Cruz-Angeles said in a statement.

Ms. Yulo-Loyzaga is the president of the National Resilience Council, which promotes science and technology-based public-private partnerships to strengthen the Philippine’s disaster risk management, preparedness, and response.

She served as chairperson at the International Advisory Board of the Manila Observatory, which promotes science-based approach to development problems and advocates for climate justice.

At the Jesuit scientific research institution, Ms. Yulo-Loyzaga “advocated for more scientific research on climate and disaster resilience,” Ms. Cruz-Angeles said.

Ms. Yulo-Loyzaga also became a technical adviser of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation.

She is also a member of the senior advisory board of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Command and General Staff College.

As DENR chief, Ms. Yulo-Loyzaga is expected to work with various agencies as well as the international community to address the climate crisis, which heavily affects developing countries such as the Philippines.

Mr. Marcos has said that climate change is among his top concerns.

Anti-mining advocacy group Alyansa Tigil Mina said they are “cautiously optimistic” about the choice for Environment chief. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

New school year starts Aug. 22 regardless of COVID alert level

July 12, 2022 | 6:58 pm

b-facetoface-classes-20220209-Manila-PHILSTAR-MICHAEL-VARCAS — A TEACHER assists students at a school in Manila where face-to-face classes resumed on Feb. 9, 2022. — PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

THE DEPARTMENT of Education on Tuesday announced that the next school year will start August 22 and end on July 7 next year, rejecting an appeal by some stakeholders to delay the opening of classes for at least two weeks to give teachers more time to rest and prepare.

The school reopening will push through “regardless of the COVID-l9 alert level imposed by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases or the Department of Health in areas where schools are located,” according to the guidelines of the DepEd order.

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition earlier asked Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio to move the school year’s start to mid-September or the first week of October.

The group said teachers still performed tasks even during the break. “We need to read forms and prepare documents for performance rating,” it said. “And in the coming weeks until August, teachers should attend in-service training, Brigada Eskwela, and other back-to-school and enrollment activities.”

Under the guidelines, blended learning or even full distance schooling will be allowed only until Oct. 31.

By Nov. 2, “all public and private schools shall have transitioned to 5 days of in-person classes,” DepEd said, except those duly accredited for the Alternative Delivery Modes. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

DepED asks NBI to probe reported abuses at PHL school for young artists

July 12, 2022 | 6:58 pm

THE EDUCATION department on Tuesday said it has asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct its own probe on the alleged sexual abuse and harassment of students at the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA).

In a statement, the department said Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte requested the NBI to provide a comprehensive report on the issue as soon as possible.

“The Department would like to reiterate that the agency does not tolerate abuses in any form,” it said.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla told reporters in a Viber message on Tuesday that he will direct the NBI to prioritize the investigation of the PHSA.

The Department of Education (DepEd), meanwhile, said it is doing its own investigation through its Child Protection Unit and Child Rights in Education Desk.

Allegations of various forms of abuses at the specialized school for budding artists were reported in an in-depth feature article published by VICE World News, which included testimonies from alumni who detailed their own experiences.

DepED noted that it is also working with the PHSA, located in Los Baños, Laguna, in reviewing existing campus policies to ensure the safety of students.

The school’s management said in an earlier statement that they sympathized with the alumni who reported the abuses and advised them to file formal legal complaints in court and/or to the school’s committee on decorum and investigation.

The state-owned institution called VICE‘s portrayal “unfair” and denied accusations that it is a “haven for abuse.”

Last week, advocacy group Child Rights Network urged the Philippine government to act on the reported abuse in PHSA, adding it was “enabling the continuation of these horrid abuses.”

“The reported crimes against children are crimes of power, with power relations between teachers and house parents in the boarding school tilted against their victims,” the group said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

House bill on SIM card registration filed

July 12, 2022 | 6:58 pm

A BILL requiring the registration of all mobile phone subscriber identity module (SIM) cards to help address the proliferation of scams and criminal activities has been filed at the House of Representatives.

“This bill seeks to require ownership registration of SIM cards to eradicate mobile phone-aided criminal activities,” Leyte Rep. Martin G. Romualdez, who is expected to become the next House speaker, said in House Bill 14.

“Having an unregulated SIM card market has also given way to several mobile phone scams,” the lawmaker said. Cases ranged from simple text messages asking users to send cellular loads, to voice phishing methods and spams attempting to gain unauthorized access to sensitive personal information.

A 2020 World Bank report showed that for every 100 Filipinos, there are 137 cellular phone subscriptions, indicating that some individuals owned more than one card.

Cellular phone service providers have had to block millions of text messages and SIM cards due to complaints from subscribers, he added. Even then, perpetrators easily replace said SIM cards and continue with their scheme.

“Due to the lack of SIM card registration, it becomes nearly impossible to trace the persons behind the text scams and hold them accountable for fraud, breach of data privacy or other punishable offenses that they committed using an unknown mobile number,” Mr. Romualdez said.

Counterpart bills were filed in the Senate last week.

The proposed measure had passed the last Congress but was vetoed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, citing the inclusion of a provision that also requires the registration of social media accounts. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Lawyer Clooney condemns Ressa’s cyber-libel conviction

July 12, 2022 | 6:57 pm

HUMAN RIGHTS lawyer Amal A. Clooney denounced the Philippine Court of Appeals (CA) decision upholding a cyber-libel conviction of Rappler, Inc. founder Maria A. Ressa and a former researcher of the news company, and hoped the Supreme Court will overturn the ruling.

In a statement dated July 11 and sent to reporters on Tuesday, Ms. Clooney said the article published by Rappler was written in good faith and should be protected by free speech in Philippine law.

“I hope that the Philippines Supreme Court will now set things right — and restore the country’s constitutional commitment to freedom of speech,” she said.

Ms. Ressa, who was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize last year for her work as a journalist, and former Rappler researcher Rey Santos have yet to elevate the case before the Supreme Court.

The CA on July 7 affirmed a Manila regional trial court ruling that convicted the two of cyber-libel over a 2012 article, which claimed a businessman was involved in crimes such as human trafficking, murder, and smuggling illegal drugs.

“While it was admitted that the subject article was based on an intelligence report and a similarly published article, there was no showing that the appellants verified the truthfulness of the collected information on which the subject article was predicated on before it was recklessly republished online,” Associate Justice Roberto P. Quiroz said in the ruling.

The 41-page decision added eight months and 20 days to the initial six-year sentence handed by the Manila court, as it said the article was malicious and defamatory.

The court ruled that cyber-libel cases can be filed against online articles up to 15 years after publication, in accordance with the Revised Penal Code and the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

Ms. Ressa argued that the cybercrime prevention law did not take effect yet when the article was published, as the law was passed four months after the article was published

The CA disagreed as it pointed out that the law was deemed constitutional by the High Court on Feb. 11, 2014, and Rappler had updated the article to fix a typographical error on Feb.19.

In another case, the Securities and Exchange Commission upheld last month an earlier decision ordering the closure of Rappler for supposedly violating restrictions on foreign ownership in mass media.

The online news website has said that it will appeal the decision, citing that the proceedings were “highly irregular”.

BULATLAT HEARING
Meanwhile, a Quezon City trial court has set the preliminary hearing on news website Bulatlat’s request to unblock its website and cancel the order of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to block sites allegedly linked to communist and terrorist organizations.

In the order posted on Bulatlat’s Facebook page, Presiding Judge Dolly Rose Bolante-Prado scheduled the hearing on July 13.

The alternative news website filed a complaint against the NTC on July 8 and sought a temporary restraining order against the government agency’s directive to block the websites of over 20 groups.

In its petition, Bulatlat said it is not affiliated with terrorists and is only engaged in delivering the news.

Last month, the country’s telecommunication regulator issued an order to block websites supposedly “affiliated to and are supporting” the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army and the National Democratic Front.

The order was issued upon the request of former National Security Adviser Hermogenes C. Esperon.

Ronalyn V. Olea, the website’s managing editor, earlier said the government did not issue a notice before it was blocked.

“This order by the NTC has a chilling effect,” she told the ABS-CBN News Channel last month. “There is this level of anxiety because anyone red-tagged here in the Philippines could face other dangers, including harassment, surveillance and extrajudicial killing.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Padilla to focus on economic reform if he chairs Constitutional Amendments panel

July 12, 2022 | 6:57 pm

A SENATOR, who seeks to lead the Senate Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes Committee, has vowed to prioritize economic reform to support the country’s recovery.

“Once I truly become the head of the committee on constitutional amendment, I will prioritize economic reform,” neophyte Senator Robinhood Ferdinand “Robin” C. Padilla said in a statement on Tuesday in a mix of English and Filipino.

“Without economic reform in the constitution, no matter the system or form of government, we cannot rise,” he said. “We need FDIs (foreign direct investments). Now before it’s too late.”

The senator believes that business ownership in restricted sectors should be 50-50 for Filipinos and foreigners instead of the current 60-40. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

DMW to send aid to Filipino workers in Macau affected by COVID surge

July 12, 2022 | 6:57 pm

THE DEPARTMENT of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Tuesday said it will send care packages and food aid to Filipino workers based in Macau who were affected by the weeklong suspension of non-essential businesses, including casinos, due to a rise in coronavirus cases.

“We are closely monitoring the situation because of the ‘no pay leave’ policy that the Macau government has declared for the entire week,” DMW Chief Susan V. Ople said in a statement.

DMW said Ms. Ople coordinated with officials of the Philippine Consulate in Macau over the weekend to plan the relief distribution.

Macau Chief Executive Ho lat Seng on July 9 ordered a weeklong suspension of all commercial and industrial activity as well as non-essential business, which directly affected 5,295 Filipinos working in the hotel and gaming industries.

There are over 26,000 Filipino workers in the special administrative zone of China, with half of them employed as domestic workers, according to the Macau government.

Macau has recorded about 1,500 COVID- 19 infections since mid-June.

It follows China’s “zero-COVID” policy, which implements strict lockdowns and mass testing for infections. — John Victor D. Ordoñez