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Computerization fund falls short

AN EDUCATION department official on Wednesday said the 2025 funding allotted for the Department of Education’s (DepEd) computerization program is insufficient.

“The present allocation of P2.4 billion would not even enable the DepEd to handle the mandatory need [for its computerization program], which amounts to P3.9 billion,” Marvin Dela Cruz, DepEd’s Technology Infrastructure Division chief, told lawmakers during a House of Representatives hearing.

It would cost the Education department P3.9 billion to fund “software and cloud subscription for all teachers and learners, capacity-building, [and] operation and personal expenses,” he added.

The Philippines Congress decided to cut DepEd’s computerization program fund for 2025 by about P10 billion, slashing it by 80.3% to P2.43 billion, according to Budget department documents.

The originally proposed P12 billion funding for this year would’ve been used to buy laptops and smart televisions (P7 billion), satellite-based internet devices (P1.5 billion), software subscriptions (P2.4 billion), and capacity-building purposes (P1.5 billion), according to DepEd’s presentation to the House basic education panel.

About P2.45 billion worth of laptops and smart televisions are now in the final process of procurement as of Jan. 13, owing to the agency’s “strategic use of early procurement activities,” the presentation stated.

“This alone would eat up the P2.4 billion appropriated for the whole ICT (information and communications technology) budget of the DepEd,” it added. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Calamity fund releases hit P24B

A VEHICLE is seen on top of a jeepney in Barangay Del Monte in Quezon City on Thursday, a day after torrential rains caused flooding in Metro Manila. — PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Tuesday reported that it has released P24.36 billion in calamity funds, as of end-December 2024.

According to its latest National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) status update, P22.08 billion has been released to state agencies, while P520.14 million was allocated to government-owned and -controlled corporations.

The Department of Public Works and Highways received P12.09 billion while the Department of Social Welfare and Development got P8.14 billion.

Meanwhile, P374.97 million was given to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, P557.34 million to the Department of Finance, and P345.16 million to the Department of National Defense.

Moreover, P450 million was released to the National Irrigation Authority, P50 million to the National Housing Authority, and P20.20 million to the Local Water Utilities Administration.

The DBM has yet to release P136 million out of this year’s P22.74-billion NDRRMF budget. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

Comelec may resume ballot printing on Monday

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it aims to resume reprinting ballots for the midterm polls on Monday, after the Supreme Court (SC) ordered the inclusion of five previously disqualified political aspirants in the ballots.

Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia, in a virtual briefing on Wednesday, said updated ballot faces featuring the names of the five candidates could be available by Sunday, Jan. 19.

He added that once these new faces are uploaded on the Comelec website, it signals the poll body’s readiness to resume ballot reprinting.

“This is the first time in our electoral history that the Comelec will order a reprinting, back to zero, of the ballots in compliance with the order of our Supreme Court,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.

About 6 million ballots for the national positions were wasted. Each ballot costs about P22, Mr. Garcia noted.

The poll body has yet to start printing local position ballots. “There’s no problem with the local positions since the ballots have not yet been printed,” he noted.

This comes after the high tribunal in full court issued five TROs against the poll body on Tuesday, allowing the names of five bets to be included in the ballots after Comelec barred them last year from participating in the upcoming national and local elections on May 12.

One of them is a senatorial aspirant and Moro leader, Subair Guinthum Mustapha.

The rest are gunning for local seats: three are eyeing seats in the House of Representatives and one for a gubernatorial position.

Before the poll body resumes its printing, Spokesman John Rex C. Laudiangco told BusinessWorld through Viber that they would first finish the changes in the candidates’ database, electronic management system, automated counting machines, consolidated canvassing system, online and voting counting system, and when they have uploaded the ballot face templates after generation and serialization.

Following this, they would also appeal to the Commission on Audit to have the 6 million ballots shredded to prevent them from being used in the actual election.

Despite the setback, Mr. Garcia said the election will go on as planned on May 12 as “they are in control of the situation.”

The Philippines will hold a midterm election next year. Filipinos will elect their congressmen, mayors, vice-mayors and members of city councils on May 12, 2025. Twelve of the 24-member Senate will also be replaced. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

House OKs Camarines Norte economic zone bill on 2nd reading

PHILIPPINE STAR/KJ ROSALES

THE House of Representatives on Wednesday approved on second reading a bill establishing a special economic zone in the province of Camarines Norte.

In a voice vote, lawmakers agreed to House Bill (HB) No. 11200, which will create an economic zone in Jose Panganiban municipality in the province located southeast of the Philippine capital. A presidential proclamation would dictate the bounds of the Camarines Norte ecozone.

The bill would create the Camarines Norte Special Zone Authority (CNSEZA) to govern the province’s ecozone. It would have the power to supervise and regulate companies “in an efficient and decentralized manner.”

CNSEZA would have an authorized capital stock of P2 billion, with a minimum issuance price of P10 per stock. Its majority share should be subscribed by the national government and the local government units covering the ecozone.

HB No. 11200 authorizes CNSEZA to grant investor’s visas to foreigners who invest $200,000 “in a registered enterprise, either in case of equipment.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Philippine Airlines boosts domestic operations with new Manila-Cauayan flight

BW FILE PHOTO

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES continues to expand its domestic operations with the launch of Manila-Cauayan route on Wednesday, the flag carrier said.

The new Manila-Cauayan-Manila flight will be operated daily starting on Jan. 15 via an 86-seater De Havilland Dash 8-400 Next Generation aircraft, Philippine Airlines said in a statement on Wednesday.

PAL Express President Rabbi Vincent L. Ang said the new domestic flight to Cauayan, Isabela is part of the airline’s goal to help boost tourism activities domestically.

“By opening this new route, we are also expecting the economic growth that it will bring to our city and our province,” said Cauayan City Mayor Caesar S. Dy, Jr.

Just last week, Philippine Airlines also announced the operation of new flights from Cebu.

The company is set to launch a flight from Cebu City to Catarman City, which will be offered three times a week starting March 1.

Currently, Philippine Airlines offers flights to Catarman City from Manila, four times a week.

Philippine Airlines will also boost its flights from Cebu to Siargao by adding mid-morning flights on Wednesdays and Sundays bringing its Cebu-Siargao flights to a total of 18 flights a week, beginning March 1.

“The new Cebu hub services to Catarman and Siargao are part of our continuing commitment to enhance inter-island connectivity, boosting tourism and stimulating business,” Mr. Ang said. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Cebu most searched destination for foreigners for the Lunar New Year

An aerial view of Cebu City. — PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

CEBU emerged as the most popular destination among foreign visitors looking to travel in celebration of the Lunar New Year, according to digital travel platform Agoda.   

Based on data collected from Agoda’s platform, accommodation searches for Cebu jumped by an annual 15%. This was likely driven by the island’s famous beaches, marine life, and cultural heritage.

Ahead of the Lunar New Year, accommodation searches for the Philippines also rose by 19% year-on-year, with interested visitors mostly from South Korea, the United States, and mainland China.

Manila was the sought-after destination for domestic tourists, with a 50% surge in accommodations in the platform. The Philippine capital is home to one of the oldest Chinatowns in the world, where the Lunar New Year is celebrated with traditional dances and other festivities.

“The Lunar New Year holiday is one of Asia’s most popular travel periods and it’s great to see growing interest in the Philippines from international and domestic travelers alike,” Mike Hwang, country director, Philippines at Agoda, was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong is the most favored destination for Filipinos celebrating the “Year of the Snake” abroad, with a 120% annual jump in accommodation searches, overtaking Tokyo.

Outbound accommodation searches increased by 67%, showing Filipinos’ interest to travel abroad for the holiday.

Other destination favorites for the Lunar New Year include Bangkok (Thailand), Osaka and Fukuoka (Japan), and Seoul (South Korea).

Rankings were made based on accommodation searches in Agoda’s platform from Dec. 1 to 25, 2024 for check-ins between Jan. 29 and Feb. 2. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

SC asked to reverse Comelec’s decision to allow Quiboloy to run

PCOO

THE Workers’ and Peasants’ Party (WPP) on Wednesday appealed before the Supreme Court (SC) to reverse the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) decision to include an embattled preacher in the senatorial race this May.

WPP challenged Comelec’s decision that dismissed its plea to declare pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy a nuisance candidate.

The WPP said the Comelec’s ruling showed a double standard in enforcing procedural rules, undermining fairness, equal protection and the rule of law in the electoral process.

“We urge the Supreme Court to ensure that the electoral process upholds the principles of fairness, accountability, and equal protection,” the group’s leader Jose Sonny G. Matula said. “The future of our democracy depends on it.”

The 19-page petition slammed the poll body’s practice of splitting cases into separate issues, which it said delays justice and creates opportunities for respondents like Mr. Quiboloy to exploit these inefficiencies.

It added that while Comelec strictly enforced procedural requirements against the group, it has shown leniency toward the self-appointed son of God.

The WPP also said that Comelec’s decision reflects unequal treatment of candidates, favoring powerful figures like Mr. Quiboloy.

It argued this selective enforcement contradicts the constitutional guarantee of equal protection under the law.

Mr. Quiboloy’s legal counsel, Ferdinand S. Topacio, did not immediately respond to a Viber message seeking comment.

The embattled preacher, who is currently detained due to trafficking and abuse charges, filed his certificate of candidacy for the position last Oct. 8, through his lawyer.

The Comelec en banc did not disqualify him from the May 2025 race due to “lack of merit.”

He is facing numerous charges linked to his alleged actions and those of his organization, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Among these is a non-bailable case of trafficking in persons filed in a Pasig City Regional Trial Court, where he entered a plea of not guilty. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

2 drug traders caught with P26-M cannabis-in-bricks in Isabela

STOCK PHOTO | Image by 4711018 from Pixabay

BAGUIO CITY — Roxas, Isabela policemen arrested two drug traders who attempted to smuggle out P26 million worth of dried marijiuana leaves, already in brick form, in Mallig town in Isabela Tuesday evening.

Policemen were manning a checkpoint at Barangay Nuesa, Roxas, when a speeding black SUV breached the checkpoint by ramming through the barricades and a police patrol vehicle, prompting policemen to give chase.

After two hours, policemen caught up on the SUV and arrested the suspects.

At least 222 bricks of dried marijuana leaves with a total worth of P26.6 million, 19 rolled marijuana leaves worth P2,280, including a hand grenade, were discovered inside the vehicle.

The suspects were initially identified as alias “JD,” a college student and a call center agent; and alias “Rick”, a kitchen staff, both from Barangay Barangka Ilaya, Mandaluyong City.

The two will be facing charges for violating RA 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, and illegal possession of explosives. — Artemio A. Dumlao

P7-M smuggled cigarettes confiscated in Zamboanga del Norte

SHAUN MEINTJES-UNSPLASH

COTABATO CITY — Policemen seized P7 million worth of imported cigarettes in an entrapment operation in Zamboanga del Norte before dawn on Tuesday.

The newly installed director of the Police Regional Office-9, Brig. Gen. Roel C. Rodolfo, told reporters on Wednesday that personnel of the Leon B. Postigo Municipal Police Station and the Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Police Office had confiscated 136 cases of cigarettes, made in Indonesia.

The contraband was delivered to policemen disguised as merchants in Barangay Poblacion in Leon B. Postigo by a Mitsubishi Fuso truck, whose driver and a companion are now both detained.

The duo had promised to identify the smugglers who had tasked them to bring the smuggled cigarettes to the police team that laid the entrapment operation.

Mr. Rodolfo said they shall immediately turn over the confiscated cigarettes to the Bureau of Customs for disposition. — John Felix M. Unson

121 individuals in a boat lost for six days in Tawi-Tawi rescued

COTABATO — Navy personnel on Tuesday rescued 121 passengers and crewmen of a small boat that went adrift for six days due to engine trouble while sailing from Zamboanga City to Taganak island town in Tawi-Tawi.

Senior Officials of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, among them its regional director, Brig Gen. Romeo J. Macapaz, told reporters in Cotabato City on Wednesday that personnel of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao found the missing M/L J Sayang 1 some six nautical miles off the Siklangkalong Island in Tawi-Tawi.

Tawi-Tawi is a component province of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Citing initial reports by officials of a Navy unit in Tawi-Tawi, local executives told reporters that the engine of the M/L J Sayang 1 malfunctioned and stalled while sailing near the Pangutaran Island in the province last Jan. 8.

The small boat has no two-way radio, and its crew members rely only on mobile phones to send messages to contacts in the ports in Tawi-Tawi and in Zamboanga City, usable only when near islands that have telecommunications relay towers.

The Navy servicemen who rescued the boat passengers and crewmen using their watercraft, the BRP Jose Loor, Sr., immediately provided them with food and water, according to Tawi-Tawi provincial officials.

The M/L J Sayang 1 was immediately towed to Taganak, also known as Turtle Island, by the BRP Jose Loor, Sr. All passengers reunited with their relatives in the island municipality. — John Felix M. Unson

IT-BPM industry sees growth moderating due to base effects

INDUSTRY.GOV.PH

By Justine Irish D. Tabile, Reporter

THE information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry said growth this year is expected to moderate because it will be measured from a bigger base in 2024.

IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) President Jonathan R. Madrid said that the industry has yet to issue an official forecast for 2025, adding that more clarity is expected by midyear.

“No official forecast yet, but it will be positive growth,” Mr. Madrid said via Viber on Wednesday.

“It will probably be slightly more moderate, as our base is bigger now,” he added.

In October, Mr. Madrid said growth will be less than 7% in 2025. If realized, the industry will not be hitting its 2 million staffing goal this year.

The industry ended with 1.82 million full-time employees (FTEs) and $38 billion in export revenue in 2024.

Mr. Madrid said performance will hinge on global demand from US banks, financial institutions, services, and healthcare companies.

About 70% of IBPAP depends on North American clients or are controlled by North American companies.

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) US Investment in the Philippines report, the IT-BPM industry was identified as an opportunity for US investors.

According to CSIS, 395 US-based firms have invested $22.4 billion in the Philippines between 2003 and 2021, $7.8 billion of which went into IT-BPM.

The industry was also identified as one of the top performers for the Philippine Economic Zone Authority.

Under the Philippine IT-BPM Industry Roadmap 2028, the target is to grow into a $59-billion industry and increase the FTE count to 2.5 million.

However, Mr. Madrid said the projections are up for review at midyear.

Recto, LGUs settle NTA ‘misunderstanding’

FINANCE SECRETARY RALPH G. RECTO — DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE FACEBOOK PAGE

FINANCE Secretary Ralph G. Recto briefed local government units (LGUs) on how their National Tax Allotment (NTA) was computed, after a mayor alleged that the National Government (NG) is not handing over to LGUs their proper share of tax revenue.

In a statement, the Department of Finance (DoF) said Mr. Recto provided a “detailed line-by-line briefing” to mayors on the NTA computations, which it said were compliant with the 2019 Mandanas-Garcia Supreme Court ruling.

The 2019 ruling, which took effect in 2022, redefined the LGU share of national revenue, ordering that they be given 40% of all taxes, instead of the previous standard of 40% of all “internal revenue.”

The change was reflected in the renaming of the LGUs’ share to the national tax allotment. It had previously been known as the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).

Both the NTA and IRA are based on NG revenue from three years prior.

The ruling effectively amended the Local Government Code of 1991, which had originally based the LGU share on “internal revenue.”

“We did not change or amend anything. This is based on the Supreme Court ruling and a Development Budget Coordination Committee resolution, which was made in consultation with the LGUs. We are very transparent,” Mr. Recto said.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong had claimed that municipalities and cities have been “shortchanged,” receiving only 31.7% of national taxes instead of 40%.

“A comparison of the computations between the LGUs and the DoF was also discussed, revealing that the calculations and deductions under various laws were more or less aligned,” the DoF said.

Asked if the mayors were satisfied with the explanation, Quezon City Mayor Maria Josefina G. Belmonte-Alimurung said: “Yes, to a certain extent. There were a lot of misunderstandings and lack of communication.”

“I feel that all of our concerns were raised and all of them were answered. And the important thing is we have made a commitment to continue the dialogue between us and the DoF so that these issues pertaining to the NTA will continue to be resolved,” Ms. Belmonte told reporters.

Both Ms. Belmonte and the Finance Secretary said the differences stem from the treatment of special purpose funds.

“It was also explained to us that in the Supreme Court ruling there are so-called special purpose funds that are not included in the tax base,” she said.

“The SC ordered the Secretaries of Finance and Budget, the Commissioners of the BIR and the Bureau of Customs (BoC), and the National Treasury, to include all national tax collections in the computation of the NTA base, ‘except those accruing to special purpose funds and special allotments for the utilization and development of the national wealth.’” — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

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