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PhilHealth-WV cites performance after Iloilo mayor’s lawsuit threat 

THE PHILIPPINE Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth)-Western Visayas (WV) on Thursday cited its performance as one of the best among regional offices after the mayor of Iloilo said he is mulling filing charges against the state insurer over unpaid claims to hospitals.   

PhilHealth Regional Vice President Valeri Anne H. Hollero, in a statement, said their office “has processed the most number of claims among regions. For 2021 alone, the Region has processed 591,148 claims.”  

She also said their office’s “average turnaround time for payment of good claims is 27 days from time it is filed by the health care institutions, making it the second fastest among all Regions.”  

Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, in a statement on Wednesday, said he has directed the local government’s legal office to look into the possibility of filing charges against the entire PhilHealth regional office over unpaid claims of medical facilities, which has affected the city’s coronavirus response.   

Ms. Hollero defended that “as evidenced by the numbers, PhilHealth Region VI has not been remiss in its duty to facilitate the payment of good claims within the time provided by law.”  

PhilHealth-Western Visayas, she said, consider “health care institutions/providers as partners and strives to pay the claims as soon as possible, balancing this with their duty to protect public funds.” — MSJ   

Resorts, shrimp farm owners get until end-Sept. to comply with Pujada Bay protected area requirements 

BW FILE PHOTO

BUSINESS OWNERS along the Pujada Bay in Mati City have been given an extension until end-September to comply with all the requirements to operate in a declared protected area.   

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Davao Region office, in a statement on Thursday, said the “one month leeway to all resource users” was for “humanitarian reasons” and agreed upon in a meeting on Aug. 18.  

Data from the Pujada Bay Landscape and Seascapes Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) show there are 156 foreshore users, including resorts and other leisure establishments.   

Of the total, 69 are at varying stages of complying with the requirements for the Special Use Agreement on Protected Areas (SAPA) while 87 are still undergoing assessment by the PAMB for a clearance to apply for a SAPA.   

There are also 50 farms growing Vanamei shrimp along the bay, with only 12 under SAPA processing. The remaining 38 have just submitted a letter of intent to apply.  

Under DENR rules, there are up to 13 requirements to get a SAPA, including proof of financial capacity “to manage and develop the area applied for” and a development plan.   

DENR-Davao Regional Executive Director Bagani Fidel A. Evasco, also the PAMB chair, noted that there is an existing policy that businesses that will set up shop along Pujada Bay must first comply with a SAPA before being issued a building and business permit.   

The Pujada Bay, located in the southeastern part of Mindanao in southern Philippines, was declared a protected area in 1994 and was included last year in the list of Most Beautiful Bays in the World by the 26-nation MBBW group. — MSJ 

P9.1-B cash aid in Metro Manila released  

PHILSTAR

ABOUT 81% or P9.1 billion out of the P11.2-billion financial assistance for Metro Manila residents affected by the recent two-week strict lockdown has already been released as of Aug. 24, the Presidential Palace said on Thursday.  

This means more than nine million beneficiaries have received cash assistance, Palace Spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr. told a televised news briefing.   

He added that the national government has extended the deadline for the distribution of cash aid, which is being handled by local governments.  

Mr. Roque cited that Caloocan City was able to finish the distribution before the original Aug. 24 deadline.  

The Department of Budget and Management initially released P10.89 billion for Metro Manila residents.   

An additional P368 million was given to Metro Manila after President Rodrigo Duterte approved on Aug. 12 the allocation of P3.78 billion for cash aid to residents in the surrounding provinces of Laguna and Bataan. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza 

Philippine court issues arrest warrant for US diplomat for child abuse  

A METRO MANILA trial court issued a warrant of arrest on Thursday for a former US embassy official who allegedly sexually abused a Filipina minor.   

The diplomat will face charges for violation of the Child Abuse Law of republic Act 7610 and of the Anti-Child Pornography Act or Republic Act 9775.   

The court also recommended bail worth P200,000 for each of the two cases, as stated in the warrant dated Aug. 23.  

The case stemmed from a complaint against the diplomat received by the Philippine National Police’s Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Division on the second week of June this year.   

Based on the complaint, the diplomat allegedly engaged in illegal sexual conduct with a 16-year-old Filipina and kept obscene videos and photos of the minor as found on his devices.   

The accused diplomat was a member of the Foreign Service at the US embassy in Manila from Sept. 2020 to Feb. 2021. He returned to the US in March 2021.  

He was also prosecuted at a court in the Eastern District of Virginia for the same offense. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago  

PSEi drops as investors pocket gains from rally

BW FILE PHOTO

THE benchmark index snapped its climb on Thursday as investors went profit taking at the last minute, erasing gains seen intraday after telecommunications companies rallied.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) inched down by 1.62 points or 0.02% to close at 6,820.53 on Thursday. Meanwhile, the all shares index gained 6.49 points or 0.15% to 4,205.

“With most Asian markets on the downtrend as it awaits US Fed meeting on tapering stimulus plus [the] crackdown on Beijing private industries, [the] local market went into profit taking after consecutive days on the upside,” Diversified Securities, Inc. Equity Trader Aniceto K. Pangan said in a text message.

Investors are waiting for the US Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole symposium on Friday and what US central bank chair Jerome Powell could say about tapering monetary stimulus.

“Last-minute profit taking pulled the market down to 6,820.53, declining slightly by 0.02% after the sharp rally yesterday,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. Research Associate Claire T. Alviar said in a Viber message.

“The PSEi ended flat despite another incredible day for blue chip telco issues, GLO (Globe Telecom, Inc.) and TEL (PLDT, Inc). The double-digit percentage gains in telco issues were not enough to carry the entire index higher because of its smaller weighting,” AAA Southeast Equities, Inc. Research Head Christopher John Mangun said in an e-mail.

Shares in Globe went up by 13.38% or P348 on Thursday to finish at P2,948 each, while PLDT stocks improved by 7.73% or P104 to close at P1,449 each.

Majority of sectoral indices closed in the red on Thursday except for services, which gained 53.20 points or 3.11% to close at 1,761.77, and mining and oil, which climbed 74.61 points or 0.81% to 9,262.87.

Meanwhile, holding firms dropped by 55.51 points or 0.81% to 6,781.90; industrials lost 65.72 points or 0.66% to 9,799.56; financials shed 9.40 points or 0.65% to 1,434.86; and property inched down by 4.19 points or 0.13% to 3,143.19.

Value turnover going up to P9.06 billion with 2.48 billion shares switching hands on Thursday, from the P6.48 billion with 1.8 billion shares traded the previous day.

Decliners outnumbered advancers, 102 against 94, while 53 names closed unchanged.

Net foreign buying dropped to P190.9 million on Thursday from the P814.59 million logged on Wednesday.

“There is a strong possibility that markets will see a substantial pullback if the Fed confirms that it will begin to taper its quantitative easing policy,” Mr. Mangun said.

“We may see a pullback towards the end of the week as the PSEi comes up against resistance and investors begin to secure profits,” he added.

Diversified Securities’ Mr. Pangan expects the PSEi to trade between 6,500 and 7,100 today. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Peso retreats ahead of Fed’s Jackson Hole symposium 

BW FILE PHOTO

THE PESO weakened against the greenback on Thursday ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole symposium, where it could give signals about its plan to reduce its monthly asset purchases. 

The local unit closed at P49.98 per dollar yesterday, weaker by 13 centavos from its P49.85 finish on Wednesday, based on data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines. 

The peso opened Thursday’s session at P49.80 versus the dollar. Its weakest showing was at P50.08, while its intraday best was at P49.74 against the greenback. 

Dollars exchanged rose to $1.166 billion from $1.06 billion on Wednesday. 

The peso depreciated as investors opted for the safe-haven greenback ahead of the Jackson Hole symposium, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said. 

The annual symposium was set to kick off yesterday and Fed President Jerome Powell will give his speech on Friday. 

The minutes of the Fed’s July policy meeting showed officials largely expect to start tapering their monthly purchases of $120 billion in Treasury bonds and mortgage-backed securities by the end of this year. 

Meanwhile, a trader attributed the peso’s drop to preference for the dollar after faster-than-expected growth in US capital goods orders. 

Reuters reported that orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft rose 1% in July, unchanged from its pace in June, based on data released by the US Commerce Department on Wednesday. Meanwhile, shipments of core capital goods rose 1% after increasing 0.6% in June.   

For today, Mr. Ricafort gave a forecast range of P49.80 to P50.10 per dollar, while the trader expects the local unit to move within the P49.95 to P50.20 band. — LWTN with Reuters 

Vietnam cement imports rising despite safeguard measures

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

CEMENT MANUFACTURERS have noted a surge in imports from Vietnam and are warning of further harm to the industry despite the safeguard duties in place.

The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines, (CeMAP) Inc. said Vietnam’s cement exports to the Philippines rose 17% year on year to 2.51 million tons in the first four months of 2021, making the Philippines its second-largest export destination.

“With a huge surplus and lower domestic demand, we will likely see a more aggressive effort from Vietnam exporters to flood the Philippine domestic market with imported cement,” CeMAP Executive Director Cirilo M. Pestaño II said in a statement Thursday.

The Department of Trade and Industry imposed three years of safeguard duties on imported cement after concluding that the cement industry has been harmed. The measures end next year.

Importers have reportedly been seeking refunds of the duties, saying that the imports do not threaten Philippine manufacturers.

But CeMAP said that the absence of such duties would further harm an industry trying to recover from the effects of the pandemic.

The business group said that domestic cement manufacturers had to temporarily shut down at the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), adding that the public health crisis also drove down construction demand last year.

“Imports benefit mostly the foreign manufacturers. Their exports generate jobs in their home county, not here in the Philippines where many of our people have already lost their jobs. We must support and protect local industries — whenever necessary — if we want to recover from this pandemic,” Mr. Pestaño said.

The cement industry directly employs 42,000 people and accounts for another 125,000 jobs throughout its value chain.

CeMAP has been asking consumers and the construction sector to buy locally-produced cement. — Jenina P. Ibañez

30-year infrastructure plan bill hurdles House committee

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

THE HOUSE Committee on Public Works and Highways approved a substitute bill Wednesday that seeks to adopt a 30-year national infrastructure plan.

The unnumbered substitute bill that will replace House Bill 8151 or the 30-Year National Infrastructure Program Act of 2021 covers major infrastructure projects by the National Government in transport, energy, water resources, information and communications technology, and social infrastructure.

It will require the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in coordination with oversight and implementing agencies to draft and implement the 30-year plan, divided into six five-year phases.

The proposed measure will also serve as a basis for medium-term and annual programming and budgeting for infrastructure, including for the drafting of National Expenditure Plans and General Appropriation Acts.

It also requires a minimum annual budget allocation for infrastructure projects by the NEDA and Department of Budget and Management to comprise at least 5% of gross domestic product.

Among the amendments made to the approved bill were the inclusion of poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability, and financial viability among the criteria for project selection, along with risk management measures to adapt to large-impact disruptive events.  

Samar Rep. Edgar Mary S. Sarmiento said approval of the bill will ensure continuity in all infrastructure projects funded by the National Government regardless of the agenda of the current and future administrations moving forward.

A counterpart measure filed by Senator Emmanuel D. Pacquiao is pending at committee level. — Russell Louis C. Ku

DENR requests additional funds for river dredging

PHILSTAR

ENVIRONMENT SECRETARY Roy A. Cimatu has asked the budget department for an additional P4.65 billion to buy new dredging equipment to be used in removing sandbars from the Bicol and Cagayan River basins.

Some P1.45 billion will support operations in the Bicol River basin and P3.2 billion will fund activities in the Cagayan River basin.

In a statement Thursday, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Mr. Cimatu is pushing for the early removal of sandbars from the Bicol River between 2023 and 2025, and from the Cagayan River between 2025 and 2028.

He said that while priority funding should be allotted for initiatives focusing on the public health emergency, “priority should likewise be given to equally important efforts on climate change and disaster mitigation programs meant to assure the country of its food security and prevent, or at least minimize loss of precious infrastructure due to flooding.”

“If we invest now, the best (case scenario) is to have these pieces of equipment this year,” he added.

At present, the DENR is using the dredging equipment of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for both river basins.

The DPWH and DENR are both part of the Task Force Build Back Better (TF BBB) which is in charge of restoring the river basins in Cagayan, Bicol, and Marikina.

According to Mr. Cimatu who also chairs the TF BBB, the group’s achievements are “proof” that the government can finish the project faster and at less cost than private contractors.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) confirmed that it has received the DENR’s request for additional funding.

“The request was referred to the DPWH for possible accommodation in the available funds of DPWH,” DBM Spokesperson Rolando U. Toledo told BusinessWorld. — Angelica Y. Yang

Upgraded Siquijor airport, seaport to boost regional dev’t

PHILSTAR

THE NEWLY upgraded airport and seaport of Siquijor are projected to boost employment, economic growth, and trade in the Central Visayas, the Transportation department said Thursday.

Officials from the Department of Transportation and the Philippine Ports Authority inaugurated Siquijor’s modernized airport and upgraded seaport on Thursday.

“Noon, sampung pasahero lang ang kapasidad ng old airport, ngayon ay pinaganda natin ito at na-expand, nadagdagan ng 50 passengers ang capacity at any given time. In the future, magiging 100 na ito (We expanded the capacity of the old airport to 50 at any given time from 10. This will rise to 100 in the future),” Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said in his speech during the ceremony.

The department said the airport upgrade project covered the construction of a new passenger terminal building, a powerhouse, and a vehicle parking area.

Works are underway to make the airport ready for commercial operations. Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Director General Jim C. Sydiongco said the government will be implementing a P450-million project for the site acquisition, extension, and asphalt overlay of Siquijor airport’s runway.

The improvements are targeted for completion by June 2022, he added.

The Transportation department added: “The Siquijor port development, which started in 2018 and was formally completed early this year, doubles the vessel berthing capacity of the terminal to eight from the previous four vessels, thus enabling it to handle bigger, more sophisticated passenger vessels.”

“It likewise increased the number of Ro-Ro ramps to two, therefore reducing the queueing by more than half the time as well as equipped the terminal with enough capacity to handle a vessel up to 65 meters in length,” it added.

The department hopes both projects will help with social and economic development, growing the tourism industry and expanding opportunity in the province and the region. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Gov’t laying groundwork to regulate rabbit imports for meat

CALGARY REVIEWS

THE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture (DA) has issued transitory guidelines on rabbit imports, part of a broader plan to develop alternative sources of meat.

Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar signed Memorandum Circular No. 15 on Aug. 25 which will govern the import process.

Mr. Dar said there is increasing interest from farmers in rabbit meat production due to the low production costs and ease of propagation.

“The growing awareness and local acceptance of rabbit meat as an alternative source of protein amid the rising prices of major livestock commodities such as pork and poultry meat have ignited a subsequent increase in the sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPSIC) requests for meat-type rabbit breeds,” Mr. Dar said.

“The DA prescribes the following guidelines … in order to facilitate the safe importation and introduction of superior genetics from other countries while preventing the inadvertent introduction and spread of transboundary animal diseases of rabbits,” he added.

Under the memorandum circular, any prospective importer must be authorized as a live rabbit importer by the Bureau of Animal Industry-National Veterinary Quarantine Services Division (BAI-NVQSD) and should apply for import clearances through the DA intercommerce services website.

The circular requires the rabbit farm and livestock transport vehicle to be accredited by the BAI or DA regional office, while the proposed quarantine site should be inspected by the BAI-Veterinary Quarantine Services in the area.

The DA said only certified rabbit farms and authorized exporters endorsed by the source country will be accepted, and that the proposed quarantine site should have enough cages, housing ventilation, and be thoroughly disinfected prior to the arrival of the imported rabbits.  

“Upon submission of the accomplished questionnaire to BAI, exporting countries of rabbits shall submit their proposed International Veterinary Certificate (IVC) for evaluation of BAI, following the import terms and conditions set by the BAI. After the agreement of both countries on the IVC, trade can now commence,” the DA said.

According to the DA, imported rabbits should be born and bred in the exporting country and must be free from Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease/Viral Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD/VHD), Myxomatosis and Tularemia.

The imported rabbits should be at least 60 days old and not pregnant at the time of shipment, with identification marks such as microchips embedded in each rabbit.

Agricultural group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) is one of the advocates of utilizing rabbits as an alternative source of meat amid the sharp decline of pork supply due to the ongoing African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak.

However, SINAG Executive Director Jayson H. Cainglet said in a phone interview that the import guidelines do not bode well for the rabbit industry.

“The local rabbit industry includes livestock and poultry raisers who were displaced due to African Swine Fever and other reasons. The industry is already popularizing the consumption of rabbit as an alternative meat source. As a result, we urge the DA to develop the industry first before thinking about imports,” Mr. Cainglet said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave 

Efficiency law seen producing up to 23% in energy savings

PHILSTAR

ENERGY SAVINGS with the full implementation of the energy efficiency law could amount to 23%, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian said.

“We’ve seen some initial data. Right now, the law is still being implemented, but initially we’ve seen savings of about 23% from businesses if this law is fully implemented,” he said at a virtual event Thursday.

“That’s the same savings that we can realize if government also fully implements the law.”

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act or Republic Act No. 11285 aims to institutionalize energy efficiency through conservation programs.

Energy savings refer to the percentage reduction of energy consumption to perform the same task, which lowers spending on power and reduces environmental harm.

Mr. Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Energy, said the law is in its infancy but it can contribute to the efficiency of industries.

“The traditional thinking of economic growth is you add more power, but in Germany they have already demonstrated that you can grow by being more efficient and consuming less power.”

Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance, Inc. President Alexander de Ramos Ablaza said economy-wide energy savings would likely be the equivalent of 21% of final energy demand.

“We’re hoping that the energy efficiency and conservation law will be the first policy measure. It will not be the only measure, but there will be supplemental pieces of legislation,” he said in a phone interview Thursday.

The law needs to be fully enforceable within the next few years, he said. — Jenina P. Ibañez

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