Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube
Home Blog Page 6094

Gov’t think tank backs stimulus to be directed to ‘green recovery’

THE GOVERNMENT should align the objectives of its stimulus package programs with the goal of bringing about a green recovery, in order to ensure that the rebound is sustainable, according to representatives from a government think tank.

“We should tie up the conditions for stimulus packages that are being asked of the government, to ESG (environmental, social, and governance) metrics (following) green and inclusive recovery principles,” according to Adoracion M. Navarro, senior research fellow for the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), at a PIDS webinar Thursday.

Ms. Navarro is a former undersecretary at the National Economic and Development Authority.

The government has released two stimulus packages during the pandemic, allotting P275 billion for the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan I), which includes cash aid and wage subsidy programs, followed by the P165-billion Bayanihan II, which provided additional support to pandemic-hit sectors.

Legislators are batting for a third stimulus package worth up to P400 billion to help finance the rebound, but the Finance department is maintaining its policy of keeping funds in reserve for a long pandemic in order not to unduly expand the budget. It maintains that it can tap only P173 billion for a possible Bayanihan III.

At the PIDS forum, Rosa T. Perez, a member of the National Panel of Technical Experts at the Climate Change Commission, said there are various growth opportunities for the Philippines to achieve not just a “green” recovery but also one that benefits the oceans.

She said an economic rebound strategy with strong environmental and climate-change components would be beneficial for a disaster-prone country like the Philippines.

Citing findings from the Asian Development Bank, she said green recovery will “reduce the risk of future pandemics, (help the Philippines) mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change, create jobs, increase competitiveness and meet Sustainable Development Goals.”

Ms. Perez said growth opportunities in a green economic recovery include productive and regenerative agriculture; a transition to clean energy sources; sustainable urban development and transport systems; and opportunities to adopt circular-economy practices.

She called for investment to benefit the oceans and waterways including sewers and wastewater infrastructure, the restoration and conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems, and sustainable community-led mariculture.

She added the Philippines can also incentivize a shift to ocean-based renewable energy and the transition to zero emissions in marine transport.

“Building back better should go beyond the green recovery and embrace a blue recovery. From my point of view, this green or blue recovery is better taken as an integrated approach which we already recognized even before the pandemic,” Ms. Perez said. — Beatrice M. Laforga

Subic industrial park executive calls for council powers to supersede CREATE

THE HEAD of an industrial park in the Subic freeport said the proposed Regional Investment and Infrastructure Coordinating Hub (RICH) for Central Luzon must have the power to make rules that supersede the provisions of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) law.

In a Senate hearing, Willy Wang, president of the Subic Bay Development and Management Corp, Inc. (SBDMC) said the CREATE law is not favorable to new investors, and expressed a preference for regulation that does not identify preferred industries to be granted incentives.

SBDMC operates the Subic Bay Gateway Park and assists locators and potential investors. It is a joint venture between the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, and United Development Corp. of Taiwan. Mr. Wang originally came to Subic as head of the local operations of Taiwan’s TECO Group.

Senate Bill No. 1549 or the RICH bill, was filed by Senator Richard J. Gordon, Sr. to help coordinate investment promotion in areas outside the National Capital Region, with the goal of dispersing industries to the countryside and decongesting Metro Manila.

The CREATE Act reduces corporate tax rates and rationalizes the process for granting incentives, linking them more closely to an investing company’s performance and setting time limits on the perks granted.

“The new bill should not be selective of preferred investment” in order to broaden the types of companies eligible for incentives, Mr. Wang in the Thursday hearing of the Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises. “As long as the investor establishment has been registered in the freeport zone or the special economic zone and is able to create job opportunities for the local community or region, they should be eligible to enjoy all the incentives from this bill.”

Senator Richard J. Gordon, Sr., primary author of the RICH bill and chairman of the committee, said he will work with the Department of Finance to ensure there is no confusion in implementing the bill while remaining in compliance with CREATE, which he said was intended to make investment policy more uniform.

The RICH bill is touted as a recovery measure for the post-pandemic period, by empowering the regions to coordinate investment activity. Under the bill, the Central Luzon hub has the power to attract investment and develop infrastructure.

“All the government needs to do is to create the atmosphere of equal opportunity,” Mr. Gordon said at the hearing.

A similar bill was filed by Mr. Gordon in the 17th Congress and passed in both houses of Congress. It was vetoed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

DA calls for subsidies to address high fertilizer prices

PHILSTAR

FERTILIZER SUBSIDIES are needed to help farmers deal with rising prices, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

Agriculture Undersecretary Fermin D. Adriano said during a hearing of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food Thursday that subsidies are the quickest way to address rising prices, and must be handed out immediately in order not to affect production.  

“The quickest way to help our farmers is to provide fertilizer subsidy because we cannot really control international prices since we are price takers. But the subsidy will require additional funding,” Mr. Adriano said.  

“We are worried about the (price) increase because a lot of farmers will be reducing their fertilizer input, which will definitely have an effect on productivity,” he added.

Wilfredo C. Roldan, Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) executive director, said during the hearing that the average retail price of urea in August rose to P1,495.21 per kilogram (/kg), from P1,014.42/kg a year earlier. 

Mr. Roldan said freight costs have increased to $40 per ton from $20 per ton, while urea demand has also increased. Indian fertilizer production has also had to be booked in advance, covering 1.8 million metric tons (MT).

When asked by Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Eufemia C. Cullamat whether the FPA plans to increase local production of fertilizer, Mr. Roldan said there are no government programs for such a purpose.

Mr. Roldan said that in 2020, 90% or 2.61 million MT of the fertilizer supply was imported.

“We do not have a program for improving local production since we are not capable of producing fertilizer. One thing that I can suggest is to invest in organic fertilizer which can be an alternative to chemical fertilizer,” Mr. Roldan said.

Leonardo Q. Montemayor, Federation of Free Farmers board chairman, said alternatives such as bio-fertilizer need to be found in order to address high prices.

“The technology is available whether it is for rice, corn, fruit trees, ornamental plants, etc. We have azolla, vermicast, and other types of organic fertilizers,” Mr. Montemayor said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

ADB urged to rule out investment in fossil fuel

THE ASIAN Development Bank (ADB) needs to stop financing all types of fossil fuel and waste-to-energy (WTE) projects when it updates its energy policy, non-government organizations (NGOs) said Thursday.

The NGOs were reacting to a bank working paper on its 2021 energy policy, which called for selective support for projects in the downstream oil, and midstream and downstream natural gas sectors.

“When we look at the wording of the ADB’s draft policy, what we see (that) it lines up alongside provisions to finance oil (and) gas… We call on the ADB to explicitly drop financing for new oil and gas projects, and clearly screen financial intermediaries to make sure that none of these modalities are exposed to coal, oil or gas,” Tanya Lee Roberts-Davis, the Energy Policy and Campaigns Strategist of NGO Forum on ADB, said during a virtual briefing Thursday.

The ADB’s working paper, posted on its website on Aug. 16, cited plans to limit funding for downstream oil projects to hybrid electricity solutions that use petroleum-based backup systems along with renewable energy (RE) for off-grid areas.

It added that it is considering supporting natural gas projects that will improve universal access to clean energy for cooking, as well as finance investment in natural gas infrastructure, based on criteria consistent with the Paris Agreement.

Center for Energy, Ecology and Development Research, Policy and Law Program Head Avril de Torres said the ADB must “close the door on all fossil fuels.”

“We need ADB to take on the greatest ambition and ramp up support for long-term RE alternatives instead of short-term alternatives that can perpetuate fossil fuel dependence, create barriers eventually or even crowd out RE,” she said in the briefing.

In a statement Thursday, Executive Director of the NGO Forum on ADB Rayyan Hassan said there are “loopholes” in the ADB’s working energy policy that may allow support for coal investment through financial intermediaries.

“While the coal exit language has been retained, loopholes remain. There is nothing stopping the ADB from supporting investment in coal via financial intermediary lending, or in transport and connectivity infrastructure that will enable further coal trade and extraction,” he said.

He added that the working paper also did not have well-defined or time-bound criteria on ending support for the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure.

In its draft, the ADB also said it will consider supporting WTE investment for heat and electricity.

“WTE investments can improve local environments and health in cities and rural areas by removing the environmental hazards caused by open waste dumping… The potential environmental and social impacts of waste-to-energy investments will be managed by using the best internationally available technologies in the design and operation of such projects,” it said.

Yobel Novian Putra, an Asia-Pacific Climate and Clean Energy campaigner for Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, said that the ADB should exclude investment in WTE since the technology emits more carbon than coal-fired plants. 

“Science has clearly shown that waste incineration is not a low-carbon investment and studies also have shown that waste-to-energy incinerators emit more carbon than coal-fired power plants (CFPP). It also costs more than CFPPs per MW produced. In fact, it’s three times more expensive than renewable sources such as solar and wind,” he said.

In its draft, the bank said it plans to withdraw from investing in new coal-fired power projects, upstream and midstream oil projects, natural gas exploration, and nuclear power.

BusinessWorld asked the ADB to comment but had not received a reply at deadline time. — Angelica Y. Yang

Output gains posted for most major vegetables, root crops in Q2 

PHILSTAR

PRODUCTION of most major vegetables and root crops rose in the second quarter, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

PSA said in a report that cabbage production for the three months to June rose 13.1% year on year to 25,274.80 metric tons (MT).

Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) accounted for 81.1% or 20,509.30 MT of the crop, followed by Central Visayas with 5% and Ilocos Region 3.4%.

Eggplant output rose 2.1% to 106,656.02 MT with 59.9% or 63,856.51 MT grown in the Ilocos Region, followed by the Cagayan Valley with 7.6% and Central Luzon 6.8%.

Potato output rose 24.8% to 15,628.98 MT led by CAR with 88.2% or 13,790.93 MT, followed by Davao Region with 7.4% and Cagayan Valley 2.2%.

Tomato production increased 3% to 76,469.59 MT led by the Ilocos Region with 37.8% or 28,874.88 MT, followed by Central Luzon, 10.9% Cagayan Valley 9.7%.

Ampalaya (bitter gourd) output rose 2.7% to 31,494.92 MT led by Central Luzon with 42.2% or 13,289.67 MT followed by Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), 12.7% and Ilocos Region 11.4%.

Production of Bermuda onion rose 22% to 67,021.69 led by Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) with 68.1% of overall output or 45,621.11 MT, followed by Central Luzon, 29.2% and Ilocos Region 1.4%.

Native onion production rose 22.9% to 1,252.11 MT compared led by Ilocos Region with 79.4% or 993.94 MT, followed by Central Luzon, 15.6%, and Cagayan Valley 4.7%.

Second quarter production of sweet potato rose 0.1% to 157,681.91 MT led by the Bicol Region with 31% or 48,877.60 MT, followed by Central Luzon, 18.2% and the Eastern Visayas 14%.

Mung bean output fell 8.5% to 21,773.17 MT. Top producers were the Ilocos Region with 41.3% or 8,988.58 MT, followed by Central Luzon, 26.9% and Cagayan Valley 21.7%.

Cassava production fell 4.2% to 692,600.41 MT, with 37.3% or 258,034.74 MT produced by Northern Mindanao, 32% by the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and 7% by the Cagayan Valley.

In a separate report, the PSA said banana production in the second quarter rose 1.3% to 2.26 million MT. Cavendish bananas, the main type for export, were the top variety, accounting for 52.3% or 1.18 million MT, followed by Saba, 28.2% and Lakatan 10.4%.

Davao Region produced 38.9% or 878,648.65 MT, followed by Northern Mindanao 19% and Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City) 12.2%.

Pineapple production rose 4.6% to 744,824.15 MT led by Northern Mindanao with 48.6% or 362,000.13 MT, followed by Soccsksargen, 25.2%, and the Bicol Region 11.5%.

The PSA said mango output for the period fell 0.2% to 556,815.09 MT, with 80.9% consisting of the carabao mango variety. Ilocos Region was the top producer with 22.4% of the total or 124,684.87 MT, while Zamboanga Peninsula and Soccsksargen both accounted for about 9.8%, or 54,296.52 MT and 54,452.50 MT, respectively.

Calamansi production during the quarter fell 7.8% to 13,380.91 MT, with the Zamboanga Peninsula accounting for 20.1% or 2,692.12 MT, followed by Mimaropa, 15.5%, and Central Luzon 14.9%. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave  

DTI receiving requests to raise prices of Christmas food items

PHILSTAR

THE DEPARTMENT of Trade and Industry (DTI) has received requests to raise prices of products that traditionally feature in the Christmas eve feast, or noche buena.

“We’re just beginning to receive requests for price movement,” Trade Undersecretary Ruth B. Castelo said at a briefing Thursday.

She said the department will ask manufacturers to refrain from hiking prices, but the agency is still studying the products’ pricing.

Noche buena products include ham, fruit cocktail, cheese, pasta, sandwich spread, mayonnaise, macaroni, cream and spaghetti and tomato sauce.

The suggested retail prices (SRP) for noche buena products were retained last year after the DTI released the same price list from 2019, although for a limited timeline.

Major brands at the time agreed to keep prices stable due to the economic crisis.

The DTI in its most recent SRP list allowed for price increases in some essential goods and basic necessities such as canned sardines, milk products, and instant noodles.

The main reason behind the hike is the increased cost of raw materials and packaging materials like tin cans, Ms. Castelo said. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Peso rises as more vaccine doses arrive in the country 

BW FILE PHOTO

THE PESO strengthened versus the dollar on Thursday after the arrival of more vaccine doses in the country.  

The local unit closed at P49.825 per dollar yesterday, appreciating by 24.5 centavos from its P50.07 finish on Wednesday, data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines showed. 

The peso opened Thursday’s session at P50.04 per dollar. Its weakest showing was at P50.13, while its intraday best was at its close of P49.825 versus the greenback. 

Dollars exchanged rose to $1.146 billion on Thursday from $1.054 billion on Wednesday. 

The peso climbed as the arrival of more coronavirus vaccines fueled hopes for the gradual reopening of the economy, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said. 

More than 700,000 vaccine doses from Pfizer, Inc. arrived on Wednesday evening. Some 15,000 doses of Sputnik V were also delivered on Tuesday. 

Meanwhile, a trader said the peso rose on preference for the local unit following the weak US private jobs report. 

The ADP National Employment reported showed private payrolls rose 374,000 in August, higher than the 326,000 in July, Reuters reported on Wednesday.  

For Friday, Mr. Ricafort gave a forecast range of P49.70 to P49.95, while the trader expects the peso to move at P49.70 to P50 versus the greenback. — LWTN with Reuters 

PHL stocks rise as gov’t eyes targeted lockdowns

PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

STOCKS rallied on Thursday as investors went bargain hunting and after the government said it could impose targeted lockdowns instead of country- or province-wide quarantine restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) went up by 48.72 points or 0.71% to close at 6,834.66 on Thursday, while the all shares index gained 16.85 points or 0.40% to 4,232.11.

“The market rallied on expectations that granular lockdowns will now be implemented that will in effect conclude the tight nationwide restrictions. This will indicate that more industries will be reopened [on] a sustainable basis,” Papa Securities Corp. Equities Strategist Manny P. Cruz said in a text message.

“With the COVID-19 virus reproduction rate on the downtrend and [expected to] fall below 1 this month as per OCTA, we may expect a further easing of restrictions going forward, thus local market rebounded on bargain hunting…,” Diversified Securities, Inc. Equity Trader Aniceto K. Pangan said in a text message.

Researchers from the OCTA Research group said in a televised briefing on Monday that the COVID-19 reproduction rate in Metro Manila may drop to less than one by Sept. 13 to 14 from 1.47 currently.

On Wednesday, the Health department logged 14,216 new COVID-19 infections. Active cases stood at 140,949.

Interior Undersecretary Jonathan E. Malaya told a televised briefing on Wednesday that the shift to two-week granular lockdowns in high-risk areas is up “for final approval” of the government’s interagency task force for the pandemic. These lockdowns will be limited to a building, street or barangay that record rising cases, officials earlier said.

Local government officials of Antipolo and Muntinlupa have already imposed granular lockdowns in their areas to curb the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, Metro Manila is under modified enhanced community quarantine until Sept. 7.

All sectoral indices posted gains on Thursday. Mining and oil surged 195.87 points or 2.10% to finish at 9,491.10; industrials went up by 90.56 points or 0.90% to 10,075.68; services climbed 15.74 points or 0.89% to 1,780.03; property gained 25.31 points or 0.83% to 3,068.07; holding firms improved by 40.16 points or 0.59% to end at 6,818.70; and financials inched up by 4.12 points or 0.28% to 1,441.67.

Value turnover dropped to P6.92 billion on Thursday with 1.52 billion issues switching hands, from the P8.82 billion with 2.02 billion issues traded on Wednesday. 

Advancers beat decliners, 110 against 86, while 58 names closed unchanged.

Net foreign selling more than doubled to P69.83 million on Thursday from the P30.61 million seem the previous day.

Papa Securities’ Mr. Cruz said the market is on track to test the 7,000 resistance level in the near term. — K.C.G. Valmonte

DoH reports 16,621 more COVID-19 infections

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS
A DRIVER gets Sinovac vaccine at a drive thru vaccination site dubbed as vaccine express at a parking lot of a mall in Novaliches in Quezon City. — PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

PHILIPPINE health authorities on Thursday reported 16,621 coronavirus cases, bringing the total to more than two million.

The death toll rose to 33,680 after 148 more patients died, while recoveries increased by 10,965 to 1.84 million, the Department of Health (DoH) said in a bulletin.

There were 146,510 active cases, 96.2% of which were mild, 1.1% did not show symptoms, 1.1% were severe, 0.99% were moderate and 0.6% were critical.

The agency said 92 duplicates had been removed from the tally, 78 of which were tagged recoveries and one as a death, while 66 recoveries were reclassified as deaths. Five laboratories failed to submit data on Aug. 31.

Metro Manila had a daily average of 4,637 coronavirus cases from Aug. 26 to Sept. 1, 12% higher than a year earlier.

The reproduction number of coronavirus cases in the capital region had fallen to 1.39 from 1.53 a week earlier, the OCTA Research Group from the University of the Philippines said in a report on Thursday.

Metro Manila’s latest coronavirus reproduction number is below the critical cut-off of 1.4, it added.

“Based on current trends, it is possible that the reproduction number in the National Capital Region may decrease to below 1 by the third week of September,” OCTA said. “Until then, we should expect new cases to continue to increase, albeit at a slower growth rate.”

OCTA said the reproduction number in 11 of 17 areas in the capital region were at critical levels.

The group said Metro Manila’s average daily attack rate was within the critical range at 33.2 for 100,000 people a day.

The attack rate in 14 out of 17 local government units in the region were also at critical levels.

Metro Manila’s positivity rate from Aug. 25 to 31 was 24%, OCTA said. It added that 69% of the region’s hospital beds had been occupied, while 71% of its intensive care units (ICU) were used.

Meanwhile, presidential spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said the government would not enforce a three-week strict lockdown to avoid worsening hunger.

“We are aiming for total health,” Mr. Roque said, noting that the government was trying to minimize critical cases and deaths.

Some health experts earlier urged the government to enforce a three-week enhanced community quarantine in areas with high coronavirus infections, saying the spike had yet to peak.

BOOSTERS
The country is struggling to vaccinate its entire adult population amid the threats of emerging coronavirus variants.

As of Sept. 1, more than 14 million Filipinos or 18.29% of the Philippine population have been fully vaccinated, Mr. Roque told the same briefing.

He said the Philippines had received about 52.6 million doses of coronavirus vaccines, more than 32 million doses of which were paid for by the government and about 3.62 million doses were bought by the private sector and local governments.

Mr. Roque said 13.3 million doses were donated under a global initiative for equal access. More than three million doses were donated by various countries, he added.

Also on Thursday, vaccine czar Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. said the Philippine government is in talks with four vaccine makers for booster shots that could arrive by the last quarter.

“We are now negotiating with four manufacturers that can possibly supply boosters either by the end of the fourth quarter or early first quarter,” he told CNN Philippines.

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III earlier told a House of Representatives committee hearing the Budget department had cut the agency’s proposed P104-billion budget for booster shots next year to just P45 billion.

The budget for the top-up shots would only be funded if the government can raise enough money for it, he added.

Duterte daughter says senators offered to be her VP running mate

DAVAO CIO

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte’s daughter said at least two senators had offered to be her vice presidential running mates next year.

In a statement on Wednesday night, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said Senators Christopher Lawrence T. Go and Sherwin T. Gatchalian had expressed their intent to run with her.

Last month, the PDP-Laban faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi endorsed the vice presidential bid of her father, President Rodrigo R. Duterte, and a potential presidential run by Mr. Go.

Mr. Duterte has accepted the nomination, while Mr. Go rejected the offer.

Ms. Carpio, who is believed to be seeking the presidency in 2022 elections, also said a proposal to make former Defense Secretary Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo C. Teodoro her running mate “was made known through common friends.”

Certain groups also want House Majority leader Martin G. Romualdez and Senator Juan Edgardo M. Angara to be her vice-president, she added. “I cannot confirm if these are true.”

Ms. Carpio said she had read reports of a possible tandem between her and the late dictator’s son, former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr.

But she belied her father’s claim that Senator María Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos wanted to be her running mate.

“This is not true,” Ms. Carpio said. “She visited me in Davao last May 29 to personally relay her birthday wishes. So far, this is the only visit she has made to me in Davao.”

Mr. Duterte made the claim at a taped Cabinet meeting, where he defended his former economic adviser Michael Yang, who had been implicated in the government’s procurement of overpriced medical goods from Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp., a unit of Taiwan-based Pharmally International.

A video from state media was played at a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing last week that showed Mr. Yang introducing officials of Pharmally International to Mr. Duterte in March 2017.

Ms. Marcos earlier said leaders of Pharmally have active criminal cases in Taiwan for alleged stock manipulation.

She said Mr. Yang “appears to be the go-to powerbroker in the Philippines for Chinese politicians and businessmen looking for smooth transactions in the country.”

Presidential spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said the government deal with Pharmally was above board.

“In law, we have a principle that a corporation has a separate personality, separate and distinct from the stockholders,” he told a televised news briefing on Thursday.

Mr. Go, the President’s long-time friend, has been linked to former budget official Lloyd Christopher Lao, who signed most of the deals with Pharmally.

Ms. Marcos, Mr. Go and Mr. Angara were elected senators in 2019. Mr. Gatchalian’s term will end next year.

Ms. Carpio earlier said her father had asked her to either endorse the Go-Duterte tandem in the 2022 elections, or take in Mr. Go as her vice-president.

Political analysts have said the administration is trying to create an impression that Mr. Duterte’s brand of leadership is still needed.

Mr. Duterte has said he would not run for vice-president if his daughter decides to seek the presidency. In July, Ms. Carpio said she was open to running for president. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

P50.4B for healthcare workers’ benefits in 2022 slashed, says DoH  

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

By Russell Louis C. Ku 

THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DoH) said on Thursday that a P50.4 billion in its 2022 budget supposedly allotted for healthcare workers’ allowances and other benefits was slashed by the executive department.   

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III revealed in a House budget hearing that the DoH originally proposed a P73.99 billion fund for next year to the Department of Budget and Management.  

The original proposal included P50.41 billion for the special risk allowance, meals and transportation allowance, and life insurance for medical frontliners. 

Mr. Duque made the disclosure after Marikina Rep. Stella Luz A. Quimbo questioned the Health department on why only P19.67 billion was allotted for pandemic response in the 2022 National Expenditure Program.    

She said that amount is too small for the pandemic response, citing that the national government allotted a total of P160.97 billion to the Health department from this year’s budget and the Bayanihan I and II, the two laws passed for coronavirus response and stimulus funds. 

In a separate hearing Wednesday, Mr. Duque also admitted that the DoH does not have any budget allotted next year for allowances to healthcare workers.   

He said the budget for special risk allowances were placed under Bayanihan III which is still pending approval at the Senate.    

Healthcare workers have been demanding for the immediate release of their hazard pay and special risk allowances, with some groups staging protest actions beginning this week.    

Mr. Duque said this is currently being addressed by the Health department.   

“P311 million was already obligated last week for 20,000 healthcare workers, mostly from the private sector. We also followed up for (the payments) of 17,000 more for a budget requirement of P201 million. We also requested to DBM for P13.2 billion for the meals, accommodation, and transportation benefits due to our healthcare workers,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.   

He also said that DoH will also provide lawmakers a copy of the initial P73.99-billion proposed budget for pandemic response for consideration of additional budget for these allowances.   

PROCUREMENT
Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez also asked Mr. Duque whether they have plans to transfer funds from next year’s budget allocated for protective equipment and COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) testing to the Budget department’s procurement service (PS-DBM).   

State auditors found that in 2020, DoH transferred P42 billion to implementing agencies, including the PS-DBM, without any memorandum of agreement and other supporting documents.   

Mr. Duque said they would no longer transfer funds to the PS-DBM.   

“The situation has changed in a sense that we can now do the bids and awards. We have our own committee and we will be able to maximize this capacity. Although it’s still limited because the work of our officials as members of the bids and awards committee is an added work,” he said.  

Immigration bureau warns vs fake entry permits sold online  

BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION FACEBOOK PAGE

THE BUREAU of Immigration warned foreigners against paying for supposed entry permits being offered online, saying it does not provide such service.  

“There is no such service.  We believe that these scammers prey on the people they see on Facebook,” Immigration Commissioner Jaime H. Morente said in a news release on Thursday.   

Mr. Morente said one of the victims reported being asked to contact an immigration officer to ensure smooth entry to the country in exchange for money. The alleged officer is not an employee of the bureau based on records.  

“It is disconcerting to know that there are still those who can take advantage of the vulnerable even during a pandemic,” Mr. Morente said.   

Apart from Philippine nationals, only foreign spouses and children of Filipinos, foreign parents of Filipino minors, and foreigners holding immigrant and non-immigrant visas are currently allowed to enter the country.   

Foreigners with tourist visas must first obtain entry exemption documents from Philippine posts abroad to enter the country.  

A travel ban is also in effect until Sept. 5 for passengers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia from Sept. 1 to 5. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago  

1...6,0936,0946,095...12,768Page 6,094 of 12,768
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube