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Gov’t return to power generation should not be ruled out, former official says

PSALM.GOV.PH

By Angelica Y. Yang, Reporter

THE DEPARTMENT of Energy’s proposal to embark on new power generation projects must not be dismissed outright due to the difficulty of balancing energy security and affordability, a former official of the National Renewable Energy Board (NREB) said.

“Perhaps the proposal is for government to engage or pursue new power generation projects — if so, I think this should be evaluated closely, resisting perhaps the temptation to immediately dismiss the idea,” Monalisa C. Dimalanta, former NREB chairperson, told BusinessWorld via Viber over the weekend.

“As we continue to define the path towards energy transition that addresses both our energy security requirements and affordability challenges, all hands really need to be on deck,” she added.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi has asked the Senate Committee on Energy to consider allowing the government to engage in “limited” power generation — not to compete with the private sector — but to augment the grid’s reserves. The proposal would reverse a decades-long trend of power privatization.

Ms. Dimalanta said that the government remains in the power generation sector despite the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001’s (EPIRA) privatization mandate.

“(The government) continues to hold a significant portfolio of the generation assets through PSALM (Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp.) that have not yet been privatized and through NPC (National Power Corp.) in the off-grid areas,” she said.

She added that allowing the government to re-enter power generation cannot solely address the country’s energy issues.

“Relying on government alone is not enough, particularly in taking on the huge challenge of energy security. (But the) government plays a big role as it (seeks to promote) proper governance and implementation of laws to create a stable investment climate… and by making sure it does not crowd out the private sector to ensure competition and a level playing field,” Ms. Dimalanta said.

If the government decides to go ahead with its proposed foray into power generation, it will have to revise the law, according to Alberto R. Dalusung III, who is currently the energy transition advisor of non-government organization Institute of Climate and Sustainable Cities.

“It would require amending EPIRA. They would have to amend the law… That means government (is) going back into generation. My understanding as a layman is, that’s not allowed under EPIRA (which states that there should be) no new government investments in generation,” Mr. Dalusung told BusinessWorld in a video call last week.

He said Mr. Cusi’s proposal indicates that the government intends to play a “supporting role” in power generation, and not compete with private firms in doing so.

At a Senate hearing on June 10, Mr. Cusi said government-owned power plants are best used for supplying emergency power when needed. He said that this arrangement could be the “antidote” to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines’ repeated non-compliance with securing the needed firm-contracted reserves.

The Luzon grid was placed under a series of red and yellow alerts between May 31 and June 2, triggering rotating brownouts due to forced plant outages, thinning reserves and higher temperatures.

Mindanao hydropower project applications up for review soon

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

DAVAO CITY — Proposed hydropower projects in Mindanao will be up for assessment soon, in line with efforts to bring fossil fuel and renewable energy power sources into balance, according to an official with the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).

“We are anticipating, moving ahead (with) the resurgence or restarting of processes of any of the hydropower applications,” Assistant Secretary Romeo M. Montenegro, MinDA deputy executive director and technical working group head of the Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee, said in a recent virtual briefing.

Among the major pending applications are the 225-megawatt Agus 3 Hydro Power Plant by Maranao Energy Corp.

Mr. Montenegro told BusinessWorld the project’s declaration of commerciality is currently under evaluation by the Department of Energy.

It will be part of the Agus Hydropower Complex in Baloi, Lanao del Norte.

The overall rehabilitation plan for the Agus-Pulangi facility is also underway, with the proposal coming from the government-owned Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. — Maya M. Padillo

PHL, Japan to meet again for infrastructure updates

ECONOMIC MANAGERS are set to meet with their Japanese counterparts this week to discuss the progress of Japan-backed infrastructure projects and the government’s pandemic response, the Department of Finance (DoF) said Sunday.

The DoF said in a statement that the upcoming 11th Japan-Philippines Joint Committee on Infrastructure Development and Economic Cooperation will meet July 28 to discuss the progress of key infrastructure projects under the Build, Build, Build program and other development initiatives.

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua will lead the Philippine delegation to meet with Izumi Hiroto, special advisor to Japanese Prime Minister.

The Japan-funded infrastructure projects that will be discussed include the first phase of the Metro Manila Subway Project; the Metro Manila Priority Bridges Seismic Improvement Project; the North-South Railway Project; the Parañaque Spillway Project; the Philippine Railway Institute; and the rehabilitation of Metro Rail Transit 3.

They will also provide updates on the Central Mindanao Highway Project, the Davao City Bypass and New Clark City.

The two countries launched these talks in March 2017 to keep track of the implementation of infrastructure projects in the Philippines funded by Japan.

The two sides met virtually in October last year.

Next week’s meeting will also discuss last year’s loan to support the Philippines’ pandemic response worth $468.39, as well as the ongoing vaccination program.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency has released 40 billion yen so far from its 50 billion yen standby facility for the Philippines’ post-pandemic recovery efforts.

The Japanese government also donated more than one million AstraZeneca doses earlier this month.

Its support for the ongoing peace processes in Mindanao through the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development framework will likewise be tackled in the meeting, as well as their efforts to help in the rehabilitation of Marawi City.

Japan was the country’s top source of official development assistance active grants and loans worth $8.537 billion as of March 2020. This accounted for 42.66% of the Philippines’ foreign aid. — Beatrice M. Laforga

ARTA says agencies’ regulatory databases undergoing testing

THE ANTI-RED Tape Authority (ARTA) said tests are being run on the online regulatory management and government service databases systems of various agencies.

The initial phase of each platform is being tested by 62 National Government agencies and local government units to prepare for the rollout.

The agencies are testing the Philippine Business Regulations Information System, a web-based platform for real-time access to a regulatory management system.

The Anti-Red Tape Electronic Management Information System (ARTEMIS) is an online system for submissions of citizen’s charters that shows a real-time database of government services.

“ARTEMIS will facilitate the standardization of Citizen’s Charters, will enable government service reengineering through business process management features, and will allow citizens to access and download the Citizen’s Charters of all government agencies,” ARTA said in a statement Saturday.

The testing will run until Wednesday, and feedback from the participating agencies will be used to prepare for the official rollout of both systems this year.

Representatives from Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Department of Information and Communications Technology are participating in the testing, along with various National Government agencies and the Quezon City Government.

“We are now in the home stretch of this administration and we would like to believe that before this administration ends, we will be able to set in place all the infrastructure needed so that the incoming administration. (It) will be easier for them to just continue the programs and initiatives that have been started with this administration,” ARTA Deputy Director General for Operations Ernesto V. Perez said. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Reimagining healthcare

A year and a half into the pandemic, we have seen how almost every industry has had to undergo rapid transformation in order to develop new methods of product and service delivery. One industry that has perhaps been forced to rapidly move beyond traditional processes is healthcare. In the Philippines, we have seen a dramatic shift to using technology to promote telemedicine and virtual healthcare to allow for personalized, effective and convenient healthcare in socially-distanced safety.

However, developments such as video or online consultations serve as a beginning, not an end point. Companies now have the opportunity to permanently transform how healthcare is delivered in a way that addresses the increased needs of care providers and their patients. To tackle the evolving needs of consumers, we look at three key areas identified in an EY article, Five trends redefining the health sciences and wellness operating model that companies should closely consider in their strategic focus and in the deployment of their human and financial capital and efforts.

DEVELOPING INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS AND PERSONALIZED HEALTH OUTCOMES
The current health infrastructure is provider-driven, supply-oriented and siloed, placing consumers in a disparate model. In the future, consumer demand will drive a seamlessly connected healthcare system with humans at the center, delivering a personalized and informed experience. Imagine, for example, a one-stop system where a patient only needs to use one platform for initial consultation, treatment, the delivery of medication and follow-up consultation, all with centralized medical record access.

While such a platform is yet to be developed, Philippine healthcare providers can start reimagining a future where technology and patient-centricity can drive a competitive advantage. Such a patient-centered model will require aggregated data that is shared to fully understand and more quickly respond to the needs and wants of a patient. Healthcare will have to take a more proactive role, bringing care to a patient instead of forcing a patient to spend time, money and energy searching for the care they need.

For companies to put humans at the center, they must partner or collaborate with companies to gain capabilities in user-centered design, behavioral science and services. They can also build or employ the services of experts in artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms as well as interoperable system integration. Already there have been several developments around the world in using AI to provide personalized healthcare, such as the launch of a cloud-based platform by one company to help patients manage chronic disease by managing both medication and patient responses to the medication remotely. Another is developing a system to conduct liquid biopsy and remote monitoring so that patients do not have to go to a hospital and undergo invasive tests. Another system does real-time monitoring of patient biometrics, allowing for a quick response in case of a medical situation.

While such technologies may not be immediately available to Philippine healthcare providers, the continuing development of 5G technology and other innovations here could open the door to rich opportunities that healthcare providers can explore as part of their post-pandemic strategies.

OPENING UP ACCESS TO DATA
It has been estimated that humanity generates up to 2.5 quintillion bytes of data each day. For the healthcare industry, an estimated 50 terabytes of data were created in 2020 alone, and the number is expected to increase exponentially as the effects of the pandemic continue. However, having all the data means little if we cannot properly analyze the information. Most of the data generated by the healthcare industry sit in siloes every year, but the difficulty in extracting the information’s true and extended value lies in various technical and ownership issues as well as regulatory reluctance. In addition, most companies tend to be very protective of their data, considering the information a source of potential intellectual property assets and new discoveries.

However, the reality is that no single company is able to or should own more than a fraction of the total volume. At the same time, the monetary value of proprietary data is significantly less than the data that a company can actually access, interrogate and apply to the operations and product development. Simply owning data generates costs but accessing and assessing data can generate valuable insights for the health system. Moreover, refusing to share or grant access to data impedes meaningful progress in healthcare.

While this is certainly a thorny conundrum, it is something that the healthcare industry should explore. Two key questions come to mind: How can companies mine their data to get the right information that is critical to their business model, and how they can share access to their data with selected, tightly regulated partners so that more long-term value can be gained by combining resources, knowledge and insight?

Answering these will take time, investment, and no little amount of compromise. But consider the possible discoveries in such a situation. For example, a hospital that shares data on the most and least effective COVID-19 treatments and medication with a company that manufactures diagnostic machines might be able to develop more effective, life-saving technology. Or if we wish to consider recent news, there has been talk of combining various vaccine brands to achieve a greater protective effect — this is a potentially game-changing area where sharing and combining data could have incredible benefits.

Of course, companies will need to develop structured data system arrangements to protect proprietary data while allowing access to vetted companies. They will also need to work with government, regulators and data security experts to establish norms that are acceptable and fair to all parties and while protecting data integrity. In addition, healthcare companies may need to retrain or acquire talent that can develop proprietary data processing technologies to help speed up the R&D process.

BUILDING SUSTAINABILITY INTO OPERATIONS
An EY survey with almost 15,000 respondents discovered that up to 45% of consumers believe in the increased importance of sustainability compared to a year earlier. In the Philippines, we hear about the challenges that medical facilities and providers are now having in dealing with medical waste and used protective equipment. Consider as well the number of disposable syringes that are being consumed daily all over the world due to vaccination and we can better realize the increasing need for companies to measure and report sustainability practices tied to environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures.

Though it may seem obvious that products and services that help people treat or manage disease have significant social value, more and more people are also weighing the import of environmental and economic issues.

For companies to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, they need to establish a measurement framework to gauge the impact of their sustainability programs based on their business model, and also be able to communicate the value of their sustainability initiatives to their patients, customers, stakeholders and investors.

ACCELERATED TRANSFORMATION FOR BETTER HEALTHCARE DELIVERY
COVID-19 has highlighted the gaps between what companies are capable of now and what they will need to accomplish for future growth. With the acceptance and adoption of new technologies fueled by data and driven by consumer demand, companies in the healthcare industry need to start reimagining how they can generate innovative, long-term value for their business and use that to springboard into post-pandemic recovery.

The pandemic is not the first, nor will it be the last, major disruption that will trigger forced transformation and evolution for companies. While we cannot predict what the future may bring, we can certainly reimagine how it should be.

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional advice where the facts and circumstances warrant. The views and opinions expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of SGV & Co.

 

Karen Kaye M. Sta. Maria-Constantino is a Tax Partner of SGV & Co.

Targeted lockdowns sought amid Delta scare

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and Luz Wendy T. Noble, Reporters

HEALTH authorities urged local governments at the weekend to enforce targeted lockdowns instead of region-wide border closures to save the economy while trying to contain a more contagious Delta coronavirus variant.

“It’s very important for local government units to implement strict lockdowns in cities or provinces as necessary,” said Anna Lisa T. Ong-Lim, chief of the Infection and Tropical Disease Division of the Philippine General Hospital and a member of the Health department’s technical advisory group.

“Given the economic impact of imposing region-wide lockdowns, the response strategies are anchored on imposing localized or granular lockdowns,” she told a televised news briefing attended by President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

Ms. Ong-Lim also urged local governments to boost their disease surveillance and healthcare capacity amid the local transmission of the Delta variant from India.

“We need to work on the premise that every case that’s now detected is Delta so that we can act accordingly,” she said. “The strategy to manage a possible surge is to ensure that the healthcare system is actually ready regardless of the community quarantine classification.”

An overwhelmed healthcare system would make it difficult for cities to fight the virus, Edsel T. Salvana, director of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the National Institutes of Health-University of the Philippines Manila, told the same briefing.

“We know Delta is more transmissible, it’s potentially deadlier and can spread faster,” he said. “But it is beatable with our minimum health standards, face shields, face masks, physical distancing and of course, we have to vaccinate everyone.”

DoH reported 5,479 coronavirus infections on Sunday, bringing the total to 1.54 million. The death toll rose to 27,224 after 93 more patients died, while recoveries increased by 5,573 to 1.46 million, it said in a bulletin.

There were 54,262 active cases, 93.4% of which were mild, 1.2% were asymptomatic, 2.3% were severe, 1.63% were moderate and 1.4% were critical.

The agency said five duplicates had been removed from the tally, three of which were tagged as recoveries. Fifty recoveries were reclassified as deaths. Three laboratories failed to submit data on July 23.

Mr. Duterte last week approved a recommendation by an inter-agency task force to tighten quarantines in the National Capital Region (NCR) and other virus-hit areas until end-July. He also banned travelers from Indonesia and Malaysia.

Fifty-five more people got infected with the Delta coronavirus variant — said to be 60% more contagious than the Alpha variant from the United Kingdom — bringing the total to 119, the Department of Health (DoH) said on Sunday.

Thirty-seven were local patients, 17 were returning migrant Filipinos and one was still being verified, it said.

Fourteen of the 37 were in Southern Luzon, eight in Northern Mindanao, six each in the capital region and Central Luzon, two in the Davao Region and one in Ilocos

DoH said 94 more people got infected with the Alpha variant, bringing the total to 1,775. It added that 179 more people have been infected with the Beta variant from South Africa, bringing the total to 2,019. 

SPIKE
Meanwhile, the OCTA Research Group from the University of the Philippines flagged rising infections in Manila, the capital and nearby cities.

The average number of daily cases in Metro Manila from July 18 to 24 increased to 897 from 627 a week earlier, it said in a report released on Sunday.

“The reproduction number in NCR continued to rise with new cases,” it said, noting that the reproduction rate in the region increased had to 1.29.

The capital region had an average of 897 new COVID-19 cases daily from July 18 to 24, 43% higher than a week earlier, it said. “The current trend in the NCR over the past week follows the trend from Feb. 14 to 21, when a surge was in its early stages.”

The positivity rate in the capital region increased to 7%, while hospital use and ICU use remained low, OCTA said.

Manila, Valenzuela, Makati, Caloocan and Las Piñas were experiencing rising infections. Valenzuela, Makati and Las Piñas were considered high risk areas.

OCTA also reported that Cagayan de Oro, where several cases of the Delta variant have been detected, “had a resurgence.” “Elsewhere in Mindanao, the trends in Davao City and General Santos have slowed down, although both are still classified as high-risk areas.”

OCTA said the reproduction number in Cebu City had increased to 1.9, while its daily infections have risen to 175.

“Elsewhere in Luzon, Laoag continues to be in near-critical state, with critical levels of infection, incidence and positivity rate,” it said. In Mariveles, Bataan, the trend in new cases has slowed, but local government units were still in critical risk.

OCTA said the average daily cases in the Philippines from July 18 to 24 had risen to 5,817 from 5,063 a week earlier.

Meanwhile, the country’s move to reimpose some restrictions was a necessary sacrifice to prevent another infection surge, analysts said.

“The costs incurred by this reinstatement of lighter quarantine protocols would create bigger benefits in the future as we are able to protect lives and prevent stricter quarantine protocols that will significantly slow down economic recovery,” Asian Institute of Management economist John Paolo R. Rivera said in a Viber message.

While the restrictions were a needed “trade off,” the uptick in Delta variant cases would affect the consumption-driven economy, said Michael L. Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.

Philippine economic output shrank by a record 9.7% last year amid the pandemic, and recession was expected to continue for the fifth straight quarter after the economy fell by 4.2% in January to March.

Restaurant capacity was cut and gyms were ordered closed to contain infections. A curfew from 10 pm to 4 am was also reimposed. Children were again barred from going out.

Lawmakers to tackle bills seeking to ease limits on ownership

BW FILE PHOTO

By Bianca Angelica D. Añago, Reporter

SENATORS will tackle economic bills that seek to ease foreign ownership limits, while congressmen will focus on bills on employment, education and pandemic recovery when Congress resumes sessions on Monday.

The Senate will prioritize measures seeking to amend the Public Service Act and Foreign Investment Act, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III in a Viber message.

These bills were likely to be approved by August, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel F. Zubiri said in a Viber message.

Senators would also try to pass changes to the Retail Trade Liberalization Act by lowering paid-in capital requirements, he added.

Measures seeking to change the Public Service Act and Foreign Investment Act were both pending on second reading. The House of Representatives approved the changes to the first law in March 2020 and the second in Sept. 2019.

The bill seeking to amend the Public Service Act will open some public sectors to foreign ownership such as transportation and telecommunications.

Meanwhile, the bill that will amend the Foreign Investment Act will lower the required number of direct local hires for foreign companies.

Changes to the Retail Trade Liberalization Act were approved on third reading in May. The House of Representatives approved its counterpart measure in March 2020.

The Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council identified these as priority measures by to be passed before Congress’ sine die adjournment on June 4. President Rodrigo R. Duterte certified the measures as urgent, which allows both Houses to pass these on second and third reading at one session.

Mr. Sotto said they would exert best efforts to pass other priorities such as the bill that seeks to create a department for migrant Filipinos, which was approved by the House of Representatives last year. Mr. Duterte has certified this as urgent and was among the bills targeted by the council to be passed by yearend.

“We also committed to finish the Department for Migrant Filipinos by August,” according to Mr. Zubiri.

Meanwhile, the majority floor leader said it might be better to incorporate the third stimulus package in the 2022 national budget. Congressmen in June approved on third reading the more than P400-billion third stimulus package.

He said the Senate might become too busy with the national budget and might not have time to discuss economic Charter change, which congressmen have approved.

Mr. Duterte on June 24 also urged the Congress to pass the administration’s last two tax reform measures under the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program. These are the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act and Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act.

The House approved the two measures on third reading in 2019. The bills are pending at the Senate committee level.

Mr. Duterte remains popular, with a year left before his six-year term ends, said Maria Ela L. Atienza, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines.

“While our Constitution bars him from running again, his popularity and dominance may still contribute to having some of his priority bills passed into law,” she said in an e-mail. “Because it is also his last year, many of his allies would also like to make sure that some of these bills are passed into law as part of his so-called legacy.”

Ms. Atienza said the government should continue to improve its coronavirus pandemic response and boost the chances of his chosen presidential candidate at next year’s elections.

She noted that the fact that Mr. Duterte was considering running as vice president might be a strategy to remain relevant and threaten the “still weak opposition.”

Meanwhile, Party-list Rep. Enrico A. Pineda said his committee would push bills seeking to strengthen workers’ security of tenure, protect independent contractors in the film, television and radio entertainment industry, and promote the welfare of freelancers.

He said the committee would try to “strike a balance between labor and management.”

The House committee on public accounts would also review the Education department’s budget for textbooks, Quezon City Rep. and committee chairman Jose C. Singson, Jr. said.

Albay Rep. Jose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda also cited the need to create new revenue streams, such as through a well-regulated gaming sector.

“The week after the state of the nation address, I believe the House and the Senate will agree on a ratified version of the tax regime on Philippine offshore gaming operations,” he said.

The House would also prioritize proposed changes to Foreign Investment Act, Public Service Act and the Retail Trade Liberalization Act because as these will be “critical to increasing foreign direct investments and creating new jobs.”

Philippines allots P45B for more vaccines

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

THE PHILIPPINE government has allotted about P45 billion for more coronavirus vaccines next year, the Finance department said on Saturday night, as the government strives to vaccinate the country’s entire adult population.

“I don’t think we are good only until six months,” Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III told a televised meeting with President Rodrigo R. Duterte, referring to the budget for vaccines. “I think we are good beyond 2022.”

“The question is, how do we use that money? Are we going to need booster shoots? Are we going to need another set of vaccinations?” he asked the President. “Whatever it is, please tell us so that we can properly allocate these funds.”

Mr. Dominguez said the Philippines was set to take delivery of about 171 million doses of coronavirus vaccines by yearend. Deliveries this year were more than enough to vaccinate the entire adult population, he added.

The Philippines has already received 30.98 million vaccine doses, including shots bought by the government and donated by other countries. About six million vaccine doses are set to arrive this week.

At the same meeting, Mr. Duterte slammed lawmakers for claiming that his government had been underspending funds intended for the country’s pandemic response.

Several senators and congressmen earlier flagged the slow use of funds under the second stimulus law, with P6 billion still unused.

The President asked his Finance chief whether the underspending was true. Mr. Dominguez downplayed the report, saying only 1% of the funds had been unused. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Tourism dep’t reminds quarantine hotels: Returning families can share a room 

THE DEPARTMENT of Tourism (DOT) on Wednesday reminded hotels and resorts accredited as quarantine facilities that room sharing is allowed for travelers from the same household, especially families with minors and persons needing assistance. 

“We have received reports that some DoT-Accredited Accommodation Establishments operating as Quarantine Hotels have been implementing a one-room-one-person policy even for travelers coming from the same household,”  Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said in a statement. 

“While the Department is aware of the downturns that the pandemic brought to the tourism industry, particularly the accommodation sector, we would like to reiterate that all DoT-accredited establishments must strictly follow the guidelines released by the Department to avoid confusion among travelers who need to quarantine,” she said. 

The DoT guidelines, contained in Administrative Order No. 2021-004-A, were approved by the national task force managing the coronavirus response, Department of Health, and the Bureau of Quarantine.  

The rules require single occupancy for quarantine guests from different households while room sharing is encouraged for those belonging to the same household and guests requiring a companion such as minors, persons with disability, or senior citizens. 

“We all share the same struggles but it is imperative that we implement the right policies to help our kababayans who want to return to the country,” the tourism chief said. — MSJ 

Lawyers’ group seek protection for families of alleged drug war victims  

A LAWYERS’ group on Thursday said they will file further complaints against President Rodrigo R. Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC) if family members of alleged drug war victims are attacked. The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) said in a news release that it “will file corresponding charges in the ICC against Pres. Duterte for any attack against families of the victims and their witnesses” who will be participating in the international tribunal’s probe on alleged human rights violations in the government’s anti-drug campaign. NUPL called on the President to make a commitment to ensure the safety of the families. “We demand that Pres. Duterte assure the security of the families of the victims and their witnesses so that they can participate in the ICC process which can no longer be stopped by Pres. Duterte,” the group said. The Philippine Supreme Court has dismissed the petitions against Mr. Duterte’s withdrawal from the ICC, but it ruled that the government must still cooperate with the ICC’s investigation. This high court decision, NUPL said, means that Mr. Duterte “cannot threaten the ICC Prosecutor and prohibit their entry into the Philippines” as that will violate the government’s earlier obligation under the Roman Statute treaty which created the ICC. NUPL noted that Mr. Duterte’s claim of immunity from suit as president means that “victims of his heinous crimes against humanity cannot have any judicial recourse under Philippine laws.” As such, the group urged the victims’ families and witnesses to participate and support the ICC’s probe by submitting their positions through the tribunal’s website. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago 

3 dead, thousands displaced due to flooding, landslides triggered by monsoon rains 

PHILIPPINE Coast Guard officers, among the members of local emergency response teams, evacuate a woman who just gave birth at home on July 23 in a flooded area in Ternate, Cavite. After the rescue operations, relief goods were distributed to affected residents. — @COASTGUARDPH

THREE PEOPLE died while almost 87,500 residents in the northern and central parts of the country have been affected by last week’s incessant monsoon rains enhanced by typhoon Ni-ma (local name: Fabian) that triggered floods and landslides, according to the national disaster management office’s report as of July 25.  

A 39-year old woman from Baguio City died on July 23 in a vehicular accident caused by a fallen tree along Kennon Road, said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). 

Two people were also reported to have died after being struck by lightning, NDRRMC Public Affairs Officer-in-charge Mark E. Timbal said over dZMM Teleradyo on Sunday.  

Of those affected, 5,554 families composed of 22,693 individuals were in evacuation centers.  

The affected regions were the capital Metro Manila, Ilocos, Central Luzon, Cordillera Administrative Region, Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro Oriental and Occidental-Marinduque-Romblon-Palawan), and Western Visayas.  

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in a statement Saturday evening, said it has so far released more than P1 million worth of assistance in Oriental Mindoro, where several communities were flooded.  

It also said there is an P849.5 million standby fund ready for distribution,  

prepositioned goods worth P164.96 million, and other food and non-food items amounting to P668.3 million.  

“These are readily available to augment the resources of LGUs (local government units),” DSWD said. 

“The Department is also ready to deploy its Quick Response Teams for the provision of technical assistance to LGUs (local government units), if necessary,” it added. 

In agriculture, the running estimate of damage was P14.6 worth of crops in the provinces of Bulacan, Bataan, Pampanga, Zambales, and Antique, according to the NDRRMC. 

Damage to public infrastructure and private houses were initially estimated at P2.4 million.  

Totally destroyed houses stood at 109 while 345 were partially damaged, most of which were in several towns in Iloilo and Antique.  

Affected public infrastructures were mostly roads as well as bridges and flood control structures.  

As of Sunday morning, the Department of Public Works and Highways said six road sections were still closed.  

Three were in the Cordillera, namely: Baguio-Bontoc Road, including Busa Bridge in Sabangan, Mt. Province; Abra-Kalinga Road in Gacab, Abra; and Gov. Bado Dangwa National Road in Benguet. 

Also closed were the Junction Layac Balanga Mariveles Port Road in Bataan, part of the Manila-Cavite Road, and the Pag-asa section of Mindoro West Coastal Road in Occidental Mindoro. 

MORE RAIN THIS WEEK
The southwest monsoon will continue to bring light to moderate and at times heavy rains this week in parts of Luzon and islands immediately south, according to Aldczar D. Aurellio of state weather agency PAGASA.  

In a Sunday morning report, he said the most affected areas would be Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Abra, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, and Calamian Islands.  

PAGASA also issued an advisory Sunday that water was going to be released from Ipo Dam at 12 noon.  

It said as of 7 a.m., water level at the dam was 100.56 meters and “is expected to rise due to heavy rainfall.” Ipo’s spilling level is 101.10 meters. 

Residents along low-lying areas and those near the river bank of Angat River in Bulacan were “advised to be alert for possible increase in the water level downstream.” 

Meanwhile, another tropical storm located east of the country, with international name Nepartak, is not expected to enter the Philippine area, Mr. Aurellio said. It was located almost 3,000 kilometers east of extreme northern Luzon and moving in a northwest direction. — MSJ 

Most complaints received by anti-corruption task force involve LGUs’ intervention in public works 

THE JUSTICE department’s Task Force Against Corruption (TFAC) has endorsed several complaints to the Office of the Ombudsman, mostly involving local government officials who are meddling in public works projects.  

“As of June 2021, the (Ombudsman) has acted upon and is currently evaluating the numerous complaints endorsed/filed by the TFAC,” Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said in a group message to reporters on Sunday. 

Most of the complaints against local officials, he said, “had something to do with their intervention in public works projects in their respective jurisdiction.” 

Among the subjects of the endorsed corruption cases are municipal or provincial officials in Lanao del Norte, Isabela, Zamboanga del Norte, Batangas. There are also complaints against the Registry of Deeds in Leyte and Tarlac. 

Justice Undersecretary Emmeline A. Villar said as of July 19, the TFAC has received 357 complaint documents in total. 

“However, since some of these documents are mere duplicates, the actual number of (new) complaints/documents is 240,” Ms. Villar said. 

The duplicates include follow-ups, documents sent more than once, and documents to other agencies which the agencies forwarded or endorsed to the TFAC. 

Of the 240 new complaints, 20 have been endorsed to the Ombudsman for further investigation, she said. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago  

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