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Peso rebounds on strong US jobs data

BW FILE PHOTO
THE PESO strengthened on the back of improved US jobs data. — BW FILE PHOTO

THE PESO rebounded versus the dollar on Thursday following stronger US jobs data.

The local unit closed at P50.56 per dollar on Thursday, appreciating by 32 centavos from its 50.88 finish on Wednesday, based on data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines.

The peso opened Thursday’s session weaker at P50.80 per dollar. Its weakest showing was at P50.86, while its intraday best was at P50.55 against the greenback.

Dollars traded increased to $988.08 million on Thursday from $963 million on Wednesday.

The peso strengthened from its previous close on better risk appetite following improvements in the US job market, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said.

The ADP National Employment Report released on Wednesday showed private payrolls increased by 568,000 jobs in September, higher than the 428,000 estimate by economists in a Reuters poll.

This also surpassed the 340,000 jobs created in August.

Meanwhile, a trader said peso-dollar trading was also affected by developments in the US Congress’ discussions on the debt ceiling.

Reuters reported that Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican, floated a plan for his party to allow an extension of the federal debt ceiling into December.

The White House has not yet received a formal offer for the said extension, spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

Without legislative action to raise the $28.4-trillion debt limit, the Treasury department said it would run out of ways to meet all its obligations by Oct. 18.

For Friday, both Mr. Ricafort and the trader gave a forecast range of P50.45 to P50.65 per dollar. — LWTN with Reuters

Robredo to run for President as an independent

VP LENI OFFICIAL ROBREDO FB PAGE

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

VICE President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo on Thursday filed her certificate of candidacy for president, ending months of speculations about her political plans for next year.

The opposition leader, who heads the Liberal Party, will run as an independent candidate, the Commission on Elections tweeted.

Ms. Robredo, who has been endorsed by several civic groups, vowed to “defeat the old and rotten brand of politics.” “We will return the capacity to bring change to the hands of the ordinary Filipino,” she said in a speech streamed live on Facebook hours before her filing.

Former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr., who lost to her by a hair in the vice-presidential race in 2016, filed his candidacy certificate a day earlier.

Ms. Robredo earlier said that the candidacy of the late dictator’s only son and namesake would be a big factor in her decision.

Recent opinion polls showed that Mr. Marcos was among the top three choices for president.

Ms. Robredo had chosen Liberal Party President Francis N. Pangilinan as her vice-president, said two ranking party officials who asked not to be named.

She pledged to start changes in education, transportation, food security, health and social justice and make government accountable.

The vice-president, who has opposed the Duterte administration’s war on drugs and ties with China, said change won’t happen if the tough-talking leader’s allies win in the elections next year.

Ms. Robredo, who has not performed well in opinion polls, said it would be difficult to challenge the ruling party because her political machinery was not strong enough.

“The challenge now is how to expand her support base,” said Maria Ela L. Atienza, a political science professor from the University of the Philippines.

“She needs to highlight not just the anti-Duterte narratives but to actually present doable and concrete programs to deal with the pandemic and economic difficulties,” she said in a Viber message. “She has to make her programs relevant to the day-to-day lives of people.”

Earlier this month, opposition coalition 1Sambayan endorsed Ms. Robredo as its standard bearer for the 2022 elections. She did not immediately accept the endorsement, saying she had not decided to run.

The Supreme Court in February rejected Mr. Marcos’s election protest against Ms. Robredo after he failed to prove election fraud. He filed the protest in June 2016 after narrowly losing the face.

In the Philippines, the president and vice president are elected separately and can come from different political parties.

A group campaigning against the return of the Marcoses to the presidential palace this week said Mr. Marcos’s presidential run is “a brazen show of disregard and contempt” for the thousands of Filipinos who were killed and tortured under the martial rule of his late father, Ferdinand E. Marcos.

Mr. Marcos, who was among the first to return to the Philippines from exile in the United States in 1991, announced his presidential ambition hours after his transfer to a party that endorsed him for president.

His family was forced to flee the country in 1986 after a popular street uprising toppled his father’s two-decade rule, during which the family allegedly amassed billions of pesos in ill-gotten wealth.

The government has recovered P174 billion of the assets, according to the Presidential Commission on Good Government.

More than 70,000 people were jailed, about 34,000 were tortured and more than 3,000 people died under the dictator’s martial rule, according to Amnesty International.

Ms. Robredo was the fifth mainstream politician to announce a presidential run. She had been in talks with various political camps critical of the Duterte government.

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” M. Domagoso, Senator and boxing champion Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao and Senator Panfilo M. Lacson have filed their certificates of candidacy for president.

Ms. Robredo was thrust in the political limelight after the death of her husband and local government champion Jesse M. Robredo. She run for a House of Representatives seat in 2013 and won.

Before that, she lawyered for the poor and worked with the Public Attorney’s Office.

During her stint as Camariñes Sur representative, Ms. Robredo filed bills seeking to end political dynasties and mandating government offices to disclose financial transactions.

She also filed a bill that encouraged civic groups and the private sector to take part in local governance.

DoH reports 10,019 more infections, 109 additional deaths

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DoH) reported 10,019 coronavirus infections on Thursday, bringing the total to 2.63 million.

The death toll rose to 38,937 after 109 more patients died, while recoveries increased by 7,425 to 2.48 million, it said in a bulletin.

There were 115,328 active cases, 77.1% of which were mild, 13.6% did not show symptoms, 2.7% were severe, 5.33% were moderate and 1.2% were critical.

The agency said 55 duplicates had been removed from the tally, 35 of which were reclassified as recoveries, while 56 recoveries were tagged as deaths. Four laboratories failed to submit data on Oct. 5.

Meanwhile, a group of health advocates urged the government to clarify its stand on the need for coronavirus booster shots.

“In doing so, the DoH will alleviate the plight and fears of those who have been vaccinated as early as March 2021 which include many of our health workers,” the Kilusang Kontra COVID said in a statement.

The Health department earlier said its proposed P104-billion budget for booster shots had been cut to just P45 billion.

The World Health Organization has been urging advanced countries to suspend a plan to give out booster shots until the end of the year to ensure supplies for poor countries.

“If we will take this stand to provide booster shots for our people, doses should already be factored into the vaccine requirements for the fourth quarter,” the group said.

The statement was signed by Anthony C. Leachon, a former pandemic official, and other health advocates.

Meanwhile, the government is considering the return of cinema and arcade operations in areas under Alert Level 3, Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez told an online news briefing.

The government is also considering allowing personal care services to resume operations, which were barred in areas under Alert Level 4.

“Under Alert Level 4, personal care services that were given the approval to operate include barbershops, salons and nail care services,” Mr. Lopez said. “The included establishments are still very limited.”

Under the rules, establishments such as dine-in restaurants, personal care services, gyms and churches may operate at 30% capacity under Alert Level 4 as long as they have a safety seal from the government.

Metro Manila will be under Alert Level 4 until Oct. 15.

Several business groups earlier urged the government to allow the private sector to impose stricter requirements on unvaccinated employees and patrons, and decline unvaccinated job applicants.

DoH on Wednesday said this could lead to discrimination since most Filipinos have not been vaccinated either due to vaccine supply issues or medical reasons.

It said people should get vaccinated to protect themselves and their families against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Fully vaccinated people should continue to practice minimum health standards since they can still get infected and infect others with the virus, it added.

The private groups, which include the Bankers Association of the Philippines, Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, GoNegosyo and Investment House Association of the Philippines said the state and private sector should be able to restrict the activities of unvaccinated people “for the common good.”

The groups also asked companies to encourage employees to get vaccinated, while accommodating those who can’t get vaccinated for medical reasons in a way that won’t compromise the health and safety of other workers. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Ex-presidential aspirants, human rights lawyers join Senate race

TWO former presidential aspirants are among those who will be running for a Senate seat in the May 2022 polls after filing their respective certificates of candidacy on Thursday.

Jejomar C. Binay, who was vice president during the late President Benigno S.C. Aquino’s administration and lost in the 2016 presidential elections, is running as senator next year under his United Nationalist Alliance.

Ex-defense secretary Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo C. Teodoro, Jr., who lost in 2010 to Mr. Aquino, filed a certificate through a representative as he tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). He is running under the People’s Reform Party.

Taguig-Pateros Representative Alan Peter S. Cayetano, who was President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s running mate in 2016 but lost to Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo, is also running for the Senate. He was previously elected senator for several terms from 2007 to 2017.

Two human rights lawyers, Neri J. Colmenares and Jose Manuel T. Diokno, Jr., who both previously announced their intent to run for the Senate formalized their candidacies Thursday.

Mr. Colmenares said he plans to push for free medicine and medical operations, as well as provide free COVID-19 testing.

Mr. Colmenares said that he will also launch a crackdown on contractual employment, corrupt officials, and human rights violations under the Duterte administration. “We will oppose a Marcos and a Duterte in Malacañang,” adding that he was still hopeful for a united opposition.

Mr. Diokno, chair of the Free Legal Assistance Group, said he plans to reform the judicial system, improve livelihood, and address concerns of economic and medical frontliners.

Other senatorial aspirants are Carl Balita, a former radio show host and health professional running under Aksyon Demokratiko.

He said he aims to address three major issues: the health, economic and educational crisis.

HOUSE
For the House of Representatives, two party-list groups from the progressive Makabayan bloc filed their certificate of nomination and acceptance Thursday for another term in the lower chamber.

Kabataan Party-list filed their certificate of nomination and acceptance with its national president, Raoul Danniel A. Manuel, as first nominee. He was accompanied by incumbent Representative Sarah Jane I. Elago.

The party is currently facing a disqualification case before the Comelec filed by the national task force against communism for alleged links to armed rebels.

They will push for the safe return to physical classes and government protection for fresh graduates.

Meanwhile, Bayan Muna also filed its certificate of nomination and acceptance as Teodoro A. Casiño seeks for a return to the lower chamber as their first nominee. 

The two parties join Anakpawis, Gabriela Women’s Party-list, and ACT Teachers who have filed their candidacies earlier this week.

As of Thursday, more than 150 party-list groups have signed up for next year’s polls. Other groups that have filed their candidacies include Nurses United, Ako Bicol, and Kusug Tausug.

There will be 63 party-list seats in the next Congress.

Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and Deputy Speakers Rufus B. Rodriguez and Bienvenido M. Abante, Jr. filed for releection. They represent Leyte, Cagayan de Oro, and Manila, respectively.

Filing of certificates of candidacy is until Oct. 8 while the substitution of candidates will be allowed until Nov. 15.  Alyssa Nicole O. Tan and Russell Louis C. Ku

CoA suspends special audit, release of reports on candidates for 2022 polls to avoid partisanship allegations

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

STATE AUDITORS have suspended the creation of special audit teams and releasing reports involving candidates who will run in the 2022 elections to avoid allegations of political partisanship.

“Immediate but untimely action on these complaints and appeals would create a dangerous impression that this Commission is favoring or disfavoring any election candidate,” the Commission on Audit (CoA) said in its latest resolution.

CoA Resolution 2021-024, issued by CoA chair Michael G. Aguinaldo and commissioner Roland C. Pondoc, puts on hold special or fraud audits involving politicians who filed certificates of candidacy or nomination before the Commission on Elections.

These audit activities will resume after May 9, 2022, the scheduled voting day.

However, initial assessment and evaluation of requests for special audits will not be suspended. Audit teams not affected by this resolution would also continue to operate.

“When election period approaches, a number of complaints and request for special (or) fraud audits against election candidates are normally received by this commission,” according to the resolution.

The resolution also comes as the Senate continues their investigation on the procurement of pandemic supplies following the CoA’s findings that there are flagged fund transfers to the Budget department’s procurement arm.

Mr. Aguinaldo said before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee that state auditors have launched a special audit on the government’s deals with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.

House lawmakers, mostly allies of the current administration, have insisted that the government’s deals with Pharmally were above board. They have already terminated their probe into the matter. — Russell Louis C. Ku 

Senate body tells DepEd to clarify procurement of digital devices with proposed budget to double in 2022 

DEPED.GOV.PH

THE SENATE Finance committee asked the Education department to explain its purchases of digital devices for teachers and students this year as the allocation for this budget item is proposed to be doubled in 2022.

Senator María Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos, during Thursday’s hearing, said this year’s procurements did not meet the target and questioned the supposed fluctuation in prices cited by Education officials.

This year’s fund for digital learning devices such as tablets and laptops was P6 billion and this will go up to P11.3 billion in the proposed 2022 expenditure program.

Education Undersecretary Alain Del B. Pascua said that initially, the department planned to purchase about 37,000 packages of devices this year, but this was changed to about 109,000 after the previous Congress deliberation. Only 65,000 packages were purchased and delivered.

Ms. Marcos said increases in computer prices could not have been so high that the department was only able to buy 60% of the target. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Detained Pharmally exec files petition vs Senate committee

@SENATEPH

PHARMALLY PHARMACEUTICAL Corp. executive Linconn U. Ong has filed a petition before the Supreme Court against the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee for his alleged unconstitutional detention and arrest due to contempt during the probe on pandemic funds.

In his 50-page petition filed on Thursday, Mr. Ong sought a temporary restraining order against the committee and nullification of the Senate’s order for his arrest “for being unconstitutional and for having been issued with grave abuse of discretion.”

Mr. Ong cited Section 21, Article 6 of the Philippine Constitution, which states that both houses of Congress “may conduct inquiries in aid of legislation” but that “(t)he rights of persons appearing in or affected by such inquiries shall be respected.”

In an interview before the petition was filed, Donn Rico G. Kapunan, one of Mr. Ong’s lawyers, said “this is a chance for us to have a definitive resolution by the (Supreme Court) with regard to the exercise of the Blue Ribbon’s power to cite people in contempt.”

He added that if the Senate has evidence, “we will face them in court in the proper forum already because this has gone far enough.”

The respondents named in the petition are Blue Ribbon Committee Chair Richard J. Gordon, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III, and Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Rene C. Samonte.

Mr. Ong, a member of Pharmally’s board of directors and its supply chain manager, is supposedly one of those who received the Budget department’s purchase orders for the procurement of allegedly overpriced personal protective equipment for the Health department. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

Tropical depression Maring enters PHL as Lannie leaves 2 dead; minimal agri, infra damage

TROPICAL DEPRESSION Lannie exited the Philippine area Wednesday, leaving at least two people dead and triggered flooding and landslides in more than 80 areas in central Philippines, according to the national disaster management council.

As of Oct. 7, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the two reported deaths, both due to drowning, were still being validated.

Lannie, the 12th typhoon to enter the country this year, made 10 landfalls across northern Mindanao, the Visayas, and Palawan.

The Western Visayas or Region 6 reported the most damage in infrastructure and agriculture, including three totally destroyed houses and 16 partially damaged.

NDRRMC said damage to agriculture was so far estimated at P12.22 million with 942 hectares of farm areas affected.

MARING
Meanwhile, the low pressure area being monitored by state weather bureau PAGASA developed into a tropical depression as it entered the Philippine area Thursday afternoon.

Designated the local name Maring, the tropical depression was located 505 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes as of 4 p.m.  Maring was packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kms per hour (kms/h) near the center and gustiness of up to 55 kms/h.

“Current track and intensity forecast shows that there is a moderate to high likelihood that Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals (TCWS) will be hoisted over several provinces in Northern Luzon by Saturday morning or afternoon. The highest possible wind signal for this tropical cyclone is TCWS #2,” PAGASA said.

“However, due to the uncertainty in the intensity forecast, there is a possibility that higher TCWS may be raised,” it added. — Marifi S. Jara

Expropriation on the table to meet Mindanao Railway launch target

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Senior Reporter

THE DEPARTMENT of Transportation (DoTr) said Thursday that its October 2022 target to achieve partial operations for the China-funded Mindanao Railway Project is still “achievable” despite delays posed by right-of-way (ROW) acquisition, adding that expropriation of land remains an option to expedite the process.

In response to a BusinessWorld query, DoTr-Mindanao Railway Project Manager Clipton J. Solamo said in a Viber message: “Based on our current pace, partial operation by October 2022 is achievable.”

He said some of the steps being undertaken “to hasten” the ROW acquisition include: “Streamlining of site validation activities and review of documents; further digitalization of programs; institution of a local inter-agency committee for the relocation and resettlement of informal settler families; continuous coordination meetings between partner local government units and other stakeholders; and advancement of the organizational structure by requesting additional manpower.”

The department will resort to “expropriation of property” when necessary, Mr. Solamo noted, citing the Right-of-Way Act.

“If the property owner does not accept the price offer, the implementing agency shall initiate expropriation proceedings.”

“The property owner is given 30 days to decide whether or not to accept the offer as payment for his/her property. Upon refusal or failure of the property owner to accept such offer or fails and/or refuses to submit the documents necessary for payment, the implementing agency shall immediately initiate expropriation proceedings,” Mr. Solamo also said.

At a budget hearing last week, the Senate sub-finance committee chaired by Senator Mary Grace Natividad S. Poe-Llamanzares questioned the zero funding for the project in the Transportation department’s proposed budget for 2022.

Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John R. Batan said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) did not include the DoTr’s proposed budget for the project in the National Expenditure Program for next year.

DBM Officer-in-Charge and Undersecretary Tina Rose Marie L. Canda said the project is “slow moving” and is still in the ROW acquisition phase.

The department will need P2 billion for “advance payment and progress payments” for the P3.08-billion project management consultancy contract awarded to a consortium composed of China Railway Design Corp. and Guangzhou Wanan Construction Supervision Co., Ltd., according to Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope O. Libiran.

Transportation Assistant Secretary for Project Implementation-Mindanao Cluster Eymard D. Eje said the department will work with the House of Representatives “on the amendment of our budget.”

Philippines ranks last in COVID-19 recovery performance index

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE PHILIPPINES was ranked in last place in a global index that measured the recovery of 121 countries from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Philippines was ranked in the 121st spot by the Nikkei Asia COVID-19 Recovery Index, which assessed the infection management, vaccine rollout, and social mobility of economies, scoring them on a scale of zero to 90.

The Nikkei Asia report estimated that only 30% of the Philippine population was fully vaccinated as of Sept. 30. This is “low among ASEAN countries,” it said.

Nikkei Asia also noted that while the Philippines has enforced granular lockdowns in the capital region, minors and seniors are still required to stay home.

“The country is gradually easing restrictions on businesses to revive the economy, allowing gyms to reopen and increasing restaurant dining and salon capacities for vaccinated individuals,” the report said.

Within Southeast Asia, Indonesia was 54th, Singapore 70th, Cambodia 76th, Malaysia 102nd, Myanmar 105th, Thailand 109th, Vietnam 118th, and Laos 120th.

Nikkei Asia’s study was conducted at a time when the Philippines was experiencing a fresh surge in new coronavirus cases, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire said at a televised briefing Thursday.

“The infection rates were measured at a time when the number of cases in our country were really high compared with other countries which had already reached their peak,” she said, noting that Nikkei Asia used a seven-day period in September to analyze and compare coronavirus data of various countries.

The Philippine mortality rate remained below the global average, Ms. Vergeire said.

She said that the World Health Organization has rated the Philippines as having a low case fatality rate for Asia, “which means we’re doing well in terms of managing severe and critical cases.”

Ms. Vergeire also claimed that more cases were detected because the country’s testing capacity had improved. 

Earlier this week, the Health agency’s spokesperson said there had been fewer swab tests for the coronavirus in 14 regions including Metro Manila.

The biggest decline in RT-PCR tests was in the capital region, whose positivity rate decreased to 16.4% in the past week from 19.3% a week earlier, she said.

Swab tests in the metro fell by 37,383 or 14.1% to 266,042, she said, leading to fewer people who tested positive for the virus.

Meanwhile, Ms. Vergeire said the country’s vaccination was hampered by an “increase in the number of cases here in the country.” 

The country’s vaccine supply and access was “erratic because of this widespread infection during this outbreak that we had,” she said.

The Philippines, which scored poorly in Bloomberg’s COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) resilience study, is struggling to vaccinate its entire adult population amid a spike in infections believed to be triggered by the highly contagious Delta variant.

Presidential Spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr. told a televised news briefing that 48.39 million coronavirus vaccines had been given out as of Oct. 6. Nearly 22.66 million people of 29.37% of the target adult population had been fully vaccinated, he added.

The country took delivery of more than a million doses of the Pfizer vaccine on Wednesday night, Mr. Roque said. The shipment was paid for by the National Government.

The Palace official said the country will receive more than two million doses of the Moderna vaccine on Oct. 8. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

SMC Global Power unit applies to link battery storage facility to grid

UNIVERSAL POWER Solutions, Inc. (UPSI), a unit of SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., has asked the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for approval to link its 60-megawatt battery energy storage system (BESS) in Concepcion, Tarlac to the Luzon grid.

In a UPSI filing posted by the commission on its website, the company sought approval to invest P93.81 million in a dedicated transmission line connecting BESS project to a National Grid Corp. of the Philippines 69 kiloVolt (kV) substation.

Construction is expected to take around eight months.

“The dedicated facility project is the most cost-effective and viable option for the immediate connection of the Concepcion BESS,” the company said.

It added that the construction of the line is a prerequisite for the testing, commissioning and commercial operations of its BESS project, which aims to provide regulating reserves to the power grid.

The ERC said it has scheduled virtual hearings on the matter on Oct. 21 and Oct. 28.

The Energy department has said that UPSI is developing 43 committed power projects with an installed capacity of 1,500 MW in Luzon, as of the end of June, including the Concepcion BESS.

Committed projects are those that have obtained financial closing with their investors or bankers. — Angelica Y. Yang

NGO calls on toymakers to comply with norms on lead paint levels

REUTERS

THE EcoWaste Coalition has urged manufacturers and sellers of toy and childcare products to comply with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) standards after noting high levels of lead in a toy gardening set.

The group said in a statement Thursday that dealers in such products, including those online, must check whether their products are registered with the FDA, and if they hold a certificate of conformity signifying compliance with national lead paint standards.

EcoWaste conducted chemical sampling using an x-ray fluorescence device on a toy shovel and spade from a product called “Jin Feng Kinder-Gartengerate” set, which yielded lead content of up to 27,100 parts per million (ppm).

They said this was over the 90 ppm threshold of the Environment department’s Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds, which covers toys, paints and cosmetics.

“The group finds the detection of lead on the Jin Feng kiddie shovel and spade worrisome as the lead-containing paint will surely age, peel and break with frequent use and cause the lead in paint to get discharged into the soil,” EcoWaste said.

According to the group’s Chemical Safety Campaigner Thony Dizon, complying with the registration scheme will help implement lead paint regulations meant to protect children.

He added that retailers should only offer registered products which meet safety standards, including the 90 ppm lead paint limit.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no safe level of lead exposure for children.

Exposure to lead may “adversely” impact children, causing brain and nervous system damage, slowed growth, and hearing and speech problems, the CDC said. — Angelica Y. Yang