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PSA finds 3 in 10 required time off due to illness, injury

PHILSTAR

MORE THAN THREE in 10 workers and students fell sufficiently ill or suffered injury recently that required taking time off from school or work, or were otherwise hindered from performing daily activities, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Thursday.

According to the PSA’s 2020 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS), 34.6% of those five years and older who fell ill or sustained injuries took time off in the previous month. The survey was conducted in June.

The 2020 APIS included questions related to health status to help planners draft their public health programs.

Ten of the 17 regions returned above-average rates: Cagayan Valley (55.7%), Zamboanga Peninsula (49.7%), Eastern Visayas (47.3%), Bicol (45.3%), Mimaropa (44.5%), Central Visayas (41.6%), Northern Mindanao (40.6%), Davao (39.9%), Cordillera Administrative Region (36.6%), and Western Visayas (36.2%).

Below-average regions were the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (21.5%), Caraga (22.3%), Ilocos (25.6%), Calabarzon (26.7%), the National Capital Region (31.6%), Soccsksargen (33.3%), and Central Luzon (33.9%).

Absences attributed to illness or injury were higher among rural residents (37.3%) compared with urban dwellers (31.5%). Males were more likely to require time off (38.1%) than females (31%).

Around 25.2% were absent for four to seven days during the month preceding the survey period. By duration, respondents saying they took two days off accounted for 20.3%, followed by three days (16.9%), 22-30 days 16.5%), one day (10.9%), 8-14 days (7.3%), and 15-21 days (2.9%).

Urban dwellers were most likely to require two days off (22.1%) and rural residents four to seven days 28.4%.

NUTRITION STATUS AMONG CHILDREN
The survey also included information on the number of family members aged up to five years that were weighed during the 12 months preceding the survey and the number of times they were weighed in government facilities, private clinics, hospitals, or in the family residence. The questions were included in support of Operation Timbang, the government’s annual weighing program that looks to detect malnutrition in children.

About three in four (76.3%) children aged 0-5 years were weighed in the past 12 months preceding the survey period.

“The (pandemic) and the accompanying lockdowns may have contributed to these trends as Filipinos were forced into their homes to help stop the spread of the virus. The inability of many to secure a stable source of income has led to poor nutrition and thus poor health as well,” ING Bank NV Senior Economist Nicholas Antonio T. Mapa said in an e-mail.

Mr. Mapa added the lack of access to income “may have also lowered the ability of households to secure medicine and vitamins, contributing to this trend.”

He noted that the “eventual fallout from the lack of healthcare” during the period was a “likely contributing factor” to these indicators.

“(T)he lockdowns also prevented regular or routine checkups from taking place either due to restrictions or reluctance to see a doctor during lockdowns or quarantine,” Mr. Mapa said.

UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc. Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion noted the urban-rural disparity in time taken off due to injury or illness.

“It highlights the difference between being ill in rural versus in urban areas. This shows greater availability of health services and support in urban areas compared to rural ones,” Mr. Asuncion said in an e-mail.

Mr. Asuncion expects “better results” such as “shorter times of missing work or being sick” as the economy adjusts from the impact of the pandemic.  

The APIS is intended to provide non-income indicators related to poverty. The 2020 iteration of the survey had around 44,000 sample households. — Nadine Mae A. Bo

Pet insurance inquiries surge during pandemic on heightened importance of animal companions

PHILSTAR

INQUIRIES about insurance coverage for pets have surged during the pandemic, with policies becoming available from several companies over the past two years or so, the Insurance Commission (IC) said.

Commissioner Dennis B. Funa said in a statement late Wednesday that the current policies available offer reimbursement on veterinary bills for certain illnesses or accidents, as well as burial assistance benefits for deceased pets.

Insurers are also offering owners pet-related personal accident cover, and liability cover for when they become legally liable for the injury or property damage caused by their pets.

“Many still do not know it is now available in the country. It’s good to let the people know we already have this in the Philippines,” Mr. Funa said via Viber Thursday.

The regulator approved the first pet insurance product in 2018; it was launched in 2019.

The five companies with IC-approved pet insurance products are Malayan Insurance Co., Inc., Standard Insurance Co., Inc., Pioneer Insurance and Surety Corp., PGA Sompo Insurance Corp., and Mercantile Insurance Co., Inc.

The start of the pandemic seems to have been a trigger for interest in the segment, the IC said.

“It has recently been reported in mainstream media that there is an increasing trend of families taking in pets to cope with the stress brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it may be an opportune time to remind our countrymen of the available insurance products for pets that have been approved by the IC,” Mr. Funa said.

He said Malayan’s pet insurance products have annual premiums of between P2,000 and P5,400 for medical reimbursement and pet owner’s liability coverage of up to P300,000 and burial aid worth P10,000. — Beatrice M. Laforga

PHL rice inventory declines 7.5% in early May

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

THE RICE inventory fell 7.5% year on year to 2.58 million metric tons (MT) as measured on May 1, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The PSA said in a report that rice stocks held by households fell 6.2% to 1.43 million MT. Inventories held by commercial warehouses fell 4% to 918,670 MT. 

Rice held by the National Food Authority (NFA) fell 24.2% to 241,130 MT.

“Of this month’s total inventory, 55.1% were in households, 35.5% in commercial warehouses/wholesalers/retailers, and 9.3% in NFA depositories,” the PSA said.

Month on month, PSA said rice stocks rose 5.8% from the 2.44 million recorded as of April 1. 

Household rice stocks fell 2.7% compared to April 1 levels, while inventories in commercial warehouses rose 24.5%.

NFA rice holdings fell 0.02% from the 241,170 MT posted on April 1.

Meanwhile, the PSA said the corn inventory as of May 1 fell 1.6% year on year to 826,730 MT.

Household corn stocks rose 81.3% to 285,020 MT. Inventories held by commercial warehouses fell 20.7% to 541,710 MT.

The NFA held no corn stocks during the period.

The PSA said the corn inventory rose 15.8% from 713,680 MT recorded a month earlier. 

Household corn stocks rose 10.4% compared with April 1 levels, while inventory in commercial warehouses rose 18.9%.  

“Of this month’s total corn stocks, 34.5% was held by households and 65.5% by commercial warehouses/wholesalers/retailers,” the PSA said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Human rights group recommends curbs on OFW recruitment fees

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

A UK-BASED human rights group has recommended that the Philippines curb recruitment fees for overseas Filipino workers (OFW), saying that such measures will make the process more fair and ethical.

“The Philippines has long had a reputation as being the origin country that offers the best protection for its nationals overseas, but it faces very little competition in this regard and its overseas workers continue to be subjected to unfair recruitment and serious abuses abroad,” FairSquare Co-Director Nicholas McGeehan said in a statement Wednesday.

The group also recommended that the Philippines establish an ethical recruitment framework governing licensing and regulation, pass a law to prohibit Philippine companies from selling the debt of migrant workers to foreign lenders, and open up recruiter licensing to new companies. 

The report noted that while recruitment agents in the Philippines are prohibited from charging placement fees for their services to domestic workers, seafarers, and overseas workers heading for countries where placement fees are also prohibited, other workers are charged placement fees equivalent to a month’s salary.

It claims agencies use “loopholes” to pass on recruitment expenses to workers by over-charging them for mandatory training, medical and accommodation costs, or by conspiring with lenders to charge the workers high interest rates on loans.

The report further alleges that the Philippine authorities “have done little to address” these loopholes. 

It also noted the introduction of a “hard-to-enter, easy-to-go” policy for agencies in 2002 which made it difficult for new applicants to be recruited, and easy for authorities to strip the licenses of those that have violated recruitment regulations.

However, the policy was described as having had the effect of “blocking new, ethical actors from entry, and prospective new agents are encouraged to buy pre-existing licenses, circumventing the entry requirements altogether.” 

The report looked into recruitment practices in Taiwan and the Philippines by interviewing more than 70 stakeholders and experts in those locations. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago 

LGUs urged to seize chance of greater autonomy with property valuation reform

THE REFORM of the real property valuation system will create new revenue sources for local government units and make them more autonomous by reducing their dependence on funding from the National Government, according to the Bureau of Local Government and Finance (BLGF).

BLGF Executive Director Niño Raymond B. Alvina made the statement before the Senate committees on Ways and Means, Local Government, and Finance which are considering three senate bills seeking to establish a standard valuation base for taxation.

Mr. Alvina noted that 60% of LGUs use outdated property valuations, adding that around 97 cities and 40 provinces are non-compliant with the requirement to revalue properties every three years.

When provinces use outdated Schedules of Market Values (SMVs), they forego up to P7.4 billion in real property taxes, Mr. Alvina said.

Cities miss out on about P23.077 in real property taxes when they use non-updated SMVs, he added.

“If fully enforced and properly administered, real property tax is a progressive and stable source of revenues to be shared with municipalities, barangays, and local school boards,” Mr. Alvina said.

He said real property taxes could generate as much as P30.5 billion in incremental revenue once the measure is approved.

“This reform would also ensure higher education fund collections. This will support the expanding needs and operations and demands of public schools in local government units (LGUs). We estimate that the increase in allocation for public school students, if this package three is realized, could potentially increase by 36%, which means more funds available for the public education sector,” he said.

Meanwhile, he allayed fears that the proposed measure will weaken the fiscal power of local governments.

Mr. Alvina said local authorities “would still be responsible for setting the values, the assessment, the imposition of tax rates and the preparation of annual budgets based on the projected revenues resulting from their decision in the assessment level and tax rate.”

“We want to emphasize that the measure will support local autonomy as we are helping the LGUs improve in key components in their property tax administration process,” he said. “Three of the four components in the overall property tax administration will remain part of the political function of the LGUs.”

“LGUs will continue to regulate and determine for themselves the tax rate and assessment levels, while the values are prepared by the accessors, subject to compliance review and then approved by the secretary of finance.”

The proposed measure is one of the last two packages of the administration’s comprehensive tax reform program. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Standard Chartered cuts PHL growth outlook, citing slow pickup in investment

STANDARD CHARTERED Bank lowered its growth forecast for the Philippines this year to 4.6%, citing the slow pace of the recovery in private investment as well as the delayed pickup in the government’s infrastructure program.

The new forecast is much lower than the 6.1% estimate it gave in January and is also below the government’s 6-7% target. Meanwhile, the bank expects growth of 6.6% in 2022.

“Private investment is likely to be very subdued given that most corporates are still at overcapacity and the demand outlook is very soft. That puts the onus on the government,” Chidu Narayanan, an economist for Asia at Standard Chartered, said.

Mr. Narayanan said the bank does not expect a substantial increase in infrastructure investment this year.

Philippine first quarter gross domestic product declined 4.2% after the record drop of 9.6% in 2020.

In the three months to March, capital formation, or the investment component of the economy, fell for a fifth straight quarter, declining 18.3%.

“We think the earliest that Build, Build, Build infrastructure will pick up substantially will be mid-third quarter. So sometime in August, is when we expect a pickup in infrastructure investment,” Mr. Narayanan said.

Consumption is also likely to remain muted in the second half, he said. Despite continued support from remittances and with middle-income workers able to work from home and continue earning income, Mr. Narayanan said cautious sentiment is preventing consumption from gaining traction.

Household spending, which makes up about 70% of the economy, continued to decline, falling 4.8% in the first quarter, which represented a slowdown in the contraction after a 7.3% fall in the fourth quarter.

Mr. Narayanan said the bank expects the central bank to maintain policy rates at record lows until the end of 2022 and to keep up support for the economy while economic activity remains muted. The bank expects the economy to return to pre-pandemic level output by the second half of 2022.

“I think it’s just way too early to be discussing (the central bank) normalizing policy. We will have to see a growth pick up… a return of activity to pre-COVID levels, labor market strengthening and the overall sentiment picking up substantially,” Mr. Narayanan said.

Central bank officials have promised to keep monetary policy loose until the recovery becomes more sustainable, which they expect to happen around the second half of 2022. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

National Gov’t seeking to fast-track acquisition of BARMM property outside region

PHILSTAR

PROPERTY OWNED by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) which is outside the region needs to be sold to the National Government as soon as possible to raise funds for BARMM projects, according to the Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB).

In a statement Thursday, the Department of Finance said the IGRB’s technical working group (TWG) has been ordered sell the assets of the former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao which are outside the territory of the BARMM.

“The TWG is tasked to find ways to speed up the disposition of the properties so that the proceeds of the sale can be used by the Bangsamoro government for the implementation of development projects in their region,” Finance Undersecretary Bayani H. Agabin was quoted as saying during the council’s meeting last month.

He said the group will conduct a study on assessing the property and resolving various outstanding issues.

The IGRB aims to help the Bangsamoro government achieve a smooth transition through regular meetings of BARMM officials with their counterparts in the National Government.

“These back-to-back meetings underscore the strong partnership and cooperation between the National Government and the Bangsamoro government to resolve issues on the implementation of the Bangsamoro Organic Law through regular consultation and continuing dialogue,” according to Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, who co-chairs the intergovernmental body.

During the meeting, the officials also discussed how the Southern Philippines Development Authority (SPDA) can be repurposed after finding overlapping functions with those of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).

The SPDA was established in 1975 to promote development and attract investment to the region.

MinDa was created in 1992 to “promote and coordinate the active participation of all sectors to effect the socio-economic development of Mindanao.”

BARMM was set up via Republic Act No. 11054 or the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, signed in July 2018. — Beatrice M. Laforga

PHL seen needing more investment in climate change projects to reduce vulnerability

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

VULNERABLE COUNTRIES in Asia and the Pacific such as the Philippines need to invest more in projects that make them more resilient against climate change, according to experts from the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP).

The Philippines is among the countries suffering the most from the pandemic, past financial crises, natural disasters and other climate-related shocks in the Asia-Pacific, Sweta Saxena, head of the Macroeconomic Policy and Financing for Development Division of ESCAP, said in an online forum arranged by the two organizations Thursday.

“The socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was amplified due to lack of resilience and investment in people and the planet. Continuity in policy support is a must and recovery policy packages should focus on building resilience and investing in the 2030 agenda,” she said.

After the region sustained around 450 shocks since the 1960s, the Asia-Pacific has succeeded in lowering the frequency of financial crises, but not much has been done to mitigate the impact of other shocks.

“However, the frequency of other things like natural disasters and pandemics have actually risen over time. All these shocks tend to have a big impact on these economies, and in social and environment aspects as well,” she said.

“These shocks are quite taxing on the economies because they leave long-term scars,” she added, citing reduced investments five years after the past financial crisis, higher inequality and lower environmental performance especially during natural disasters.

The Philippines is among the countries worst hit by natural disasters over the past two decades, based on the climate risk index, which according to John Beirne, research fellow at the ADBI, makes it more difficult for such countries to boost their resilience against climate change.

In the worst-case climate change scenario, Mr. Beirne said the Philippines is the most vulnerable country in Southeast Asia, with projected losses of 0.98% in output per capita by 2030.

The damage is expected to amount to 3.09% of gross domestic product per capita by 2050 and 8.46% by 2100.

Also on the vulnerable end of the table are Indonesia and Vietnam, while Cambodia will likely suffer the least.

The Asia-Pacific region’s progress in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 has also been lagging even before the pandemic reversed gains achieved by these countries.

ESCAP’s Ms. Saxena urged countries to undertake “ambitious spending” to offset the reverses, especially the least developed countries.

“Countries should do whatever it takes to safeguard sustainable development in times of crisis; having supportive macroeconomic policies and external financing alongside adequate social services, they could reduce the setbacks in incomes, human capital and environment,” she said.

The number of poor people will be reduced by 180 million in the long term, reducing inequality, bringing down carbon emissions by 30% and improving air quality, assuming the adoption of “ambitious spending” packages.

“If you invest in this kind of a package, that’s definitely going to be beneficial. By how much? It depends as the more sugar you put, the sweeter it’s going to be. However, the negative side is that it’s going to jack up debt levels in the region,” she added.

She estimated Asia-Pacific debt levels to be currently equivalent to 50% of the region’s total output, possibly rising to 75% in 2030 if governments boost their spending. — Beatrice M. Laforga

More Chinese ships may be dumping waste at sea

ANCHORED ships are creating Chlorophyll-a blooms at Union Banks. — SIMULARITY, INC.

CHINESE ships could also be dumping human wastes in other parts of the South China Sea claimed by the Philippines, US-based geospatial imagery firm Simularity, Inc. said on Thursday.

Simularity’s earlier report showing swarms of Chinese ships anchored in Philippine-claimed areas in the South China Sea dumping human waste only covered Union Banks, founder and Chief Executive Officer Liz Derr told a virtual forum hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.

“That was just for the 236 ships that we saw in Union Banks in June,” she said. “There are actually more ships in the Spratlys that I did not count, the ones in Gaven or Thitu.”

Ms. Derr noted that based on their calculations, 2,596 pounds or more than a ton of human wastes were being dumped around the Spratly and Paracel Islands daily.

She also asked Philippine authorities to validate their report. “I wholeheartedly encourage the government to validate our findings, question our findings, understand the science and see for themselves.”

She issued the call after Philippine authorities downplayed the firm’s report that human waste and wastewater have accumulated at Union Banks in the resource-rich Spratly Islands, where more than 200 Chinese ships have moored.

Ms. Derr said there are ways to address the issue that would not lead to an “international incident.”

Environment Undersecretary and spokesman Benny D. Antiporda on Wednesday downplayed the report, saying the image showed not waste discharge but most probably oil spill.

Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana also questioned the report, saying it was only based on multi-spectral satellite images.

“We’ve done this from space because that’s really all anybody can do right now because the area is really militarized,” Ms. Derr said.

She earlier said the raw sewage had led to the overgrowth of harmful algae in the disputed area, threatening marine life and damaging corals.

Mr. Lorenzana has said concerned agencies were verifying the report.

Meanwhile, a group of congressmen has filed a resolution calling on the House committees on aquaculture and foreign affairs to investigate the report.

“The constant dumping of human waste and sewage of vessels seriously destroys the reefs and marine life in the West Philippine Sea,” members of the Makabayan block said in the resolution, referring to areas of the sea within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

“This could lead to a decrease in food supply and could eventually result in a hunger crisis for the entire world since the West Philippine Sea is a source of food for migratory fish,” they added.

Senator Ralph G. Recto said he asked the government to verify the Simularity report and file charges in court if needed. He said  the government could not fine sidewalk litterers while turning a blind eye to this.

Mr. Recto noted that ships are barred by domestic and international laws from dumping their trash in the oceans.

Under Philippine laws, such are environmental crimes that carry a jail term and a hefty fine, he said. Even without these laws, decent human behavior commands civilized men not to turn rich fishing grounds into a “cesspool of feces,” he added.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. has branded the report as fake.

Simularity on Wednesday said its reports were not intended to be political. “But due to their topics and players involved, it’s easy to let emotions and other biases affect the way reports are interpreted,” it said in a statement.

Ms. Derr told a separate forum this week she could not immediately verify if the ships were from China, but said the Philippine Coast Guard had taken numerous photos of these ships since March “and they are clearly Chinese.”

“I can only say there is a very high probability that the ships in the images are Chinese,” she added. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Manila and nearby cities kept under general quarantine

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

MANILA and nearby cities would remain under a general lockdown until July 31, the presidential palace said on Thursday, after some cities in the capital region experienced a spike in coronavirus infections.

The capital region was under a general community quarantine “with some restrictions” before Thursday’s announcement.

Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Quezon, Batangas and Puerto Princesa would also be placed under a general quarantine, presidential spokesman Herminio “Harry” L. Roque, Jr. said in a statement.

Also placed under the same lockdown level were Baguio City, Apayao, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino.

At least 15 areas in the Mindanao region were also placed under a general quarantine. Cagayan, Laguna, Lucena City and Naga City were placed a general quarantine “with heightened restrictions,” Mr. Roque said.

Zamboanga del Sur, Davao City, Aklan, Bacolod City, Antique and Capiz were also placed under the same lockdown level.

Meanwhile, Bataan and Cagayan de Oro would be placed under a modified enhanced community quarantine until the end of the month, Mr. Roque said. Same goes for Davao Occidental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte and Butuan City.

Iloilo will be under the same lockdown level until July 22. “All other areas in the country will be placed under a modified general community quarantine,” Mr. Roque said.

The Department of Health (DoH) reported 5,221 coronavirus infections on Thursday, bringing the total to 1.49 million.

The death toll rose to 26,314 after 82 more patients died, while recoveries increased by 4,147 to 1.42 million, it said in a bulletin.

There were 45,495 active cases,91.4% of which were classified as mild, 2.1% were asymptomatic, 2.8% were severe, 1.96% were moderate and 1.7% were critical.

DoH said 13 duplicates had been removed from the tally, 10 of which were tagged as recoveries.

The agency said 52 recoveries had been reclassified as active cases and 46 recoveries were tagged as deaths. Four laboratories failed to submit data on July 13.

Also on Thursday, the Philippines took delivery of about 250,800 doses of the vaccine made by Moderna, Inc., according to the Bureau of Customs.

The government bought 194,400 doses, while private companies paid for the rest, Mr. Roque told a separate news briefing

He said about 1.1 million doses of the vaccine made by AstraZeneca Plc bought by local governments and the private sector would arrive on Friday.

The Philippines on Wednesday banned travelers from Indonesia, Asia’s new coronavirus epicenter, after it overtook India in daily infections.

The travel ban will be from July 16 to 31 and will cover passengers from Indonesia and those with travel history to Indonesia in the past 14 days, the palace said.

Passengers already in transit from Indonesia and who arrive before 12:01AM of July 16 will be allowed entry as long as they get quarantined for two weeks even if they test negative.

Pacquiao seeks probe of missing P10.4-B aid

EMMANUEL D. PACQUIAO — HENZBERG AUSTRIA/SENATE PRIB

Boxing champ and Senator Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao on Thursday sought an investigation of missing cash aid funds worth P10.4 billion allegedly due to corruption. 

The lawmaker filed Resolution 779 directing a Senate committee to probe the missing coronavirus funds allegedly released by the Social Welfare department for distribution through an electric wallet. 

Mr. Pacquiao questioned the agency’s deal with electronic money issuer Starpay Corp., noting that more than a million beneficiaries failed to get their financial assistance. 

Citing government records, Mr. Pacquiao said only half-a-million out of 1.8 million beneficiaries had managed to download the Starpay app.

“This means around 1.3 million projected beneficiaries were unable to download the said e-wallet application and therefore could not have electronically received through Starpay the subsidy amounting to Php10.4 billion earmarked for them,” he said. 

Mr. Pacquiao cited a need to look into the anomaly and “untangle the web of corruption” involving the government and Starpay. 

Starpay last week said it had liquidated the funds given to it and refunded P8.239 billion for unserved beneficiaries. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza 

July 20 a regular holiday for Muslim Feast of Sacrifice

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has declared July 20 as a regular holiday in observance of Eid’l Adha or the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice.

The declaration was based on the recommendation of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, the President said in Proclamation 1189.

The observance of Eid’l Adha will be “subject to existing community quarantine and social distancing measures,” according to a copy of the order.

Muslims make up about 6.01% of the Philippines’ total population, according to a 2017 report by the local statistics agency. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza