EV zero-tariff policy readied before end of term

April 28, 2022 | 8:18 pm

A ZERO-TARIFF policy for electric vehicle (EV) imports is targeted for approval before the current government leaves office, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said during the launch of SM Supermalls’ free EV charging stations at the SM Aura Premier on Thursday that the DTI’s proposal to lower the tariff on EV imports to 0% from 30% was approved by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, with the proposal now being heard by the Tariff Commission (TC).

“We’re just undergoing the process now of the usual hearings in the TC so that we can formalize the reduction from 30% to 0%. And then it will pass through the Committee on Tariff and Trade Related Matters,” Mr. Lopez said.

He is hoping for approval before June 30, the day the President’s term ends.

The DTI, in March, announced the zero-tariff policy for EVs, pitching it as a counter to rising fuel prices and promote the vehicles’ widespread adoption.

“The EV industry will be happy with this. Distributors (will) lower the price of EVs and encourage the use of these. Hopefully, the streets of the Philippines (will) have more EVs,” Mr. Lopez said.

Mr. Lopez said broader adoption will result in the construction of more charging stations, making local manufacturing of EVs more feasible.

He estimated a charging station to cost between P1 and P2 million.

Mr. Lopez said the effort to build an EV market will gain traction due to the recent passage of Republic Act No. 11697, or the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act.

The new law requires companies, public transport operators, and government units maintain vehicle fleets that include at least 5% EVs.

Mr. Lopez said that the DTI is also considering the allocation of part of the fiscal support for the P27-billion Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) program to local EV manufacturing.

“Remember, the CARS program has 2 participants. There are supposed to be three participants. The remaining budget for that, hopefully, we can channel it into the development for the manufacturing of EVs as well,” Mr. Lopez said.

“That’s about P9 billion per company (worth) of support. The third one we can allocate to the third participant in the CARS program. It’s still a draft executive order I’d like to present to the President. Hopefully it can be passed by the President (before he steps down),” he added.

The two manufacturers participating in the CARS program are Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMP) and Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. (MMPC).

The program provides fiscal support for the domestic production of at least 200,000 units within six years.

Under the program, TMP produces the Vios compact car while MMPC manufactures the competing Mirage. The deadline for MMPC to meet the Mirage quota is 2023 while TMP has until 2024 to produce the required volume of Vios cars. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

AFP, PNP supplier wary of PHL policy shifts as government turns over

April 28, 2022 | 8:16 pm

AN Indian maker of body armor and military electro-optic devices said on Thursday that its main challenge in deciding to manufacture in the Philippines is the policy uncertainty accompanying the imminent change of government.

“The challenge in building a facility here in the Philippines is continuity. An administration only has six years. A President may come and go shortly,” according to Anton Chan, Jr., local representative of MKU Ltd., an Indian defense contractor, speaking at a briefing.

“Any investor would require continuity and return on investment,” he said, citing previous incidents like the cancellation of a UK armored vehicle contract.

“Aside from continuity, developing the supply chain is also an issue here,” according to Manish Khandelwal, a director at MKU. “These are the two issues that prevent us from putting up a manufacturing site here.”

“Supply chain challenges may involve small components, including the delivery of materials and products.”

The company remains interested in exploring opportunities in the Philippines, he said.

“We want to invest in the Philippine defense (industry) to boost its capability,” Mr. Khandelwal said, noting that the company is willing to respond to the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ needs and help the defense establishment achieve its long-term goals “That’s one of our commitments to the market.”

In 2017, the company supplied the Philippines with helmets that were used in operations in the southern Philippines.

MKU has exported body armor and night vision devices to the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police (PNP) via the government’s international procurement arm, the Philippine International Trading Corp.

Mr. Chan said that the company would only set up a manufacturing site in the Philippines under a joint venture agreement with the government.

“The Philippines in the near future might not be interested in investing in or pursuing joint venture agreements because the world will be flooded with equipment,” said security and defense consultant Jose Antonio Custodio, citing the increased demand and production resulting from the war between Russia and Ukraine.

“We are likely to buy surplus defense equipment because production across the world has increased due to recent events.”

He said Philippine defense spending has historically been “driven by fiscal policy, not political priorities.”

“The government cannot increase its defense spending when it doesn’t have the budget to do so,” he said in a Messenger call.

Mr. Custodio said the government needs to smooth out inefficiencies in procurement to attract investment.

He said the government needs to host an industry summit to lay out its defense procurement plans.

“In that sense, the government can create a roadmap which would allow continuity of defense programs.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

FIRB stands firm on ecozone onsite work

April 28, 2022 | 8:16 pm

Anflo-ecozone-100919 — ANFLOINDUSTRIALESTATE.COM

THE Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) said it will continue to require registered business enterprises (RBEs), including information technology–business process management (IT-BPM) firms, to make their employees work onsite.

Finance Assistant Secretary Juvy C. Danofrata, who also heads the FIRB Secretariat, said in a statement on Thursday that the work-from-home (WFH) arrangement previously enjoyed by RBEs was a time-bound measure that expired when quarantine conditions eased.

“Given the increasing vaccination rate of Filipinos nationwide, we can now undertake safety measures for the physical reporting of employees. In fact, the President has ordered all government agencies and instrumentalities to adhere to the 100% on-site workforce rule allowed by Alert Level 1,” Ms. Danofrata said.

“The government has exercised significant caution in balancing the economy’s needs and the health requirements to address concerns the pandemic caused. However, we believe that the current situation allows us to direct our policies towards fully reopening the economy,” she added.

Under FIRB Resolution 19-21, registered IT-BPM companies can implement WFH arrangements for up to 90% of their workforce while still enjoying tax incentives. However, the resolution expired on April 1, with employees having since been directed to return to onsite work.

According to Ms. Danofrata, the FIRB was taking in requests for the continued adoption of flexible or off-site work arrangements for the IT-BPM sector while still enjoying their tax breaks. She said tax breaks are a privilege of RBEs operating in special economic zones or freeports.

She said registered projects or activities should be done within the geographical boundaries of the economic zone (ecozones) or freeports to be entitled to fiscal incentives, as provided under the National Internal Revenue Code as amended by Republic Act No. 11534 or the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act.

Ms. Danofrata said tax incentives are given to priority projects or activities located within ecozones and freeports, which were established to promote export activity and allow the free flow of goods and services, including IT-BPM services, within the zones.

“Under the law, allowing companies to have their activities be conducted from their homes or anywhere outside the zone territory while enjoying their tax incentives is in utter disregard and violation of the aforementioned provision of law,” Ms. Danofrata said.

Recently, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority announced that it is allowing registered firms to conduct a 70% on-site and 30% WFH arrangements in the face of the government’s return to office order.

Asked to comment, Alliance of Call Center Workers Co-Convenor Emman D. David said via chat that the government should revert to full WFH arrangements amid the detection of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12 in the country.

“With the emergence of the COVID-19 BA.2.12 Omicron sub-variant, we implore the government to restore the full work-from-home setup as it existed before the expiration of FIRB Resolution 19-21. This would mitigate the spread of the virus and protect citizens from illness and possible death,” Mr. David said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Liberalization bills seen producing spate of SEC foreign ownership rulings

April 28, 2022 | 8:16 pm

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is expected to expedite rulings involving companies with foreign ownership cases, following the passage of three laws liberalizing foreign participation in various industries.

“With the signing of the amendments of the Foreign Investments Act (FIA), the Public Service Act (PSA), and the Retail Trade Liberalization Act (RTLA), the regulatory body may now quickly resolve pending cases, a move that will help the Philippines hasten its recovery from the pandemic,” former SEC Secretary Gerard M. Lukban said in a statement.

“Instituting these game-changing reforms is a step in the right direction. Now more than ever, it is imperative to further liberalize the Philippine economy and open its doors to foreign investment to spur economic growth amid the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte recently signed into law the three measures designed to further open up the economy to foreign investors.

Republic Act (RA) No. 11647, which amended the Foreign Investments Act of 1991, eases foreign ownership rules for most retail companies except for micro and small market enterprises with paid-in capital of up to $200,000.

RA No. 11595, which amended the Retail Trade Liberalization Act of 2000, lowers the minimum paid-up capital for foreign retailers to P25 million and the minimum investment requirement to P10 million per store.

In March, Mr. Duterte signed Republic Act (RA) No. 11659, which amended the Public Service Act to allow 100% foreign ownership in many industries, the main exceptions being entities engaged in the transmission and distribution of electricity, water pipeline and sewerage companies, seaports, petroleum pipelines, and public utility vehicles.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) estimates that the Philippines took in a record foreign direct investment (FDI) of $10.3 billion in 2021.

With the amendment, Mr. Lukban said he expects FDI to surge, aiding the Philippines in its recovery from the pandemic.

He also said that the favorable resolution of pending cases complements the amended laws and will further bolster the Philippines’ image as a new investment destination.

“Foreign investors were previously cautious (about entering) the Philippines because of the old and antiquated laws, which made it hard for us to attract larger investments. Resolving pending cases swiftly will allow us to show investors that the Philippines is now a haven for foreign investments,” Mr. Lukban said.

“Allowing more players to jump-start their business in our country, as evidenced by the record-high improvement in investor sentiment, can help drive our economic recovery. The implementation of easier restrictions on foreign entrants will lead to the creation of more jobs and unlock more opportunities, ultimately leading to higher income and spending power of households,” he added. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

Customs warehouse raid yields P800 million in fake goods

April 28, 2022 | 8:16 pm

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) said on Thursday that it seized counterfeit goods apparently intended for used-clothing markets, valued at P800 million from a warehouse in Valenzuela City.

The BoC said the raid occurred on Monday at a warehouse on Omega Street in Valenzuela City, and involved personnel from the BoC’s Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Intellectual Property Rights Division (CIIS-IPRD), the Port of Manila, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

In the warehouse, the team found counterfeit goods bearing brands including Mickey Mouse, Tribal, Jag, Nike, Adidas, Jordan, Honda, Dior, and Louis Vuitton, among others.

The bureau said an investigation is now underway for possible violations of Republic Act 4653, which prohibits the import of used clothing and rags, and The Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, or Republic Act 8293, which deals with the violations of copyright.

The BoC also noted the possibility of violations of the Consumer Act of the Philippines, or Republic Act 7394, and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, or Republic Act 10863.

Separately, the BoC said also on Thursday that it seized on April 6 a shipment containing P3.4 million worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride, known by the street name “shabu.” The shipment, originating from South Korea, was labeled as containing “diaper bags.”

The operation was carried out by Customs port personnel, in coordination with the Customs Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force (CAIDTF), Enforcement Security Service, CIIS, X-ray Inspection Project, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

The team discovered five packs that contained crystal-like substances hidden inside a backpack and the linings of thermal bags, the BoC said. A later field test by CAIDTF and PDEA would confirm the chemical composition of the powdered substance, making the case a possible violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002.

The bureau has seized P3.89 billion in smuggled goods as of the end of March, with P1.52 billion worth of illegal drugs were seized over the same period.

The BoC collected P188.50 billion in the first quarter of 2022, exceeding its goal by 17.73%. The BoC’s target for 2022 is P671.66 billion. — Tobias Jared Tomas

Philippines spots 44 contacts of BA.2.12 patient

April 28, 2022 | 8:04 pm

vaccination — PHILIPPINE STAR/ RUSSELL PALMA

PHILIPPINE health authorities have identified at least 44 people who had close contact with a Finnish visitor who tested positive for an Omicron mutation of the coronavirus.

Among them were 30 co-passengers on her flight to the Philippines, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told the ABS-CBN News Channel on Thursday. All of them were being monitored for the BA.2.12 Omicron subvariant, while some have tested negative.

The Department of Health (DoH) on Wednesday said the Finnish woman, 52, experienced mild symptoms nine days after arriving on April 2. She had not been isolated because she was fully vaccinated and did not show symptoms when she arrived.

The woman traveled to a university in Quezon City and to Baguio City to conduct seminars before recovering and returning to Finland on April 21.

The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) has flagged the sublineage of the Omicron variant, which has been detected in a growing number of patients in the US.

“Most of them were fully vaccinated,” Ms. Vergeire said of the close contacts. “Some were tested and were negative. Nobody is experiencing symptoms as of this time.”

The BA.2.12 Omicron subvariant makes up majority of coronavirus cases in the US, DoH said, citing data from the CDC.

DoH noted that of 132 local samples recently sequenced, 63% or 83 were Omicron. The samples came from 10 regions and the Finnish who tested positive for the BA.2.12 subvariant.

The woman could either have been infected on her way to the Philippines or when she arrived, Ms. Vergeire said.

“There’s 14-day incubation of the virus. She might have gotten that during her travel. She arrived here on April 2, she had symptoms on April 10, the ninth day of her infection,” she added.

Meanwhile, Party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha Co urged the government to set higher requirements for vaccinations.

“The DoH and Inter-Agency Task Force should raise the minimum for fully vaccinated status to having the booster shot, not just the primary dosage,” she said in a statement. “By the end of July or three months from now, the definition of fully vaccinated status should be adjusted to having the second booster shot.”

Second booster shots should be made available to everyone to swiftly respond to the risk of another surge, Ms. Co said.

More than 67 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, about 13 million of whom had also been injected with booster shots, according to DoH.

The Philippines might experience another surge in coronavirus infections by May or June, similar to what other countries are experiencing now, OCTA Research Group fellow Fredegusto P. David told a virtual town meeting on Monday.

The Philippines on Monday started giving out second booster shots against the coronavirus to seriously ill people.

Among those eligible for the shots are people with weak immune systems, those living with HIV, cancer, transplant and bedridden patients, and the terminally ill, the Department of Health (DoH) said in a statement.

A COVID-19 outbreak could happen among unvaccinated Filipinos, said Teodoro J. Herbosa, an adviser at the National Task Force Against COVID-19.

OCTA President Ranjit S. Rye, citing a poll they conducted on March 5 to 10, said 77% of Filipinos were willing to get their booster shots, while 23% were unsure.

He added that 53% of those who were unsure felt that booster shots are safe, while 35% thought these are not needed.

Only certain areas in the capital region were ready to roll out the second booster shots, the Health department said on Monday.

Members of the vulnerable sector should get a vaccine brand that is different from their earlier shots for more protection, according to Nina Gloriani, who heads the government’s vaccine expert panel.

The second booster vaccine should be injected three months after the first, the Health department said earlier.

The government would soon give out a second booster for seniors and health workers to boost protection, said Ms. Gloriani, who heads the government’s Vaccine Expert Panel.

An independent advisory body of DoH would probably release its recommendations on the use of second booster shots for these categories this week.

Ms. Gloriani said they don’t expect any problems about safety.

Some medical frontliners and senior citizens this week wrongly received second booster shots at a hospital in Metro Manila even if the initial rollout was supposed to be limited to people with a weak immune system. — Norman P. Aquino and Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Marcos to skip last Comelec debate, says spokesman

April 28, 2022 | 8:03 pm

Presidential-debates-2022 — PHILIPPINE STAR/ MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

FORMER Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. is skipping the last official presidential debate on May 1 and would instead focus on his campaign before the May 9 election, his spokesman said on Thursday.

The son and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos thinks the Commission on Elections (Comelec) event is important.

“He opted, however, to conclude the entire 90-day campaign period with visits to his supporters and compliances with previous commitments for political events, like town hall meetings and political rallies,” his spokesman Victor D. Rodriguez said in a statement.

Mr. Marcos, who is the frontrunner in presidential opinion polls, skipped the first two Comelec-sponsored debates on March 19 and April 3.

Meanwhile, farmers from Sumilao, Bukidnon in southern Philippines reached the capital region on Thursday after a 40-day march in support of Vice-President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo’s presidential bid.

The farmers arrived in Parañaque City, where they were welcomed by Ms. Robredo’s eldest daughter Aika.

“Our family sincerely thanks you for fighting and marching again, which we did not expect,” she said in Filipino, based on a video posted on Facebook.

This was not the first time that the farmers from Sumilao marched to Metro Manila. They marched to the presidential palace in 2007 along with Ms. Robredo, who was their lawyer at the time, in their fight for ancestral lands.

They marched again almost a decade later to support Ms. Robredo’s vice-presidential run in 2016.

Ms. Robredo lawyered for the poor before becoming a congresswoman.

“She did not only help Sumilao as a lawyer,” farmer Bajekjek Orquillas said in Filipino. “We still need her so she can help other farmers like us.

Ms. Robredo has vowed to double the annual budget of the agriculture sector to least P116 billion in the first year of her presidency. — Norman P. Aquino

Drug suspect takes back allegations vs top Duterte critic

April 28, 2022 | 8:02 pm

SELF-CONFESSED drug lord Kerwin Espinosa has recanted his allegations against detained Senator Leila M. de Lima, who has been in jail since Feb. 2017 on drug trafficking charges, according to his lawyer.

Mr. Espinosa submitted an affidavit to the Justice department on Thursday, lawyer Raymund Palad told reporters in Viber message on Thursday. He took back whatever statements that implicated Senator de Lima in the illegal drug trade, he added.

“Any statement I made against the senator is false and was the result only of pressure, coercion, intimidation and serious threats to my life and family members,” Mr. Espinosa said, according to a copy of a counter-affidavit sent to reporters.

Mr. Palad said Mr. Espinosa signed the affidavit on Wednesday. He and his client also attended a Zoom meeting with the DoJ on Thursday, during which he affirmed the contents of the document under oath.

Espinosa said police had coerced him to implicate Ms. De Lima, one of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s most outspoken critics, during Senate hearings investigating the illegal drug trade inside the national jail when the senator was still Justice secretary.

Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said he was not aware of the matter, adding that government prosecutors were verifying the report.

“Espinosa’s affidavit only proves the length the current administration has gone to fabricate testimonies and evidence against Senator de Lima,” her lawyer Filibon F. Tacardon said in a statement.

“We hope that other witnesses will also come out and confess how they were intimidated, coerced and bribed into making false testimonies against the good senator and if possible, name those who actively participated in coercing them to come up with such ridiculous narratives,” he added.

“Senator Leila should be freed, now that Kerwin Espinosa has taken back his allegations against her,” Senator Francis N. Pangilinan said in a statement in Filipino. “Senator Leila’s imprisonment for more than five years is a big slap on the face of justice.” — NPA and JVDO

Expect blackouts during and after elections — ICSC

April 28, 2022 | 8:01 pm

THE PHILIPPINES could experience power failures during and after the elections on May 9 due to the forced shutdowns of baseload coal power plants, according to a nongovernment group.

In a statement, the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) on Thursday said there could be a 1,335-megawatt (MW) deficit in the national power supply in the second quarter that would spur rotating blackouts, higher power rates in the Luzon grid and a red alert status.

The approved grid operating and maintenance program had not been followed due to unplanned shutdowns, institute chief data scientist Jephraim C. Manansala said.

“Coal plants are not allowed to have planned and scheduled outages from March 26 until June 2022, according to the approved grid operating and maintenance program 2022-2024,” the group said. “However, 12 out of 23 coal plants in Luzon have experienced shutdowns after March 25, and two were still down as of yesterday.”

Four coal plants have exceeded the annual planned and unplanned outages allowed by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

The ICSC said the four coal plants that have exceeded ERC’s limit include Semirara Mining and Power Corp.’s Calaca Unit 2 in Batangas, South Luzon Thermal Energy Corp.’s Unit 1 and Unit 2 and Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp.’s Unit 2.

It also said Aboitiz Power Corp.’s GNPower Dinginin Unit 1, the newest coal-fired plant to be added to the Luzon grid, had also experienced multiple forced power failures.

“If these coal plants continue to experience unplanned shutdowns in the following weeks, the possibility of blackouts during the elections will be much greater as we predicted last February,” Mr. Manansala said.

Institute Senior Policy Advisor Pedro H. Maniego, Jr. cited the need to look at the country’s power situation beyond the election period.

“We have to look at the power situation beyond the elections and come up with solutions to modernize the grid in the long run,” he said. “The next step towards an energy system that is affordable, reliable, and secure for all Filipinos is to immediately remove pasa load from electric bills and reduce our reliance on imported fossil fuels.”

In a separate statement, the Philippine Independent Power Producers Association, Inc. urged all power industry players to work together to prevent the effects of a thin power reserve margin in May and June.

The group said there are over 1000 MW of stranded capacity in Bataan and Pagbilao, Quezon due to transmission line limitations, and stranded capacity in Cebu, Negros and Panay that can also be used.

“We emphasize that the supply and demand shocks expected this summer can be alleviated by greater interconnection of different power production areas to demand centers,” it added. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Comelec asks Duterte to declare May 9 as special non-working holiday

April 28, 2022 | 7:30 pm

THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) has asked President Rodrigo R. Duterte to declare May 9 as a special non-working holiday to ensure full participation in this year’s national and local elections, according to its chairman.

“We signed Resolution No. 10784 requesting President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to declare May 9, 2022, as a special non-working holiday all throughout the country in connection with the national and local elections signed by the Commission en banc,” Comelec Chairman Saidamen B. Pangarungan told a press briefing on Thursday live-streamed on the Comelec Facebook page.

“There is a need to declare May 9, 2022, as a special non-working holiday to afford the registered voters the fullest opportunity to participate in the said election and exercise their right to vote,” reads part of the resolution dated April 27.

There are about 65.7 million locally registered voters and 1.69 million overseas voters for this year’s elections.

Local absentee voting for those who will be rendering service on election day started Wednesday and will end on April 29.

About 84,000 government workers, soldiers, and members of the media will be allowed to cast their ballots during this early voting period.

Election Commissioner Aimee P. Ferolino, who heads the Comelec’s packing and shipping committee, told the same briefing that 48% of official ballots and 96.4% of vote-counting machines have been delivered to the agency’s regional hubs.

The election body finished printing all 67.4 million ballots for local distribution on April 2 while local absentee ballots started deployment on April 13.

Comelec will destroy defective ballots in front of members of the media, and representatives of political parties, among other groups on May 7, Comelec Commissioner Marlon S. Casquejo said during the briefing.

Meanwhile, the pending cases seeking to disqualify former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. on appeal with the en banc will likely be resolved early next week, Mr. Pangarungan said.

The election body has yet to resolve appeals seeking to overturn decisions allowing Mr. Marcos to run for president. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Agriculture programs get exemption from election spending ban

April 28, 2022 | 7:30 pm

THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday announced that it granted several agriculture-related programs exemption from the spending ban on government projects.

“The commission, after evaluating the submission of the petitioner, hereby grants the said projects, programs, and activities subject to submission of the amount to be disbursed during the 45-day ban which shall be the proportional amount required for the covered period as against the annual budget,” Comelec said in a resolution.

Philippine law requires a state spending ban during an election period. It is in effect this year from March 25 to May 8 for the May 9 national and local elections.

The Department of Agriculture (DA), through Secretary William D. Dar, petitioned on March 23 that it be granted a certificate of exception for the release of funds for the following programs: Rice Farmers Financial Assistance; Fuel Discount to Farmers and Fisherfolk; Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund; National Rice Program; Seed, Fertilizer, Machinery and Equipment Distribution; National Corn Program; and Special Area for Agricultural Development Program.

The Comelec directed the agriculture department to put in place safeguards to ensure that the cash aid distribution for these programs are not used for electioneering.

In a separate resolution, the Comelec also granted the petition by the Philippine Rice Research Institute, an attached agency of the DA.

On March 15, PhilRice requested the exemption of the following activities from the election spending ban: distribution of high-quality inbred rice seeds and information materials nationwide; establishment of rice technology demonstration trials; and the conduct of farmers’ field days or field walks.

The commission said the program “deserves continuity, not to disrupt the supply of rice in the country, and at the same time protect our national food security.”

The Comelec also noted that irrigation projects are exempted from the scope of the ban. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

3 locals, 1 Austrian tourist die in Bohol bridge collapse

April 28, 2022 | 7:30 pm

Loaybridgecollapse-PHL-COAST-GUARD — PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD/ EDSEL GONZAGA

THREE Filipino residents and an Austrian tourist died after the old Clarin Bridge, also referred to as Loay Bridge, in Bohol collapsed on Wednesday afternoon.

Governor Art C. Yap, in a live-streamed briefing late Wednesday, confirmed the number of casualties and reported that 20 others were rescued.

At least 12 vehicles that fell into the Loboc River when the bridge collapsed were found while three others recorded on a CCTV camera crossing the bridge have yet to be located, said Mr. Yap.

Search operations by diving teams were set to resume Thursday mid-morning.

Mr. Yap said responders had to call off operations after conducting three sets of rescue dives due to strong rain and currents, and murky water with visibility at just one to two feet.

The diving teams were composed of members of the Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection, local emergency responders under the TARSIER 117, and the private diving group in Panglao.

Of the 12 vehicles that fell, one was a dump truck, six were four-wheel cars, three tricycles, and two motorbikes.

The bridge, built in the 1970s, was reinforced after being affected during the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Bohol in 2013.

Construction for a new bridge started in 2018 and was scheduled to be opened within the first half of this year.

“The new bridge is being rushed… weather permitting, in two to three days it will be made passable,” Mr. Yap said.

The governor said an inquiry on the incident will be conducted. — MSJ