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Pope Francis appoints more women to Vatican posts

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis has appointed two women to Vatican posts previously held only by men, in back-to-back moves giving women more empowerment in the male-dominated Holy See.

He appointed Nathalie Becquart, a French member of the Xaviere Missionary Sisters, on Saturday as co-undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops, a department that prepares major meetings of world bishops held every few years on a different topic.

The previous day, Pope Francis named Italian magistrate Catia Summaria as the first woman Promoter of Justice in the Vatican’s Court of Appeals.

Becquart’s position, effectively a joint number two spot, will give her the right to vote in the all-male assemblies, something many women and some bishops have called for. She is 52, relatively young by Vatican standards.

Women have participated as observers and consultants in past synods but only “synod fathers”, including bishops and specially appointed or elected male representatives, could vote on final documents sent to the pope.

During a synod in 2018, more than 10,000 people signed a petition demanding that women get the vote.

“A door has been opened. We will see what other steps could be taken in the future,” Cardinal Mario Grech, the synod’s secretary-general, told the official Vatican News website.

While upholding the Church’s tradition barring female priests, Pope Francis has set up commissions to study the history of women deacons in the early centuries of the Catholic Church, responding to calls by women that they be allowed to take up the role today.

Last year, in one fell swoop, Pope Francis appointed six women to senior roles in the council that oversees Vatican finances.

He has also appointed women to the posts of deputy foreign minister, director of the Vatican Museums and deputy head of the Vatican Press Office. – Reuters

House proposes P420B for Bayanihan III stimulus

LEGISLATORS at the House of Representatives proposed a third stimulus worth P420 billion, which would be the largest of the Bayanihan series of stimulus packages if passed.

Speaker Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco and Marikina City 2nd District Representative Stella Luz A. Quimbo filed House Bill (HB) No. 8628, which if passed will be known as the Bayanihan to Arise as One Act (Bayanihan III).

They said the first two Bayanihan laws were insufficient to resuscitate the economy after the pandemic.

The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan I) was signed in March and authorized the President to repurpose about P275 billion worth of budget items to pandemic-containment programs. The Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan II) was signed in September and allocated up to P165 billion to revive the economy.

Legislators typically propose large stimulus packages at the bill-writing stage, with the total whittled down as government economic managers provide their input on the resources available to the government.   

In a statement, Mr. Velasco said Bayanihan III will help the economy gain momentum as it gradually reopens after the lockdowns of 2020. He added the two earlier Bayanihan laws were “not sufficient” to effect a recovery.

“Given that actual economic output in 2020 was far below what was assumed for budget purposes, and further losses may still be incurred as the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to prevail well into the current fiscal year, an additional economic stimulus package is needed to help the government meet its recovery targets for the year,” he said.

The P420-billion economic recovery package includes P108 billion for social amelioration program assistance to families affected by the pandemic; P100 billion for capacity-building among establishments in critically-impacted industries; P70 billion in capacity-building for workers in the agriculture sector; and P52 billion for subsidies to help small businesses meet their obligations to employees.

The stimulus bill also includes P30 billion for the labor department’s programs for the unemployed; P30 billion for internet expenses for educational institutions; and P5 billion for the rehabilitation of typhoon-affected areas.

Mr. Velasco said most of the House supports the measure.

“So far, 115 members of major political parties and power blocs comprising the supermajority in the House of Representatives have expressed their support and signified their intent to co-author HB 8628.” — Gillian  M. Cortez

DENR shuts down LGU-run open dumpsite in Pampanga

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said that it shut down a four-hectare open dumpsite managed by the municipal government of Sta. Ana, Pampanga.

In a statement issued over the weekend, the DENR said its Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in Region 3, along with the Philippine National Police-Maritime Group and Sta. Ana Municipal Police Station, issued the cease-and-desist order against the dumpsite in Barangay San Nicolas, Sta. Ana.

The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 defines open dumpsites as those into which solid waste is deposited without planning and consideration for environmental and health standards. They are illegal to establish or operate.

The EMB also directed the Sta. Ana municipal Environment & Natural Resources Office to submit a safe closure and rehabilitation plan in a week’s time.

The open dumpsite in Sta. Ana, according to DENR Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and Local Government Units Concerns Benny D. Antiporda, was on land classified for farming.

“You can see napakaganda po ng ating kabukiran then lalagyan mo ng basurahan sa gitna, malalason po ang tubig sa ilalim ng lupang ito kung kaya’t kailangang ma-safe closure and rehab ito (The beauty of the fields is spoiled by the dumping of garbage, which also risks poisoning the groundwater. That is why the site needs to be closed for safety reasons and rehabilitated),” Mr. Antiporda was quoted as saying in the statement.

Last month, Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu ordered Mr. Antiporda and the department’s regional offices to close all dumpsites by the end of March. — Angelica Y. Yang

Mindanao summit to push for rationalized infrastructure projects, dev’t programs

THE Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) said stakeholders in the southern island’s development will meet in an online summit on Feb. 10 to propose the rationalization of big-ticket infrastructure projects in the last full year of the government’s term.

Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol, MinDA chairman, said the Mindanao Speaks Up forum will tackle the progress of the Mindanao Railway, Marawi City’s rehabilitation, and the Samal-Davao bridge.

“The Marawi Rehabilitation Project is under the Task Force Bangon Marawi, the Mindanao Railway is handled by the Department of Transportation while the Davao City-Samal Bridge is a flagship project of the Department of Public Works and Highways. Of these three, the Mindanao Railway Project has raised great expectations from the people of the region as it promises convenient and easy movement of people and goods. The project, however, has not only suffered delays but also revision in the design,” Mr. Piñol said.

MinDA Deputy Executive Director Romeo M. Montenegro, in an interview, said the summit will tackle how the projects will raise productivity, sustain the gains of the peace process, and trigger recovery from the pandemic.

“It also seeks to promote collaboration among leaders to ensure the realization of the identified priority proposals under the first Mindanawon Presidency,” MinDA said in a statement, referring to the Davao origins of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

Expected to join the forum organized by MinDA are representatives from the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, Southern Philippines Development Authority, and the Regional Development Committee – Mindanao Area. — Maya M. Padillo

Fintechs challenged by PHL attachment to cash

THE continued preference for cash is proving to be a major hurdle for financial technology (fintech) companies, as they seek to build trust in their platforms’ security while spreading awareness of the advantages to using their offerings during the pandemic, industry representatives said.

“We know that we are dealing with a market that still chooses to pay in cash. There are a lot of security concerns on digital payments and awareness of e-payment platforms remains low,” Xendit Philippines Managing Director Yang Yang Zhang said at a virtual briefing Friday.

In 2018, online payments accounted for 10% of the total volume of transactions, up from 1% in 2013, according to estimates provided by the United Nations-affiliated Better Than Cash Alliance. By value, such payments made up 20% of the total in 2018, from 8% in 2013.

The central bank is promoting a transition to a so-called a cash-lite society by 2023, in which e-payments will make up 50% of the total volume and value of transactions.

Ms. Zhang said her Indonesia-headquartered fintech, which provides payments infrastructure for both merchants and consumers, processed 65 million transactions per year, or about 5 million each month.

“I think that it is exciting to see the Philippines starting to comprise a growing percentage of that number as well,” she said.

Ms. Zhang said opportunities in the Philippine fintech sector are abundant because of the “friendly” regulatory environment, allowing for “more disruptive, more interesting solutions that could be built here than anywhere else in the region.”

This year, Ms. Zhang said the company hopes to expand its network of banks and retail outlets linked to its platforms.

“We want to make sure that we are building experiences that are intuitive and easy enough that more Filipinos can transition to more digital payments painlessly,” Ms. Zhang said.

Xendit Philippines has a partnership with credit app BillEase, with Xendit serving as a channel to facilitate installment payments directly from consumers’ bank accounts, BillEase CEO Georg Steiger said.

He added that fintechs hope to relieve Filipinos from the burden of having to turn to predatory lenders.

“I think the best way to end (predatory lending) is to ensure better options are available. Any crackdown will only just basically push this stuff to darker corners of the market, and if it’s not online then it will be offline,” Mr. Steiger said, noting so-called five-six lending schemes have long predated online lending and are entrenched.

He said the national ID and the availability of more information sources will help both consumers and lenders bridge the credit data gap. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

Regulator notifies 81 utilities of potential violations in second half of 2020

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said Friday that it asked 81 utilities to explain potential violations since July, as measured from the issuance of so-called show-cause orders (SCOs).

“There were 81 SCOs issued. From the 81 SCOs, we received 22 explanations and we are still awaiting 59 from DUs (distribution utilities),” ERC Commissioner-In-Charge Floresinda G. Baldo-Digal told BusinessWorld in a mobile message Friday.

She added that the explanations and supporting documents were being evaluated by the ERC’s staff.

She said the violations include unauthorized increases of electricity prices.

“We are targeting that all 81 (cases) will be closed or completed evaluation by May 2021,” she said.

In July, Ms. Baldo-Digal told a House of Representatives committee meeting that the ERC had initially evaluated 50,000 consumer complaints on the spike in electricity bills. — Angelica Y. Yang

DBP expresses interest in financing landfills

THE Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has expressed interest in lending to support sanitary landfill projects at local government level, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said in a statement over the weekend.

The DENR said the DBP will serve as its “partner” in addressing the garbage disposal problem, in the wake of a Friday virtual meeting between the DENR and DBP officials.

During the meeting, DENR Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and Local Government Units Concerns Benny D. Antiporda proposed a private-public partnership (PPP) approach in the building of sanitary landfills (SLFs) nationwide.

The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 defines a sanitary landfill as a waste disposal site in which significant environmental impacts are controlled.

“The establishment of 300 SLFs used to be an impossible dream. But with DBP, I know it will not be impossible,” Antiporda was quoted as saying. 

DBP Lending Program Management Group Head Paul D. Lazaro said that the DBP is open to considering a PPP arrangement since it has the capacity to “finance the local government and private sectors.”

“We are looking forward to a collaboration with the DENR because… DBP is very much involved in the different projects of the DENR,” he said in a statement.

DBP Program Development and Management Department Head Rustico Noli D. Cruz said the bank could provide financing solutions to SLF operators through its Green Financing Program (GFP).

Cruz was quoted as saying that the GFP was the bank’s umbrella program for climate change-related and environmental projects, including solid and hazardous waste management.

Separately, the DENR announced the establishment of the Coalition on Solid Waste Management Providers, which was created to accelerate partnerships with the department and identify areas where SLFs can be built.

“Now that the country’s solid waste management service providers are organized as a coalition, they can strengthen their partnership for a better solid waste management in the country,” Mr. Antiporda said.

Nine members have been elected to the executive committee of the coalition, according to the DENR.

Last month, DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu ordered Mr. Antiporda and all regional offices to close all open dumpsites in their respective areas by the end of March.

The 2000 solid waste law defines an open dumpsite as one in which solid waste is thrown without planning and consideration for environmental and health standards. They are illegal to establish or operate. — Angelica Y. Yang

Decarbonizing for a better working world

(Second of two parts)

In the first part of this article, we discussed the costs and impact of climate change, the mounting pressures for carbon reduction, and the increasing demand of investors and regulators for greater transparency on nonfinancial performance through sustainability reporting.

Climate change and sustainability were among the highlights at the 2021 meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), a week-long program at the end of January dedicated to help leaders select innovative solutions to address the pandemic and drive recovery. While climate change was already a dominant theme in the WEF in 2020, this year sees the private sector ready to prioritize a low-carbon future in their evolving business models and strategies.

As part of its commitment to sustainability, Ernst & Young Global (EY), of which SGV is the Philippine member firm, recently announced its ambition to be carbon negative by 2021, and net zero in 2025. Becoming carbon negative will result in the reduction of EY’s carbon emissions in line with the 1.5 degrees Celsius Science Based Target (SBT), as well as investing in technologies and nature-based solutions to remove and offset more carbon than EY emits each year. This new ambition builds on the global organization’s achievement of carbon neutrality in December 2020.

KEY ELEMENTS OF THE EY CARBON NEGATIVE AMBITION
There are several key components in the EY ambition to not only become carbon negative, but to also reduce total emissions by 40% and achieve net zero in 2025.

— Reducing business travel emissions. Though many EY services require an element of business travel, air travel provides the most significant negative impact on the environment, accounting for approximately 75% of EY’s global carbon emissions in FY19. These emissions will be reduced by 35% in 2025 using 2019 baseline data by continuing to use remote working technologies that helped EY teams provide uninterrupted client service during the pandemic.

— Reducing overall office electricity usage. EY will reduce its office carbon emissions from electricity consumption to zero by FY25 and by switching to 100% renewable energy for remaining EY needs. By FY25, EY aims to be a fully accredited member of the RE100, a group of influential organizations committed to 100% renewable power. From 2020, EY’s global Scope 3 emissions measurements include employees working from home, reflecting the changes resulting from the pandemic, trends in remote working and the organization’s flexible working schedule.

— Structuring electricity supply contracts. Along with agreed Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs) with several solar and wind farms, EY aims to introduce more electricity than it consumes into national grids. These arrangements will add more than twice the amount of electricity consumed into multiple national electricity grids from 100% renewable energy. This allows EY to reduce its total electricity costs, offset its own office electricity emissions, and play its role in decarbonizing the electricity generation sector.

— Providing EY teams with tools to calculate and reduce carbon emitted. EY recognizes that executing client-facing projects results in carbon emissions, and many clients want to work towards reducing them. To this end, EY will provide its teams with tools such as the EY Engagement Carbon Calculator to enable them to assess then reduce the amount of carbon emitted when delivering client work.

— Offsetting more carbon than EY emits through nature-based solutions and carbon-reduction technologies. EY launched a collaboration with profit-for-purpose organization South Pole in December 2020, where contributions from EY will contribute to renewable energy projects (including solar, wind and hydro) and help preserve natural environments.

— Requiring 75% of EY suppliers to set science-based targets. EY will set a goal for suppliers to have a Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approved carbon-reduction target by FY25. This involves collaborating with all suppliers to help them achieve SBTi accreditation and decarbonize their products and services, exponentially increasing the impact of EY’s carbon negative position.

— Sustainable solutions for a carbon negative working world. In addition to increasing investments in solutions, EY will continue carrying out activities in various multi-stakeholder sustainability alliances. Such alliances include working on metrics and reporting with the World Economic Forum International Business Council, collaborating with C-suite Sustainability leaders in the S30 group, membership in the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, and work with the UN Global Compact and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

As EY undertakes efforts to become more sustainable, it is also developing a new set of global sustainability solutions for clients to assist them in their own sustainability journey while protecting and creating long-term value for all stakeholders. In addition, EY will continue to transform its business amid the COVID-19 pandemic and invest in its people by equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to lead climate action at work and at home.

As a member firm of EY Global, SGV & Co. will likewise further strengthen its own carbon reduction efforts and sustainability programs to align with the EY carbon negative ambition. More than merely adopting this initiative, the program falls within SGV’s Purpose to nurture transformative leaders capable of reframing the future and helping create long-term value.

The COVID-19 crisis has taught us that providing exceptional client service is still possible despite the challenges it brought. The lessons that we have gained from managing the pandemic will help EY further attain its sustainability ambitions. Many of the practices the EY global firm and SGV have adopted due to COVID-19 will remain relevant to reducing carbon emissions and we will capitalize on these as we define our new normal of doing business.

As the world moves towards an increasingly decarbonized future, it is our hope that more organizations will take up the challenge and join hands to help address the daunting risks posed by climate change.

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional advice where the facts and circumstances warrant. The views reflected in this article are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of SGV, the global EY organization or its member firms.

 

Clairma T. Mangangey is the Climate Change and Sustainability Services Leader of SGV & Co.

House may start Charter debates next week

CONGRESSMEN could start debates on proposed economic changes to the 1987 Constitution on Monday next week after a committee endorsed these to the House of Representatives plenary.

“We might start plenary debates on Feb. 15,” Party-list Rep. Alfredo A. Garbin, Jr., who heads the committee on constitutional amendments, said in a Viber message on Sunday.

The House body on Tuesday adopted a resolution allowing Congress to lift restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution supposedly to help the Philippine economy recover amid a coronavirus pandemic.

Lawmakers agreed to insert the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” in parts of the Charter that limit foreign ownership in certain Philippine industries, according to a statement posted on the House website last week.

This will allow Congress to pass a law later relaxing ownership limits.

Lawmakers agreed not to touch a section of the basic law that bars foreigners from owning land, the House said.

The changes will be made under three articles on the national patrimony and economy; education, science and technology; and general provisions, for a total of seven changes.

The voting coincided with the 34th anniversary of the ratification of the 1987 Constitution, which Mr. Garbin described as a “living Constitution” that is “far from being perfect.”

He said the changes would allow the Legislature to change time-bound laws that have been enshrined in the Constitution.

Mr. Garbin said this week, the House committee on rules would pass on the report that his committee prepared.

‘BREEZING THROUGH’
“On Tuesday, the committee on rules will have a meeting and on the agenda is the referral of the committee report of the constitutional amendment on Resolution of Both Houses No. 2 in the plenary,” he said.

Mr. Garbin earlier said he expects the Charter change debates to breeze through the House.

Speaker Lord Allan Q. Velasco, who authored the resolution, wants to liberalize the economic restrictions in the Charter and let Congress enact laws that will free up the economy to foreign investors.

Mr. Velasco said foreign investment plays a crucial role in the Philippine economy by supporting domestic jobs and creating physical and knowledge capital across a range of industries.

The Speaker last week said his resolution was backed by all major political parties and power blocs in the House.

Lawmakers who voted no said Charter change was “ill-timed” and would affect Filipino businesses.

In a statement last week, Party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani T. Zarate noted that if Charter change starts now, foreigners would gobble up what is left in the country’s liberalized economy.

But the House said lifting foreign investment restrictions could improve foreign direct investment inflows (FDI), particularly in restricted sectors.

Easing the restrictions could lead to an additional average annual FDI of P330 billion pesos ($6.8 billion) and generate 6.6 million jobs over 10 years, it added, citing Bicol Rep. Jose Maria Clemente S. Salceda.

Party-list Rep. Michael Edgar Y. Aglipay, one of the House leaders involved in the preparation for Cha-cha hearings, earlier said lawmakers would not try to change political provisions of the Constitution.

He said they wanted to form a constituent assembly by the end of the month. A plebiscite for proposed changes could coincide with the presidential elections in May 2022, he added.

Opposition senators last month thumbed down the fresh Charter change push at the House, saying it was likely to fail and waste lawmakers’ time.

Senator Franklin M. Drilon said Charter change has a zero chance of success in any administration that is already in the home stretch. President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s six-year term will end next year. He is barred by law from running for reelection.

Senator Francis N. Pangilinan, who heads the committee on constitutional amendments, had also questioned the timing of the Charter change push.

Harry L. Roque, Mr. Duterte’s spokesman, has said Charter change is the last thing on the President’s mind, adding that Mr. Duterte would rather focus on battling the coronavirus pandemic.

Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III earlier said Charter amendments would have a better chance of hurdling the chamber if these are limited to changing the party-list system and easing economic restrictions. — Gillian M. Cortez

Vaccine czar says gov’t to inoculate 70M by yearend

THE PHILIPPINES can vaccinate as many as 70 million citizens against the coronavirus by year-end, according to the country’s vaccine czar.

The country will get about 10 million doses of vaccines under a global initiative for equal access this quarter, including 117,000 doses of Pfizer, Inc.’s vaccine that might arrive this month, Carlito A. Galvez, Jr. told ABS-CBN News TeleRadyo on Sunday.

The government seeks to inoculate 70 to 80 million Filipino adults to achieve herd immunity, he said.

The vaccine doesn’t need to be given to all Filipinos based on herd immunity, when a large portion of the population becomes immune to the disease, making its spread unlikely.

“Under a best case scenario when we have enough supply and our negotiations for supply succeed, we will have vaccinated 50 million to 70 million by December,” Mr. Galvez said in Filipino.

In case of supply shortage, the vaccination target might have to be delayed until the middle of next year, he added.

The country has signed term sheets with five drug makers covering more than 108 million doses of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, Mr. Galvez said.

The presidential palace last week said the government would try to order 178 million doses of coronavirus vaccines so it can inoculate more than 90 million Filipinos this year.

The government is in talks for more than 100 million doses with various drug makers worth $1.2 billion and about 40 million doses under the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access facility of the World Health Organization (WHO) worth $84 million, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said last week.

The Department of Health (DoH) reported 1,790 cases on Sunday, bringing the total to 537,310. The death toll rose by 70 to 11,179, while recoveries increased by 11,388 to 499,798, it said in a bulletin.

There were 26,333 active cases, 87.9% of which were mild, 5.6% did not show symptoms, 3% were critical, 2.9% were severe and 0.67% were moderate.

DoH said one duplicate had been removed from the tally, while 55 recovered cases were reclassified as deaths. Eight laboratories failed to submit their data on Feb. 6.

About 7.6 million Filipinos have been tested for the coronavirus as of Feb. 5, according to DoH’s tracker website.

The coronavirus has sickened about 106.4 million and killed more than 2.3 million people worldwide, according to the Worldometers website, citing various sources including data from the World Health Organization.

About 78 million people have recovered, it said.

DoH on Friday said eight more people had tested positive for a more contagious coronavirus strain, bringing the total in the Philippines to 25.

Three of the eight new cases were from Bontoc, Mountain Province in the country’s north. The Health department said case investigation, contact and back tracing were under way.

DoH earlier traced the more than 800 coronavirus deaths in the past two weeks to “data harmonization” with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire said three-quarters of the deaths were from March to October 2020. DoH said 864 coronavirus deaths were reported from Jan. 23 to Feb. 4. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Nationwide round-up (02/07/21)

PhilHealth corruption cases won’t affect members’ benefits — DoJ

THE delivery of benefits to Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) members will not be affected by the corruption cases filed or endorsed against several officials of the state-run agency, Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra assured on Sunday. Most of the cases were based on investigations undertaken by member agencies of the task force led by the Department of Justice (DoJ). “(T)hese (PhilHealth) benefits will not be affected in any way,” Mr. Guevarra said in a mobile message on Sunday. Task Force PhilHealth was created by the DoJ based on a memorandum from President Rodrigo Duterte issued on August 7, 2020 to address alleged systematic anomalies in the agency. Other members of the task force are the Office of the Ombudsman, Commission on Audit, Civil Service Commission, Office of the Executive Secretary, Office of the Special Assistant to the President, and the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC). Among the alleged irregularities in PhilHealth are the disbursement of payments covering “ghost” patients in connivance with private health care facilities, and unaccounted funds advanced to both private and government-run hospitals. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

Bill seeks better support program for increasing out-of-school youth

SENATOR Juan Edgardo M. Angara has flagged the increasing number of out-of-school youth (OSY) due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the education sector, and called for the passage of a law that seeks to support school dropouts. Citing data from the Department of Education (DepEd), Mr. Angara said enrollees as of August 2020 dropped to around 23 million from 27.7 million in 2019. Around 2.75 million of the four million who dropped out were private school students. “We understand that the sharp drop in enrollment for the current school year was due to the restrictions on face-to-face education. We hope to see these figures improve once our schools start to open up again, albeit gradually,” Mr. Angara said in a statement. The senator also cited 2017 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showing that 3.53 million out of 39.2 million Filipinos aged 6 to 24 were considered out-of-school youth, around 50% of whom belong to families in the bottom 30% of the population based on their per capita income. “The data is alarming and there is a real danger that we’ll end up with even more OSYs now because of the impact of the pandemic on family incomes and the challenges posed by blended learning on both students and their parents alike,” he said. Senate Bill 1090 or the Magna Carta of the Out-of-school Youth aims to strengthen the government’s policies and programs for out-of-school youth. Among the programs of the proposed law include free mandatory technical/vocational education through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) as well as their inclusion in various government scholarship and financial assistance schemes. The bill defines out-of school youth as 15 to 30-year olds who are “not in school, not gainfully employed, and have not finished college or a post-secondary course.” The bill filed in October 2019 is pending at the committee level. Similar bills were also filed by Senators Sherwin T. Gatchalian, Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay, and Ramon B. Revilla, Jr. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Regional Updates (02/07/21)

2 strong earthquakes jolt Davao del Sur Sunday

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake shook parts of Mindanao past noon Sunday, with epicenter in the town of Magsaysay in Davao del Sur province. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded an earlier tremor, with a 4.8 magnitude, in the same area at 7:28 a.m. Various intensities were reported in surrounding areas in the south-central Mindanao area, including the cities of Davao, Koronadal, and Kidapawan. Phivolcs said in its bulletin that aftershocks and damage were expected, but no human injuries or major infrastructure damage were immediately reported by local authorities as of 3:30 p.m. At least four aftershocks, with the strongest at magnitude 3.5, were logged in by Phivolcs between 12:30 to 1 p.m. The Davao del Sur Electric Cooperative, Inc. immediately announced on its Facebook page that it undertook a preemptive shutdown of service lines in the towns of Matanao, Magsaysay, Bansalan, Malalag, and Malita. Most lines were restored just after 1:00 p.m.

Eastern Visayas development body gets counterpart bill in Senate

THE creation of an Eastern Visayas Development Authority (EVDA), which will focus on economic and social growth in the region, has been put forward in the Senate. Senator Ramon B. Revilla, Jr. filed on Feb. 1 Senate Bill 2031 to establish the development body whose functions will include promotion of development and business projects in the region. The proposed law provides that the agency will integrate government and private sectors in the growth of the region, facilitate investments, and provide a model for the full implementation of a “comprehensive industrialization and agricultural modernization policy.” Eastern Visayas was the region hit hardest by super typhoon Yolanda, with international name Haiyan, in 2013. It is composed of six provinces — Biliran, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte — and two independent cities, Ormoc and Tacloban, which serves as the regional center.

POVERTY
“It is hoped that with the creation of this special body, whose singular focus will be the achievement of social and economic progress of the region, we can lift more Filipino families out of poverty and further improve their standard of living,” reads part of the bill’s explanatory note.  Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) show poverty incidence in Eastern Samar at 49.5%, Northern Samar at 34%, Samar at 29%, Leyte at 28.6%, Southern Leyte at 23.6%, and Biliran at 19.7%. Under the bill, the amount necessary for the agency’s creation and operations shall be included in the annual national budget. The agency is also given authority to formulate integrated development framework, and promote and facilitate investments in the region. It will also be tasked to review and recommend programs and projects to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board as well as assess plans for the creation of special economic zones, among others. The regional body shall also have authority over the funds, equipment and properties donated by foreign government, non-profit agencies and private entities to the national government for the continuing rehabilitation of the region due to typhoon Yolanda’s impact. A counterpart bill creating the Eastern Visayas Development Authority was approved in the House of Representatives in June last year. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

27-km road in Aguilar to provide access to indigenous community, ylang-ylang plantation view deck

DPWH

A 27.6-kilometer road in Aguilar, now 64% done, is expected to benefit a community of indigenous people and boost agro-tourism in the town that has sprawling farms of ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata), a flower that is processed for its oil used in perfumes. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), in a statement on Sunday, said the project has an estimated cost of P934-million under a multi-year program and is scheduled for completion by 2022. It involves the construction of concrete roads, a 120.9-meter bridge, drainage, slope protection, pavement markings, and road safety facilities. Dubbed the Daang Katutubo, it will provide improved access for the indigenous communities of Kankanaey, Bago, and Ibaloi groups in Barangay Mapita. It will also make travel faster to the view deck of the Ylang Ylang Plantation at Nayong Aguilar. “This road improvement will give boost to the growth of tourism, provide economic opportunities, and will allow the indigenous people to have better access to basic social services available in more urbanized areas,” DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar said in the statement.

Over 250 construction workers in Cagayan de Oro isolated after 22 others test positive for COVID-19

ABOUT 266 construction workers in Cagayan de Oro have been placed at the city’s isolation facilities after 22 of their colleagues tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Mayor Oscar S. Moreno announced at a streamed briefing on Saturday. Mr. Moreno said they stepped into the situation as the Manila-based company handling the construction project ordered a week-long work stoppage immediately after the confirmation of workers positive for COVID-19. “I asked the company for their full cooperation. The company will pay the workers (even if they’re not working). We chose risk management of the situation rather than ordering the project to be shut down because if we did, the workers won’t be paid in full and their project won’t be completed,” Mr. Moreno said. He added that the company does have health protocols in place, but lapses must have triggered the outbreak. “We will be more aggressive in our tracing of close contacts. I ordered the workers to be isolated and (we cannot discount the possibility) that they had contact with their families. I’m also concerned (that due to the costs of testing and housing their workers) the company may cut on costs and stop their project. This would impact heavily on the city’s investment climate,” he added. The City Health Office’s resident epidemiologist, Teodulfo Joselito Retuya, Jr., said the workers in isolation will be tested on February 8. Mr. Retuya noted that the workers were housed at the construction site in bunkhouses, with two or three staying in every unit. “That’s why when some of them tested positive, we extracted them immediately,” he said. — MSJ

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