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COVID-19 infections near 60,000 — DoH

THE Department of Health (DoH) reported 634 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, bringing the total to 57,545. The death toll rose to 1,603 after six more patients died, while recoveries increased by 88 to 20,459, it said in a bulletin.

There were now 35,483 active cases, the agency said.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire said 302 of the new cases were reported in the past three days, while 332 were reported late.

DoH said 95 duplicates had been removed from the infection tally, two of which were previously reported as deaths.

Also on Tuesday, Ms. Vergeire clarified that she had not contradicted Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles, who on Sunday told DZBB radio home quarantine was being discouraged to contain the virus.

Ms. Vergeire, who on Monday said home quarantine was still allowed as long as health protocols were followed, said her statement complemented what the Cabinet secretary said.

“The goal of course is to reduce the risk of community transmission and we do this by making sure that confirmed cases are isolated and not in contact with anyone else in the community,” she said in a separate statement.

“We have to ensure that said cases are isolated either through strict home quarantine (emphasizing again the requirement for its conduct) or isolation at temporary treatment and monitoring facilities,” she added. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

WHO says no need to admit patients without symptoms

THE World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday urged Philippine hospitals not to admit patients showing mild or no symptoms of the coronavirus to avoid congestion.

These patients should instead be sent to isolation centers “so they can be managed without crowding the hospitals,” WHO Country Representative Rabindra R. Abeyasinghe told the Foreign Correspondent Association of the Philippines at an online news briefing.

“If we do that, we free up hospital space for the ones who have signs of severe disease or who have other comorbidities who will actually benefit from the care of the hospital,” he added.

Mr. Abeyansinghe said the government was boosting contact-tracing efforts, identifying community hotspots and expanding the capacity of coronavirus-designated hospitals.

He also cited the need to release test results within 24 hours and inform the public and health authorities immediately so contact-tracing can be started.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire earlier urged hospitals to attend to people with mild or no symptoms and refer them to temporary treatment facilities, unless these patients have pre-existing medical conditions.

St. Luke’s Medical Center on Monday said its hospitals in Quezon City and Bonifacio Global City had reached the full capacity of allocated COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) intensive care unit beds.

People should consider bringing critically ill COVID-19 suspects to alternative hospitals so they will receive immediate and utmost care, it said on its Facebook page.

Both hospitals would still admit non-coronavirus patients for treatment, including out-patient procedures, it added.

The Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center also said its ward for coronavirus patients had been running at full capacity. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Regional Updates (07/14/20)

Cops to face charges over death of 4 soldiers in Jolo shooting

THE NATIONAL Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will soon file a case against the policemen involved in the shooting incident in Jolo that left four soldiers dead, according to Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra. “Unless the NBI intends to submit a supplemental report, I expect that a criminal complaint will be filed very soon with the DoJ (Department of Justice),” he told reporters via Viber. NBI field agents already submitted their initial investigation report containing accounts of 10 witnesses, forensic findings of medico-legal and ballistic experts, as well as affidavits of the family members of the killed officers. The ballistic reports “clearly indicated that the shells and slugs found at the crime scene matched the guns of the police officers,” he said, adding that the bullet wounds were mostly on the back, with all soldiers sustaining multiple wounds.

Mr. Guevarra said he has yet to be informed of the exact charges that will be filed. Nine policemen involved in the incident have been relieved from their posts. The four victims were all army officers on an intelligence gathering mission relating to the local terror group Abu Sayyaf in Jolo, the capital of Sulu province, on June 29 when they were killed. The incident has caused tension between the military and the police, which initially reported it as a “misencounter.” The military, however, said the four were unarmed. President Rodrigo R. Duterte, in a visit to Jolo on Monday, again appealed to the military not to bear grudge against the Philippine National Police (PNP). “It is my hope that this isolated incident will not spark any animosity between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNP,” he said in a speech before soldiers. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas and Gillian M. Cortez

African Swine Fever confirmed in Magpet

AFRICAN SWINE Fever (ASF) has been confirmed in hog farms in Magpet, Cotabato and disease control measures, including restrictions on the transport of pigs and pork products, are already being implemented. The Department of Agriculture (DA), in a bulletin on Tuesday, said samples taken from reported swine mortalities in the area have tested positive for ASF. The Cotabato provincial veterinary office first conducted disease investigation and surveillance procedures on July 1 after receiving reports of pig mortalities in backyard farms. About 123 pigs owned by 48 farmers have been culled and properly disposed of. “We encourage the swine stakeholders in the area to report any unusual swine mortalities to its municipality, city, or provincial veterinary offices,” the DA said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Nationwide round-up

Duterte boasts of ending ‘oligarchy’ without martial law declaration

PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte on Monday bragged that he has brought down “the oligarchy” without authoritarian rule. “Without declaring martial law, I dismantled the oligarchy that controlled the economy of the Filipino people,” Mr. Duterte said in a speech before troops in Jolo, Sulu. “Sinira ko ‘yung mga tao na humahawak sa ekonomiya at umiipit at hindi nagbabayad (I destroyed the people who control the economy and pressing it and do not pay).” Mr. Duterte did not specify who he was referring to but his comments come after the franchise renewal application of ABS-CBN Corp. was denied by a House of Representatives committee on Friday. The broadcast firm, owned by the Lopez family, was also shut down following the declaration of martial law in 1972 under Ferdinand E. Marcos’ presidency. Palace Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, in a briefing on Tuesday, denied that Mr. Duterte was pertaining to the Lopez clan. Mr. Duterte has previously expressed anger at the broadcast network, which he said did not refund him for unaired ads during his 2016 Presidential campaign. Mr. Roque said the President was referring to “Lucio Tan, Manny V. Pangilinan, and the Ayalas” whom Mr. Duterte had also lambasted in the past. — Gillian M. Cortez

Over 82,000 overseas workers brought home

A TOTAL of 82,057 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from over 60 countries and 132 cruise ships, displaced by the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the global economy and air transport, have been repatriated as of July 13. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Sarah Lou Y. Arriola, in a hearing of the House of Representatives committee on public accounts Tuesday, said over 117,000 Filipinos are still stranded. Ms. Arriola said one of their main challenges is funding to pay for the fines of overstaying Filipinos. “What we usually do for this is to pay for the overstaying fees for us to be able to help our kababayans (countrymen). Ang challenge lang po today, yung pera po sa repatriation mapupunta po sa fines (The current challenge is, the money for repatriation goes to the settlement of fines),” she said. She added that there is limited fund available for the needs of foreign service personnel, particularly for testing and to assist those affected by the coronavirus. Members of the House committee vowed to look into the department’s budgetary needs. — Patricia S. Gajitos

Project ARK urges private sector to continue coronavirus rapid testing

PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey A. Concepcion, who initiated Project Antibody Rapid Test Kits (ARK) mainly for workers in the private sector, called for continued testing and include potentially asymptomatic patients. “Testing should not stop, and testing should be increased because that’s the only way to increase visibility,” he said during the Go Negosyo Balik Kabuhayan webinar on Tuesday. Iloilo Rep. Janette P. Loreto-Garin, a former health secretary, also stressed the importance of testing and the corresponding isolation for a positive result. Ms. Garin said operations must be immediately suspended if a workplace becomes infected. “It is only in testing that we can fill the gap in making social distancing, hygiene practices, and other new normal behaviors more effective. Pooled testing can actually allow us to co-exist with COVID (coronavirus disease 2019),” she said. Project ARK is expanding beyond rapid testing and will release before the end of the month guidelines for the pooled PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing. It will cover overseas Filipino workers, and those in the construction and business process outsourcing industries. — Patricia S. Gajitos

Complexities arising from easing travel restrictions

In an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19, countries, including the Philippines, have adopted a variety of measures in order to contain and limit the spread of the virus. One of these measures is the closure of the country’s borders to inbound and outbound travel.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued Foreign Service Circular No. 29-2020, dated March 19, 2020, which temporarily suspended the issuance of visas and visa-free entry privileges, as well as imposed a temporary travel ban for inbound foreigners to the Philippines, save for very limited exceptions, the details of which we will delve into later. The said suspension applies to all foreigners with immigrant, non-immigrant, and special visas, except foreign spouses and children of Filipino nationals, officials of accredited foreign governments and international organizations and their dependents, and foreign airline crew.

In Immigration Memorandum Circular No. JHM-2020-004, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reiterated the said inbound travel restrictions of foreign nationals even during the implementation of the General Community Quarantine. As a result, foreigners working in the Philippines, who intend to travel in and out of the country, find themselves in a predicament of either staying or leaving, wrapped with the uncertainty and fear of not being able to return and other potential consequences resulting from the restrictions.

It has been almost four months since the DFA and the BI imposed travel restrictions. Filipinos who need to leave the country for business, family, or emergency reasons as well as foreigners who need to enter the country for the same reasons are placed in a quandary given all of the questions surrounding their ability to travel.

Notably, in a seeming shift to gradually re-open the country, the Philippine government issued Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Resolution No. 52, dated July 6. This effectively lifted the outbound travel restrictions of Filipinos subject to the following conditions:

1. submission of confirmed round-trip tickets for those traveling on tourist visas;

2. adequate travel and health insurance to cover rebooking and accommodation expenses if stranded, and hospitalization in case of infection, in such amount as may be determined by the Department of Tourism;

3. allowed entry by the destination country in accordance with their travel, health, and quarantine restrictions;

4. Execution of a Declaration acknowledging the risks involved in traveling, including risk of delay in their return trip, to be provided for in the check-in counter by the airlines; and

5. upon return, they shall follow the guidelines of Returning Overseas Filipinos of the National Task Force (NTF).

In a related light, with respect to foreign nationals, pursuant to the aforementioned DFA Foreign Service Circular No. 29-2020, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs or the Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Concerns may exempt, on a case-to-case basis, foreign nationals from the inbound travel ban. Local companies as well as groups of multinational companies have requested the DFA to allow their foreign national employees, assignees, and business visitors exemptions. In order to apply for an exemption from the DFA, companies must first secure an endorsement from a government agency or the embassy of the concerned foreign national.

One of the government agencies which received requests for endorsement is the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). Consequently, PEZA issued Memorandum Circular No. 2020-0035 which provides guidelines on requests for exemption from the travel ban of foreign nationals essential to the operations of PEZA-registered companies. PEZA clarified that pending the lifting of the travel ban, the exemption should only be requested for essential and emergency reasons.

Upon issuance of the endorsement by PEZA or any relevant government agency, assuming all requirements are in order and on the basis that the exemption is justifiable, processing of the request for a travel exemption at the DFA takes about one week. Once the DFA approves the request, it will coordinate with the BI on the entry of exempted foreign nationals.

The pandemic has indeed caused a lot of uncertainty even on the matters that seemed so straightforward, such as being able to travel in and out of the country. While we see some restrictions being lifted and the government being more receptive to slowly opening up the economy, we still need to be mindful that it is a long road ahead, both in terms of how to cope with COVID-19, and how the government grapples with maintaining that delicate balance between tightening or loosening travel restrictions that indubitably play a big factor in battling the virus. n

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. This article is for general informational and educational purposes, and is not offered as, and does not constitute, legal advice or legal opinion.

 

Tristan Jeremy S. Hao is an Associate of the Immigration Department of the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALAW).

(632) 8830-8000

tshao@accralaw.com

Circumventing international law with hybrid warfare

 

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS attend the raising of the Philippine flag during the commemoration of the 123rd death anniversary of the national hero Jose Rizal at the Luneta Park, Dec. 30, 2019. — PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL ANTONIO N. DE GUZMAN

Four years ago, the Philippines won its landmark case against China when the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) invalidated the latter’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea. The tribunal determined that there was no legal basis for China’s historic rights to resources within the disputed maritime zone and such violated the sovereign rights of the Philippines.

Although China did not acknowledge the ruling, several countries including the Group of 7 nations (G7) supported the decision. In a joint statement, the G7 — composed of the United States, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and the United Kingdom — accorded the decision as a significant milestone and a useful basis for a peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea. Australia and most of the ASEAN countries declared their support as well.

As I have mentioned in my past commentaries, the arbitral award should have been the country’s leverage to hold China accountable for its actions in the South China Sea in accordance with international law. Unfortunately, the Duterte administration’s continued tolerance of the aggression and failure to assert the country’s claims in the disputed territorial waters allowed China to pursue its military ambitions and operations with impunity. It has repeatedly pushed forward the narrative that smaller powers cannot compete with major powers like China. This defeatist policy, along with the government’s policy of appeasement toward China, have greatly affected the country’s long-term strategic and economic interests.

Over the past few years, China has built installations to accommodate larger military defense facilities in the South China Sea. With the lack of direct regional engagement from the United States and its allies including the Philippines, China exploited the ambiguous legal status of islands and reefs in the disputed territorial waters and consolidated its gains and further strengthened its position.

More so, China pervaded the region’s political, economic, and civil spaces through the careful execution of its hybrid warfare. This strategy, for instance, was actively utilized during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak when it positioned itself as the frontrunner in fighting the pandemic while continuously ramping up its expansionist activities in the South China Sea.

China’s hybrid warfare can be understood as the comprehensive use of strategies not normally associated with war to engage in coercive posturing. This posturing involves the display of military and non-military forces, economic coercion through corrosive investments, information warfare through aggressive propaganda campaigns, and the advancement of spurious jurisdictional claims. The calculated placement of these strategies collectively helps China to set the stage for achieving larger strategic ambitions while circumventing international law and undermining the regional balance of power.

Given the rapidly changing security environment and the complexities of China’s hybrid warfare, it is in this broader context where the Philippine government must comprehend the legitimate threats to our national security and the incidents of persistent incursions in our country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Moreover, the Philippines must abandon its defeatist policy and forge alliances with like-minded states to uphold the integrity of a rules-based international order and oppose any unilateral actions that might disrupt the status quo and increase tensions in the region. Coordinating with ASEAN states and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue Plus 2 (Quad Plus), which includes key member states such as Australia, Japan, and India, is a favorable step towards this direction.

Asserting our sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea has consistently been the consensus of the great majority of the Filipino people repeatedly proven by many national surveys. The latest data from the July 3-6 National mobile phone survey of the Social Weather Stations revealed that “seven out of 10 agree that the Philippine Government should assert its rights over the islands in the West Philippine Sea” and “eight out of 10 agree that the Philippines should form alliances with other countries that are ready to help defend its rights in the West Philippine Sea.”

The findings also show that 56% of Filipinos have little trust in China compared to 21% that have much trust. The lowest since the start of the Duterte administration.

The acquiescent posture that this administration insisted on taking played well into Beijing’s cabbage tactics, resulting in a level of Chinese militarization that now threatens the stability of the region which is still struggling to survive the pandemic. An unprecedented global health and economic crisis that again started from China.

As we commemorate the fourth anniversary of our country’s arbitral victory, we must not forget that it is the legal and moral obligation of the Philippines to uphold its sovereign and territorial rights under the 2016 PCA ruling. By working towards its full and effective implementation, we can pave the way for the peaceful resolution of disputes in the region and at the same time contribute to the preservation of a rules-based order.

 

Victor Andres “Dindo” C. Manhit is the President of Stratbase ADR Institute.

Erdogan is erasing Ataturk’s stamp on Turkey

By Bobby Ghosh

UNDER NORMAL circumstances, the most important news out of Turkey last weekend would have been a new law that, critics say, represents a blow to the country’s already weakened judicial system. But you might have missed it for the furor over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to convert the famed Hagia Sophia museum, one of the world’s top tourist destinations, into a mosque.

Opposition figures such as Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu say Erdogan is using the Hagia Sophia controversy to distract from missteps by his government, from the management of the economy to the handling of the coronavirus crisis. But the conversion is consistent with the president’s lifelong political goal: the reassertion of Turkey’s Muslim identity, and its corollary, the rejection of the secular nationalism of the country’s modern founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Throughout his career, Erdogan has systematically chipped away at the secular foundations Ataturk laid in the 1920s and ‘30s, by encouraging overt expressions of religiosity in government as well as society. That he has done so while claiming to uphold Ataturk’s founding father legacy testifies to the latter’s outsized political footprint.

With the sacralization of the Hagia Sophia, which had been secularized by Ataturk in 1934, the president can drop the pretense. The Turkish state is now an expression of Erdogan’s ideal more than it is Ataturk’s.

Secularism survives in Turkish society, but it is a fading force. Orhan Pamuk, the country’s preeminent literary figure, conceded as much when he told the BBC that the conversion of Hagia Sophia “is to say to the rest of the world, ‘Unfortunately we are not secular any more.’ There are millions of secular Turks like me who are crying against this, but their voices are not heard.”

Erdogan’s legacy will likely outlast that of Ataturk. For all the international outrage over the conversion of the museum into a mosque, it is hard to imagine a Turkish leader — and certainly not a democratically elected one — turning the mosque back to a museum. Polls have shown most Turks favor the change, even though many recognize that it is politically expedient for the president.

The structural changes of the Erdogan era may be as hard to undo as the symbolic ones. Take the new law passed last weekend. It allows for the creation of new bar associations, potentially diluting the influence of the existing bodies: 78 out of 80 associations opposed the changes.

Critics note that Erdogan’s purges of the judicial system have already greatly weakened it. A European Commission report last summer pointed to “political pressure on judges and prosecutors and transfers of a large number of judges and prosecutors against their will.” It warned of “a negative impact on the independence and overall quality and efficiency of the judiciary.”

The bar associations are among the few remaining organizations able to speak truth to the president’s power, by drawing attention to abuses of authority. The fear is that new associations will be set up along political lines, with pro-government bodies balancing — or drowning out — independent ones.

International human-rights and legal groups have warned that the government “is seeking to, and may well succeed in, undermining the legal profession’s role to date in upholding human rights and the rule of law.”

That may not grab as much attention as Pope Francis’s statement about the Hagia Sophia, but the conversion of legal institutions says as much about the Turkey Erdogan has built as the re-purposing of a 6th century edifice.

BLOOMBERG OPINION

BPO workers seek end to floating status, claim job security eroded

BUSINESS process outsourcing (BPO) workers are seeking a halt to the practice of placing employees on “floating” status, which they said compromises job security.

The BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN) said Tuesday that the end of the practice was among their workplace safety and security demands during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

BIEN asked that workers affected by clients pulling out their Philippine operations be redeployed immediately, and sought financial assistance and additional paid leave for employees who cannot come to work.

“Many BPO workers are also subject to the unfair and unlawful practice of floating while hiring (other workers) thus, we continue to demand to stop this. Labor flexibility should not compromise job security of employees,” BIEN President Mylene Cabalona said.

Senator Leila Norma Eulalia Josefa M. de Lima is calling for an inquiry into the practice, saying that labor law and policies need to be re-examined.

BIEN said that thousands of outsourcing employees have been “unjustly displaced from work” during the pandemic.

“Yet we are exempted from government aid and very few companies offer financial support. Many companies are putting workers on No Work, No Pay or on floating status even as they continue to hire new employees,” BIEN said.

Noting that many employees continue to work on-site, the group said that workers should be given hazard pay.

The group is asking for free COVID-19 testing and treatment, as well as immediate contact tracing and quarantine facility availability for workers before operations resume. They said that the government workplace safety guidelines should be strictly implemented, and that near-site accommodations and shuttle services be provided.

BIEN also asked that the industry retrain or upskill workers to prepare them for automation, instead of retrenchment.

The Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) said that it is scaling down its upskilling pilot program to 1,000 employees this year due to disruptions caused by the pandemic.

BIEN said that companies should provide internet and electricity subsidies for agents working from home, and provide them logistical and equipment support. The group called productivity targets “unfair,” calling for adjustments according to the workers’ internet connection.

“Workers should not be terminated because of internet/power problems,” BIEN said.

BIEN is asking the Labor department to lift its suspension of workplace inspections and labor case hearings.

“Many BPO employees are afraid to speak up because of fear of management retaliation. And even during the pandemic, we have observed several instances wherein employees who dared speak up or take action on workplace issues faced retaliation from management,” Ms. Cabalona said.

Asked to comment, IBPAP said in an e-mail that the industry is facing reduced revenue and lower productivity alongside a significant increase in expenses due to the need to provide shuttle services, lodging, and internet connectivity to continue operations during the quarantine.

“Being one of the only few sectors that continued to persevere during the Community Quarantine, it is imperative for the Philippines and the IT-BPM industry to remain agile amid the changing landscape. We are not out of the woods yet and there remains serious ambiguity ahead of us,” IBPAP said.

“It is important at this point to focus on our key priorities — one of which is job preservation as it impacts the lives of millions of Filipinos who are directly and indirectly employed by the sector.”

IBPAP said that it fully supports efforts to ensure occupational health and safety of employees. The industry group listed health precautions that member companies have implemented, including shuttle services, adherence to health standards prescribed by government, disinfection of offices, and flexible work arrangements such as staggered hours and work-from-home schemes. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Party-list to challenge proposed full foreign ownership of RE projects

THE Bayan Muna Party-list said it will challenge a proposal allowing full foreign ownership of renewable energy (RE) projects.

Bayan Muna called the plan unconstitutional.

On Friday, Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said his department is backing a policy allowing 100% foreign ownership in renewable power firms, which it positioned as an energy-security measure.

“I’m looking at allowing 100% (foreign) ownership in renewables… Lahat naman halos ng technologies ng renewable ay foreign-sourced (Most of our energy technologies are foreign-sourced),” Mr, Cusi said at a webinar hosted by the Philippine Energy Independence Council.

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani T. Zarate said in a statement: “This proposal flagrantly violates the citizenship limitations in the national economy and patrimony provisions of our Constitution. The degree by which the officials of the Duterte administration are selling our country to foreign interests is truly appalling and gravely condemnable.”

“Aside from constitutional issues, this proposal has security implications also because foreigners can control our power grid and can even… threaten or hold hostage our economy,” he added.

The Constitution only allows foreign entities to own up to 40% of the capital stock of a public utility.

In March, the House of Representatives passed a bill amending the Public Service Act. It seeks to limit the classification of a public utility to electricity distribution, power transmission, and water pipeline distribution or sewerage systems. The measure also left out the 60-40 rule on foreign ownership.

Mr. Cusi said the Department of Energy (DoE) is “really brainstorming” the proposed policy, saying that he will seek the help of the Joint Congressional Energy Committee “to help expedite that, para mapabilis ang development ng renewables sa ating bansa (to hasten renewables development).”

Sustainability think-tank Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED) said the government cannot surrender the generating industry to foreigners.

“Remember, the government already surrendered our grid to foreigners instead of handling it themselves. They cannot surrender our gencos (generation companies) as well,” CEED Executive Director Gerard C. Arances said, referring to the private National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), which is 40% owned by the State Grid Corp., of China.

“I personally believe that we should really open that to foreigners dahil ‘yung investment naman nila, ‘di naman nila madadala ‘yan. ‘Yung resource naman natin, ‘di naman nila maiuuwi ‘yan sa kanila,” he claimed. (Whatever foreigners invest in, they cannot take home with them. The resource remains ours.)

The DoE has called for a unified approach by the government and the private sector to attain energy security and independence. It called for a balance in meeting energy needs and achieving sustainability goals through renewables.

“There is a need to strike a balance between meeting our current energy needs and building a better and cleaner world for the coming generations. Reality makes us realize that we cannot sacrifice one in favor of the other,” Mr. Cusi said.

Meanwhile, the power generation industry said it will participate in any future consultation on the proposed measure, though it does not have a position on the matter.

The Philippine Independent Power Producers Association (PIPPA) said the industry is currently pressing for policies that will strengthen the electricity spot market to encourage more competition.

“With the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) situation, we look forward to policies and regulations concerning a reserve or co-optimized market, RE (renewable energy) market, and futures market where our players can fully explore a competitive energy industry,” PIPPA Executive Director Anne E. Montelibano said. — Adam J. Ang

CALAX Silang East section expected to open by early 2021

A UNIT of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) has set a target to open the Silang East section of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) project by the first quarter of 2021.

“We’re almost 50% (complete) in terms of Cavite. Section 5 which is leading to Silang East will be opened in the first quarter next year. And yes, we are working with the support of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to complete it within the term of the current administration,” MPCALA Holdings, Inc. President Roberto V. Bontia said in a recent virtual briefing.

Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar said: “We’re targeting to finish the whole alignment within this administration, and I think we’re well underway.”

As for the acquired right of way for the Cavite section of CALAX, Mr. Villar said: “I think we’re up to at least 40% or 50%.”

The 45.3-kilometer CALAX aims to connect the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEx) from Kawit, Cavite to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) at the Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna.

The 10.7-kilometer Laguna side of the project from Mamplasan Interchange to Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Interchange is fully open to motorists. The road to Silang East is the first section of the Cavite side of CALAX.

Once fully operational, the P35.43-billion project is expected to cut travel time between CAVITEx and SLEx to 45 minutes from the current 2.5 hours.

MPCALA Holdings is controlled by MPTC, the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC). MPIC is one of three key Philippine units of Hong-Kong based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arjay L. Balinbin

New POS cancellation rules issued

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said it streamlined the process for cancelling permits to use (PTU) cash registers, point-of-sale (POS) machines and other such devices in compliance with the Ease of Doing Business Act.

BIR Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay issued Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 69-2020 Monday ordering approval for cancellation applications in three to seven days.

“This Circular is hereby issued to streamline existing procedures in accordance with the requirement of RA (Republic Act) No. 11032 otherwise known as the ‘Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018,’” according to the circular.

The BIR said individuals requesting cancellations should notify their district offices within five days since the machines’ day of last use in a letter that contains the permit number, identification number, type of machine, serial number, brand, software and grand accumulated sales.

If the application is filed via the Electronic Accreditation and Registration (eAccReg) system, Revenue District Offices (RDO) are required to act within three days from receipt of the application.

The BIR officer conducting the inspection will also need to be provided a list of documents.

“Non-payment of the penalties at the time of the request for cancellation of the PTU shall not be grounds for the non-issuance of the Cancellation Certificate,” it said.

A memorandum report will then be generated after the inspection and when approved, representatives from the bureau can cancel the PTU and the machine identification number of the cash register, POS terminal or other device.

“In order to authorize the simultaneous registration in eAccReg system of the new accredited software or upgraded software to be installed in the same machine with application for cancellation of the old software, the taxpayer shall secure approval in writing from the concerned LT (large taxpayer) Office/RDO to add a distinct prefix/suffix to the serial number of the sales machine to allow registration of the new software consisting of serial number of machine followed by prefix/suffix e.g., 123456A,” BIR said.

The Ease of Doing Business Act was signed into law in May 2018, requiring government offices to streamline their transactions and cut red tape.

The law sets a three-working-day period to process simple transactions, seven days for complex ones, and a 20 days window for those deemed highly technical. — Beatrice M. Laforga

Payment ID targets OFW remittance market

A UNIVERSAL payment ID is being positioned as a possible means of easing the remittance process for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), money transfer solutions firm Ripple said.

“With the Philippines being one of the biggest remittance receiver countries, we definitely see the potential of PayID as a simple and hassle-free solution for OFWs to send money home,” Kelvin Lee, Head of Southeast Asia at Ripple said via e-mail last week.

The Open Payments Coalition, a group of more than 40 organizations, launched PayID in late June. It is being marketed as a multi-channel and multi-currency tool for sending and receiving money.

Mr. Lee said demand in the Philippines for online transactions has been growing steadily since 2018, with the lockdown demonstrating the need for electronic payments (e-payments).

“However, the current payment process is slow and inefficient, and there is a need for a standardized solution…. and PayID aims to facilitate this by breaking down silos in the payment process, unifying a fragmented payments network,” he said.

PayID is a free and open standard technology which banks, payment providers, mobile wallet firms or remittance centers can join.

OFW remittances fuel domestic consumption, which accounts for around 70% of the economy. This year, remittances are expected to drop as the pandemic cripples the global economy.

According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, money sent home by OFWs fell 4.7% year on year to $2.397 billion in March. The central bank expects cash remittances to decline by 5% this year.

Mr. Lee said that payments can “work like e-mail” through PayID, with the user having a single address assigned for use in payments or receiving funds.

“This means with PayID implemented, an individual can send HK$500 from their Crypto.com wallet to a friend’s Coins.ph wallet. For businesses, this means being able to offer their customers a single ID that works across any network, thereby increasing their reach to more wallets, currencies and payment platforms,” he said.

He added that using PayID will be convenient for users since they will only need to use simple codenames instead of long and complicated reference numbers or addresses when sending money.

Ripple is among the payments firms that joined the Open Payments Coalition for the universal payment ID, along with Coins.ph, the first Phiippine company in the group.

“With their PayID server, each partner company keeps full control of their PayID domain name and their customer information, and can confidently deploy a server while protecting customer privacy and security,” Mr. Lee added. — Beatrice M. Laforga

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