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Gov’t lifts total ban on conferences, workshops

CONFERENCES, workshops and other similar activities are now allowed in areas under the general quarantine level, a move that will help boost the battered tourism sector.

“While the pandemic has taught organizers to embrace technology, some gatherings in a physical set-up can now proceed, with health and safety protocols in place. We are optimistic that the country’s MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences Exhibitions) sector shall start to thrive again,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said in a statement on Friday.

Under the eased policy approved by the national task force against the coronavirus, “workshops, trainings, seminars, congresses, conferences, board meetings, colloquia, conclaves, symposia, and consumer trade shows” can be held at a maximum 30% capacity of the venue.

Allowed venues under Resolution No. 87 are “restaurants, in general; restaurants attached to hotels; ballrooms and function halls within hotels; venues within hotel premises; and mall atria.”

Ms. Puyat noted that social events such as birthdays, weddings, Christmas and office parties, pageants, award events, gala receptions, product launch, political gatherings, cultural festivities, and sporting events “are not covered” by the new resolution.

Task Force and Palace Spokesperson Harry L. Roque said the Department of Tourism and the Department of Trade and Industry will issue joint guidelines on the conduct of these events.

The Management Association of the Philippines welcomed the government’s decision, citing its benefit to the economy.

“It is consistent with the government’s desire to return to normalcy. It will lend a helping hand to the hotel and accommodation industry, which is highly impacted by the pandemic,” the group said in a statement on Friday signed by its president, Francis E. Lim.

MONITORING

Meanwhile, the police is deploying more officers in Metro Manila to help ensure the enforcement of health protocols as the holidays draw near and more people are going out of their homes.

“We are focusing on areas of convergence such as markets, public markets, malls, churches, and ports, sea ports, and public transportation,” Police Deputy Chief of Staff Cesar R. Binag, speaking in Filipino, said in a briefing Friday.
Mr. Binag, who is also the Joint Task Force COVID Shield chief, said they are also in talks with the management of shopping malls to strengthen protocols.
Coronavirus cases in the capital region has been on a decline, but it remains one of the country’s epicenters of the outbreak. — Gillian M. Cortez

Transport dep’t signs usufruct agreement for 5 DND properties for Metro Manila Subway project

THE Transportation department and the Department of National Defense (DND) on Friday inked a usufruct agreement covering five properties of the latter, which will be partly used for the Metro Manila Subway project.

Under the agreement, the DND properties that would be expropriated are the Veterans Memorial Medical Center and Golf Course, the AFP Medical Center (formerly known as the V. Luna Hospital), Camp Aguinaldo, Fort Bonifacio, and Villamor Air Base.

These real estate assets will become sites of five of the planned 17 subway stations as well as used for interstation tunneling works and temporary works during construction.

Transport Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John R. Batan, in his speech at the event, said the partnership between the two departments “will contribute to the fast and sure delivery of one of the boldest and most ambitious projects in the Duterte Administration’s Build Build Build Program.”

Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana and Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade led the signing.

Mr. Batan said the Transport department would pay the DND a recurring annual usufruct fee of 10% of latest zonal value and 5% of gross non-farebox revenues for the subway stations at its properties.

The project, the first subway in the country, will span 34 kilometers from Valenzuela City to the NAIA airport Termina 2.

The flagship project is funded through official development assistance from Japan.

Partial operations is targeted by end-2021 and full project completion is expected by 2025. — Angelica Y. Yang

Anti-corruption task force approves guidelines to speed up complaints processing

THE Department of Justice (DoJ)-led Task Force Against Corruption has approved the guidelines on dealing with corruption-related complaints filed against officials of government agencies and local government units, Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevara said Friday.

With the approval of the guidelines, the task force operations center is expected to process complaints and reports on corruption more efficiently, Mr. Gueverra told reporters in a Viber group message.

Mr. Guevara also said several agencies have already crafted and strengthened their “internal anti-corruption mechanisms.”

He added that “the more significant complaints so far received from various sources” has been presented to the task force.

Mr. Guevara also said that the Office of the Ombudsman, Commission on Audit, and DoJ have agreed “to explore further the idea of deputizing DoJ prosecutors and CoA auditors as resident ombudsmen in certain corruption-prone agencies.”

President Rodrigo R. Duterte ordered the creation of the task force in October as he called for a “total campaign against corruption.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Human rights group Karapatan files charges vs gov’t officials

HUMAN rights group Karapatan on Friday filed criminal and administrative charges against several government officials for allegedly maligning and red-tagging the alliance’s officers and members.

The complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman names the following: National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr.; General Antonio, Parlade Jr., head of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Insurgency; Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Deputy Executive Director Mocha J. Uson, a former undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office; and Presidential Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Marie T. Badoy.

The 40-page complaint cites various instances when the respondents allegedly committed “acts that malign, vilify and baselessly red-tag KARAPATAN’s officers and members.”

The complaint said the respondents’ red-tagging of Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay, the group itself, and its members and officers violates the principle of distinction under international and domestic humanitarian law.

The charges are based on provisions of Republic Act (RA) No. 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity, and the Ombudsman Act of 1989. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

DoJ wants De Lima, lawyer cited in contempt for talking about trial

THE Department of Justice (DoJ) on Friday filed a motion asking the court to cite detained Senator Leila M. De Lima and her lawyer in contempt over public statements on trial proceedings.

The prosecutors said Ms. De Lima and her lawyer Filibon F. Tacardon violated the sub judice rule, which prohibits parties from discussing trial proceedings.

“The media disclosure by respondents Atty. Tacardon and Senator De Lima of misinformation is therefore considered an affront to the lawful proceedings of the Honorable Court, in their obvious desire to attack or insult the dignity and independence of the Court,” the DoJ said in its 39-page petition filed before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court, where Ms. De Lima faces three drug-related cases.

The contempt suit is rooted in Mr. Tacardon’s press releases and statements from September to November, which gave the media access to the testimonies regarding the trial proceedings.

The prosecutors cited the instance where Mr. Tacardon indicated in a public statement that Anti Money Laundering Council financial investigator Artemio L. Baculi Jr. and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency digital forensic examiner Krystal R. Caseñas told the court that “they did not find any transactions between the senator and the drug lords held at the national penitentiary.”

Such is an “affront to the lawful proceedings” of the court in their “obvious desire to attack or insult” the court’s independence,” they said.

The DoJ said reporters who wrote articles regarding Mr. Fabela’s statements will be presented as witnesses “should the instant petition be given due course.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Bill on standard, higher wages for media workers gets House committee approval

A COMMITTEE report on the proposal seeking to give a minimum monthly compensation and additional insurance benefits for media industry workers was approved Friday by the House of Representatives committee on labor and employment.

House Bill No. 2476 or the Media Workers’ Welfare Act guarantees security of tenure for media workers and mandates a P40,000 monthly salary for field reporters who have worked for at least three years. Their monthly minimum wage would gradually increase up to ₱60,000, the bill stated.

Columnists and writers shall be paid at least ₱25,000 to ₱45,000, depending on their experience.

Various media workers, meanwhile, shall be paid at least ₱20,000 to ₱60,000, depending on experience.

Under the bill, all media workers who are assigned to cover dangerous and hazardous events or situations shall be given an additional ₱500 daily pay.

“They will be provided with bullet proof vests and helmets and medical grade personal protective equipment during hazardous coverages,” ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Nina O. Taduran said in a statement Friday.

The bill also requires private sector employers to give a P200,000 death benefit for media workers who died in the line of duty; up to P200,000 disability benefits for a worker who was injured in the line of duty; and reimbursement of up to P100,000 medical expenses incurred in the line of duty.

The proposed law also creates the Commission on Press Freedom and Media Security under the Presidential Communications Operations Office, which would be responsible for setting up a database of all media workers, conduct training and seminars, and crafting and lobbying for media laws.

Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III has filed a counterpart bill. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Inflation picks up in November, fastest in 21 months

The overall year-on-year increase in prices of widely used goods accelerated to its fastest pace in 21 months in November, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday.

Preliminary PSA data showed headline inflation at 3.3% last month, picking up from 2.5% in October and 1.3% in November 2019.

The latest inflation result was the fastest pace in 21 months or since the 3.8% reading in February 2019. It also matched the 3.3% print in March 2019.

The latest headline figure is higher than the 2.7% median in a BusinessWorld poll conducted late last week, and exceeds the 2.4%-3.2% estimate given by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) for November.

Year to date, inflation settled at 2.5%, still within the BSP’s 2-4% target as well as the 2.4%-2.6% projection range by the Development Budget Coordination Committee for this year.

Core inflation, which discounted volatile prices of food and fuel, stood at 3.2% in November, picking up from three percent the previous month and 2.6% a year earlier. It averaged 3.1% so far this year.

The PSA attributed the pickup primarily to the heavily weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages, which accelerated at an annual rate of 4.3% in November from 2.1% in October.

The alcoholic beverages and tobacco index likewise contributed to the increase with a 12.3% year on year growth in November compared with 11.3% in October.

Inflation on food items likewise picked up to 4.5% in November from 2.1% the previous month. The PSA noted a double-digit annual increase of 14.6% in vegetables following an annual drop of 0.5% recorded in the previous month.

Other food groups that posted faster annual increases include meat (8.2% from 4.7%), fish (5.3% from 3.7%), fruits (5.6% from 4.6%), and sugar, jam, honey, chocolate, and confectionery (0.4% from 0.2%).

Similarly, the November inflation for the bottom 30% of households picked up to 3.6% from 2.9% in October and 0.7% in November 2019. The inflation rate for this segment was the fastest since the 4.3% reading in February 2019.

Despite decelerating to 7.6% in November from 7.9% a month earlier, the transport index was considered to be among the top contributors to November headline inflation along with agricultural products, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

“This is due to the restrictions on public transport as a result of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), persistence of African Swine Fever, and damage and losses in high-value crops following the onslaught of several typhoons and flooding in November 2020,” NEDA said in a statement.

“[I]nflation for transport services has remained elevated in the last six months, as a result of social distancing directives and reduced passenger capacities in all modes of public transport,” the NEDA statement further read.

In a Viber message to reporters, BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno regarded the November inflation result as “transitory.”

“[I]nflation is expected to settle within the government’s target range of [2-4%] for 2020-2022 as the impact of supply disruptions due to recent typhoons is expected to be largely transitory,” Mr. Diokno said.

Sharing Mr. Diokno’s view on the matter, University of Asia and the Pacific Senior Economist Cid L. Terosa expects the Monetary Board to consider the inflation rate for November as a “footnote or ancillary piece of information” in its final meeting this year on Dec. 17.

Moreover, Mr. Terosa said holiday spending this year will be “more cautious and controlled” given uncertainties brought by the pandemic.

“Inflation will definitely show faster, but manageable rates next year when economic and business activities begin to more confidently perk up, which will depend on clear and unequivocal signs that the pandemic can be managed and controlled,” said Mr. Terosa.

For his part, JPMorgan research analyst Milo Gunasinghe said that the cumulative 200 basis point policy rate cuts by the central bank have likely run their course.

“While the jump in today’s inflation print will likely keep the BSP on hold for the remainder of this year, we think that the November statement means the policy stance will remain accommodative in 2021, although its impact may likely be limited, in our view,” he said in a note sent to reporters.

Security Bank Corp. Chief Economist Robert Dan J. Roces said inflation is expected to pick up by December.

“[T]he quicker inflation print and likely demand-pull during the holiday season could weigh against further rate cuts, and the central bank will likely pause when it meets for the last time this year… and assess the general direction of price growth, and the policy transmission of its recent actions,” Mr. Roces said in a separate e-mail. — Jobo E. Hernandez with inputs from Luz Wendy T. Noble

Factory slump continues for 8th straight month as output falls in October

By Marissa Mae M. Ramos, Researcher

The country’s manufacturing product contracted for the eighth straight month in October, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday.

Preliminary results of the PSA’s Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries (MISSI) showed factory output, as measured by the Volume of Production Index (VoPI), declined by 11.3% year on year in October.

The latest result is faster than the revised 8.6% drop in September and the 5% contraction recorded in October last year. It also marked the steepest decline since the 13.4% drop in July.

Factory output has been falling since March, when parts of the country were placed under a strict lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Year to date, factory output shrank by 11.9% on average versus the 8.5% slump recorded in 2019’s comparable 10 months.

The PSA attributed the faster decline in October to reductions in the indices of 15 industry groups. Twelve industry groups saw double-digit drops, led by petroleum products (-99.1%), printing (-53.4%), and tobacco products (-48.7%).

A similar composite indicator in the PSA’s MISSI, the value of production index (VaPI) likewise slid by 14.2%, deeper than the 12.4% recorded in the previous month. It also posted its eighth straight month in contraction and was the largest since the 16.7% fall in July.

Average capacity utilization — the extent to which industry resources are used in the production of goods — averaged 67.2% from 69.2% the previous month. Only seven of the 20 sectors registered capacity utilization rates of at least 80%.

In an e-mail, University of Asia and the Pacific Economist Victor A. Abola said the continued decline could still be attributed to the extended lockdowns imposed by the government to contain the pandemic.

“[T]he weakness of the economy may be seen in the slower print (2.9%) for heavy-weighted food manufacturing compared to September (4.7%). The larger drop in printing at -53.4% in October from -34.1% a month earlier reflects the ‘austerity measures’ of firms and consumers for the Christmas season,” Mr. Abola said.

The economist also saw that the closure of refineries had a “big negative impact” on industrial output.

The VoPI and VaPI for petroleum products both declined by around 99% with average capacity utilization rate at 0.14% for October. It has since settled at this level since July following a capacity utilization rate of 55.04% back in June.

In a phone interview, Federation of Philippines Industries (FPI) Chairman Jesus L. Arranza said manufacturing continues to be on a downturn as lockdown restrictions continue to affect demand and the ability of employees to come to work.

Both Messrs. Arranza and Abola expect manufacturing production to continue its decline for the rest of the year.

Mr. Abola attributed his outlook to continued weakness in demand with export firms to likely perform better as the recovery in large markets such as China and the US “are much stronger” compared to the domestic market.

For Mr. Arranza: “There will not be a bounce-back by the end of the year. It will take some more time, probably by the second quarter of next year depending on the availability of a vaccine.”

Outstanding debt hits P10 trillion in October

The outstanding debt of the national government (NG) reached P10 trillion as of end-October, as it borrowed more to fund the country’s pandemic response.

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) said on Friday that outstanding debt jumped 7.03% to P10.028 trillion as of end-October from the P9.369 trillion as of end-September. The October debt stock is also 2.84% higher than the P7.906 trillion logged a year ago.

The NG debt portfolio as of October was already 29.7% more than the P7.731-triliion level at the end of 2019.

Around two-thirds (71.6%) of the debt were from domestic sources while 28.4% came externally.

The local debt stock rose 9.9% month-on-month to P7.077 trillion due to the issuance of domestic government securities alongside additional provisional advances from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the BTr said.

In October, issued government securities reached P6.536 billion, up by 2.88% from September’s P6.437 billion.

In the same month, the BSP approved P540 billion in fresh provisional advances to the national government, which should be settled by Dec. 29 at zero interest.

Meanwhile, foreign borrowings rose 0.7% month-on-month to P2.95 trillion.

“The increment in external debt was attributed to the P18.98 billion net availment of external loans and P2.42 billion net appreciation of third-currency against the dollar, offsetting the effect of local-currency appreciation amounting to P1.57 billion,” the BTr said.

In 2019, debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio stood at a low of 39.6%. The government expects this to balloon to 53.9% this year as the debt stock piles up during the crisis.

“We will not abandon the prudent fiscal management set by President [Rodrigo R.] Duterte when he assumed office in 2016 and put us in a good fiscal position ahead of the pandemic,” the Development Budget Coordination Committee said on Thursday.

Amid lower revenues during the pandemic, the government is planning to borrow more to plug the budget deficit that may reach 7.6% of GDP this 2020. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

FIBA launches logo for Basketball World Cup 2023

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo

The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 started to take form on Friday after the sport’s world governing body unveiled the logo for the quadrennial hoops event where the Philippines is one of the hosts.

Revealed as part of FIBA’s new #DontMissABeat campaign, the World Cup logo is touted as a “milestone,” marking the landmark hosting which also has Japan and Indonesia involved.

“This is a very exciting milestone. The distinctive FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 logo symbolizes our love for the game, which is shared by the organizing committees and FIBA, and it also represents the vision and passion of the event that brings together, for the first time, three host countries,” said FIBA Secretary-General Andreas Zagklis in a statement.

The concept for the newly unveiled logo, FIBA said, takes root from three key elements, namely, a heart, the Naismith Trophy and the year 2023.

The sideways heart symbolizes the passion for the game, while the Naismith Trophy is the dream for all participating teams in the World Cup. The “23” represents the year during which the spotlight will shine across three host countries.

FIBA went on to highlight the host countries’ strong passion for basketball, bringing together millions of fans, with millions of hearts beating as one.

“We Filipinos are all proud to be a part of this important milestone in basketball, together with Japan and Indonesia,” said Manuel V. Pangilinan, Chairman Emeritus of Samahang Basketbol Ng Pilipinas and FIBA Central Board Member.

Adding, “The Philippines looks forward to extending our brand of hospitality to the participating teams, to the world congress delegates, and to the many visitors expected to come – true to the essence of the logo we are launching today – a heart, the puso of the Filipino.”

“The official logo launch is the first exciting step of many for all three host nations, for FIBA and basketball fans worldwide. The logo certainly represents all three host nations’ spirit of uniting and working together with the same heartbeat to deliver the best basketball experiences that fans could ever have,” Danny Kosasih, President of Indonesian Basketball Association, for his part, said.

The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 is scheduled to take place from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10 with the Group Phase taking place in all three host countries, and the Final Phase of the tournament happening in the Philippines.

Thirty-two national teams are set to compete in the high-profile tournament.  Qualification for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 will take place from November 2021 to February 2023, with 80 national teams competing for a spot. The first window of qualification will be played from Nov. 22–30, 2021.

In winning the hosting job, Philippines-Japan-Indonesia won over the joint bid of Argentina and Uruguay in 2017.

Meanwhile, the #DontMissABeat campaign of FIBA aims to encourage all fans to have fun with music beats linked to basketball on social media channels such as a dribbling contest, among other highlights. National team players from the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia will be part of the campaign over the next coming weeks.

The #DontMissABeat will be seen across all of FIBA’s social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Weibo and WeChat.

LANDBANK nears target for loans to agriculture sector

LAND BANK of the Philippines (LANDBANK) disbursed credit worth P230.23 billion to the agriculture sector as of October, already 94% of its P245-billion target for the year.

The state lender has also given assistance to 2.5 million farmers and fishers so far, beyond its 2-million goal this 2020, the Department of Finance (DoF) said in a statement on Friday. These came through soft loans, subsidies and training programs.

About two-thirds or P145.86 billion of the disbursed loans to the sector were given to small, medium, and large agri-businesses, LANDBANK president and Chief Executive Officer Cecilia C. Borromeo said in her report to the DoF.

Meanwhile, P35.66 billion in credit went to small farmers, fisherfolk and agri-aqua related projects of local governments.

Government-owned and controlled corporations were also lent a total of P48.71 billion to fund projects related to the sector.

Broken down, lending coursed through cooperatives and farmers’ associations and rural financial institutions reached P34.3 billion while direct borrowings of small farmers and fishers made up P1.36 billion of the loans.

The state lender added it has provided credit worth P8.31 billion for programs of the Department of the Agriculture.

Meanwhile, credit disbursements for the Department of Agrarian Reform reached P65 million as of October.

Broken down, in terms of economic activity, the largest chunk or 43% of agricultural loans equivalent to P99.48 billion went to the construction of irrigation systems and post-harvest facilities.

The rest were used to fund agri-processing and trading activities (P74.81 billion), the livestock sub-sector (P36.44 billion), crops (P17.82 billion), and fisheries (P1.68 billion). — LWTN

Nuclear policy recommendation to be submitted to Duterte by mid-December

THE NUCLEAR Energy Program Inter-agency Committee (NEP-IAC) will be submitting its recommendations to President Rodrigo R. Duterte by Dec. 15.

The development comes about five months after Mr. Duterte created the interagency body to conduct a study on the adoption of a National Position on a Nuclear Energy Program (NEP).

“We will be submitting by December 15 our recommendation — the interagency recommendation to the President — (on) why we should include nuclear in our energy mix,” Department of Energy (DoE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said during the agency’s virtual Energy Investments Forum (EIF).

In a webinar held on Thursday, DoE Assistant Secretary Gerardo D. Erguiza, Jr. said the proposed inclusion of nuclear in the country’s power mix requires a “four cornerstones approach.”

This strategy consists of crafting national policy, ensuring a legislative framework, aligning with international standards and tracking public awareness and acceptability, Mr. Erguiza said.

Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) Executive Director Carlo A. Arcilla earlier said that nuclear held the potential to address the country’s baseload power. The PNRI is one of the members of the NEP-IAC. — AYY

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