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Philippine Health department flags worrisome uptick in dengue cases in Luzon

PUBLIC HEALTH IMAGE LIBRARY/US CENTERS DISEASE FOR CONTROL AND PREVENTION

PHILIPPINE health authorities on Monday flagged a “concerning rise” in dengue cases in Luzon, with eight more local governments there likely to declare an outbreak after Quezon City.

In a statement, the Department of Health (DoH) cited an uptick in dengue cases in nine local government units across  Metro Manila, Calabarzon and Central Luzon. It did not disclose the names of the cities and the number of infections.

This comes after Quezon City Mayor Maria Josefina “Joy” Tanya G. Belmonte declared a dengue outbreak in the country’s largest city, where at least 10 people have died from the disease spread by mosquitoes and more than 1,700 cases have been posted this year.

The Health department has reported 28,384 dengue cases as of Feb. 1, a 40% increase from a year earlier.

The agency said regional epidemiology and surveillance units have been advising their local government counterparts about the cases, adding that the declaration of a local dengue outbreak may only be done by a local government official.

The Philippine Health department last declared a national dengue epidemic in 2019.

The eight localities other than Quezon City are likely to declare a dengue outbreak due to an uptick in cases, DoH spokesman Albert Francis E. Domingo told DZBB radio.

Dengue is the most common mosquito-borne disease worldwide, typically found in tropical and sub-tropical climates.

Common symptoms include high fever, severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, rashes and muscle pain, according to the World Health Organization’s website.

If left untreated, dengue can progress to a severe stage, which may involve intense stomach pain, vomiting, bleeding of the gums or nose, blood in urine or stools, difficulty breathing and bleeding under the skin. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

About 80% of crimes in Southeast Asia linked to drugs, says BuCor chief

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

AROUND 70-80% of crimes in Southeast Asia are linked to drugs, Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang, Jr. said on Monday, following the conclusion of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Correctional Conference (ARCC).

Drugs emerged as the common problem during high-level discussions among correctional leaders, he told reporters on the sidelines of the ARCC in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

“Seventy to eighty percent of crimes committed were under the influence of drugs,” Mr. Catapang said in mixed English and Filipino. “That’s the similarity among ASEAN countries; drugs were always highlighted as a problem.”

Mr. Catapang said that to address prison overcrowding over drug-related cases, he aims to revitalize the underused Mega Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Palayan City in Nueva Ecija, built during former President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s administration.

“If possible, with the help of the Department of Health (DoH), since this is a whole-of-government approach involving DoH, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and others—the individual can first be confined [in the rehabilitation center],” he said in Filipino.

This aligns with the home imprisonment mechanism for minor crimes, which was shared during ARCC discussions. This mechanism will also cover smaller drug-related crimes after undergoing rehabilitation.

“Once it is proven that they are no longer addicted and have overcome their addiction, they can be reintegrated with their family,” he added. “Their family, along with the community and the village, will then monitor and support them.”

The event also concluded with an emphasis on aligning ASEAN correctional policies with global trends, including the potential establishment of a regional prisoner transfer agreement after the transfer of Mary Jane F. Veloso to Manila from Jakarta in December 2024.

Once approved at the executive level, this agreement would enable countries to repatriate inmates to their home nations to serve their sentences, improving rehabilitation outcomes and reducing the burden on host countries.

Mr. Catapang, however, emphasized that this agreement should reach the treaty level, which would take years to accomplish.

Moving forward, ASEAN leaders agreed to hold the ARCC every two years, with Thailand set to host the next conference in 2026 and two years moving forward.

To ensure meaningful discussions, ASEAN officials plan to strengthen the ARCC Secretariat to maintain continuity and clear objectives for future conferences. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Disclose election deal, Comelec told

PHILIPPINE STAR/WALTER BOLLOZOS

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) should release documents connected to the election contract it awarded to a South Korean company for this year’s midterm poll to spur public confidence in the electoral system, a watchdog group said on Monday.

In a statement, Democracy Watch Philippines pushed the poll body to disclose all documents regarding the procurement contract of automated election equipment it awarded to Miru Systems Co., Ltd. last year, following the withdrawal of a Filipino counterpart.

“We call on Comelec to proactively disclose key documents, including financial records, ownership agreements, and contract details, to assure the public that election integrity will not be compromised,” the group said.

“Any attempt to withhold such information will only deepen public mistrust and fuel suspicions about the integrity of the election process,” it added.

Miru Systems Co., Ltd. did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

“We already provided everything to the Right to Know, Right Now coalition. We have the records to prove it,” Comelec chairman George Erwin M. Garcia told BusinessWorld, referring to a group that filed a Supreme Court petition seeking to compel the poll body to disclose all contract details.

A joint venture composed of Miru Systems Co. Ltd. and two Filipino companies were awarded the P18-billion contract by Comelec to run the country’s electronic poll system after the previous contractor was disqualified from further facilitating automated elections in the country. 

The abrupt withdrawal of one of the South Korean technology company’s partners has raised concerns regarding the financial capabilities and legal compliance of the joint venture to carry out the elections, according to the watchdog group.

“With its withdrawal, there are legitimate questions as to whether the joint venture retains the financial and operational capacity to fulfill its contractual obligations to Comelec,” Democracy Watch Philippines said.

Comelec should also clarify whether the consortium is still compliant with a constitutional provision stating that businesses must be at least 60% Filipino-owned and if there were efforts to abide by the foreign ownership limitations, it added.

“As we approach the 2025 elections, we urge Comelec to demonstrate its commitment to safeguarding democracy by prioritizing transparency, fiscal responsibility, and adherence to legal standards,” the group said.

Filipinos will pick a new set of congressmen, 12 of the 24-member Senate and other local government officials on May 12.

In a separate statement, Bukidnon Rep. Jonathan Keith T. Flores said moving the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (BARMM) elections to October 2025 would help the government better deploy its security resources in Mindanao to ease election-related violence.

Having an “unsynchronized” election schedule would prevent the police, military and poll body personnel from being stretched too thin, allowing them to better police areas susceptible to election violence, he said.

Elections in the southern Philippines are traditionally marred by violence due to the presence of local political families in the region that are grappling for influence during poll campaigns in an effort to remain in power.

“Keeping the peace and averting violence would be very difficult if the BARMM polls happen in May,” he said.

The Philippine Congress deferred the autonomous region’s first-ever parliamentary elections to Oct. 13 from a year earlier after the Supreme Court ruled to exclude Sulu province from being part of it. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

PHL, Malaysia explore labor collab

Women work at the assembly line of an electronics factory in Malvar, Batangas, Aug. 10, 2018. — REUTERS

THE Philippines and Malaysia are exploring collaboration in skills training and workforce development as part of efforts to enhance regional labor capabilities, the Labor department said on Monday.

In a courtesy call at the Labor department in Feb. 12, Malaysian representatives from Malaysia’s Human Resource Development Corporation discussed potential joint initiatives with Filipino labor officials, including participation in the upcoming ASEAN Year of Skills 2025.

Discussions also included Malaysia’s National Training Week (NTW) in June and the National Human Capital Conference and Exhibition (NHCCE) in October, both focused on upskilling workers and enhancing talent mobility across the region.

The NTW is an annual initiative offering free training programs across multiple sectors, while NHCCE aims to address challenges in human capital development and evolving industry needs.

Potential collaboration areas include technical and vocational education and training, digital skills, and technology-driven upskilling programs, the department said. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

BIR files P8.5-B tax evasion case 

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has filed a tax evasion case against operators nabbed in a large-scale raid against illicit cigarettes with a total of P8.54-billion tax liability. 

“The BIR has filed an 8.5-B[illion] Tax Evasion case against the criminals behind an illicit cigarette factory and 3 warehouses in Bulacan and Valenzuela. It was the largest operation of the BIR against illicit cigarettes last 2024,” Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui, Jr. said in a statement.

The criminal cases were filed last Nov. 14, 2024, and Feb. 7, 2025, it said.

All four locations were suspected to be part of one criminal enterprise, where the BIR seized raw materials, cigarette-making machines, and cigarette-packing machines, the agency said. The BIR also reported that six Chinese nationals were also arrested by law enforcement officers.

“The BIR will not stop filing criminal cases against large-scale illicit cigarette manufacturers and distributors.  Big or small, all operations of illicit cigarettes in the Philippines are criminal in nature,” Mr. Lumagui said.

In January, the BIR said the country’s revenue from tobacco is projected to reach $7.3 billion in 2024. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

PAL gets P3.47-M in tax refund

BW FILE PHOTO

THE Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) has partially granted Philippine Airlines, Inc.’s (PAL) refund claim ordering the internal revenue commission pay the flag-carrier P3.47 million for its wrongly paid excise taxes on imported liquor and wine from July 2018 to April 2019.

In a 17-page decision dated Feb. 11, the tribunal said PAL proved that most of the alcohol products it imported during the period were not locally available in reasonable number, quality, or price. The company had sought a total refund claim of P4.33 million for the imported liquor products.

“Carving out those liquor and alcohol whose importation costs are lower than purchasing them locally, the excise taxes paid by petitioner thereon, to the extent of P3,472,366.86, should be refunded or credited in favor of the latter,” according to the ruling penned by Associate Justice Marian Ivy F. Reyes-Fajardo.

Under the Tax Code, an entity is entitled to a refund or a tax credit certificate on excise taxes if the cost of the imported alcohol products is lower than buying them locally.

“This requires us to determine the cost of importation thereof, followed by comparison of said cost, with the cost of such alcohol products’ local purchase,” the CTA said in the ruling.

Presidential Decree No. 1590 exempts PAL from the payment of excise tax on its tobacco and alcohol if they are not locally available in a reasonable quantity, quality, or price, and if the supplies are important for the use of the franchisee in its transport and other incidental operations.

The case stemmed from the Bureau of Customs in 2020 billing the flag-carrier P4.33 million in excise taxes, which the company protested two years later. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Avail estate tax amnesty — Gatchalian

PHILIPPINE STAR/RUSSELL PALMA

A Senator urged taxpayers to avail the government’s estate tax amnesty program, which has been extended until June 14.

“Now is the perfect opportunity for heirs and beneficiaries to prepare for their payment, which should be made on or before the extended deadline, while they are already budgeting for their expenses in the first half of the year,” Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian said in a statement on Monday.

Republic Act 11956, which lapsed into law in August 2023, extended the period for availing estate tax amnesty for another two years or until June 14, 2025 from the previous deadline of June 15, 2023.

Availing the amnesty program would enable taxpayers to formalize ownership of their inherited assets.

“Taxpayers will now be given the opportunity to formalize their ownership of any property and they will be able to secure their rights as legitimate owners,” he added.

The extension aims to give beneficiaries, transferees, or legal heirs enough time to pay the excise taxes owed on assets inherited from dead relatives.

Under the law, heirs will not be subject to fines or interest for late payments, as amnesty allows for payment at lower rates.

“We need to promote and enhance tax education so that we can properly equip taxpayers in fulfilling their obligations in the hope of increasing tax compliance and generating much-needed revenues that would finance government programs and much-needed infrastructure,” he added. — Adrian H. Halili

Senator calls for signing of barangay health care law

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

A PHILIPPINE senator on Monday called on President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to sign the Magna Carta for Barangay Health Workers, which would enable better benefits for health volunteers.

“There should be no obstacles to signing it because it has undergone thorough study, especially in terms of funding,” Senate Minority Leader Aquilino L. Pimentel III said in a statement in Filipino.

Senate Bill No. 2838, the Magna Carta for Barangay Health Workers, which Senate approved on third reading on Feb. 3, seeks to provide more training and benefits for village healthcare workers nationwide.

Other benefits include monthly honoraria, transportation allowance, hazard allowance, insurance coverage, health emergency allowance during public health emergencies, and opportunities for further education and career advancement.

“Our Barangay Health Workers have been waiting for this law for a long time. We hope that the President will sign it without any obstacles,” he added.

The Philippines has more than 400,000 village health workers, according to Mr. Pimentel.

“Our (Barangay Health Workers) have been serving our communities for a long time, especially during the pandemic. It is time to give them the benefits and support they deserve, he added.

Registered Barangay Health Workers will be given a month honorarium of not less than P3,000, while certified health workers may get up to P5,000 per month. — Adrian H. Halili

Gov’t disaster responses in Cordillera distanced from politics, DSWD asserts

BAGUIO CITY — The social welfare department here is reiterating its services are not tied with politics, but part of its mandate to serve the Filipinos especially those in dire need.

In a public advisory on Monday, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Cordillera said Family Food Packs (FFPs) and Non-Food Items (NFIs) are intended solely for disaster-affected families and individuals. “These relief items are part of the agency’s disaster response efforts to ensure the immediate needs of affected communities are met,” it stressed.

It reiterated to the public that distribution of disaster response efforts is not part of any electoral activity.

It added that FFPs and kits should not be affiliated with or distributed on behalf of any candidate, political party, or Party-List participating in the May 12, 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE).

“The DSWD encourages the public to promptly report any misuse or improper distribution of these relief items for political purposes,” DSWD-Cordillera urged.

The DSWD also warns staff and other public servants that they are strictly barred from participating in electioneering or utilizing these resources for partisan activities.

According to the latest update of the DSWD-Cordillera, there are available FFPs and NFIs, as of February, ready to be distributed to the different local government units as augmentation support in case the need arises due to unexpected incidents and disasters.

The DSWD reported that there are 69,191 FFPs and 24,558 NFIs in stockpiles in the highland region. — Artemio A. Dumlao

4 dead, 13 hurt in General Santos road mishap

COTABATO CITY — Four individuals died while 13 others, including 3 children, were injured in an accident involving a van and a pick-up truck in Barangay Apopong, General Santos City on Sunday.

Senior officials of the General Santos Police Office told reporters on Monday that van driver Rasol Angkob Adam, 56, his passengers Mambai Adam Dimaraw, 66, Mona Butuan Salilaguia, 62, and the 30-year-old Bai Intan Abdullah were all declared dead on arrival at a hospital were emergency responders brought them for treatment.

Brig. Gen. Arnold P. Ardiente, director of the Police Regional Office-12, said the van, bearing license plates NDC 5940, en route to Cotabato City, was hit head-on by a pick-up truck after it veered towards the left lane of the highway in Barangay Apopong.

Witnesses told investigators and barangay officials that they saw the speeding pick-up truck, with license plates LAM 1506, cut through the left lane of the route, hitting the van full of passengers.

The collision of the two vehicles left the 36-year-old driver of the pick-up truck, Harvey Ngalon Collado, and his four companions, three of whom were children, badly injured.

Ranking personnel of the General Santos City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office had confirmed to reporters that eight passengers of the van were also seriously hurt in the accident. — John Felix M. Unson

Peso back at P58 level

BW FILE PHOTO

THE PESO sank back to the P58-per-dollar level on Monday as remittance growth slowed in December, adding to uncertainties over the Trump administration’s policies.

The local unit closed at P58.03 per dollar on Monday, weakening by 20 centavos from its P57.83 finish on Friday, Bankers Association of the Philippines data showed.

The peso opened Monday’s trading session stronger at P57.777 per dollar, which was its intraday best. It was trading at the P57 level early in the session, but it eventually succumbed to weakness, ending closer to its intraday low of P58.05 versus the greenback.

Dollars exchanged went down to $1.16 billion on Monday from $1.66 billion on Friday.

The peso declined against the dollar on Monday as the market reacted to overseas Filipino worker (OFW) remittances data, a trader said by phone interview.

The slower growth in cash remittances in December weighed on the peso, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a Viber message.

Money sent home by OFWs through banks rose by 3% to a record $3.38 billion in December from $3.28 billion in the same month a year ago, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Monday.

This was slower than the 3.3% year-on-year increase posted the month prior.

For 2024, cash remittances climbed 3% to an all-time high of $34.49 billion from $33.49 billion in 2023. This was in line with the BSP’s forecast of a 3% annual growth in remittances.

The peso also dropped after US President Donald J. Trump’s fresh tariff pronouncements, Mr. Ricafort added.

For Tuesday, the trader expects the peso to move between P57.80 and P58.20 per dollar, while Mr. Ricafort said the local unit could range from P57.90 to P58.10.

The dollar hovered near its lowest in two months on Monday after investors dialed down their bets on US tariffs, Reuters reported.

The dollar was struggling to recoup its losses after a selloff on the back of Friday’s weak US retail sales data and as investors cheered a delay in the implementation of Mr. Trump’s reciprocal tariffs.

The dollar index last stood at 106.85, up 0.1%, after tumbling 1.2% last week. — Aaron Michael C. Sy with Reuters

PSEi drops to 5,900 level on tariff, BSP worries

BW FILE PHOTO

PHILIPPINE SHARES declined further on Monday, with the main index falling below the 6,000 line anew, as uncertainty over the Trump administration’s planned tariffs and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) policy easing path weighed on sentiment.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) dropped by 1.11% or 67.85 points to end at 5,993.48, while the broader all shares index went down by 0.49% or 18.12 points to close at 3,611.16.

“The local bourse extended its decline as investors continue to deal with the uncertainties on the global economy caused by the US’ recent tariff moves,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. Senior Research Analyst Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco said in a Viber message. “Investors are also concerned with the pace of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ policy easing following its pause in their latest meeting.”

“The PSEi declined for the second straight trading day on continued market disappointment after the pause in local policy rates versus expectations of a 25-basis-point (bp) cut priced in by the markets beforehand,” Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a Viber message.

US President Donald J. Trump on Friday kept alive his drumbeat of tariff threats, saying levies on automobiles would be coming as soon as April 2, the day after members of his cabinet are due to deliver reports to him outlining options for a range of import duties as he seeks to reshape global trade, Reuters reported.

Since his inauguration, he has imposed a 10% tariff on all imports from China, on top of existing levies; announced and then delayed for a month 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and non-energy imports from Canada; set a March 12 start date for 25% tariffs on all imported steel and aluminum; and on Thursday directed his economics team to devise plans for reciprocal tariffs on every country that taxes US imports.

Meanwhile, the BSP on Thursday unexpectedly held benchmark interest rates steady as global uncertainties threaten the inflation and growth outlook.

The Monetary Board left the target reverse repurchase rate unchanged at 5.75%, marking its first pause following three consecutive 25-bp cuts since it began its easing cycle in August 2024.

Majority of sectoral indices dropped on Monday. Property retreated by 3.06% or 67.78 points to 2,145.45; holding firms went down by 2.53% or 130.29 points to 5,008.44; industrials declined by 0.21% or 18.74 points to 8,637.4; and financials fell by 0.14% or 3.28 points to 2,249.54. Meanwhile, mining and oil increased by 2.7% or 209.13 points to 7,953.83 and services rose by 0.51% or 10.10 points to 1,985.59.

Value turnover went up to P5.32 billion on Monday with 1.23 billion shares traded from the P5.25 billion with 541.30 million issues exchanged on Friday.

Decliners outnumbered advancers, 114 versus 74, while 61 names were unchanged.

Net foreign selling went up to P991.98 million on Monday from P578.62 million on Friday. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave with Reuters

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