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New measure replacing vetoed SoT bill to be certified as urgent

MALACAÑANG said Tuesday that President Rodrigo R. Duterte will certify as urgent new legislation to replace the Security of Tenure Bill that he vetoed last week.

“I think so, yes,” the President’s Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said when asked if the President considers the new legislation as urgent.

He noted that the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) is drafting a new Security of Tenure Bill, while Senator Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva has re-filed the bill which the President vetoed.

“There is in fact a proposed new measure to be submitted to Congress, (as noted) by Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III yesterday… So they are drafting that,” he said.

Mr. Panelo said while the vetoed version of the measure has been re-filed, “[t]here will be amendments, so the suggestions by the Department of Labor could be the subject of any amendment to the bill.”

Mr. Villanueva said on Monday that he will ask the President’s economic managers, including Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia and Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, who had expressed reservations about the bill a few days before it was vetoed, to point out objectionable provisions. This move was supported by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), which said it will file a counterpart measure at the House of Representatives through Rep. Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza.

The proposed law will amend Presidential Decree No. 442, or the Labor Code of the Philippines, by prohibiting labor-only contracting and providing penalties for noncompliance. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Senate panel to probe slow RCEF disbursement

THE Senate committee on agriculture and food will look into the slow disbursement of the P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), which is authorized by Republic Act No. 11203, or the Rice Tariffication Act.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has so far released P5 billion for the RCEF, of which, committee chair Senator Cynthia A. Villar said, only P1 billion has been credited to farmers accounts.

“Kaya mag-iinvestigate ako para malaman ko saan dinala ang P5 billion (I am investigating what happened to the P5 billion),” Ms. Villar told reporters at a briefing Tuesday. Ms. Villar filed Senate Resolution No. 39 to signal her intent to look into the disbursement of RCEF funds.

Under the Law, RCEF is to be funded at P10 billion every year for the next six years. Some P5 billion will fund the procurement of farm equipment through the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech).

About P3 billion will go to the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), P1 billion to the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), while P1 billion will fund skills training.

“We want to make sure that LBP and DBP have come up with the guidelines and policies that make access to the funds by farmer beneficiaries easy and not prohibitive,” she said.

She also noted that PhilMech and PhilRice are not yet ready with their respective guidelines, which should have been issued 15 days after the publication of the implementing rules and regulations.

Ms. Villar said if she finds the RCEF program to be successful over six years, she will move to expand it.

“I’ll do my oversight but after three years, we review… after six years kung successful kami (if we are successful) then I can move to extend the Rice Comprehensive Enhancement Fund.” — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Palace issues economic zone proclamation for Ayala-EDSA project

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has issued proclamation designating as a special economic zone a building on Ayala Avenue in Makati City, which will be known as “One Ayala Avenue.”

The site was classified as an Information Technology Center.

Mr. Duterte signed Proclamation No. 773 on July 24, entitled “Creating and designating a building and the parcel of land upon which it stands, located at Epifanio delos Santos Avenue corner Ayala Avenue, Barangay San Lorenzo, Makati City as a special economic zone (information technology center), pursuant to Republic Act No. 7916, as amended by Republic Act No. 8748.”

The President signed the proclamation “upon the recommendation” of the Board of Directors of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).

The building has a gross floor area of 277,533.31 square meters. The land where the building stands has an area of 28,200 square meters.

Ayala Land Inc., in its official website, describes One Ayala as a “three-floor, 20,000-square-meter transportation hub [that] serves as a terminal for north-bound and south-bound buses, AUVs, the future Bus Rapid Transit, and jeepneys.”

“It also offers direct connection to the MRT. Safe, covered, and well-maintained elevated walkways allow commuters to get to their respective rides, and pedestrians to reach nearby destinations like McKinley Exchange, Glorietta, and the rest of Makati’s CBD by foot,” the AyalaLand also said. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Stakeholder consultations underway for legislature creating OFWs department — POEA

THE DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment (DoLE) will form a group of experts to further enhance its draft legislation creating a Department of Overseas Filipino Workers, with stakeholder consultations currently underway, labor officials said.

The draft legislation was first submitted to Malacañang nearly two weeks ago.

On Monday, Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Administrator Bernard P. Olalia told BusinessWorld that consultations with OFW groups started last week, adding that Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello has called for the creation of a technical working group to enhance the draft legislation and come up with final recommendations for the proposed measure creating the department.

“We were able to get suggestions and inputs from them and… the Secretary instructed us to form a technical working group composed of all the sectors that participated in the consultation and enhance the draft that we have prepared,” he said.

The TWG will be headed by a labor undersecretary, added Mr. Olalia. Members of the group will include POEA, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and OFW organizations.

Last week, Mr. Bello told reporters that the Palace directed DoLE to submit its recommendations regarding the establishment of the Department of OFWs, a key element of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s State of the Nation Address (SONA). The initial draft was submitted to the Palace on July 19, the week before the SONA.

In a statement Tuesday, DoLE said OFW groups “were given a copy of the proposed bill… and were asked to send their comments and recommendations within two weeks.”

Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute President Susan Ople said in a statement that the government needs to preserve the expertise built up by the current agencies dealing with overseas labor.

“We now have an opportunity to see how we can improve the labor department and the services it can offer. The institutional memory and skills of the workers in the POEA and OWWA should be preserved and considered. If we abolish these agencies, we are wasting valuable years of service of those workers, and who will train these new workers in the department?” she said.

In the bills filed by Senator Christopher Lawrence T. Go and by Speaker Alan Peter S. Cayetano and Davao City Representative Paolo Z. Duterte, the creation of the Department of OFWs will mean the abolition of POEA, OWWA and other agencies and commissions dealing with OFWs matters. DoLE’s version of the bill retains these agencies. — Gillian M. Cortez

POEA warns against charging of training fees for Japanese internship applicants

THE PHILIPPINE Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) warned applicants on Tuesday that no language training fees will be collected for certain job categories like Japan technical internships.

It also told recruiters and agencies not to charge training fees.

In a statement Tuesday, POEA Administrator Bernard P. Olalia said language training fees for Japan’s Technical Internship Training Program (TITP) are paid for by the employer or accepting organization in Japan.

“In the case of technical intern training for any of the TITP-approved occupations, the cost of the mandatory language training is paid for by the Japanese supervising or implementing organization,” he said.

Those applying as housekeepers for National Strategic Special Zones (NSSZ) in Japan are also not to be charged training fees.

The POEA said that it had received reports of Japanese language training centers charging workers training fees before or after deployment to Japan.

“Licensed recruitment agencies or sending organizations and their affiliate-training institutions are enjoined to strictly observe the non-fee charging policy,” POEA said.

According to Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) Department Order No. 188 issued in August 2018, collection of fees from TITP candidates is prohibited. As for housekeeper applicants under the NSSZ, POEA Governing Board Resolution No. 8, series of 2016 states the workers’ employers are responsible for training expenses. — Gillian M. Cortez

DoJ tells NBI to give its PCSO probe top priority

JUSTICE SECRETARY Menardo I. Guevarra said the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) investigation into the alleged “massive corruption” in the gaming-operations of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) “will take a little time” due to the gravity of the issue.

Mr. Guevarra, however, said while he did not give the NBI agents a time frame for the investigation, the bureau has been instructed to make it a high priority.

“We have requested the NBI to give me progress reports every now and then, maybe… a status report after a week probably, baka may initial finding na (maybe there’s initial findings already),” he told reporters on Tuesday after the launch of infomercials against human trafficking in Pasay City.

“I’ll make sure the NBI gives priority to the investigation because we know that people are affected… people who rely on the charitable resources of the PCSO. ‘Yon ‘yung mahalaga, kaya hindi ito patatagalin ng NBI (That is what’s important, so the NBI will not prolong this),” he added.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte ordered the closure of all gaming operations under the PCSO, alleging widespread corruption.

Mr. Guevarra on Monday ordered the NBI to investigate and build a case in preparation for on filing appropriate charges against those found liable.

He also told reporters that the investigation will focus on allegations of non-remittance by small town lotteries and Peryahan ng Bayan of shares due to the government. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

House resolution seeks PAGCOR funding for PSC, SEA Games, CHED

A LEGISLATOR filed a resolution at the House of Representatives Tuesday calling on President Rodrigo R. Duterte to fund the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) from revenue generated by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR), after the Palace suspended some operations of the sweepstakes office, their current funding source.

Ako Bicol Rep. Alfredo A. Garbin Jr. filed House Resolution No. 147 following the President’s order to close all lottery outlets of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

According to Republic Acts 6847 and 7722, PSC and CHED are PCSO-financed.

Mr. Garbin said: “President Duterte (must) exercise his executive powers and… Congress, which has the ‘power of the purse’ (needs to) authorize the President to cause PAGCOR to fund the PSC and CHED.”

The resolution also called on the PSC, CHED, and the Departments of Budget and Management and Finance to provide an estimate of the funding support needed from PAGCOR.

“Iniiwasan natin ang anumang aberya sa PSC, SEA Games, at sa CHED dahil sa korapsyon sa PCSO. Ayaw natin na magambala ang athletes training, SEA Games hosting, pag-aaral ng mga kabataan sa kolehiyo, at research ng mga pamantasan (What we would like is to avoid disruption to the operations of the PSC and the Southeast Asian Games; as wll as those of CHED, because of he alleged corruption at PCSO. We don’t want to endanger athlete training, SEA Games hosting, college education and research activity),” Mr. Garbin said in the statement. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

Lotto agents seek dialogue with President to press resumption of operations

AN association of lottery agents is seeking a dialogue with President Rodrigo R. Duterte to press their appeal to be allowed to resume operations.

Philippine Online Lottery Agents Inc. (POLAI) chairman Nelson Santos, speaking by phone to BusinessWorld, said Lotto and Keno (Lotto Express) agents are “collateral damage” in the President’s anti-corruption cleanup at the PCSO.

He said agents have obligations in the form of rent and worker salaries

“Ang apila namin sa presidente, as soon as possible sana maibalik na,” (our appeal to the President is to resume our operations),” he said.

He added beneficiaries currently funded by the PCSO may experience difficulties if they are funded by the gaming regulator PAGCOR because the latter has fewer offices.

“Right now, kahit sabihin mong tutulong ang Office of the President, tutulong ang PAGCOR, eh ang proseso kasi di naman ganun kadali yun, hindi katulad sa PCSO na maraming regional office pwdeng takbuhan agad (even if the Office of the President and PAGCOR help out, processing requests is not that simple. The PCSO who has many regional offices that beneficiaries could go to),” Mr. Santos said.

The Philippine National Police said that as of Monday, it had closed 30,284 PCSO gaming outlets.

The POLAI chief also said that the continuation of lotto operations will assure the continuous assistance to PCSO beneficiaries. — Beatrice M. Laforga

Palace orders BCDA inclusion in Cabinet infrastructure cluster

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has issued an executive order (EO) including the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) in the Cabinet cluster on infrastructure.

Mr. Duterte signed EO 86 on July 25, which the Palace released to reporters on Tuesday, amending EO 24 (series of 2017). The order bears the title “Reorganizing the Cabinet Clusters System by integrating good governance and anti-corruption in the policy frameworks of all the clusters and creating the infrastructure cluster and participatory governance cluster.”

EO 24 created the infrastructure cluster to focus on infrastructure development as a means of realizing the government’s 10-point economic agenda.

EO 86 adds the BCDA to the cluster.

“The mandate of the BCDA in the conversion of the Clark and Subic military reservations and their extensions into alternative productive uses, its vital infrastructure projects such as tollways, railways, airports, seaports, and new economic growth corridor, and its role in the Build, Build, Build program, warrant its inclusion as a member of the infrastructure cluster,” the EO reads.

The infrastructure cluster is chaired by the Secretary of Public Works and Highways. Other members of the cluster, apart from the BCDA president, are the Executive Secretary, Cabinet Secretary, and heads of the Presidential Management Staff, and representatives from the Departments of Interior and Local Government, Budget, Transportation, Finance, Information and Communications Technology, Trade and Industry, Agriculture, Health, Social Welfare and Development, Education and Tourism, as well as the National Economic and Development Authority. — Arjay L. Balinbin

DTI hopes to bring 70 MSMEs to China expo

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) hopes to bring about 70 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to the China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) 2019 to help them tap these regional markets.

In a statement Tuesday, DTI said under the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the companies will be featured in the four-day expo from Sept. 20 to 23. Their products will include home goods, fashion and wearables, gifts, handicrafts, personal care, and food, as well as the cultural tourism sector and various businesses classified as investment priorities.

“We are forming a Philippine delegation composed of exporting companies and representatives from the public and private sectors at CAEXPO to promote the best of the Philippines and streamline efforts to strengthen the country’s economic ties with China, ASEAN nations and other partner regions,” CITEM Executive Director Pauline Suaco-Juan said in the statement.

The delegation includes the participating companies, the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Guangzhou, the DTI’s Export Marketing Bureau (EMB), the DTI Regional Operations Group (ROG), the Board of Investments (BoI), the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), and local government units.

CAEXPO, started in 2004, is intended to lay the groundwork for a China-ASEAN Free Trade Area). In 2018, 2,700 exhibitors attended the expo, with 96,000 buyers and visitors from across the world.

The Philippines has been participating since 2004. — Vincent Mariel P. Galang

Online hiring rises 16% in June — Monster.com

ONLINE recruitment site said hiring online grew 16% year-on-year in June, with all industries experiencing growth.

In a statement Tuesday, Monster said according to its Monster Employment Index (MEI), “Online hiring in the Philippines witnessed positive growth of 16% year-on-year for the month of June 2019.”

Monster added that all the industries monitored by the MEI, “experienced positive growth for the month, surpassing the year-ago level across the board.”

Leading the 12 job sectors monitored by Monster was the consumer goods/FMCG sector, which had a year-on-year growth of 29% in June. Next strngest was growth in advertising hiring at 23%.

IT, telecom/ISP hiring also grew 23%; education 20%; healthcare 19%; BPO/ITES 15%; hospitality 14%; logistics, courier/freight/transportation, import/export and shipping sector 23%; retail 7%; and engineering, construction and real estate 6%.

Occupations that were in the most demand, MEI reported, were HR & admin (34%); finance & accounts (25%); marketing & communications (24%); and hospitality & travel (16%). — Gillian M. Cortez

BoI, IPOPHL to push commercialization of IP rights

THE BOARD of Investments (BoI) and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) have agreed to promote the commercial use of registered intellectual properties by linking these to investors.

The two agencies signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) on July 23, 2019 for the project, which is also in line with the objective of the BoI to attract more innovation-driven investment.

BoI Managing Head Ceferino S. Rodolfo said his office has been setting record investment approvals over more than 50 years.

“While we continue to outperform ourselves in promoting investments, we still need to attract new investments that are considered ‘innovation drivers’ under the 2017-2019 Investments Priorities Plan (IPP),” he said.

Mr. Rodolfo, who is also Trade undersecretary, enumerated these drivers to include research and development (R&D) activities, conduct of clinical trials, the creation of so-called “Centers of Excellence,” innovation centers, business incubation hubs, fabrication laboratories, and co-working spaces, and the commercialization of new and emerging technologies and products of the Department of Science and Technology or government funded R&D.

Through the MoA, the agency will be part of IPOPHL’s Mind2Market Network, which will tap the existing programs of BoI, such as the One Window Network (OWN) and the Trade and Industry Development (TID) Talks, to create stronger linkages between creators/inventors and investors.

BoI said it had also agreed to create communication channels with IPOPHL “to ease technical consultations on matters related to innovation, including on new and emerging technologies that are registrable with the BoI.”

It said the move would also facilitate the resolution of issues that industry stakeholders might face in the registration, recognition and enforcement of intellectual property rights.

The agency quoted IPOPHL Director General Josephine R. Santiago as saying that the partnership “should excite all creators and innovators.”

“This period is the sunrise of our intellectual property, especially now that we have partnered with formidable agencies such as the BoI. I hope that with the national innovation law that was recently passed and the creation of the national innovation council, we hope to put and enhance value to the innovation agenda of the President,” she said.

BoI said the “patent landscape reports” being prepared by IPOPHL would help the investment promotion agency to identify gaps that require foreign investments to bring technologies into the country. — Victor V. Saulon

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