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Government sets P585 billion borrowings in Q2
The government is set to borrow P585 billion from the domestic market in the second quarter amid hopes of more favorable interest rates here and abroad......»»
Philippine bond market hits $217 billion in Q4
The Philippine bond market went up slightly in the fourth quarter of 2023 due to the increase in government bond issuances, according to a report from the Asian Development Bank......»»
PSE has until 2025 to spend money it raised in 2018
The PSE disclosed that its board of directors voted to approve an extension of the timeline for its disbursement of the P2.8 billion in net proceeds that it raised through a 2018 stock rights offering......»»
NEWSBRIEFS | 1 February 2024
Panguil Bay Bridge completed by June 2024 CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 1 February)—The final span of the Panguil Bay Bridge would be connected by June this year, completing the project that started in November 2018, according to the Northern Mindanao director of the National Economic Development Authority, Mylah Faye Aurora Cariño. The P7.135-billion […].....»»
MMFF 2023 is now highest-grossing edition of all time
The 49th Metro Manila Film Festival is officially the highest-grossing edition of all time, having surpassed the box-office earnings of the 2018 edition at P1.069 billion as of Jan. 7......»»
10 entry sa MMFF 2023 kumita na ng P1.069-B, winasak ang record noong 2018
WINASAK ng Metro Manila Film Festival 2023 ang record ng pinakamalaking kinita ng taunang filmfest na naitala noong 2018. Umabot na sa P1.069 billion ang gross sales ng 10 official entry sa ika-49 edition ng MMFF na tumakbo mula December 25, 2023 hanggang January 7, 2024. Nalagpasan na nito ang kinita ng walong pelikulang kalahok.....»»
Cliffhanger
One of the challenges of operating a convenience store is theft by shoplifters. In the United States alone, the losses of small city retail stores were estimated at over $94 billion in 2021, Bloomberg reported. Washington State recorded the highest retail store losses from theft in the country, according to the National Retail Federation. Local stores have installed security cameras, motion sensors, and inventory control systems to help prevent shoplifting, an NRF survey showed. It remains to be seen if such high-tech security measures work, but location and size are definitely effective in discouraging shoplifters for one remote convenience store in China. The tiny wooden store at the Shiniuzhai Scenic Area in the Chinese province of Hunan is only two square meters. Opened in 2018, the store recently trended online after a popular military blogger with 889,400 followers posted on the popular Chinese social network Weibo a photo with the caption: “The most inconvenient convenience store,” CNN reported. Few customers are served by the store but not because of its limited offerings. It just so happens to be located along a route less traveled called via ferrata. The pathway for climbers consists of steel bars driven into the mountainside to serve as steps and metal anchors for fastening climbing ropes. In any case, the store is convenient for adventurers summiting the mountain, as they can get a water refill or buy a beverage for hydration while perched on the side of a vertical cliff. At the same time, the store looks inconvenient for its sole attendant as it hangs halfway to the top of the cliff, 120 meters from the ground, with its floor supported only by steel brackets bolted to the cliffside. Moreover, restocking requires the storekeeper to pull up supplies from the ground with a rope, according to Oddity Central. To others, inconvenient is an understatement for the store hanging from a cliff. Scary should be a more accurate description......»»
LTO innovates responses to backlogs
The Land Transportation Office, or LTO, now under the leadership of Atty. Vigor Mendoza II, has committed to implementing innovative solutions to immediately address the piles of problems “inherited” from the previous leaderships. Mendoza, whom Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista tasked to help the agency improve its current state, expressed confidence that he could turn the LTO around and make it more efficient and effective. He said this aligns with the Marcos administration’s marching orders to digitalize and bring government services closer to the people seamlessly. Mendoza has already begun to execute some changes, such as streamlining the driver’s license application process, implementing a new online vehicle registration system, and reducing the number of fixers at LTO offices, among others. Speaking in a recent interview on DAILY TRIBUNE’s Straight Talk, Mendoza disclosed that his agency is studying cost-effective ways to produce license plates. Presently, the LTO has a manufacturing plant with eight machines working to produce license plates, but as recently directed by Bautista, the agency is looking at outsourcing them instead of producing them. “We make the plates ourselves, although we are studying if maybe it is high time to review whether the LTO should produce or outsource the plates. I told Secretary Bautista that in terms of efficiency, it might be less costly and faster if we outsource it,” Mendoza said. “We are thoroughly studying those options to weigh which will be less costly to the government. Thus, finally, we could resolve all the backlogs,” he added. Million plates a month Mendoza added that the agency’s plate-making plant could produce a million monthly plates to replace all the backlogs — from the old green plates to the new white ones. He said before the end of November, the license plate backlog will hopefully be fully addressed. With production in full swing, a motorist with a newly acquired four-wheel vehicle can claim his license plates within 10 days. In the meantime, new motorcycle owners can now get their plates immediately. This significantly improved from the previous year when motorists took years to get their plates. To recall, in March, ex-LTO chief Jay Art Tugade issued a memo suspending the production of license plates due to a shortage of materials. Online portal needs full utilization Mendoza said the LTO is also working on finally utilizing the Land Transportation Management System, or LTMS, a P3.14-billion portal created to address Filipinos’ motoring concerns. He lamented that the underutilization of the online portal, which he described as just one of the many inherited problems of the agency, was a misuse of government funds. “The system design is incomplete, and you know that as much as possible, we want to be fully digital as instructed by the President. We want motorists to be able to apply for a license and register their vehicles through that platform,” Mendoza said. “We supposedly have all the facilities. There will be no need to go to LTO offices as it will also address the issues of fixers. However, we cannot do all these until we fully resolve the website’s functionalities,” he said, adding that the LTO would need the developers to provide them with some missing source and application codes. The LTMS was jointly developed by German technology firm Dermalog and its local partners, Holy Family Printing Corp., Microgenesis, and Verzontal Builders Inc. The project went through competitive bidding in May 2018. The LTO’s online portal is a one-stop shop that will integrate all LTO services in a single contactless database system and digital platform. “We are waiting for their reply. I have been open since my first day in office, and I’ve been very open to them. There is a problem, let us talk about it. However, they have not replied to my letters on the source code and application code issue. We have to protect the government’s interest, and the government’s interest is to get the source and application codes so we can do the enhancements ourselves,” Mendoza said. According to the new LTO chief, hiring another third-party team to resolve the LTMS issues might cost the government at least another billion pesos. Mendoza asked why the government does not just find another software developer, saying: “We already paid for the contract.” “If we do it, maybe they will spend another billion just to complete everything, so the government will save a lot if we do it ourselves. We have DICT with us, and LTO is also hiring technical people for us to be able to do it ourselves. So, we can do it, we don’t need foreigners to teach us.” The post LTO innovates responses to backlogs appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Govt. to boost agri, fishery sectors
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday underscored the need to address the systemic issues plaguing Philippine agriculture for years due to the longstanding neglect of this sector. During his speech at the 70th anniversary of the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) in Quezon City, Marcos Jr said the welfare of farmers and fisherfolk has been forgotten for decades, dating back to the inception of agricultural reform during his father and namesake's tenure. "We have a significant amount of work ahead of us because we need to fix the entire agricultural system that has been neglected for a long time, perhaps since the start of agricultural reform, during (the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.'s) time," Marcos Jr. said. "Now, many changes have occurred, the world has changed, and it has revolved several times. Therefore, we need to examine the needs of our farmers and fishermen to improve their lives because we often hear that we need to increase our yield, improve our harvest, and our productivity," he added. The latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that agricultural production in the country decreased by 1.3 percent during the year's second quarter. The figures unveiled by the PSA showed that the production value in agriculture and fisheries, calculated at constant 2018 prices, totaled P427.69 billion, a decline from the P433.10 billion recorded during the same period the previous year. Minimum wages for agricultural laborers in the Philippines vary by region, ranging from P306 in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to P573 in the National Capital Region. These wage rates, determined by tripartite boards, differ based on the specific region. “But let's not forget that the livelihood of our farmers and fishermen should also be taken care of and improved because that is our goal for all our farmers and fishermen,” Marcos said. Marcos emphasized the pressing need for his administration to boost the agricultural sector, with more than P92 billion set aside for upcoming agri-fisheries projects next year. Additionally, the Department of Agriculture has allotted P4.73 billion to improve large-scale agriculture and fishery mechanization and modernization, aiming to decrease post-harvest losses and cost-effectively enhance farmers' yields. However, the President underlined the enormity of the task ahead and called upon the public for their support and collaboration. "So, this is a massive task. That's why we need your help because the government alone cannot do all of this. We need your diligence, we need your advice because you are the ones facing the problems in agriculture that we are going through now,” Marcos said. “Rest assured, your government is here to do everything in its power to assist our farmers in producing a bountiful harvest, catching enough fish for our fellow citizens, and selling these products at prices affordable to our people,” Marcos added. The post Govt. to boost agri, fishery sectors appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Saavedra to appeal dismissal of cases vs Tomas, ex-city officials over Kawit Island deal
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Businessman and whistleblower Crisologo Saavedra is not yet giving up on the criminal and administrative complaints that he filed against former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena and his City Council on the controversial P18 billion Kawit Island deal. Saavedra said he will be filing a petition to ask the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas to reconsider its earlier decision to dismiss the criminal and administrative complaint that he filed. “I’ll file an MR (motion for reconsideration),” said Saavedra in an interview with CDN Digital. In 2018, Saavedra filed criminal and administrative complaints over the controversial P18 billion Kawit Island deal. The project paved the way for Gokongwei-owned Universal Hotel and Resorts Inc. (UHRI) to establish an integrated casino and resort in the South Road Properties (SRP). But acting Assistant Ombudsman for the Visayas Jane Aguilar, in a 21-page decision promulgated January 27, junked the criminal and administrative cases for ‘lack of substantial evidence’. A copy of the decision was furnished to the media on Oct. 20. Osmeña’s co-respondents in the case were then Councilors Margarita Osmeña, Dave Tumulak, Sisinio Andales, Alvin Arcilla, Eugenio Gabuya Jr., Gerry Guardo, Joy Augustus Young, Mary Ann delos Santos and Franklyn Ong who approved the ordinance that allowed the Gokongwei-owned company to establish an integrated casino and resort in Kawit Island, SRP and UHRI executives Frederick Go, Lance Gokongwei, James Go, Robina Gokongwei-Pe and Patrick Henry Go. Saavedra insisted that Ombudsman-Visayas should look into the technicalities of how the city government awarded the P18-billion project in 2018. He mentioned City Ordinance No. 2154 as his basis, saying that members of the private sector, when entering into joint venture agreements with the government, must meet the “technical and financial qualifications” prescribed by law. “The private participants should have technical and financial capability. I never questioned the financial capability… It is the track record of the corporation, not of the individual offices,” Saavedra added. The Camp of Osmeña has since welcomed the decision of the Ombudsman. ALSO READ: Ombudsman upgrades Saavedra complaint against Tomas Osmeña, 9 others over Kawit Island deal.....»»
Trio wins physics Nobel for illuminating electrons
France's Pierre Agostini, Hungarian-Austrian Ferenc Krausz, and Franco-Swede Anne L'Huillier won the Nobel prize in physics on Tuesday for research using ultra-quick light flashes that enable the study of electrons inside atoms and molecules. Their technique employs pulses measured in attoseconds, a unit so short that there are as many in one second as there have been seconds since the universe's birth over 13 billion years ago, the jury said. The laureates' research has made it possible to examine moves or changes so rapidly that they were previously impossible to follow, with potential applications in both electronics and medical diagnostics. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences likened the process to how the flapping wings of a hummingbird turn into a blur for the human eye but can be slowed and examined using high-speed photography. "We can now open the door to the world of electrons. Attosecond physics gives us the opportunity to understand mechanisms that are governed by electrons," Eva Olsson, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, said in a statement. 'Not so many women' In 1987, L'Huillier "discovered that many different overtones of light arose when she transmitted infrared laser light through a noble gas," the Nobel Committee noted, adding that her exploration of the phenomenon laid "the ground for subsequent breakthroughs". In the early 2000s, Agostini and Krausz worked on how to isolate light pulses that lasted only a few hundred attoseconds. Agostini is a professor at Ohio State University in the United States, while Krausz is a director at the Max Planck Institute in Germany. "It was just atomic physics interacting with lasers," Agostini said of his early work, in an interview released by his university. "We were not really aware it would go that far, but a lot of people were interested both in the method and the result." L'Huillier, only the fifth woman to be awarded the Physics Prize since 1901, is a professor at Lund University in Sweden. She told reporters she was in the middle of teaching a class when she received the call from the Academy, making it "difficult" to finish the class, to whom she did not reveal the news. "I am very touched ... There are not so many women that get this prize so it's very, very special," she said. Before L'Huillier, Marie Curie (1903), Maria Goeppert Mayer (1963), Donna Strickland (2018), and Andrea Ghez (2020) were the only women to have won the award. Speaking later at a press conference, she encouraged young women interested in science to "go for it" and said it was possible to combine a research career with an "ordinary life, with a family and children." French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated the trio. "What a source of pride for our nation!" Macron said in a post to X, formerly known as Twitter. L'Huillier and Krausz had been seen as contenders for the honor, having been awarded the prestigious Wolf Prize last year together with Canadian physicist Paul Corkum. Fellow Hungarian However, Krausz said he had not been expecting a call. "I was not sure whether I was dreaming or whether it was reality," he told the Nobel Foundation in an interview. The physics award is the second Nobel of the season after the Medicine Prize on Monday, awarded to messenger RNA researchers Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman for their groundbreaking technology that paved the way for mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Krausz said he had actually been listening to an interview with Kariko when he received the call, adding he was especially impressed with her determination as she toiled away at her research despite struggling to achieve recognition and secure funding for it. "That's what I would like to convey to future generations," Krausz said. The Physics Prize will be followed by the Chemistry Prize on Wednesday, with the highly watched Literature and Peace Prizes to be announced on Thursday and Friday. The Economics Prize -- created in 1968 and the only Nobel not included in the 1895 will of Swedish inventor and philanthropist Alfred Nobel, which founded the awards -- closes out the 2023 Nobel season on Monday. The post Trio wins physics Nobel for illuminating electrons appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Uy resort units chart recovery
Subsidiaries of Davao businessmen Dennis Uy resort developer PH Resorts Group Holdings Inc. said it has restructured its indebtedness with China Banking Corp., or Chinabank. The debts were streamlined through the execution of agreements for the sale, leaseback, with option to buyback certain land and improvements of its subsidiaries. The restructuring covers the property of the subsidiaries in Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan, Cebu, with an area of approximately 12.5 hectares, plus improvements. The consideration for the investment and resulting percentage of ownership are still subject to final negotiations by the Parties, which are expected to be completed within 60 days, based on the MoU. P3.1-B bridge loan The restructuring also allows the subsidiaries to repay the P3.1-billion bridge loan facility extended by Chinabank in 2018, while, at the same time, grants them continued possession and use over the property to finish the construction and development of the Emerald Bay Project. In addition, the option to buy back of the restructuring allows the subsidiaries or its nominees to reacquire the properties. Lapulapu Leisure Inc. and Lapulapu Land Corp., the two units of Resorts Group Holdings also signed a memorandum of understanding with Cebu-based property developer AppleOne Properties Inc. The MoU establishes broad parameters whereby AppleOne can make an investment in the subsidiaries, with the intention of obtaining most of the equity interest in the subsidiaries, or an asset purchase of the land and improvements of the Emerald Bay Project. The post Uy resort units chart recovery appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Trio wins physics Nobel for illuminating electrons
France's Pierre Agostini, Hungarian-Austrian Ferenc Krausz and Franco-Swede Anne L'Huillier won the Nobel prize in physics on Tuesday for research using ultra quick light flashes that enable the study of electrons inside atoms and molecules. Their technique employs pulses measured in attoseconds, a unit so short that there are as many in one second as there have been seconds since the universe's birth over 13 billion years ago, the jury said. The laureates' research has made it possible to examine moves or changes so rapid that they were previously impossible to follow, with potential applications in both electronics and medical diagnostics. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences likened the process to how the flapping wings of a humming bird turn into a blur for the human eye, but can be slowed and examined using high-speed photography. "We can now open the door to the world of electrons. Attosecond physics gives us the opportunity to understand mechanisms that are governed by electrons," Eva Olsson, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, said in a statement. 'Not so many women' In 1987, L'Huillier "discovered that many different overtones of light arose when she transmitted infrared laser light through a noble gas," the Nobel Committee noted, adding that she has continued to explore this phenomenon, "laying the ground for subsequent breakthroughs". In the early 2000s, Agostini and Krausz worked on experiments that made it possible to isolate light pulses that lasted only a few hundred attoseconds. Agostini is a professor at Ohio State University in the United States, while Krausz is a director at the Max Planck Institute in Germany. L'Huillier, only the fifth woman to be awarded the Physics Prize since 1901, is a professor at Lund University in Sweden. L'Huillier told reporters she was in the middle of teaching a class when she received the call from the Academy, making it "difficult" to finish the class, to whom she told nothing. "I am very touched ... There are not so many women that get this prize so it's very, very special," she said. Before L'Huillier, Marie Curie (1903), Maria Goeppert Mayer (1963), Donna Strickland (2018) and Andrea Ghez (2020) are the only women to have won the award. Speaking later at a press conference, she encouraged young women interested in a career in science to "go for it". The laureate, who is married and has two sons, stressed it was possible to combine a research career with an "ordinary life, with a family and children." French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated the trio, noting that "two of our brilliant French researchers" had been honoured. "What a source of pride for our nation!" Macron said in a post to X, formerly known as Twitter. L'Huillier and Krausz had been seen as contenders for the honour, having been awarded the prestigious Wolf Prize last year together with Canadian physicist Paul Corkum. Fellow Hungarian However, Krausz said he had not been expecting a call. "I was not sure whether I was dreaming or whether it was reality," he told the Nobel Foundation in an interview. Speaking at a press conference a few hours later, he said: "There are signs that it could be reality". The physics award is the second Nobel of the season after the Medicine Prize on Monday, awarded to messenger RNA researchers Katalin Kariko, a Hungarian like Krausz, and Drew Weissman for their groundbreaking technology that paved the way for mRNA Covid-19 vaccines. Krausz said he had actually been listening to an interview with his compatriot when he received the call, adding he was especially impressed with Kariko's determination as she toiled away at her research despite struggling to achieve recognition and even secure funding for it. "That's the most important lesson for me, that's what I would like to convey to future generations, that if you believe in something and are convinced it's the right thing to do ... the important thing is to keep believing in it," Krausz said. The Physics Prize will be followed by the Chemistry Prize on Wednesday, with the highly watched Literature and Peace Prizes to be announced on Thursday and Friday. The Economics Prize -- created in 1968 and the only Nobel not included in the 1895 will of Swedish inventor and philanthropist Alfred Nobel, which founded the awards -- closes out the 2023 Nobel season on Monday. The post Trio wins physics Nobel for illuminating electrons appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CA junks telco’s frequency plea, mandamus case vs. NTC
The Court of Appeals junked the petition for mandamus filed by NOW Telecom Company Inc. against the National Telecommunications Commission or NTC over the company's provisional authority or PA application to operate a cellular mobile telephone service within specific frequency ranges. In a 16-page decision, the appellate court's Special Ninth Division said "the court is powerless" to grant NOW Telecom's plea, especially since the company failed to show a clear legal right to the frequencies it sought. The CA said the decision, penned by Associate Justice Tita Marilyn B. Payoyo-Villordon and concurred in by Associate Justices Myra V. Garcia-Fernandez and Walter S. Ong, followed a careful examination of the case. The case began from NOW Telecom's request for NTC's automatic approval issued by the Anti-Red Tape Authority or ARTA. NOW Telecom had filed a petition for mandamus under Rule 65 of the Revised Rules of Court to compel the NTC and former Commissioner Gamaliel Asis Cordoba to stick to ARTA's resolution and OAA both dated 1 March 2021. These ARTA documents stated that NOW Telecom's application for a PA to operate in the frequency range 1970 Mhz-1980 Mhz paired with 2160 Mhz to 2170 Mhz and 3.6 GHz to 3.8 GHz frequency ranges was automatically approved by operation of law. It followed Republic Act 11032, otherwise known as the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018. However, an ARTA resolution dated 17 June 2022 reversed the previous decisions and formally recommended NOW Telecom's application for frequency assignment to the NTC. NOW Telecom's mandamus petition was notably based on its claim for the rights to specific frequency ranges, alleging that the NTC had unjustly neglected its duty to assign them. Yet, court records showed that as early as December 2005, NTC already found NOW Telecom to be non-compliant and was disqualified from the assignment of 3G frequency bands due to unpaid supervision and regulation fees or SRF and spectrum user fees or SUF amounting to P2.6 billion. NOW Telecom has a pending petition filed before the Supreme Court for this penalty imposed by the NTC. NOW Telecom received its PA in January 2006, but it was not specific to 3G and under the condition of paying its outstanding SRF and SUF obligations. In December 2017, NOW Telecom was designated the 20MHz contiguous bandwidth, 3520 to 3540 MHz, under the 3.5 GHz on the same condition that it resolved its outstanding SUF and SRF fines. NOW Telecom's Provisional Authority was extended until September 2020, but the NTC reiterated that the company failed to fulfill the conditions regarding SUF and SRF. Despite the issues hounding the company, NOW Corp. CEO Mel Velarde said he hopes the "Marcos administration" will aid the immediate settlement of its cases as a way of maintaining a "level playing field." _ The post CA junks telco’s frequency plea, mandamus case vs. NTC appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sara Duterte’s P2.7B confidential expenses as Davao mayor should be probed—Castro
Davao City’s confidential expenses that ballooned to P2.697 billion during Vice President Sara Duterte’s stint as mayor should be probed by the Commission on Audit, a lawmaker said Monday. The call for investigation was prompted by the 2022 report of the CoA, which found that Davao City spent P2.697 billion on confidential expenses between 2016 to 2022, or an average of PP385.3 million per year over the preceding six years. Duterte served as the Davao City mayor from 2016 to 2022 before she assumed the VP post in July of last year. Based on CoA findings, Davao City incurred P144 million of confidential expenses in 2016, which was more than doubled to P293 million in 2017 and further climbed to P420 million in 2018. The city’s confidential fund expenses further grew to P460 million in 2019 and were maintained consistently for the subsequent years of 2020, 2021, and 2022. In an interview on Monday, ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro, who sought the CoA probe, stressed that the P2.697 billion totality of confidential expenses of Davao City in the previous six years “could have been utilized more effectively to benefit the education sector, specifically by providing much-needed support to teachers.” “We were shocked also [by] the report of the CoA. With this controversy of confidential funds, we are thinking of asking the CoA to investigate,” she said. “The CoA should file an audit observation memo and then ask them to explain maybe the misuse of funds and then file necessary legal action.” She added, “Imagine more than a million a day spent for the confidential funds in a city. I just wonder how it was spent and where it was spent. So, we want the CoA to review if the city government of Davao City led by Vice President Sara Duterte by then really followed the guidelines or the joint circular 2015-01.” The said joint circular outlined by CoA with the Departments of Budget and Management, National Defense, and of the Interior and Local Government, and Governance Commission for GOCCs, contains guidelines on the entitlement, release, use, reporting, and audit of confidential and intelligence funds that are in the General Appropriations Act. Daily Tribune has been asking for Duterte’s comment, but she remained mum on the issue. While Castro admitted that the local government units are entitled to confidential funds for peace and order maintenance, it was “ironic” that Duterte sought allocation of such funds given that she claimed Davao City was “very peaceful, disciplined, and well” during her tenure. "So why is it necessary to have an increasingly confidential fund?" the lawmaker stressed, noting such a fund should be used for other fruitful endeavors. "I remember the time the teachers of Davao City were asking for city allowance, but she did not grant it. Instead, she refused and even got mad with ACT (Alliance of Concerned Teachers) during that time," Castro pointed out. While none in the law limits the amount of confidential funds, the militant lawmaker pointed out that it should be rationalized. A proposed law aimed at imposing a cap and limit on confidential funds, streamlining the allocation of such that would promote transparency and accountability, is currently being crafted, according to Castro. It will be filed in Congress when the session resumes in November. The post Sara Duterte’s P2.7B confidential expenses as Davao mayor should be probed—Castro appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Five things to know about Pope Francis’ Synod
Pope Francis opened the Synod of Bishops' general assembly in Rome on Wednesday, which in a historic first gives women a vote, after a vast global consultation on the future Catholic Church. Here are five things to know about the event: Input from faithful Since 2021, the world's 1.3 billion Catholics have been invited to express their views on the Catholic Church and its challenges to help guide the institution through the 21st century. The "Synod on Synodality" was launched by Francis, 86, as a way to make the Church more inclusive and transparent as it sought input from the faithful around the world. Insights from local dioceses were submitted to episcopal conferences, all contributing to a 50-page working document called the "Instrumentum Laboris" that will be used during the discussions that will take place over the next four weeks. A second session of the assembly is scheduled for October 2024, after which a final document will be given to the pope. He will then decide whether or not to incorporate its findings into a papal document known as an apostolic exhortation. "It's an important forum for reflection for the Church, on its way of being, of moving forward," Italian priest Giacomo Costa, the special secretary of this assembly, told AFP. 21st-century issues The current Synod is the first time the Vatican has waded into so many of today's contentious social issues so openly. The topics to be addressed include the place of LGBT+ people within the Church, whether women should be ordained deacons, and whether married men can serve as priests in regions with insufficient clergy, among others. While there has been consensus on some issues, "there are other issues on which we disagree in substance," said Costa. Contributing to discussions will be theologians, experts, and sociologists, he said. Women and laypeople The Synod is a consultative institution created by Pope Paul VI in 1965 that meets regularly through assemblies. Francis presided over three previous Synods: those of the Family in 2014-2015, Youth in 2018, and Amazonia 2019 -- where he rejected a proposal to open up the priesthood to married men in remote areas of the Amazon. The current Synod marks a major break from the past, however, with Francis' decision to allow women and lay people to vote. "It's a total change from Paul VI: this time, the people of God are being summoned, not representatives," a Vatican observer told AFP. The source said the laymen and women in the assembly will be trying to push past the "ecclesiastic culture" pervading the event. "They won't be satisfied with good words, there will be a demand for procedure, the will to change, efficiency," said the source. Busy calendar For four weeks, the 464 participants, including 365 voting members, will meet every day, divided into 35 working groups divided into five languages (English, Italian, Spanish, French, and Portuguese). Among them are 54 women. The Synod will open and close with a mass presided over by Francis in St. Peter's Basilica and will be marked by periods of prayer. Francis said last month that discussions during the assembly will be behind closed doors to "safeguard" the synodal climate. Dissent Although Francis has warned that there is "no room for ideology in the Synod", there are likely to be differences. Vatican observers will be closely watching the conservative wing of the Church, which is hostile to the Argentine pope. Its members, which include Germany's Cardinal Gerhard Mueller and US Cardinal Raymond Burke, maintain that Francis risks creating confusion and division in the Church, given the Synod's reflections on possible doctrinal changes on thorny issues such as gay rights or celibacy. The post Five things to know about Pope Francis’ Synod appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senate eyes increase of DND’s 2024 budget
The Senate on Wednesday assured the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines that it will push for the allocation of more funds for next year to further strengthen the country’s defense operations. After extensive deliberation, the Senate Committee on Finance has approved the 2024 proposed budget of the DND and its attached, including the revised AFP Modernization Program, “subject to possible budgetary adjustments.” The DND’s proposed budget will then be again submitted to the Senate plenary for deliberation and approval. Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri expressed full support for the defense sector’s efforts to defend the country amid the increasing tension in the West Philippine Sea. With this, Zubiri committed to increasing the DND and AFP’s budget for next year for more heightened defense initiatives. “But you know my dear friends, courage can only take us so far. And that is why, if we really want to truly defend our country and our seas, we must support their budget. Not only the budget that they have now… We’re going to support, through the efforts of the Senate, an increase in their budget, especially in the defense spending,” he said. In his presentation, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the DND is seeking a total of P229.9 billion in funding under the 2024 National Expenditure Program. Teodoro presented a 12 percent increase compared to the P204.5 billion DND budget allocated under its 2023 General Appropriation Act. Of the budget, the AFP will get P221.6 billion, which will be divided among its major service units including the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, and Philippine Navy, as well as the general AFP headquarters and AFP-wide service support units. The DND will get P1.2 billion while the remaining P7 billion will go to civilian bureaus, like the Government Arsenal, Office of Civil Defense, National Defense College of the Philippines, Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, and Veterans Memorial Medical Center. Teodoro said the DND initially requested P115.1 billion for the AFP Modernization Program but was only granted P50 billion. Meanwhile, Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Estrada stressed the need to fast-track equipping the AFP with modern assets to protect the country’s territorial integrity, given the current situation in the West Philippine Sea. Hence then asked Teodoro about the ongoing military modernization: “We are supposed to be in Horizon 3 of the AFP modernization program in 2023. I think we are still in Horizon 2 or Horizon 1. Where are we now?” In response, Teodoro said about 10 percent of the project remains to be accomplished in Horizon 1 while 51 out of 97 projects were already finished in Horizon 2 with some projects will be carried over under Horizon 3. “That’s why we really have to re-strategize it because the paradigms for Horizon 2 may not be valid anymore,” Teodoro said. The military modernization program's Horizon 3 is slated for 2023 up to 2028 while Horizon 2 is from 2018 to 2022 and Horizon 1 is from 2013 to 2018. All these horizons are geared toward acquiring equipment and weapon platforms that would equip the AFP to perform its external defense mandate. An executive session was conducted with the DND after the Senate panel’s approval of its proposal to discuss some adjustments to the funding, particularly those allocated for defending the WPS. Zubiri stressed that he will not allow the Philippines to be bullied. “Hindi tayo pumayag na ma-bully tayo ng ating kapitbahay sa Norte (we didn’t allow our neighbor in the North to bully us). Because of that, we hear you loud and clear. We need more defense spending in our modernization project… We’re here to support you. You’ll see a drastic difference in your budget come this December,” Zubiri said. Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa likewise rallied for the increase of both DND and AFP’s intelligence funds for surveillance and reconnaissance assets. In 2022, DND got P2.3 billion worth of confidential intelligence funds. The agency requested only P1.8 billion in 2023. “With this new defense strategic direction, refocused on archipelagic defense and protection, will there be a corresponding shift, change, or retrofitting of our forces because right now our organization is heavy on the land-based army?” Dela Rosa asked. Teodoro said no changes are needed at the moment as the country needs to sustain internal security. However, he noted the need to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities to cope with the “challenges of time.” The post Senate eyes increase of DND’s 2024 budget appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Badoy, Parlade reprimanded by Ombudsman for red-tagging
The Ombudsman found ex-spokespersons Lorraine Badoy and Antonio Parlade Jr. of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, or NTF-ELCAC, guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service for red-tagging a lawyers' group as communist rebels. In a ruling signed by Ombudsman Samuel Martires on 9 August but released only to the media on Thursday, the court reprimanded Badoy and Parlade for "unduly" tarnishing the image of the NTF-ELCAC over their statements against the National Union of People's Lawyers. "It perpetuates the notion that it is being used as a governmental tool to silence dissent or opposition instead of legitimately pursuing its ultimate: goal of lasting peace and ending the armed conflict with the communist rebels," the Ombudsman said. The Ombudsman’s decision was in response to a complaint filed by NUPL three years ago against Badoy, Parlade and former National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. for linking the organization to a communist armed movement. "These matters (NUPL) are not communist propaganda as dissent and upholding of individual rights are vital in a vibrant democracy. As such, the importance of raising awareness or highlighting these issues to the public cannot gainsaid,” the decision read. The Ombudsman warned Badoy and Parlade that “a repetition of a similar offense would be dealt with more severely.” The Ombudsman, however, found Esperon not guilty of the administrative complaint. “Nevertheless, his defense appears to be tempered especially since he had stated that while he agreed that the CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples' Army) had underground operation with legal fronts, he was not concluding that the NUPL is part of the CPP but that some of its members are allegedly part of these organizations working for the CPP,” the Ombudsman said. Esperon served as the NTF-ELCAC’s vice chair, while Badoy and Parlade were among its spokespersons. The NTF-ELCAC was created in December 2018 by virtue of then-president Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order 70. Last week, during the deliberations of the Ombudsman’s proposed P5.05 billion budget for 2024, Martires told lawmakers that there is no law against red-tagging, paving the way for the dismissal of another complaint filed against Badoy and Parlade. Badoy and Parlade face several other complaints before the Ombudsman in relation to red-tagging. The post Badoy, Parlade reprimanded by Ombudsman for red-tagging appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
EU hits TikTok with big fine over child data
A European Union regulator hit Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok with a 345-million-euro fine over child data breaches on Friday, in the bloc's latest salvo against the business practices of tech titans. The fine, equivalent to $369 million, is the culmination of a two-year inquiry by Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC). The Irish watchdog, which plays a key role in policing the EU's strict General Data Protection Regulations, gave TikTok three months "to bring its processing into compliance" with its rules. The DPC in September 2021 began examining TikTok's compliance with GDPR in relation to platform settings and personal data processing for users aged under 18 years old. It also looked at TikTok's age verification measures for persons under 13 and found no infringement, but found the platform did not properly assess the risks to younger people registering on the service. The regulator highlighted in its ruling Friday how children signing up had TikTok accounts set to public by default, meaning anyone could view or comment on their content. It also criticised TikTok's "family pairing" mode, which is designed to link parents' accounts to those of their teenage offspring, but the DPC found the company did not verify parent or guardian status. Ireland is at the centre of the GDPR regime because Dublin hosts the European headquarters of TikTok and the likes of Google, Meta and X, formerly Twitter. In May, the DPC fined Meta a record 1.2 billion euros for transferring EU user data to the United States in breach of a previous court ruling. TikTok, a division of Chinese tech giant ByteDance, is extremely popular among young people with 150 million users in the United States and 134 million in the EU. TikTok 'respectfully disagrees' In response to the fine, TikTok said it "respectfully disagrees" with the verdict and was "evaluating" how to proceed. "The DPC's criticisms are focused on features and settings that were in place three years ago, and that we made changes to well before the investigation even began, such as setting all under 16 accounts to private by default," a TikTok spokesperson told AFP. The platform insists that it closely monitors the age of its users and takes action when needed. TikTok says it deleted almost 17 million accounts worldwide in the first three month of this year due to suspicions that they belonged to people under 13 years old. Earlier this month, the social media giant opened a long-promised data centre in Ireland, as it tries to calm fears in Europe over data privacy. GDPR came into force in 2018 and was the EU's toughest and most famous law on tech, ensuring citizens give consent to the ways in which their data is used. Friday's fine comes after the EU last week unveiled a list of digital giants -- including Apple, Facebook owner Meta and ByteDance -- that will face tough new curbs on how they do business. The post EU hits TikTok with big fine over child data appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Five groups target NAIA takeover
Five companies have signified their intention to take over the operations and management of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA a few weeks after the Department of Transportation or DoTr opened the bidding for the P170.6-billion project. In a text message to the Daily Tribune on Wednesday, the DoTr confirmed that five potential bidders have bought bid documents for the project. As of 13 September, the interested companies include San Miguel Corp. or SMC, Spark 888 Management Inc., and Asian Airport Consortium. Two others who submitted bids — Manila International Airport Consortium or MIAC and GMR Group — have previously vied for the NAIA rehabilitation. MIAC is composed of Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation, Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corporation, Alliance Global — Infracorp Development Inc., Filinvest Development Corporation, and JG Summit Infrastructure Holdings Corporation along with Global Infrastructure Partners. Super consortium in running In 2018, the government awarded the Original Proponent Status for the NAIA rehabilitation to a “super-consortium” formed by seven of the country’s biggest conglomerates: Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc.; AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation; Alliance Global Group Inc.; Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corporation; Filinvest Development Corporation; and JG Summit Holdings Inc. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. It was, however, terminated. Thus, Megawide Construction Corp. and partner GMR Infrastructure Ltd. also submitted an unsolicited proposal to upgrade and rehabilitate the highly congested NAIA. Despite the substantial progress, the much-needed NAIA rehabilitation was back to square one after the previous administration also rejected the proposal. According to the MIAA, the Megawide consortium failed to convince the government of its financial ability to support the project. Meanwhile, the SMC., an Asian conglomerate led by businessman Ramon S. Ang, is currently taking on the P740-billion New Manila International Airport in Bulacan. Award out by December Previously, the DoTr conveyed that the contract may be awarded to the winning bidder as early as December if the government stays on schedule. The National Economic and Development Authority or NEDA, chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., approved the solicited bid to privatize the operations of NAIA. NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the project will help address the long-standing issues at the country’s main air hub such as congestion and limited aircraft movements that usually cause inconvenience to passengers. The DoTr and the Manila International Airport Authority submitted a joint proposal to the NEDA Board to privatize the operations and management of NAIA within 15 years. The project is expected to improve the overall passenger experience and increase the current annual passenger capacity of NAIA to at least 62 million from the current 32 million. Previously, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista floated the possibility of closing down the airport — only if nearby airports become operational. Bautista explained that the government can have the option to close NAIA if airports in adjacent provinces like Cavite and Bulacan are ready to accommodate the travel-hungry tourists in the country — both local and international. “If there will be new airports, then the government can decide to close the Manila International Airport or MIA because it can be a valuable government asset. On the other hand, it is possible to continue its operations because of its prime location in the Metro,” Bautista told reporters. “So yes, it is possible to close, it is also possible not to close MIA,” he added. Bautista also assured that in case the airport continues its operations, SMC’s Bulacan Airport can still drive up profits despite the competition. The post Five groups target NAIA takeover appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»