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Clip OWWA’s wings
As the pandemic is over, the Commission on Audit should go into a more detailed scrutiny of the huge amount that the government allotted to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration totaling P17.36 billion in the Emergency Repatriation Fund or ERF. State auditors did not question the use of the ERF and even commended OWWA for the use of the fund in response to the coronavirus plague. As a result of the urgency of the situation and the provisions of the Bayanihan laws exempting purchases from the Government Procurement Reform Act, the CoA did not have the full accounting arsenal to look into the purchases. The huge amount involved and the previous experiences with the OWWA should require a double-check. According to the CoA 2022 report, of the P17,367,559,655.88 OWWA received for the ERF, P17,367,559,406.09 or 99.9999986 percent was utilized for accommodations, transportation, financial assistance, and other Covid-19 incidental expenses of repatriated overseas Filipino workers or OFWs. In several instances, OWWA even exceeded its budgeted ERF and had to draw from the succeeding year’s budget. CoA indicated that P2.3 billion was used to pay for expenses incurred in 2020 that were not covered by that year’s budget. The overshoot increased to P5.035 billion for 2021 since CoA said the expenses were not obligated and were paid through the 2022 budget. CoA, initially in the 2020 report that looked into 2019 transactions not covered by the Bayanihan law’s procurement law exemptions, questioned the purchase of hygiene kits and sanitary napkins totaling P822,420 from a construction store in Pasay City “which cannot be found in the address stated.” Upon further probe by the CoA, it was found that the supposed hardware store was fictitious and the address was that of a private residence. Then OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac had a hard time explaining the purchase of the feminine kits from a hardware store, more so that it couldn’t be found at the address. CoA also found that the procured hygiene kits, which were not itemized, were outrageously priced at P160 each, while the sanitary napkins were priced at up to P35 per pad. Cacdac promised an internal investigation which was something that was lost in the swirl of the global emergency that erupted in early 2020. That was when the ERF was bolstered with allocations from the national budget and Bayanihan laws 1 and 2. The ERF was extensively used previously to repatriate OFWs from war zones. According to the CoA 2022 report, of the P17.37 billion ERF, P13.3 billion was used for hotel accommodations, P449 million for food, P3.6 billion for travel expenses, P9.7 million for subsidies, P5.5 million for supplies, P2.4 million for hospitalization, drugs and medicine, P15.1 million for cremation services, and P90,200 for other expenses. OWWA, in a long-winded acknowledgment of the initial CoA clearance of the use of the funds, was quick to give credit to its suppliers who, it said, “were a huge help to us in the government in extending help to all Filipinos.” It then concluded, without CoA’s express acknowledgment, that the ”payables in 2020 are legal.” Several of the items in the ERF, however, would have to be checked as returning workers during the pandemic did not benefit from the program as they had to pay through their noses the hotel bills and other myriad health processes during the quarantine period as the pandemic raged. No one could recall travel expenses being paid for by OWWA to bring those in distress home. Even the pernicious nasal tests had to come out of the pockets of the migrant workers, at an overprice, as some had to shell out P10,000 for a single test. Also, overspending the ERF budget for a year should be checked since OWWA collects billions of pesos yearly with its membership fee of $25 paid every two years by each OFW. The catch in the OWWA collections is that you’ll never know the privileges and benefits due a member unless you spend time researching it which the busy migrant workers don’t have. OWWA membership is mandatory as the fee is a required item on the departure slip of an OFW. Most overseas workers will attest that they never interacted with CoA unless it involved the payment of fees and, of course, making them go through the expensive quarantine process during the health emergency. There was a plan to abolish the OWWA since its functions overlap with agencies such as the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency and the Department of Labor and Employment. It is time to hold an earnest review of the abolition proposal. The post Clip OWWA’s wings appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Discordant voices (1)
Two high government functionaries of the government can’t help themselves from being off-key with the position of their principal, the Chief Executive. They are either having difficulty in understanding the clear, unequivocal, and assertive language of the President or they just want to be solo players. In either case, they do not help in projecting a solid, irreversible, and correct foreign policy on the International Criminal Court’s intransigent intrusion on the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The ICC wants to supplant our judicial system with its own by investigating drug-related killings and crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the presidential term of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and in the latter’s incumbency as Mayor of Davao City. In issuing public statements which are at war with PBBM’s pronouncements on the ICC, they not only undermine the government’s position but give an arsenal to the international interloper to justify its unlawful and vexing interference with the country’s governance. Despite PBBM’s declaration that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines at the start of his presidency in the face of ICC’s attempts at intruding in our manner of administering justice to criminal offenders, these two high government officials gave pronouncements not only contrary to the President’s but illogical and balderdash submissions. On 17 March 2018, FPRRD ordered the withdrawal of the Philippines from the Rome Statute which created the ICC following the commencement by the ICC’s former special prosecutor Fatou Bensouda of a preliminary examination on whether or not the ICC could properly assume jurisdiction over complaints of drug-related killings. A year after, on 17 March 2019, the withdrawal became effective. In September 2021, former prosecutor Bensouda launched a formal inquiry into the drug war. Instead of slamming the ICC for its attempt to subject the Philippines, by that time already non-member state, the withdrawal has been effective, this government lawyer, who at the time headed the justice department, against FPRRD’s position that the ICC never acquired jurisdiction, filed a deferral request of the contemplated probe. Such filing is inconsistent with the “no jurisdiction” policy of the government. For if the ICC has no jurisdiction, this writer argued then as he criticized the move, why should our government request for a suspension of the investigation when it has no jurisdiction? By filing such deferral request, our country effectively placed itself under the jurisdiction of the ICC. Moreover, this columnist further slammed the deferral request action because the reason for its submission was anchored on the offer of the government to submit proof that its judicial system is working. Why should we be the ones to prove that our system of justice is working? It is the ICC that is accusing us that ours is not working, so it should be the ICC that should provide proof that the Philippines is incapable of prosecuting those committing crimes against humanity and committing mass murders. It is elementary that one who alleges must prove, and not the other being accused. That wrong legal maneuver was supported by the other government official who is a lawyer and who substituted him as the head of the office he once held under the previous administration. The former said that such filing of a request was just an act of courtesy, apparently either not understanding the depth of the folly or ignoring the absurdity and incongruity of the same. As this columnist anticipated and said so on various occasions and platforms, the ICC denied the deferral request. Instead of realizing his mistake, this government counsel, who then was appointed to another office handling legal matters, did another monstrous booboo by submitting a motion for reconsideration, adding another brick of error, and strengthening the contradiction of arguing against the lack of jurisdiction of the ICC but invalidating it by subjecting the Philippine government to its jurisdiction. (To be continued) The post Discordant voices (1) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden arrives in Britain ahead of NATO summit, Finland visit
President Joe Biden arrived in Britain Sunday where he will meet King Charles III and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak before continuing to Vilnius for a NATO summit, then a final stop in new NATO member Finland. Air Force One touched down at Stansted Airport north of London late in the evening, an AFP journalist reported. On Monday, he meets the British monarch at Windsor Castle, one of the royal residences, for the first time since Charles III's coronation. The US president did not attend the ceremony, sending First Lady Jill Biden instead. Their talks are expected to focus on environmental issues, the White House said. Biden will also be meeting with Sunak at 10 Downing Street. The main part of Biden's Europe trip will be the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital Tuesday and Wednesday, where the Western allies will discuss helping Ukraine to oust Russian occupation forces. Ukraine is pressing for admission to the military alliance but Biden said in an interview aired Sunday with CNN that this cannot happen until the war is over. Bringing Ukraine in now would mean NATO is at war with Russia, Biden said. Under its Article 5, NATO is committed to defending any member that comes under attack. "It's a commitment that we've all made no matter what. If the war is going on, then we're all in war. We're at war with Russia, if that were the case," Biden said. Biden hopes to use the summit to pressure Turkey to drop its opposition to Sweden's all-but-cleared NATO membership bid. Entry requires unanimous consent from all members. In a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday, Biden "conveyed his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible," the White House said. The two leaders "expressed their shared commitment to continue supporting Ukraine," the statement added. Erdogan's office said separately that he would meet with Biden on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius. The talks will focus on "Ukraine's position in NATO, Sweden's NATO membership, and the delivery of F-16" fighter jets, which Turkey hopes to secure from the United States, the Turkish presidency said. - Ukraine and NATO - In the interview with CNN, Biden had said he was considering supplying Turkey and Greece with new or upgraded US-made fighter aircraft as an enticement for Turkey to let Sweden join NATO. "And so, what I'm trying to, quite frankly, put together is a little bit of a consortium here where we're strengthening NATO in terms of the military capacity of both Greece as well as Turkey and allow Sweden to come in," Biden said. "But it's in play. It's not done." Erdogan's office said, however, that it was "not correct" to link Turkey's desire to acquire the fighter jets, which need congressional approval, with Sweden's membership drive. While in Vilnius, Biden will also deliver a major foreign policy speech at the city's university. His trip comes in the wake of a controversial decision to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions, which most NATO member countries have banned but which the United States continues to hold in its arsenal and says will help Ukraine destroy heavily dug-in Russian forces. Biden's final stop before returning to Washington on Thursday will be Finland, which ended its historic neutrality to enter NATO in response to the Russian attack on Ukraine. Biden will be the first US president to visit Helsinki since Donald Trump went five years ago to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. sms-acl/kjm © Agence France-Presse The post Biden arrives in Britain ahead of NATO summit, Finland visit appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
UBX beefs up financing arsenal with UNO partnership
Open finance platform UBX has partnered with UNOBank, Southeast Asia’s first full-spectrum digital bank, to make credit more accessible to micro, small, and medium enterprises nationwide. Through this collaboration, SeekCap will be able to further support MSME financing, while providing a wider platform for UNO Digital Bank to reach more customers. With the alliance, micro-entrepreneurs will be able to get financing even in the absence of formal financial data, utilizing the combination of alternative data and psychometric scoring, which further democratizes access to credit to provide the necessary capital to expand their business. This initiative is done through UBX’s loans marketplace platform, Seekcap. “SeekCap is the product of UBX’s desire to reach MSMEs, who traditionally, have no access to financing to grow their businesses because of the stringent requirements of banking. By democratizing access to loans, now with the help of UNO Digital Bank, we are not just contributing to the expansion of MSMEs but the economic growth of the Philippines as well,” UBX president and CEO John Januszczak said. UNO Digital Bank is South East Asia’s first full-spectrum digital bank licensed under the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. It is one out of only six digital banks licensed by the BSP. A convenient alternative to traditional lending companies, SeekCap leverages its partners’ wide user base to offer loans to businesses. Its existing partners include leading online marketplace Lazada and online food and grocery delivery platform foodpanda, among many others. With the addition of UNO Digital Bank, microentrepreneurs will have a more seamless digital experience in their entire financing journey. The partnership makes it possible for potential borrowers to secure a loan term of 12 months and borrow as high as P250,000 without the need for collateral. Applicants without an approved loan need only check their inboxes for an invitation for a pre-qualified loan application to UNO Digital Bank to know which ones they can avail of for their business. “As one of the BSP’s accredited digital banks, UNO can guarantee that our loan offerings are accessible, simple, and offer relevant features for our customers. We are honored to work alongside UBX in carrying out inclusivity in the form of loan processing for MSMEs as this also plays a significant role in boosting the local financial ecosystem.” UNOBank CEO Manish Bai said. SeekCap is an online lending marketplace that offers an end-to-end lending platform solution from loan origination until collection. Through the digital platform, business loans may be processed in as fast as 24 hours, which is significantly faster than the minimum 30-day approval time for most banks. Seekcap brings lenders and borrowers closer via its platform, streamlining the process of getting a business loan while making financing more accessible for small businesses in the city. SeekCap has processed over P27 billion of business loans from more than 65,000 MSMEs. “Given that 99.51 percent of all businesses in the Philippines are MSMEs, SeekCap is in a position to make a significant change. By partnering with more and more financial players such as UNOBank, that opportunity grows even bigger,” Januszczak said. The post UBX beefs up financing arsenal with UNO partnership appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
G7 to squeeze Russia, weigh risk of China’s ‘economic coercion’
G7 leaders arrived in Hiroshima, Japan, on Thursday to weigh tighter sanctions on Russia and protections against China's "economic coercion", surrounded by reminders about the harrowing cost of war. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is hosting leaders from six other wealthy democracies in his hometown -- a city synonymous with nuclear destruction and now peppered with peace monuments. Leaders including US President Joe Biden will try over three days to forge a united front on Russia and China, where the allies' interests do not always neatly align. Biden's delicate diplomatic offensive in Asia hit a bump even before Air Force One left US soil: A domestic budget row forced him to cancel stops in Papua New Guinea and Australia. He arrived in Hiroshima Thursday, becoming just the second US president after Barack Obama to visit a city levelled by his country's "Little Boy" atomic bomb. Russia's 15-month-old invasion of Ukraine will top the agenda when the G7 summit gets underway Friday, after a new spate of aerial attacks on Kyiv and a long winter of grinding warfare in Bakhmut and other frontline towns. "We stand up for the shared values including supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend their sovereign territory and holding Russia accountable for its brutal aggression," Biden said as he met Kishida Thursday. The United States and its allies have poured weaponry into Ukraine to stall the Russian advance, but a long-anticipated spring counteroffensive by Kyiv's forces has yet to materialize. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to address the group by video link. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said leaders would discuss battlefield developments and tightening a sanctions regime that, according to official statistics, caused Russia's economy to contract a further 1.9 percent last quarter. G7 nations have already adopted sanctions on Russian banks and military firms, and placed price caps on Russian crude. Discussions are expected on tighter enforcement, and new measures on a range of goods, including Moscow's roughly $5 billion annual trade in diamonds. Nuclear shadow Putin's repeated threats to turn the Ukraine conflict nuclear have been roundly condemned by G7 leaders and dismissed by some commentators as little more than an attempt to shake European and American resolve. But a leaders' visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on Friday is likely to pull those threats into sharper focus. The bombing on 6 August 1945 obliterated Hiroshima, claimed an estimated 140,000 lives and forever changed the world. Kishida wants to use the summit to press his guests -- nuclear powers Britain, France and the United States -- to commit to transparency on stockpiles and arsenal reductions. But expectations for a breakthrough are low. 'Economic coercion' Summit discussions on China are expected to focus on efforts to insulate G7 economies from potential economic blackmail, by diversifying supply chains and markets. In disputes with countries from Australia to Canada, President Xi Jinping's administration has shown a willingness to block, tax or hamper trade with little warning or explanation. White House official Sullivan said leaders were expected to decry this "economic coercion" and work to bridge transatlantic differences about how to engage with China. Washington has taken an aggressive approach, blocking China's access to the most advanced semiconductors and the equipment to make them, and has pressed Japan and the Netherlands to follow suit. But European policymakers -- most notably those in Berlin and Paris -- are keen to make sure that "de-risking" does not mean shattering ties with China, one of the world's largest markets. "This G7 is not an anti-Chinese G7," an adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron told journalists before the summit. "We have a positive message for China, which is that we are ready to cooperate on condition that we negotiate together," the adviser added. Host Japan is also keen to talk to developing nations that have been wooed by Chinese investment, with leaders from India, Brazil and Indonesia among those invited by Kishida to Hiroshima. Evidence of Beijing's growing economic and diplomatic clout was on display Thursday in the former imperial capital Xi'an. There, Xi is hosting the leaders of five Central Asian countries that were once seen as firmly in Moscow's orbit but are increasingly drawn to Beijing. The post G7 to squeeze Russia, weigh risk of China’s ‘economic coercion’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Super League in peril as founding English clubs withdraw
Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal were half of the 12 clubs that would've supposedly made up the European Super League......»»
Cebu City EOC Strengthens COVID-19 Response
The Cebu City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) strengthens their COVID-19 response by adding personnel and resources to their arsenal. The recent rise on COVID-19 cases is also one of the top reasons why the city’s EOC decided to improve their response. Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) extraction team head Harold Alcontin revealed […].....»»
ONE champ Joshua Pacio making sound investments during pandemic
Joshua “The Passion” Pacio is making good use of his time while he awaits his next defense of his ONE Strawweight World Title. The 24-year-old from Baguio City has partnered up with FlexBox, an on-demand personal training service that provides custom workouts accessible to anyone, anywhere, anytime. The reigning World Champion from Team Lakay will function as a “Celebrity Trainer” and is slated to provide virtual training for fans and fitness enthusiasts alike. “This is good, it’s added income for us while we’re waiting for our next fight,” Pacio said. “It’s also a good opportunity to interact with fans, help them stay fit and healthy to boost their immune system during the pandemic.” The young phenom from Team Lakay is set to do his online one-on-one and group classes during his rest days. Even at his age, “The Passion” knows the value of good financing. But make no mistake about it, he is not letting up on his training while waiting for a call from ONE Championship. “I promise I’ll be ready to defend my belt anytime,” Pacio said. “Even though I am already at the top, I know that there are many quality opponents out there waiting for me. I always have to find ways to improve.” In his most recent outing, Pacio defeated former ONE Strawweight World Champion Alex “Little Rock” Silva by split decision in the main event of ONE: FIRE & FURY last January at the Mall Of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. He is the first mixed martial artist in the talented weight class to defeat all previous World Champions, gaining a reputation as one of the greatest athletes in ONE’s history. But Pacio is not letting up, nor is he allowing the praises to go to his head, as he works to improve all the weapons in his arsenal before his next trip inside the Circle. “If they give me a date, I know I can quickly catch up,” he said. “I am ready to return any time this year.”.....»»
Premier League returns after coronavirus exile
London—The Premier League makes its eagerly anticipated return on Wednesday after 100 days in lockdown, with Manchester City’s clash against Arsenal taking centre stage at the start of a frenetic dash to finish the season......»»
Iloilo City fish vendor arrested; P4 Million shabu seized
Iloilo City fish vendor arrested; P4 Million shabu seized.....»»
Environmental defenders found after reported abduction in Pangasinan
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2 nabbed for possession of shabu, explosives, guns in Zamboanga City
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Belmonte, Binay call for climate action funding from development banks
The C40 coalition of cities, a network of nearly 100 mayors, asked MDBs to increase urban climate investment, integrate urban climate action into their strategies, and implement tailored programs to support city projects. .....»»
7 nanlaban drug suspects dead after Baste Duterte declares drug war
Less than a week after Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte declared a "war on drugs" in the city, at least seven drug suspects were killed during a buy-bust operation in the city — violence that highlights the seriousness of the mayor's recent threat of outright killing persons caught using illegal drugs......»»
Antipolo City throws support on Ajido
The Antipolo City government led by Mayor Casimiro “Jun” Ynares III will provide support to Antipolo-born swimmer Jamesray Mishael Ajido, who won the country’s lone gold medal in record-breaking fashion at the recent 11th Asian Age-Group Swimming Championships......»»
CHR alarmed by war vs drugs in Davao City
THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is alarmed by Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte’s “war against drugs”, as seven drug users were killed from different barangays in the city over the weekend, just a few hours after his declaration......»»
Oplan Harabas yields 3 drivers positive for drugs
FOLLOWING the surprise drug test conducted by the Land Transportation Office (LTO)-Davao and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on public utility vehicles (PUVs) last March 26, 2024, two taxi drivers in Davao City were found to be positive for drugs......»»
Councilor Javi’s FB account hacked
DAVAO City Second District Councilor Javi Campos confirmed that his account has been hacked by still unknown individuals......»»
Mayor Uy posts cryptic messages amid Igacos power problems
ISLAND Garden City of Samal (Igacos) Mayor Al David Uy posted cryptic messages regarding the power crisis in Igacos......»»
Mt. Apo as geological monument hurdles City Council 2nd reading
THE 20th City Council approved on second reading the declaration of Mount Apo as a geological monument during its session on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, held at the Sangguniang Panlungsod......»»