We are sorry, the requested page does not exist
A Moro’s wish for PBBM’s 2nd SoNA
The day after tomorrow being the 4th Monday of July, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will face the nation before a joint Congress assembly for his State of the Nation Address. He will be performing the constitutionally mandated ritual of informing the Filipinos about the country’s political, financial and social condition, and about his future plans. This being his 2nd SoNA, he will likewise submit his accomplishment report card for last year which will be subjected to a surgeon’s scalpel-like scrutiny by gadflies. The politically-oriented public will be all ears to what the President will report. Heavy issues like the environment, the West Philippine Sea, and similar concerns with a global impact will be tackled. But in the Muslim Autonomous Region, Moros wish that something will be said about issues close to their hearts. Hereunder is the bucket list of issues that they hope would be addressed. Foremost of these issues which occupy the minds of Maranaw Muslims is the fate of the compensation promised by the government for victims of the 2017 Marawi siege. While there is a law that mandates its payment, it does not provide funding or the source of funding to implement the law. The burden is shifted to the Office of the President for financing. A yearly appropriation can create problems. A one-time budget appropriation similar to a block grant is ideal. Yes, an amount of P1 billion (a crumb vis-a-vis the huge damage to be compensated) was initially budgeted but it was mainly for the administrative expenditures of the Marawi Compensation Board. The processing of the claims by the MCB is in full swing and pretty soon, hopefully, they will start the process of payment. This presents a huge problem for the Board if the total budget is not predetermined. How will they distribute the money? What will happen if the government fails to appropriate a budget in the coming years (the law says five years) and some legal claimants remain unpaid? What payment mechanism will the MCB adopt? Will it wait for the completion of the processing and pay the victims pro rata based on its evaluation? Will it be on a “first come-first served basis” — the reason there is now a mad scramble by claimants to have their claims processed first? Again, this all depends upon a commitment to provide a one-time budget for the claims. Then it will save the claimants the anxiety and worry of their claims being unpaid. Corollary to this is perhaps a word from the President about Task Force Bangon Marawi. It seems the rehabilitation has reached a dead-end. Nothing is heard about the completion of the city’s rehab, and residents don’t see any ground activity on the projects yet to be finished. Admittedly, the public infrastructure projects promised by the past administration are almost complete, but the national government has an ear-splitting silence about finishing them. In fact, people have the impression the Task Force has folded its tent and become functus officio. A word or two about this will assuage the project’s completion uncertainty. Moros will likewise welcome a word from the President about the speeding up or completion of the decommissioning of the rebels so that they could be integrated into the armed or police forces to legalize the carrying of their firearms in public. Right now, Moros are bewildered about the existence of two armed forces in their area, one from the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the other, the regular defense and peace-keeping forces of the country. As we had warned before, this could be a potential flashpoint that could ignite an armed confrontation at any time. With the barangay and youth elections fast approaching, this could lead to a situation where one group, which has a registered political party, the Bangsamoro Justice Party, will be in an advantageous position with its armed militia allowed to carry their firearms during the campaign and on election day. This column empathizes with the Bangsamoro Governor Caucus which earlier raised this alarm. Will this wish merit attention from the speech writers of Malacañang? Or are the Moros shooting for the stars? As a caveat to my fellow Moros, there is a great chance these issues will not be mentioned as in past SoNAs. Prepare your minds for this possibility. *** amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post A Moro’s wish for PBBM’s 2nd SoNA appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CoA favors BFP modernization thrust
The Commission on Audit report favored the action of the Bureau of Fire Protection about the fact that the BFP should have a modernization program to keep up with the modern era. According to the COA report, there is nothing wrong with the action taken by the BFP in placing the technical requirements that the Bureau of Fire needs to keep up with the modern methods and modernization program of the BFP. The COA report further stated that this past 2010 the BFP launched its Modernization Program following the Comprehensive Fire Code of 2008 of the government. The main goal is for the government to upgrade its firefighting capability with adequate personnel and equipment to protect people from dangerous fires. It was further noted in the COA report that the total funds of the Modernization Program amounted to P13.17 Billion from 2011 to 2017. Before this last 2019, Senator Bong Go filed a bill in the Senate requiring the BFP to implement the modernization program of the Bureau of Fire Protection, which includes purchasing modern fire equipment, hiring personnel, and conducting specialized training programs. It was added in the COA report that the technical requirements placed for the modernization program are correct because it is in line with the COA report in the performance audit of the COA. In this regard, based on the investigation conducted by Congress regarding the modernization program of the BFP, Congress did not find anything wrong with what the BFP did because it is said to be in line with the technical requirements stated in the COA. The COA further said that the main objective of the audit report is to identify the gap between the program's target and the achievement of the BFP to assess it. The COA also believes that the government should strengthen its fire suppression campaign with its ongoing modernization program. The report also said it is necessary to strengthen the information awareness campaign to educate people on fire prevention and what should be done to prevent it. In this regard, the COA is reviewing the program documents and accomplishment report conducted by the technical and visual inspections of the various fire protection services. The post CoA favors BFP modernization thrust appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sandiganbayan affirms ex-Biliran execs’ guilt
The Sandiganbayan Third Division has dismissed a motion filed by an ex-Biliran mayor and 12 others to overturn the court’s January guilty verdict in connection with the anomalous procurement of P8 million in medicines and medical supplies in 2010. In a 20-page resolution, the Sandiganbayan cited lack of merit in thumbing down all 13 motions of the defendants to reconsider the courts ruling, which found them guilty of violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Charged with graft were erstwhile Maripipi mayor Noel Albelda; ex-bids and awards committee chairperson Wilma Elairon; vice chairperson Marietta Campollo; committee members Amelia Bacolod and Sonia Alavera; technical working group chairperson Julio Cairo Jr.; TWG members Sergio Mejarito and Tito Cairo; ex-municipal accountant Michelle Quinte; ex-municipal health officer Mary Grace Llever; state auditor Genelito Balila; and private defendants Jerome Capuyan and Cherel Serato who represented Suremeds Marketing. The anti-corruption court handed them jail terms of from six to 10 years. They were also meted the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding public office. Filed by the Ombudsman in 2017, the case stemmed from the municipal government’s award of a contract to private firm Suremeds for the supply of medicine and other medical equipment amounting to P7.99 million despite several substantial lapses in the procurement process, including irregularities in the dates appearing in the bidding documents. The procurement was funded by the Priority Development Assistance Fund, or pork barrel, of then-Biliran Representative Glenn Chong. State prosecutors also found other procurement irregularities, such as the conduct of a pre-bid conference prior to the issuance of bidding documents, and the sudden change in the date of opening of bids. It was raised while the project was awarded to Suremeds despite its non-submission of performance security. In denying the motion, the anti-graft court said the concerted efforts of all the accused public officials from the start of the procurement process down to its payment to the preferred supplier in connivance with Suremeds through its proprietor, Capuyan, and representative, Serato, were very evident. “The Court is aware that a violation of the procurement laws does not ipso facto lead to a violation of RA 3019. In the present case, however, the prosecution has established not only the defects in the procurement procedure but also the alleged gross inexcusable negligence and manifest partiality on the part of the herein accused,” it said. The post Sandiganbayan affirms ex-Biliran execs’ guilt appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DPWH-Biliran DEO posts 47.64 percent accomplishment of CY 2020 projects
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Biliran District Engineering Office achieved 47.64 percent accomplishment of its CY 2020 implementation as of May 31, 2020......»»
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. .....»»
PLDT, Smart named among world’s leading employers
PLDT Inc. and its wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. have been named among the Top One Percent of Leading Employers of 2023 by German firm Institute of Research and Data Aggregation......»»
Milk tariff collections rise by 31% to P2.4 billion
Revenues raised by the government from various imported milk products jumped by 31 percent to P2.36 billion in 2023, the highest in at least eight years, from P1.8 billion in 2022......»»
Jollibee invests $28 million in beverage tech firm
Filipino-owned Asian food conglomerate Jollibee Foods Corp. is investing $28 million for a 10 percent stake in beverage technology company Botrista Inc. to support the growth of its coffee and tea business......»»
ANZ raises Philippine inflation forecast to 3.8% this year
ANZ Research hiked its inflation forecast for the Philippines to 3.8 percent this year, from 3.5 percent previously, as risks may drive inflation up to above the central bank’s two to four percent target in the coming months......»»
Infrastructure projects get better loan terms from Japan
The Philippines has secured better financing terms for two big-ticket infrastructure projects funded by the Japanese government aimed at improving public transport and road connectivity......»»
S& P: Philippines may miss growth goal this year
S&P Global Ratings sees the Philippines again missing its growth targets this year as it kept its gross domestic product growth forecast at 5.9 percent. While the projection is better compared to other economies in the region, it is again below the government’s 6.5 to 7.5 percent growth target......»»
Marian Rivera takes on projects that her children can watch
With her upcoming primetime show, “My Guardian Alien,” Marian Rivera has added sci-fi to the growing array of genres — from drama, fantasy, romance, and action to historical and comedy — that the Kapuso actress has successfully ventured into thus far......»»
NewJeans prepares for comeback with Japanese debut, teases world tour
K-pop girl group NewJeans is gearing up for a number of comeback projects this year, including a Japanese debut eyed to kick off a world tour......»»
Arayat-Magalang bypass road 80 % complete: DPWH
Arayat-Magalang bypass road 80 % complete: DPWH.....»»
Man-made disasters cost Philippines 164.87 mln USD in 2023
MANILA, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Man-made disasters caused the total damage in the Philippines worth 9.29 billion pesos (164.87 million U.S. dollars) in 2023, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Tuesday. The agency said that out of the total annual damage, 4.93 billion pesos (87.5 million dollars), or 53.1 percent, was due to the oil spill. "The reported oil spill in various regions resulted in dam.....»»
Drug killings 95 percent lower than in previous admin
The number of deaths recorded under the Marcos administration’s war on drugs has decreased by over 95 percent, in contrast to the bloody anti-drug campaign of his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte......»»
DPWH continues construction of Sta. Margarita Diversion road
Samar First DEO now continues the construction of Sta. Margarita Diversion road under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for FY 2023......»»
Alternergy reallocates IPO proceeds to Tanay and Alabat projects
Alternergy, the renewable energy generation company founded by Vince Pérez (former DoE Secretary), announced that its board of directors reallocated P65 million of the IPO proceeds that were originally scheduled for the Solana Solar Project, Ibulao Mini Hydro Project, Cavite Offshore Wind Project, Tablas Strait Offshore Wind Project, and the operationalization of Green Energy Supply Solutions Inc......»»
Davao City Council moves hearing on traffic-causing road construction works
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews – 26 March) – The Davao City Council rescheduled to Tuesday, April 2, the second hearing on the suspended road construction works in the locality after key officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – Davao region failed to show up Friday. The DPWH-Davao key officials are reportedly in […].....»»
Albie Casiño na-inspire sa KimPau loveteam; pinuri sina Maris at Anthony
NA-INSPIRE si Albie Casiño sa kasikatan ngayon ng tambalan nina Kim Chiu at Paulo Avelino pati na sa unexpected loveteam nina Maris Racal at Anthony Jennings. Kaya naman kung sinasabi niya noon na hangga’t maaari ay ayaw na niyang gumawa ng projects na may ka-loveteam o permanent na leading lady, nagbago na uli ang isip niya......»»