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Trafficking victims have to pay for freedom
The Bureau of Immigration reported that a male trafficking victim was repatriated on 22 September after being forced to work as a scammer for a Chinese company in Myanmar. The authorities identified the victim as “Gio,” 33 years old. He left the country in September 2022 with two other friends, claiming that they were merely traveling to Thailand for a vacation. However, the victim admitted that after his repatriation, he was recruited by a certain “Liza” whom he met on Facebook and was lured to work as a customer service representative. He was promised a salary of up to P100,000 per month. Gio said that his recruiter asked him to pay P20,000 for his travel expenses, which were deducted from his salary. He added that after arriving in Thailand, he was transferred to Myawaddy, Myanmar southeast of the country and close to the border with Thailand. According to Gio, he was forced to work as an online love scammer by attracting foreign victims to invest in pseudo-cryptocurrency accounts. He received a salary of P60,000 a month for six months, far from what was promised to him by his recruiter. He was only able to go back home after collecting P200,000 from his friends and family to pay his company for his release. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that the same modus has been observed since last year, and victims are often promised high salaries but end up in debt. As early as October 2022, the BI chief had already sounded the alarm on the modus targeting Filipinos to work for companies that operate online scams such as catfishing. Tansingco added that this is a case of double trafficking, wherein the victims are trafficked by making them agree through false promises, and then they will be forced to be part of a scamming syndicate, making it hard for them to seek help and repatriation. The National Bureau of Investigation and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration provided assistance to the victim. The post Trafficking victims have to pay for freedom appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Trafficking victim pays P200K for freedom
The Bureau of Immigration reported that a male trafficking victim was repatriated on 22 September after being forced to work as a scammer for a Chinese company in Myanmar. The authorities identified the victim as "Gio", 33 years old. He left the country in September last year with two other friends, claiming that they were merely traveling to Thailand for a vacation. However, the victim admitted after his repatriation that he was recruited by a certain "Liza" whom he met on Facebook. Liza offered him a customer service representative job with a monthly salary of up to P100,000. The victim admitted to accepting the offer. Gio said that his recruiter asked him to pay P20,000 for his travel expenses, which were deducted from his salary. He added that after arriving in Thailand, he was transferred to Myawaddy, Myanmar, which is close to the border of Thailand. According to Gio, he was forced to work as an online love scammer by attracting foreign victims to invest in pseudo-cryptocurrency accounts. He received a salary of P60,000 a month for six months, far from what was promised to him by his recruiter. He was only able to go back home after collecting P200,000 from his friends and family to pay his company for his release. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that the same modus has been observed since last year, and victims are often promised with high salaries but end up in debt. As early as October 2022, the BI chief had already sounded the alarm on the modus targeting Filipinos to work for companies that operate online scams, such as catfishing. Tansingco added that this is a case of double trafficking, wherein the victims are trafficked by making them agree through false promises, and then they will be forced to be part of a scamming syndicate, making it hard for them to seek help and repatriation. The National Bureau of Investigation and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration provided assistance to the victim. The post Trafficking victim pays P200K for freedom appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Trafficking victim pay P200K for freedom
The Bureau of Immigration reported that a male trafficking victim was repatriated on 22 September after being forced to work as a scammer for a Chinese company in Myanmar. The authorities identified the victim as "Gio", 33 years old. He left the country in September last year with two other friends, claiming that they were merely traveling to Thailand for a vacation. However, the victim admitted after his repatriation that he was recruited by a certain "Liza" whom he met on Facebook. Liza offered him a customer service representative job with a monthly salary of up to P100,000. The victim admitted to accepting the offer. Gio said that his recruiter asked him to pay P20,000 for his travel expenses, which were deducted from his salary. He added that after arriving in Thailand, he was transferred to Myawaddy, Myanmar, which is close to the border of Thailand. According to Gio, he was forced to work as an online love scammer by attracting foreign victims to invest in pseudo-cryptocurrency accounts. He received a salary of P60,000 a month for six months, far from what was promised to him by his recruiter. He was only able to go back home after collecting P200,000 from his friends and family to pay his company for his release. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that the same modus has been observed since last year, and victims are often promised with high salaries but end up in debt. As early as October 2022, the BI chief had already sounded the alarm on the modus targeting Filipinos to work for companies that operate online scams, such as catfishing. Tansingco added that this is a case of double trafficking, wherein the victims are trafficked by making them agree through false promises, and then they will be forced to be part of a scamming syndicate, making it hard for them to seek help and repatriation. The National Bureau of Investigation and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration provided assistance to the victim. The post Trafficking victim pay P200K for freedom appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PhilHealth’s Statement: Update on Temporary System Downtime
PhilHealth issued an official statement on temporary system downtime. Here's the full statement: OFFICIAL STATEMENT UPDATE ON TEMPORARY SYSTEM DOWNTIME September 23, 2023, as of 8:00 PM In view of the information security incident that we detected early morning of September 22, 2023, please be apprised that access to all systems including the website, HCI and Member Portal, and e-Claims were disabled or unplugged immediately as part of the information security containment measures being implemented by PhilHealth. Affected systems shall be restored at the soonest possible time after the completion of the needed configuration and reinforcement of existing information security measures. We are working to restore these systems on Monday, September 25, 2023. PhilHealth’s Management assures the public that the incident is under control and that no personal information and medical information has been compromised or leaked. We have already coordinated with the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT), National Privacy Commission (NPC), Cybercrime Units of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to conduct forensic investigation and assessment. In the meantime, the following procedures shall be observed in the interim until the affected systems are restored: Members and their qualified dependents shall continually be entitled to the benefits of the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) with the submission to accredited healthcare providers a photocopy of the member’s PhilHealth Identification Card (PIC) or Member Data Record (MDR) or any identified acceptable supporting documents. Self-earning individuals and professionals paying their premium contributions may pay directly to PhilHealth’s existing Accredited Collecting Agents with over-the-counter payments. Accredited healthcare facilities are advised to continue deducting PhilHealth benefits and devise temporary arrangements with patients who are for discharge for them to avail of their benefits. Note: The rule on the filing of claims is covered by the previous Advisory on PhilHealth System Optimization wherein the filing period is extended to another 60 days for claims covering June 01, 2023 to September 30, 2023. Employers may submit their reports once the Electronic Premium Remittance System (EPRS) has been restored Meanwhile, PhilHealth continues its operations and processes transactions that can be done manually while configurations are ongoing. PhilHealth asks for the public’s understanding regarding this untoward incident. Further inquiries may be coursed through the PhilHealth Callback Channel at 0917-8987442, the PhilHealth Official Facebook Page @PhilHealthOfficial, or at any PhilHealth Regional and Local Health Insurance Offices. (Sgd.) EMMANUEL R. LEDESMA, JR. President and Chief Executive Officer The post PhilHealth’s Statement: Update on Temporary System Downtime appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BFAR joins coastal cleanup in Navotas
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources reported that around 500 individuals joined the cleanup drive in Barangay Tanza Uno, Navotas City to mark this year's observance of International Coastal Cleanup. BFAR National Director Demosthenes Escoto said that this year’s theme: “Clean Seas for Healthy Fisheries,” reflects the agency’s appeal for the public to cooperate in maintaining waste-free bodies of water to ensure a thriving fisheries industry, "All bodies of water are connected, so I hope we can work together for a clean and abundant ocean. I am optimistic that by working together, we can ensure that our oceans and coastal regions continue to be a source of life, inspiration, and prosperity for all," Escoto said. He led BFAR’s central and National Capital Region offices and stakeholders from New Era High School, Asian Social Institute, and Lingkod Tao-Kalikasan in the activity, held at the Marine Tree Park in Navotas. The cleanup, held concurrently with other activities worldwide as part of the celebration, was supported by the local government of Navotas City, the Department of the Interior and Local Government - NCR, and the Metro Manila Development Authority - Navotas. Escoto noted that the protection of natural resources is a “matter of utmost urgency and global significance,” underscoring the importance of oceans, seas, rivers, and coastal areas for the livelihoods of Filipino fisher folk. “The livelihood of millions of our countrymen depends on our ocean. So it's fair to say that when the ocean is clean, fishing is plentiful, and livelihoods are stable," he said. Escoto also highlighted their commitment to ocean conservation and protection, with partner institutions expressing their support for the agency's programs, particularly those related to coastal resource management. These include the implementation of the “Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan: The National Search for Outstanding Coastal Communities,” which incentivizes local government units to demonstrate exemplary sustainable fisheries development efforts. The BFAR has also launched the “Balik Sigla sa Ilog at Lawa” or BASIL program, wherein they rehabilitate minor lakes and reservoirs located in upland and landlocked areas to restore their ecological health and bolster the populations of native and endemic fish species. The Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Plant Industry on the other hand, together with various public and private organizations, also participated in the International Coastal Cleanup Day 2023 at the SM by the Bay Mall of Asia in Pasay City. In a social media post on Saturday, the DA-BPI said that equipped with gloves, sacks, and tongs, their volunteers eagerly picked up debris littering the coastal area, such as pet bottles, discarded clothing, torn cardboard boxes, plastics, and other waste items washed ashore. The annual event focuses not only on collecting trash washed ashore but also on raising awareness of the negative impacts of water pollution on marine life. The ICC is a global initiative to maintain and safeguard coastal ecosystems. The yearly event unifies individuals, communities, and organizations from different countries to work together to clean up and restore the coastal environments. The post BFAR joins coastal cleanup in Navotas appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Diokno warns gov’t underspending back
Agencies are sliding back into underspending which will impact on the overall government performance. “We’re collecting more revenues than forecasted, while they’re underspending. We are below our deficit target,” Diokno said. “For the fiscal conservative, that’s nice, [but] not necessarily good for a developing country,” he added. The budget remained in a deficit but narrowed in May as the growth in revenues outpaced public spending, the latest monthy readout from the Bureau of Treasury or BTr showed on Tuesday. Data from BTr showed that the Marcos administration’s budget deficit stood at P122.2 billion in May, a 16.7 percent decline from P146.8 billion in the same month last year. Infra expenditures dipped Expenditures not related to interest payments, such as infrastructure spending, also dipped 0.85 percent in May from P417.9 billion last year to P414.3 billion. The cumulative budget gap for the first five months of the year amounting to P326.3 billion similarly declined by 28.86 percent or P132.4 billion year-on-year. The decline in the deficit followed Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno’s concerns over the sluggish government spending. Diokno stated that there is still ample time to improve spending performance, as there are six months remaining in the year. “I brought this up in the Cabinet. We need to spend. It’s not a lack of money, it’s the ability to perform,” he said. In May, the total revenue generated was P333.4 billion, indicating a 9.3 percent increase compared to the previous year’s P304.9 billion. Of this amount, P291.7 billion came from tax collections, while P41.7 billion was generated through non-tax revenues. By the end of May, the overall revenue for the year reached P1.592 trillion, marking an 11 percent growth compared to P1.437 trillion during the same period in the previous year. Diokno credited the double-digit revenue growth to enhanced tax administration, even in the absence of new tax measures. Excluding interest payments, the government recorded a primary deficit of P96.7 billion from January to May, which is more than a 50 percent decrease when compared to P238.2 billion during the same period last year. The post Diokno warns gov’t underspending back appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Budget deficit below target, agencies underspending
The Philippine national government’s budget deficit narrowed in May as the growth in revenues outpaced public spending, the latest monthly readout from the Bureau of Treasury showed on Tuesday. Data from BTr showed that the Marcos administration's budget deficit stood at P122.2 billion in May, a 16.7 percent decline from P146.8 billion in the same month last year. Expenditures not related to interest payments, such as infrastructure spending, also dipped 0.85 percent in May from P417.9 billion last year to P414.3 billion. The cumulative budget gap for the first five months of the year amounting to P326.3 billion similarly declined by 28.86 percent or P132.4 billion on a year-on-year (YoY) basis. This decline in the deficit followed Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno's concerns over sluggish government spending. “The agencies are slow and that will impact the performance. We’re collecting more revenues than forecasted, while they’re underspending. We are below our deficit target,” Diokno said. “For the fiscal conservative, that’s nice, [but] not necessarily good for a developing country,” he added. Diokno stated that there is still ample time to improve spending performance, as there are six months remaining in the year. “I brought this up in the Cabinet. We need to spend. It’s not a lack of money, it’s the ability to perform,” he said. The post Budget deficit below target, agencies underspending appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Stock mart challenges BIR’s P189-M tax dues
The local bourse operator said it will dispute an assessment by the Bureau of Internal Revenue of it having deficiency taxes worth P189.2 million, inclusive of compromise penalty and interests. The arrears cover unpaid taxes up to 30 September 2023 involving alleged deficiencies in various levies in 2017. Various obligations BIR is collecting from the Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. income tax, value-added tax and expanded withholding tax, among others, a PSE report said. The company will dispute said assessment and will take appropriate legal action for the cancellation of the assessment. The post Stock mart challenges BIR’s P189-M tax dues appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BI, CFO ink migration pact
The Bureau of Immigration and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas on Wednesday signed a memorandum of agreement on the Shared Government Information System on Migration seen as a significant step towards enhancing migration management and public service. According to the BI, the agreement aims to provide a simplified and more efficient means of processing, collecting, verifying, and sharing information or data needed by both the CFO and the BI. Through system interoperability and real-time data sharing, services will be streamlined, ensuring efficient and effective public service. The agency added that this agreement seeks to address and eliminate illegal recruitment, human trafficking, and irregular migration incidents in the Philippines while generating accurate data on migration. During the signing ceremony, BI Commissioner Norman G. Tansingco highlighted the significance of the collaboration and the impact it will have on migration management. “The agreement reinforces their commitment to providing streamlined and efficient services to the public while safeguarding the rights and welfare of our fellow Filipinos,” said Tansingco. The BI chief added that by integrating their systems and sharing real-time data, they can effectively respond to the challenges posed by migration. “This MOA signifies the joint efforts of the CFO and the BI in addressing the challenges of migration and ensuring the well-being of Filipino migrants. By harnessing the power of technology and data, the system is expected to contribute to a more secure and efficient migration process,” Tansingco said. The post BI, CFO ink migration pact appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Probe export of lead scraps from used car batteries — FPI
The Federation of Philippine Industries has exposed the illegal export of lead scraps from used car batteries and called for its investigation by the government. “As a matter of policy, export of hazardous wastes like lead scrap and ULAB (used lead-acid batteries) is not allowed when the country of origin has the capability to recycle them. In the case of lead scrap and ULAB, we have Evergreen Environmental Resources Inc., which operates state-of-the-art recycling facilities for ULABs in Bulacan,” FPI chairperson Dr. Jesus Arranza said. Arranza added that Republic Act 6969 or the “Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990” and its implementing rules outlined in Department Administrative Order 2013-22 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources prohibit such export. He added that the export of scrap lead, a hazardous waste, goes against the 1989 Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal which the country has ratified. Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the FPI chair said the Philippines exported around 8,500 tons of lead waste and scrap from January to August 2022. However, there are no record of whether these exported lead scraps are in the form of ULABs or were merely separated from used auto batteries. Since scrap lead is mostly obtained from ULABs, Arranza said illegal exporters managed to get their hands on a big volume of old car batteries. Using the PSA data as a basis, these illegal exporters are probably collecting around 500,000 pieces of ULAB at an average weight of 15 kilograms per unit, he said. “We don’t know how these exporters are handling and dismantling their ULABs, which are hazardous wastes. What have they done to the plastic components and the acid, did they just throw them into the trash or bodies of water?” Arranza asked. Also, local recyclers like EERI and their customers are being deprived of materials to make their operations more viable. Arranza said he finds it alarming that the PSA has actual data on lead scrap exports when the DENR has not issued export clearance to any company for lead scrap. The DENR stressed that there is no way the agency would approve any application for lead scrap export clearance. “If there is no clearance from the DENR, how did these shipments manage to slip through the Bureau of Customs and even get reflected in the PSA export data? Also, how come there is no record from the DENR and Department of Trade Industry of who these exporters are?” Arranza asked. With this, Arranza said this illegal practice should be jointly investigated by the BoC, DENR, DTI and other concerned agencies. He said the FPI and its members are ready to contribute their resources and inputs to the investigation. The post Probe export of lead scraps from used car batteries — FPI appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
No fees for inmates’ COVID-19 tests – BuCor
The Bureau of Corrections on Sunday denied reports that it is collecting fees of up to P5,000 for the swab test of inmates......»»
BOC surpasses July 2020 collection target
The Bureau of Customs has surpassed its July 2020 collection target by 5% or 2.398 billion, collecting P50.072 billion against its target of P47.674 billion for the same month, despite the adverse effects of the coronavirus disease and stringent community quarantine......»»
& lsquo;Leo Marcos& rsquo; faces string of cases
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday said it has completed collecting sufficient documentary evidence to charge businessman Leo Marcos for concealment of his true name and violations of the country's Passport Law......»»
Digital TIN IDs issued reaches 100,000
he Bureau of Internal Revenue has issued 100,000 tax identification number IDs in digital form as more Filipinos opt out from lining up at district offices......»»
NBI nabs 8 bogus DBM officials
Eight people allegedly posing as officials of the Department of Budget and Management were apprehended by the National Bureau of Investigation in Mandaluyong on Tuesday......»»
P4-M smuggled cigs seized, 2 arrested
THE Bureau of Customs-Davao Region (BOC-Davao) confiscated smuggled cigarettes worth P4 million in Barangay Lacson, Calinan District, Davao City on March 22, 2024......»»
Dovish Powell lifts markets to historic highs
Last week, US equities reached new all-time highs, thereby lifting global stock markets. This came on the back of Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell’s dovish policy statement. In that speech, Powell touted considerable progress in bringing down inflation, notwithstanding the bumps in the road toward the two percent target......»»
3 araw magdidilim ang mundo fake news, pero may solar eclipse –PAGASA
HINDI totoong makakaranas ng “three days of darkness” ang mundo. Ito ang nilinaw mismo ng Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) matapos kumalat ang naturang fake news dahil umano sa pagdaan ng tinatawag na “Photon Belts” simula April 8. Ayon sa weather bureau, walang scientific evidence ang magpapatunay sa balitang ito. “The news.....»»
Pagasa debunks ‘three days of darkness’ hoax
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) dismissed claims that the Earth will experience three days of darkness due to passing the “Photon Belts” starting April 8 as false. The state weather and astronomy bureau said Friday there is no scientific evidence to support the claim. “DOST-PAGASA would like to.....»»
BI nabs 2 foreign fugitives
Bureau of Immigration operatives arrested a South Korean and an American, both fugitives wanted for crimes in their countries, the BI reported on Friday......»»