We are sorry, the requested page does not exist
Marawi Port rehab almost complete — PPA
The Philippine Ports Authority on Friday said the rehabilitation of the PPA-regulated Marawi Port in Lanao Del Sur is almost complete, in time for the Marawi Liberation Anniversary next year. According to PPA spokesperson Eunice Samonte, the reconstruction of Marawi Port to date is at 70 percent. The port was totally devastated during the Marawi siege in September 2017. “Regarding the improvements and developments in Marawi port, Phase I of the project is expected to be completed by February 2024, hence, it will be fully operational by October 2024,” Samonted said. On the other hand, she said the ongoing MRRP-Port Facilities (civil works) Project at Port of Marawi (MAA-Sector 8), Marawi City, Lanao del Sur is a new port construction developed through the Task Force Bangon Marawi initiative by the Office of the President for the recovery, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of the city of Marawi affected by the fighting between government forces and the Islamic State. “The project covers the construction of facilities such as a backup area of about 8,000 square meters, a one-story Passenger Terminal Building (with 132 seating capacity) of about 265 sq.m., a one-story fish port, and a berthing facility for Fastcraft and a RoRo ramp,” she said. In addition, prior to the implementation of the project, the only existing facility in the Port of Marawi is a causeway that is being used by the fish folks, Samonte said. In 2021, the PPA, through the General Appropriations Act for 2021, received P242,750,191.04 approved budget for the contract payments under the contract for the civil works (of) the Port of Marawi (Most Affected Area — Sector 8), Marawi City, Lanao del Sur. The post Marawi Port rehab almost complete — PPA appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Intel fund requests being abused’
A lawmaker said Monday the grant of confidential and intelligence funds under the national budget has become a trend that several government agencies have abused. Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin on Monday said there has been a noticeable increase in the allocation of confidential and intelligence funds in recent years granted to various agencies unrelated to national security or surveillance. “There are many who have joined the trend and abused it,” Garin said. “If you look at the historical data, the jump started in 2017, when the total confidential fund in 2016 was P720 million. In 2017, it jumped to P2.07 billion and by 2020, it more than doubled to P4.57 billion,” she said. The marathon deliberations on the proposed P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024 had led to intense debates in the House, particularly on the grant of multi-million-peso confidential funds to numerous civilian agencies, including the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education. Last week, Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, the senior vice chair of the House appropriations panel, said that about 10 government agencies, including the OVP and DepEd, which Vice President Sara Duterte both heads, are expected to be affected by the House’s plan to realign the confidential funds to national security agencies. The realignment is being mulled amid China’s persistent assertiveness inside Philippine territory in the West Philippine Sea. Duterte sought P2.395 billion and P758.6 billion for the OVP and DepEd, respectively, in the proposed 2024 budget, including P500 million and P150 million, respectively, in confidential funds. The post ‘Intel fund requests being abused’ 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......»»
P1B for Marawi victims a cruel joke (1)
I beg my readers’ kind indulgence for using this column as a platform to air our grievances. This is something personal to us, and it is my moral obligation to add my voice to the public indignation sweeping a part of Morolandia. For transparency and disclosure, my family was a victim of the war and is seeking compensation for the damage to our precious possessions. Having said that, as the national budget deliberations for 2024 draw to a near conclusion, the public discourse in Morolandia on the compensation for the 2017 Marawi Siege victims heightened. It’s the issue much discussed in public fora, coffee shops, and social media platforms of Muslims. The Moro attention is largely riveted to the budget deliberations in the House of Representatives, where the budget bill originates by provision of the Constitution. Social media likewise reported the hearing conducted by the Oversight Committee for the Marawi Compensation Law jointly chaired by Senator Ronald dela Rosa and Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong. According to reports, P1 billion is proposed in the 2024 budget for compensation, which is the same amount appropriated in the current budget, alarmed resident victims. They have reason to fear that P1 billion is becoming the appropriation template for the ensuing years. The Marawi Compensation Board or MCB, created to process, approve and pay legitimate claims, will fold the tent and become a functus oficio in 2028 because the law provides for a five-year life span. Let’s do the math. If the budget is not increased, the aggregate appropriation for Marawi victims will only be P5 billion, which is ridiculously insufficient vis-a-vis the number of victims and the magnitude of their claims. From an unofficial report, we gathered that “as of 18 September 2023, there were 75 death claims, 74 structural claims, 1,858 other properties claims, and 4,041 multiple claims. Hence, there were 6,048 claims as of the latest report by the in-take team from July to September. (And) 362 claims have been evaluated or are ready for final deliberation.” The claims statistics are increasing exponentially by the day, with the list of claimants getting longer. The MCB asks for something like P10 billion or more as an aggregate ballpark figure to compensate all the victims. The sparse appropriation has triggered unkind comments from citizens calling the proposed amount outrageously deficient, cruel jokes and insulting the victims. While the public is amused by the stories in tri- and social media on funding for projects that are less urgent — like the millions needed for the confidential and intelligence funds of agencies to address “kuno” (allegedly) the threat of terrorism — here we have a situation where the threat of terrorism is real. Our security and intelligence authorities will tell you that the remnants of the ISIS-affiliated Maute Dawliyah Islamia group are just around the corner, engaged in sporadic hit-and-run guerrilla ambushes to make their presence known. Terrorist cells are confirmed to be existing in the hinterlands of Morolandia. The disgruntled victims of the Marawi war are easy prey for recruitment by the dissidents. There is no denying the depth and scale of the damage sustained by the Marawi victims of the war. The whole world was watching on their television sets for months the daily telenovela-like bombing of the city in what Confucious described as “burning the house to catch a rat.” We have written numerous published articles pleading for cessation of the bombing, but the thrashing by state authorities continued. We note with gratitude the public expression of support by Senator De la Rosa, chair of the Special Committee on Marawi Rehabilitation, who spent years studying at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, along with Muslim Senator Robinhood Padilla. Senator Risa Hontiveros, in her recent trip to Marawi, saw for herself the progress of the claims processing and has likewise committed support. The list of senators and House representatives joining the chorus of support is getting longer. (To be continued) amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post P1B for Marawi victims a cruel joke (1) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
P17.5B worth of claims filed by Marawi siege victims
A total of P17,456,836,830 worth of claims have been filed by the victims of the 2017 Marawi siege, according to the chairperson of the Marawi Compensation Board. During the hearing of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act of 2022 on Monday, MCB chairperson Maisara Dandamun Latiph said the applications for compensation were filed by 4,762 claimants from 4 July to 31 August. The number represents only 19 percent of the estimated 23,489 individuals affected by the conflict. "These are people or individuals who claim that they have structure na nasira (that were destroyed) or they have a death claim. That 4,762 are claims filed. These are based on verified claims application forms (VCAF) that were filed by the claimants. VCAF means that they have filed a claim under oath," she added. Dandamun-Latiph said the filing of VCAF is just part of the step 1 process. Step 2 includes the second layer of evaluation by the lawyers and engineers. “Ibig sabihin, dadaan na naman siya sa second layer of verification which is yung (It means the claim still has to undergo a second layer of verification which is the) legal and technical evaluation," she said. So far, only 220 have been assessed while 120 claims worth P395 million have already been processed. Citing data from his office, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who chairs the panel, said the MCB needs to process at least P89 billion to compensate all the war victims. The government had initially earmarked only P1 billion for the compensation, which is being lodged under the MCB budget. Created under Republic Act 11696 or the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Law, MCB was tasked to oversee the process of application and payment of compensation to qualified claimants. Meanwhile, compensation rates are provided based on the implementing rules and regulations of MCB. A damaged structure will be compensated P12,000 per square meter (sqm) if it is concrete; P9,000 if mixed concrete and wood; and PP6,000 if made of light materials. Individuals with destroyed properties are to be paid P18,000 per square meter if structures were made of concrete; P13,500 per sqm if mixed concrete and wood; and P9,000 if made of light materials or mainly wood. A compensation of P350,000 will be given to kin or heirs of victims who died from the siege. Latiph said the Board is eyeing to complete the compensation process within five years. She said they are targeting to accommodate 200 claims daily, 150 recommendations a week, and 600 decisions a month. Dela Rosa said the MCB should make sure that the payments for siege victims will not put into corruption." As early as now, nakikita na namin dito kung gaano ka-importante yung role ninyo talaga diyan sa Marawi Compensation Board dahil nandiyan kayo sa gitna eh (we can see how important your role there in the Marawi Compensation Board because you are in the middle). You have to make sure that you are operating within the budget and fiscal capability ng ating gobyerno (of our government)," Dela Rosa said. "At the same time, you have to ensure duly and justly compensated lahat ng victims di ba? Ambigat ng papel niyo (all of the victims, right? Your role is very important). So, good luck. We are here to support you," he added. The data of the Task Force Bangon Marawi showed there are more than 17,000 households residing within the 24 most affected barangays in Marawi City, excluding businesses and other establishments. The five-month armed conflict in Marawi started on 23 May 2017 when members of the local Daesh-inspired Maute rebel group attacked the city. The government forces declared the war-torn city liberated on 17 October of the same year. But, the conflict left over 1,100 people dead and the center of Marawi City in shambles. The post P17.5B worth of claims filed by Marawi siege victims appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Netflix finally finds a manga hit with ‘One Piece’
Netflix has spent years trying to adapt Japanese manga and anime into live-action TV with little success, but its latest effort, "One Piece", may finally have cracked the code. The US streaming giant's latest show, based on the most famous manga comic of them all, was watched more than 18 million times in its first four days, putting it at the top of the charts. The story of Monkey D Luffy, a boy with a straw hat and stretchy superpowers determined to become king of all pirates by finding a treasure known as one piece, has captivated manga fans since its first editions in 1997. And it should have been a shoo-in for TV success, having already been widely adapted for the screen in a series of animated movies. But manga fans feared the worst before the Netflix live-action version hit the screens in late August. The American giant has tried and failed with other beloved Japanese manga and anime. Its "Fullmetal Alchemist" and "Death Note" failed to convince in 2017 and 2021's "Cowboy Bebop" was ditched after one season, crumbling under the weight of bad reviews. With One Piece, Netflix cannily sought to keep fans onside by holding on to the most valuable commodity: the comic's author, Eiichiro Oda. 'Guard dog' Oda is tightly bound to the comic, having written all the editions for its entire run -- a world record -- and was brought on as series supervisor by Netflix. He was well aware of the challenge. "Various manga had been made into live action, but there was a history of failure," he told the New York Times in a rare interview published in late August. "No one in Japan could name a successful example." He told the paper that Netflix agreed to give him final approval. "I read the scripts, gave notes, and acted as a guard dog to ensure the material was being adapted in the correct way," he said. Reviews have been broadly positive, with Charles Pulliam-Moore writing on The Verge website the series "gets all of the important things right". He wrote that the series, with a budget of more than $100 million, had put huge efforts into re-creating Oda's vision in its production design and populating its scenes with a cast of whimsical background characters. This effort, he wrote, meant the series "is able to feel like a living, breathing place with history that you can step into". And that history still has much left to be told -- the first run of eight episodes covers only the first 12 volumes of a comic that now boasts roughly 100. The post Netflix finally finds a manga hit with ‘One Piece’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CdO, my second home
Cagayan de Oro City is fast turning out to be no different from other fast developing metropolises. Quotidian concerns like horrendous traffic, crime, political maneuverings (with the Barangay/Sangguniang Kabataan Elections barely a month away), bickering in the Sangguniang Panlungsod, and similar problems of an urban area are common. A year has passed since the new leadership of the city took over, but we don’t see the problems abating. With a full plate before them, the administrators must work double time before their terms of office expire. When the pandemic struck, we sort of evacuated to and settled in the city. It is now a second home to us after our house in Marawi was bombed and ransacked during the 2017 siege (I still have to file my claim for compensation before the Marawi Compensation Board as provided by law). We were a constant visitor to the city and are familiar with its geography. It has always been a choice weekend hideaway of Maranaws of Marawi and as a law practitioner I have cases in courts in the city. But now, I need assistance in navigating its labyrinthine traffic. Thanks to modernity and the Waze app which maps our way to our destination. Still, I feel like a stranger adjusting to life in the city. The main attraction of the city for a golfer like me are the golf courses. Good thing they have courses like Pueblo de Oro which is a championship course, a second-rate military golf course in Patag, Camp Evangelista, and the Del Monte Golf Course — a 30-minute drive from the city, home of golf legends Celestino Tugot and Frankie Minoza. These golf courses were the overpowering magnet that pulled me to settle here, in addition to the fact that many members of my immediate family already lived here. From my vantage position, here are some of the problems I have observed that need attention. Traffic is getting worse. I experience regularly Edsa-like traffic from going my place, Xavier Estates, to the golf course, which I could navigate in two minutes. Unfortunately, there are schools along the road causing monstrous traffic. But we avoid that by teeing off at early dawn to escape the snarl of vehicles. The principal stretch they call Masterson has regular bumper-to-bumper traffic in the morning and late afternoon when office workers’ vehicles fill the street. Yes, I notice uniformed traffic aides managing the flow of vehicles, but they are not enough. A daylight robbery in the heart of the commercial hub of the city has residents worried about their security and peace. Robbers got away with about P9 million. Public and commercial establishment are on their toes because of what happened. The daring robbery has exposed the weak security infrastructure of the city. Residents are asking what happened to the much-publicized installation of 50 traffic lights and 80 closed-circuit television or CCTV cameras in strategic spots at a budget of about P93.5 million over a decade ago. It has been kaput since 2012 and has not been attended to nor repaired. The winning bidder for the project was nowhere to be found after completion of the traffic and security infrastructure. Now the city government is toying with the idea of requiring public establishments to install CCTV cameras within their premises before they are issued a permit to operate. In fact, the Department of the Interior and Local Government has issued a memorandum circular directing local governments “to pass ordinances mandating all business owners to install CCTVs.” The circular allows for the meting out of “penalties for non-compliant business establishments and grants local chief executives the authority to revoke, refuse to renew or grant permits to establishments for non-compliance.” Problems of this nature come with the march of Cagayan de Oro towards progress and development, being the corridor of northern Mindanao. And this column is optimistic that its new mayor is up to the challenges of his stewardship. *** amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post CdO, my second home appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DoTr’s vehicle modernization program gets zero budget
The Department of Transportation’s proposed P1.8-billion budget for the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program, or PUVMP, for 2024 remained unfunded. At the agency’s budget hearing on Tuesday before the House Committee on Appropriations, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista disclosed that the PUVMP received zero funding under the National Expenditure Program approved by the Department of Budget and Management. It was not the first time the DBM deprived the project of funding, as it also did that in 2020 and 2023. For 2023, the DoTr sought P778 million for the PUVMP but got zero for the program to help rid the roads of dilapidated jeepneys. Still, Bautista said the modernization program would continue despite the zero allocation for it under DoTr’s proposed P214.296 billion budget for 2024. “There are many components of the modernization program. One is the industry consolidation, which we are now working on. We have given a deadline up to 31 December for the industry to consolidate,” Bautista said. The industry consolidation, according to Bautista, will facilitate the cooperation between operators and drivers to minimize competition among them. Moreover, he added that the DoTr has initiatives in place to assist those affected by the implementation of the modernization program, such as the ongoing training for affected drivers. Costly units “This is the continuing training of our affected drivers. We will implement that using our existing funds that we will not use in 2023. With the equity subsidy, we still have a budget leftover, so we can use it for 2024.” The DoTr launched the PUVMP in 2017, aiming to replace traditional jeepneys with safer, more efficient, and eco-friendly electric-powered or Euro 4 compliant vehicles. The move drew flak from drivers and operators due to the high cost of the modern jeepneys, ranging from P1.4 million to P3 million. Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chairperson Teofilo Guadiz had told lawmakers that the pre-pandemic routes for buses and jeepneys had already been reopened back in January of this year as a fallback position for the PUVMP. “We are continually opening routes right now that we call development routes or new routes in response to the needs of the economy,” Guadiz said. Back in March, several transport groups staged a week-long transport holiday to oppose the phaseout of traditional jeepneys and UV Express vehicles, pressing the LTFRB to defer its decision. The post DoTr’s vehicle modernization program gets zero budget appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
QC to strengthen bike lanes after ex-cop road-rage incident
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday said the city government will further strengthen the safety of bike lanes and deploy more bike patrols to protect cyclists and maintain safer roads. This was after a cyclist was assaulted by an ex-policeman in an incident that was recorded by a netizen, becoming viral on social media. The ex-cop, who pulled a gun on the cyclist, was driving his vehicle on the bike lane. Belmonte stressed that City Ordinance SP-2988 S-2020 or the Ordinance promoting Safe Cycling and Active Transport penalizes motorists obstructing cycling lanes or walking paths. Section 8.2.2 of City Ordinance SP-2636 S-2017 or QC Road Safety Code states that “no driver shall permit his/her vehicle to block any portion of the bicycle lane. At no time shall any vehicle use, straddle, or obstruct the designated bike lane.” "We would like to reassure the cycling community and all our citizens for that matter that the city is willing to exhaust all means to demonstrate to them that we will act in their interest and in the pursuit of justice," the mayor said. Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo (Dist. IV) said another P500 million in fresh funding in 2024 will be of great help to the mayor in this regard. The funds, according to Rillo, will be used for upgrading bicycle lanes and pedestrian walkways under the national government’s Active Transport Program in metropolitan areas. “To further stimulate human-powered mobility, such as cycling and walking, there is an additional budget of P500 million for the development of active transport infrastructure and facilities in 2024,” Rillo, a member of the House committee on appropriations, said. “We are all for active transport, which lessens harmful motor vehicle emissions, promotes cleaner air and improves individual and community health,” Rillo, also vice chairperson of the House committee on Metro Manila development, said. The solon explained that the P500 million for the ATP in 2024 is lodged in the budget of the Department of Transportation. The amount is on top of the P705 million earmarked for the ATP this year and the P2 billion funding for the program in 2022. Rillo expressed confidence that the additional government spending for the ATP would protect a greater number of Filipinos who use bicycles as an alternative mode of mobility. As of June this year, the ATP has so far built 564 kilometers of bicycle lanes throughout Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao. The DOTr earlier said it expects the country’s bicycle lane network to reach 2,400 kilometers by 2028. “In other countries where governments are spending more to develop bicycle lanes, they’ve actually seen a five-fold increase in the number of people using bicycles,” Rillo said. The ATP bankrolls the construction of protected, hazard-free bicycle lanes, procurement of bike racks, improvement of end-of-trip cycling infrastructure and the upgrading of pop-up bike lanes into permanent bike lanes. The program also funds the development of pedestrian pathways and crossings designed to accommodate persons with disability, senior citizens, pregnant women, parents with children in strollers and tourists with luggage. Rillo said it will also finance the creation of urban shade trees for the benefit of cyclists, commuters and pedestrians. The post QC to strengthen bike lanes after ex-cop road-rage incident appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Grumbling mounts
There continues to be discontent among certain sectors regarding the proposed policy on military pensions, and now there is another idea floated to scrap the free college education. Just like a low rumbling sound of thunder, affected sectors are grumbling over Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno’s statement that the free access to state university education is “unsustainable” — which is indicative of a potential effort to repeal a landmark legislation enacted during the administration of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who appointed Diokno as Budget and Management secretary and then Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor. For six years as a member of Duterte’s economic team, we were oblivious to Secretary Diokno’s opposition to Republic Act 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017. Straight from the horse’s mouth during a forum organized by the University of the Philippines School of Economics on 19 August, he said the law is anti-poor since “there are more poor people who do not attend college.” To say that subsidizing college education really “consumes a lot of funds” is irresponsible, anti-Filipino and anti-development. RA 10931 was embraced by Filipinos during a period when the financial situation of the government appeared stable. The blame for becoming indebted to finance the efforts to control the pandemic falls neither on the people nor on the national government. Fast forward to post-pandemic, there is no convenient excuse for sacrificing human investment through debt for education to support lavish government expenditures in the wake of the national government pronouncements that the gross national product increased to P5.643 billion in the second quarter of 2023 from P5.592 billion in the first quarter of 2023. Truth be told, 2.46 million students were beneficiaries of a free college education during the academic year 2021-2022. It is not only they who are reaping the rewards of one of the “most long-lasting” legacies of former president Duterte’s administration, but their families, communities, and the country. Jade Baguna, a Tertiary Education Subsidy or TES program graduate in Social Work, cannot help but share the positive impact of the policy on his life and his family. Despite facing challenges like long walks to and from school and a meager weekly allowance during high school, the program enabled him to complete his degree, achieve the eighth position in the board examination, and become a Social Work instructor. The Finance Secretary may have lost his train of thought that investing in free college education has long-term economic benefits. A well-educated workforce is crucial to driving innovation, technological advancements, and economic growth. By providing access to higher education, the country can nurture a pool of skilled professionals who will contribute to various industries, drive entrepreneurship and attract investments. At a time when the need to rejuvenate an economy is paramount, scrapping free college education may limit the availability of qualified workers, hinder economic development and reduce global competitiveness. One of the most compelling arguments for a free college education is that it promotes equal opportunity and social mobility. By removing financial barriers, individuals from all socioeconomic backgrounds can pursue higher education based on merit and potential rather than financial means. This ensures that talented and motivated students, regardless of their background, have a fair chance to improve their lives and contribute to society. Sec. Diokno’s sustainability concerns sparked a debate. Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Prospero de Vera said there is nothing better than for a country to invest in its young people and produce highly skilled manpower. “It’s the best anti-poverty strategy. You educate an individual, you make him employable, and you make sure the poverty stops with him or with her,” he said. For Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez, taking out the scholarship program is synonymous with seeing a decay of education in our country. “Education is the great emancipator of people from the bondage of poverty. With education you are able to move forward with your family,” he said. Senator Francis Tolentino has this to say: “Perhaps the lack of money of the national government should not be the reason why they cannot be given the opportunity to study. Education is a basic human right. We need to provide our youth with the necessary basic tertiary education.” Higher education provides a holistic learning experience and fosters personal growth and critical thinking. It promotes civic engagement, social responsibility, and the development of well-rounded citizens. By scrapping free college education, we risk limiting these benefits and creating a society that is less educated, less informed, and less equipped to tackle complex societal challenges. Time and again, it pays to revisit Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Access to education should not be seen as a privilege but as a fundamental right. In other words, recognizing education as a human right implies that every individual is entitled to receive an education, without any form of discrimination, as it is legally protected. The post Grumbling mounts appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DBM earmarks over P80-B to BARMM
The Department of Budget and Management has set an P80.6-billion fund for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao under the proposed 2024 National Budget as the government vows to continue rebuilding war-torn Marawi and secure peace and economic growth in the region. In a statement on Thursday, the DBM said the total fund consists of the region’s share from the national revenue worth P75.6 billion and P5 billion for special development projects. The total allocation represents P5.3 billion for social development and infrastructure projects, including P4.21 billion for roads and bridges, P569 million for water supply and P35 million for fish ports. Meanwhile, war victims of Marawi City can receive a total of P1 billion as tax-free compensation. “This strategic initiative enables the Marawi Compensation Board to deliver tax-exempt compensation to all eligible claimants who have suffered property and personal possession damage as a result of the 2017 Marawi Siege,” the DBM said. Marawi City is the biggest Muslim city in the predominantly Catholic Philippines terrorized by rebel groups Abu Sayyaf and Maute. As peace has been restored and protected in BARMM, DBM has allotted P5 million for the activities of the region’s Professional Regulations Commission Regional Office XII. The post DBM earmarks over P80-B to BARMM appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Floods worsen as politicos pocket P836-B budget
Government outlaid P836 billion for flood control, 2017-2023......»»
William Friedkin, incendiary director of ‘The Exorcist’
US director William Friedkin, who died Monday, will forever be remembered for his Oscar-winning "The Exorcist" in 1973, one of the most controversial horror films of all time that still chills new generations of moviegoers. The taboo-breaking scene of a 12-year-old girl believed to be possessed by the devil, foul-mouthed and feverishly masturbating with a crucifix on her bed, provoked frenzy in audiences and sparked a global debate about the occult in the Catholic Church. "It was shocking," wrote Rolling Stone in 2018, recalling the first reactions. It "had people lining up at the entrances of movie theatres while the exits were soppy with puke from the previous showing." Remarkably for a horror film, it was nominated for 10 Oscars and took home two. Pact with the devil Friedkin, who passed away in Los Angeles on Monday at the aged of 87, after suffering health issues in recent years, first hit the pinnacle in Hollywood a few years before "The Exorcist" -- with his stomping, stylish 1971 thriller "The French Connection." Starring Gene Hackman as a cop in gritty, corrupt New York City, the film won five Oscars including Best Director and Best Picture. It was a pearl of the "New Hollywood" wave of socially and politically charged filmmaking associated with emerging directors such as Robert Altman, Francis Ford Coppola, and Martin Scorsese. Friedkin was asked to direct "The Exorcist" -- based on a novel inspired by a reported case of possession of a 14-year-old boy -- after other star directors including Stanley Kubrick had turned it down. "I thought it was a film about the mystery of faith... but I didn't set out to make a horror film," Friedkin was quoted saying in The Hollywood Reporter in 2015. "But by now, I have accepted that it is." His film was followed by four sequels, based on the same novel but without Friedkin's participation, together grossing more than $600 million worldwide. A television series began in 2016. Real power Friedkin was born in Chicago in 1935. His mother was a nurse and his father held several jobs, from merchant seaman and semi-professional softball player to discount-clothes salesman. He singled out viewing in his twenties of Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" (1941) as having a radical impact. "It changed my life," he said in a 2014 interview published on the website of respected US critic, Roger Ebert. "It made me understand that film was an art form and a unique way of storytelling that I had never considered". Friedkin started working in television as a runner and then directed TV shows before making his own documentary in 1962, "The People vs Paul Crimp", about a real-life death row prisoner. The film would contribute to Crimp's death sentence being commuted, convincing Friedkin of "the power of cinema", he told AFP in an interview in 2017. In 1967 he made his first feature, "Good Times", a musical starring the popular pop duo Sonny and Cher. Eclipse from the A-List After his heyday in the 1970s, came a spectacular fall from the Hollywood A-List. It was his ambitious "Sorcerer" (1977), that would prove Friedkin's undoing. After a difficult shoot that went wildly over budget to cost $22 million, the film bombed at the US box office, grossing just under $6 million. It was also eclipsed by the first installment of George Lucas's "Star Wars", released at the same time. Amongst his other flops from a total of about 20 features was "Cruising" (1980) with Al Pacino as an undercover cop hunting down a serial killer in New York's S&M scene. But "Killer Joe" in 2011, starring Matthew McConaughey as a man plotting to kill his own mother, brought renewed critical praise. In 2018, decades after his most famous hit, Friedkin revisited the themes of "The Exorcist" with the documentary "The Devil and Father Amorth", about a priest performing an exorcism in Italy. "The life of a filmmaker is one film to another," Friedkin told the LA Times in 1989 about how he picked himself up after his career had taken a tumble. "There's a great reward when you connect with the public and people are lining up around the block to see your film. But the real joy is making the film." Friedkin was married four times, the first time to one of France's top actresses, Jeanne Moreau. The post William Friedkin, incendiary director of ‘The Exorcist’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
MUP pension takeaways
In every fiscal year, there should be nothing extraordinarily appropriated for the sole benefit of military and uniformed personnel, active or retired. The MUP’s number of pensioner-beneficiaries has already breached the 120,000 mark and counting. The 2023 allocation of P139.51 billion for their pensions alone bleeds government coffers dry; its budgetary impact further depletes public funds for the rest of state workers, active or retired — outside of the MUP universe. When the finance secretary referred to the pension issue as the “elephant in the room” but nowhere in the President’s State of the Nation Address was mention made of an overhaul of the system, this could be construed by cynics as axiomatic of a lack of political will. Instead, the “game theory” model conveniently adopted by the present dispensation is to do nothing for fear that a financial embargo might stir up a hornet’s nest. Must every president, in effect, “babysit” the military, police, and other armed services in a quid pro quo? Have we become what in the mind of Samuel Huntington is a praetorian society that “shirks” the much-vaunted state policy that “civilian authority is at all times supreme over the military?” What about the implied mandate or reach (if any) of the Civil Service Commission over the military, police, uniformed service? What has happened to the notion that no government employee — more so civilian — should be left behind within the purview of a level-playing field? What about the sacred aim of a “salary standardization law” if there is a Great Cultural Divide between the military and the civilian sectors of the government bureaucracy where two classes with the same salary grades have astronomically different compensation packages — retirement or pension-wise? Insofar as the “fiscal collapse” the finance secretary warned against if no pragmatic move would put an end to this MUP dilemma, it remains a time bomb waiting to explode. It could luminously reach a point where the President would be confronted with “lifeboat ethics” or that moral quandary of whom to give up to save another. Whoever reduced the President to the dog that caught the car doesn’t cut it, either. When typhoon “Egay” caused “agri damage” that soared to P4.5 billion, hit 181 cities and municipalities, and affected 142,000 farmers and fishers in nine regions, methinks covering the damage of 30 “Typhoon Egays” should be as easy as paying MUPs over P140 billion a year. What this mathematical comparison illustrates is the disturbing fact that government can hardly allocate even a measly amount for natural calamities affecting communities, agriculture, infrastructure. There ought to be a philosophical approach to resolving the MUP paradox by identifying the proximate cause of the problem and reverting back to the original scheme at parity with the larger body of government workers or employees in the civilian bureaucracy. There must be a future-proof review as to why the salaries of MUPs and retirees were doubled during the term of the President’s predecessor toward possibly reverting such “political payoff” back to the old configuration. In the altar of public service delivery, the role of the MUP is not unique. For their parochial and arrogant argument of serving at the risk of life and limb to hold true, they must add more meat on that bone. It’s the greatest anomaly of all time for the national budget to have to allocate for MUP pensions some P300 billion for 2024. Note that the allocation for the pension of civilian government employees was only P1.15 billion in 2017 and P1.6 billion in 2022. If we have some 1.7 million government employees inclusive of military/uniformed personnel, it’s obvious who gets more than the lion’s share of the budget pie. An “insane” 1 percent of MUP payouts is a drop in the bucket. Please draw the sword to cut this Gordian knot! Or shop for other best-practice pension plans. The post MUP pension takeaways appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
First US nuclear reactor in seven years goes online
A new reactor at a US nuclear power plant entered into operation Monday, a first in seven years in the country where conventional reactors may give way to smaller-scale nuclear facilities. The Vogtle Unit 3 near Waynesboro, in the southeastern state of Georgia, has begun serving some 500,000 homes and businesses, operator Georgia Power said in a statement. "The new unit represents a long-term investment in the state's clean energy future and will provide reliable, emissions-free energy to customers for decades to come," the company said. The project comes online seven years after it was supposed to start producing power. The costs for Unit 3, and a fourth reactor anticipated to enter operation in late 2023 or early 2024, have topped $30 billion, according to an estimate by the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAP). That is more than double the budget of $14 billion announced at the start of the project. Cost overruns pushed original investor Westinghouse, a subsidiary of Japan's Toshiba, to file for bankruptcy in 2017, and it withdrew from the project. Once all four units are in operation, Vogtle will become the largest generator of clean energy in the nation, according to Georgia Power. Vogtle Units 3 and 4 were the first new reactor projects approved by US authorities since 1979 and an incident at Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island, the most serious nuclear accident in US history. The most recent prior commission of a nuclear reactor was Unit 2 at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in Tennessee, in 2016. Construction for that reactor had begun in 1973. Work was suspended for more than two decades before the project was revived. Low-carbon nuclear power has been hailed as a climate-friendly energy source as the world struggles to combat global warming. Environmentalists, however, worry about safety and warn that disposing of radioactive waste carries huge risks. Since 1990 only three reactors have entered into operation in the United States: the two units at Watts Bar, in 1996 and 2016, and Vogtle Unit 3 on Monday. No other conventional reactor project is underway. Construction of two reactors at the Virgil Summer Nuclear Station in South Carolina was abandoned in 2017, despite $9 billion already invested in the projects. Manufacturers have now reoriented themselves towards smaller, new-generation facilities known as small modular reactors, or SMRs. The newer designs -- none of which have yet to come into operation in the United States -- are expected to be less expensive, take less time to build, and are considered safer than conventional power plants. The post First US nuclear reactor in seven years goes online appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Without ‘soul, progress is meaningless
Reduced budgets against big, supportive words paint a grainy picture of how the Marcos Jr. administration is prioritizing the arts and culture sector of the Philippines. In 2022, “proposed budget cuts for four key agencies tasked with preserving history and culture,” as said in a report, got critics’ hackles up, implying that the Marcoses had no love lost for history as it was allegedly bent on revisionism. However, a source from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts acknowledges that this has been a “period of recovery,” and that “the administration has continuously supported and assisted in the recovery of the sector, which is one of most adversely affected by the pandemic. Through the government’s cultural agencies, support to the culture still continues” to this day, one year into the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. For its part, the Duterte government, at the height of the pandemic, took steps to alleviate the needs of all those affected in the arts and culture sector. Assistance Data from the Cultural Center of the Philippines reveals that during that time, about 800 events were canceled, losing about 800,000 audiences or participants, and at least P90 million in revenues. About 3,000 artists, cultural workers and other kinds of workers were affected. This was the same all over the country and the world. The NCCA’s Assistance Program for Cultural Workers Under the State of Calamity aimed to provide quick cash assistance in the amount of P5,000 to around 800 beneficiaries. Artists and cultural workers who were not under an employer-employee relationship, without regular income or were working freelance, with no benefits, and/or had no employers to run to, and those whose source of income were gone due to the pandemic, were prioritized. The executive council members of the NCCA’s 19 national committees, which represent the different fields of culture and the arts, were tasked to list 35 priority beneficiaries. The NCCA “is the overall policy-making body, coordinating and grants-giving agency for the preservation, development and promotion of Philippine arts and culture; an executing agency for the policies it formulates; and tasked to administer the National Endowment Fund for Culture and the Arts — a fund exclusively for the implementation of culture and arts programs and projects.” Executive Order 80’s. 1999, under then President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, put the NCCA on top of other cultural agencies: the Cultural Center of the Philippines, National Historical Institute (now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines), National Museum, The National Library (now, The National Library of the Philippines) and the Records, Management and Archives Office (now, the National Archives of the Philippines). In 2001, Section 8 of Republic Act 9155 added the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino/Commission on the Filipino Language under the NCCA umbrella tied up with education goals. It states: “The Komisyon ng Wikang Pilipino, National Historical Institute, Record Management and Archives Office and the National Library shall now be administratively attached to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and no longer with the Department of Education. The program for school arts and culture shall remain part of the school curriculum.” Putting these cultural agencies together was meant to synergize efforts to strengthen the Filipinos’ sense of heritage and nationhood. Budget allocations In 2023, a year after President Marcos first stepped into office, what “resources” are we talking about? When budgets were being deliberated on in 2022, reports came out on calls for an increase in the proposed budget for arts and culture. At the hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance, NCCA chairman Rene Escalante said, “…we are proposing additional funding of a total of P33 million” to cover expenses for “more manpower and space as some regulatory functions of the National Museum of the Philippines were transferred to it.” Department of Budget Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman in her newspaper column wrote last 31 May: “For 2023, DBM has released funding for our cultural agencies to sustain their projects. It has allocated P212 million for the National Historical Commission of the Philippines; P33 million for NCCA; P164 million for the National Archives; P70 million for the Commission on the Filipino Language; P356 million for CCP and P444 million for the National Museum.” ‘Full support’ Prior to his State of the Nation Address this year after one year in office, expressed his “commitment to promoting Philippine culture, as well as the preservation and protection of the country’s cultural heritage, In a speech at the NCCA Ani ng Dangal (Harvest of Honors) awarding ceremony in Malacañang, he said: “Makaaasa kayo na kaisa ninyo ang pamahalaan at administrasyong ito sa pagsusulong at pagpapayaman ng ating sining at kultura (You may rest assured the government and this administration is one with you in the promotion and development of our arts and culture),” pointing out its importance in and interconnection to efforts to boost our economy while uplifting the image of Filipinos across the globe. [caption id="attachment_161350" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] TRADITIONAL style of mat weaving. | PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF LIKHA[/caption] [caption id="attachment_161351" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Banig weavers.[/caption] ‘Who we are’ What a rich and thriving culture means to a nation cannot be emphasized enough. In October 2018, when Malacañang hosted the awarding of the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan, Philippine Heritage Award and the Order of National Artist, then President Rodrigo Duterte noted the role that cultural heritage plays in the formation of the Filipino identity. “We must recognize and fulfill our duty to stay true to who we are, remember where we came from and honor the timelessness of our culture and traditions,” he said. His commitment was evident as the pandemic went on, with the NCCA offering assistance to the affected workers in the arts and culture sector. The unspoken benefit from that experience was that the arts community bounced back immediately, as artists and cultural workers continued to create, to entertain, to impart insights, to provoke and stimulate, to inspire. Creativity might have taken a pause during the pandemic but not for long as artists began to turn to cyberspace to share their works and interact with their audiences mainly in their social media accounts. Taking this cue, cultural institutions and companies, arts organizations and culture-related groups took the online route, creating virtual events such as online galleries, webinars and talks, film showings, workshops and tutorials, live-streamed musical shows and even presentations of recorded theatrical and dance performances. The digital arts have blossomed and traditional artforms have found themselves increasingly and suddenly in the digital world. Post-pandemic, establishments reopened, but cultural spaces such as museums, galleries and theaters were among the last ones to reopen. Local artistry In the first year of Marcos’ presidency, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos took on the role of promoting Filipino culture by spearheading projects like the Malacañang museums and Likha exhibits, which shone the limelight on local artistry and craftsmanship. One of the legacies of the pandemic that will continue in the coming years is incorporation of streaming or recording for posting and sharing in social media and other mediums. This is true for certain events such as launchings and talks. We have discovered the far-reaching reach of online platforms as well as the convenience of it, saving us time and money. With online platforms, we can reach thousands and disseminate information further beyond borders. Our audiences are not limited to certain geography, certain spheres. However, for theatrical productions, dance, films and music, we have to devise ways to monetize them so that the creatives involved can make a living out of their crafts. That is one of the challenges that the sector will be facing, which is part of the recovery process from the pandemic. One other important factor to be considered is the creative industries or creative economy. The Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 was launched in 2017, and for the first time, arts and culture and the creative industries are included in the national agenda. An inter-agency board has been created focusing on the creative industries, with the NCCA as one of the key agencies. This entails creating a collective vision and aspiration of Filipinos for themselves and for the country, and is an acknowledgment of the power of arts and culture to shape and elevate consciousness and ways of life and inspire communities. In that chapter, the government promises to “boost the development of Filipino creativity as tool for social cohesion and impetus for culture-based industry and creative economy.” Let’s not forget that a thoughtful and caring governance and industry would indeed include arts and culture in order to prosper in all aspects, recognize the important roles of their artists and cultural workers, and would preserve their cultural legacy, which contribute to realizing a deeper sense of self and national identity. True prosperity does not dwell on the material level but must include the nourishment and nurturing of the soul. The post Without ‘soul, progress is meaningless appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
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......»»
US rejoins UNESCO, reversing Trump withdrawal
The United States rejoined UNESCO on Friday, reversing its withdrawal during the Trump administration, the UN's cultural agency said. Donald Trump announced in 2017 that he was pulling the United States out of UNESCO, alongside Israel, accusing the body of bias against the Jewish state, a decision that took effect in 2018. An extraordinary session of the UN body's General Assembly voted overwhelmingly for the return of the United States, an AFP reporter present at the vote said, with around 132 members voting in favor, 10 against and 15 abstentions. Dissenting voices included Iran, Syria, China, and Russia whose delegations appeared to seek to delay the vote through several statements on the procedure and suggested amendments. The United States, a founding member of UNESCO, was a major contributor to its budget until 2011 when the body admitted Palestine as a member state. That triggered an end to the contributions under US law, leading up to the formal withdrawal announcement six years later. The post US rejoins UNESCO, reversing Trump withdrawal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pakistan failing in every economic index
Pakistan failed to meet any economic growth targets for the fiscal year 2022-23, according to a key government report released Thursday -- a day before the new budget is to be presented to the national assembly. GDP growth was a miserly 0.3 percent, while agriculture, industrial output, and exports all failed to meet their targets. Pakistan's economy has been stricken by a balance-of-payments crisis as it attempts to service high levels of external debt, while months of political chaos have scared off potential foreign investment. Inflation has rocketed, the rupee has plummeted and the country can no longer afford imports, causing a severe decline in the industry. The country was also ravaged by record monsoon floods last year that left almost a third of its territory underwater, laying waste to vast swathes of farmland and leaving tens of millions homeless. Pakistan's standing on the global economic rank of nations has fallen from 24th in 2017 to 47th today, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar told a news briefing while releasing the results of the survey. "That says it all," he said. The grim data gives the cash-strapped government little room to introduce populist vote-attracting measures in Friday's budget ahead of an election due to be held in October. The government is also under enormous pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to tighten the purse strings to unlock another last tranche of a vital bailout package. Under the IMF's terms, Pakistan had to do away with subsidies on energy and other sectors, allow the rupee to float against the US dollar, raise taxes and duties, and restrict imports. "It was extremely challenging for the government to carry out such strict reforms and we had a political cost," Dar said. "We have averted looming default for now." Pakistan's key economic indicators for the year ending June 30, 2023, show economic growth declined to 0.29 percent against 6.1 percent a year earlier. Agriculture, a key driver of the economy, grew just 1.55 percent, while the industrial sector showed negative growth of 2.94 percent. "It was a year of force majeure," said Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan's Planning Minister, adding that the floods had the key impact. Pakistan is expected to set a growth target of 3.5 percent for the upcoming fiscal year, to be announced in the national budget on Friday. The World Bank set a less-ambitious target of two percent in its latest Global Economic Prospects report issued earlier this week. The post Pakistan failing in every economic index appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DBM okays P5-B Bangsamoro fund
The Department of Budget and Management approved the disbursement of a development fund worth P5 billion allocated to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. In an announcement on Wednesday, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman stated that the department has already authorized the issuance of the Special Allotment Release Order for BARMM’s Special Development Fund The release of funds aligns with Section 2, Article XIV of Republic Act 11054, which mandates the national government to provide an annual amount of P10 billion to the BARMM government for ten years. The purpose of this fund is to support the rebuilding, rehabilitation, and development of communities affected by conflict, as stated by the DBM. DBM support “As I promised, and in accordance with the instructions of President Bongbong Marcos, DBM will continue to support BARMM to the best of our ability. We will ensure that we will help in its smooth transition process and strengthen its communities,” Pangandaman said. “We hope that this fund will be used properly to meet the needs of the communities in BARMM. We hope that BARMM takes advantage of this funding by fully utilizing it to help those in need, and to improve areas that need further development,” she added. The Bureau of Treasury will directly disburse the allocated funds to the BARMM through a designated government servicing bank, following the cash programming guidelines set by the national government. Annual block grant Under the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the administration has allocated P64.76 billion as the Annual Block Grant for BARMM. Additionally, P5 billion has been set aside for the Special Development Fund aimed at supporting the reconstruction, recovery, and progress of communities affected by conflict. Furthermore, the region will receive P4.59 billion as its share of taxes, fees, and charges collected within the area. The outbreak in BARMM occurred in Marawi City, the capital of Lanao del Sur province, which is one of the six provinces in the region. This conflict lasted for five months, from 23 May to 23 October 2017. The post DBM okays P5-B Bangsamoro fund appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»