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From the Newsrooms: March 17 to 23, 2024
By: CMFR StaffPosted on: March 25, 2024, 8:00 amUpdated on: March 25, 2024, 1:00 am THIS WEEK, "From the Newsrooms" looks at the media coverage of two events. On March 20, a hearing in the House on the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) revealed that Chinese nationals were included in the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA). On March 21, Arnolfo Teves, the alleged mastermind of the Pamplona.....»»
Marc Pingris speaks out vs affair rumors with Kim Rodriguez
Former Philippine Basketball Association star player Marc Pingris denied having an affair with actress Kim Rodriguez......»»
Kaspersky Shares Cybersecurity Tips for a Peaceful Getaway during the holy week
As the holiday season approaches, the urge to unwind and kick back is natural. And it’s all too common for people to let their guard down completely when connecting to the Internet too– but shouldn’t. Recently, the Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Cybercrime Group shared its findings on identity theft cases in the country. Between November […].....»»
Kieffer Alas shines brightest in 2024 NBTC adidas All-Star Game
IN the midst of the hottest young guns of juniors basketball, La Salle Zobel guard Kieffer Alas stood tall on Saturday's 2024 Smart-NBTC All-Star Saturday......»»
Meet Rex Villanueva, Batang Tiaong’s pint-sized star
‘I want to prove that we can compete against anyone,’ says diminutive guard Rex Villanueva, who impressed in the NBTC along with his team, surprise semifinalist Batang Tiaong of Quezon.....»»
China Coast Guard water-cannons anew Ayungin-bound civilian Philippine boat
A China Coast Guard vessel again blasted a Filipino supply boat with water cannons during the latter's attempt to bring much needed supplies to soldiers stationed at the Ayungin (Scarborough) Shoal......»»
WPS tension: Chinese vessel blocks PH research ship
A China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel again made “dangerous maneuvers” on Thursday and tried to block a Philippine fishery vessel carrying marine scientists conducting research in the West Philippine Sea or WPS. Commodore Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the WPS, told a press briefing on Friday that CCG vessel 5204 crossed the.....»»
Mga bagong opisyal ng SPEEd nanumpa kay Mayor Joy Belmonte
PORMAL nang nanumpa sa kanilang tungkulin ang mga bagong-halal na opisyal at miyembro ng Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors (SPEEd) kahapon, Marso 21. Ito’y pinangunahan ng bagong Pangulo ng grupo na si Salve Asis, entertainment editor ng Pilipino Star Ngayon at Pang Masa. Nagsilbing inducting officer sa oath-taking ceremony ng SPEEd si Quezon City Mayor.....»»
Heads should roll over Chinese recruitment in PCG – lawmaker
Whether in good faith or not, recruiting Chinese nationals into the Philippine Coast Guard should make the concerned government officials “accountable” even if the foreigners were just members of an auxiliary group, a lawmaker said yesterday......»»
Xinhua world economic news summary at 0900 GMT, March 17
MANILA -- The number of Chinese inbound travelers to the Philippines surged by 235 percent year-on-year in the first two months of 2024, a Philippine lawmaker said Sunday. Citing data from the Philippines' Department of Tourism, Representative Marvin Rillo, vice chairperson of the committee on tourism in the House of Representatives, said that 82,314 Chinese travelers entered the Philippines in January and Febru.....»»
Biden to host trilateral summit with Japan, Philippines on April 11
Washington, DC [US], March 19 (ANI): US President Joe Biden will host a three-way summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos in Washington on April 11, as announced by the White House, as reported by Kyodo News. This historic summit, the first of its kind involving the United States, Japan, and the Philippines, aims to bolster defence cooperation in response to China's asse.....»»
Unprogrammed appropriations boosted 2023 budget by P374 billion
The government has included a P374-billion additional program, on top of the P5.268 trillion national budget in 2023, the bulk of which were unprogrammed appropriations......»»
Executive dep’t proposes additional budget of P963M
Executive dep’t proposes additional budget of P963M.....»»
DBM greenlights funding for 673 MSU faculty positions
The Department of Budget and Management has approved an additional 673 permanent faculty positions across the nine campuses of Mindanao State University......»»
ARTA eyes additional P200 million for 2024
The Anti-Red Tape Authority is hoping for the approval of an additional P200 million in its budget for next year, saying this will be used to expand its operations to cover all regions in the country......»»
P3 billion released for DSWD social safety net
The Department of Budget and Management has released P3 billion as an additional social safety net to help Filipinos cope with and recover from various crisis situations......»»
Bloating deficit raises need for new taxes
The government should pursue new taxes now more than ever to secure additional revenues as the share of the budget deficit to the overall economy increased in the third quarter, according to a former finance official......»»
Come hell, high water,Christmas comes
Despite challenges from inflation and other difficulties because of the geopolitical shifts, Filipinos still look forward to celebrating Christmas on expectations of bonuses and the observance of family traditions. Based on historical data, Kantar, the world’s leading marketing data and analytics company, expects households to increase their spendings on food and beverage during the holidays compared to ordinary months. “The Christmas spirit is felt as early as September. Spending in the fast-moving consumer goods typically starts in December when Filipinos receive additional disposable income through their 13th month pay and other incentives,” Nino Nierva, account director, Worldpanel Division, Kantar Philippines, said. “What we’ve observed, based on our analyses of the spending habits of over 5,000 households’ year-on-year, is that Filipinos spend mostly on food and beverage items from December to January versus the rest of the year.” There is a spending uplift of 7 percent in the total FMCG segment during the height of the Christmas season last year, or from December 2022 to January 2023, compared to other months, or from February to November. This translates to approximately P6 billion more spent every month within the holiday period. Specifically, Filipinos spent 11 percent more on food and 9 percent more on beverage categories during the holidays. This trend also extends to dairy products (6 percent higher), which include all-purpose cream and condensed milk that are key ingredients of fruit salad, a staple Christmas dessert in the country. In contrast, the health and beauty category takes a back seat during this same period based on a 4 percent decline in growth last year, according to Kantar’s study. Season of eating, shopping Data from Kantar further showed that holiday feasts must-haves will continue to take-over the shopping baskets of Filipinos in the remaining months of the year. These items, which registered significant growth in December 2022, are expected to remain a priority for households. These are spreads (up 34 percent), canned fruits (up 25 percent), alcoholic beverages (up 24 percent), noodles and pasta sauces (up 21 percent), lechon sauce (up 17 percent), condensed milk (up 9 percent), mayonnaise (up 8 percent), and all-purpose cream (up 6 percent). However, Kantar notes that inflation continues to impact FMCG in terms of pack size and brand choices. In particular, households, strapped for cash, may buy less holiday meal staples like pasta sauces or cheese, and may choose to purchase more affordable brands of canned fruits, all-purpose cream and noodles. Tight budget not a problem While Filipinos continue to patronize sari-sari stores, they will still visit hypermarkets, supermarkets and groceries to check their options during the holiday season. According to Kantar, Filipinos still buy from sari-sari stores and they spend an average of P1,309 per month during the holidays. This is followed by hyper and supermarkets where 7 out of 10 homes visit the channel with an average monthly spend of P1,559. Aside from their own purchases, households will likewise make extra room in their pantry for FMCG products that they receive as gifts. The post Come hell, high water,Christmas comes appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fuel subsidy easing eyed
An immediate release of government assistance to public utility vehicles will be achieved by shortening the trigger period from three months to one and simplifying the requirements, the Department of Energy said yesterday. The proposal, nonetheless, may need the amendment of the law for releasing fuel subsidies to the transport sector. In a press briefing, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said this was one of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s proposed solutions to the oil price shock that is expected to worsen amid the spreading Middle East conflict. $80 per barrel long breached Under the current law, fuel subsidies are released to the transport sector whenever the Dubai crude oil price exceeds $80 per barrel for three consecutive months. Lotilla said shortening the trigger period will allow the government to release the subsidies faster to the transport sector, one of the sectors most affected by rising fuel prices. “With this simplification or shortening of the period, we will be able to release the subsidies in a shorter period,” Lotilla said. “Since Congress is now considering the General Appropriations Act, it will be included in that process. The amendment will take effect in 2024 immediately upon Congress’s approval of the GAA,” he added. The DoE chief also said the government will simplify the requirements for the release of the fuel subsidies. The release of the subsidies requires the approval of the DoE, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Budget and Management. Lotilla said that under the new proposal, the release of the subsidies will only require the approval of the DBM, DoTr and the DoE. He said the DoTr will finalize the list of beneficiaries for those with franchises, the Department of the Interior and Local Government for tricycle drivers, and the Department of Trade and Industry for delivery service drivers. Even though there’s an effort to expedite assistance, Lotilla said the fuel subsidy in the 2024 national budget was decreased to P2.5 billion from P3 billion this year. The energy chief, however, believes that even with the reduced budget, the required funding will be met. “That’s based on the experience of the previous year. We don’t know what will be the final amount,” the official said. Other measures on table Lotilla added the government will implement a voluntary 20-percent ethanol blend for gasoline, which is targeted for approval by the end of 2023. He said the ethanol blend will help mitigate the rising fuel prices, as ethanol is cheaper than gasoline. Lotilla said the President also instructed him to continue the transport sector’s electrification, particularly for mass transport and light cargo vehicles. He said the government will put in place charging stations and ensure that the benefits to the transport sector, particularly the drivers, will be there. Lotilla said the President also emphasized the need to prepare the economy for the eventual manufacture of electric vehicles and to link this with the local mining sector that will produce the minerals needed to manufacture batteries and other components of electric vehicles. Rules out soon The DoE is also releasing the guidelines for the implementation of the long-delayed higher biofuels blend before the year ends. Lotilla said the current 10-percent ethanol blend, also known as E10, in gasoline would be increased to 20 percent or E20, although it would be a voluntary option for motorists. Lotilla added that the current two percent or B2 coco methyl ester or CME blend on diesel will be adjusted to three percent or B3. Based on the DoE calculation, implementing the E20 blend could slash gasoline prices by around P1.28 to P1.50 per liter. While ethanol is generally cheaper than gasoline, Lotilla noted that local ethanol at P79.49 a liter is still more expensive than the imported supply at P41.84 per liter. Lotilla said DoE will bank on the coconut industry, whose production reaches up to 15 billion nuts annually, to complement the B3 shift. “An additional 1 percent blend only needs 2.6 billion nuts. The increase in the blend can also drive down the cost of CME because there will be a bigger market for it. Right now, we expect pure diesel to be at parity with the per liter price of CME,” Lotilla explained. With Maria Romero The post Fuel subsidy easing eyed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Rep. Castro will sue former president Duterte for grave threats
Former president Rodrigo Duterte will be sued for grave threat raps by ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro, whom he threatened to kill over issues of confidential funds requested by his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte. Castro said the criminal complaint is scheduled to be filed tomorrow morning before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court with some National Union of Peoples Lawyer members, former Philippine Bar Association head Rico Domingo, and lawyer Antonio La Viña, who volunteered to handle the case. "This is a crime against a person. Former president Duterte's threats should stop," she said in an interview on Monday. The progressive lawmaker has been on the receiving end of Duterte's tirades following the crusade of the Makabayan bloc to strip the VP of multi-million confidential funds from the proposed 2024 budget. VP Duterte sought P500 million and P150 million in confidential funds for OVP and the Department of Education, respectively. The militant group waged a successful battle against the VP's secret funds as the House leadership concurred with their proposal of formally removing it and rather channeled it to agencies in charge of monitoring and protecting the country's national security and territorial rights in the West Philippine Sea. The VP, who claimed her secret funds will be used to promote peace and order, previously accused critics of having "insidious motivations." The OVP and DepEd, which the VP concurrently heads, were among the three civilian agencies, namely the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Department of Information And Communications Technology, awarded zero confidential funds for next year. The former president said Castro would have been the "first target" of his daughter's intelligence fund. "It's time for the Dutertes to stop doing this, especially former president Rodrigo Duterte. He admitted he kills. So, it has to be stopped because it has no place in this society," Castro said. According to Castro, she only did her duties as a lawmaker of scrutinizing the budget, particularly the confidential funds, and the Dutertes should not interpret it as a personal affront. House leaders previously said they would not tolerate Duterte's threats and intimidation of any members of the lower chamber. Moreover, they would back Castro's move to file legal action. The House is also geared up to provide Castro additional security following a death threat from Duterte, according to House secretary general Reginald Velasco. The post Rep. Castro will sue former president Duterte for grave threats appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»