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Women shaping Philippine monetary policy
Women have made significant strides as leaders in the Philippine financial services industry even as challenges continue to persist. At the helm are two distinguished female members of the Monetary Board (MB) – the policy-setting body of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) –both of whom are breaking the bias for women in finance......»»
Business groups laud passage of Salt Industry Development Act
Business groups Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) welcomed the approval of a law that aims to revive the salt industry which is seen to support economic growth and help create jobs......»»
‘Not war with China; don’t rely only on US’ – Marcos Jr.
In an interview on Bloomberg TV last Wednesday, as reported in another national daily, he made two related comments that could represent important government policy stands. First, regarding China’s increasing aggressive moves against Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea; second, about the United States’ repeated assurance of its “iron-clad” defense commitment under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty. The post ‘Not war with China; don’t rely only on US’ – Marcos Jr. appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Philippine bond market hits $217 billion in Q4
The Philippine bond market went up slightly in the fourth quarter of 2023 due to the increase in government bond issuances, according to a report from the Asian Development Bank......»»
Role of women athletes acknowledged
Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Richard Bachmann championed the women athletes and their unparalleled role in elevating the local sports development in the inaugural Women in Sports Awards Wednesday night at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum......»»
Gatchalian to PhilHealth: Update mental health package
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation should present an update on the rollout of its package for mental health illnesses, Senator Win Gatchalian said Thursday. Gatchalian cited that PhilHealth earlier planned to roll out its mental health outpatient package in July. The senator flagged the unreleased package despite “the country is facing a pandemic of mental health issues.” To date, Gatchalian said that PhilHealth only offers a P7,800 case rate for confined patients having specific conditions such as dementia, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders. He lamented that the high cost of mental health services makes it inaccessible to many Filipinos to acquire fair mental care. Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, noted that a cursory search on the internet would point to packages costing up to P43,800. "Sisingilin ko ang PhilHealth sa mental health package dahil nangako sila. Noong una natuwa kami dahil may acknowledgement sila na may problema tayo sa mental health at mababa ang ating package, pero wala namang aksyon na nangyari,” he said. “Sisingilin talaga namin sila dahil nga kung titignan natin yung datos, mahigit 4,000 ang nagpakamatay sa isang taon at 400 ang nagpakamatay mula sa mga paaralan natin kaya talagang may problema tayo pagdating sa mental health," he added. Gatchalian described the increasing deaths of Filipinos due to suicide as logged National Center for Mental Health as “alarming.” In 2019, the NCMH recorded 3,129 calls, of which 325 or 10 percent were suicide-related. In the same year, the Philippine Statistics Authority recorded 2,810 deaths due to suicide. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the calls to the NCMH related to mental health problems had almost quadrupled to 11,017. While suicide-related calls rose to 15 percent or 1,382. The deaths by suicide almost doubled to 4,892 in the same period. In 2022, the number of calls to the NCMH and deaths by suicide remain high. Out of the 18,011 total calls to the NCMH that year, 6,853 were suicide-related. That same year, the PSA recorded 3,103 deaths by suicide. Gatchalian further emphasized how mental health issues affect learners with 404 learners dying by suicide during the School Year 2021-2022. The Senate recently approved on third and final reading of the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act. The proposed measure, which was authored and sponsored by Gatchalian, seeks to institutionalize the School-Based Mental Health Program to promote and ensure the mental health and well-being of learners in public and private basic education institutions. The post Gatchalian to PhilHealth: Update mental health package appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Confidential and intelligence funds increase P120M in 2024, UP budget cut P2.93B
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman on Thursday confirmed that there will be a P120-million increase in confidential and intelligence funds for the fiscal year 2024. In a Malacañang press briefing, Pangandaman said the increase is due to additional confidential funds allocated to three government agencies. These agencies include the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), and the Presidential Security Group (PSG). A 2015 joint circular released by five government agencies defines confidential expenses as those of surveillance activities in civilian government agencies. According to the same 2015 joint circular, intelligence funds are those related to intel information-gathering activities of uniformed and military personnel that directly impact national security. Pangandaman justified the increase in the CIF, saying it is necessary to support the government's efforts to protect national security and ensure the safety of the President and other government officials. "The additional funds were allocated for specific purposes. For example, in the case of DICT, the increase is for cybersecurity, which is essential as we push for digitalization," Pangandaman said. "Cybersecurity investment is parallel to our digitalization efforts. Why does it need to be confidential? It's because of the procurement process. You cannot disclose the technical specifications of your cybersecurity projects in the Terms of Reference (TOR) because hackers might see it. If they have access to the specs, our cybersecurity projects and programs won't be effective," she added. Pangandaman said the administration is confident that the proposed allocations for intelligence funds are well-justified. "The additional funds were allocated for specific purposes. We can assure the public that these intelligence and confidential funds will be beneficial to the country," Pangandaman said. In a separate statement, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said there also an increase in the CIF in the Armed Forces of the Philippines; National Security Council; Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, and; the Office of the Ombudsman. Meanwhile, there has been a decrease in the CIF allocated for the Philippine Competition Commission, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, and the Department of Justice. On the other hand, the confidential funds of the Office of the President and the Office of the Vice President remain at the same level as the 2023 General Appropriations Act. DBM likewise emphasized the declining percentage contribution of CIF in the national budget in recent years, decreasing from 0.215 percent in 2018, 0.192 percent in 2019, 0.235 percent in 2020, 0.212 percent in 2021, 0.183 percent in 2022, 0.190 percent in 2023, to 0.176 percent in 2024. "With these, the public can remain confident that the disbursement and utilization of the CIF will be done by government agencies with utmost transparency and accountability, in strict adherence to existing guidelines set forth by the Commission on Audit (COA) on the appropriate allocation and use of these funds," DBM said. Budget Cuts Meanwhile, DBM said the budget cut for the University of the Philippines (UP) under the proposed 2024 expenditure plan will not affect student admissions. In the Palace briefing, Pangandaman said the P2.93 billion reduction in the UP budget for 2024 resulted from the removal of budgetary requirements for several infrastructure projects scheduled for completion this year. “So if it's for completion in 2023, we don’t need the funding for 2024,” Pangandaman said. Asked if the budget cut will translate to a reduction in the number of students admitted to UP, Pangandaman said none. The DBM added it also took into account how much of UP's budget was used the year previously when determining the proposed NEP's budget allocation. “Hence, in our review and evaluation of UP’s budget proposals, we considered its absorptive capacity, which is 69.48% as of end-2022,” it said. The post Confidential and intelligence funds increase P120M in 2024, UP budget cut P2.93B appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Era of mass closures’: the Japan businesses without successors
Kiyoshi Hashimoto's machinery factory outside Tokyo should be buzzing with industry. Instead, it's so quiet you can hear him practicing the recorder. The 82-year-old entrepreneur founded his company nearly 40 years ago, but well past retirement age he has neither a successor nor a buyer for a business that retains loyal clients. It is a problem that Japan's government warns could affect up to a third of all small businesses in the country by 2025, as the country's population shrinks and ages. "All of this would go to waste if I were to close now," said Hashimoto, whose factory in Yachimata, east of Tokyo, is filled with workbenches, drill tables and parts cabinets. He once employed dozens of people, but now gets by with just two part-time workers after scaling back operations. The problem is so vast that Japan faces an "era of mass closures", said Shigenobu Abe of bankruptcy research firm Teikoku Databank. A 2019 government report estimated that about 1.27 million small business owners would be 70 or older by 2025 and have no successors. The trend could kill up to 6.5 million jobs and reduce the size of the Japanese economy by 22 trillion yen ($166 billion), the study warned. By 2029, the situation will worsen still, as baby boomers hit 81, the average life expectancy for Japanese men, who account for most of the presidents of these firms, according to Teikoku Databank. "We know for sure that many workers will lose their livelihoods because of this," Abe told AFP. 'A serious blow' As elsewhere, small businesses in Japan are often passed down to family or trusted employees. But the country's prolonged economic stagnation has made small businesses unattractive to young people. Firms in rural areas struggle further because of a preference for city life and a growing trend of rural depopulation. Compounding the problem is a feeling among some older Japanese that selling a family business to outsiders is shameful. Some liquidate their firms rather than seeking buyers. Japan's government has offered generous incentives to encourage sales, and the private sector has also jumped in to match investors with businesses for sale. Company BATONZ now makes more than 1,000 matches a year, up from just 80 when it opened in 2018. Still, it reaches a fraction of the people who need it, said BATONZ president Yuichi Kamise. Waves of closures will mean the loss of specialized craftsmanship, unique services and original restaurant recipes that make up Japan's social and cultural fabric, he said. "Over time, what makes Japan unique could disappear due to a lack of successors," he said. "I think it will deal a serious blow to Japanese culture and Japan's attractiveness as a tourism destination." Some feel though that the trend offers a chance to fix inefficiencies and consolidate small businesses that are barely scraping by or survive on subsidies. Hiroshi Miyaji, 50, owns Yashio Group, a logistics giant started by his grandfather, and has snapped up various businesses. "There will always be buyers for firms, with or without successors, that have unique strengths, special know-how and human resources," said Miyaji, a third-generation president. Helped by BATONZ, he recently purchased a small trucking company from 61-year-old Ayako Suzuki. 'Waiting for someone' Suzuki gave up her corporate career to help her father with the business he had started in 1975. None of the firm's three drivers wanted to take over and she was asked to join and help her father, then in his late eighties. But problems quickly piled up: the coronavirus pandemic hit, a driver left, trucks needed maintenance, and before long she was dipping into savings to stay afloat. "I wanted to keep the business going, at least while my father was alive," she told AFP. BATONZ connected her with Miyaji, who pledged to keep the firm's employees, clients and trucks. "I'm more relieved than sad," she said. "I didn't think our company had any value." The glut of affordable small businesses can be a boon for young people looking to break into a sector. Among them is 28-year-old chef Rikuo Morimoto. When the pandemic prevented him from studying in Italy, he used his savings to buy a four-decade-old diner in Tokyo and start a restaurant at a fraction of the normal cost. He kept the decor, furniture and many longstanding customers of "Andante", a beloved neighborhood restaurant in the Suginami district, while offering his own menu. "I thought I could only afford to have a food truck or a small bar," he said. Not everyone is so fortunate, and the future of Hashimoto's machinery factory remains uncertain, despite his attempts to groom three successors. "I'm just waiting for someone to come along and make use of this," he said. The post ‘Era of mass closures’: the Japan businesses without successors appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Rule 108 on substantial change
Ramon filed a petition under Rule 108 of the Rules of Court, with the trial court for the correction of his name on his birth certificate from “Ramon Corpuz Tan Ko” to “Ramon Corpuz Tan”. He argued that all his life, he only went by the latter name; that is without the “Ko”. He submitted as evidence all documents he deemed necessary to justify the correction of his birth certificate. The trial court went through the proceedings. The court, upon rendition of judgment, dismissed his petition. It decreed that while Rule 108 was correctly invoked, Ramon did not comply with what is incumbent upon him in adversarial proceedings. The court noted that his petition involved a substantial correction, which under the rules, clearly mandated adversarial proceedings and not merely a summary. It opined that Ramon should have impleaded his mother in the proceedings. For his failure to do so, his petition could not be granted. Of course, Ramon did not agree to this. He argued that the dropping of the name “Ko” was no substantial correction and thus, his mother was not necessarily a party. The trial not giving in to his plea, Ramon elevated the matter to the Court of Appeals. The higher court, however, disagreed with him. It affirmed that the lower court that it is indeed a substantial correction. Ramon thus now had no other alternative but to resort to Supreme Court. The issue to be resolved before the Highest Court is whether his request for correction, that is the removal of the name “Ko” from his name is substantial or not. If it is, then indeed adversarial proceedings should have been observed. If not, then a mere summary hearing could be had. Thus the Supreme Court ruled: “Rule 108 of the Revised Rules of Court governs the proceeding for the cancellation or correction of any entry concerning the civil status of persons which has been recorded in the civil register. “In Republic of the Philippines v. Valencia, the Court declared that a petition for correction of entry under Rule 108 of the Rules of Court covers not only clerical errors, but also substantial changes. The difference lies only in the procedure which would govern the correction sought. “If the correction is clerical, then the procedure to be adopted is summary. If the rectification affects the civil status, citizenship, or nationality of a party, it is deemed substantial, and the procedure to be adopted is adversary. “A clerical error is one which is visible to the eyes or obvious to the understanding; an error made by a clerk or a transcriber; a mistake in copying or writing, or a harmless change such as a correction of a name that is clearly misspelled or of a misstatement of the occupation of the parent. On the other hand, substantial or contentious alterations may be allowed only in adversarial proceedings, in which all interested parties are impleaded and due process is properly observed. Substantial and controversial alterations include those which may affect the citizenship, legitimacy of paternity or filiation, or legitimacy of marriage. The issue to be resolved before the Highest Court is whether his request for correction, that is the removal of the name ‘Ko’ from his name is substantial or not “Corrections in the name, whether of the owner of the Certificate of Live Birth or any of the parents indicated therein, may also involve substantial and controversial matters which would require an adversarial proceeding. “In this case, the alleged error could not be considered a clerical error or a readily apparent mistake. Contrary to the petitioner’s claim, the correction sought would definitely have an effect on his filiation with the persons named in his Certificate of Live Birth. “As aptly observed by the appellate court, the name ‘Tan Ko’ has been consistently used not only in the entries for petitioner’s name, but also for that of his parents. In entry No. 7, the name of petitioner’s father was entered as ‘Tan Ko,’ while his mother’s name was entered as ‘Trinidad Corpus Tan Ko’ in entry No. 12. Furthermore, his mother, as the informant for petitioner’s birth certificate, signed as ‘T.C. Tan Ko’ in entry No. 17. “Verily, the ‘correction’ of petitioner’s name from ‘Ramon Corpus Tan Ko’ to ‘Ramon Corpuz Tan’ would necessarily affect not only his name, but also the names of his parents as entered in his Certificate of Live Birth. “As correctly explained by the appellate court, altering petitioner’s surname from ‘Tan Ko’ to “Tan” would, in effect, be an adjudication that the first name of his father is indeed ‘Ko’ and his surname ‘Tan.’ Clearly, the correction would affect the identity of petitioner’s father. Moreover, there would be a need to correct his mother’s name from ‘Trinidad Corpus Tan Ko’ to ‘Trinidad Corpuz Tan.’ This would require deleting the word ‘Ko’ from ‘Tan Ko’ and changing the letter “s” to ‘z’ in ‘Corpus.’ Following Benemerito, to effect the correction, it would be essential to establish that ‘Trinidad Corpus Tan Ko’ and ‘Trinidad Corpuz Tan’ refer to the same person. A summary proceeding would certainly be insufficient to effect such substantial corrections.” The facts and quoted part of the decision are from Ramon Corpus Tan v. Office of the Civil Registrar et al. G.R. 211435 promulgated on 10 April 2019. The post Rule 108 on substantial change appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Malnutrition, hunger shade Phl growth
The Asian Development Bank’s outlook for the Philippines remains unchanged since April, maintaining that the country’s economy would expand by 6.0 percent for the remainder of the year and grow by 6.2 percent in 2024. In April, Kelly Bird, ADB country director for the Philippines, noted that the economy was in expansion mode after the gross domestic product grew 7.6 percent throughout 2022. “It (Philippine economic growth) is expected to moderate this year (2023) from the previous year’s forecast-beating outturn, but will remain on a healthy expansion mode underpinned by rising domestic demand and a recovery in services, particularly tourism,” he said. In the latest update of its quarterly Asian Development Outlook 2023 report, the ADB said domestic demand and services continue to drive growth in Southeast Asia, with many economies in the region, including the Philippines’, benefiting from strong tourism recovery. It said robust investment and private consumption, along with rising employment, growth in production and retail sales, and upbeat activity in private and public construction, is propelling the Philippine economy forward, making the country a strong candidate for the fastest-growing economy in the region in 2023, even surpassing Singapore’s and Vietnam’s. Filipinos look forward to ADB’s forecast that growth will remain strong, albeit slowed by global headwinds, high inflation, and tighter monetary policy. GDP growth should pick up even more as the external environment improves. Hopes are pinned on private consumption and investment to continue to expand, though easing from 2022’s brisk pace while household spending will be buoyed by rising employment and steady remittances from Philippine workers overseas. The bank’s outlook on the Philippine economy should get President Marcos into a pumped-up mood as he gets ready to address the country in his 2nd State of the Nation address on Monday. But ADB’s sobering notes on hunger and malnutrition threaten to dim whatever bright disposition he may have at the moment. In its report, the ADB notes that despite rapid economic growth in recent years, these “impressive gains” along with whatever efforts to reduce poverty have not lowered hunger, particularly among people in lower income levels. The ADB cites data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization indicating the prevalence of food insecurity in the Philippines, averaging 43.8 percent of the total population from 2019 to 2021 with 5.2 percent of the people undernourished. An Expanded National Nutrition Survey in 2021 revealed that under-nutrition rates were “very high,” with 26.7 percent of children under five years old stunted. Among school-age children (5-10 years old), the stunting rate was 19.7 percent and much higher among the poorest quintile at 32.7 percent. Alarming figures indicate that chronic malnutrition and stunting are strongly linked to disease and premature death; they adversely affect crucial stages of development (of children), causing cognitive and behavioral deficits, learning disabilities and ultimately a sub-optimal and uncompetitive labor force. The government’s response, the ADB observed, was short-term measures providing social support to vulnerable groups and temporarily easing import restrictions on some agricultural products. And this note should be of particular concern to the President, who remains unmoved by calls to designate a full-time, hands-on expert thoroughly steeped in agriculture at the agency. These data are also alarming: Agriculture growth in the Philippines has underperformed for the past two decades; it grew 3.5 percent on average annually from 2000 to 2010, then by 1.5 percent from 2011 to 2022; Agriculture’s share of GDP has declined from over 15 percent in early 2000 to an average of 9 percent in the past five years, with one-fifth of employment remaining in agriculture; and today’s Philippine agriculture labor productivity continues to lag behind its peers in the Southeast region. The ADB recommended that government strengthens food security and nutrition through social protection responses. Data on poverty incidence showed it declined from 23.5 percent of the population in 2015 to 16.7 percent in 2018 but rose again to 18.1 percent in 2021 because of the pandemic. As the President prepares to take on another year in office, we hope that the President is aware of the urgencies that need to be effectively tackled in the sector he insists on overseeing and of the sociopolitical costs and the not-so-flattering image the country — and the world — would have of his leadership if he leaves these issues substantially unresolved. The post Malnutrition, hunger shade Phl growth appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Retirement (2)
Last week, I wrote an article discussing basic pointers on retirement law. For this second part, I would like to expound on a couple of interesting Supreme Court cases relevant to retirement. Goodyear Philippines Inc. v. Marina Angus (G.R. No. 185449, 12 November 2014) Goodyear employed Marina in 1966 as a secretary to the manager of Quality and Technology. Later, Goodyear implemented cost-saving measures which included the streamlining of its workforce. Thus, in September 2001, Marina received a letter informing her that her position as a secretary was considered redundant and was going to be abolished, and she would be terminated effective 18 October 2021. She was also informed that as per company practice, termination due to redundancy or retrenchment was paid at 45 days’ pay per year of service, and since Marina had rendered 34.92 years of service, management decided to grant her an early retirement benefit at 47 days’ pay per year of service. While Marina accepted the early retirement benefit, she did not agree to its terms but claimed a premium of an additional 3 days for every year of service, or a total of 50 days. Marina accepted “under protest” the checks covering her retirement benefit computed at 47 days per year of service and other company benefits. Also, she separately claimed separation pay since her service was terminated due to redundancy. Was Marina entitled to early retirement benefits and separation pay? Yes. Marina was entitled to both early retirement benefits and separation pay due to the absence of a specific provision in the Collective Bargaining Agreement prohibiting the receipt of both. According to the SC, retirement benefits and separation pay are not mutually exclusive. Retirement benefits are “a form of reward for an employee’s loyalty and service to an employer and are earned under existing laws, CBAs, employment contracts and company policies.” Separation pay is the “amount which an employee receives at the time of his severance from employment, designed to provide the employee with the wherewithal during the period that he is looking for another employment…” Carissa Santo v. University of Cebu (G.R. No. 232522, 28 August 2019) In May 1997, the University of Cebu hired Carissa as a full-time instructor. During her employment, Carissa studied law and passed the 2009 bar examinations. Under the university’s Faculty Manual, “a permanent employee may, upon reaching his fifty-fifth (55th) birthday or after having completed at least fifteen (15) years of service, opt for an early retirement… and shall be entitled to the retirement pay equivalent to a total of fifteen (15) days for every year of service…” In April 2013, she applied for optional retirement. The university approved her application and computed her optional retirement pay at 15 days per year of service under the faculty manual. Carissa asserted that her retirement pay should have been computed at 22.5 days per year of service under Article 287 of the Labor Code. The university refused to accept her computation. Thus, she initiated a complaint for payment of retirement benefits under the law, damages, and attorney’s fees. Which retirement scheme applied to Carissa? The SC ruled that Carissa’s retirement pay should have been computed at 22.5 days per year of service (based on Article 287 of the Labor Code) which was more beneficial and advantageous to Carissa than the retirement benefits under the faculty manual (15 days per year of service). It reiterated that “while the employer is free to grant retirement benefits and impose different age or service requirements, the benefits should not be less than that provided in Article 287 of the Labor Code.” The SC disagreed with the Court of Appeal’s ruling that Article 287 of the Labor Code on retirement benefits was not applicable since it was supposedly not intended to benefit Carissa who voluntarily resigned not to rest in the twilight years of her life but to actively engage in the practice of the legal profession. The SC clarified that Carissa’s intention to practice law after retiring as a college instructor did not affect or diminish her entitlement to retirement benefits under the law. The post Retirement (2) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
9-dash-line in ‘Barbie’ movie ‘injurious’ to Phl prestige — Sen. Tolentino
Senator Francis Tolentino on Wednesday warned that the depiction of China’s nine-dash line over the South China Sea in the upcoming fantasy comedy film “Barbie” is “injurious to the prestige” of the Philippines. In a television interview, Tolentino said that screening of the movie in the country would cause a “dilute” in Philippine sovereignty. A scene in the movie shows a map with the nine-dash line, a representation of the territorial claims of China in the South China Sea that overlaps with the exclusive economic zone claims of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations such as Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam. “Allowing the local screening of the motion picture… would not just be injurious to the Republic of the Philippines but would be contrary to what our country fought for and achieved under that Arbitral Ruling in 2016. What that effect would be? Something that would dilute our sovereignty,” said Tolentino, the vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Tolentino earlier urged the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board to prevent the upcoming screening of the Barbie movie, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, in the Philippines. “The Vietnamese government already decided to totally ban the screening of Barbie following a review, in which, the depiction of the nine-dash line scene was first noticed,” he said. However, Tolentino said he would still be leaving it up to the MTRCB to decide on the banning of the film. “It’s up to [the] leadership of the MTRCB on whether to forbid the showing of Barbie, similar to what the said the agency did when it decided not to allow the local screening of the films ‘Abominable’ and ‘Unchartered’ in 2019 and 2022 respectively, due to their depiction of the nine-dash line,” he said. “The Arbitral Ruling clearly stated that the claim of China here has no legal basis,” he added. Meanwhile, Senator Robin Padilla said he cannot make a personal call at this time on whether to allow the showing of “Barbie” in the Philippines without first watching it. “But this is clear: The decision of whether to allow the showing of this film due to its scene about China’s 9-dash line — which contradicts the arbitral ruling favoring the Philippines — ultimately depends on the messaging of the film,” he said in a separate statement. “If the scene or scenes will affect the arbitral ruling, but if the producers would agree to edit it or them out, then I have no problem having it shown,” he added. However, the actor-turned-senator said if an agreement cannot be reached to make sure the film does not become a geopolitical issue, then there is no choice but to disallow its showing here. Padilla believes the showing of the movie will depend on the context of the film, and the extent the producer is willing to address concerns on the arbitral ruling. In 2016, The Hague Tribunal invalidated Beijing’s ‘nine-dash line doctrine’ over the entire SCS region following an arbitration case filed by the Philippine government on 22 January 2013. The Tribunal ruled that China’s nine-dash line unilaterally encroached on territories of other member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.### The post 9-dash-line in ‘Barbie’ movie ‘injurious’ to Phl prestige — Sen. Tolentino appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Food policy: Food stability (4)
So far, I have discussed the first three dimensions of food security which are Accessibility, Food Utilization, and Food Availability. This article is the last on food security. Food stability is achieved when the supply and demand of a particular good are met in the market. Prices increase when demand exceeds supply. This imbalance happens when production cannot catch up with demand. The government must create policies and programs to improve production or create liberal import policies to keep the price of commodities stable without compromising the growth of the local producers. The Philippines’ food security concern is not isolated from the rest of the world. The challenge of maintaining a sufficient supply of food is being experienced regionally and globally by both progressive and developing countries. According to Gabriela Camacho’s research paper, “Corruption and Food Security,” corruption can aggravate food insecurity by affecting food availability, like when households must pay bribes instead of using the money to buy food. At different points in the food value chain, there is the likelihood of corruption which worsens any food crisis. From production to processing, from storage to delivery, corruption diminishes supply and increases the value of goods. Given the context in which the Philippine Food Security Program operates, one must bear in mind that food security is indeed a complex national and regional security concern. While we can measure the success and failure of any food security program by looking simply at how the four dimensions of food security are addressed by the government’s policies, we also need to understand how the insecurity drivers could influence the program’s outcome. Although this article discusses only one of the drivers for Food Stability, the objective is to be able to examine this issue from one angle to get ideas to address it and propose policy recommendations that might fill in some aspects of the policy gaps. Closely related to food stability is price stability. The price stability of food commodities in the Philippines is determined by its food importation policy. To protect the local agricultural sector, the government imposed Quantitative Restrictions on basic commodities such as rice, sugar, and corn. In the Philippines, a price increase occurs when the supply of food commodities cannot match the increasing demand. In most cases, the inability to supply demand for food commodities is a result of poor production output. This inability could be resolved by getting supplies from other countries. However, due to importation restrictions, the supply gap continues to affect prices. An example of this import restriction can be read in Section 23, No. 10 of the 1992 Magna Carta for Small Farmers: “Importations shall not be allowed of agricultural products that are produced locally in sufficient quantity. Importation policies should include the protection of new and developing crops such as soybean, ramie, sorghum, and wheat. Importation policies shall be reviewed periodically by the Government in consultation with farmers’ organizations.” Under the Price Act of 1992 (RA 7581), it is the policy of the state to always ensure the availability and accessibility of all basic and prime commodities. This includes the implementation of price controls or the curtailment of all illegal acts of price manipulation such as hoarding, profiteering, and cartels. In the case of the price of rice, it was only in 2019 that the QR on rice importation was removed and private rice dealers could import rice more freely. But the QR on other agricultural commodities has remained in force until such time that the country will remove all its tariff barriers to give way to a fully free market economy. Thus, instability in other food commodities may still be an issue our leaders need to address and experience. Given the four dimensions of food security — Accessibility, Food Utilization, Food Availability, and Food Security — I am optimistic that we will all do our share to help the government achieve its goal of providing us Filipinos with this basic security that is innate to our human existence. The post Food policy: Food stability (4) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fugitive Teves claims ‘persecution’
Suspended Negros Oriental Representative Arnie Teves claimed that the military and police raided one of his properties in Bayawan City without a search warrant. “This is real persecution already. This is too much. It’s not right anymore. It’s wrong. The trampling on human rights is too much. Shouldn’t you have freedom and peace in your home and community? Now it’s gone,” he said in Filipino in a press briefing conducted remotely yesterday. Teves is a suspect in the 4 March 2023 assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo. One of Teves’ lawyers, Ferdinand Topacio, said his client is being subjected to “harassment” as government forces also raided a poultry farm that Teves owns in Bayawan even during the celebration of Eid’l Fitr or the Feast of Ramadan on Friday. Approximately 15 short and high-powered firearms, explosives, and ammunition were found during the initial raid on Teves’ property and two other homes allegedly owned by his relatives on 10 March. Teves’ camp decried as illegal the raid on his properties by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on 25 March. The authorities have linked his younger brother, former governor Pryde Henry Teves, to the killing of Degamo. The embattled lawmaker talked with the media through his Facebook page, where he said he hoped the raiders did not plant evidence. Teves also sought the help of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to stop government agents from raiding his properties without a search warrant. The President, however, had refused to be drawn into Teves’ problems, saying the legislator should just return home to face the charges. Suspension from House His plea to Marcos came days after he revealed in an interview that he had also sought the help of a colleague in returning home after he had insisted on remaining abroad because he did not feel safe. Last 22 March, the President urged the embattled lawmaker to return to the country, assuring him of tight security upon arrival. Teves is also facing charges over loose firearms and a series of killings in the province in 2019. He has been out of the country since 28 February and his failure to return home to perform his congressional duties and face the allegations leveled against him prompted his two-month suspension by the House ethics panel. PDP, Beijing party solidify ties The meeting was aimed at strengthening economic and cultural cooperation between China and the Philippines. Members of the major political party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan or PDP Laban yesterday met with their counterparts in the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China or IDCPC at the Sheraton Hotel in Pasay City. Former president and PDP Laban chairman Rodrigo Duterte joined the meeting via Zoom, along with vice chairman Alfonso Cusi, Senator Robinhood Padilla, Former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Secretary General Melvin Matibag, and the party’s Council of Elders and national executive committee. The meeting was aimed at strengthening economic and cultural cooperation between China and the Philippines. The party leaders and the IDCPC delegation, led by the Director-General of the Asian Bureau Peng Xiubin, discussed methods for strengthening their relationship. Given his high approval rating of over 80 percent even upon his retirement, the conference was significant because former President Duterte’s influence within the party could affect its future direction. In addition, the meeting highlighted the growing relationship between the Philippines and China, as both countries have made efforts in recent years to strengthen trade and investment ties. China has made significant contributions to infrastructure and exchange programs in the cultural and educational realms. The Philippines’ strategic location and swiftly expanding economy in Southeast Asia make it a key player in the region. Therefore, establishing strong alliances with other nations, particularly China, is crucial for its future growth and development. The meeting signified a turning point in Philippine politics. It emphasizes the importance of international relations and political parties working together to influence the country’s future, as well as in the strengthening of “people-to-people” ties. The post Fugitive Teves claims ‘persecution’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DOLE-7 issues over 1K unemployment certificates in Cebu, Bohol in January
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The crisis spawned by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to affect businesses in Cebu and Bohol provinces leaving hundreds unemployed. In January 2021, the Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) reported having issued over 1,000 certificates of unemployment (COU) to affected workers in the two provinces. […] The post DOLE-7 issues over 1K unemployment certificates in Cebu, Bohol in January appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
New COVID-19 strain not likely to affect vaccine development, experts say
MANILA, Philippines — The new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) strain found in the United Kingdom will is not likely to affect the development of vaccines against the disease, experts said Sunday. Dr. Edcel Salvana, a member of the Department of Health’s Technical Advisory Group, said that the impact of the new strain on the efficacy […] The post New COVID-19 strain not likely to affect vaccine development, experts say appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Vista Land net income down 39% in Jan-Sep
VILLAR-LED Vista Land and Lifescapes Inc. saw its consolidated net income slump by 39 percent to P5.5 billion in the first nine months of the year as the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic continued to affect its operations. The property developer’s consolidated revenues likewise dropped 25 percent to P25.7 billion during the period. Despite the […].....»»
Climate change spurs doubling of disasters since 2000: UN
Climate change is largely to blame for a near doubling of natural disasters in the past 20 years, the United Nations said on Monday. The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction said 7,348 major disaster events had occurred between 2000 and 2019, claiming 1.23 lives, affecting 4.2 billion people and costing the global economy some $2.97 trillion. The figure far outstrips the 4,212 major natural disasters recorded between 1980 and 1999, the UN office said in a new report entitled “The Human Cost of Disasters 2000-2019”. The sharp increase was largely attributable to a rise in climate-related disasters, including extreme weather events like floods, drought and storms, the report said. Extreme heat is proving especially deadly. “We are wilfully destructive,” UNDRR chief Mami Mizutori told reporters in a virtual briefing. “That is the only conclusion one can come to when reviewing disaster events over the last 20 years.” She accused governments of not doing enough to prevent climate hazards and called for better preparation for looming disasters. ‘Uphill battle’“The odds are being stacked against us when we fail to act on science and early warnings to invest in prevention, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction,” she said. The report did not touch on biological hazards and disease-related disasters like the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed over one million people and infected over 37 million in the past nine months. But Mizutori suggested coronavirus was “the latest proof that political and business leaders are yet to tune in to the world around them”. Monday’s report showed 6,681 climate-linked events had been recorded since the turn of the century, up from 3,656 during the previous 20-year-period. While major floods had more than doubled to 3,254, there had been 2,034 major storms up from 1,457 in the prior period. Mizutori said public health authorities and rescue workers were “fighting an uphill battle against an ever-rising tide of extreme weather events”. While better preparedness and early warning systems had helped bring down the number of deaths in many natural disaster settings, she warned that “more people are being affected by the expanding climate emergency”. Deadliest disasterMonday’s report relied on statistics from the Emergency Events Database, which records all disasters that kill 10 or more people, affect 100 or more people or result in a state of emergency declaration. The data showed that Asia has suffered the highest number of disasters in the past 20 years with 3,068 such events, followed by the Americas with 1,756 and Africa with 1,192. In terms of affected countries, China topped the list with 577 events followed by the United States with 467. While a warming climate appeared to be driving the number and severity of such disasters, there had also been an increase in geophysical events like earthquakes and tsunamis that are not related to climate but are particularly deadly. The deadliest single disaster in the past 20 years was the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, with 226,400 deaths, followed by the Haiti earthquake in 2010, which claimed some 222,000 lives......»»
Group warns vs youth unemployment
Advocacy group Philippine Business for Education has issued a warning on increased unemployment of the youth as the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect various sectors and industries......»»
US reaffirms support for Philippines sovereignty amid its tensions with China
Washington, DC [US], March 28 (ANI): US Secretary of Defence Llyod Austin has reaffirmed Washington's commitment to Manila in defending its sovereignty while criticising China's "dangerous" water cannon attack at the Philippine supply mission vessel on Saturday. In a telephonic conversation between Austin and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro, the US Secretary reiterated the US-Philippines Mutual Defence Treaty.....»»