Dominguez says government allocated P45 billion for COVID-19 vaccination
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the amount can be used to fund both additional pandemic vaccines or booster shots, depending on the recommendation of the health department......»»
BTr raises P120 billion from T-bond sale
The government raised the entire program of P120 billion in long-term securities this month even as investors’ asking rates were mixed......»»
Poe: State of calamity won’t solve Metro traffic
With an estimated P3.5 billion in economic losses incurred per day due to traffic congestion, the government should listen to experts and stakeholders to address the monstrous traffic jams in Metro Manila, Sen. Grace Poe said yesterday......»»
Excise tax on single-use plastics to yield P34 billion
The move to slap excise taxes on single-use plastics is seen generating P34 billion for the government and curbing the increasing mismanagement that contributes to overall pollution......»»
Government sets P585 billion borrowings in Q2
The government is set to borrow P585 billion from the domestic market in the second quarter amid hopes of more favorable interest rates here and abroad......»»
‘P7 billion senior high vouchers went to non-poor’
Aside from around 19,000 “ghosts” or undocumented students receiving government assistance, more than P7 billion was spent on non-poor beneficiaries of the senior high school voucher program (SHS-VP), according to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian......»»
Government cuts borrowings to P203 billion in January
The Marcos administration slashed its borrowings by 45 percent to P203 billion at the onset of the new year in the absence of new global bond offerings.......»»
Abalos: P21 billion drugs seized since BIDA’s start in 2023
At least P21 billion worth of illegal drugs were confiscated since the start of the government’s BIDA or Buhay Ingatan, Droga ay Ayawan flagship program last year, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said yesterday......»»
Philippines, US allot P1.15 billion to fight TB
The Philippines, through the Department of Health (DOH), and the United States government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), have teamed up to finance a P1.15-billion campaign against tuberculosis (TB) in the country......»»
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......»»
Losses to Philippine agriculture due to El Nino reach 31 mln USD
MANILA, March 20 (Xinhua) -- The El Nino dry spell and ensuring drought have caused over 1.75 billion pesos (roughly 31 million U.S. dollars) in damage to Philippine agriculture, a senior government official said Wednesday. This year's losses due to El Nino are still low compared to 2009 when the damage to agriculture reached 17 billion pesos (302 million dollars), Presidential Communications Office Assistant Se.....»»
Agusan Sur highway gets huge chunk of road rehab fund for Caraga
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews / 10 March) —The 122-kilometer Daang Maharlika Highway segment in Agusan del Sur has been allocated P3.19 billion of the P4.4 billion budget for major road rehabilitation projects along the Surigao-Agusan and Agusan-Davao Sections of the national highway within the Caraga Region, the Department of Public Works and Highways […].....»»
PH Allocates Over P32 Billion to Boost Workforce
The Philippine government has allocated billions of funds to enhance employment and livelihood programs in the 2024 budget. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary, Mina F. Pangandaman announced a substantial allocation of P32.720 billion under the Fiscal Year 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA). The budget includes important initiatives spearheaded by the Department of […].....»»
Healthcare facilities getting P50B in 2024
The Department of Budget and Management, or DBM, said the planned national budget for next year would include funds worth almost P50 billion to improve regional hospitals and other healthcare facilities. In a statement on Monday, DBM said the Department of Health, or DoH, would get about P49.75 billion to pay for hospital units under the 2024 National Expenditure Program to improve the services of basic healthcare facilities. The amount planned to be given to DoH’s hospitals and health facilities was P1.31 billion more than the P48.44 billion allocated in the 2023 General Appropriations Act, or GAA. The DBM attributed the increase to adjustments made in the normative financing of DoH hospitals, including funds needed for expanding specialty centers. Budget divided to 68 hospitals Such suggested budget amount would be divided among 68 hospitals in different regions, such as the National Capital Region, Regions I through X, and Regions XI through XIII, the DBM said. Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the allocation is a tangible representation of the government’s commitment to augmenting the capabilities of our primary healthcare facilities, securing the well-being of Filipino families and warding off potential future health crises. “The allocation is part of government’s efforts to strengthen primary healthcare facilities in the country, ensure the health of Filipino families, and to avoid another health crisis,” Pangandaman said. The post Healthcare facilities getting P50B in 2024 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Rice farmers happy with PBBM’s support
Filipino rice farmers expressed their gratitude Thursday for the assistance they got from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who also headed the Department of Agriculture. In a statement, Fernando Salvador, who represents rice farmers of San Jose City, Nueva Ecija, said they are not only enjoying better prices from their recent harvests but are also happy about it. He thanked President Marcos for his support to them through the DA seedlings and fertilizers assistance program, especially during this wet season. Salvador said President Marcos' assurance that he will make agricultural productivity a “top priority” is a sign that the country is not any more focused on importing the basic Filipino staple. He said over a hundred sacks of rice were harvested in every hectare of rice farmland compared to previous years. The Department of Agriculture, on the other hand, reported that around 532,980 metric tons of palay were harvested this October in Nueva Ecija alone, and an expected 153,000 more metric tons for the November harvest. Salvador added that they were also grateful when President Marcos announced that he had allocated P4.73 billion for the agricultural sector's mechanization and modernization during the 70th Founding Anniversary of the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF). This was aside from the President's promise that the government would work to strengthen farmers' organizations and cooperatives for additional opportunities for their members. Marcos also encouraged small farmers to be members of these organizations and cooperatives as it served as a fundamental tool of agricultural development to attain food security. He said farmers as members of cooperatives have high participation in supporting cooperatives to make products or business activities. Marcos also said in the FFF event that he would initiate social reform and rural development which were the priority of his late father, former president Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. The post Rice farmers happy with PBBM’s support appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Food stamp program to be implemented nationwide July next year — DSWD
From the pilot implementation of the food stamp program, targeting an initial 3,000 families this year, it will be scaled up to 300,000 households by July 2024, just in time for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s Executive Order No. 44 aiming for the “Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program” to be implemented in full swing. Department of Social Welfare and Development Undersecretary for Innovations Eduardo Punay disclosed this at yesterday:s Saturday News Forum in Quezon City. Punay said the Department is finishing the pilot implementation of the program in five pilot sites –Tondo, Manila; Dapa, Siargao; San Mariano in Isabela; Garchitorena in Camarines Sur; and Parang, Maguindano that will run until mid-next year. It includes 3,000 families identified by the pilot implementer, the World Food Program funded with a $3 million grant from the Asian Development Bank. "Now, come next year, we’ll have the full run, the full implementation of the program which targets one million households po talaga iyan nationwide – our food-poor families nationwide. And next year when we scale-up, there will be 300,000 beneficiaries (number), household. And parte po nitong declaration ni President, EO44, ng kaniyang order is iyong provision ng budget po. Kasama po iyan kaya na-institutionalize, may budget na po—magkakaroon po tayo ng budget sa GAA, sa national budget ng ating pamahalaan," Punay explained referring to the P6 billion budgetary requirement for the program which the Department of Budget and Management has already committed. Punay said they will prioritize 30 to 40 provinces identified by the National Nutrition Council with the highest incidence of malnutrition and hunger. Under the program, the DSWD will provide electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards that will be loaded with food credits amounting to P3,000 per month to purchase a select list of food commodities from DSWD-registered or -accredited retailers. The food credits shall be allocated to carbohydrate-rich foods such as rice at P1,500, 30 percent for proteins like meat at P900, and 20 percent for fruits, vegetables, oil, salt, as well as condiments at P600. The food stamp Program will run until 2027 and will require a total estimated budget of P40 billion as it targets one million food-poor families or those earning less than P8,000 in a month. Punay said they will gradually increase the number of beneficiaries from 300,000 in the first year, to another 300,000 in the second year, and 400,000 in the third for a total of one million food-poor household beneficiaries. The post Food stamp program to be implemented nationwide July next year — DSWD appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DoE eyes OSW, taps USAID
Due to the lack of financial allocation, the Department of Energy or DoE is turning to the United States Agency for International Development or USAID to bankroll the inclusion of offshore wind or OSW and floating solar energy, among other new technologies, into the country’s competitive renewable energy zones or CREZ. In a recent interview with reporters, Assistant Secretary Mylene C. Capongcol said these new power technologies should be included in the CREZ so that its integration into the grid will be efficient. “The first stage of CREZ, that finished does not include offshore wind and floating solar and other bodies of water. So the second stage, hopefully, will be supported by a USAID grant because we don’t have the budget here,” Capongcol said. “We will talk officially with USAID but we have sent our official request so we will just have a meeting about what is the scope of work and the timeline,” she added. OSW potential high Based on the Philippines OSW Roadmap launched in 2022, the country has about 178 gigawatts or GW of OSW potential. To date, the DoE has awarded a total of 79 OSW Contracts with a total potential capacity of 61.931 GW, spread mainly North of Luzon, West of Metro Manila, North and South of Mindoro, Panay and Guimaras Strait. Meanwhile, in terms of floating solar energy ventures, one of the latest developments was the Laguna Lake Development Authority’s move to offer 2,000 hectares of the Laguna de Bay for floating solar projects. Of these, 800 hectares were taken by ACEN Corp. Half, or 1,000 hectares were leased by renewable energy firm SunAsia Energy, which aims to develop a 1300-MW facility for $1.2 billion. The remaining 200 hectares, on the other hand, were allocated to Singapore-based firm Vena Energy. Capongcol reiterated that the CREZ project will significantly complement the government’s drive to augment the country’s supply of clean energy. By proactively focusing transmission expansion to these resource areas, clean energy generation development obstacles such as transmission access, energy curtailment, land permitting, and regulatory barriers will be resolved. Thus, reducing the risk for private players who will invest in the sector. Relatedly, the DoE official bared that the 2023-2050 Philippine Energy Plan or PEP will also highlight the adoption of modern technologies, smart grid systems, and demand-side management to bring down overall energy consumption and cut down greenhouse gas emissions. The government set the target of a 35 percent share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix by 2035 and increased it further to 50 percent by 2040. However, it is still notable that despite an aggressive stance on clean energy utilization, the Philippines continues to heavily rely on coal. Coal, which is cheaper than other forms of power but more detrimental to the environment, is still the highest contributor to the power generation mix at nearly 60 percent. Renewable energy only takes a little over 20 percent of the mix. The post DoE eyes OSW, taps USAID appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Go seeks proper HCW compensation
In a recent Committee on Finance hearing on Thursday, 28 September, for the Department of Health’s budget, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go expressed concern over the proposed P19.9-billion funding allocated for the unpaid allowances of healthcare workers, asking whether these are enough to cover the entire workforce. “We want to know if this budget is enough to cover the balances due to our healthcare workers. We must properly compensate our health workforce,” said Go in a recent Committee on Finance hearing last 28 September. Go’s concerns echo his previous calls for the DoH and the Department of Budget and Management to expedite the release of Covid-19 allowances for healthcare workers. He emphasized the urgency of providing healthcare workers with their well-deserved benefits, especially for their services during the pandemic. Go is one of the authors and co-sponsors in the Senate of Republic Act 11712, which grants benefits and allowances to healthcare workers during public health emergencies like the Covid-19 pandemic. Public and private healthcare workers covered by the law are entitled to emergency allowance for every month of service during a state of public health emergency based on the risk categorization. “While we are doing everything to make healthcare more accessible to Filipinos, let us not forget our healthcare workers. I am appealing to DoH and our finance managers to make sure that the benefits due to our healthcare workers in accordance with prevailing laws are released efficiently and without further delays,” he said. GM The post Go seeks proper HCW compensation appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NIA must focus on its mandate
Congress has allocated P40 billion more than the National Irrigation Administration initially requested. NIA administrator Eduardo Guillen says he will spend the money on solar pump irrigation projects. Guillen tried to ego-massage President Bongbong Marcos by saying that number one in the 8-point socio-economic agenda of the President is food security. Then he went on to pat his own shoulder by boasting that the number-one thing needed for food security is irrigation infrastructure. Enough with the ego tripping (‘Tama na ang bolahan’). Among the factors contributing to the plummeting rice production is NIA’s total neglect of the present irrigation systems, plus poor management of water allocation. President Marcos should know that his father had constructed about 90 percent of the irrigation systems for all the arable lands in the country. In Mindanao, for example, only two systems were added after the late Apo Ferdie — the Malmar irrigation system in Carmen, North Cotabato, and the Catiil, Davao Oriental irrigation system. Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez should know that the irrigation systems had deteriorated due to lack of maintenance. The canals are heavily silted, the embankments that had served as farm-to-market roads had eroded, and wild grass had grown, impeding the flow of irrigation water. Marcos and Romualdez should, therefore, direct Guillen to rehabilitate all existing irrigation systems before buying solar panels for his cute ideas. In case he missed the duties and obligations expected of his office, Guillen should be reminded that NIA is tasked with exploring and developing all available water resources primarily for irrigation purposes and constructing dams and irrigation canals to convey water to the rice fields. It is also tasked to operate and MAINTAIN (in capital letters) the irrigation systems and allocate water to farmers during the planting season. These are merely the primary responsibilities of the NIA. Guillen claimed the President also directed the NIA to deliver the right input to farmers. “So this will help to lower their input; they won’t buy all their inputs anymore,” he said. Then he was quoted by government media as saying, “And of course, I said to the DA, give us your high-yielding varieties first, especially here in the dry season so that we can immediately double your yield or your output of rice production.” That’s a lot of hot air there. I do not precisely comprehend what Guillen was referring to when he talked about “right input” to farmers, “to lower their input, they won’t buy all their inputs anymore.” It’s kind of garbled. I think he is going through an information overload. Guillen proudly claimed that “we have many more projects at NIA that we are doing right now to teach our farmers how to save money and use the right rice variety for El Niño.” Marcos should put a gag on Guillen, as the poor guy merely adds to the confusion. Does he want to be an agriculture secretary? Well, that is a legitimate ambition, but NIA, which he heads, is such a poorly managed agency one wonders why he is still there. He should advise Guillen to focus on his job first as administrator of NIA before he straddles into rice production. He is facing a gargantuan task to provide and allocate water to farmers through the irrigation systems, which have badly deteriorated through the years. The post NIA must focus on its mandate appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Despite House vow, VP Sara’s confidential funds still ‘intact’
The confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education totaling P650 million have yet to be transferred to security and intel agencies. Lawmaker Johnny Pimentel of Surigao on Thursday disclosed in an interview that the multi-million CF initially allocated to the OVP and DepEd remains within the purview of Vice President Sara Duterte, who governs the two agencies. Duterte sought P2.395 billion for OVP and P758.6 billion for DepEd in the proposed 2024 budget, including P500 million and P150 million in confidential funds, respectively. "At the moment [the OVP's and DepEd's CF is] not yet [transferred] because of time constraints. The budget was passed last night. The confidential funds allocated in each agency [are] still intact," he said. "However, there will be a small committee of four that will tackle the proposed amendment. It could be done there, or it could be done during the bicameral conference," he said. Pimentel was one of the party leaders in the House who decided to realign Duterte's P650 million to agencies involved in security and intelligence, such as the Philippine Coast Guard, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, National Security Council, and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources amid China's persistent assertiveness in the West Philippine Sea. The most recent was the installment of a floating barrier in Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough shoal off the coast of Zambales by the Chinese Coast Guard. The Senate leadership, according to Pimentel, concurs with the House's proposal and has expressed willingness to reallocate such funds to other agencies that most need them. "If you recall, Senate President Migz Zubiri also issued a statement that they will follow suit or follow the direction of the proposal of the lower house to reallocate the confidential intelligence funds," Pimentel said. "So, this will be up for discussions during the bicameral conference meeting or probably during the deliberations in the Senate," he added. The House leadership said it will reallocate Duterte's P650 million confidential funds following a consensus by the chamber's party leaders to augment funds for security and intel agencies to better safeguard Philippine territorial waters and guarantee Filipino fishermen rights and access to their traditional fishing grounds. House committee on appropriations chairperson Elizaldy Co confirmed on Wednesday that the lower chamber agreed to eliminate the confidential and intelligence of several agencies and that the OVP and DepEd were the first to be identified to received the budget cuts. "The country's safety and security are of paramount importance. To protect our territorial integrity from external threats, Congress is giving top priority to agencies directly in charge [of] protecting the country's safety and securing its borders," he stressed. "As discussed, we will realign the confidential funds of various civilian agencies. Now is the time to give our intelligence community the means to perform their duties, especially in these pressing times when we’re facing serious concerns in the West Philippine Sea," Co explained. Marathon deliberations in the proposed P5.768 trillion budget for 2024 have led to intense debates in the House, particularly on the grant of multi-million confidential funds to numerous civilian agencies, including the OVP and DepEd, that have nothing to do with surveillance. Last week's deliberations revealed that Duterte's office spent P125 million in confidential funds in 2022 in merely 11 days— not 19 days-- as initially claimed by some opposition lawmakers. The P125 million CF was part of the P221.42 million contingent fund of the OP transferred to the OVP in 2022, with the opposition claiming it was unconstitutional since there was no line item in the OVP's 2022 budget on confidential funds in the 2022 General Appropriations Act. The post Despite House vow, VP Sara’s confidential funds still ‘intact’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DBP backs NG’s logistics action plan
State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) is prepared to extend the needed technical and financial assistance to strategic initiatives that would ensure the successful implementation of the Marcos administration’s three-year logistics master plan aimed at reducing the cost of commodities particularly food, a top official said. DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Michael O. De Jesus said the bank would work closely with the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Agriculture, and other government agencies and key stakeholders to modernize the food distribution system and storage and to address prevailing supply chain gaps. “DBP is one with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s goal of ensuring reliable food supply at reasonable prices for all Filipinos,” De Jesus said. “DBP will leverage on its experience and financial capability to support key programs to support this goal.” DBP is the eighth largest bank in the country in terms of assets and provides strategic financing support to critical economic sectors such as infrastructure and logistics, micro, small and medium enterprises, social services, and the environment. In August this year, President Marcos, Jr. approved the country’s three-year food logistics action agenda aimed at promoting food availability, accessibility, and affordability through strategies that would modernize the country’s food distribution system, increase investments in logistics infrastructure, and address other supply chain gaps. De Jesus said that as of the end of the first half of 2023, DBP has allocated P281.6 billion for projects under the infrastructure and logistics sector, representing 55.5 percent of its total loan to borrowers amounting to P506.9-billion. He said total loan releases to the sector have reached P45.5 billion while deals in the pipeline are around P18.5 billion for the period covering January to June this year. "As of July this year, DBP has approved a total of P25.55-billion in loans for 189 borrowers nationwide under the auspices of the Bank’s Connecting Rural Urban Intermodal Systems Efficiently (CRUISE) program, which serves as our flagship facility for transport infrastructure and logistics sector,” De Jesus said. The post DBP backs NG’s logistics action plan appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»