Sugar regulator chief quits
Agri group bucks sale of smuggled sugar Administrator David John Thaddeus Alba of the Sugar Regulatory Administration has resigned amid the controversial importation of 440,000 metric tons of sugar......»»
Bersamin defends sugar imports
The government can import sugar even without the issuance of a sugar order, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said Tuesday. “Our opinion is that a sugar order is not required to be issued prior to the importation,” Bersamin said during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing into the entries of around 440,000 metric tons of sugar in Philippine ports ahead of the issuance of Sugar Order 6. “Your query a while ago is whether a sugar order is indispensable to the authorization of an importation. Prior issuance of a sugar order is not necessary for starting the process of importation of sugar,” he added. The former chief justice made the remarks after Senator Risa Hontiveros asked if a sugar importation can proceed without a sugar order. To recall, Hontiveros called on the Senate panel to investigate the importation of sugar which arrived on 9 February, ahead of the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s issuance of Sugar Order 6 on 15 February. Bersamin also told the Senate panel that the importation of sugar totaling 440,000 metric tons was “legitimate” and “fully authorized.” “We confirmed that the (sugar) importation was legitimate and fully authorized by the government. The importation was not an effort at cartelization nor was it about government smuggling of sugar,” he said. He explained that the importation was undertaken as a “sincere move to check the rising inflation and food prices that were prejudicing the public in the months leading to January 2023.” “The administration thereby made sure that the importation would establish a buffer stock of sugar as a measure to regulate price increases in a large way. Citing the original function of the SRA, Bersamin also told the panel that the agency “has nothing to with sugar importation.” “We were at that time, a net exporter of sugar,” he said. “The creation of the Sugar Regulatory Commission under this EO had nothing to do with sugar importation,” he added, referring to Executive Order 18, which was signed by then-President Corazon Aquino in 1996. “To us in the Office of the President, we have committed no irregularity nor violation when we issued that sugar. Neither was there any violation committed by any of the parties involved in this questioned transaction,” he said. “As we read it, the Department of Agriculture, the SRA, and the Bureau of Customs all acted in accordance with the law,” he added. ‘Grave implications’ In a press briefing, Hontiveros expressed concern over the “grave implications” of the remarks made by the executive secretary during the Senate hearing. “It looks like the legislature was robbed by the executive in its role in policymaking. The implications were heavy,” she said. “What we witnessed earlier was a change in the rules, changes in effect, [and] laws — right in front of our very eyes. To tell that sugar order is not needed before importing sugar, a regulated commodity,” she added. The lawmaker also mentioned the sugar fiasco last year which led to the resignation of former executive secretary Vic Rodriguez. The post Bersamin defends sugar imports appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sugar Order not a requirement to import sugar – ES
The government can import sugar even without the issuance of a sugar order, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said Tuesday. “Our opinion is that a sugar order is not required to be issued prior to the importation,” Bersamin said during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing into the entries of around 440,000 metric tons of sugar in Philippine ports ahead of the issuance of Sugar Order No. 6. “Your query a while ago is whether a sugar order is indispensable to the authorization of an importation. Prior issuance of a sugar order is not necessary for starting the process of importation of sugar,” he added. The former chief justice made the remarks after Senator Risa Hontiveros asked if a sugar importation can proceed without a sugar order. To recall, Hontiveros called on the Senate panel to investigate the importation of sugar which arrived on 9 February, ahead of the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s issuance of Sugar Order No. 6 on 15 February. Bersamin also told the Senate panel that the importation of sugar totaling 440,000 metric tons was “legitimate” and “fully authorized.” “We confirmed that the [sugar] importation was legitimate and fully authorized by the government. The importation was not an effort at cartelization nor was it about government smuggling of sugar,” he said. He explained that the importation was undertaken as a “sincere move to check the rising inflation and food prices that were prejudicing the public in the months leading to January 2023.” “The administration thereby made sure that the importation would establish a buffer stock of sugar as a measure to regulate price increases in a large way that objective was realized,” he said. ‘To regulate exportation.’ Citing the original function of the SRA, Bersamin also told the panel that the agency “has nothing to with sugar importation.” “We were at that time, a net exporter of sugar,” he said. “The creation of the Sugar Regulatory Commission under this EO had nothing to do with sugar importation,” he added, referring to Executive Order No. 18, which was signed by then-President Corazon Aquino in 1996. “To us in the Office of the President, we have committed no irregularity nor violation when we issued that sugar. Neither was there any violation committed by any of the parties involved in this questioned transaction,” he said. “As we read it, the Department of Agriculture, the SRA, and the Bureau of Customs all acted in accordance with the law,” he added. The post Sugar Order not a requirement to import sugar – ES appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Angkas Digital-first business
Digital transformation is reshaping how we live and do business, accelerating over the past few years as we now have more access to digital technology than ever before. But as the digital lifestyle is adopted by society, our use of these digital tools must evolve to allow us to serve our customers better. George Royeca, president and founder of the ride-hailing application, Angkas, believes digital technologies are digital tools that allow small and medium enterprises to expand their market base with minimal costs in the shortest possible time. “We have not reinvented the wheel,” Royeca said at the maiden offering of the Asian Innovation Forum organized by the Daily Tribune at the Bellevue Hotel. “The ‘habal-habal’ operation has always been there across the country, and we just institutionalized its operation by adding digital technology into it.” Royeca added that digital technologies are just tools “to be exploited” by SMEs to upscale their operations or enhance business models. Eventually, they graduate from small operations into a big conglomerate. According to Royeca, digital technologies allow businesses to study available data and use them to understand the needs of the public through data analysis and expand their customer base. [caption id="attachment_132010" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] George Royeca, Angkas president and CEO as he amuses more than 180 micro, small and medium enterprises during the Daily Tribune’s Asian Innovation Forum last 9 May 2023 under the topic “Role of Logistics in Managing Supply Chain, Upscaling Operation.”[/caption] “To have a permanent customer base is one of the most critical tools to increase your business profits,” he said. “We are originally an MSME (micro, small and medium enterprise) who scaled up and now have eight million downloads from customers and more than 30,000 riders after six years of hardships,” Royeca said. Bumpy road During his talk, Royeca recalled how his enterprise stumbled and suffered a huge blow when the Supreme Court came out with a decision halting Angkas operations in 2017 based on a complaint filed by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and the Department of Transportation accusing Angkas of operating without a business permit. “But I accepted it even though it hurt me, as that was the fourth time Angkas operations were stopped. I felt like giving up at the time, as the SC had already decided our fate. I even asked my wife, is it time to pack up, return to Singapore, and do something else? But I just considered it a great challenge and a story of resilience and perseverance that I wanted to impart to startups,” he said. Royeca was astounded by the support of his thousands of bikers who picketed on EDSA back then, as well as the help of the passengers through social media, standing up and fighting for the right of the unrecognized transportation industry of “habal-habal.” A preliminary injunction granted on 20 August 2018 by the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court preventing the government from apprehending Angkas riders and performing acts that would impede its business gave Angkas a ray of hope. “We now have a very friendly government and regulator who understand the importance of the informal sector. Now we are expanding nationwide, and you’ll see these job opportunities everywhere,” he told forum participants as he discussed the Role of Logistics in Managing Supply Chains and Upscaling Operations. Banking on technology As he believes in the supremacy of MSMEs, which comprise 99 percent of the country’s total entrepreneurial environment, Royeca said he wanted the government to recognize the informal sector that utilizes innovations and technology to become an integral part of society. “We existed because we collaborated with the government, as we did not coin “habal-habal” and the motorcycle taxis. It was already there, thousands, even millions, throughout the country. We only used the technology and digitization to produce a ride-hailing app as a tool to revolutionize the transportation industry and mobility,” he said. Despite this, Royeca maintained that Angkas has a long way to go, comparing its 30,000 riders to the 18 million motorcycle owners in the country today. “We are successful because we built a community, looked at individuals’ circumstances, and used technology to uplift their lives. It’s not about the technology but the human behind that technology. If we can impart success to 30,000 riders, then we can do it to 18 million motorcycle riders to get them out of poverty in our lifetime,” he added. With regard to MSMEs pivoting on technology, he said entrepreneurs should take advantage of the available tools and information right at their fingertips, such as their mobile phones and the internet, to harness their businesses and services. “Startups can even create a new ecosystem using various partnerships. You can partner with the brightest and best people out there to offer good services to everyone,” he said. Royeca envisions SMEs and Angkas collaborating to bridge the digital divide between big and small businesses and ultimately level the playing field for all stakeholders. He believes even a startup business operating a single motorbike for Angkas could become a fleet operation with proper mentoring and partnership with Angkas. The possibilities in adopting digital tools are immense, Royeca said and added the potential to manage risk, improve customer engagement, and reduce cost while increasing productivity and bringing brand recognition is endless. “SMEs must be willing to invest their time in training themselves to understand these technologies, including digital infrastructures, to harness the advantages their offer. By taking risks with digitalization, SMEs could significantly improve their competitive advance in the marketplace and accelerate their expansion,” Royeca said. “It is time for SMEs to fully embrace the future and reach new heights with digital tools. Digital-first business is the way to go,” he added. [caption id="attachment_132009" align="aligncenter" width="2400"] (From left to right) Daily Tribune managing editor Dinah Ventura, Angkas president and CEO George Royeca, UnionBank’s Chief Data and AI officer, Dr. David Hardoon, Daily Tribune president Willie Fernandez, Daily Tribune executive vice president Bettina Fernandez, Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines general manager, Atty. Rowel Barba and Frederick Imson of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.[/caption] Daily Tribune’s Asian Innovation Forum is a convergence of stakeholders to help improve small businesses, introduce new ideas, open dialogues, and foster cooperation, ultimately ensuring greater access and inclusion in the financial technology sector and for Filipino entrepreneurs to gain a foothold in the broader market. The post Angkas Digital-first business appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ex-SRA chief pushes probe on P136/kilo sugar
Authorities should look into supermarkets selling refined sugar as high as P136 per kilo, former Sugar Regulatory Administrator administrator Rafael Coscolluela said yesterday......»»
Importation seen blunting El Niño
As the El Niño weather phenomenon threatens local agricultural production, the government could choose to slow inflation further through additional food importation to meet high consumer demands. Michael Ricafort, the chief economist of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation, said the move will help reduce inflation risks by ensuring enough food for consumers while discouraging businesses from pushing prices up. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said it expects overall inflation to ease to 6 percent this year, following the deceleration to 7.6 percent last month from 8.7 in January. All inflation figures and commodity pricing are from the Philippine Statistics Authority. Food prices remained high at 9.3 percent in March from 10.8 percent in the previous month, it said. On 12 April, Sugar Regulatory Administration board member Roland Beltran said they plan to import 100,000 metric tons of raw sugar and 250,000 metric tons of refined sugar this year. “The government signaled possible increased importation of rice and sugar amid the risk of El Niño and typhoons toward the latter part of 2023, to partly increase local supplies and help ease prices and overall inflation,” he said last Thursday in a Viber message. For rice, concurrent Agriculture Secretary, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said, “We may have to import, so we’re keeping that option open.” Data from the National Rice Program of the Department of Agriculture estimated the ending stock of palay, or unmilled rice grains, for the first quarter at 5.66 million metric tons, enough for 51 days. To prevent rice shortage, agriculture officials said irrigation methods will be applied to 1.5 million hectares of land in coordination with the National Irrigation Administration. The Philippines could experience extreme heat brought about by El Niño until next year, with temperatures in some areas shooting up to 48 degrees Celsius, the weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said. Ricafort said the BSP might also consider moves of the United States Federal Reserve, which is seen to raise its policy rate on 3 May, ahead of the local central bank’s decision announcement on 18 May. “Any Federal Reserve rate decision, a possible 0.25 rate hike would still be matched locally, but a pause cannot be ruled out if local inflation eases further,” she said Ricafort said US central bank officers will be looking at growth in home sales, jobless claims for aid, and the Consumer Confidence Index to decide whether to keep or raise the policy rate. The post Importation seen blunting El Niño appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Jekyll and Hyde
The government’s chief lawyer tried to bring to the attention of the Court of Appeals, or CA, the perplexing or even disturbing situation where two of its divisions issued conflicting resolutions on two identical cases. Brought before the CA were the opposition of two San Miguel Corp. arms for its South Premiere Power Corp. or SPPC and San Miguel Energy Corp. or SMEC to the Energy Regulatory Commission’s junking of petitions to suspend power supply agreements with Meralco. Both have straight-pricing PSAs that restrict pass-through of costs to monthly bills that SMC said tied up its generating companies to mounting losses from, in the case of SMEC, higher costs of coal and, in the case of SPPC, the supply restrictions due to the depleted Malampaya natural gas field. Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, in his partial motion for reconsideration ad cautelam, cited that while the CA’s 16th Division has been circumspect, the CA’s Thirteenth Division has “exhibited apparent prejudgment.” To put things in context, the 16th Division denied SMEC’s petition for a temporary restraining order on ERC but the 13th Division issued both TRO and writ of preliminary injunction or WPI in favor of SPPC. Guevarra’s motion indicated that injunctive relief is issued to preserve the status quo and not to impose new conditions. He quoted the 16th Division that ruled “the status quo, in this case, is maintaining the Contract Price as stated in the Power Supply Agreement.” The court then discussed the rationale for denying SMEC’s prayer for the issuance of TRO and/or WPI. “To emphasize, the writ of injunction, if granted, will not serve its purpose, since it will have the effect, not of maintaining the contract price, but of setting aside the assailed order itself, thereby rendering the main case, the petition for certiorari, moot,” the 16h Division said. The WPI will also give the petitioner unrestricted power to terminate, at its own will, the Power Supply Agreement to the detriment of the public consumers, according to the ruling. Contrary to what SMC has been pointing out that it had no intention of canceling its contract with Meralco and that what it sought is a temporary relief, Guevarra said immediately after SPPC posted the bond required for the TRO that the 13th Division granted, it went on to “unilaterally, in clear violation of the exhaustion and prior recourse remedies in the PSA, cease the supply of electricity to private respondent Meralco. “No less than the parent firm, SMC, announced the immediate cessation of the PSA (between SPPC and MERALCO) on its website on 7 December 2022,” he added. The press statement titled “ERC rejection of ‘least cost’ option forces SMC to cease supplying power to Meralco under Ilijan PSA” sought to place the blame on the regulator for the turn of events. The sudden withdrawal of the Ilijan plant from the supply of electricity forced Meralco to seek alternative sources more expensive — the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market and emergency PSAs. Despite the conflicting decisions, the CA still granted SMC’s petition to consolidate both cases under the 13th Division which acted favorably to the company. The act of moving for consolidation of the two cases came “only after SPPC obtained a favorable ruling from the Honorable Court’s 13th Division is a mere afterthought and a circumvention of the proscription on forum shopping,” Guevarra stressed. He explained that “forum shopping is not only limited to instances where identical reliefs founded on the same facts and/or subject matter are sought from different fora and/or tribunal.” Cited as a precedent was a Supreme Court decision “that forum shopping exists when two purportedly different actions were filed with the Court of Appeals and assigned to two different divisions, thereof.” SMC came out as a clear winner in the CA’s moves despite the regulator’s ruling on the simple and basic premise that parties to a contract should honor its terms. The indefinite WPI implies that the court became vested with the omnipotence to break commitments under a contract that is sacred in the business world lest investor confidence is lost. The post Jekyll and Hyde appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BSP rate hikes show effect — economist
An economist believes the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas will hot raise rates anew as the demand for loans has weakened, and overall prices of goods and services have slid down. Security Banking Corporation chief economist Dan Roces said the BSP rate hikes to 6.25 percent by over 400 basis points have started slowing down prices of essential goods as inflation declined to 7.6 percent last month from a record-high of 8.7 percent in January. “March’s deceleration in Philippine inflation is a positive development, driven by falling prices notably in food and transport. However, core inflation remains high and continues to rise, suggesting that underlying inflationary pressures may persist,” he said in an email to the Daily Tribune. Roces explained core inflation, which excludes volatile items like food and fuel, is still elevated due to strong consumer demand for many products and services. Compared to last year, he said prices have risen for items such as medical care by 8.6 percent, household maintenance by 7.2 percent, books and other publications by 6.2 percent, and personal care by 5.9 percent. “We do think, however, that the monetary authorities have done enough, with the peso relatively behaved, loan growth beginning to weaken, and an inflation trajectory on track to decelerate,” Roces stressed. He said, however, the government must remain cautious of problems with food and beverage as a significant contributor to inflation, with an 8.3-percent price increase compared to last year. Food prices decreased after the government imported agricultural products in February, such as onions and sugar. Aside from food prices, rising oil prices influence the BSP policy rate due to the supply cut from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries or OPEC. “Overall, the inflation dynamics warrant close monitoring, particularly oil price impact following the OPEC+’s recent decision to cut supply which drove crude prices up, as well as core inflation trends and their potential impact.” The post BSP rate hikes show effect — economist appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Playing with fire
The suggestion of the nation’s economic managers to collect contributions from soldiers and other uniformed personnel for their retirement pensions is a potential powder keg and the government should discard it. Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said contributions from military personnel are needed to prevent a “fiscal collapse.” The issue has resulted in apprehension that it may raise discontent among the ranks of soldiers and the police. Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. appealed for understanding, saying monthly collections are one of many options being carefully evaluated to strengthen the fiscal state. “We would like to give our assurance to stakeholders that the government will always look after the welfare and livelihood of our men and women in uniform,” he said. Consultations with active and retired uniformed personnel regarding the matter will be held, Galvez added. The government, he said, is looking to adopt a more financially sustainable military and uniformed personnel or MUP pension system that will be based on sound financial solutions and the application of actuarial science. “The government’s economic team is undertaking financial simulations to determine our optimal option. We are doing our best to determine and address the unintended consequences that may arise from proposed reforms to the MUP pension system,” Galvez said. He appealed to stakeholders to be circumspect and understanding of those who are working on the issue and support our efforts to seek solutions that will be beneficial to all, especially to our national fiscal health. For Presidential Chief Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, the contributions or investments of the military and the police to be entitled to government support are their lives, which are more than equivalent to the monetary remittances collected from other public servants. “The nature of the work of soldiers is different. My God, these people are gambling their lives to protect the country,” Enrile said. “There is the Armed Forces and Police Savings and Loan Association Inc. or AFPSLAI and other organizations that take care of the investments and pensions of uniformed personnel.” He added: “If I were Secretary Diokno, I would be extra careful with that plan of his because it is potentially explosive.” For 2023, the pension and gratuity fund item in the national budget from which the pensions of military and uniformed personnel are drawn totaled P272.9 billion, which is 50 percent higher than in 2022. “If the President will ask me about it, I will advise him to be very careful,” Enrile said. “The better way for the government is to ensure that the laws are enforced to generate revenue.” “For instance, the government should not allow the setting up of shopping malls inside economic zones which are then exploited for smuggling,” he said. “That alone is an obvious drain on the income of the government.” When the products are shipped to the ecozones the owner doesn’t pay the duty, and when night falls these products are spirited out of the freeports straight to other outlets of the mall. “Government loses potential revenue which all go to the pocket of the mall owner,” an irritated Enrile noted. “Then the poor soldiers who struggle to enable businessmen to keep their profits will have to pay for their pension.” All things are now being smuggled — sugar, palm oil, gasoline, onions and even galunggong. “I am sure that President Marcos will not allow deductions to the salaries of soldiers,” he asserted. The proposal will also be superfluous since, as Enrile pointed out, there are so many loopholes in the fiscal system that can be plugged to raise more than enough money, without having to bother the soldiers with financial concerns while they lay their lives on the line at the battlefield. The post Playing with fire appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PNP Highway Patrol chief quits after cop seen in video hitting trainee
All police officers involved in the incident have been relieved from their posts, including the rest of the training staff, the PNP says.....»»
‘SRA chief’s quitting not due to sugar importation’
It was for health reasons that David John Thaddeus Alba decided to resign as administrator of the Sugar Regulatory Administration and not due to the sugar importation controversy, Malacañang said yesterday......»»
Sugar Order No. 6, kinuwestiyon ni Hontiveros
MANILA, Philippines- Kinuwestiyon ni Senador Risa Hontiveros ang pagpapalabas ng Sugar Order No. 6 na pinapayagaan ang pag-aangkat ng mahigit 440,000 metriko toneladang asukal sa kabila ng nagsisimula ang milling season. Sinabi ni Hontiveros na kailangan pangatuwiranan ng admnistrasyon ang inaprubahang pag-aangkat ng asukal kahit wala ang lagda ng chief executive alinsunod sa itinakda ng […] The post Sugar Order No. 6, kinuwestiyon ni Hontiveros appeared first on REMATE ONLINE......»»
Shiploads of sugar ‘smuggled in’ as Customs changes command
Shiploads of suspected smuggled sugar landed at the piers last week while Malacañang was replacing the Customs chief......»»
A real agri chief needed
Salt, sugar, onions… is rice the next crisis? The Department of Agriculture was not able to help farmers cope with the high cost of fertilizer, so don’t expect the next rice harvest to be bountiful......»»
Arrest warrant out vs ex-SRA chief Serafica
An arrest warrant has been issued against former Sugar Regulatory Administration chief Hermenegildo Serafica, who was found guilty of indirect contempt by a local court on Monday......»»
Marcos, Rodriguez ‘di tumutol sa SO4 – Serafica
MANILA, Philippines- Kapwa hindi umano tumutol sina Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez sa panukalang mag-angkat ng asukal nang ilatag ng Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) ang ideya. Ang pahayag na ito ng nagbitiw na si SRA chief Hermenegildo Serafica ay bahagi ng nagpapatuloy na imbestigasyon ng mga senador hinggil sa nabigong pagtatangka […] The post Marcos, Rodriguez ‘di tumutol sa SO4 – Serafica appeared first on REMATE ONLINE......»»
PBBM, nagtalaga ng 3 bagong opisyal ng Sugar Regulatory Administration
MANILA, Philippines- Muling binuo ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ang Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) governing body nang magtalaga ng tatlong bagong appointees. Ang appointments ay isinagawa sa gitna ng kontrobersiyal na hindi awtorisadong pag-angkat ng 300,000 metric tons ng asukal na idineklarang “illegal” at ‘di inaprubahan ng chief executive. Itinalaga ni Pangulong Marcos si David […] The post PBBM, nagtalaga ng 3 bagong opisyal ng Sugar Regulatory Administration appeared first on REMATE ONLINE......»»
MWSS marks 25th year with 17M concessionaire population
MANILA - The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System - Regulatory Office (MWSS-RO) announced Monday that the population of its concessionaire areas increased to 17.21 million from only 5.82 million before it was privatized in 1997.Patrick Lester Ty, MWSS-RO chief regulator, said water su.....»»
MWSS marks 25th year with 17M concessionaire population
MANILA - The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System - Regulatory Office (MWSS-RO) announced Monday that the population of its concessionaire areas increased to 17.21 million from only 5.82 million before it was privatized in 1997.Patrick Lester Ty, MWSS-RO chief regulator, said water su.....»»
Budget chief Avisado quits; Duterte names Canda OIC
Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado has resigned from his post due to medical reasons......»»
Manny Pangilinan quits as PLDT president, CEO
Tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan has officially stepped down as president and chief executive of telco giant PLDT Inc......»»