Once upon a time, waters ‘united’ Philippines, China

Arturo Valdez, leader of the Philippine Balangay Expedition Team, 
speaking at the Manila Yacht Club after the return of his crew. 
(Photo by Uela Altar-Badayos)

THE leader of an expedition team who sailed on plank boats based on ancient designs was nostalgic about a period he never saw.

Arturo Valdez, a former environment undersecretary who led the Philippine Balangay Expedition Team, was on a voyage to Xiamen, China from Manila, Philippines and back over the past months.

Upon their return to Manila last week, Valdez painted an ideal picture of two countries — now in opposite sides of a years-long maritime dispute — in peace and friendship.

‘The waters united us’

Following the return of the balangay voyagers who sailed to Xiamen, China to visit the resting place of 15th century Sulu ruler Paduka Batara and the monument to Jose Rizal in Jinjiang City, Valdez shared his belief that the trip that symbolized not just the Philippines’ return to its historical roots as seafarers but its forgotten relationship with China.

“These waters never divided us. These waters unified us,” said Valdez.

He added that the replicas of the ancient balangay which he and 33 other crew sailed through disputed waters was a symbol of the relationship between the two countries.

In a conversation with the media after the balangays’ return, Valdez spoke of the warm reception he and his team received during their visit.

“Colonialism has divided us,” said Valdez to Interaksyon.

He argued that due to the influence of colonialists, Filipinos have forgotten their maritime roots and the friendships forged by the ancient seafaring Filipinos with neighboring civilizations.

Valdez said that the Department of Education should educate young Filipinos about their roots. Understanding the past, according to the former environment undersecretary, was the key to maintaining peace in the region.

Although possibly by President Rodrigo Duterte, Valdez’s trust in China does not sit well with many who have observed the unfolding of events surrounding the dispute to the present day, when China has managed to build islands on reefs within the Philippines’ jurisdiction.

And China does not seem to be done with its job. In recent months, satellite images, intelligence and news reports have spotted ongoing building reinforcements and military work in the disputed locations critical to world trade.

Former Parañaque representative Roilo Golez is among those calling for the Philippines to enforce its claim to the disputed area in the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippines and China before the dispute

Relations between Filipinos and China are generally believed to have begun before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, when seafaring Filipinos engaged in trade with Chinese merchants. One paper on the political economy of Philippine-Chinese relations posits trade to have started as early as the 10th century.

The current sea row can perhaps be traced to 1953, when the Communist Party of China upon its take-over started enforcing the nine-dash line around the disputed region.

In 1995, the Chinese government started constructing huts around Mischief Reef supposedly for the purpose of sheltering its fishermen. Chinese control in the area took place despite both the Philippines and China ratifying the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), in which the concept of exclusive economic zones and territorial waters were defined.

The year 1997 saw the first stand-off in Scarborough Shoal, when Philippine Navy ships prevented Chinese fishermen from entering the area. China protested the move.

China in 2009 would submit its nine-dash line claim to the UN despite having ratified the 1982 UNCLOS.

Following incidents in 2011 and 2012, the Philippines finally brought the case to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in 2013.

The favorable decision the Philippines received in 2016 has been rejected by China. Duterte has yet to enforce the decision, but disclaims abandoning it.

The president has vowed to revisit the decision “at the right time” but recent developments threatening status quo in the country’s maritime space did not result in a strong condemnation from the administration. (Dan Manglinong, InterAksyon)

NorCot, Maguindanao execs vow support for new Westmincom chief

PROMOTED --- New Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Mindanao Command chief 
Lt. Gen. Arnel dela Vega. (Photo by 6th ID)

KIDAPAWAN CITY --- Local officials in North Cotabato and Maguindanao provinces have vowed continued support to the military’s peace and development initiatives, even as the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (6ID) commander was promoted to head the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom).

Lt. Gen. Arnel dela Vega, 6th Infantry Division commander, has replaced AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Carlito Galvez, Jr. as Westmincom chief. Both of them belong to the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1985.

The turn-over rites was held  May 23 at the Westmincom headquarters in Zamboanga City. The 6th ID area of responsibility includes the provinces of North Cotabato, Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, and parts of Lanao del Sur.

In North Cotabato, the Provincial Council passed a resolution recognizing the contribution of Dela Vega in the province’s quest for peace.

The resolution commended Dela Vega for his conflict resolution programs with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the surrender of communist rebels in the region.

Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu, for his part, said he was initially sad with the promotion of Dela Vega, who left the province as military peace advocate.

The governor, however, has vowed to provide Dela Vega his all-out support as far as peace advocacy is concerned.

Mangudadatu commended Dela Vega for helping the provincial government settle clan wars in areas where the 6th ID operates and for his relentless campaign against violent extremism.

“It was during his (Dela Vega) stint as 6th ID commander when members of the BIFF started coming out to surrender and help the government against extremists,” Mangudadatu said in a statement. (Edwin Fernandez, PNA - Cotabato)

DND Secretary graces Mindanao security summit

CAMP SIONGCO, Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao --- National Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana graced the one-day Mindanao Security Summit held at the Cotabato City State Polytechnic College (CCSPC) gymnasium in Cotabato City last  May 24.

The summit was attended by the academe and students that carried the theme, “Grasping the Role of Academe in War against Illegal Drugs, Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in the Pursuit of Peace and Development in Southern Philippines.”

The whole day activity was organized by 6th Infantry Division and CCSPC that aimed to explore the importance of education to prevent violent extremism as it gives awareness and creates a culture of peace and non-violence for sustainable development.

Also gracing the event were Western Mindanao Command and 6th Infantry Division Commander Lt. Gen Arnel B. Dela Vega, Police Regional Office in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Director Chief Superintendent Graciano J. Mijares, Sultan Kudarat Governor Sultan Pax S. Mangudadatu, and Cotabato City Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi.

 “Let us mark this summit as a beginning of partnership that we should all sustain until we see a better and peaceful community and a progressive country where all people leave comfortably,” Lt. Gen. Dela Vega said.

In his remarks, Secretary Lorenzana stressed the importance of education as a tool to prevent violent extremism and provide protection, stability, essential knowledge, and life skills to building common core values for children and youth.

“Rest assured that my department is supportive to the academe’s efforts to prevent violent extremism and de-radicalizing young people,” Secretary Lorenzana said.

The summit ended with the signing of the participants of their commitment of support. (Public Affairs Office, 6th ID)

Duterte ready to sign ID bill

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is ready to sign into law the proposed national identification system once it reaches his desk, Malacañang said Friday (May 25).

The Senate and House of Representatives have already come up with a single version of the bill, which will be ratified by both chambers before sending it to Duterte for his signature.

“This landmark bill is part of the legislative priority agenda of the Duterte administration to improve the delivery of government services; thus, once ratified, the President will sign this into law,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

Details of the harmonized version have yet to be released to the public although Senator Panfilo Lacson said the bicameral conference committee-backed version does not differ much from the one approved by the Senate.

The Senate approved-bill seeks to harmonize, integrate, and interconnect the countless and redundant government IDs by establishing a single national identification system to be known as the Philippine Identification System or PhilSys.

The proposed ID will contain full name, facial image, date of birth, address, and fingerprints of the individual.

Under the proposed measure, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is mandated to act as the PhilSys Registry, a repository and custodian of all data including the PSN, registered records, and information of all persons registered in the PhilSys.

Lawmakers belonging to the Makabayan bloc have raised concerns against the measure, saying the data may be used against opponents of the government and to deprive others who do not have it of basic social services. They urged the public to reject the bill. (Virgil Lopez, GMA News / Google News PH)

Cotabato City second “safest” city in the country

COTABATO CITY --- Officials and residents here rejoice as no less than the Philippine National Police (PNP) declared Cotabato as the “SECOND” safest city in the whole Philippines.

This report was released by the national PNP based on records from local police units in the entire country on crime incidences in their respective areas of responsibility during the first quarter of 2018.

Cotabato City recorded only a total of 220 crimes in the months of January - March of this year.

Cotabato City came in second to Ormoc City, which has recorded a total of 134 crimes. Coming in third is Puerto Princesa with 227 crimes during the first three months of 2018.

City Mayor Atty. Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi said this report didn’t come as a surprise but still elated her all the same.

Being an active advocate of peace and order, the mayor said this record of being the second safest city in the country is a big leap for Cotabato City.

“I thought it was only in Region-12 when I heard about the report. I knew that all the efforts and hard work that we are doing to maintain peace and order in the city paid off,” the mayor added.

During her stint as chief executive of Cotabato City, Mayor Guiani-Sayadi has continuously implemented the RONDA, a peacekeeping effort with the city PNP, Task Force Kutawato, and barangay force multipliers. The team roams around the different corners of the city on a daily basis and has been successful in aiding the law enforcers in apprehending criminal elements in the city.

Because of the significant drop in crime incidences in just one year, the city’s economy has also grown rapidly. Investors, both local and foreign, have been flocking the city, with a group of Chinese businessmen committing to build the city’s airport and seaport being the latest.

“We have proven that Cotabato City can be safe for its people despite it being in the middle of insurgencies happening in its surrounding provinces,” the mayor said.

Even the business communities in Cotabato City have expressed their admiration to the efforts of the city government in making the economic activities in the city dynamic and vibrant once again.

“We have been waiting for this in years and seeing it happen today is truly incredible. Our warmest congratulations to Mayor Guiani-Sayadi and the city government of Cotabato,” businesswoman Bai Sandra Siang said.

On Thursday (May 24), Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana also lauded the efforts of Mayor Guiani-Sayadi, the city police, and the RONDA team in ensuring the safety and security of Cotabato City during his courtesy visit to the city’s chief executive.

He even mentioned about the RONDA in a media briefing months ago.

Earlier this year, Cotabato City was named the “safest city” in Region-12.

With the new record, Cotabato City is now “NUMBER ONE” in the whole Mindanao. (Halima Satol)

BFP-12 probes market fire

COTABATO CITY --- The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-12  started last May 23 a deeper probe into the fire that razed this city's public market shortly before midnight of Monday last week.

The BFP-12 investigation was prompted by Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi's request for the agency  to look into all angles regarding the origin of the fire, including the probability of arson.

At about 11:30 p.m. last May 21, the alarm was raised following a massive fire that engulfed the two-storey city public market building, which has close to 1,500 stalls. More than a dozen fire trucks from this city and nearby towns responded to the fire incident that was contained some four hours later.

The city fire department, in a preliminary assessment, has pegged the damage to business properties at P50 million, excluding the destroyed P45 million market building, which was constructed in 1993.

“A fire of such magnitude is delegated to the BFP-12 for investigation and we would assist them on that,” Fire Officer 2 Aldrin Narra, city fire department spokesman, said.

Narra said initial investigation conducted by city fire investigators revealed that the fire was caused by a faulty electrical connection from a cafeteria near the meat section of the market.

He said based on the accounts of the market's security personnel, the fire from Benz cafeteria, which is situated just below the stairs leading to the second floor of the market building, quickly spread to the upper floor where second-hand clothing stalls were located.

City Administrator Dr. Danda Juanday, in a separate interview, said the BFP-12 probe team asked for two days to complete their investigation.

“The result of their investigation is necessary for us at the city government to study our next move on the problem,” Juanday said.

At the same time, he said city structural engineers were also given two days to finish their evaluation on the over-all condition of the damaged building.

Juanday said all roads leading to the market site are temporary closed as vendors, mostly selling meat, fruits and vegetable products, have temporarily occupied the passageways to sell their products to market-goers. (Noel Punzalan, PNA - Cotabato)

SoCot pineapples reach US market

GENERAL SANTOS CITY --- Fresh pineapples from Region-12 have finally entered the United Sates (US) market, with weekly shipments lined up starting this month.

Ramon Manansala, a fruit producer and consolidator based in South Cotabato province, said last May 21 that they made their maiden shipment to Saipan last May 10 through assistance from the Department of Agriculture (DA)-12.

Manansala, chair of RM Fruitz International, said they shipped an initial nine metric tons (MT) of high quality fresh MG3 pineapples to a buyer based in Saipan, the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands and a commonwealth of the US.

He said farmers in Tupi town and the neighboring areas in South Cotabao mainly produced the pineapples.

The area’s pineapple produce have already reached markets in Pakistan, South Korea, and China these years.

“This is the first that we have penetrated the US market,” Manansala said.

After the first shipment, which was made through the Makar port here, he said they will be sending 18 MT of fresh pineapples weekly to Saipan.

Manansala credited such breakthrough to the DA, which had brought him to various international trade fairs and expositions, which enabled him to meet and close marketing deals with major buyers from abroad.

DA’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division, University of the Philippines Los Baños and the Municipal Agriculture Office of Tupi assisted the company.

Aside from pineapples, RM Fruitz has been also exporting solo Papaya to Hong Kong and South Korea.

The company has also helped a group of organic banana producers from Tupi export their produce to Japan.

Milagros Casis, DA-12 regional executive director, said the shipment of fresh pineapples to Saipan shows that the region’s products are of top quality and could compete in the foreign markets.

Casis said they expect more products from the area to eventually reach other major markets abroad through the support programs of the agency. (PNA - Cotabato)

Concerns linger over martial law in Mindanao

Destroyed buildings that used to be a playground inside the most affected area in Marawi City on May 21, 2018 (Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News)

CITING allegations of human rights violations, some sectors of the Philippines oppose the government's continued implementation of martial law in the volatile southern island of Mindanao.

President Rodrigo Duterte originally imposed military rule after government forces on May 23 last year clashed with Islamist militants who authorities say were out to establish an Islamic State caliphate in the predominantly Muslim city of Marawi.

Lawmakers in December last year approved Duterte's request to extend its implementation through the end of this year.

"It's a very bizarre situation where you have theoretically martial law in place, but in fact, the requirements, the conditionalities for the declaration of martial law were not there anyway in the first place," Loretta Ann Rosales, former chairwoman of the Commission on Human Rights, told Kyodo News in a recent interview.

Activist lawyer Neri Colmenares voiced fears that Duterte may be using martial law in Mindanao to prepare the ground for its implementation nation-wide.

In asking Congress for the extension of martial law until December 31 this year, Duterte said the measure "will help the (military), the Philippine National Police, and all other law enforcement agencies to quell completely and put an end to the ongoing rebellion in Mindanao, and prevent the same from escalating to other parts of the country." He cited the threats of terrorism from Muslim militants and communist insurgents.

"Public safety indubitably requires such further extension, not only for the sake of security and public order, but more importantly, to enable the government and the people of Mindanao to pursue the bigger task of rehabilitation and the promotion of a stable socio-economic growth and development," Duterte had said.

According to Philippine military spokesman Col. Edgard Arevalo, the implementation of martial law in Mindanao has led to the voluntary surrender of a number of lawless elements and unlicensed firearms, a "big achievement" that made people feel "more at peace, more secure, and more comfortable."

"When we talk about the gains of the implementation of martial law in Mindanao for a period of one year, the biggest is stability in Mindanao," Arevalo told Kyodo News.

"We saw it during the latest conduct of elections (for village and youth officials, held May 14 nationwide), which was generally peaceful. So, business will be better and more vibrant if there is stability and people feel more secured."

The threat from IS sympathizers or IS-inspired militants has also "significantly reduced," especially after "they suffered a huge setback when they lost in (the battle in) Marawi," Arevalo said.

"One year thereafter, if they have efforts to recruit, it is very difficult for them to do so with the implementation of martial law. Moreover, the people, who appreciated peace and security, no longer allow these kind of individuals to sow violence, so they provide information to authorities. All these are attributable to martial law," he added.

Arevalo maintained there are no verified human rights violations as alleged by martial law critics like Rosales, Colmenares, and various groups, including Karapatan (Rights), an alliance of human rights organizations in the Philippines.

Karapatan claims that since last year's martial law declaration, it has documented at least 49 victims of extrajudicial killings in Mindanao, 22 cases of torture, 89 victims of illegal arrest and detention, and 336,124 victims of indiscriminate gunfire and aerial bombings.

Another group called Sandugo - Movement of Moro and Indigenous People for Self-Determination demanded the immediate lifting of martial law, saying it "only brought destruction, chaos, and more suffering for the people."

"We are seriously against human rights violations, so much so that if there are any reports, if there are any complaints, we are encouraging them to document it, give it to us, and we will even help prosecute human rights violators," Arevalo said.

While Rosales and Colmenares agree that martial law in Mindanao cannot be directly compared to military rule during the administration of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, they warn that the current implementation will pave the way for national imposition.

"Duterte doesn't know how to run a democratic government. He does not have the sophistication of a statesman who can manage democracy and its processes. He does not know how to use the levers of democratic balance, the principle of checks and balance, the harmony and relations among the different branches of government while respecting the independence of each branch," Rosales said.

"Because of that, his knowledge is to use force. And if he's trapped in the corner, he uses force," she added.

Colmenares said that Duterte is "enamored" with the military. "Many of his Cabinet members were military men. And he believes they're incorruptible and efficient."

Rosales and Colmenares are not buying the president's oft-repeated claim that he is willing to step down ahead of the end of his term in 2022 once a federal form of government is put in place.

"He knows that when he's out of office, he goes to prison. He has committed so many crimes. He has to stay there (in power). Or he has to ensure that the next president is someone he can trust. And unless that is sure, he will not leave power," Colmenares said, referring to, among others, Duterte's deadly war on drugs.

Arevalo, the military spokesman, said since reconstruction and rehabilitation of Marawi City is still ongoing, martial law in Mindanao will continue to be necessary.

"We are going to assess regularly the situation. If there's a need or there are conditions that we think martial law can be lifted already, and then we will recommend that to the commander-in-chief (Duterte), because only he can lift martial law," Arevalo said. (Ronron Calunsod, Kyodo News / Google News PH)

Koronadal commissions study for hospital project

KORONDAL CITY --- The city government has commissioned a study for the planned development of a modern city hospital complex.

City Councilor Mark Lapidez said last May 22 that  the local government has tapped experts from the Notre Dame of Marbel University (NDMU) here to determine the projected cost for the construction of the city hospital.

Lapidez said the study focuses on the development of a complete hospital with either 75 beds, 50 beds, or 20 beds.

“It will set how much the city will need to invest in the construction of the building and its operations,” he said in a radio interview.

Lapidez said they are considering as site for the planned hospital a two-hectare property in Barangay Concepcion whose owner, the del Rosario family, has signified to donate the lot to the city government.

The local government is still waiting for the issuance of a deed of donation for the property, he said.

The city government began processing the documents for the construction of the proposed hospital two years ago.

It initially planned to construct a 200-bed facility that would cost about P1.2 billion based on a study conducted by the NDMU.

Dr. Gene Genevieve Aturdido, acting head of the City Health Office, said the construction of the hospital is among the priority initiatives of Mayor Peter Miguel, who is a doctor by profession. (PNA- Cotabato)

The long and troubled road to healing Marawi

ON the afternoon of May 23, 2017, armed jihadist groups stormed the city of Marawi, setting off a massive firefight with government forces that would level the once-teeming center of commerce and displace thousands.

A year later, the fighting has stopped and efforts to restore the city to its former glory have started.

But despite all fronts helping Marawi back on its feet, the task is proving to be a brutal ordeal.

A monumental effort

As of April 2018, the government has estimated the total cost of the rehabilitation effort to reach up to a staggering P72 million.

Rehabilitating the ravaged Marawi

The matter of displaced residents from the area has also been a cause of concern. As of October 2017, the number of displaced residents was placed at 78,466 families or 359,680 persons.

In January 2018, the National House Agency announced an 11-hectare township where 1,150 affected families could move into as rehabilitation efforts proceeded.

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan has advocated letting the displaced residents rebuild their homes where they were situated prior to the outbreak of the fighting.

The government has also proposed the building of an economic zone in the area, following rehabilitation of the area. The plan has been opposed by a group of  concerned Maranaos.

Foreign aid has also poured in since the rehabilitation effort began. The United States alone has pledged a total of P1.4 billion in aid, proposing to provide sanitation and support centers for residents.

The Japanese government, on the one hand, has pledged ¥2 billion for rehabilitation, and another ¥1.1 billion for core shelters and livelihood training to help the displaced back to their feet.

Even private individuals have pledged their influence to help the effort.

Actor Robin Padilla early in 2018 announced that he was making a film based on the Marawi siege, the fruits of which would go to the rehabilitation. The prior months saw him meet with President Rodrigo Duterte.

In October 2017, Duterte pledged to never let “another Marawi siege” take place, proposing the establishment of a military base in the city.

Troubled rehabilitation

Two Chinese firms have also been tapped by the government for the rehabilitation process. But these two companies were blacklisted by the World Bank in 2009. Prior to this, China had already donated P15 million following the end of the siege.

Shortly before the first anniversary of the siege, Karol Ilagan and Malou Mangahas of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism released “PROJECT BANGON MARAWI, YEAR 1: A patchwork of sketchy6 plans, loose rules, uncertain funding,” an article detailing the supposedly problematic process behind the myriad government tie-ups entered into for the rehabilitation effort.

Criticism of the government’s response to the siege revolves not just around handling of its projects, but also the declaration of martial law in the area with a seemingly indefinite end.

The government’s aerial bombing of the area has also been criticized by some groups. An echoed sentiment is that the indiscriminate bombardment led to unnecessary collateral damage in the area.

In a recent appearance, President Duterte took full responsibility for the crisis, and apologized for the government’s handling of the situation.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has claimed that Duterte was satisfied with the rehabilitation effort and has expressed his trust in his Cabinet officials handling the project. (Dan Manglinong, InterAksyon)

Reformatory center for drug offenders opens in Sarangani

FREE FROM ILLEGAL DRUGS --- Mayor Ramdatu M. Angas (4^th from left) of Sultan Sa Barongis, Maguindanao presents before stakeholders  the outgoing Chairperson Salamon M. Angas of Angkayamat and representative of Paldong whose communities  have received “Certification” from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, through Director  Juvenal Azurin, as “drug-cleared” barangays.  (Anne Acosta)


GENERAL SANTOS CITY --- The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) formally unveiled last May 22 Mindanao’s first community-based reformation center for drug law offenders at  Malungon town in Sarangani province.

PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said the newly-opened reformatory center will serve as a model for the implementation of the Balay Silangan program in Mindanao.

Aquino said the facility is a product of the multi-agency-backed Balay Silangan, a flagship drug reformation program that focuses on the rehabilitation of drug surrenderers through a “home-centered” approach.

He said Malungon town was chosen as pilot site being the “most ready” among the LGUs for the roll-out of the program.

Located at Villareal Resort in Barangay Nagpan, it previously hosted the local government's Outpatient Reformatory and Treatment Center for Drug Dependents, which opened in November 2016.

The municipal government forged a memorandum of agreement last month with the program's national oversight committee led by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and PDEA to become among its pilot sites in the country.

The other pilot areas are the province of Capiz for Visayas, Caloocan City in the National Capital Region, and Cabanatuan City in Luzon. 

Under the program, which was officially launched in Manila last April 25, Aquino said drug offenders in the area will undergo community-based reformation at the Balay Silangan for three to four months.

He said it will cater to drug surrenderers, offenders who availed of plea bargaining offers, and drug pushers who want to be reformed but have not been identified or arrested by law enforcement agencies.

Aquino said they will offer counseling, moral recovery sessions, as well as provide livelihood training and necessary assistance to drug offenders.

“This is a holistic approach. Balay Silangan means a home or house of hope, so once the surrederers come out of the facility, they should be ripe enough and ready to integrate into our communities as law-abiding and productive citizens,” he said.

Malungon Mayor Maria Theresa Constantino said the local government will be assisted by the PDEA and other government agencies in managing the operations of Balay Silangan.

“It will be a co-sharing arrangement. We will mainly fund its operations but will be augmented by PDEA and other partners,” she said.

Based on DDB Resolution No. 2, series of 2018, the program will be implemented in coordination with the DDB, PDEA, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Philippine National Police.

A regional oversight committee will regularly monitor its operations and the support from involved agencies. (PNA - Cotabato)

BSP to provide financial education to 700,000 teachers, 24 M students

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Published May 26, 2018, 12:05 AM

By Madelaine B. Miraflor

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with BDO Unibank Inc. (BDO) and Department of Education (DepEd) to provide financial education through specially developed teaching tools to as many as 700,000 teachers and 24 million students.

The MOA covers the development of videos as teaching tools on basic financial literacy concepts, like saving and money management, in public schools.

The videos, designed for learners as well as educators, will come with teaching guides to strengthen the DepEd’s program on financial education in the K to 12 curriculum.

The learning tools aim to reach around 700,000 teachers and non-teaching personnel, and 24 million students in more than 47,000 public schools nation-wide.

The MOA was set to be signed on Monday (May 28) by BSP Governor Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr., DepEd Secretary Leonor-Magtolis Briones, and BDO Foundation (BDOF) President Mario Deriquito.

This partnership is being forged under the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI), particularly the pillar on Financial Education and Consumer Protection (FECP).

The NSFI provides a platform for the private sector to support the government’s work in enhancing the financial literacy of Filipinos through financial education.

“The BSP believes that a financially learned citizenry can be more effective in productively contributing to the Philippine economy. To date, financial education remains a formidable task, one that requires coordinated multi-stakeholder action. With DepEd onboard in this partnership, the commitment of our educators, and private sector support, we can collectively influence every child who goes through the Philippine educational system to strive towards a healthy financial future,” Espenilla, Jr. said.

The low financial literacy in the country was revealed in a recent survey which showed that Filipino adults correctly answered only three out of seven questions related to basic numeracy, computing compounding interest, fundamentals of inflation, and investment diversification. Only two percent of Filipino adults answered all questions correctly.

The study also showed that Filipinos lack specific knowledge to make informed financial decisions.

In the same study, it was found that money management habits formed in childhood stay into adulthood. Those who began saving as children displayed better attitudes on saving, and tended to outperform their counterpart group who did not develop the habit early in the areas of choosing financial products and services, monitoring expenses and planning for retirement.

“The BSP will remain a strong supporter of financial education initiatives, ready to partner with like-minded public and private sector stakeholders. The BSP believes that a financially literate citizenry able to understand, select and effectively use financial services that fit their needs can significantly benefit from participating in the financial system as depositors and investors,” Espenilla said.

“They can better protect themselves from fraud and harmful financial practices, and be more effective BSP partners in maintaining price stability and ensuring a strong, safe and efficient banking and payment system,” he added. (Madelaine B. Miraflor / Google News PH))

Government eyes fuel excise tax suspension

METRO MANILA --- The government is considering suspending excise taxes on fuel products imposed by the tax reform law to mitigate the effects of soaring global oil prices, a Palace official said.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the government is ready to suspend the collection of fuel excise taxes if world oil prices hit $80 per barrel.

"We're ready kung talagang umabot ng ganyan kataas, na isuspende ang koleksyon ng excise taxes pagdating sa produkto ng langis," Roque told reporters last May 22.

The first package of the administration's Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law (RA 10963) was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in December last year. It imposed higher fuel prices as of 2018 to mitigate the lowering of personal income tax rates and to provide capital for the government's aggressive infrastructure program.

Under the TRAIN, regular and premium unleaded gas went up by ₱7 per liter this year, and will rise by ₱9 in 2019, and ₱10 in 2021. Prices for diesel and fuel for public transportation increased by ₱2.50 per liter in 2018, and will rise by ₱4.50 in 2019 and ₱6 in 2020. Prices for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) rose by ₱1 per kilogram and will rise another peso annually until 2020.

Section 43 of RA 10963 provides for the suspension of the implementation of fuel excise tax once Dubai crude oil prices reaches $80 per barrel for a period of three months before the scheduled next increase of fuel excise taxes.

"For the period covering 2018 to 2020, the scheduled increase in the excise tax on fuel as imposed in this Section shall be suspended when the average Dubai crude oil price based on Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) for three (3) months prior to the scheduled increase of the month reaches or exceeds eighty dollars (USD 80) per barrel," the law read.

Senators Bam Aquino and JV Ejercito had recently pushed for the suspension of the fuel excise tax imposed by TRAIN to mitigate the effects of inflation.

In a statement last May 22, the Department of Finance said that TRAIN contributed less than a percent to the inflation rate in April, when it reached a five-year high. (CNN Philippines Staff with contribution from senior correspondent Ina Andolong)

ARMM elite police force completes anti-terror training

CAMP SK PENDATUN, Maguindanao --- As the government steps up its campaign against terrorist elements in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the Police Regional Office (PRO) said it has completed last May 23  the training for a 66-man elite police force.

The elite unit, called the PRO-ARMM Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), was formed to respond to urban and rural threat groups, according to Chief Superintendent Graciano Mijares.

Mijares, police regional director for the ARMM, said 66 elite police officers underwent a 45-day rigid training inside this camp in Parang town, a 30-minute drive from Cotabato City, to curtail threats of terrorism across the region.

He said the 66 police officers were trained on counter-terrorism, close quarter battle, hostage rescue operation, sniping, and urban offensives.

“The lessons we learned in Marawi led to more police preparations,” Mijares told reporters here during an interview last May 24.

He said more police SWAT training would be conducted in the region where IS-linked terrorists are believed to be hiding and recruiting.

With the newly acquired skills, Mijares said he expects the SWAT unit to serve and protect the people is their paramount concern.

The special unit is armed with modern equipment acquired by the PRO-ARMM from the national headquarters, including night vision goggles and modern assault rifles, among others.

The SWAT will form the quick reaction unit of police provincial offices in the region.

The ARMM comprises the cities of Lamitan and Marawi and the provinces of Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-tawi, Basilan, and Lanao del Sur. (Edwin Fernandez, PNA - Cotabato)

Philippines drops the most in Asia in competitiveness ranking

The Philippines also slipped to 13^th place from its 11^th ranking in 2017 among 14 Asia-Pacific nations

MANILA --- The Philippine economy experienced the most significant decline in the region in terms of competitiveness dragged by “worsening” tourism, employment, and public finances, as well as concerns about the country’s education system.

The country fell nine notches to 50th spot out of 63 economies tracked in this year’s World Competitiveness Ranking published by Switzerland-based business school International Institute for Management Development.

Across sub-factors, the country’s rank dropped in terms of economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure.

In 2018, the IMD said among the key “challenges” for the Philippines are investing in quality infrastructure, increasing investment in human capital, particularly on health and education, and strengthening institutions.

The IMD also pointed out that the Southeast Asian nation struggles with increasing digital competitiveness and mitigating political risks.

“I think that the Philippines has been booming as a country where large multi-nationals can bring their global services like [information technology] or [human resources],” Arturo Bris, director of the IMD World Competitiveness Center, was quoted as saying in a report by BusinessWorld.

“But compared to other countries like Indonesia and specifically Vietnam, it is lacking appeal for foreign investors when it comes to establishing plans and operations there,” Bris added.

The United States returns to the first spot, followed by Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. 

According to the IMD, the return of the US to the top was driven by its strength in economic performance and infrastructure.

“This year’s results reinforce a crucial trait of the competitiveness landscape. Countries undertake different paths towards competitiveness transformation,” Bris said in a statement. (Ian Nicolas Cigaral, philstar.com / Google News PH)

DSWD awards P1B Marawi contracts to suppliers with limited capacity?

MANILA --- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) awarded over P1 billion worth of contracts for relief goods for families displaced by the Marawi siege to malls and store chains with “limited financing capacity.”

In a report released last week, the Philippine Center of Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) said nine companies got a total of P1.1 billion in contracts from the DSWD Field Office Region XII.

The top-three suppliers cornered 13 supply contracts totalling P1.09 billion: Tacurong Fitmart --- seven supply contracts worth P806.8 million; Ororama Supercenter --- three supply contracts worth P158.8 million; and Ace Centerpoint --- three supply contracts worth P128.9 million.

Data gathered by PCIJ showed the financial statements of these malls and store chains may not have been able to handle such projects.

“The big mystery is why DSWD-FO XII awarded contracts in the hundreds of millions of pesos to malls and store chains with medium-size assets and little or limited financing capacity,” the PCIJ said.

Other contracts were awarded to several suppliers as listed in the PCIJ infographic.

Under the terms of the contract, suppliers were to deliver hygiene kits, "family kits," kitchen kits, food packs, and other groceries purchased for displaced residents of Marawi City.

According to the report, the prices for these goods were as follows: P249 per malong, P795 per sleeping kit, P858 per Ramadhan pack, P1,800 per hygiene kit, and P2,325 per family kit.

The contracts were awarded from June 5 to December 29, 2017, as “a shopping frenzy allowed the top-three suppliers to alternately or simultaneously bag huge to mammoth contracts from DSWD-FO XII nearly month on month.”

Delays

Since the awarding of contracts in 2017, however, relief goods have yet to be fully delivered to families from Marawi City.

The PCIJ said suppliers were required to deliver the goods “within seven days” upon the receipt of notice to proceed, as stated in several of the contracts. The goods were to be delivered directly to evacuation centers and temporary shelter sites in Marawi city and other parts of Mindanao.

Despite this, officials from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao – where Marawi City is located – have reported several delays, with the last distribution of relief goods at emergency centers taking place last March 2.

Meanwhile, DSWD-FO XII’s last distribution of goods for displaced Marawi residents, both home-based and at emergency centers, was on January 10.

The report noted the long distance between malls and Marawi City may have been a factor in the delay in the delivery of relief goods.

The farthest mall, Ace Ceterpoint, is based in Koronadal City, South Cotabato – a nearly seven hour drive from Marawi City. Tacurong Fitmart, based in Sultan Kudarat, is over six hours away, while Ororama Supercenter is located about two and a half hours from Marawi City.  (Rappler.com / Google News PH)