Day: April 12, 2023

The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee opened its April law-making session on April 12 under the chair by NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, with three draft laws tabled for discussion.

The draft laws include the Law on Real Estate Business (revised), the Law on Telecommunications (revised), and the Law on Citizenship Identity (revised).

For the Law on Real Estate Business (revised), the NA Chairman requested representatives of agencies and members of the committee to give opinions on the scope of adjustment, and thoroughly research on the consistency of the legal system as this bill is related to many other laws.

He underlined the importance of the Law on Telecommunications (revised) to promote and create a legal corridor for the digital transformation process in Vietnam and the development of e-Government, digital economy, citizenship and society.

He noted that the amendments to this law should be consistent with other laws, including the Law on Enterprises, and the Law on Investment; and Vietnam’s commitments in new-generation free trade agreements (FTAs) such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) agreement, and the EU – Vietnam FTA (EVFTA).

For the Law on Citizenship Identity (revised), the top legislator said the committee has agreed to add this law project to the 2023 law and ordinance-making programme and submit it to the NA for consideration and comment at its 5th session.

This law is expected to be adopted at the 6th session of the 15th National Assembly, he added.

Hue asked the committee to further analyse the rationality, feasibility and suitability of provisions in the draft Law with the Party’s policies, and carefully consider the impact of new policies on the implementation of citizens’ rights and obligations.

During the 2.5-day session, members of the committee will discuss and give opinions on the investment policy of a project to develop roads connecting the provinces of Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Lam Dong, which will significantly contribute to promoting socio-economic development in the localities.

In addition to the above-mentioned contents, the Government’s proposal on new policies in managing entry, exit, transit, and residence of foreigners in Vietnam will be put on table. This issue is scheduled to be included in Resolution of the 5th session of the 15th National Assembly, Hue said./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The inflation rate in Central Luzon further slowed down to 8.4 percent in March, based on the latest report of the Philippine Statistics Authority-Regional Statistical Services Office in Central Luzon (PSA-RSSO III). The latest figure is lower by 0.9 percentage points from 9.3 percent in February 2023 but still higher by 3.8 percentage points from the recorded rate of 4.6 percent in March 2022. Central Luzon was fourth among the regions with the highest inflation in March. Western Visayas remained to have the highest inflation at 9.1 percent, followed by Zamboanga Peninsula and Davao region, both at 9.0 percent. Cordillera Administrative Region, on the other hand, recorded the lowest inflation at 5.6 percent. The country’s headline inflation also decelerated to 7.6 percent in March from 8.6 percent in February. In her report on Wednesday, PSA-RSSO III Regional Director Arlene Divino said the downtrend in inflation can be attributed to lower increments recorded in the index of food and non-alcoholic beverages at 9.2 percent from 10.7 percent in February. This was followed by the indices of housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels at 7.9 percent and transport at 7.7 percent. Likewise, Divino said the downtrend in inflation could be credited to the decrease in the index of restaurants and accommodation services at 8.0 percent. The annual growth rate in the regional food index also slowed down to 9.3 percent in March from 11.0 percent in February. Divino said this was primarily brought about by lower increments in the annual growth rate of vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses at 17.3 percent, oils and fats at 16.6 percent and meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals at 1.8 percent. However, higher annual increments were posted in alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 16.7 percent, personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services at 8.5 percent, clothing and footwear at 7.5 percent, furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance at 7.1 percent and health at 6.4 percent. Likewise, the same rate of increase as that of the previous month was observed in the indices of education services at 1.7 percent and information and communication at 0.8 percent.

Source: Philippines News Agency

About 60 patients with criminal cases are set to be transferred to a new building on April 14 to decongest the forensics pavilion at the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH). In a media forum on Wednesday, Department of Health officer in charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said they have started putting up a new pavilion which will be completed in two phases. ‘Itong building na pinapatayo natin, by Friday pwede na lagyan ng mga pasyente (This building that we’re putting up, can already house some patients by Friday),’ she said. ‘So, maililipat na natin almost 60 ng ating patients coming from this pavilion, itong forensics pavilion nakitang medyo congested para ma-decongest (So, we can already transfer 60 patients, coming from this pavilion, this forensics pavilion that’s congested to be decongested).’ Earlier, the DOH said the forensics pavilion was built to house 300 patients only. The number of patients boarding in the pavilion swelled as patients who have been treated and tagged as competent to face charges in court are not yet endorsed and placed under the custody of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. Vergeire reported that they have also spotted two other pavilions with few admissions and can accommodate patients from the forensics pavilion. She said the DOH has communicated with the concerned agencies to provide a proper area for the patients who have been classified discharged and competent while waiting for their cases to be heard in the trial courts. ‘We have also requested audience from Senator Tulfo, next week, so, we can sit down with him and present to him kung ano na po ‘yung mga naging improvements na base na po dun sa mga obserbasyong naibigay nya sa atin (the improvements based on the observations that were handed to us),’ she added.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Philippine Navy (PN) on Wednesday confirmed that two more brand-new fast attack interdiction-missile (FAIC-M) platforms were delivered to the country on Tuesday. “Said FAIC-Ms, which are part of the nine platforms contracted with Israel Shipyards, arrived from Israel on board the general cargo ship M/V Mick. They were unloaded with the assistance of BRP Mamanwa (LC-294) and proceeded to the naval shipyard in Cavite for a series of tests and crew training,” PN spokesperson Capt. Benjo Negranza said in a statement. Set for christening in May, these FAIC-Ms will soon join the Acero-class patrol gunboats along with frontrunners BRP Nestor Acero (PG-901) and BRP Lolinato To-ong (PG-902) which were commissioned late last year. “They are a welcome addition to the Navy’s capability to secure vital choke points, key sea lines of communication, and littoral areas of the country,” Negranza said. Five more are expected to be delivered within the next two years. The 32-meter long FAIC-Ms are high-speed vessels equipped with quick intercept ability, remote stabilized weapons, and short-range missiles that are capable of delivering precision strikes against larger hostiles and high-value targets on land and sea. Four of the FAIC-Ms will be armed with non-line-of-sight (NLOS) missiles with pinpoint accuracy and a range of 25 kilometers while the other five will be armed with Typhoon-mounted 30mm main cannons and .50 caliber heavy machine guns. The acquisition of these FAIC-Ms is among the 2019 projects approved by former President Rodrigo Duterte under the Horizon 2 List of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program. The notice of award for the FAIC-M project, worth around PHP10 billion, was issued on Jan. 5, 2021. These are expected to replace PN’s medium-sized patrol craft. Once deliveries of the FAIC-Ms are completed, these vessels can interdict surface threats and launch NLOS missiles safely using the surrounding littoral areas as maneuver space and cover. Earlier, PN chief Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr. said the Navy is planning to acquire at least 15 more Israel-made Shaldag Mark V missile boats, which are the basis of its Acero-class patrol gunboats. He said the additional Acero-class gunboats would help them to meet their requirements in “patrolling the seas of the country”. Adaci also said the FAIC-Ms will be assigned to the Littoral Combat Force.

Source: Philippines News Agency

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. extended his support to the hosting of FIBA Basketball World Cup (FBWC) 2023 and the Philippine Sports Commission-led Task Force by calling a meeting Wednesday at the Malacañang Conference Room in Manila. ‘This administration is committed to providing the Inter-Agency Task Force with all the necessary support and assistance it needs in order to fully achieve its objectives and to secure the safe, orderly, and successful conduct of the tournament,’ said Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Hubert Guevara who represented the President in the meeting. Guevara encouraged all those involved to work together for a successful hosting of the FIBA World Cup. ‘Let us all take this endeavor both as an opportunity and as a challenge-an opportunity to showcase what the Philippines has to offer and a challenge to make the FIBA Basketball World Cup a great experience for athletes and fans alike,’ he said. PSC and Inter-Agency Task Force Chairman Richard Bachmann arranged the FIBA Basketball World Cup gathering attended by the Office of the Executive Secretary, leaders and representatives of various government agencies, FBWC Committee and PSC Commissioners Olivia ‘Bong’ Coo, Matthew ‘Fritz’ Gaston, Walter Francis Torres and Edward Hayco. ‘Today, we move one step closer to fulfilling our goal of bringing the best World Cup hosting in the history of FIBA Basketball,’ Bachmann said in a news release on Wednesday. ‘I also thank our national government for Administrative Order No. 5 issued by Malacañang last March 27, directing all government agencies and instrumentalities to extend their support for this hosting,’ he added. Bachmann also expressed optimism about the hosting of the prestigious basketball event while assuring everyone that, ‘all timelines, concerns and deliverables expected from each of us here will be met, as we, at the PSC, continue to work hand-in-hand with the SBP and other vital agencies.’ ‘Our Team Pilipinas needs the team within us,’ he added. On Aug. 25-30 this year, the group phase of the competition will be hosted simultaneously by the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia. The final phase is slated Sept. 5-10

Source: Philippines News Agency

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced CAN$59 million ($43.7 million) in new military aid to Ukraine, 14 more sanctions against Russian individuals and nine against the Belarusian financial sector during a news conference Tuesday in Toronto, alongside Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The $59 million includes 21,000 assault rifles, machine guns and ammunition as Ukraine prepares a possible offensive in the near future against Russia. The two leaders signed an updated free-trade agreement and Trudeau announced a contract renewal between the Canadian firm, Cameco, and Ukraine for uranium ‘to keep the lights on,’ according to the Canadian prime minister. They also signed an agreement that will ease restrictions on Canadian and Ukrainian young people who want to work and visit both countries. Shmyhal said he had a ‘fruitful discussion’ with Trudeau and noted that Canada is one of the top five supporters of Ukraine in military terms. Canada has earmarked CAN$8 billion ($5.9 billion) in financial, military and loan aid to Ukraine to date. He said Russia has caused $411 billion in damages during its aggression against Ukraine. ‘They have to pay for what they have ruined,’ he said. Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who is of Ukrainian descent, spoke at the news conference and said Ukraine is involved in a ‘fight for democracy.’ ‘That is why Canada is so determined that Ukraine wins,’ she said. As Trudeau and Shmyhal spoke, Canada’s intelligence agency reported that it is aware of cyberattacks that have put Canadian government websites offline, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported. In one example, the Prime Minister’s website cannot be accessed.

Source: Philippines News Agency