Category: General

MANILA: Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros filed a resolution Thursday for a review of the implementation of Republic Act (RA) No. 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).

Hontiveros said she wanted the inquiry to be “evidence-based, consultative and comprehensive”.

“To facilitate the conduct of this review, preliminary investigations are needed to determine its scope and identify other important standards for its effectiveness in addition to the primary benchmark of farmers’ income stated in the IRR (implementing rules and regulations),” Hontiveros said in the resolution.

“These investigations will also aid in enhancing the implementation of the RTL in the period remaining till its expiration in 2025,” she added.

Under the RTL, rice importation, exportation and trading will be liberalized by lifting quantitative import restrictions on rice.

It also created the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) with an annual appropriation of PHP10 billion for six years.

However, Hontiveros noted
that rice smuggling has led to considerable revenue losses of around PHP7.2 billion last year with the government losing additional tariff revenue due to undervaluation and misclassification of rice imports.

She also cited the 2021 Financial Inclusion Survey by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, saying only 14 percent of the estimated 10 million farmers and fisherfolk in the country are registered in the Registry of Basic Sectors in Agriculture and seven out of ten farmers are unbanked.

“Be it further resolved that this process be consultative, and engage with rice stakeholders, listening to business models, and considering diverse procurement approaches to ensure the RTL fulfills its objectives of enhancing the competitiveness of the rice sector and ensuring food security for the nation,” Hontiveros said. (PNA)

Source: Philippines News Agency

ILOILO: The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Iloilo extension office maintained that Bagong Bansang Maharlika (BBM) International, Inc. cannot operate because its certificate of incorporation and registration was revoked months ago.

Lawyer Ma. Cristina T. Montelibano, Director II for SEC Iloilo extension office, made the reiteration on Wednesday after inquiries made by some concerned citizens on the legitimacy of the group.

‘This particular organization was registered under company registration number CN 2022030046453-01 way back March 18, 2022. It was a non-stock corporation,’ Montelibano said in an interview Thursday.

In its declaration, the group projected that its primary purpose was to uplift the living conditions of the members by assisting in the establishment of livelihood facilities, services, and enterprises, Montelibano said.

An organization such as this, with an issued certificate of incorporation, could operate anywhere in the Philippines.

However, the SEC revoked its certificate of
incorporation and registration on Nov. 14, 2023, for allegedly being fraudulent.

Before the revocation, it was reported that the group invited people in the provinces to be members in exchange for PHP100 in membership fee. It also represented itself as a private social welfare agency.

Worse, it also used President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s photo on the identification card, tarpaulins, and other materials.

‘The organization, its operators and agents, has no authority to operate as a non-governmental organization for public and charitable purposes to act as social welfare and development agencies as certified by the DSWD,’ the official said, quoting the decision of the SEC.

‘The use of the President’s picture in the identification card, tarpaulins, and other materials, and paraphernalia of BBM International, Inc. was done with palpable intent to mislead and deceive the public that the activities undertaken by the corporation are legitimate and are sanctioned by any or with the imprimatur of the President or
the Marcos administration,’ she added.

The acts of the organization, according to the SEC order constitute ‘serious misrepresentation that could advance a fraudulent purpose or can be reasonably expected to cause a significant, imminent, and irreparable danger or injury to the public safety and welfare.’

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: A lawmaker on Thursday urged local government executives to assist the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) in building up the nationwide database of Filipino senior citizens in the country.

Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. said the accurate cataloguing of senior citizens is crucial for the government, especially with the recent passage of the law granting benefits to octogenarians and nonagenarians.

Under Republic Act 11982, senior citizens aged 80, 85, 90 and 95, whether residing in the Philippines or abroad, will receive PHP10,000 cash incentive every age milestone and will still receive PHP100,000 upon reaching 100 years old.

Villafuerte said the national database would also help with the distribution of the government’s recently-increased monthly pension for indigent senior citizens from PHP500 to PHP1,000.

‘I am appealing to our LGU (local government unit) officials to go the extra mile in giving a hand to the NCSC and three more agencies in putting up the Elderly Data Management S
ystem or list of elderly Filipinos entitled to the cash bonanza, along with the national database of all senior citizens for the purpose of, among others, determining who among them are actually qualified to receive the monthly allowance for indigent seniors that has been increased beginning this year from PHP500 to PHP1,000,’ he said.

He added RA 11982 tasks the NCSC to undertake an online registration of the intended beneficiaries for its would-be Elderly Data Management System, which shall contain all relevant information about elderly Filipinos eligible for the cash gifts.

The database will be developed in coordination with LGUs, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

‘It seems safe to say at this point that the NCSC does not yet have the complete list of all seniors who have reached, or are to about to reach, the ages of 80, 85, 90, 95 or 100, considering that only over 4
million senior citizens have thus far registered on its official website,’ he said.

Villafuerte said such an authoritative database will go a long way in helping the NCSC identify all senior citizens, locate them and ensure that they can avail of the benefits intended for them.

He said around 4,419,153 senior citizens have registered as of March 1, 2024 which represents only a third of the 12.2 million Filipinos that the PSA reported to have turned 60 years old as of March 2020.

He cited official government data showing that there are about 4.1 million indigent seniors and 90,000 who are octogenarians, nonagenarians or centenarians.

‘Seldom do Filipinos reach the age of 100, so what better way for the national government and the Congress to show our country’s appreciation for the significant contributions of our grandparents and other seniors to society during their relatively more productive years than to give them a cash windfall not only when they become centenarians but even when they turn 80, 85, 90
and 95 years old,’ Villafuerte said.

He also supported the proposal to tap the government’s unprogrammed funds or savings to fund the cash gifts to qualified seniors under RA 11982 considering that the new law is not covered by this year’s budget.

Earlier, NCSC chairman Franklin Quijano, in a public briefing at Malacañan Palace, sought the help of LGUs and senior citizens’ organizations in updating and completing the commission’s accurate database covering about 12.3 million Filipinos 60 years of age and above, and including their respective health profiles.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Court of Appeals (CA) has ordered the return of the drug charges against Rolan ‘Kerwin’ Espinosa to a Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC).

In a 12-page decision promulgated on February 22, the appellate court set aside the August 14, 2020 decision of the Manila RTC Branch 26 acquitting Espinosa of violation of Section 5 and Section 11 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act., and affirmed the government’s claim that the prosecution was denied due process to fully present its evidence before issuing the ruling.

The case has its origins in the three sets of Information filed against Espinosa: two sets of Information for Violation of Section 11 of R.A. No. 9165 (Illegal Possession of Dangerous Drugs) and Violation of Presidential Decree (P.D.) No. 1866, as amended by R.A. No. 8294 (Illegal Possession of Firearms) regarding an incident on April 26, 2011; and one set of Information8 for Violation of Section 5 of R.A. No. 9165 (Trading and Distribution of Dangerous Drugs) regarding the incidents on Jul
y 28, 2016.

In its petition, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) argued that the RTC’s decision and resolution were issued with grave abuse of discretion, and in violation of the petitioner’s right to due process when the prosecution was not allowed to conclude the presentation of their evidence.

In its ruling, the CA noted that the decision of the trial court ‘does not mention any consolidation of the three criminal cases.’

Secondly, the appellate court said the decision was promulgated by the trial court without the presence of the handling public prosecutor, which could have clarified in open court that the prosecution has yet to rest its case.

“Given that the Respondent Judge who denied the Motion for Reconsideration of Petitioner failed to consider these circumstances when it resolved the issues, he also committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction,’ the CA said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The weather bureau on Thursday said there is an increasing probability that La Niña would occur from June to July.

La Niña Watch was raised by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) as the probability for the phenomenon to occur in the next six months is 55 percent.

“Pre-developing La Niña historically, is characterized by below-normal rainfall, therefore, the possibility of a slight delay on the onset of rainy season is likely with the combined effects of the ongoing El Niño,” the bureau said.

In a press conference, PAGASA Climate Monitoring and Prediction chief Ana Liza Solis said even if the bureau has issued the La Niña Watch alert, the public should still concentrate on the impacts of strong El Niño.

“Historically, below-normal rainfall is observed during pre-developing La Niña. We are not going to tackle yet the possible effects of La Niña since it is too far from now, and is still uncertain,” she said.

PAGASA said while El Niño has shown s
igns of weakening, the phenomenon is expected to persist between March to May.

Latest report from PAGASA bared that 24 provinces in Luzon and one province in the Visayas experienced drought. At least 16 provinces across the country experienced dry spells while 10 others were under dry conditions.

Solis said El Niño’s impact could be felt more between March and April when about 40 provinces could experience drought.

Areas experiencing drought are receiving below-normal rainfall for five consecutive months or way below-normal (40 percent reduction) in rainfall for three months.

Source: Philippines News Agency

BUENAVISTA: The Antique provincial government is requesting the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to expand the Local Adaptation to Water Access (LAWA) projects in the province to support food sufficiency, especially during the onset of the El Niño phenomenon.

Fernando Corvera, Antique provincial government consultant on agri-fishery, said on Thursday the LAWA or small water reservoir projects in the province provided water for farmers during this dry spell.

‘The LAWA projects enabled our farmers to have water to be used for their crops even during the dry spell,’ he said in an interview.

The towns of Sibalom, Sebaste and Barbaza served as pilot areas in Western Visayas in 2023, and the projects’ expansion to the 15 other municipalities of the province could help ensure food self-sufficiency.

The provincial board on March 4 passed a resolution urging the DSWD to strengthen the implementation of the project.

Board member Alfie Jay Niquia, author of the resolution, also urged the implemen
tation of Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for Impoverished (BINHI) to mitigate the impacts of the dry spell.

‘The recipients of projects LAWA and BINHI will participate in water-saving initiatives such as constructing small agricultural reservoirs, maintaining multipurpose water infrastructure, restoring and mending water harvesting facilities, diversifying water sources, hydroponics and aquaculture while others will take part in planting or on vegetable gardening,’ he said.

Source: Philippines News Agency