MANILA: A worker’s party-list group on Wednesday expressed willingness to collaborate with the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs (OSAPIEA) on a pro-labor rights pivot to make the Philippines a prime destination for foreign direct investments.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) vice president Luis Corral said the group is ready to partner with the current administration to address economic obstacles and fulfill investment pledges to establish the Philippines as a global investment hub.

‘We stand ready to partner with the Marcos Administration, especially Secretary Frederick Go, to promote progressive, worker-centered, and race-to-the-top labor relations to attract investors to set up shop here and generate more and better jobs for all because trade is inextricably tied to the full and free exercise of workers’ rights,” Corral said in a statement.

Corral said for the Philippines to be the priority investment destination, particularly of the
United States, the government should prioritize workers’ rights in its labor and employment policies.

He said the need to amplify the right of workers’ freedom of association, which includes the right to organize, should also be addressed.

To upgrade the investment and employment potential of the Philippines, he said the long-pending priority labor legislation on security of tenure and freedom of association should be enacted.

Speedy competent investigation and resolution of cases of labor rights violations are also the “levers” to a pro-labor rights pivot, he noted.

‘This pro-labor rights pivot serves as an international seal of good housekeeping for sustainable businesses either to invest in the Philippines or to export tariff-free to foreign markets, generating more and better jobs for Filipino working families,” he said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday asked the Department of Energy (DOE) to explain the delay in submitting a new energy roadmap to Congress and urged the agency to do so promptly.

The country’s Philippine Energy Plan (PEP), which extends up to 2050, seeks to increase the use of renewable energy and come up with an energy mix towards a clean energy scenario.

‘The Philippine Energy Plan will be the foundation for achieving cleaner energy, promoting economic growth, and enhancing the well-being of our people,’ Gatchalian in a statement.

According to the senator, the DOE is supposed to submit to Congress an updated energy roadmap by Sept. 15 of each year as mandated under Republic Act 9136, also known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA).

‘The submission of the PEP is already more than three months overdue. The DOE needs to comply with this requirement immediately,’ Gatchalian said.

The Philippines’ current renewable energy goals are at 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040.

‘H
indi katanggap-tanggap na naantala na nang husto ang pinakahuling Energy Plan na napakaimportanteng dokumento para maisulong nang husto ang sapat at malinis na suplay ng enerhiya sa bansa (It is unacceptable that the latest Energy Plan, which is a very important document to significantly promote adequate and clean energy supply in the country, has been delayed so much),’ he added.

As per the DOE, the PEP is a comprehensive roadmap for the energy sector, ensuring sustainable, stable, secure, sufficient, accessible, and reasonably-priced energy.

Source: Philippines News Agency

BACOLOD CITY: An initial three firms have expressed interest in bidding for the proposed PHP1.2 billion Negros Occidental Bulk Water Supply Project (NBWSP) under a public-private partnership (PPP) scheme.

These are the Manila Water Company Inc., Aboitiz InfraCapital, and Balibago Waterworks System Inc.

Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II, chairperson of the PPP for the People-Selection Committee, on Wednesday, welcomed the development after the province published an invitation to bid last month.

‘They have already bought the bid documents in December. We are happy that at least three are interested in pursuing our PPP project for bulk water supply to give a solution to the water shortage in the local government units in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City,’ he told reporters.

Diaz said other interested industry players can purchase the bid documents until Jan. 31, ahead of the pre-selection of qualified bidders on Feb. 7.

The NBWSP involves the financing, engineering design, construction, op
eration, and maintenance of a bulk water supply system with a minimum capacity of 34.5 million liters per day to be sourced from the Imbang River and/or the Malogo River.

The project expects to supply treated bulk water to six water service providers, namely the Bacolod City Water District, Silay City Water District, Talisay (City) Water District, Victorias City Water District, Manapla Water District, and Local Government Unit of E.B. Magalona.

Its implementation is through a contractual joint venture with the provincial government for 38 years, including a construction period of three years.

Based on the project background, there is ‘an increasing concern on the sustainability of water supply service sources in Negros Occidental, which at present are predominantly groundwater sources.’

Data showed that groundwater availability is only 8 percent, creating an urgent need to utilize other water sources, including surface water resources with 92 percent availability.

As such, the NBWSP aims to address the i
ncreasing water demand by developing surface water to provide potable, sustainable, and resilient water supply to Negrenses and reduce dependence on groundwater and deep wells.

Source: Philippines News Agency

LAOAG CITY: The Ilocos Norte government is retaining the services of its Barangay (village) Ranger Officers (BROs) this year to safeguard upland forests and watersheds.

Marygail Antonette Killa, head of the Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO), confirmed this in an interview Wednesday as over 200 BROs living in the mountainous parts of Ilocos Norte had been tapped to take care of the province’s ‘Green Wall’ project.

The project covers around 8,000 hectares of forest lands and watersheds in the municipalities of Solsona, Marcos, Nueva Era, Dingras, Vintar, and the cities of Batac and Laoag City.

In the past 10 years, the BROs have sustained the province’s local greening program by planting and growing endemic tree species as well as fruit-bearing trees.

According to the ENRO, the ranger’s presence has also discouraged the illegal cutting of trees and prevented the occurrence of grass fires, among other threats.

‘To sustain our efforts to protect our forests and watershed areas, we need to conti
nue hiring more BROs this year,’ Killa said.

A total of 205 BROs were deployed in the mountains to plant more trees and to help guard the area from various threats.

Hiring of BROs also forms part of the continuing cash-for-work emergency employment program of the Ilocos Norte government.

Aside from safeguarding the forests, the recipients also help in social community services in their respective areas such as debris removal, canal de-clogging, garbage separation, material recovery, stockpiling, and clearing operations.

They are also encouraged to grow high-value crops such as ginger, taro, and sweet potatoes which they can sell to sustain their family needs.

Source: Philippines News Agency

DUMAGUETE CITY: Last year’s dengue cases in Negros Oriental were 38 percent fewer than the cases in 2022, a health official said on Wednesday.

Dr. Liland Estacion, Provincial Health Office (PHO) chief, said data from Jan. 1 to Dec. 23, 2023 showed that only 1,447 cases and five deaths were reported, compared to 2,277 cases and 11 deaths in the previous year.

‘This is an encouraging development considering that it was supposed to be an epidemic year, which takes place every three years, but fortunately we were able to stem the spread of dengue infection,’ she said.

The last epidemic was in 2019, during which Negros Oriental logged 6,844 cases with 23 deaths, the highest in 10 years.

PHO is still collating data for its weekly reporting on dengue cases starting Dec. 24 last year, but Estacion believes the current figures will have a minimal adjustment.

Records from the Provincial Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (PESU) showed that dengue cases ranged from five months to 85 years old, affecting mostly the age
group of one to 10, at 43 percent of the total number.

Dumaguete, the province’s capital, logged the highest number of cases with 220; followed by La Libertad, 164; Sibulan, 116; Bindoy, 97; Siaton, 86; Bais City, 76; Ayungon, 73; Valencia, 68; Tanjay City, 62; Mabinay, 57; and Manjuyod, 53.

The rest of the cities and municipalities had fewer than 50 cases, with Basay having the least with one case.

The deaths recorded this year were from Ayungon, Valencia, Mabinay, Pamplona, and Sibulan.

Estacion said the decline in cases is due to an intensified ‘4S’ strategy to combat dengue, which stands for search and destroy mosquito breeding places, seek early consultation, secure self-protection, and support anti-dengue fogging or spraying operations.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Taguig City government on Wednesday took exception to Makati City’s announcement on the closure of health facilities in the 10 EMBO (enlisted men’s barrio) barangays due to the expiration of their license to operate (LTO).

These villages are Cembo, Comembo, East Rembo, Pembo, Pitogo, Post Proper Northside, Post Proper South Side, Rizal, South Cembo and West Rembo, which are now under Taguig City’s jurisdiction pursuant to a 2022 ruling of the Supreme Court.

In a statement, the Taguig City government called such pronouncements deceitful and misleading, saying health centers do not require LTOs to operate except for those classified as registered primary care facilities.

“Iisa lamang ang registered primary care facility sa EMBO, ang Pitogo Health Center, na may lisensyang tatlong taon na may bisa pa. Kaya’t lahat ng health centers sa EMBO ay maaring magpatuloy ng operasyon kung gustong magbigay ng serbisyo (There is only one primary care facility at the EMBO and this is the Pitogo Health Center w
hose license is still valid for three years. All health centers at the EMBO can still operate if these want to provide services),” it added.

Taguig also said its representatives, along with those of Makati and the Department of Health (DOH) met in August and September last year to discuss the transition process, where it was agreed upon that healthcare services will not be impacted by the EMBO barangays’ turnover.

It was also agreed upon that Taguig will have authority and jurisdiction over these medical facilities by Oct. 1, 2023.

Taguig said it has immediately sought funds to buy the needed equipment and medicines and hire the necessary medical personnel for these facilities.

The Taguig City government also maintained that it is prepared to show its ownership of all public facilities in the EMBO villages and that it is prepared to provide the services needed by its residents.

On Tuesday, the Makati City government said while it wants to continue the operation of the health centers and lying-in clinics
in the 10 EMBO barangays, these would have to be closed due to the expiry of their license to operate.

It also announced that the validity of Blu Card and Yellow Card of residents in these barangays, which gives them access to Makati’s various benefits and services, have already been terminated.

Source: Philippines News Agency