Commodity prices seen to ease by mid-2023

Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion, also Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) jobs group lead, said commodity prices are seen to ease by middle of this year and inflation rate will slow down towards the end of 2023.

During the Laging Handa public briefing Monday, Concepcion said supply chain disruptions in the global market remains a factor that affect commodity prices not only in the country but also other markets.

“I expect by middle of this year, we see lower prices, hopefully, lower— we’re seeing oil prices go down, We’re seeing wheat prices go down. Hopefully, sugar and the rest will all go down,” he said.

He added that the interest rate hikes of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has helped in taming the further acceleration of inflation rate.

Concepcion said slowing down the inflation rate will also support economic growth this year.

Inflation in 2022 stood at 5.8 percent, still within the government’s target, but December 2022 inflation recorded its 14-year high at 8.1 percent.

Despite the high inflation rate, Concepcion said domestic demand remains robust that support the economy.

“We can see demand coming back, growth coming back,” he added. (PNA)

The inclusion of an escrow provision in the pending Magna Carta for Filipino seafarers will adversely affect the legal battle for labor claims.

The employers and manning agencies again proposed the provision which in essence aimed to amend the Labor Code that will have significant impact on the “ immediately final and executory” nature of decisions issued by National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) and the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB).

They stressed that such move is necessary to ensure the restitution of monetary awards in case the appropriate appellate court annuls or partially or totally reverses the monetary judgment award. The proceeds shall remain in escrow until such time the finality of the decision issued by the appropriate appellate court is obtained.

They proposed said provision while misleadingly blaming the dwindling numbers of deployed seafarers on the increasing number of litigated cases involving monetary claims for disability and death benefits, as well as il-

ATTY. DENNIS R. GORECHO PINOY MARINO RIGHTS

Proposed Escrow Provision In The Magna Carta Prejudicial For Seafarers

legal dismissal, unpaid or underpayment of salaries and wages.

Described as “ambulance chasers”, they have deliberately and sweepingly depicted seafarers’ lawyers as “unscrupulous” in an attempt to deflect the real issues why cases are being filed. They criticized most lawyers who go to lengths to push seafarers to file labor cases against their foreign employers.

They consistently used the phrase “balancing the interest of the seafarer and the company” on the premise that their proposals will ensure employment of Filipinos on board foreign ocean-going vessels.

Employers are throwing off-balance the already imbalanced legal battle on seafarers’ claims as every labor dispute is a David and Goliath situation.

In essence, they utilize the phrase that seafarers seek “benefits even beyond the claims they are actually entitled” to sanitize the problematic legal battle for seafarer’s compensation.

Valid claims, employers argue, necessarily must follow what the POEA contract dictates: a contract that contains terms and conditions formulated more favorable to his employer and is littered with ambiguous provisions, generalizations, technicalities that he does not understand.

Under the 1996 POEA contract, for disability or death to be compensable, it was sufficient that the seafarer suffered injury or illness during the term of his employment. The cause of illness or death is immaterial.

However, the restrictive clause “work-related” was added under Section 20 (B) of the 2000 POEA contract to limit the employer’s liabilities.

The 2000 POEA SEC defined “work-related injury” as “injury resulting in disability or death arising out of and in the course of employment” and “work-related illness” as “any sickness resulting to disability or death as a result of an occupational disease listed under Section 32-A of the contract”.

Two elements must concur for compensability: first, that the injury or illness must be work-related; and second, it must have existed during the term of the seafarer’s employment contract. The first requirement appeared

FRED C. LUMBA SPECKS OF LIFE

“Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.”ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

*******

Calm, cool and collected, PBBM faced his “grillers” from members of the mainstream broadcast media recently and revealed his savvy, a facet of his persona that many of his detractors would not have believed.

The inquirers zeroed in on the frequent presidential travels, the agri sector and the rising costs of commodities, the China state visit and he meeting with Xi Jin Ping, the irritating issues at the West Philippine Sea involving Pinoy fishermen and their “near” collision with Chinese coast guards shooing them away, the Maharlika wealth fund, and some other.

The ‘dialogue’ would have been far more “colorful” had the time been extended because I thought there were still follow up questions that needed to be raised and clarified.

Judging from the manner he premised his response, PBBM did not attempt to hide - or was not hiding - something from the journalists as sometimes - even White House spokespersons do - interviewees are wont to evade.

(Expect a possible meeting with the print journalists to balance the media interview so that none is considered a favorite or friendlier with the powers that be. Don’t you think so?)

Of course, viewers would have preferred Jessica Soho’s (GMA7) presence because Karen Davila of ABS CBN was there. Soho’s absence is very intriguing as she is known to be a feisty anti-Marcos observer since way back.

Was she not invited or she preferred that somebody else be sent in her stead?

Anyway, the proceedings went casually fluid and smooth as the Chief Executive explained in layman’s language his responses.

There was a vacuum that I noticed as the broadcasters were given pre-assigned numbers so that the order of asking questions is not muddled.

Only a pair of questions were granted to each interviewer although a few managed to make in the 2000 and 2010 POEA contract but is absent in the 1996 version.

Through such restrictive provisions of the POEA contract, claims for disability and death compensation became a legal battleground which is partly attributable to the fact that employers do not hesitate to harness their immense resources to limit their liability.

Data from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) indicated that from 2015 to 2019, it took 7.2 years on average for an OFW money claims case to go through the entire judicial process from the date of filing of the complaint in the NLRC up to the time the Supreme Court decides on it.

The seafarer will wait for longer years before they receive the NLRC/NCMB award if the proposed escrow provision will be included.

Without any leverage in prosecuting his monetary claims, chances are, the seafarer bows to the demand of his employer to either drop his claim or accept a small settlement.

In cases of seafarers with medical conditions, some incur

Media Savvy

more than one follow up question.

The chap who asked about Zandro Marcos’ being a member of the RP delegation that flew to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland was quite a damper.

The young third generation Marcos, being the author of the Maharlika Wealth Fund in the House of Representatives which PBBM proudly presented to the august audience and to prominent businessmen there, was tasked by the President to elaborate on the concept.

But the thing that floored me was the query if the young Marcos was being prepared by the President and his family to follow his political footsteps and someday run for the presidency when the time is ripe.

That question was sophomoric.

No, the Chief Executive softly uttered, although he seemed to have been taken aback and then he recovered.

In so many words, PBBM responded that all politicians journey where their political directions bring them. A politician prepares himself for the tough task ahead and if he carefully plots his way intelligently, he will reach his political destination. huge debts to sustain their medication while others die before the decision by the Supreme Court is released.

Meaning, it is up to the young Marcos to chart his own political fate.

But for the sake of argument, that already is a given. Why pursue it?

This is especially true for scions of old but prominent political clans and families that have produced presidents - like the Macapagals, the Aquinos, the Marcoses and presumably, the Dutertes.

(Unfortunately, the Osmenas, the Roxases, the Magsaysays have yet to produce one from their ranks.)

PBBM said this year his foreign travels will be limited except for summits that require his executive attendance like the APEC and the ASEAN.

He said as a “new kid on the block,” it was necessary for him to introduce himself and get to know the “right” people whom he can personally call and dialogue with.

Unless their definition of “valid claims” is changed, through the deletion of the “work-related” clause, and through the reversion to the old 1996 POEA Contract , the denials of seafarers’ claims will continue that will result to increasing legal cases. The compensation scheme should be less restrictive and more realistic. If the provision that aims to delay in execution will be included, the proposed Magna Carta becomes a tool of oppression and inequity to the prejudice of the seafarer.

In the end, the “balance of scale” will tilt more to capital as this will protect the business interest of the manning agencies and their principal rather than the seafarers themselves.

(Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, email info@sapalovelez. com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786)

He brings along a retinue of Cabinet members and their staff to ensure that the necessary paperwork and documents for presentation are available when they meet and engage foreign counterparts.

“What is important is the R-O-I ( return on investment) that will be realized as the exchange value for the expenses,” PBBM told his interviewers at the Palace.

Definitely, no President of any country would waste his time and taxpayers’ money traveling to a foreign country without bringing back positive results of his sales pitching.

The R-O-I may not exactly come soonest but as the president’s men begin to review and make follow ups of their engagements and meetings, something concrete and solid results will emerge.

Our country may not be like Singapore as of now but our potentials - unlike our neighbors - are huge and unlimited. (Email feedback to fredlumba@yahoo. com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!