Revoke licenses of erring mining firms Duterte vows to continue drug war
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PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE has vowed to continue his war on drugs, saying “it will be as relentless and chilling as on the day it began.” Speaking before members of the Senate and House of Representatives for his third State of the Nation Address, Duterte also accused the country’s human rights advocates of failing to criticize “druglordism, drug dealing and drug pushing.”
“Let me begin by putting it bluntly: The war against illegal drugs is far from over,” Duterte said two minutes into his 48-minute speech. He noted how drug trafficking had become rampant. “That is why the illegal drugs war will not be sidelined,” he said. Since Duterte’s first day as president on June 30, 2016, up to June 30, 2018, more than 4,500 people have been killed in what the Philippine National Police
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‘The Dawning of a New Era’
(PNP) calls lawful anti-drug operations, alleging that the suspects fought back during raids. Thousands more have been killed by unidentified assailants throughout the country. The Human Rights Watch said Duterte’s attack on human rights advocates for being silent on drug dealers is merely an attempt to deflect their criticism of his abusive campaign. Continue on page 2
P10 July 30 - Aug 05, 2018
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By Jun Ledesma
Rodrigo Duterte (Presidential Photo)
Pantaleon Alvarez (Facebook account)
Gloria Aroyo (Facebook account)
Sarah Duterte (Presidential Photo)
‘Stay alert and vigilant’ Pro-ISIS militants out to sow terror, chaos
HE P HILIPP INE militar y has ur ged the public to be on aler PHILIPP HILIPPINE military urged alertt and stay vigilant at all times follo wing attempts b y pr o-ISIS militants to bomb civilian tar gets following by pro-ISIS targets in the rrestiv estiv e souther n rregion. egion. estive southern Just recently, troops improvised explosive blamed failed attack to the and policemen foiled a along General Lim Street Bangsamoro Islamic bombing attempt in and immediately informed Freedom Fighters (BIFF) Tacurong City after a authorities about it. and tagged two fighters Continue on page 4 civilian discovered an Security officials have
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Watch groups to keep an eye on Marawi rehab ILIGAN CITY – Various groups and residents of Marawi City - destroyed by fighting between security
forces and pro-ISIS militants last year - have launched the Marawi Reconstruction Conflict
Watch (MRCW ), an independent and neutral multi-stakeholder group, to Continue on page 2
BIFF militants in Mindanao. (Photo by Mark Navales)
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Watch groups to keep an eye on Marawi rehab
Continued fr om page 1 from help mitigate violent conflict that may result from the reconstruction process. Organizers said MRCW will continuously engage with government, its private sector partners, aid agencies, and other civil society organizations. Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM), the government arm leading the rehabilitation process, had previously announced it will begin reconstruction of the city’s most affected area in August. Families and clans affected by the conflict, i n t e r n a l l y- d i s p l a c e d businesses, religious leaders, community leaders including women and the youth, academia, and representatives from nongovernmental organizations (NGO), compose the MRCW. Sultan Nasser Sampaco, a member of the MRCW and chairman of the Marawi Sultanate League, said that the group intends to harness the people’s deep understanding of the local context and the web of formal and informal institutions that govern the city to ensure that the rebuilding process is “p e o p l e - c e n t e re d , informed by best practices, and conflict-sensitive.” According to Sampaco, meaningful local participation will not only foster trust and help prevent violent conflict; it will also nuance and sharpen government responses to ensure positive outcomes. Clamor for infor mation information and par ticipation participation Nikki dela Rosa, country manager of peacebuilding organization International Alert Philippines, said the MRCW was born out of a series of dialogues that International Alert conducted with clan members together with the World Bank and the TFBM in April and July. “The clan consultations provided an opportunity for people to voice out their aspirations and anxieties about the reconstruction process and for their opinions to be heard, understood, and accepted. The people had clamored for this momentum of engagement to be sustained in a feedback
loop among stakeholders,” she said. De la Rosa said that during the consultations, the stakeholders have identified urgent issues and potential violent flashpoints that the government may face as it implements its reconstruction and rehabilitation plan for Marawi. Among the issues raised are the possibility of revenge killings due to the loss of lives, properties, livelihoods and businesses, land-related conflict that may re-ignite during the period of reoccupation of the main-affected area, push back against government if the amount, allocation and release of reparation and compensation package and the provision of public works and basic services are deemed unjust, and violent extremist tapping into local grievances to expand recruitment. People eople’’s commitment Fedelinda Tawagon, also an MRCW member and President of Dansalan College, said the MRCW will regularly meet with concerned government agencies to assess the economic, political, social, and cultural effects of the reconstruction process from awarding of the joint venture agreement with the developer, the construction proper, return of the residents of the most affected area in Marawi and post-reconstruction. The MRCW will surface critical information on risks and issues that citizens have and propose actions to address these, she said. “It is an emotional time for all of us, seeing that our homes, businesses, schools, and communities, the result of sleepless nights, of passion and commitment, of industry and frugality, and of a lot of sweat, blood and tears, were reduced to rubble.” “But we are pledging our collective knowledge, expertise, deep experience, and fortitude in the cause of conflict-proofing the economic, social, cultural, and political transition during the Marawi reconstruction process, and rebuilding relationships of peoples,” Tawagon said. Dansalan College, the only Christian school that operated in Marawi, and one of the premiere institutions of the province of Lanao del Sur, was burned by the Maute group and
completely destroyed by government airstrikes during the siege. Conflict-sensitive reconstr uction econstruction Francisco Lara, Jr., International Alert Philippines’ Peace and Conflict Adviser-Asia said the NGO shall provide timely data and analysis to the MRCW to ensure evidence-based approaches and strategies. The NGO which operates in conflictaffected areas in the country runs Conflict Alert, a subnational conflict monitoring system that tracks the incidents, causes, costs, manifestations of violent conflict in the Bangsamoro, CARAGA, and Davao regions. Lara said that International Alert Philippines will also link the MRCW with an experts action group composed of auditors, engineers, development and conflict specialists, among others, who will input on issues and help the people decide on their recommendations. International Alert Philippines will serve as the secretariat of the MRCW with support from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Australian Government. Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Gorely highlighted how support for the MRCW complemented Australia’s humanitarian assistance for people displaced from Marawi, and technical assistance to Task Force Bangon Marawi to support the city’s rehabilitation. “The Marawi Reconstruction Conflict Watch will help bring together stakeholders – including communities, various levels of government and the private sector – to help ensure a peaceful rebuilding of this unique city. I am proud that Australia is supporting this important forum,” said Ambassador Gorely. Sampaco expressed hope that with the MRCW, the rebuilding process will be as peaceful as possible. “We look forward to ensuring, alongside key stakeholders and agencies, the achievement of a durable peace and inclusive redevelopment of Marawi,” he said. (Diana Jean Moraleda. Mindanao Examiner contributed to this report.)
Duterte vows to continue drug war Continued fr om page 1 from It said Duterte’s promise to relentlessly pursue the war on drugs can only mean more suffering for poor urban Filipinos who account for most of the campaign’s victims. “It can only mean the perpetuation of impunity and zero
accountability,” Carlos Conde, of the Human Rights Watch, said. He said the President thumbed his nose at the International Criminal Court, which has launched a preliminary examination on the complaints filed against Duterte in relation
to the killings. “The ICC, as well as the United Nations Human Rights Council should take this open challenge and ensure that the president and his chief subordinates in the drug war are held to account,” Conde said. (Mindanao Examiner)
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July 30 - Aug 05, 2018
ConCom spells out regions' revenue sources under Federal gov’t THE CONSULTATIVE C O M M I T T E E (ConCom) which drafted the proposed Federal Constitution has spelled out the sources of revenues for the federated regions in an effort to educate Filipinos about the draft. According Ding Generoso, ConCom senior technical assistant and spokesperson, revenues will come from five sources: Regions’ own collection of taxes and fees; share of top revenue sources; share from Equalization Fund; additional funding through the General Appropriations Act; and share of income from natural resources. Regions’ own taxes, fees Generoso explained that under Section 2 of Article XIII on Fiscal Powers and Financial Administration, federated regions shall have the power to levy and collect the following taxes, licenses and fees: Real Property Tax; Estate Tax; Donor’s Tax; Documentary Stamp Tax; Professional Tax; Franchise Tax; Games and Amusement Tax; Environmental Tax, Pollution Tax, and similar taxes; Road Users Tax; Vehicle Registration Fees; Transport Franchise Fees; and local taxes and other taxes which may be granted by federal law. He also allayed fears that giving federated regions taxation powers would result in double taxation, noting that Section 3 of the same article clearly states that “No double taxation shall be allowed.” “ We don’t know how clearer and how more explicit we could get with a provision that says no double taxation should be allowed. If a tax is being collected by the federal government, the same tax can no longer be collected by the federated regions,” Generoso said. “Most of these taxes and fees are now being collected by
the national gover nment. What ConCom proposes is simply to transfer the collection of these taxes from the national gover nment to the regional government.” Share of top revenue sources Under Section 4 of the same article, Generoso said that the federated regions shall also be given a share of not less than 50 percent of all the revenues from income tax, excise tax, value added tax, and customs duties, which shall be equally divided among them and automatically released. “What the ConCom proposes is equal share, 50 percent, of the revenue collected from these sources split halfway between the federal government and the federated region and the 50 percent of the federated regions to be divided equally among them,” Generoso said. Share from equalization fund Generoso explained that Section 5 of the same article creates an Equalization Fund which shall not be less than three percent of the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA). “If we compute how much tax and fees will be collected and add with the share in the 50 percent of the top four revenue sources we will see disparities--there are regions with a high total and regions with a low total. How do we address the deficit of other regions? We go to the Equalization Fund,” Generoso said, emphasizing that the fund will be distributed based on the need of each region but with priority to those that require support to achieve financial viability and economic sustainability. The Federal Intergovernmental Commission will be tasked to determine and assess the capabilities of the region and need for it to source from the Equalization Fund, he said.
Additional funding through GAA Under Section 6 of the same article, Generoso said that regions can also get their revenue from the annual GAA. “ The Congress, through the annual General Appropriations Act, may provide additional finances for the regions to effectively and efficiently deliver government services to their constituents,” the section reads. Finally, Section 7 states that federated regions are also entitled to 50 percent of all net revenues derived from the exploration, development, and utilization of all natural resources within their territory. “Whatever revenue the government will get from the utilization of a particular resource in a region, 50 percent will automatically go to the region and it is up to regional government to distr ibute it to the constituent units,” Generoso said. He further said that the most impor tant part of federalism is giving power to the regions to appropriate their funds according to their needs and priorities and no longer decided by Congress. “They will have the power to appropriate-whatever their priorities are whatever city, province they want to give a higher share, it’s all up to the legislative assembly of the region and the regional governor. So there’s no dictation from Manila. You don’t have to go to Manila to lobby for appropriation,” Generoso said. Generoso said taxation is the most important power of government. “Because without taxation, no gover nment will survive. The first power that government must exercise is the power to tax because with taxation then you can have money, resources to do every other thing,” Generoso said. (Azer Parrocha)
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The Mindanao Examiner
July 30 - Aug 05, 2018
‘The dawning of a new era’ WHAT AN OUTRAGEOUS fortune! In the echelon of power the Speaker of the House is not too far away from the Presidency and wields vast powers among these as custodian of the purse and, in the language of Rep. Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez himself, can impeach a President. For Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio, those sound bites has portentous meaning and if her father did not take that as an affront, the lady Mayor does. Actually she let that pass. When she spearheaded the organization of Hugpong ng Pagbabago however, Speaker Alvarez was quoted as saying that HnP was an opposition party. This was what broke the camel’s back. The presidential daughter said a mouthful against Alvarez and made it clear in the turf of the Speaker that HnP will put up a candidate against him. But what was Hugpong ng Pagbabago all about? It was organized to consolidate the political leadership in the Region 11 to harmonize development planning and make it a power conglomerate that could collectively demand due shares of national government project allocation. It was meant to disperse industries in the region outside of Davao City to prevent over concentration of population and industrialization. In short, the political leaders and planners do not what to see the nightmare of Metro Manila congestion. They
by Jun Ledesma
The First Family (PCOO Photo) have Architect Jun Palafox to help them design a megapolis out of the entire Region 11. HnP is made up of political personalities in the region but is far from being a political opposition. Not by any figment of rational imagination. It metamorphosed into a formidable regional political force because of a series of intrusions by outside political forces that cut across congressional boundaries in an attempt to devastate the burgeoning banana industry by dismantling bio-security measures that control the spread of the dreaded fusarium wilt.
Recall that Reps. Johnny Pimentel of Surigao, Rey Umali of Mindoro and Deputy Speaker Gwen Garcia of Cebu echoed the the call of Speaker Alvarez to dismantle the quarantine stations in Tadeco banana plantation and the probe into alleged irregularities of Joint Venture Agreement of the Floirendo-owned banana firm and the Bureau of Corrections. Earlier, the Chief of Staff of the speaker, a certain Edwin Hubahib, and DPWH Engr. Noel Basanes, already led the destruction of biosecurity gates in what they wrongly identified were located in public roads.
Party list Representative Ariel Casilao also dismissed warnings of the Philippine Banana Growers and Exporters Association that the dismantling of the quarantine stations will expose plantations to Fusarium wilt, not only of Tadeco, but all other plantations. Fusarium Wilt is also known as Panama disease, a soil-borne virus that wiped out the entire banana industry in that country. PBGEA had taken emergency preventive measures since the disease had attack plantations in Australia and other neighboring countries and already infected plantations of independent growers in Mindanao. The regional economy of Davao region is
threatened by sheer nonchalance and ignorance of lawmakers from other provinces and HnP has become a formidable force to deter that dubious external political alliance out to undermine the most vibrant regional economy in the country.“Don’t mess with me”, was the stinging message of Mayor Inday Sara who heads HnP. The message reverberated in all nooks and corners of the country providing motivations and encouragement for political leader who wants genuine reforms under the government of Pres. Rodrigo R. Duterte. I have sensed the quiet footsteps of leaders from Luzon and some from Visayas seeking audience and accord with leaders of HnP. As I have written earlier, the rise of a
strong regional political organizations has started to challenge the house leadership. I never realized it was that soon and it was that swift. Personally, I find it rather sad because I watched how the political fortunes of Bebot Alvarez and Tonyboy Floirendo wasted. We were friends and I heard them pledged to work together for Duterte and some of local candidates. The agenda was clear: support Duterte and his administration. Duterte became President and both Tonyboy and Bebot won their respective congressional seats. Tonyboy helped Bebot during that election and all the way to the latter’s speakership. I was therefore shocked to hear that Bebot faulted his friend over Tadeco’s JVA with BUCOR and even went ahead to file a case against him before the Ombudsman. That JVA had been in existence for nearly five decades and withstood legal scrutiny. Former Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, am confident will steer Congress to support and achieve the goals of President Duterte and even help in the economic agenda of this administration. Still I miss that euphorious moment when the President, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House are all from Mindanao. But then again this is the dawning of a new era for after all GMA is one of the unwavering allies of Duterte. This is the start of the Build, Build, Build program of the President. On the positive note he needs a workaholic and economist like Gloria. ( Jun Ledesma)
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The Mindanao Examiner
July 30 - Aug 05, 2018
‘Stay alert and vigilant’ Pro-ISIS militants out to sow terror, chaos
Continued fr om page 1 from Brah Lumambas and Bohari Adam, both bombmakers under militant leader Gani Saligan, as behind the attempt. The BIFF, whose members were mostly former Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels, is on a terror campaign following a series of defeat from deadly clashes with military forces in Mindanao in recent months.
“This is the second attempt of the BIFF terror group to create chaos in Tacurong City, but was successfully pre-empted through the help of our concerned civilians in the community,” said Col. Robert Dauz, commander of the 1st Infantry Mechanized Brigade. Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the 6th Infantry Division, said: “The bombing attempt was clearly meant
to create atrocities and terror attack in the peaceloving and progressive city of Tacurong.” He also appealed to citizens to immediately report to authorities anything that is suspicious – from people to abandoned baggage in public places and communities. Last May 27, security forces also foiled a bombing attempt by militants to sow terror after
an improvised explosive was found planted near a school in Tacurong City. Sporadic clashes still continue between troops and militants in North Cotabato and Maguindanao provinces and in nearby areas as BIFF stepped up its attacks on military targets. In June, fighting broke out in Olandang village in North Cotabato’s Midsayap town where troops raided a BIFF hideout and the target of the operation was militant
leader Mando Mamalumpong. Soldiers recovered an M16 automatic rifle, ammunition, two grenades and improvised explosive, including military uniform and a binocular, in the area where the gun fight occurred. The military also launched an offensive in Liguasan marsh in the neighboring province of Maguindanao and claimed to have killed over a dozen militants. It said the strike
also destroyed an alleged weapons’ factory of the BIFF in the marsh. The offensive forced thousands of villagers to flee their homes for fear they would be caught in the crossfire. The military assault also forced the Department of Education to suspend classes in four towns of General Salipada Pendatun, Pagalungan, Rajah Buayan and Montawal. (Mindanao Examiner)
'Build, Build, Build' program for 2019 has P909 billion funds
A TOTAL OF P909.7 billion out of the proposed p3.757 trillion national budget for 2019 will be allotted for the construction of the flagship projects under the "Build, Build, Build" program. The funding for infrastructure projects represents 24.2 percent of the cash budget for 2019 or 4.6 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). “Investments in sufficient and quality infrastructure will increase economic activity through improved mobility, connectivity and sustainability across the country,” President Rodrigo Duterte emphasized, adding, public infrastructure spending in 2019 is estimated to generate 1.1 million jobs. The Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) will get the bulk of the 2019 infrastructure budget amounting to P555.7 billion while the Department
of Transportation (DOTr) will take P76.1 billion. Duterte said the two departments will use the amount to provide connectivity for all Filipinos and to implement major infrastructure projects. Of the DPWH budget, P113.29 billion will be used for the network development including widening of 778.822kilometer roads with P35.93 billion budget and construction of by-pass and diversion roads and new roads with P63.77 billion. The DPWH has also P29.66 billion for the widening, replacement, retrofitting, repair and rehabilitation and construction of new bridges next year. “Bridges remain an important backbone of our infrastructure investments,” Duterte said. A total of P56.65 billion is allocated for asset preservation program to
keep the roads in good condition while P101.91 billion will be spent for flood management program including the P72.74-billion drainage systems. Since Metro Manila contributes at least 35 percent to the Philippine economy, DPWH has allotted P25.2 billion for the construction of 35-km Metro Manila subway project while P2 billion will be used to build 17 more stations of Pasig River Ferry Convergence Program. Duterte also emphasized the need to build more infrastructure projects outside Metro Manila to spur economic activities in the rural areas. For Luzon area, the projects include the 56-km P4.6-billion Philippine National Railways (PNR) South Commuter project from Solis, Tondo to Los Banos in Laguna; the 38-km P14.04-billion PNR North 1
Project that will have 10 stations from Tutuban in Manila to Malolos, Bulacan; the P17-billion Chico River Pump Irrigation System; P875-million Lower Agno River Irrigation System Extension Project in Pangasinan; and P311million Bongabong River Irrigation Project in Oriental Mindoro. The listed projects for Visayas, on the other hand, are the P754 million that will go to New Bohol (Panglao) International Airport; P450 million for Catbalogan airport in Samar; P50 million for Tacloban airport in Leyte; P282 million for New Cebu International Container Port Project; P75 million for rehabilitation and improvement of various ports and wharves. Mindanao also stands to receive P2.9 billion for construction of Mindanao Railway Project; P500 million for the Siargao Airport; P315
million for the Davao International Airport; P400 million for MalitubogMaridagao Irrigation Project Phase II in North Cotabato; P300 million Sapalan River Irrigation Project in Maguindanao; and, P92 million for the Central Mindanao (M’lang) airport. The bulk of the allocation for the DOTr, P24.6 billion will fund its various railway projects. DOTr has also allotted P2.2 billion for improvement of airports and P627 million for sea transport primarily for implementation of Phase 2 of the P330-million Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project. In a bid to make 145 cities throughout the country liveable, sustainable and inclusive, Duterte said his administration will continue investing in the infrastructure development outside Metro Manila. He said some P11.7
billion will be provided for the Assistance to Municipalities, basically to fund local access roads, local bridges, sanitation and health facilities, and potable water system projects, among others. Likewise, some P8.2 billion will be set aside for Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces to pave, repair, and improve around 500km of provincial roads. With number of Filipino internet users to hit 70 million in 2018, the Duterte administration also continued to invest in information technology infrastructure projects. A total of P1.2 billion and P280 million have been allotted for free internet Wi-Fi access in public places and state universities and colleges, respectively, while P177 million for National Government Data Center and P43 million for National Broadband Plan in 2019. (Jelly Musico)
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The Mindanao Examiner
July 30 - Aug 05, 2018
Growers, exporters call for zero-tariff on banana exports to Korea THE PHILIPPINES could end up losing South Korea as its top export destination for locally produced bananas three years from now unless tariffs are removed on this agricultural product. The proposed move is to enable Philippine bananas to compete with other banana exports entering this lucrative market on a level playing field, according to the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA). It also pressed the government anew to work out a bilateral agreement with South Korea to remove the 30-percent tariff on Philippine banana exports, saying, losing the Korean market, which is among the top three destinations for Philippine banana exports, would rob 32,000 workers and over 200,000 dependents in the domestic industry of their means of livelihood. It might also result in estimated annual export revenue losses of close to $300 million and another P6.5 billion in foregone local and national tax revenues, according to PBGEA. “Cheap banana imports from Central America have started to eat into the share of Philippine bananas in the Korean market and these could totally push us out of the picture by 2022, unless we get the same zero-tariff treatment as they do,” said Stephen Antig, PBGEA executive director. For his part, Alexander Valoria, the PBGEA president, pointed out that the Central American countries of Costa Rica, El
Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama would benefit from zero import tariffs on the bananas they export to South Korea by 2021. Peru is already enjoying zero tariffs on their banana exports to South Korea, while Colombia will get the same treatment also three years from now. Even Vietnam, a fellow ASEAN economy of the Philippines, will get to sell bananas to South Korea with zero-tariff by 2021, said Valoria, who is also president of Tagum Agricultural Development Corp. Paul Cuyegkeng, president of Sumifru Philippines Corp., said Filipino banana growers merely want a level playing field in competing with exporters from other countries not only in South Korea, but in Japan and China as well. “We are talking about protecting the banana industry and saving jobs,” Cuyegkeng said. “It would be highly ironic if we lose jobs in the banana industry, which is mostly based in Mindanao when the main program of our President, who hails from this island, is job creation.” Valoria said while the Central American countries recently signed a free trade accord with Korea as a bloc, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama were also able to forge separate bilateral agreements with Korea in favor of their agricultural exports. “This is the same level of support and action that we need to ensure that our fruit exports remain competitive
in the fast-expanding Asian market,” Antig said. “ASEAN has an existing free trade agreement with Korea, but we should negotiate separate bilateral deals like what the Central American countries did, so that the agreements are countryspecific and not regionalized.” Valoria said while the ASEAN-Korea Free Trade Agreement (AKFTA) is favorable to Southeast Asian economies in several aspects, it is highly disadvantageous to the Philippines in particular, when it comes to the banana trade because the fruit is included in Korea’s Highly Sensitive List (HSL), which means that banana is exempted from any tariff concessions from reciprocal agreements. “What we can do is to come up with a separate bilateral agreement, with Korea removing the import tariff on Philippine bananas,” Antig said. Valoria added that countries like Guatemala and Costa Rica currently export a small percentage of bananas to South Korea compared with the Philippines. "But they could easily bump us off from this lucrative export market three years from now because our bananas would be more expensive than those coming from Central America,” he pointed out. The high import tariff of 30 percent on Philippine bananas is shouldered by the buyer in Korea, Antig explained, so even if the Philippines is geographically
nearer, a businessman planning to sell the fruit in that country would prefer to buy from Central America because of the zero tax. “Without the actual removal of the import tariff, the Philippines will undoubtedly lose the Korean market to Central American competitors,” Antig said. According to PBGEA, South Korea represents a market of 30 million boxes for Philippine bananas from a production area of 8,000 hectares, or the equivalent of 390,000 tons.
Valoria noted that bilateral trade between the Philippines and Korea is heavily lopsided in favor of the latter. South Korean exports to the Philippines reached USD10.6 billion in 2017, while Philippine exports to Korea amounted to only USD3.7 billion. This trade imbalance can be corrected, Antig said, this is if the Philippines can get more favorable terms for the country’s exports to Korea, particularly agricultural products. “With the widening
agricultural trade deficit, we appreciate the call of (Socioeconomic Planning) Secretary (Ernesto) Pernia for increased government support to aid Philippine exports. But beyond doubling efforts to market the country's export products, the government must assess the benefits and disadvantages of existing free trade agreements to reverse trade imbalances with bilateral or multilateral partners, as in the case of the AKFTA,” Antig said.
Ambusher of Iligan City congressman slain in firefight
A police photo shows the body of slain hired killer Ronel Japay. PAGADIAN CITY – Police forces killed a former communist rebel – tagged in the ambush of a Filipino lawmaker four years ago – following a firefight in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga del Sur, officials said. Chief Inspector Helen Galvez, a regional police spokeswoman, said police forces last week were trying to arrest Ronel Bation Japay in the village of Campo Dos in Aurora town when he opened fire on the raiders, sparking a gun fight that eventually killed him.
Japay, also a notorious hired killer, was linked to ambush of Iligan City Rep. Vicente Belmonte, Jr., in December 11, 2014 that left him wounded. The attack killed four of Belmonte’s aides and injured 3 others. The group of Belmonte was heading to Iligan City from when gunmen ambushed them. Belmonte just arrived at the Laguindingan airport and his convoy was heading to Iligan City when gunmen sprayed his vehicles with automatic weapons in Laguindingan town in
Misamis Oriental province. Galvez said the former rebel was also being linked by the police in June 24, 2018 shooting of 61-year old Luz Yabo in Aurora town. “Subject person opted to engage the police personnel in a firefight and attempted to escape in a very steep ravine and was later pinned down during another round of gunfight with the pursuing policemen,” she said. Policemen also recovered Japay’s .45-caliber pistol and a fragmentation grenade. (Mindanao Examiner)
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The Mindanao Examiner
July 30 - Aug 05, 2018
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ZAMBOANGA CITY OFFICE: Unit 15, 3/F Fairland Building, Mayor Vitaliano Agan Avenue Phone & fax: 062-9925480 Mobile: 0995-5202358
DAVAO CITY OFFICE: Door 2, 402 Nidea Street, Barrio Obrero, Davao City, Philippines Phone: 082-2841859 Mobile: 0995-5202358
July 30 - Aug 05, 2018
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The Mindanao Examiner
Aid continues to pour for Sulu fire victims Revoke licenses of erring mining firms
Sulu Governor Toto Tan supervises the provincial relief operation for fire victims in Jolo town in these photos from the Provincial Government. RELIEF GOODS continue displaced by the fire. affected by the fire are my to arrive in Sulu province “Thousands of families fellow workers in the one week after a massive just lost their homes to two ARMM regional fire swept through fires that ravaged Busbus, government. One of the neighborhood in the Walled City and Lambayong homes that burned to the capital town of Jolo. At least in Jolo. We have put together ground belonged to my 8 people were injured in relief packages that aunt. I have many relatives one of the worst included Malong mats, who were affected by the conflagrations in the past pails, towels, basins, cups, fire in Busbus. In this decade. children’s clothing, as well as moment of dire need, I The fire, which started sacks of rice and sardines. must tap the vaunted shortly after noontime on Once we have determined fierceness of the Tausug July 23, continued for the number of people who that runs in my veins—in the veins of all Tausug.” “We are resilient, tough people who have survived much and risen from the ashes time and again. While we are doing all we can to get aid to our fellow Tausugs as quickly as we can, we are also calling on Tausugs outside of Sulu who want to help. We still don’t know what the dawn will bring to these people who have just lost their homes. We have been praying, as well as working to get help to them. Please pray with us,” Mawallil said. The fire broke out the same day Kusug Tausug party-list Representative Shernee Tan and former provincial governor Dr Sakur Tan sent relief goods to hundreds of people left homeless by a huge fire in Labuan village in Zamboanga City. Director Fazlur Rahman Abdulla, of the Sulu Area Coordinating Center, said a total of 5,200 ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman leads the ARMM families were affected by Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team in the conflagration. “The coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Office of the Governor Development-ARMM and Department of the Interior and Committed to provide a Local Government-ARMM assisted by the military in bag of rice to every delivering relief goods to the fire victims in these photos from affected family through the Facebook page of Director Amir Mawallil, of the ARMM every possible means as there is no supply of NFA Bureau of Public Information. rice for the purpose, more than 8 hours that need assistance and what leaving no option but to displaced some 30,000 assistance they need, more secure commercial rice,” people in the villages of help will be provided as fits he said. Busbus and Walled City. their needs,” said Director In April this year, Governor Toto Tan Amir Mawallil, of the ARMM dozens of families were of Public also left homeless after a dispatched teams of social Bureau workers and rescue teams Information. fire broke out in Jolo’s Alat Mawallil, a native of village. And in September and civilian volunteers to help those affected by the Sulu, said many of fellow 2007, thousands of people conflagration. workers and relatives were had been displaced by a Tan quickly provided also left homeless by the huge fire that consumed at food aid to the fire victims huge fire and he also least 500 houses in as the Bureau of Fire appealed for additional aid Asturias village. It left 9 Protection continues to for the fire victims. people wounded. “Some of the people (Mindanao Examiner) investigate the cause of the conflagration. Estimate to the damage it left was not immediately available. Governor Mujiv Hataman, of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), flew to Jolo town to personally see the situation there and ordered relief goods to be distributed among those
PAGADIAN CITY - An infrastructure-oriented think tank has urged President Rodrigo Duterte to decisively clamp down on erring mining firms which had destroyed the environment and compromised resources. “The President need not look too far, as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources already has a standing list of erring mining companies which, according to the President’s State of the Nation Address destroyed the environment and compromise our resources,” said Terry Ridon, convenor of Infrawatch PH and former urban poor chief of Duterte. Ridon said the President only needs to revisit the listed created by former DENR Secretary Gina Lopez and determine whether the mining companies in the list had already undertaken measures to protect the environment and contribute to what the President has said “as what needs to be given to my countrymen.” “It should be made clear that the President made no distinction on
payment of taxes, mining companies should also determine whether their activities are truly acceptable to communities within their mining areas. “We have heard many times over the repeated complaints indigenous communities being displaced from their
Lopez to ban open-pit mining due to the hazards it posed to the environment. She ordered an official audit of all operating mines and the moratorium on the approval of new mining projects, according to reports. During her stint, Lopez ordered the cancellation of Oceana Gold Philippines
homes and farms in order to accommodate mining concessions. Consistent with the President’s pronouncements, the people’s lives should be front and center in any policy related to mining activities,” Ridon said. Duterte also warned mining companies engaged in open-pit mining activities in the country. Lopez had ordered an
which irresponsible miners are - whether largescale or small-scale mining, the policy direction of the President is to preserve the environment and contribute to what the people truly deserve. Anyone operating less than this standard should be shut down and have its licenses revoked,” Ridon said. He said more than the
extensive review of mining firms in Mindanao following many complaints from the indigenous people. A staunch advocate of renewable energy, Lopez said she had talks with some of the indigenous tribes in the region and heard their sentiments. Many of them wanted to put a halt on large-scale mining in their ancestral domain in the provinces. Tribal groups had asked
Incorporated’s (OGPI) permit for exploration and expansion. And leaders of Didipio Earth Savers MultiPurpose Association, SALAKNIB, Alyansa ng Mangagawa at Magsasaka ng Kasibu, Alyansa Tigil Mina, Task Force Detainees of the Philippines said they were pleased with Lopez’s order. Lopez said she will cancel the extension of exploration permit issued to OGPI, an Australian owned mining company, and instructed the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to issue the cancellation immediately. She previously said that DENR will also come up with a memorandum that any exploration permit will not be issued without the consent of the community, not only the local g o v e r n m e n t ’ s endorsement. Lopez’s appointment was rejected several times by the Commission on Appointments after alleged lobbying by mining companies which are affected by her strict implementation of environmental laws. She has been replaced by Roy Cimatu, a former military general. (Mindanao Examiner)
Subanen indigenous people oppose open-pit mining activities by TVI Resource Development Inc., in Bayog town in Zamboanga del Sur province in this undated photos. TVIRD also mined inside ancestral domain at Mount Canatuan in Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte province. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)
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Intensify awareness, voluntary testing to curb rise of AIDS cases Caption: Department of Health (DOH) Assistant Secretary Maria Francia Laxamana (second from left) and San Remigio Mayor Mariano Martinez (center) lead the signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the joint implementation of the 'Botika ng Bayan' program. Also signing the MOA are (from left) Local Health Support Division chief Dr. Jonathan Neil Erasmo, DOH-7 Director Dr. Jaime Bernadas, and municipal health officer Dr. Urleta Ursal. (Photo by Bebie Jane Casipong)
'Botika ng Bayan' launched in Cebu CEBU - The Department of Health (DOH) launched its first "Botika ng Bayan" (BNB) San Remigio town in Cebu which is aimed at helping poor families avail of essential medicines for free. DOH Assistant Secretary Maria Francia Laxamana congratulated the San Remigio Municipal Health Office for meeting the requirements set for the establishment of a Botika ng Bayan. “We would like to commend our municipal health officer Dr. (Urleta) Ursal and her team, the Cebu province, and the municipality of San Remigio for really making BNB a success. You were the first to comply with all the standard requirements set by our Pharmacy Division in Central Visayas for creating BNB,” she said. Laxamana said the Botika ng Bayan in San Remegio is the third to be established in the country when the DOH revived the BNB program. The first BNB in Luzon was
launched in San Mariano town in Isabela province on July 13, while the second was launched in Davao City for Mindanao. San Mariano town in Davao, and San Remigio which are the three pilot sites for the revival of the program. The BNB will provide access to free essential medicines for common diseases in the community, such as infections, skin ailments, asthma, and chronic non-communicable diseases - targeting indigents and the marginalized sectors of the population. Formerly Botika ng Barangay, BNB was temporarily stopped in 2011 because of insufficient supplies of medicine and lack of supervising pharmacists. Laxamana assured that the revived BNB will provide free medicines to the public. “Every month, we will have an inventory, which Rural Health Units will forward to the regional offices. We will ensure that there will always be sufficient supply of medicines in the BNB. I
assure you that free medicines will be available anytime of the day, 24/7,” she said. According to the DOH, the new BNB will not just provide medicines but there will also be licensed pharmacists and trained pharmacy assistants who will educate and counsel the patients about their medications. Patients who wish to avail of the free medicines from BNB must first consult with the RHU or a private doctor and bring their prescription to the BNB. San Remigio Mayor Mariano Martinez, meanwhile, clarified that the BNB is for residents of the town only, and encouraged other local governments to comply with the requirements and put up their own BNBs. To create their own BNBs, a local government should have a license to run a pharmacy, sufficient and air-conditioned space for the medicines, and a licensed pharmacist. (Luel Galarpe and Bebie Jane Casipong)
HEALTH SECRETARY Francisco Duque III has reiterated that intensified public awareness and voluntary testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) would make a difference in preventing the spread of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). "Dapat sila ay magpa-test kasi yun ang pinakamaganda para maibsan ang pagkalat nito (They should be tested because this is the best way to control the spread)," Duque said. The HIV/AIDS Registry of the Philippines recorded that from 1984-2006, the predominant mode of transmission was male-female sex. However, beginning 2007, the trend spiked to males having sex with males (MSM) as the predominant mode of transmission and has continually increased. The data also revealed that there were a total of 66 deaths due to HIV/ AIDS. The data further showed that sexual contact remains to be the predominant mode of transmission among the 905 cases. Of this figure, a total of 774 individuals or 86 percent were under the MSM category. Duque said that through counseling, which is being offered in HIV testing hubs and centers, the persons who tested positive can be linked to the medical care and treatment they need. On the other hand, those who were tested negative are given information on the practice of safe sex including the use of condoms. “We have prevention, treatment care and support interventions. In our prevention program, we have HIV-AIDS education,” he said, adding, that since it is really difficult to prevent sexual contact, the best way to prevent the further spread of HIV/AIDS is by providing protection under the government program. More than 900 newly-diagnosed cases of HIV were recorded in the month of April alone. “There were 924 new HIV anti-body seropositive individuals reported to the April
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2018 HIV/AIDS Registry of the Philippines (HARP)," according to a data from the Department of Health (DOH) Epidemiology Bureau. In comparison, the figure is higher than the 628 HIV cases reported in April 2017. Of the total cases for April 2018, some 19 percent or 179 had clinical manifestations of having advanced HIV infection or AIDS. The data also revealed that there were a total of 66 deaths due HIV/AIDS. The data further showed that sexual contact remains to be the predominant mode of transmission among the 905 cases. A total of 774 individuals or 86 percent were under the MSM category. Aside from sexual contact, another mode of transmission was needle sharing among injecting drug users, with 13 cases or 1 percent of the total number of cases. There was also one case of mother-to-child transmission while another five cases had no data on the mode of transmission, the HARP report said. The data also showed that onethird or 30 percent (282 cases) were diagnosed from the National Capital Region. It was followed by Calabarzon (18 percent, 164 cases); Central Luzon (13 percent, 117); Central Visayas (8 percent, 71); Davao Region (5 percent, 50); and Western Visayas (5 percent, 44). Since 1984 up to the present, the DOH recorded around 54,332 HIV cases. From the figure, around 5,700 progressed into AIDS cases while around 2,598 resulted to deaths. According to DOH, a person may die not because of HIV but due to "opportunistic infections" or complications which can occur to patients as they acquire HIV. The DOH has been providing anti-retroviral treatment among the patients as well as free testing at its HIV hubs and treatment centers. (Leilani Junio)
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