Public support sought for Marawi siege victims BASILAN CONGRESSMAN Mujiv Hataman has sought public support for a proposed law that would compensate victims of the five-month Marawi siege. Hataman and Rep. Amihilda Sangcopan, of Anak Mindanao partylist, filed House Bill 3543, known as “Marawi Siege
Victims Compensation Act of 2019,” which seeks to quantify and eventually legislate payment for lost, damaged or destroyed properties of victims of the 2017 crisis. Both lawmakers cited the current deplorable state of the evacuated residents who are still waiting on the government’s
promise of rehabilitation. “As the bill goes through the legislative process, we need every ounce of support from our Meranaw brothers and sisters whose strength sustains their calls for justice. We also seek support from the rest of the Filipino people, whose solidarity is Continue on page 2
A screenshot from a video released by Amaq showing the ISIS presence in Marawi on May 24, 2017, a day after the Armed Forces of the Philippines said the security forces were in “full control.” (Image: @abraxasspa/Twitter)
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‘Public denounce NPA atrocities, recruitment of students’
T
HE PUBLIC CONTINUES to denounce the atrocities and human rights violations against innocent civilians committed by the communist rebel group New People’s Army. The condemnation outlaw communism were the many deaths of stuis growing and calls to being revived following dents recruited by leftist
Search is on for ‘Mutya ng Arakan 2019’
THE SEARCH is on for the prestigious and most-awaited beauty contest in the munici-
pality of Arakan in North Cotabato province – The Mutya ng Arakan 2019 – with 10 lovely and gor-
geous women vying for the coveted title. Continue on page 4
organizations, but ended up fighting security forces in the countryside. The Senate has begun an inquiry into the recruitment of students by left-wing groups after parents reported to authorities that their children had
been lured to join street rallies and anti-government protests and eventually ended up as rebels. “We strongly support this (Senate) hearing, even as we commend the mothers who have found the courage to stand up
against these local terrorists who have taken away their children,” said Undersecretary Severo Catura, Executive Director of the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat. Continue on page 3
Members of the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, with their faces painted red in this photo from the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
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Public support sought for Marawi siege victims Continued from page 1 necessary for this bill to pass as a national expression of the government’s commitment to its people,” Hataman, a former governor of the Muslim autonomous region, said. He said if this urgent piece of legislation passes into law, it will address the grievances of Meranaw who have survived the siege, but still suffering due to a continuous cycle of injustice. Among the most important provisions of House Bill 3543 is the granting of monetary compensation for real estate properties damaged or destroyed during the siege. The bill pegged the amount at P1,500 per square meter for residences and P2,000 per square meter for commercial structures. There are, however, preconditions in the granting of this amount, which are specified on the bill’s Chapter 3 (Claimants and Compensation), specifically sections 14 and 15. Payment applies only to lawful owners of the properties lost or damaged. “Two years after the Marawi siege, it is heart-breaking that many Meranaw families affect-
ed by the crisis still spend their Eid in tents and temporary shelters. I am with them in their suffering and I pray that their suffering will be eased both in law and in life,” Hataman said. “I also pray that the rehabilitation of the affected areas will be completed without delay, so that the Meranaw can once again come home to the land of their ancestors, especially the residents of Marawi City.” He said the measure entails the creation of the Marawi Compensation Board, which will be allocated a P30-billion budget to implement its mandate of compensating property owner victims. The board, Hataman said, will have 9 members appointed by the President, comprising of representatives from civil society groups, which include the Ulama. The board’s majority should be lawyers. The board will have a secretariat that would be assisted by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and the National Housing Authority - two major agencies tasked in the rehabilitation of Marawi. “More than anything, this is our obligation as Muslims and as Moro leg-
islators. We sincerely believe the government has not forgotten the people of Marawi. Together, we will do our best to advocate and push for initiatives that will help restore the city the Meranaw calls home, and support them as they assert their right to their heritage, their land and their lives,” Hataman said. He said the compensation amount proposed in House Bill 3543 could be described as just a small fraction of the cost of constructing new structures at current prices. “This is notwithstanding the trauma suffered by displaced families and small business owners, including those that have spent over two years in temporary shelters provided by both the government and non-governmental organizations,” Hataman said, adding, “such compensation, however, would be significant in helping many families and local entrepreneurs in pursuing their recovery plans, as well as provide hope for those who felt they were left alone by the government these past two years.” Heavily-armed members of the jihadist Maute group and the Abu Sayyaf
and other pro-ISIS militants occupied Marawi in the restive province of Lanao del Sur in an attempt to establish a caliphate and
sparking fierce clashes that resulted in the destruction of the city. Because of the siege, President Rodrigo Duterte placed the whole
of Southern Philippines under a state of martial law. (With additional report from the Mindanao Examiner.)
The Mindanao Examiner
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‘Public denounce NPA atrocities, recruitment of students’
Continued from page 1 “We honor these parents – vulnerable victims themselves of these terrorists – for voicing out their revulsion over these human rights abuses,” he added. Catura strongly criticized the communist movement, including its front organizations for losing all moral ascendancy to portray themselves as human rights defenders and vilify the democratic government. “We repeat - they are nothing but terrorists and human rights abusers,” he said, referring to the Communist Party of the Philippines and the NPA, its armed wing. He said the CPP-NPA have been listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and even the Philippines. Catura said the crucial human rights to family life calls on every individual “to claim respect for his or her family and to keep relationships in that same family strong.” “The ongoing Senate hearing on the recruitment of children as child warriors by these local terrorists is more than just an inquiry in aid of legislation. It is a strong assertion of the State’s duty to protect a crucial human right – every Filipino citizen’s right to family life,” he said. Catura said this right obligates the State to protect family relations from intrusion, especially incursions that threaten the right to life and liberty of their children who are considered vulnerable persons themselves. “This covers every parent’s right to be protected against the menace of terrorism that threatens to separate – or has already separated – them from their children. The Duterte administration is a champion of this right,” he said. Citing Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Catura said: “The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State” The same tenet is laid out in Article 23 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights signed by the Philippines in 1986, which also underscores that “no one shall be subjected to arbitrary or
unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his honor and reputation; and [that] everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.” He noted that discussions at the Senate hearing have unmasked the terrorist persuasion of the CPPNPA and its front organizations before the public. “For too long have the local Communist terrorists, through their front organizations, portrayed themselves as so-called human rights advocates and defenders, and the government as the evil human rights violator. This has now ended,” Catura said. Anti-Subversion Law Interior Secretary Eduardo Año is pushing for a proposal to revive the Anti-Subversion Law to put an end to communist insurgency. He said the CPP and the NPA, including its front organizations have been trying to overthrow the democratic government for the past six decades now. “It is about time that we put an end to this conflict that has been bringing our nation down and has killed some 100,000 policemen, soldiers, government officials and innocent civilians. If we truly want to end this scourge of society, the Anti-Subversion Act is urgent, critical, and inevitable,” said Año, a former Philippine military chief. “It only covers the communists who are actively working to overthrow the government through armed struggle and does not, in any way, cover legitimate dissent, political opposition, or similar groups. We are ready to work with Congress to craft such a legislation that responds to the needs of the times and places the necessary safeguards to ensure our Constitutionally-guaranteed freedoms of association and free speech,” he added. The law was repealed in 1992 after then President Fidel Ramos opened peace talks with communist rebels. But Año said the repeal of the Anti-Subversion Law may have been a mistake because the communist movement gained momentum in many areas and it grew bolder with the support of legal front organizations in urban areas from where they derive logistics, funding, source of cadres,
and other forms of support. “The repeal of the anti-subversion law was a demand of the CCP-NPANPF for the conduct of the peace talks in the 1990s. In good faith, the government acceded to those demands for the sake of peace. But instead of laying down their arms and joining mainstream society, the communists grew bolder and used the democratic space accorded to them to regroup, organize, and mobilize,” he explained. Año said since the repeal of the anti-subversion law, the communists have continuously rejected the government’s call for genuine peace and have instead indiscriminately sowed terrorism across the country. He said the CPP’s constitution categorically states that its goal is to overthrow the democratic, republican system using the weapons of “revolutionary armed struggle and the national united front.” “Its program declares that this is to be done by building guerrilla fronts “to encircle the cities from the countryside… until it becomes possible to seize power in the cities,” he said. “If we revive the Anti-Subversion Law, we will be able to dismantle the urban mass movement in the cities that fuels the armed struggle in the mountains. We will be able to stifle their so-called ‘legal front organizations’ that provides sustenance to the underground mass organizations. It will be the beginning of an inevitable end,” he added, citing the continuous active recruitment of some 500 to 1,000 youth annually by legal communist front organizations in schools and universities where some 50 to 100 of them become armed members of the NPA. But Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said instead of reviving the Anti-Subversion Law, he proposed amendments to the Human Right Act in order to address insurgency and terrorism efficiently, according to a report by the Business Mirror which quoted him as saying: “With all due respect to Secretary Año, mere membership in the Communist Party of the Philippines (subversion) is not a crime unless overt criminal acts are committed. Amending and giving more teeth to the Human Security Act will suffice, in
my opinion.” Tyranny, Dictatorship Jose Maria Sison, the CPP founder and Chief Political Consultant to the National Democratic Front, said Año’s proposal is “one more manifestation of the frenzied drive of the tyrannical Duterte regime to impose a thoroughgoing fascist dictatorship on the people in a vain attempt to end the armed revolutionary movement as well as the broad legal opposition through red-tagging, harassments, threats, abductions and murders.” “In line with the Duterte tyranny, the most vicious and bloodthirsty officials who love to kill people to solve problems are enamoured of the long-discredited Anti-Subversion Law because it provides for the death penalty, for the prejudgment of people on the basis of guilt by association and for the arbitrary listing of people as “communists” for the purpose of extortions and mass slaughter.” Sison, who is now in exile in The Netherlands, said the revival of the Anti-Subversion Law will not
eliminate the CPP and its so-called people’s democratic revolution, but will only serve to further violate the national and democratic rights of the people and will thus incite the broad masses of the people to rise up. “The fundamental cause of the armed revolution in the Philippines is neither the existence of the Communist Party in the Philippines nor the communist ideas of Marxism-Leninism but the exploitation and oppression of the Filipino people by imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism in a semicolonial and semifeudal ruling system now lorded over by the tyrant and plunderer Duterte,” he said. “The revival of the Anti-Subversion Law can give further license to Duterte’s armed minions to violate human rights and can further embolden them to witch hunt, harass, threaten and kill those that they arbitrarily list as “communists” among the critics of the regime and the people in general. Such law can result in bigger mass mur-
ders than those perpetrated under Oplan Tokhang and Oplan Kapanatagan,” he added. Sison said the Anti-Subversion Law has long been discredited as an unjust and anti-democratic law by which anyone can be subjected to punishment on the basis of guilt by association, without the need to present evidence for the personal culpability of the accused for any crime. “Such law has long been condemned as a poison to the freedom of thought, expression and assembly. Violations of democratic rights under the Anti-Subversion Law will drive more people to further oppose the regime and rise up in arms against it. Threatening to kill and actually killing people for their political ideas will compel them to act in a revolutionary way in order to get rid of the regime of terror that deprives them of the basic freedoms of thought, expression and assembly,” he added. (Joyce Ann Rocamora. With additional reports from the Mindanao Examiner and Business Mirror.)
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The Mindanao Examiner
August 19-25, 2019
Search is on for ‘Mutya ng Arakan 2019’ Continued from page 1 The contestants are Jonna Mae Sumatra, Lea Vianca Rendon, Cherry Mae Lampon, Princess Torres, Ladylyn Tabaosarez, Christine Joy Geolama, Darlyn Grace Libut, Maricar Diama, Nobie Carado and Axcelle Jade Rubio. In-charge of this year’s Mutya ng Arakan is the Department of Education – West District under the leadership of District Supervisor Dr. Lucy F. Gulmatico with Pageant Committee Chairman Richard G. Laluna. And Eden Ampatin, pageant consultant, and Sanguniang Bayan member Delfin J. Moreno, Jr., the local government coordinator. Arakan Mayor Rene Rubino and Vice Mayor Jennifer Araña-Pangilinan, who are very supportive of the event, said the pageant does not only show the beauty of the local women, but it also shows the rich cultural presentation of the town. Members of the Sanguniang Bayan also praised the event and urged the locals to support and participate in the Mutya ng Arakan by
actively sharing the news of the event on social media and to their friends and relatives residing outside the province, and by simply spreading the good news about Arakan and its festivals, it will surely attract local and foreign tourists and bring economic prosperity to the peaceful town. The screening process for the Mutya ng Arakan
2019 was held on July 6 at the 3A Brother’s Café and was followed by a pictorial for lucky contestants a week later and on August 3 they held tree planting activity and community outreach mission at Sitio Inamong. The Coronation Night is set on August 26 at the Arakan Municipal Gymnasium. The search for Mutya ng Arakan 2019 is part of
the town’s 5th Sagaya Festival celebration and 28th Founding Anniversary with the theme “Arakan @ 28: Enjoying Success, United in Achieving Our Bigger Dreams.” On August 27, there will be Farmers’ Day and Farmers’ Night, and also an Agri Fair featuring fresh farm produce such as fruits and vegetables. And on August 28, Arakan
will celebrate the Indigenous People’s Day, a basketball competition and the Educators’ Night. The next day, it will have its Liga Day, Volleyball Women’s Inter-Agency Championship Game, and Acrobatic Shows, including the ABC-SK-ABCL-BASLEAABTA Night. And the culmination of the festival is on August 30 and will be highlighted
by a Civic Parade, Championship Game Basketball Tournament Inter-Agency Commercial League and Disco ng Bayan by nightfall. Arakan is famous for its tourist attractions such as water falls, caves and rivers, and its 500-hectare Forest Wildlife Park in Barangay Salasang which is home to majestic Philippine Eagles and hornbills. The town’s name is derived from the Manobo term “ara,” which means abundance of natural resources in the valley and “kan” which means heroism, bravery and valor of the early Manobo leaders and settlers of the area. The word “arakan” then was named referring to one of the rivers of the valley and basically a territory of a number of ethno-linguistic groups, predominantly of the Manobo-Kulamanon and Manobo-Tinananon tribes. The original settlers of the place are the Manobos, which were believed to have originally come from the string of islands in the Malayan Peninsula and Borneo. (Rhoderick Beñez and and Municipal Administrator Bhobong Reovoca)
The contestants for the Mutya ng Arakan 2019 went to Sitio Inaong for their tree-planting activity and humanitarian mission.
August 19-25, 2019
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The Mindanao Examiner
August 19-25, 2019
Sulu Pictures in î…ťe News
Judge Grace Tillah, of Regional Trial Court Branch 3 in Sulu and her staff pay their courtesy call on Governor Sakur Tan, who has always been in support of the judiciary in the administration of justice as integral to peace and security. (NBJ)
Governor Sakur Tan joins actor Robin Padilla, Vice Governor Toto Tan and other guests at the Notre Dame Vicariate Gymnasium for the 2nd Sulu Youth Empowerment for Preventing Countering Violent Extremism.(NBJ)
Members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng Sulu paid their courtesy on Governor Sakur Tan. Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform headed by Minister Mohammad Yacob meets with Sulu Governor Sakur Tan. The Sulu Provincial Government offered the Sulu Demo Farm as training center for farmers. (Ahl-franzie Salinas)
Jeanet Abtuh, NFA-Sulu OIC Provincial Manager and staff pay their courtesy call on Staff of the Department of Agriculture in Sulu led by its Provincial Director Mercia Aspi called on Governor Sakur Tan to relay their concerns on the new arrangements to be Governor Sakur Tan, and discuss concerns on NFA rice supply. (NBJ) made by the BARMM Ministry of Agriculture. Also in the meeting was the caretaker of BFAR-Sulu, Feraida Sabatal.
Judge Shene CaĂąete of Regional Trial Court Branch 4 in Sulu also paid a courtesy call on Hassan Alfad, Planning Officer of Department of Social Welfare and Development Region 9 visited Governor Sakur Tan to pay his courtesy call to the newly elected official. Governor Sakur Tan.
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The Mindanao Examiner
August 19-25, 2019
HEALTH
RECIPE
IWAS SA FOOD POISONING
Beef Kaldereta
Dr. Willie T. Ong 1. Tingnan ang expiration date. Huwag kakain ng produktong lampas sa expiration date o “Best before” date. 2. Lutuin maigi ang pagkain bago kainin. Huwag kumain ng hilaw. May mga mahilig sa medium rare na steak, yung may dugo pa. Naku, maraming bulate ang puwedeng mamuhay doon tulad ng mga beef and pork tapeworms. Lutuin maigi ang steak. 3. Amuyin, tingnan at tikman muna ang pagkain. Kung amoy panis ang pagkain, huwag isubo. Kung lasang ipis, iluwa ito. 4. Piliin ang mainit na pagkain. Mas ligtas ang mga bagong lutong pagkain tulad ng kumukulong sabaw. Mainam din ang mainit na tsaa bilang inumin. 5. Piliin ang tuyo na pagkain. Mabilis masira ang mga ulam na may sarsa, lalo na yung
may gatas o gata. Para ligtas, kumain na lang ng pritong karne o inihaw na isda. 6. Limitahan ang pagkaing may gatas. Madaling mapanis ang cheese whiz, cheese pimiento, may mayonnaise at buko salad. Kung hindi mapigilan ang sarili, kaunti lang ang kainin. 7. Piliin lang ang kakainin. Alam ko kapag handaan, hilig natin tikman lahat ng pagkain. Para bang wala nang bukas. Kaya lang, kung may panis na isang putahe ay siguradong damay ka, dahil kinain mo lahat eh.
Para mas ligtas, kumuha lang ng iilang klase ng pagkain. 8. Malinis na tubig ang inumin. Puwede ang bottled, purified o pinakuluang tubig. Huwag magbakasakali sa tubig sa gripo. Hindi natin sigurado ang kalinisan nito at puwedeng magdulot ng typhoid, amebiasis at cholera. Delikado po ito at puwedeng makamatay. 9. Mag-ingat sa mga tinitinda sa kalye. Alam kong masarap ang fish ball, squid ball at queck-queck. Pero hindi tayo makasisiguro sa kalinisan ng mga produktong ito. 10. Kaya mainam pa na kumain na lang sa bahay. Maghugas ng kamay bago at pagkatapos kumain. Gumamit ng sabon at kuskusin maigi ang kamay at kuko ng isang minuto. Turuan din ang mga anak ng kalinisan. Good luck po.
INGREDIENTS : • 2 lbs beef cubed • 3 pieces garlic cloves crushed and chopped • 1 piece onion finely chopped • 2 cups beef broth • 1 piece red bell pepper sliced • 1 piece green bell pepper sliced • 1 cup tomato sauce
• ½ cup liver spread processed using blender • 3 pieces dried bay leaves • 2 cups potatoes sliced • 2 cups carrots sliced • 1/4 cup cooking oil • cup green olives • salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS : 1. Heat the cooking oil in the cooking pot or pressure cooker. 2. Sauté the onion and garlic. 3. Add the beef. Cook for 5 minutes or until the color turns light brown. 4. Add the dried bay leaves and crushed pepper. Stir. 5. Add the liver spread. Stir. 6. Pour-in the tomato sauce and beef broth. 7. Cook the beef until it becomes tender (about 30 mins if using a pressure cooker, or 1 to 2 hours if using an ordinary pot). 8. Add potato and carrots. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes. 9. Put the green olives and bell peppers in the cooking pot. Stir and continue to cook for 5 minutes more. 10. Add salt and pepper to taste 11. Serve Hot. Enjoy!
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The Mindanao Examiner
August 19-25, 2019
Across : 1. Legendary stories 6. Uno 9. Pig’s pad 12. Box 13. Business VIP 14. Pitching stat 15. Church walkway 16. Burst of bad temper 18. California wine valley 19. Make lace 20. Epochs 21. Caveman’s era (2 wds.) 24. Concurrence 27. Time past 30. ___ Witherspoon of “Sweet Home Alabama” 31. Had 33. And so forth (abbr.) 34. Proposed as a candidate 38. Renovator 40. Pub drinks 42. Shade 43. Stood up 47. Childhood diseases 49. Golfer ___ Woods 50. Bathroom rug 51. Tax org. 52. ___ eclipse 53. Lyric verse 54. Compass dir. 55. Printing machine
Answer to last week’s crossword:
Down : 1. Skim over 2. Opera solo 3. Struggle for breath 4. Books of maps 5. Behold 6. Gasoline classification 7. Tidy up 8. Chunk of eternity 9. Military rank 10. Faithful 11. Sweet potatoes 17. Children’s game 19. Actor ___ Hanks 22. Adolescents 23. Make amends 24. Common verb
25. Acquire 26. Make again 28. Goodness! 29. Strange 32. Soldier 35. Additional ones 36. Styling foam 37. Wrath 39. Highway curve 40. Military supplies 41. Show the way 44. Leer 45. Oceans 46. Miscalculates 48. Recline 49. Recipe unit (abbr.)
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August 19-25, 2019
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Banks ask for ATM fee adjustments THE BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said several banks have submitted applications to change their automated teller machine (ATM) transaction fees after the lifting last month of the September 2013 moratorium. The BSP did not identify the banks asking for adjustments in ATM transaction fees. The prevailing ATM fees range from P11 to P15 per transaction. But BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier said less than 10 banks have applied for adjustments in their ATM transaction fees. She said the requests were being evaluated on a per bank basis since some of them have wide networks of ATMs nationwide, while the others do not have. Fonacier said those that have applied to reduce their ATM fees were asking for a reduction from the current average of P13 per transaction. She attributed the application for reduced fees to economies of scale and density of ATM cards the banks have issued. She assured the public that banks will be required to make a public announcement on when the rates on their ATM transaction fees will be adjusted vis-à-vis
the central bank’s consumer protection program. She said banks that have applied for higher fees have been required to justify their requests by submitting the necessary documents. “The BSP will try to look at it and review whether it is really justified and that it is reasonable,” she said, noting that rates should not increase beyond P20 per transaction. Fonacier explained that among the considerations for any fee increase is for the bank to further service the public’s banking needs, especially those in remote and high-risk areas. “Of course, BSP would like the banking public’s needs to be served and so we’re opening this but subject, of course, to the scrutiny of the BSP,” she said. “The banking public is assured that the BSP would really be very objective in trying to review this. It’s not automatic that (after the) lifting (of the moratorium), they can increase the fees on their own. It would still pass the scrutiny of the BSP,” she added. Fonacier also encouraged the banking public to tap other electronic banking options, such as the real-time electronic
payment systems called InstaPay and PESONet, which are the two clearing houses under the National Retail Payment System. Relatively, BSP Financial Technology Sub-Sector officer-in-charge Vicente de Villa III said they cannot just push InstaPay and PESONet to people because monetary officials still want to give the latter options depending on their profiles. He explained there are people who still prefer the “old school way” of banking transactions, like over-the-counter and use of ATMs while there are those who want to use latest means, such as through mobile applications. “There are those who don’t want to go out and just stay in their home, especially now with the traffic Different market segments have to be addressed,” he said. De Villa said there are possibilities of reducing the rates “because there are areas where there is competition and are highly saturated.” But he declined to say how much would be the change in fees, and noted that monetary officials want the rates to be market-dictated. (Joan Villanueva)
Regulations must promote efficiency, competitiveness: NEDA THE NATIONAL Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has urged government agencies to ensure that policies, regulations, and other interventions promote market efficiency and do not inhibit competition and innovation. “Businesses and consumers benefit from greater efficiency and market competition. Government processes, rules and regulations, as well as issuances, should not be overly restrictive resulting in undue and unnecessary burden to businesses, consumers, and the public at large. We need to have a regulatory environment that encourages and not stifles productivity, innovation, and efficiency improvements,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said. NEDA issued the statement following the Anti-Red Tape Authority’s
(ARTA) call for the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to address alleged irregularities in the issuance of Provisional Authority (PA) and the grant of Certificate of Public Convenience to Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS) applicants. ARTA also asked LTFRB to explain its alleged failure to act on applications for the issuance and renewal of PAs within the stamped processing time and the imposition of undue regulatory burden and cost. LTFRB reportedly requires TNVS applicants to file their application in person as the designation of a representative other than the direct ascendant or descendant of the applicants is prohibited. Just last week, ARTA announced that after receiving LTFRB’s response, it will submit a report of their
findings and recommendations to President Rodrigo Duterte. It also stated that they will issue an order for LTFRB to automatically approve all applications that have already complied with requirements and are only waiting for a decision. “The imposition of additional requirements without due cause restricts the entry of market players or businesses in any industry. Our role in government is to simplify and streamline processes to create an enabling environment that would be beneficial to all in the long term,” Pernia said. The Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 aims to institutionalize a National Competition Policy that enhances market competition by fostering an environment that facilitates entry of players and supports regulatory reforms. (With additional report from Cebu Examiner.)
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Cebu mayor pushes for stricter rules on smaller sea transport
C
EBU CITY - Mayor Edgardo Labella is pushing for stricter sea travel regulations to small vessels after the death of nine Cebuanos in sea tragedy involving three motorized boats in Iloilo earlier this month. “Here we go again. sinking of MV Princess of and claimed the lives of 31 We have not learned our the Orient. passengers, including nine lessons. We have other Labella said smaller residents of Ermita village victims of a sea accident,” sea transportation such as here, are the favorite mode said Labella, who himself the motorized boats that of sea travel for poor pasis a survivor of the 1998 sank off the coast of Iloilo sengers because of cheap
‘Negosyo sa Barangay’ attracts Cebu entrepreneurs CEBU CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry in Central Visayas said government’s effort to teach barrio folks in Cebu some entrepreneurial skills has borne fruit with 44 barangay-based traders showing interest in the “Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay” (NSB) program. Asteria Caberte, DTI7 director, said the local DTI has been assisting 44 micro, small, and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs), who were among the 241 people who participated in the launch of the NSB at the Moalboal sports complex in Poblacion West village recently. The participants came from Moalboal’s three major villages of Basdiot, Poblacion East, and Poblacion West, Caberte said. “We really want to intensify the awareness and dissemination of DTI programs and services at the barangay level, especially for those (who) have not received or heard of DTI and other government programs,” Caberte said. She pledged to provide “business devel-
opment services to both existing and aspiring entrepreneurs in these barangays.” The DTI will also facilitate the needs of the village entrepreneurs in business registration, business advisory or counseling, access to finance, seminars, training, and mentorship, shared service facilities, product development, trade fairs, market linkage, consumer advocacy and fair trade laws briefing, and other services through DTI Negosyo Centers, she said. Caberte said while the residents of the three villages showed interest to learn new trading skills to be taught by the DTI through the NSB, the local government unit of the town led by Mayor Paz Rozgoni, Vice Mayor Inocentes Cabaron, and barangay officials provided support to the initiative. She said the NSB program is supported by 17 different government agencies, such as the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the departments of agriculture, labor, and science and technology, Pag-IBIG, PhilHealth, Social Security System, and the Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority. The village entrepreneurs also received a lecture on “Pondo Para sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso Program” by the DTI’s Small Business Corp. (SB Corp). This program provides microenterprises an “alternative source of financing” that is easy to access and is made available at a reasonable cost. President Rodrigo Duterte earlier commended the DTI for its SB Corp programs after almost 86,000 MSMEs have benefited from more than P3 billion in loans since 2017. DTI-Cebu Director Esperanza Melgar said the NSB program in the province will cover 288 villages from 21 fourth- and fifth-class municipalities. The program will be implemented from 2019 to 2022. The NSB, a national flagship program espoused by Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, aims to promote inclusive growth through business and development, with focus on micro-enterprises in fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-class municipalities in the country. (John Rey Saavedra)
fare. “You know that sea travel is the cheapest mode of travel. That’s why many poor people patronize it because that’s the fastest kind of transportation that they can easily access,” Labella said. He said there are government agencies that have not learned from the lessons of past sea mishaps that claimed the lives of hundreds of Filipinos. “I myself am a victim of a sea tragedy. That’s why I keep emphasizing saying ‘here we go again,” he said. Labella and his wife survived when the MV Princess of the Orient owned by Sulpicio Lines Inc., sank near Fortune Island in Batangas on Sept. 18, 1998. Some 80 passengers and crew remain missing after the tragedy. He was the last survivor floating on the ocean for 36 hours in the middle of typhoon Vicki. (John Rey Saavedra)
Edgardo Colina Labella (Jun Alcover Jr. FB page)
Germany needs 350 nurses CEBU CITY - The International Placement Service of the German Federal Employment Agency is in urgent need of 350 nurses, chief of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) Regional Center for Visayas Glenda Aligonza said Wednesday. Aligonza said the nurses needed are for intensive care, geriatric/elderly care, general ward, medical and surgery ward, operating room, and neurology, orthopedics and related fields. She said interested nurses in the Visayas should register
online at www.poea.gov. ph and must submit their applications and required documents before the August 30 deadline. Applicants, she added, must have at least two years professional experience in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, or care institutions. She said qualified applicants will be provided a two-month German language training by the employer for free starting in November. “Those who have already undergone German language training have a greater chance for employ-
ment in Germany,” she said, adding, the employer will pay for the visa and airfare of successful candidates, who will have a starting monthly salary of 2,000 euros. The employer will also assist the qualified nurses in finding a suitable accommodation for them in Germany. Applicants are advised that nursing homes in Germany are inpatient facilities, where geriatric nurses deal with elderly people with various health conditions. (Luel Galarpe)
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