The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper (February 6-12, 2023)

Big Chinese firm commits more investments

MANILA – The Philippines said a major Chinese construction firm has committed more investments particularly through public-private partnership (PPP) following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent state visit to China.

with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

opportunities that lay in the abaca industry, the Bangsamoro Continue on page 5

of different abaca farming cooperatives in Lanao del Sur stand as one federation in one of their substations in Bobot village in Piagapo town. (JCC)

Malaysian boat smuggling fuel seized

Marcos commits to serve the poor

PRESIDENT MARCOS reaffirmed his commitment to make government services accessible to all as he instructed the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)

and all state agencies to ensure that all social services are within reach.

Marcos has appointed Valenzuela Representative Rex Gatchalian as the new DSWD.

“As we look to the future, I enjoin the DSWD once again and all government agencies to ensure that your services reach those in need,

on page 2 Continue on page 2

Photo released by the Bureau of Customs in Zamboanga City shows the seized red onions.

Tons of smuggled onions disappear?

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Marisa, on January 23, off the village of Cawit. It said each bag weighs four kilos.

The seizure was part of two anti-smuggling operations which also led to the confiscation of 3,000 bags of onions from a trucker in the village of Cawit.

“On January 23, 2023, the NFWM, together with the Philippine Coast Guard, Marine Battalion Landing Team-11, the Intelligence Operatives of Western Mindanao, JTF Zamboanga, and the Bureau of Customs District Zamboanga, successfully intercepted one ISUZU close van loaded with more or less 3,000 bags of smuggled red onions. Likewise, another watercraft, marked as MJ MARISA, was loaded with more or less 8,000 mesh bags of the same items. Each bag weighs four kilos, which sums up to approximately 44,000 kilos of smuggled onions that were seized,” the Naval Forces Western Mindanao said.

But the Bureau of Customs in Zamboanga City reported that it confiscated 4,308 bags of onions worth about P9.49 million. Another operation, it said, also resulted in the seizure of some 1,624 bags of onions from a boat marked Timzzan.

It said: “The Bureau of Customs Port of Zamboanga has intercepted, on two separate occasions, P9.49 million worth of import-

ed fresh red onions loaded inside a watercraft in Zamboanga City. The first operation occurred along Barangay Labuan's coastal areas involving a jungkong-type motorized wooden watercraft marked as TIMZZAN. The vessel contained 1,624 mesh bags of imported fresh red onions, amounting to P2,598,400.”

“The second operation involves 4,308 mesh bags of imported fresh red onions worth P6,892,800 in a jungkong-type cargo watercraft marked as MJ MARISSA at Varadero de Cawit in Barangay Cawit, Zamboanga City.”

The onions were turned over to the Department of Agriculture and transported to its Research Center in the village of Talisayan for safekeeping, according to the Bureau of Customs.

Phone calls made to the Bureau of Customs here were all left unanswered. But a statement posted on its Facebook page said: “The BOC-Port of Zamboanga will continue to boost its efforts against smuggling in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s standing order to intensify border control measures to curb smuggling.

Smuggling is so rampant in this southern port city that even red onions are now being sneaked into Zamboanga, a known entry point of contraband in Mindanao region.

Just last month, author-

ities seized some 44 tons of smuggled red onions and 300 drums of fuel in separate operations here. The operations were launched by the Naval Forces Western Mindanao together with the Philippine Coast Guard, Marine Battalion Landing Team-11, Joint Task Force Zamboanga and the Bureau of Customs.

The Navy said security forces also intercepted a truck transporting some 3,000 bags of onions in the village of Cawit. Another boat with 300 drums of smuggled fuel was also intercepted January 23 off the coast of Cawit, according to the Navy.

“The vehicle and watercraft and the smuggled items are still being held and are subject for proper inventory before we turn them over to the appropriate agency for proper disposition,” the Navy said.

“This accomplishment is part of Naval Forces Western Mindanao and Western Mindanao Command’s strong resolve and commitment to assist other government agencies and LGUs on their campaign to eradicate smuggling and other illegal activities in the region,” it added.

Police last month also reported seizing nearly P9 million worth of smuggled cigarettes and onions in separate operations in Zamboanga Peninsula.

Patrolling members of

the 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company and the Bureau of Customs, Intelligence and Investigation Service and Enforcement and Security Service intercepted a boat loaded with over 300 boxes of cigarettes worth more than P5 million off Tictabon Island off Zamboanga City.

The 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company and the Bureau of Customs also confiscated over six tons of onions when a police maritime patrol intercepted a boat off Labuan village in Zamboanga City. And members of the 2nd Zamboanga

Sibugay Provincial Mobile Force Company, also intercepted a truck transporting 85 boxes of smuggled cigarettes valued at over P1 million at a checkpoint in Kumalarang town.

Last December, the Bureau of Customs destroyed over some P395 million worth of smuggled cigarettes confiscated within six months in Western Mindanao. In May 2022, the Bureau of Customs also destroyed at least P110 million worth of confiscated cigarettes, according to District Collector Segundo Sigmundfreud Barte Jr.

He said the contrabands were seized during separate anti-smuggling operations in Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.

And with all these apprehensions, authorities have not released the names of the owners of the contraband for a still unknown reason. But despite the anti-smuggling campaign, unscrupulous businessmen continue their illegal trade resulting in losses of billions of pesos in revenues. Many of the contraband - from rice to onions - find their ways to different buyers in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)

Marcos commits to serve the poor

Continued from page 1 Continued from page 1 wherever they may be. People should not need to travel to urban areas to access government services. That is why we must ensure that everyone everywhere will have access to all the help and services that they need,” he said.

He likewise called on the DSWD to continue to implement the Unconditional Cash Transfer Program to provide cash grants to poor households and individuals who do not benefit from the lower income tax rates but who are adversely affected by rising prices.

The President also urged the DSWD to enhance the Social Pension Program for Senior Citizens as a means to augment their daily subsistence and medical needs.

Marcos enjoined the DSWD to continue calibrating the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and strengthening the government’s social protection initiatives, “especially since one of the measures we undertake to address poverty is through the grants that we provide for the health needs of every household and education of our children.”

Last year, the DSWD said some 1.3 million 4Ps beneficiaries were no longer considered poor as a

qualification for the government program and delisted them, saving the government some P15 billion which can be used for other qualified persons to replace them.

The 4Ps is a human development measure of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to the poorest of the poor, to improve the health, nutrition, and the education of children aged 0-18.

It is patterned after the conditional cash transfer schemes in Latin American and African countries, which have lifted millions of people around the world from poverty.

The DSWD is the lead government agency of the

4Ps which also helps the Philippine government fulfill its commitment to the Millennium Development Goals - specifically in eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, in achieving universal primary education, in promoting gender equality, in reducing child mortality, and in improving maternal health care.

The 4Ps operates in all the 17 regions in the Philippines, covering 79 provinces, 143 cities, and 1,484 municipalities. Beneficiaries are selected through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction, which identifies who and where the poor are in the country.

(Mindanao Examiner)

Photo released by the Bureau of Customs in Zamboanga City shows the seized red onions.

A beggar sifts through garbage in search for food. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr reaffirms his commitment to make government services accessible to all and orders the Department of Social Welfare and Development and all state agencies to ensure that all social services are within reach.

(Photo by Al Jacinto)

BTA holds simultaneous public consultations on Bangsamoro Local Governance Code

MAGUINDANAO In an effort to involve all constituencies in the Bangsamoro region, the Bangsamoro Parliament’s Committee on Local Government held simultaneous public consultations in Maguindanao del Sur and del Norte on the proposed Local Governance Code.

“The consultation will help us in the Parliament enhance the proposed Bangsamoro Local Governance Code,” said Deputy Floor Leader and Committee on Local Government Chairperson Atty. Raissa Jajurie. The consultations were conducted recently in Guindulungan, Maguindanao del Sur, and Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte.

Maguindanao

Hundreds of stakeholders from provincial, municipal, and barangay local government units, non-government organizations, and civil society groups attended the consultations. Among the prevalent concerns raised were the educational attainment and qualifications of running elective officials and anti-political dynasties.

The BLGC introduced qualifications and disqualifications for elective officials based on the proposed code. According to BTA Bill No. 30, all elective officials for the province, city, and municipality must have reached at least college level; the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan chair must have reached junior high school; and

Sangguniang Kabataan members must have reached elementary level.

The code applies to all constituent provinces, cities, municipalities, barangays, and other political subdivisions, as well as officials, offices, or agencies of the Bangsamoro government. It will provide a clear direction between the local government units and the Bangsamoro government. The Bangsamoro Local Government Code was introduced in the first Parliament as the Bangsamoro Local Government Code, but it was later renamed “Bangsamoro Local Governance Code” to highlight citizen participation.

Atty. Jajurie also emphasized the importance of passing the BLGC, which establishes the powers, functions, and responsibilities of the constituent local government units, noting that, unlike other regions in the country, the BARMM has its own government.

The BLGC is among the priority codes the Bangsamoro Transition Authority must enact during the transition period.

Atty. Jajurie said that the Parliament aims to pass the proposed code within the first quarter of the year.

The committee will hold another round of public consultations in Cotabato City, Lanao del Sur, and the BARMM Special Geographic Area in February.

North Cotabato

In North Cotabato’s Midsayap town, Bangsamoro Parliament Floor Leader Atty. Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba remarked that the BARMM Special Geographic Area came into full force following another public consultation for the Bangsamoro Electoral Code.

The consultation was participated by 63 barangays under the BARMM SGA as well as other Members of the Parliament. All clusters are well-represented, according to Floor Leader Atty. Dumama-Alba, with representatives from local and barangay government units, as well as government agencies, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, and other relevant stakeholders.

Midsayap Mayor Rolando

BTA bills seek toconstruct, upgrade hospitals in Basilan

COTABATOCITY Four measures to upgrade and construct hospitals in Basilan wereintroduced by Bangsamoro lawmakers in an effort to increase healthcarefacilities and provide more accessible medical infrastructure.

“Deliveringhealth services that are easily accessible at an affordable cost in times ofhealth emergencies and for underprivileged Bangsamoro constituents is vital toestablishing a lasting peace, ensuring progress, and maintaining the progressand gains of the people and the government,” said MP Amilbahar Mawallil.

UnderParliament Bill No. 105, a level 1 general hospital with 25 beds is beingpushed for at Maluso, Basilan, which will be directly administratively andtechnically supervised by the Basilan Integrated Health Office (IPHO). With onlyone rural health unit and 15 barangay health stations, residents of Maluso haveto travel to its nearby municipality in Sumisip to avail themselves ofessential hospital services.

Anotherproposed measure is also seeking to build a

general hospital in Hadji MuhammadAjul. Under PBNo. 107, a level 1 general hospital with 25 beds will be constructed in HadjiMuhammad Ajul.

The HadjiMuhammad Ajul Rural Health Unit in Barangay Buton, according to one of theprincipal authors, MP Mawallil, is the only facility in said area that providesessential health care services, and patients still had to transport to itsnearby municipalities during emergencies and other urgent health service needs.

PB No.108 would also construct a level 1 general hospital with 25 beds in HadjiMuhtamad. Currently,Hadji Muhtamad has only one rural health unit serving the health care needs of26,867 residents. If enactedinto law, the said hospital will be under the direct administrative andtechnical supervision of the Basilan IPHO.

Lastly,PB No. 106 proposes to convert the Lamitan District Hospital into a level IIhospital, under the direct supervision and control of the Ministry of Health. Theproposed measure aims to upgrade the apex or end-re-

Sacdalan has expressed support for the proposed priority code and hopes for the bill’s immediate passage. Sacdalan added that he is confident that those barangays under the BARMM SGA that joined the Bangsamoro region are well taken care of, adding that the Bangsamoro Organic Law is a reflection of the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people.

Representing the youth sector, Nurolhidaya Mentoc, president of the Active Youth Alliance, also supported the proposed code and provided some proposals to the BEC.

Meanwhile, Ferdaussee Ali, the legal officer of the MBHTESchools Division Office of the SGA, raised concerns about the compensation and security of teachers during the election.

The BARMM SGA is composed of 63 villages from the towns of Midsayap, Aleosan, Carmen, Kabacan, Pikit, and Pigcawayan.

As proposed under Parliament Bill No. 29, also known as the Bangsamoro Electoral Code of 2022, the BEC will design the structural, functional, and procedural principles for the election of officers within the region in 2025.

Cotabato City Cotabato City

In Cotabato City, residents

also declared their full support for the proposed Bangsamoro Electoral Code, according to Cotabato City Vice Mayor Johari Abu who said that BTA Bill No. 29 exemplifies moral governance, democracy, equal political involvement, and representation.

He also lauded the Bangsamoro Parliament for its efforts in enacting various laws and advancing the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people. The measure guarantees the conduct of fair, credible, and free elections in the BARMM by outlining its structural, functional, and procedural principles.

The Moro Women’s Development and Cultural Center, Inc., which also supported the draft code, asked the Bangsamoro Parliament to include the CSOs in their consultations, saying that doing so would help ensure fair and credible elections.

They also asked the MPs to involve youth, farmers, persons with disabilities, women, and indigenous people.

Nasserudin Dunding, Bangsamoro youth commissioner for Maguindanao, Cotabato City, and SGA, expressed gratitude for the inclusion of slots for recognized youth organizations and youth champions so that they can participate in

the significant discussions that will also shape and define the political future of the younger generation.

He continued, that younger generation will actively participate in determining the direction of the Bangsamoro and strongly support the proposed code.

Under the proposed code, the 80 seats in Parliament will be divided as follows: 50% for party representatives, 40% for district representatives, and 10% for reserved seats for sectoral representatives. On the first day of session, the newly elected Parliament will elect among themselves, and by a simple majority, the Chief Minister, who will then nominate two deputy Chief Ministers, who will be elected by the members of the Parliament.

To date, the Bangsamoro Parliament has enacted administrative, civil service, and education codes.

The Bangsamoro Electoral Code is among the priority codes of the Bangsamoro Parliament that must be enacted within the transition period, along with administrative, education, civil service, local governance, revenue, and indigenous people codes.

The Administrative, Education, and Civil Service Codes are the three priority codes already passed into law during the first Parliament. The first leg of public consultations for the BLGC was held in the region’s island provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi in December last year. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)

ferral hospital to protectand promote the right to health of the citizens of Lamitan City and itsadjacent areas. Onceapproved, the provincial hospital’s bed capacity will increase from 25 to 100beds.

Itsexisting service facilities and other services of the hospital are upgraded toconform with the bed capacity increase. The existing medical personnel willalso be correspondingly increased.

Mawallilpointed out that people’s inability to afford transportation to accesshospital-based medical services denies them access to health care services thatshould be theirs by right. “Imaginethe time it takes for these residents to travel to the hospital and theirplight if they endure long hours to avail of essential health services,”Mawallil said.The proposed measures wereprincipally authored by MPs Mawallil, Engr. Baintan Ampatuan, Atty. SuhartoAmbolodto, Atty. Rasol Mitmug Jr., Engr. Don Mustapha Loong, Rasul Ismael,Hatimil Hassan, Muslimin Jakilan, and Atty. Laisa Alamia. (LTAIS-PublicInformation, Publication, and Media Relations Division)

Bangsamoro legislators want Tawi-Tawi to be the seaweed capital of the Philippines

COTABATO CITY – Considered the biggest producer of seaweed in the Philippines, a measure seeking to make Tawi-Tawi province the seaweed capital of the country has been introduced on first reading in the Bangsamoro Parliament.

As explained in BTA Bill No. 101, Tawi-Tawi is the leading producer of seaweed and the largest provider of the vast majority of Philippine exports.

MP Eddie Alih, the main author of the proposed measure, said that seaweed farming has become the primary source of income for thousands of coastal households in the province. The seaweed industry in Tawi-Tawi, MP Alih said, has become a life-changing industry that has influenced and improved the people’s quality of life.

“In support to the economic development of the province and promotion of the culture and traditions of the people, it is hereby declared the Tawi-Tawi to be the seaweed capital of the Phil-

ippines,” said in the proposed measure.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that BARMM was the country’s primary fishery contributor in the second quarter of 2022, with a total fisheries production of 346.42 metric tons (MT), or 28.6 percent. The island provinces of Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, and Basilan have significantly contributed to BARMM’s fisheries production, the majority of which comes from aquaculture.

Fisheries produced in the region included seaweeds, frigate tuna (tulingan), round scad (galunggong), big-eyed scad (matambaka), Bali sardinella (tamban), eastern little tuna (bo-

nito), skipjack (gulyasan), Indian mackerel (alumahan), yellowfin tuna (tambako/bariles), and tilapia, among others.

The Bangsamoro Organic Law mandates the Bangsamoro Government to ensure, support, and promote economic prosperity and the preservation and enrichment of culture within its territorial jurisdiction. Every September, the province also holds the Agal-Agal Festival, the only seaweed festival in the country.

The festival demonstrates how the community values the importance of the seaweed industry, which has long been a part of their way of life. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)

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Luxembourg court sets aside Sulu heirs’ attachment order to enforce US$15b claim against Malaysia

ICHRP lauds ICC decision to pursue investigation of Duterte

Continued from page 1 Continued from page 1 International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines welcomed this new development.

“The ICHRP congratulates the ICC for cutting through the fog of lies and false claims laid out by the Marcos-Duterte government that the Philippine judicial system is functioning and can address any concerns about the President, the regime and the military’s roles in these gross violations of human rights and crimes against humanity,” it said.

On January 26, the ICC announced that it had granted the Prosecutor’s request to resume investigation into the “Situation of the Republic of the Philippines.” The ICC indicated that “following a careful analysis of the materials provided by the Philippines, the Chamber is not satisfied that the Philippines is undertaking relevant investigations that would warrant a deferral of the Court’s investigations”.

Having examined the submissions and materials of the Philippine Government, and of the ICC Prosecutor, as well as the victims’ observations, the Chamber concluded that the various domestic initiatives and proceedings, assessed collectively, do not amount to tangible, concrete and progressive investigative steps in a way that would sufficiently mirror the Court’s investigation.

This conclusion of the ICC mirrors the earlier findings of the Investigate Philippine Commission of

Inquiry which found that domestic measures were effectively not functioning, and there was no evidence to support the Philippine government’s contention that victims could find justice in the Philippine courts. The judicial system itself was in fact being wielded as an instrument in the Philippine government’s campaign of state terror.

The ICC decision to continue the pursuit of justice lays bare the Marcos Administration’s culpability in shielding the Duterte regime’s policies of impunity and state terror that killed perhaps 30,000 or more, and victimized Filipinos for six long years, according to Peter Murphy, ICHRP Chairperson.

“We are extremely appreciative of the decision of the ICC. It offers a mechanism for victims to continue their pursuit of justice against the Duterte Regime’s brutal war on drugs, on dissent and on the Moro and all indigenous peoples. Justice will still be served despite the Marcos administration’s decision to keep the Philippines outside the jurisdiction of the ICC and cover-up the crimes against humanity committed by the police and the military under Duterte,” he said.

The new Marcos-Duterte administration functions simply as a continuation of its brutal predecessor. ICHRP - a global network of organizations, concerned about the human rights situation in the Philippines and com-

mitted to campaign for just and lasting peace in the country - believes the prosecution by the ICC may not stop the Marcos-Duterte government from sheltering the perpetrators from prosecution or prevent such crimes from continuing to occur, but it can provide some constraint and a measure of justice to the victims.

In November 2022, Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla reported to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review that over 17,000 cases of drug killings involving police officers had been reviewed, resulting in a small number of disciplinary actions.

But Murphy said there is no way that this level of inquiry – most unlikely to be genuine – amounts to an investigation of the crime against humanity of murder which the ICC was investigating.

“ICHRP has full confidence in the impartiality of the ICC. We urge the ICC to vigorously pursue the full investigation of the previous Duterte administration for these crimes against humanity so that, finally, justice may be served and impunity ended,” he said.

Murphy, an Australian-based human rights advocate, led Investigate PH, a recent three-part investigation by an international commission on the extrajudicial killings, illegal arrests, abductions and disappearances in the Philippines since July 1, 2016, when Duterte came into power. (Mindanao Examiner)

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an attachment order against Malaysia from a French arbitration court to enforce a US$14.92 billion (RM62.6 billion) payment to the purported “descendants” of the last sultan of Sulu.

In March 2022, the French arbitration court instructed the Malaysian government to pay the Sulu Sultan’s heirs. In July, two Luxembourg-based subsidiaries of Petronas were seized by court bailiffs as part of the heirs’ effort to claim the award.

In a statement issued yesterday (26 Jan), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), said Malaysia applied to the district court of Luxembourg to seek the lifting of the attachment order. The hearing took place on 5 December last year.

“This decision vindicates the government’s policy to vigorously defend Malaysia in every forum to ensure that Malaysia’s interests, sovereign

immunity and sovereignty are protected and preserved at all times.”

“Malaysia has consistently refused to recognise the legitimacy of the purported arbitration orchestrated by the Claimants,” she said. “Malaysia has availed itself of all available legal remedies to invalidate the appointment of Dr Stampa and his purported ‘awards’.”

She stressed that the Malaysian government “will spare no effort to this end”.

The self-proclaimed “successors-in-interest” to Sultan Jamalul Kiram II, initiated a claim against the Malaysian government through an international arbitration proceeding in Madrid, Spain since 2018.

Historical background Historical

The Spanish arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa, reasoned that Malaysia had reneged on the 1878 agreements between Sultan Mohamet Jamal Al Alam (the then Sultan of Sulu) and Baron de Overbeck and Alfred Dent, rep-

resentatives of the British North Borneo Company.

Sultan of Sulu granted sovereign rights to parts of Sabah today, in return for an annual RM5,300 token payment. In 1936, the payment temporarily ceased when the last formally recognised sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram II died without heirs.

The payment resumed only after North Borneo High Court chief justice Charles F Macaskie named nine court-appointed heirs in 1939.

Malaysia government took over these payments after the formation of the country in 1963 until Datuk Seri Najib Razak administration halted the payment in 2013 when more than 200 armed militants, believed to be linked to the Sulu Sultanate, invaded Lahad Datu and resulted in 78 deaths.

The Malaysian government had claimed that the armed incursion caused a breach of the 1878 agreement, which the heirs of Sulu Sultan disputed. (Yee Loon)

Abaca industry in Lanao Sur growing fast

Continued from page 1 Continued from page 1

Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao’s (BARMM) Ministry of Trade, Investment, and Tourism (MTIT) members of different abaca farming cooperatives to come together to form the Lanao del Sur Abaca Federation in response to the industry’s speedy ascension into one of the top industries in the municipality of Piagapon.

Shortly after their foundation, the cooperatives set up substations for their products in Bobot village for easier delivery to their clients in Balo-i. Some villages, like Basak, are located slightly far off, and their damaged roads only made it harder for them to make trips to their clients. By setting up substations, the federation ensured that no cooperative was left behind during deliveries.

They also shared that

for some time back when they first started in the industry, most of them also struggled with getting seedlings, but with the help of the MTIT and the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA), they stepped in and provided them with abaca seedlings to help them out.

Once planted, it usually takes around eight months to a year before the fibers can be harvested and sent off to their client, NewTech Pulp Inc., in Balo-I town.

Ever since entering the industry, countless farmers have found stable livelihoods in abaca farming and opened opportunities for their families, like the chance for their children to pursue their formal education. Some of the members of the federation have actually put their children through college because

of it, while others are pursuing opportunities that they would never have had the chance to because of financial hurdles.

The MTIT is also currently working with a fiveyear Abaca Industry Roadmap Technical Working Group, aiming to strengthen abaca production and make our products more competitive in the international market. This includes market matching and providing farmers with skills training and livelihood programs, among other things.

As the abaca industry continues to move forward, the federation expressed its dedication to continuing to produce high-quality fibers to become one of the country’s top 5 suppliers. They do this not just for themselves but for the rest of the farming communities in Lanao del Sur. (Pamela Joyce Fumero)

DOH told to make public COVID vaccines records

PAGADIAN CITY - The Department of Health continues to refuse to waive the existing non-disclosure agreements (NDA) on COVID vaccines as lawmakers push for full transparency although it has submitted initial documents so that the Commission on Audit could begin its scrutiny.

Senator Risa Hontiveros has repeatedly called on the DOH to waive the NDA in the name of transparency, saying the NDAs with private manufacturers have outlived their purpose. “At this point, COVID vaccine NDAs are useless and have outlived their purpose dahil tapos na ang isyu ng price competition. It is now simply a violation of the public's right to know how our money was spent. NDAs should no longer stand in the way of accountability and transparency," she said.

The senator said the fact that the DOH submission of documents only covered the loan agreements with Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank, and those with limited

permissions from select vaccine manufacturers like Pfizer and AstraZeneca.

"What about the agreements with other vaccine manufacturers, like Sinovac? Bulto bultong bakuna pa naman mula sa Sinovac ang binili ng nakaraang administrasyon para sa national vaccination program. Paano magsasagawa ng complete audit ang COA kung patuloy na magtatago ang mga kompanya sa likod ng NDA clause ng kontrata?," She asked. "If we allow this to happen now, it is precedent-setting. Baka sa susunod na pandemya mauulit na naman ito, at posibleng maabuso.”

Hontiveros also said that this non-compliance of foreign vaccine manufacturers with the country's government processes is alarming.

"There is too much unnecessary secrecy surrounding this. Hindi naman dapat ituring na state secret ang presyo ng bakuna dahil pera ng bayan ang ginamit para ipambili nito. Pinipilay lang ng mga NDA na ito ang mandato ng COA na usisain

kung nakasulit ba tayo sa bilyun-bilyong pisong inilabas natin noong panahon ng pandemya," Hontiveros said.

She said that after some 44 million vaccine wastage, it is high time the real cost is disclosed to the public.

"Pwede bang i-undermine ng pribadong sektor ang ating konstitusyon dahil lang mayroon silang NDA sa government contracts? Of course not. Panahon na para makipagtulungan ang mga vaccine manufacturers sa audit ng COA," she said.

"I stand by my call to completely release all information with regards to the COVID-19 vaccine procurement to the public. I have been saying this for over a year. There is no reason for this to be done behind closed doors. We deserve to know how every centavo was spent, lalo na ngayong panahon ng resesyon. Managot ang dapat managot, at huwag magtago sa likod ng NDA," she added.

The DOH has not responded to the allegations. (Mindanao Examiner)

Malaysian boat smuggling fuel seized

Continued from page 1 Continued from page 1

Malaysian vessel smuggling 400,000 liters of diesel fuel into the remote Filipino town of Taganak.

A Filipino military spokesman, Lt. Col. Abdurasad Sirajan has confirmed the apprehension of the vessel “Marnia Penang” whose crew members were caught unloading drums of fuel to a Philippine tanker “Jaslyn Stacy Legazpi” which is based in Navotas City in Metropolitan Manila.

He said patrolling members of the 112th Marine Company and the Philippine National Police in Turtle Islands seized the two vessels on January 28.

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that an illegal loading of diesel is being undertaken in the area. Troops of the 112th Marine Company, together with the Maritime Police and the PNP Turtle Islands, conducted a joint maritime security patrol and validated the information,” Sirajan said.

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“According to Brig. Gen. Romeo Racadio, commander of Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi, personnel from the Taganak Municipal Police Station received information stating

He said Marnia Penang sailed from Malaysia with 16 crew members onboard to illegally unload 400,000 liters of diesel to the local vessel from Navotas, Metro Manila. Jaslyn Stacy Legazpi has 13 crew members onboard. “The vessels were anchored at the seawaters of Lihiman Island for the past three days before the apprehension,” Sirajan said.

During interrogation, Rodrigo Sarol, the boat captain and manager of the motor tanker Jaslyn Stacy Legazpi revealed the vessel linked up with Ma-

rina Penang in the area to load diesel, and they are still waiting for another vessel loaded with additional 200,000 liters of diesel to arrive.

Army Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, has ordered security forces to strengthen patrol in the border. “We do not tolerate any illegal activity in our area of operation. I commend all those concerned citizens who bravely feed us information regarding the illegal activities conducted in their locality. Rest assured that the Western Mindanao Command, through its joint task forces and Navy component units, will remain steadfast in curbing maritime crimes and other illegal activities,” he said.

The military did not release the names of the owners of the two tankers. (Mindanao Examiner)

Big Chinese firm commits more investments

Continued from page 1 Continued from page 1 said officials of the China Communications Construction Co. Ltd (CCCC) have proposed the construction of the 270-km Laoag City-Rosario City Highway Project and the introduction of China’s Juncao technology to the Philippines.

The CCCC proposed to build a Juncao Technology Demonstration Center and a Juncao Industrial Park for Juncao grass cultivation and processing. Juncao is a hybrid of the Giant Napier Grass developed by the Fujian Agriculture and Forest University from eight different grasses through tissue culture.

The proposed Juncao technology project, once approved, will be funded through Chinese foreign aid.

Aside from this proposal, the CCCC officials provided the President with an update on its ongoing infrastructure projects in the Philippines, including the Samal Island-Davao City Con-

nector Project and North and South Harbor Bridge, among others.

The statement also quoted Marcos as saying the central part of his government’s economic policy is the establishment, endorsement, and promotion of PPPs, in which the CCCC could participate.

“The government has changed the regulations and rules for the establishment of PPPs to make it more attractive for private corporations to come into the Philippines and work with the government,” Marcos said.

“It can be of any nature – commercial venture or joint venture with a local partner. Of course, the PPP, where you have partnership with the government, even G2G — government-to-government arrangements — are also something that we have been doing for a long time and again that we wish to further,” he added.

Marcos said his administration will not limit these partnerships to just

PPPs. He said the Philippines has also relaxed the rules to allow foreign contractors to bring in their own professionals with the aim of encouraging technology transfer.

He expressed optimism the CCCC could assist the Philippines in carrying out projects that ensure environmental sustainability in the midst of the threats posed by climate change.

The CCCC is a Chinese state-owned enterprise mainly engaged in transportation infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges and railways. Currently, it has more than 60 wholly owned subsidiaries and has operated in more than 150 countries and regions.

Aside from government projects, the CCCC is also involved in ongoing private-led reclamation projects in Metro Manila, such as the Pasay Harbor City Reclamation Project and Manila Waterfront City Development Project. (Mindanao Examiner)

Powerful 2.2 diesel engine, manual transmission, 2-inch lift, Robinson suspension, 20-inch Black Rhino rims, thick tires, only 85,000 mileage.

Photos released by the Western Mindanao Command show the Malaysian vessel "Marnia Penang" and arrested crew members.

#AskGaryVee

by Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu City)

GARY VAYNERCHUK is a Belarusian-American entrepreneur who took over his father’s wine business in 1998, launched a website selling his wines and started a Wine Library TV on YouTube talking about wine, how to choose the best ones, and how to taste test them. He grew his wine business from earning $3 million to $60 million a year. In 2011, he stepped away from the wine business and built VaynerMedia, a digital ad agency that earns $100 million a year.

His book on starting and running a business, entitled “#AskGaryVee: One Entrepreneur’s Take on Leadership, Social Media, and Self-Awareness” is a best-seller. He’s also an inspirational speaker on business and his formula for Entrepreneurial Success = Self-Awareness x Hustle. It basically means be aware of your strengths and weaknesses in running a business and multiply it with a lot of hard work. Below are details to that formula.

3 Ways Self-Awareness Leads to Success 3 Self-Awareness Leads to Success

(1) Let Your Goal Drive You

Gary’s next goal in life is to become a billionaire and buy the New York Jets football team. It’s quite an ambitious goal since he is just currently earning a hundred million a year. But that’s precisely the point of having a goal. Make it big so that your drive to reach that goal will likewise be big. His slogan is: It’s not what a goal is, it’s what a goal does to you. He says, your big goal will help you overcome the small inconveniences and discomforts of starting a business because the drive is so strong and big it makes you jump out of bed every morning.

(2) Know Your Strengths & Leverage Them

Ask people around you if you are not sure what are your strengths that could help you start a business. Focus on those strengths and even enhance them through more training.

(3) Know Your Weaknesses & Outsource them

There are many things you need to do to be successful that don’t fall into the ‘strengths’ category. If you find yourself struggling to improve at executing a certain task, swallow your

Bills refiled on shares of LGUs, disaster preparedness, splitting MAFAR

pride and hire someone else to do it. If you are weak in accounting, hire a good accountant to help you run your business.

3 Ways to Hone Your Hustle and Achieve

3 to Hone Your Hustle and Achieve Success

(1) Make Each Minute Count

Needless to say, starting a business will require a lot of hard work on your part. Wasting time would be wasting opportunities. The author says, literally every single minute should count. “It’s squeezing every last bit of juice out of your day. It’s putting all your effort into achieving the goal at hand. It’s making every minute count. Every. Single. Minute.”

(2) Learn to love it all (the successes AND the challenges)

The author says, “I love the HR (human resource) nightmares of a 500-plus organization, the headaches, the grind, the calls with an upset customer, all of it. It’s easy to stay motivated when you know your day is filled with things that are getting you closer to your goals.” To have this mindset of getting excited with challenges might not be easy at the start because we humans have this natural inclination to frown on difficulties and seek the path of least resistance. The author’s advice is to look at those challenges as stepping stones to your success, that the more challenges you overcome, the closer you are to your goal.

(3) Use Gratitude to Fuel your Hustle

He says, “I’m grateful every single day. I feel so lucky to have been born in the mid1970s, during such a special moment in Soviet history, instead of the mid-nineteenth century or the 1940s, and to have been given the opportunity to come to this country. I’m grateful for my parents, my wife, and my kids. I made this bed; how can I complain? Gratitude is amazing fuel.” Gary and his parents are migrants to the United States from Belarus that used to be under Russian Communist rule. He’s just grateful to have escaped a totalitarian government and is making use of his found freedom to be successful in life. (ECC)

Never lose hope

by Fr. Roy Cimagala (Cebu City)

EVEN IF we feel we already are a hopeless case because we have been abusing the goodness and mercy of God countless times, we should never lose hope. God is always ready to forgive and forgive, ready to help us in any way we need. We should banish the fear that there can come a time when God would finally say, “That’s enough!” It’s rather us who tend to say enough, because of our lack of faith and hope.

The mercy and compassion of God is endless. He may be mad at us for a while, and give us some punishment, but we can be sure that if we abide by our Christian faith, we know that his anger will only be for a moment, while his mercy is forever.

And any temporal punishment he gives us will always be for our own good, our own purification and strengthening. It may help us to do some restitution, but it’s never a pure act of revenge. We are reminded of this aspect of our Christian faith in that gospel episode where Christ freed a man who was possessed by a legion of evil spirits. (cfr. Mk 5,1-20) Despite his seemingly hopeless case, Christ helped and cured him.

This reminder about this virtue of hope is crucial these days since we cannot deny that many people today, especially the young ones, appear to be helplessly trapped in some addiction. Yes, the many intoxicating conveniences and advantages that our modern sciences and powerful technologies are offering are spoiling many of us, since we fail to use and enjoy them with God as the motive and goal. Instead, it is self-indulgence that is always reinforced.

There is always hope because God is always a father who cares for all his children, both the

COTABATO CITY – Three measures on detailing shares of local government units in taxes collected, strengthening disaster preparedness, and splitting the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform has been refiled and introduced in the first reading by Member of Parliament Engr. Baintan Ampatuan.

The Bangsamoro Organic Law states that the Parliament should pass legislation outlining the shares of constituent local government units in the 75% share of national taxes, fees, and charges collected in the Bangsamoro territorial jurisdiction.

In filing BTA Bill No. 97, MP Ampatuan said that it is crucial to improve the governance capacities of the constituent local government units of the Bangsamoro government. It is also stated in the BOL that the national government’s taxes, fees, and charges collected in the Bangsamoro region, other than tariffs and customs duties, are divided as follows: 25% to the national government and 75% to the Bangsamoro government, inclusive of the shares of the constituent local government units.

According to the proposed bill, the Bangsamoro government will receive 30% of the 75% share, while the remaining 20% will go to the provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays. The BARMM is composed of five provinces, three cities, 116 municipalities, and 2,590 barangays, including the 37 barangays in Cotabato City and the 63 barangays in North Cotabato. Once approved, the Ministry of Finance, Budget,

good ones and the not so good ones. In fact, he gives some preferential attention to those in some difficulty, whether materially or spiritually and morally.

We need to avoid being swallowed up by the horror of our predicaments, difficulties and sins. We should not stop at lamenting and complaining. We have to remember what St. Paul once said: “Where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly.” (Rom 5,20) And more, from the Book of Ezekiel: “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord GOD. Wouldn’t I prefer that he turn from his ways and live?” (18,23)

We have to reassure ourselves, based on what Christ has promised and has actually done for us, that there can be no crisis that is too big for the grace of God to handle. We have to remember that nothing happens in this life without at least the knowledge and tolerance of God. And if God allows some really bad things to happen, it is because a greater good can always be derived from them.

We just have to put ourselves in God’s side to tackle whatever crisis plagues us. That is the real challenge we have to face. And just like what Christ did and continues to do to redeem us, we have to follow the formula he once spelled out: deny ourselves, carry the cross and then follow him. (cfr. Mt 16,24)

If we are willing to do that, then we can even gain a lot more than what we appear to lose and to suffer. In other words, we can say that the bigger, the more serious the problem, the bigger, plentier and stronger also the grace God will give us. So, let us just be game and do our part of the bargain. There’s always hope for us! (FRC)

and Management will promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for a simplified disbursement scheme designed for the speedy and effective enforcement of the measure.

Meanwhile, Parliament Bill No. 98 aims to strengthen disaster preparedness and the response of the Bangsamoro government. It seeks to develop a standard design for evacuation centers in BARMM based on the Philippine building code and set plans and policies for the construction, operation, and maintenance of these centers.

Ampatuan emphasized the need for clean water as well as facilities for women and nursing mothers, the elderly, and those with special needs. “The least the government can do for them and their dignity is to provide clean, safe, and spacious places to stay temporarily,” she said.

The proposed measure will help establish standard staffing and capacity-building efforts to ensure the buildings’ operation and maintenance. This will enable the local government units to have a designated center for prepositioning, stocking, repacking, and piling relief goods. At least 100 to 200 IDPs can be housed at the evacuation center, with the usual precautions taken against the spread of disease. Evacuation facilities will be directly supervised by the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) and run by municipal or city social welfare personnel.

Other measure is the Parliament Bill No. 102, which seeks to separate the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and

OPINION

by Mayor Beng

BONG SENT me the Gospel text to start the day in prayer. Despite the many readings of the beatitudes, even exam texts in Fr. Yatco’s class, it is only now that this bears meaning.

In our CLC Kumustahan: How our heart was doing, I shared. I feel like a heavy metal sheet pressing on my chest, my heart split into two by a sword broken and bleeding. It is agonizing at times as i walk in public and even be in familiar places i have been with my husband TP.

I have lost loved ones and have grieved before. Here I am again mourning the loss of my support, my security my strength. Simple things as seeing his toothbrush, pillow which will no longer be used. In mass today was an Empty Seat beside me. I will miss his firm hands that will clasp mine as we walk, as we sleep and as we pray the Our Father in Mass.

The food is not satisfying, I have no interest in TV and things I use to enjoy. The drive is gone, something and someone is missing. I spend time reading Joyce Rupp’s “Praying our

Agrarian Reform into three agencies, namely the Bangsamoro-Ministry of Agriculture (B-MOA), the Bangsamoro-Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (B-MFAR), and the Bangsamoro Agrarian Reform Office (BARO).

Ampatuan believes that the agriculture and fishery industries, as well as agrarian reform, must be prioritized and given independent agencies to focus on their development. “Farmers and fisherfolk serve and provide for this country. They are the very foundation of the industries that we enjoy today. They should be given enough opportunities to improve their lives,” she said.

The Bangsamoro Ministry of Agriculture and its attached agencies and bureaus shall promote sustainable growth and development in agriculture and equitable land distribution, optimum economic benefits, and tenurial security for the use of the landless farmers in the region. The developing, improving, managing, and conserving of the autonomous region’s fisheries and aquatic resources shall be supervised by the Bangsamoro Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

While the Bangsamoro Agrarian Reform Office shall be mandated to lead in the regional implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) through Land Tenure Improvement (LTI), agrarian justice, and coordinated delivery of essential support services. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)

Goodbyes!”

Chito Sobrepeña, handed me the book before the funeral. As I spend time in solitude back home, I ask God to whisper His consolation in the events that transpire. The novena Mass in Our Lady Purification is a welcome to bring me back home. I am greeted by parishioners and feel their warmth comfort me.

The Gospel Homily of Fr. Joel Malcampo speak of NEW GROWTH and CROSSING-OVER. As i bid goodbye to my beloved TP, I cherish all the 14 years of marriage and the 6 years of friendship. I count my blessings, embrace the pain, learn from my mistakes, forgive, and cherish the fond memories with joy in my heart.

“Audrey in Mrs. Pilar Castillo’s Eulogy said: “Grief is the prize of Love!” I thank God for the love given to me and TP and all the blessings that came with it. In our Trials, TP always taught us: “MAHAL TAYO”! For TP - Jesus calls him: “Rejoice and be glad; your reward will be great in heaven!” (MBC)

‘Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted’

Climaco (Zamboanga City)

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Cebu to hold foreign cultural festivals to boost tourism

Lawyer Jocelyn Pesquera, the Cebu City Tourism Commission chief, said this year's planned initiatives target a wider international audience and would focus on festivals that are widely celebrated.

The commission, she said, has planned to replicate here the Hanukkah Festival of Israel, the Diwali which is also known as the Festival of Lights in Indian culture and the one observed by Koreans.

Pesquera did not mention which festival in Korea the local government would adopt but the country in the peninsular region in East Asia has some festivals they celebrate each year, like the Bonfire Festival, Wangin Festival, Chuseok-Harvest Moon Festival, the Busan One Asia Festival and several tribal feats.

She said the city has recently held Hanukkah in Plaza Independencia late last year. It was just a small celebration, she said, add-

ing that they are planning to make it bigger in December. “We will have a bigger celebration together with the Jewish community,” she said.

Pescqura cited the Red Lantern Festival which was successfully held on the eve of the Chinese New Year on January 21, saying the commission has decided to celebrate this in Cebu City every year.

Economic outlook is good

In summer, the commission would launch watersports tourism at the city’s new business district at the South Road Properties (SRP). The event will include kayaking, canoeing and jet skiing.

Ilarina also noted that the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is currently developing satellite accounts to allow the government to see the stock of natural resources in the country, including minerals, energy, and water. “We are pursuing this. Importante ito (this vital), especially for the Philippines.

“Hopefully, before the end of the year, we can already jumpstart scuba diving at the site one kilometer from ll Corso in SRP. We are setting up a wharf at Barangays Pasil and Suba which will become the jump-off point for scuba diving and

island hopping,” Pesquera said.

She said students from the Marine Biology Department of the Cebu Technical University reported to the Cebu City Council that “we have a rich marine biodiversity just one kilometer from Il Corso, which is good for scuba diving”.

Visitors can enjoy scuba diving in Moalboal or Oslob and the island town of

CEBU – A noted economist and lawyer Franklin Quijano said the growth of the Philippine economy in 2022 was a good start for the Marcos administration, adding, the 7.6-percent economic growth is a good indicator for the current administration's performance benchmark.

Quijano, chairperson of the National Commission of Senior Citizens and former economics professor at the San Carlos University in Cebu, said: “Looking at it positively, baka naman magandang pangitain itong 7.6 [percent] as a performance benchmark dahil itong administrasyon na ito will have to perform well.”

He, however, acknowledged that much remains to be done in the coming years for the current administration to sustain economic

growth, citing the occurrence of natural disasters has a negative economic implication, saying it is also a contributor to the country's gross domestic product (GDP).

The government's digital transformation bid and infrastructure development may help maintain the positive momentum of the Philippine economy, Quijano said and proposed the utilization and proper management of natural resources to enable the Marcos administration to achieve its economic agenda.

"We have so much in mineral resources even under our seas kaya nga nakikipag-away 'yung iba kasi maraming reserves doon sa ilalim. Ang asset ng Pilipinas, lalo sa ilalim ng lupa, hindi natin kinukuwenta. Therefore, kung ikuwenta natin ito,”he said.

Meanwhile, Assistant National Statistician Vivian

Now, we are rich in natural resources, we need to account for them. Once you extract the gold and other minerals, then that becomes part of the GDP,” she said. To further boost the economy, Ilarina stressed the need forgovernment agencies to implement policies, programs, and interventions based onthe data collected by the PSA.

“It is up to the other agencies like the Department of Agriculture to do their own interventions, programs based on the data we are releasing. We, in the PSA, collect the data, present them to everybody and it's up for the users to really analyze them,” she said.

The country's 7.6-percent annual growth in 2022 exceeded the government's 6.5 to 7.5 percent growth assumption for the year and the highest after the 8.8 percent in 1976, according to the PSA report. Even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said his administration intends to attract more investments to sustain the growth momentum of thePhilippine economy. (Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos)

CEBU CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) vows to strengthen its partnership with local governments to put a stop to the pawning of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) cash card.

Jiah Sayson, DSWD-7’s 4Ps regional program coordinator, said cash card pawning has become prevalent in many localities in Cebu province, citing 59 cases in Daanbantayan and in Minglanilla.

“The problem is that 4Ps beneficiaries in Daanbantayan pawned their cards to somebody who is from Bogo City. The pawnee cannot accept cash cards from 4Ps beneficiaries in Bogo because Bogo has an ordinance that bans cash card pawning,” Sayson told the Philippine News Agency.

She said beneficiaries from Minglanilla also pawned their cards to a person who is from the village of Mambaling. Her office, she said, has been reminding beneficiaries not to pawn their cards during the monthly family development sessions, telling them that the

act is considered a misbehavior which could be a ground for disqualification or delisting from the list.

Sayson said DSWD has been hopeful that with its partnership with the LGUs, they could pass an ordinance similar to that of Bogo to prevent cash card pawning of the beneficiaries. The DSWD, she added, has also engaged other government entities so that they could issue a memorandum prohibiting their employees from accepting cash cards as a pledge for debt.

“Ideally, we have been using family development sessions to explain that they need to have with them their cash

Bantayan and spend their time exploring marine life off the coast of Cebu, according to Pesquera, adding, they will work closely with the marine biologists in crafting campaign strategies to document the marine biodiversity area here as well as in disseminating multimedia materials to promote these water-related activities for the visitors. (John

Rey Saavedra)

4Ps cash card pawning alarms DSWD

cards all the time because they cannot get their cash grants without the cards. They are not that big an amount. But the cash grants are a subsidy from the national government to augment their needs so that their children can go to school, they can buy medicines, and they can get their subsidy for rice,” Sayson said.

She said DSWD also partnered with the Department of Labor and Employment, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, LGUs, and other government offices that can give livelihood projects for 4Ps beneficiaries.

(John Rey Saavedra)

CEBU CITY – The Cebu City government is planning to hold cultural festivals

EBU CITY – The Cebu City government is to hold cultural festivals celebrated in different countries in an effort to boost the local tourism and an to hasten the economy as the province reopens its door to foreign and local hasten the economy as the reopens its door to and local visitors visitors.

A Cebu City government photo shows the Filipino-Chinese community performing the traditional Lion Dance during the Red Lantern Festival on the eve of the Chinese New Year.

Lawyer Franklin Quijano, chairperson of the National Commission of Senior Citizens and former economics professor, (2nd from left) says the 7.6-percent growth of the Philippine economy in 2021 is a "good start" for the Marcos administration.