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| Message of Sec. Balisacan at the 2nd
EU-Philippines Business Dialogue |
| Source:
http://www.neda.gov.ph |
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KEYNOTE MESSAGE
2nd EU-Philippines Business Dialogue
by Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan
12 May 2015
Shangri-la Hotel Makati City
Sec. Gregory Domingo, Sec. Rogelio Singson, his Excellency
Ambassador Guy Ledoux, Michael Raeuber, Director General Lilia
De Lima, Excellences and Ambassadors from the various EU-member
countries, colleagues from government, our partners from the
private sector. Ladies and gentlemen, Good morning!
It is of great pleasure to be invited once again to grace this
year’s EU-Philippines Business Dialogue. This event not only
further strengthens the long-standing bilateral economic and
trade relations between the EU and the Philippines, but also
advances our efforts in creating a more favorable market
environment to encourage greater investments and promote
entrepreneurship in the country.
We commend the European Business Chamber of Commerce of the
Philippines (ECCP) for continually engaging various development
stakeholders—through the establishment of the EU-Philippines
Business Network—in an inclusive discussion that aims to
collectively contribute to the improvement of trade and
investment partnerships between the two regions. We note, in
particular, the network’s continued support in the development
of the Small and Medium Enterprises or SME sector.
If you don’t mind I will focus on this because it is very
crucial in our effort to win the war against poverty . The role
of SMEs in economic development has gained significantly more
attention in recent times. SMEs are especially important in Asia
where trade and production links have been the key driver of
growth for many Asian economies. Latest studies indicate, for
example, that SMEs constitute about 77 percent of Viet Nam’s
GDP, about 97 percent of Indonesia’s labor force, and about 68
percent of China’s exports. In the ASEAN as a whole, the SME
sector accounts for nearly 96 percent of businesses and
generates about 50-80 percent of total domestic employment. In
the Philippines, latest available data indicate that SMEs
account for about 99.6 percent of registered enterprises
(including micro enterprises) in the country and contribute
about almost two-thirds in the total jobs generated by all types
of business enterprises in 2012.
As I was scanning the literature, I observed that the definition
of SMEs varied quite remarkably. The concept of SMEs in Europe,
for example, are quite different from the way we use SMEs here.
In fact, many of the SMEs in Europe are international grant.
Don’t get lost with SMEs. These are not small players, these are
international grants, many of them at least. Indeed, SMEs serve
as valuable partners to large enterprises as suppliers and
providers of support services, as well as a seedbed for new
ideas and potential large earners of foreign exchange. But more
than these, SMEs impact the lives of people by providing job
opportunities to the ever-growing labor force and fostering
innovation and competition. I need to add that the inclusiveness
of our growth process could be very much enhanced if we focus on
SMEs in this country. With the SMEs playing such important
roles, SME development should remain a top priority in
sustaining recent economic gains not only in the Philippines but
also in many emerging Asian economies. Not surprisingly, the
development of SMEs has taken center stage in critical fora like
the ASEAN and the APEC.
Given the importance of SMEs in promoting growth and
development, it is imperative to address key constraints that
prevent this industry from realizing its full potential. The
aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-2009, for
instance, showed the critical role that access to financing
plays in SME development. Today, many SMEs continue to face
limited access to finance via commercial bank loans and capital
markets. Latest data show that the resulting financing gaps can
consequently be large: for China and Southeast Asia, SMEs’
financing gap amount to around $100 billion, while for the world
in general it amounts to $1.5 to $1.8 billion. Empirical studies
have also verified a distinct disadvantage of SMEs in accessing
lines of credit, and the continued high reliance on internal
funds suggest the persistent underdevelopment of SME financing
institutions.
Another constraint to SME growth and development is their
limited participation and integration in global value chains.
Globalization presents huge potentials for SMEs all over the
world, but the presence of unfavorable business environments,
limited market access, and stringent regulations serve as
critical constraints to SMEs’ ability to break into
international markets and reach their full potential.
To this end, institutions like the APEC have identified key
initiatives in addressing these constraints to SMEs’ capacity
building and global participation. Aside from improvements in
access to finance and markets through greater participation of
private sector funding, the APEC recognizes the importance of
strengthening institutional support for entrepreneurship and
startups, as well as reducing red tape, promoting ease of doing
business, fostering intellectual property, and facilitating
research and development.
For its part, the Philippine government has been implementing
key reforms in the past few years that aim to foster long-run
growth of SMEs particularly with the integration in the global
supply chains. As you may be aware, the Philippines has seen
robust growth in recent years. Our Gross Domestic Product has
grown by more than 6 percent per year since 2012, supported by
sound and stable macroeconomic fundamentals, manageable
inflation, strong external position, and ample liquidity in the
credit markets. Moreover, the role of the private sector in
development has been enhanced by public-private partnerships and
various reforms in the economy and governance that have been put
in place.
Indeed, the government’s good governance platform has resulted
in respectable economic gains that have placed the country in a
much stronger position to benefit from a more globalized market
landscape.
Nonetheless, intensifying our efforts and implementing
strategies identified in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP)
Midterm Update remain critical and even more compelling. Thus,
in the remaining one-and-a-half years of this administration, we
continue to aggressively pursue economic and governance reforms
in line with our goal of promoting a consistent, stable, and
responsive environment conducive to businesses and investments.
Along this line, the Philippine government is committed to the
development of globally competitive and innovative industry and
services sectors by reducing the cost of doing business;
improving governance; and ramping up infrastructure support.
While both domestic and foreign businesses remain optimistic,
business prospects in 2015 are quite conservative. Therefore, we
are working double time to address critical bottlenecks when it
comes to infrastructure, port congestion, and energy supply.
Furthermore, we continue to pursue programs and interventions
that aim to strengthen linkages between agriculture and industry
on the one hand, and large enterprises and MSMEs on the other
hand. The key is to capitalize on specific growth drivers in
view of their potential to contribute to employment generation
as well as rapid and sustained growth. These include
agribusiness, manufacturing, tourism, Information
Technology-Business Process Management (IT-BPM), construction,
and logistics. We welcome business-to-business cooperation with
European Union SMEs as partnership between Philippine and
European firms in these priority sectors will certainly provide
support for the attainment of more inclusive and sustained
growth.
The government also continues to take fundamental steps to
promote competitiveness and workforce productivity. The highly
competitive global markets require enhancing the competencies of
our labor force through training programs such as the technical
vocational education and training or TVET; harnessing science,
technology and innovation to further improve the value-added of
the SMES to the economy; and expanding cluster development.
Let me also assure you of our support for the passage of
critical priority bills such as the antitrust or competition
law, that will undoubtedly help promote a more level playing
field and promote the growth and development of SMEs. We are
similarly promoting additional reforms such as the
rationalization of fiscal incentives and amendments to the BOT
law. On the amendment of specific laws cited in the Foreign
Investment Negative List, the Economic Development Cluster,
already endorsed three bills to the Senate, which includes
lifting investment restrictions on: (1) adjustment, lending, and
financing companies or Senate Bill 2517; (2) specific laws
governing the practice of professions; and (3) contracts for the
construction and repair of locally-funded public works and
contracts for the supply of materials, goods, and commodities to
government-owned and controlled corporation, agency or municipal
corporation.
Ladies and gentlemen, as we traverse the last few miles of this
administration, the government will ensure that the attainment
of our goals will be supported by the substantial engagement and
strong partnership with the private sector, our development
partners, and civil society. Thus, once again, we are delighted
that the EU-Philippines Business Network project supports the
Philippines, particularly in strengthening key growth drivers in
the economy. We encourage SMEs to be more aggressive in
establishing linkages and building networks with other SMEs and
large enterprises both domestically and internationally. This
dialogue is a good step towards this direction and we hope that
this will strengthen greater cooperation efforts between
Filipino and EU entrepreneurs in achieving our vision of
sustained and economic development.
Thank you and I wish you a productive day ahead. Mabuhay! |
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| Global Partner for Social
Accountability - The GPSA Award for Leadership in Social
Accountability |
| Source:
http://www.dswd.gov.ph |
|
The Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA), an
initiative of the World Bank is pleased to announce the winners
of the first GPSA Award for Leadership in Social Accountability.
The winners are respected leaders in social accountability, and
this award serves as a celebration of their achievements in the
field.
In an Award Ceremony and Cocktail hosted by Sanjay Pradhan,
World Bank Vice President for Leadership, Learning, and
Innovation, on May 12, the GPSA awardED seven individuals in
government and civil society organizations for their outstanding
contributions, influence and impact in the field of social
accountability as a means to eradicate poverty and foster shared
prosperity.
There are six regional winners – each representing a geographic
region: Africa, East Asia and Pacific, Europe and Central Asia,
Latin America and Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, and
South Asia. There is also one special Lifetime Achievement award
winner.
The award ceremony happened on the first day of the broader GPSA
Forum, a two-day event (May 12-13) which focuses on the shifting
paradigm in social accountability towards a citizen-centric
governance approach. Learn more about the GPSA Forum here:
www.thegpsa.org/sa/forum-2015.
The winners are:
AFRICA REGION: Ibrahim Tanko Amidu – Programme Manager,
STAR-Ghana (CSO) – Ghana
EAST ASIA & PACIFIC REGION: Corazon Juliano-Soliman – Secretary
of Social Welfare and Development (Gov) – The Philippines
LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN REGION: Gonzalo Hernández Licona –
Executive Secretary, CONEVAL (Gov) – Mexico
SOUTH ASIA REGION: Iftekhar Zaman – Executive Director,
Transparency International Bangladesh (CSO) – Bangladesh
MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA REGION: Aicha Ech-Chenna – Founder,
Solidarite Feminine (CSO) – Morocco
EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA: Maia Sandu – Minister of
Education (Gov) – Moldova
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Oded Grajew – Founder and General
Coordinator, Rede Nossa Sao Paulo (CSO) – Brazil
To learn more about the GPSA Forum & Award Ceremony, please
visit our website: www.thegpsa.org
Ibrahim Tanko Amidu
STAR-Ghana (CSO) Ghana
Ibrahim Tanko Amidu brought together development practitioners
and CSOs to learn and support each other in implementing new
participatory approaches to development. His greatest
achievement has been focusing STAR-Ghana on supporting the
piloting of innovative strategies linking citizens’ voices into
governance processes. This has led to the adoption by the
Parliament of social accountability approaches in its interface
with citizens, while CSOs have increased their capacity to
engage with government and promote social accountability
approaches in the governance of social services delivery.
Corazon Juliano-Soliman
Department of Social Welfare
Philippines
Secretary Soliman led the task of promoting synergy and
inter-operability in government agencies through bottom-up
approaches, and coordinating agencies’ work with local
government with focus on the poorest localities and families.
Under her leadership, the program was expanded nationwide to
become the National Community-Driven Development Program,
becoming best practice not only in the Philippines but also
worldwide. Secretary Soliman also leads efforts to strengthen
accountability among civil society organizations and champions
the empowerment of marginalized Filipinos through Pantawid
Pamilya, the Philippines’ Conditional Cash Transfer program.
Gonzalo Hernández Licona
CONEVAL (Gov)
Mexico
Gonzalo Hernández Licona is head of CONEVAL, an independent
council created by the Mexican Congress to produce official data
on poverty in Mexico and to regulate and coordinate the
evaluation of social programs and policies. Hernández Licona,
together with his fellow council members, has played a key role
in creating a culture of results-based social policy-making in
Mexico, has expanded the Council’s mandate to include the
sub-national state-level, and has installed an open data policy
in which citizens not only have access to results, but can full
access to data and methods to scrutinize and replicate results.
Iftekhar Zaman
Transparency International Bangladesh (CSO)
Bangladesh
Iftekhar Zaman has been instrumental in advocating for
transparency and good governance, despite shrinking social space
for dissent in Bangladesh. Under his leadership TIB has
catalyzed several institutional, legal and policy and
established a country wide network of over 6,500 anti-corruption
platform of volunteers as Committees of Concerned Citizens and
Youth Engagement & Support. TIB has created forums and
mechanisms through which citizens can raise their opposition to
corruption.
Aicha Ech-Chenna
Solidarite Fèminine (CSO)
Morocco
Aicha Ech-Chenna has dedicated over 50 years of her life to
defend the cause of single mothers and their children in
Morocco, where children conceived outside marriage are
considered illegitimate and have no rights. Ms. Ech-Chenna not
only defends mothers and children’s dignity and civil
recognition but also offers them a chance to be fully integrated
in Moroccan society. Her activism has helped establish the right
of single mothers to be the legal guardians of their children.
She has changed the conception of Moroccan society toward single
mothers and put the authorities face-to-face with their reality,
expanding the role of local authorities in the protection of
children.
Maia Sandu
Ministry of Education
Moldova
An economist by training, and a holder of MA degree from
Harvard, Maia Sandu, Minister Sandu employs a systemic and
rational approach in trying to raise the quality of education in
a cost-effective way. Apart from the recently adopted new
Education code, her signature policy has been the enforcement of
strict anti-cheating rules during high school graduation exams,
which made her a national hero among many supporters from
society. She works to engage NGO and citizens in the education
debate by encouraging their role in monitoring the quality of
education service delivery.
Oded Grajew
Rede Nossa Sao Paulo (CSO)
Brazil
Oded Grajew is a Brazilian businessman and serial social
entrepreneur. He is one of the founders of Brazil’s corporate
social responsibility movement and has focused on strengthening
democracy in Brazil throughout his trajectory. He has founded
and led several instituions including PNBE, the Abrinq
Foundation for Children and Adolescents’ Rights, ANDI, the Ethos
Institute of Business and Social Responsibility, the World
Social Forum and the Our Sao Paulo Network. The Our Sao Paulo
network aims to engage society and governments in promoting a
more sustainable, democratic and fair country with a better
quality of life for citizens. The Network is an important
political and social force during these years, uniting around
700 organizations in order to promote fundamental changes in the
city of Sao Paulo.
Reprinted from the www.thegpsa.org |
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| GPH peace panel thanks Marcos for
Mindanao consultation on BBL; reiterates Zambo City not part of
Bangsamoro |
| Source:
http://www.opapp.gov.ph |
|
The government peace panel for talks with the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF) lauded the Senate Committee on Local
Government chaired by Sen. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. for organizing
public hearings on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in Jolo, Sulu
and Zamboanga City today, May 13, and tomorrow, May 14,
respectively.
“We thank Senator Marcos for steering the various public
consultations on the BBL, particularly in these areas in
Mindanao. We appreciate his efforts to expedite the completion
of his committee's report," government peace panel chair Prof.
Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said.
Ferrer recalled that one of the big compromises in the agreement
with the MILF is the exclusion of Zamboanga City in the
prospective core territory of the Bangsamoro.
"We are happy to inform the good senator that in consideration
of the results of previous plebiscites on the issue of inclusion
in the autonomous region and in consideration also of the
position undertaken by the leaders of Zamboanga City led by Rep.
Celso Lobregat and Mayor Beng Climaco, the government and the
MILF agreed not to include the city of Zamboanga in the
plebiscite for the creation of the Bangsamoro,” she added.
Ferrer and panel members former Agriculture Secretary Senen
Bacani and National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Secretary
Yasmin Busran-Lao, and lawyer Anna Tarhata Basman met with the
senator last Monday to discuss pending concerns on the draft
law.
"We had a frank discussion on an issue that particularly
concerned the good senator, that is, what happens to
non-contiguous barangays in North Cotabato that opt to join the
Bangsamoro and the practical difficulties of administering such
outlying barangays," said Bacani.
"We recommended text that may be introduced such as the
incorporation of these barangays to the nearest municipality on
the Bangsamoro," he added.
The leaderships of the Senate and the House of Representatives
believe that the BBL will be enacted by June before Congress
goes into a long recess. President Aquino said he hopes to sign
the bill into law immediately after Congress has passed it. The
organic law will then be submitted to the electorate of the
provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu and
Tawi-Tawi plus a few other municipalities in Central Mindanao
for ratification in a plebiscite expected to be held in
September.
Next week, Senator Marcos will consult with the leaders of the
Moro National Liberation Front, the various sultanates and royal
houses and other indigenous groups to get their sentiments on
the BBL.
Civil society groups in Mindanao are strongly urging Congress to
approve a BBL consistent with the Philippine Constitution and
the signed Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. |
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| Foreign Direct Investments Grow
by 17.9 Percent in February 2015; Year-to-Date Net Inflows Reach
US$622 Million |
| Source:
http://www.bsp.gov.ph |
|
Foreign direct investments (FDI) rose by 17.9 percent in
February 2015 to reach US$359 million from US$305 million in the
same period the previous year. 1,2 ; This was due largely to the
184.7 percent increase in net equity capital to US$179 million
as gross equity capital placements expanded by 103.6 percent
while withdrawals declined by 59.4 percent. The bulk of these
equity capital investments—emanating mainly from the United
States, Spain, the United Kingdom, Japan and Singapore—was
channeled primarily to manufacturing; electricity, gas, steam
and air conditioning supply; financial and insurance;
transportation and storage; and professional, scientific and
technical activities. Meanwhile, non-residents’ investments in
debt instruments (or lending by parent companies abroad to their
local affiliates to fund existing operations and business
expansion) amounting to US$122 million were lower by 29.5
percent compared to the level registered in the same month in
2014. Similarly, reinvestment of earnings decreased by 15.9
percent to US$58 million.
On a year-to-date basis, FDI net inflows reached US$622 million
in the first two months of the year. This, however, was 48.6
percent lower than the US$1.2 billion net inflows recorded in
the same period last year as all FDI components posted lower net
inflows. Non-residents’ investments in debt instruments, which
accounted largely for the decline, contracted by 61.8 percent
(from US$757 million to US$289 million) due to lower debt
availments during the period January-February 2015. Net equity
capital also declined by 22.4 percent (from US$264 million to
US$205 million). Equity capital investments during the
period—which came mostly from the United States, Spain,
Singapore, Japan and Germany—were channeled mainly to
manufacturing; electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning
supply; financial and insurance; real estate; and transportation
and storage activities. Meanwhile, reinvestment of earnings for
the first two months of 2015 reached US$128 million, lower by
32.1 percent.
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1 The BSP adopted the Balance of Payments, 6th edition (BPM6)
compilation framework effective 22 March 2013 with the release
of the full-year 2012 and revised 2011 BOP statistics. On 21
March 2014, the BSP released the BPM6-based series from
2005-2013. The major change in FDI compilation is the adoption
of the asset and liability principle, where claims of
non-resident direct investment enterprises from resident direct
investors are now presented as reverse investment under net
incurrence of liabilities/non-residents’ investments in the
Philippines (previously presented in the Balance of Payments
Manual, 5th edition (BPM5) as negative entry under
assets/residents’ investments abroad). Conversely, claims of
resident direct investment enterprises from foreign direct
investors are now presented as reverse investment under net
acquisition of financial assets/residents’ investments abroad
(previously presented as negative entry under
liabilities/non-residents’ investments in the Philippines).
2 BSP statistics on FDI covers actual investment inflows, which
could be in the form of equity capital, reinvestment of
earnings, and borrowings between affiliates. In contrast to
investment data from other government sources, the BSP’s FDI
data include investments where ownership by the foreign
enterprise is at least 10 percent. Meanwhile, FDI data of
Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) do not make use of the 10
percent threshold and include borrowings from foreign sources
that are non-affiliates of the domestic company. Furthermore,
the BSP’s FDI data are presented in net terms
(i.e., equity capital placements less withdrawals), while the
IPAs’ FDI do not account for equity withdrawals. |
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| P6.71-B quick response funds ready for
disaster relief; Abad: Gov't prepared to tackle effects of typhoon
Dodong |
| Source:
http://www.dbm.gov.ph |
|
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In anticipation of possible
calamities in 2015 such as Typhoon Dodong, the National
Government allotted P6.71 billion worth of Quick Response Funds
(QRFs) under various departments and agencies in the 2015
General Appropriations Act (GAA).
“The Administration’s disaster management strategy is already in
place to address Typhoon Dodong, with funds allocated to
different frontline agencies under their respective budgets.
These funds will enable us to quickly respond—with the
appropriate resources and manpower—to the damage caused by the
recent typhoon,” Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad said.
The departments and agencies that have QRFs are the departments
of Agriculture, Education, Health, National Defense (including
the Office of Civil Defense), Social Welfare and Development,
and Transportation and Communications, as well as the National
Irrigation Authority (NIA).
These QRFs range from P352.5 million (DND) to P1.325 billion
(DSWD). The breakdown is as follows:
DEPARTMENT
|
AVAILABLE QRFs
|
| Department of
Agriculture-Office of the Secretary |
P500M |
| Department of Education-Office of the Secretary |
P1B |
| Department of National Defense-Office of the
Secretary |
P352.5M |
| Department of National Defense-Office of Civil
Defense |
P530M |
| Department of Health-Office of the Secretary |
P500M |
| Department of Transportation and
Communications-Office of the Secretary |
P1B |
| Department of Public Works and Highways-Office of
the Secretary |
P1B |
| Department of Social Welfare and Development-Office
of the Secretary |
P1.325B |
| National Irrigation Authority |
P500M |
|
TOTAL |
P6.7075B |
These departments and agencies can already respond to any
emergency or calamity as their respective QRFs are
comprehensively released to them at the start of the year, in
line with the Administration’s GAA-as-release document (GAARD)
regime.
“Our experience with Typhoon Yolanda in 2013 taught us that the
government needs to be prepared, flexible, and resilient when it
comes to natural disasters. As such, our country’s
vulnerabilities challenged us to craft a national budget that
can better respond to the needs of the Filipino people,” Abad
said.
Typhoon Dodong (international name: Noul) made landfall last
Sunday but thousands of lives were spared as people heeded the
authorities’ call for an evacuation from coastal and slope
areas.
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| Recapitalization of UCPB Set
in September 2015 |
| Source:
http://www.dof.gov.ph |
|
Following the issuance of Executive Order No. 179 by President
Benigno Aquino III ordering the inventory, transfer,
reconveyance, and disposition of coco levy assets, and the
transfer of the proceeds for the use and exclusive benefit of
coconut farmers and the development of the coconut industry, the
recapitalization of United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) through
privatization by way of public bidding has been approved by the
Privatization Council with bidding date set for September 2015.
The bank’s ability to raise capital has been deterred by the
pendency of the case on the ownership of the bank. The
recapitalization of the bank is now possible with the ownership
of the bank having been finally decided by the Supreme Court in
2013 i.e., that the government owns the shares funded by coco
levy funds.
PDIC President Cristina Orbeta said that the recapitalization is
an integral part of the 10-year rehabilitation plan agreed to
with PDIC, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of
Finance and the Presidential Commission on Good Government in
2008. She said that while the bank’s financial position has
continued to improve, even outperforming the targets under the
plan, its growth potential has been tempered due to lack of
capital. The recapitalization will further boost UCPB’s
competitiveness and sustain its viability. At the same time, the
size and franchise value of the bank makes it a strategic
acquisition by domestic and foreign investors.
A public bidding for the right to recapitalize, and purchase the
government’s interest in, the bank is set sometime in September
2015. The Privatization and Management Office has been
designated as the disposition entity, and shall soon request for
submissions of expression of interest from prospective
investors. The auction will be open to eligible domestic and
foreign entities with proven track record in banking.
Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima said, “Recapitalizing UCPB
is a big step forward in implementing EO 179 as part of the
President’s leadership on this longstanding issue. UCPB’s
successful recapitalization is integral in protecting the bank’s
depositors and in strengthening our financial system. More
importantly, it also enables the government to get best value
for the coconut fund set aside for our coconut farmers. |
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| Quezon City partners with IFEX
Philippines 2015 |
| Source:
http://www.dti.gov.ph |
|
The largest and most populous city in Metro Manila, Quezon City,
joins International Food Exhibition (IFEX) Philippines, the
country’s celebrated food trade show organized by the Center for
International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export
promotions arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Quezon City is one of the participants of IFEX Philippines’
Partner City Program, a trading platform that aims to assist
small and medium food producers and manufacturers that will
place them at par with major key players in the local and
international food trade industry.
“We, at Quezon City, are preparing our micro and small
entrepreneurs (MSEs) to be more competitive given the coming
ASEAN integration. We want to make sure that they level up in
their standard of performance as entrepreneurs because we have
to be competitive participants in the global economy,” said
Quezon City Vice Mayor Ma. Josefina Belmonte.
The local government of Quezon City, local food entrepreneurs,
and CITEM gathered in a two-session briefing where food
consultants Rose Kwan for Food Safety and Export Compliances,
Luz Lizada for Food Technology and Food Safety, and Engr. Abner
Villahermosa for Business Development and Branding, crafted a
comprehensive and specialized product development program for
each participant after an initial evaluation of the readiness of
the entrepreneurs’ products for IFEX Philippines 2015. Factory
visits and intervention activities such as class sessions on the
Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements,
prerequisite programs in food hygiene, and mentoring activities
on product and site evaluation, product and process compliances,
and packaging development were likewise performed to provide
appropriate recommendations to participating companies.c
“There is a steadily increasing demand for locally produced
specialty dishes and heritage food items in the market today,
and trade buyers should take advantage of the business
partnership and opportunities offered by our Partner Cities’
small and medium food entrepreneurs,” said CITEM Executive
Director Rosvi C. Gaetos.
For the upcoming IFEX Philippines 2015, Quezon City food
entrepreneurs will offer a wide selection of food products and
beverages such as processed fruits and vegetables (pickled
mangoes, malunggay dressing, pickled papaya, premium nutri-noodles,
cucumber cocktail, cucumber prunes, soya milk, chilled taho);
processed meat and marine products (gourmet dried fish, native
longganisa, bacon, and sausages); breads and pastries (pan de
suelo, brazo de coco, and lenggua with varied flavors); and
sauces and condiments (sautéed shrimp paste, wild honey, and
chili garlic sauce).
“Our goal in this IFEX Philippines participation is to raise
awareness about Quezon City as a culinary destination. Part of
our general tourism thrust is to identify various aspects in our
city that we considerably find interesting, and one of these is
our culinary culture,” stated Belmonte, adding that IFEX
Philippines is one way for them to introduce their food
offerings to the general public and to the foreign market.
Small and medium food enterprises, representing an essential
source of economic growth, dynamic and flexibility in emergent
economies and in development, significantly contribute to the
general health and welfare of the economy: they provide
employment opportunities, promote competitiveness, and bring new
products to the market and most importantly, they are the
biggest contributors to the gross domestic product.
Trade visitors and buyers are invited to see and experience
Quezon City’s rich and varied food products together with the
products of three other partner cities Dagupan, Pasig, and
Taguig City at IFEX Philippines 2015, the biggest and most
respected showcase of ethnic and specialty food in Asia.
IFEX Philippines is a global platform for highly profitable and
enduring business partnerships. With more than 800 food
exporters from the Philippines and the world, and more than
13,000 global buyers and visitors, IFEX Philippines brings
together the leading export-oriented food and ingredient
companies of Asia, the Pacific, Americas, and the rest of the
world. It offers a wide variety of flavors, food products,
innovations, and services, for buyers from all parts of the
globe.
IFEX Philippines is slated on 21 to 24 May 2015, at the SMX
Convention Center, Manila, Philippines.
For more information about IFEX Philippines 2015, please visit
http://www.ifexphilippines.com. |
|
|
|
| Take care of our workers, Baldoz
enjoins PALSCON |
| Source:
http://www.dole.gov.ph |
|
Raising her concern for the promotion and protection of workers’
rights and welfare, Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda
Dimapilis-Baldoz has enjoined the Philippine Association of
Local Service Contractors (PALSCON) to bring with them in their
march for progress the paramount interest of their employees.
Addressing the Association with their 150-strong local service
contracting company members present at their recent 5th National
Conference, Baldoz said:
“Huwag ninyong iiwanan sa inyong pag-unlad ang ating mga
manggagawa. Ipatupad ninyo nang mahusay ang pagbibigay sa kanila
ng mga benepisyong dapat na ibigay sa kanila. Alam ko na marami
sa inyo ang lumawak ang business sa sub-contracting, at pag
tinitingnan po nila ang dahilan [ng kanilang pag-unlad] ang isa
po na dahilan ay hindi nila iniwan ang kanilang mga manggagawa.”
In her keynote message during the conference, Baldoz updated
PALSCON on the results of the first full-year implementation of
the DOLE’s new Labor Laws Compliance System (LLCS).
She said:
“Under the system, kahit po compliant na ang napaka-highly
reputable na companies, kung ang kanyang supply chain, kahit
iisa lang, ay hindi compliant, hindi sila mabibigyan ng
Certificate of Compliance (CoC). Ganun po katindi ang
responsibilidad na ipinapataw namin sa principal employer when
they engage the services of subcontractors.”
Secretary Baldoz likewise sounded off to PALSCON the concern of
the Foreign Buyers Association of the Philippines (FOBAP) which
had said that the Philippines is seen to lose US$500M in export
sales for non-compliance with labor laws and social practices of
local producers.
“The FOBAP has sounded the alarm as foreign buyers are now
looking at Malaysia and Indonesia. They will not buy from the
Philippines if the goods are not produced in a responsible and
socially compliant factory and do not meet the basic standards
for human rights,” Baldoz said.
The DOLE chief informed PALSCON that the requirement for
compliance with labor laws and social practices by local
producers applies to all countries, including members of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Local manufacturers and producers, according to Secretary Baldoz,
must observe basic human rights, strictly implement the ‘no
child labor’ policy, as well as comply with labor and management
agreement practices, and observe labor and environmental laws,
among others, to remain in business. She reminded that these
standards apply to the producers’ supply chain, including their
service providers or contractors.
Baldoz also revisited the DOLE-PALSCON Memorandum of Agreement
signed in 2013 which commits PALSCON to conduct career guidance
advocacy activities, disseminate labor market information to
their members, use the Phil-Jobnet, the government’s web-based
job search and job matching system, capacitate its members on
labor laws and occupational safety and health standards, and
familiarize them with D.O. 18-A to elicit full and voluntary
compliance.
“We all very well know that D.O. 18-A, which is
tripartite-supported and -endorsed, sets the standard for
legitimate contracting or sub-contracting, and levels the
playing field for business,” she said.
“Under this order, sub-contractors and their principals are
adequately guided on workers’ rights and benefits to be
observed. Thus, registration under D.O. 18-A assures our workers
of substantially-capitalized contractors. In a way, contractors
are being ‘filtered’ by DO 18-A to limit contracting to those
that are legitimate, responsible, and ethical,” she added.
Baldoz emphasized that D.O. 18-A addresses the issues hounding
the subcontracting sector, such as the ‘5-5-5’ and ‘6-6-6’ work
arrangements, non-payment of wages and benefits, the
race-to-the-bottom competition, and the proliferation of
fly-by-night subcontractors.
“You were consulted and you participated in the crafting of this
reform. Thus, you knew these were the impetus for reforms that
the DOLE had decisively pursued with PALSCON to bring forth
responsible and non-exploitative sub-contracting business
undertakings.
The labor and employment chief also emphasized that the
implementation of D.O. 18-A enabled positive changes in the
labor market, with the intensified pilot implementation of the
Labor Laws Compliance System last 2014.
She asked the assistance of PALSCON to help disseminate among
contractors and sub-contractors throughout the country under the
PALSCON umbrella not only the need to voluntarily comply with
D.O-18-A, but also with all labor laws and occupational health
and safety rules and regulations as a requirement for business
and their need to undergo compliance assessment under the LLCS.
“Timely registration with the DOLE, and ensuring that employment
contracts and service agreements are duly entered into, is a
must before the start of any sub-contracting work,” she said.
In the end, Baldoz expressed appreciation to PALSCON for its
continued cooperation with the DOLE in the implementation of
D.O. 18-A and the new LLCS.
“As Secretary of Labor and Employment, I look forward to a more
responsible and ethical contracting industry in the Philippines
under PALSCON’s leadership. Please continue to be with us in
advocating the right way to do business and this is thorugh the
conscientious observance and compliance with all labor laws and
lawful social practices,” she said.
The PALSCON is a nationwide association of legitimate local
service contractors that advocates ethical, legal, and
professional subcontracting. Headed by Arturo Butch Guerrero,
the PALSCON claims to have over 200 member-companies that have
collectively provided employment to close to two million
Filipino workers over the last four years. It works for the
professionalization of the service contracting industry. |
|
|
|
| PhilHealth members can now
monitor unclaimed refunds; OFWs need to pay their PhilHealth
premiums first before getting their OECs—Baldoz |
| Source:
http://www.dole.gov.ph |
|
PhilHealth members with unclaimed refunds can now access details
of their claims through PhilHealth’s official website, Labor and
Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz yesterday said,
after the PhilHealth informed the DOLE of this good news.
“Also, vacationing migrant workers, or OFWs, returning to their
overseas destinations may already pay their PhilHealth premium
contributions at the PhilHealth counters at the Philippine
Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) starting 1 April
2015,” Baldoz also said.
According to Baldoz, the POEA has advised PhilHealth that
payments for overseas employment certificates (OECs) will no
longer include PhilHealth premium contributions so they may
avoid long queues. “OFWs should pay their PhilHealth premium
contributions first before going to the POEA for their OECs.”
As to PhilHealth members with unclaimed refunds, Baldoz said the
PhilHealth has announced that the names of members with
unclaimed refunds of benefit payments for their or their
dependents’ confinements at the UERM Medical Center from
2007-2013 and from other various accredited health care
institutions may now be accessed through.
www.philhealth.gov.ph/unclaimedrefunds.
These new development will enable PhilHealth members to access
their unclaimed refunds, as well as updates on their claims.
“Unclaimed refunds are benefit payments which must be reimbursed
by the accredited hospital to the member for a certain period.
The refunds are either from an under-deduction or non-availment
of benefits at point-of-service due to various circumstances at
the time of confinement and remain unclaimed by members,” Baldoz
explained.
“The PhilHealth is duty-bound to return these funds to its
members,” she added.
To claim their refunds, members are advised to visit the nearest
Regional Office or Local Health Insurance Office of PhilHealth.
They may also call (02) 441-7442 for further details.
Members are required to bring two (2) valid identification
cards. They will fill-out the Request for Release of Unclaimed
Refund Form. Members will also be given a chance to choose their
preferred release mode. They will return to the concerned
regional office or local health insurance office to personally
pick-up their claim. They must also opt to wait for their mailed
check, if delivery service is their preferred mode.
“PhilHealth updates its list regularly so I advise members to
check the website often,” said Baldoz.
“The minimum amount of refund is Php100.00. Refunds may vary
based on the reports of the accredited health institutions,”
said Baldoz.
A comprehensive Q&A is also posted at PhilHealth’s official
website.
Baldoz commended the PhilHealth for this service. She said it
helps the DOLE towards its goal of providing workers their
social service benefits, which is anchored on President Benigno
S. Aquino III’s 22-point Labor and Employment agenda,
particularly in investing in the country’s human capital.
Any question about this release? Call PhilHealth at telephone
number (02) 441-7442 or visit their head office at City State
Center, 709 Shaw Boulevard, Pasig City. You may also access
their official website at www.philhealth.gov.ph. |
|
|
|
| Baldoz urges remaining OFWs in
Yemen to come home |
| Source:
http://www.dole.gov.ph |
|
| Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz
yesterday urged the remaining overseas Filipino workers in
Yemen—numbering to about 50 to 100—to heed the government’s plea
for them to leave Yemen and come home to the Philippines. “I beg
you to take into consideration your safety, for the sake of your
loved ones, your families, in the Philippines and head for the
Jizan-Saudi border, the only safe exit route out of Yemen, where
the Philippine Rapid Reaction Team (RRT) is waiting to
repatriate you home,” Baldoz said after she received a report
that the RRT has been advised by Ambassador Ricardo Endaya to
remain at the border to attend to the needs of OFWs evacuating
from Yemen. From the border, the RRT will bring evacuating OFWs
to Jeddah enroute to the Philippines. Baldoz said RRT members,
Welfare Officer Mario Antonio and Labor Attache Adam Musa, have
reported that the situation in Yemen, particularly in Sanaa, the
Yemeni capital, is deteriorating by the day. “Brownouts are
experienced throughout the city every day for several hours.
Water is also scarce,” the RRT report said. Earlier, the RRT
team was inside Yemen and were able to convince 20 more OFWs to
evacuate, and expressed puzzlement that despite repeatedly
pleas, the remaining OFWs cannot firmly decide whether to go
home or not. “Rather they asked for more time and give more
alibis for not leaving Yemen. Some of them turned off their
mobile phones whenever we call them,” Labor Attaché Musa
reported. Earlier, according to Musa, the Department of Foreign
Affairs has given the RRT until 30 April to leave Yemen because
of the deteriorating security situation, but the team requested
for a one-week extension and was granted till 8 May to stay
inside the country. Baldoz said the RRT has been stationed in
Yemen to assist OFWs in the evacuation and it has tried its best
to convince everyone to come home, but according to Labor
Attache Musa, some OFWs still would like to stay. “Some said
they have been assured by their employers of protection. Others
said they will stay with their families. The usual reason is
that they did not like to lose their jobs even if we assured
them the government will allow them to return once the situation
normalizes,” the RRT report said. Baldoz said she had directed
the POLO in Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to continue to
monitor the situation and coordinate with the Philippine Embassy
all its action relative to the provision of assistance the
remaining OFWs in Yemen may need. |
|
|
|
| Internet Voter Registration System
Rolled-Out for Filipinos in the Middle East and Africa |
| Source:
http://www.dfa.gov.ph |
|
12 May 2015 - The Department of Foreign Affairs - Overseas
Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS) announced that effective May 08,
the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in collaboration with the
DFA-OVS has rolled out iREHISTRO for implementation by the
following Foreign Service Posts (FSPs) in the Middle East and
Africa: Philippine Embassies in Abu Dhabi, Abuja, Amman, Beirut,
Cairo, Doha, Kuwait, Manama, Muscat, Nairobi, Pretoria, Riyadh,
Tehran plus the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai and
Jeddah. On May 05, FSPs in Europe and Israel rolled out the
iREHISTRO system for overseas Filipinos in their respective
areas.
iREHISTRO is an online system that provides another way of
accomplishing forms for voter registration related process.
Prospective applicants still have to appear personally at
Foreign Service Posts or Mobile/Field registration sites, to
sign and submit their duly accomplished printed form, and for
biometrics capturing. In addition, the processed applications
still have to be approved by the Resident Election Registration
Board (RERB).
Commissioner Al A. Parreño, who conceptualized and is in charge
of the COMELEC’s implementation of iRehistro, offered the
technology to the Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS) last
September 2014. As a result, a pilot project was initiated with
the Philippine Embassy in Madrid, Spain, in November 2014, and
was successfully concluded in January 2015.
Based on the Philippine Embassy in Madrid’s recommendation, with
a favourable endorsement from DFA-OVS, the COMELEC approved the
implementation of iREHISTRO for all Foreign Service Posts.
Regional training for Voter Registration Machine Operators in
Europe, the Middle East and Africa and Americas region has just
been successfully completed. Roll-out of iREHISTRO for the
Americas region is imminent. Training and rollout for FSPs in
the Asia Pacific region is being planned for the end of this
month.
Overseas Filipinos in the Middle East and Africa now have the
option of filling up the forms from the comfort of their homes,
workplace, internet café, or anywhere they have access to
reliable internet connection. The optional appointment feature
of the system allows for better time management since it
provides them an easy way to schedule their personal appearance
at a FSP or Mobile/Field registration site.
FSPs also benefit from iREHISTRO. The optional appointment
system if and when used can accurately inform the Post on how
many registrants to expect on a given day, thus giving them a
heads up on how to adjust for the walk-ins. In addition,
planning for outreach and Akyat Barko activities is made easier
by the advance relatively accurate head count. Efficiency is
enhanced because of the faster processing time resulting to
potentially more registrants per day, with higher “customer
satisfaction”.
All Filipino citizens who expect to be in Europe, Middle East
and Africa during the thirty day (April 09 to May 09) overseas
voting period for the 2016 Presidential Elections, at least 18
years old on May 09, not otherwise disqualified by law and who
would like to be among the first overseas Filipinos to become
part of this historical evolution of the Philippine overseas
electoral process, may now go to www.irehistro.com or
www.comelec.gov.ph to access the iREHISTRO System to register as
an overseas voter. The voter registration period ends on October
31. |
|
|
|
| Department of Tourism
Hosts Major Tourism Promotion Events in Beijing |
| Source:
http://www.dfa.gov.ph |
|
12 May 2015 - The Department of Tourism (DOT) – Beijing
participated in the China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market
(COTTM) and Diving and Resort Travel (DRT) Expo Beijing, held
from April 14 to 16 and from April 17 to 19, respectively.
During this period, DOT-Beijing hosted a Philippine Tourism
Networking Dinner Reception and DRT Philippine Dinner Reception
from April 13 and 17, respectively.
Philippine Ambassador to China Erlinda F. Basilio graced these
two receptions and took the opportunity to promote the
Philippines as a tourist and diving destination to Chinese
travelers and diving enthusiasts.
At these events, Tourism Attaché Niel Ballesteros also announced
to the Chinese audience that direct chartered flights from
Beijing to Kalibo are now available.
The COTTM is the only dedicated business-to-business outbound
travel and tourism event in China, supported by the Pacific Asia
Travel Association (PATA), Chinese Tourism Academy, and the
National Tourism Association.
The DRT Beijing, on the other hand, is the only professional
diving exhibition in China. It is the only dive event endorsed
by the Trade Development Bureau of China, and diving trading
agencies such as the Professional Association of Diving
Instructors (PADI) and National Association of Underwater
Instructors (NAUI).
Twelve (12) hotels and beach resort operators from the
Philippines participated in the above events to promote Boracay,
Bohol, Cebu, and Palawan. |
|
|
|
| Hagedorn indicted for false SALN
|
| Source:
http://www.ombudsman.gov.ph |
|
Former Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn was ordered charged
before the Sandiganbayan with nine counts of Perjury, one count
each of violation of Section 7 of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 3019
(Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) and Section 8 of R.A. No.
6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials
and Employees) in connection with untruthful statements in his
Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) from
2004 to 2012.
The Resolution approved on 12 May 2015 ruled that Hagedorn
consistently misrepresented the contents of his SALNs, as he
failed to declare his ownership of 59 parcels of real property
consisting of residential lots, commercial buildings and
agricultural lands, as well as of 49 vehicles consisting of
motorcycles, luxury vehicles such as Volvo, Toyota Landcruiser,
BMW, and other sports utility vehicles. It added that Hagedorn
also failed to disclose his business interests in the following
corporations: (1) Palawan Jolly Foods Corporation; (2) Puerto
Princesa Broadcasting Corporation; (3) Puerto Prince Bee Foods
Corporation; (4) Green Forest Blue Waters Corporation; (5)
Radiant Home Land Development, Inc.; and (5) Hagedorn Travel and
Tours, Inc.
The Resolution stated that Hagedorn “concealed information about
his ownership of real and personal properties by failing to
accurately declare them in his SALNs.”
It explained that “an examination of respondent’s SALN from 2004
to 2012 would reveal that, during the said years, he declared
only three real properties located in Puerto Princesa City and
one real property located in Parañaque City as his own” and that
“[b]y any standard, the disparity between the number of realties
registered in respondent’s name and that declared in his SALNs
is too significant to be dismissed.”
Tax declarations submitted during the preliminary investigation
reveal that “there are more than three real properties
registered in respondent’s name –specifically five buildings,
four commercial lands, 10 agricultural lands and 40 residential
lands.”
Section 7 of R.A. No. 3019 and Section 8 of R.A. No. 6713
require the filing of a true and detailed SALN by every public
official declaring therein the assets, liabilities and net
worth, financial and business interests during each year of
their incumbency. Failure to make a true accurate declaration
gives rise to criminal penalties as provided under Section 11 of
R.A. No. 6713.
Meanwhile, perjury is committed when a person deliberately makes
an untruthful statement upon any material matter in a document
required by law to be sworn before any public officer.
The Resolution concluded that Hagedorn failed to meet the
standards of the law and undermined the objectives of the State
policy of mandatory disclosure of wealth by public officers and
employees. |
|
|
|
| TESDA honors best videos on
tech-voc success |
| Source:
http://www.tesda.gov.ph |
|
A mother of three who now owns a bakery. An out-of-school youth
who became a certified bartender and is now working in Saudi
Arabia. A pipefitter who became a trainer and then established
his own foundation.
They were among the 20 technical vocational (tech-voc) graduates
honored by the Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) for submitting the best videos documenting how
TESDA transformed their lives. The entries were submitted by the
individual graduates or by the school where they completed their
training.
The winners, chosen from over a hundred of entries, took the
spotlight as they received cash prizes, scholarship vouchers,
plaques of recognition and trophies on May 12 at the awarding
ceremony of the TESDA Video Making Contest Year 2 at the
Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
"The goal of the annual awards was to gather, highlight and lend
a platform to the tech-voc graduates for sharing their success
stories," TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva said.
"These people beat the odds and rose to the top on their own
terms. We want their messages to be seen and to resonate, so
they would fire up the youth," he said.
The entries that were submitted since late last year were in the
form of dramatization, storytelling, music video and other
creative format. The videos answered the question: How did TESDA
transform your life?
Running on its second year, this year's video contest revolved
around the theme, "Mga Kwento ng Tagumpay at Masayang Pagbabago".
There were winners for the individual category and the school
category for the Best in Story, Best in Video, People's Choice
Award and the Tatak TESDA Grand Winner.
SCHOOL CATEGORY WINNERS
Grand Prize
Westmin Institute of Technology Inc. (Region IX)
Graduate: Celso Pobadora Jr. (Automotive Servicing NC II)
Best in Story
Westmin Institute of Technology Inc. (Region IX)
Graduate: Celso Pobadora Jr. (Automotive Servicing NC II)
Best in Video
East and West Center for Excellence in Training Corp. (Region
IV-A)
Graduate: Rodalyn Pumupula (Finishing Course for Call Center
Agent)
People's Choice
United Christian Academy College of Asia (NCR)
Graduate: Imee Gorobat (Bookkeeping NC III)
INDIVIDUAL CATEGORY WINNERS
Grand Prize
Merryll Lhorvin Santos (NCR)
Visual Graphic Design NC III
Best in Story
Renji Arcilla (Region IV-A)
Pipefitting NC II
Best in Video
Geraldine Dorado (Region III)
Bread and Pastry Production NC II
People's Choice
Merryll Lhorvin Santos (NCR)
Visual Graphic Design NC III |
|
|
|
| PDIC to pay depositors of the
closed Surigaonon Rural Banking Corporation starting May 14 |
| Source:
http://www.pdic.gov.ph |
|
The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) will start
servicing the deposit insurance claims of depositors of the
closed Surigaonon Rural Banking Corporation (SRBC) on May 14,
2015.
Servicing of claims for the bank's Head Office and other banking
offices (OBOs) in Placer, Surigao City and Tubod will be
conducted at the head office premises located at Corner Rizal
and Gimena Streets, Surigao City on May 14, 15 and 18, 2015.
Servicing of claims for depositors of the Butuan branch will be
conducted at its office premises at the Ground Floor, E. Tan
Realty Building., Villanueva St., Butuan City on May 14 and 15,
2015. Claims will be serviced from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Meanwhile, claims from depositors of General Luna Branch and
Dapa OBO will be received at the General Luna Branch premises
located at Barangay 5, Poblacion, General Luna, Surigao Del
Norte until May 15, 2015. After said date, depositors may send
their duly accomplished Claim Form and required documents by
mail to the Assistant Vice President of the Claims Processing
Department at the PDIC Office, 4th Floor, SSS Bldg., 6782 Ayala
Avenue corner V.A. Rufino Street, 1226 Makati City. Depositors
of OBOs in Cagayan de Oro, Davao City and Tacloban City are
likewise advised to mail their Claim Forms and required
documents to the same address. Deposit insurance claims received
in the General Luna office and through mail will be processed at
the PDIC office and check payments and payment notices will be
sent through registered mail to the depositors
Depositors with valid deposit balances of P50,000 and below,
with complete mailing address found in the bank records or
updated through the Mailing Address Update Form, and without any
outstanding obligation with the bank do not need to file claims.
Depositors with account balances of more than P50,000 and those
with outstanding obligations with the closed SRBC or with
incomplete mailing address, or those who maintain the account
under the name of business entities, regardless of type of
account and account balance, are required to file their deposit
insurance claims. The announcement on the claims settlement
operations of SRBC is posted at its offices and in the PDIC
website,www.pdic.gov.ph.
When filing claims for deposit insurance, depositors are advised
to personally present the original copy of evidence of deposit
such as Savings Passbook and Certificate of Time Deposit, and
two (2) valid photo-bearing IDs with signature of the depositor.
Depositors who are not able to come personally may file their
claims through mail enclosing the same set of documentary
requirements.
Depositors who are below 18 years old should be represented by a
parent who should submit a photocopy of the child's Birth
Certificate issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO) or a
duly certified copy issued by the Local Civil Registrar as an
additional requirement. The parent will sign the Claim Form and
the other requirements. Claimants who are not the signatories in
the bank records are required to submit an original copy of a
notarized Special Power of Attorney (SPA). In the case of a
minor depositor, the SPA must be executed by the parent.
The procedures and requirements for filing of deposit insurance
claims are posted in the PDIC website, www.pdic.gov.ph. The
Claim Form and format of the Special Power of Attorney may also
be downloaded from the PDIC website. PDIC will not accept claims
which are incomplete or lacking in requirements.
Depositors who are not able to file their claims during the
claims settlement operations period may submit their claims
either through mail to PDIC or personally at the PDIC Office,
4th Floor, SSS Bldg., 6782 Ayala Avenue corner V.A. Rufino
Street, Makati City starting on June 1, 2015.
In accordance with the provisions of the PDIC Charter, the last
day for filing deposit insurance claims in the closed SRBC is on
April 24, 2017. After this date PDIC, as Deposit Insurer, shall
no longer accept any deposit insurance claim.
The PDIC said that all valid claims will be paid. For deposits
to be considered valid, it must be recorded in the bank's
records and must have evidence of inflow of funds, based on the
results of PDIC examination. PDIC, as Receiver, has the
authority to adjust the interest rate on unpaid interests on
deposits of a bank if such rate is deemed unreasonable.
For more information, depositors may contact the Public
Assistance Department at telephone numbers (02) 841-4630 to 31,
or e-mail at pad@pdic.gov.ph.. Depositors outside Metro Manila
may call the PDIC Toll Free Hotline at 1-800-1-888-PDIC (7342). |
|
|
|
| BI deports social media basher |
| Source:
http://www.immigration.gov.ph |
|
Manila, Philippines--Bureau of Immigration (BI) agents deported
Thai national Prasertsri Kosin, a.k.a. “Koko Narak” to Thailand
on Friday, May 8.
“Kosin was deported by virtue of a voluntary deportation order
signed by the Board of Commissioners on its meeting last
Thursday (May 7). He was deported upon his presentation of an
outbound ticket and upon verification that his name registered
‘no hit’ in the NBI records”, said BI spokesperson Elaine Tan.
Kosin earned the ire of the Philippine social media community in
the recent weeks for his racist comments in his Facebook account
where he tagged Filipinos as “pignoys”, “stupid creatures”,
“low-class slum slaves”, and “useless race in the world”.
He was charged for undesirability, and he later admitted the
charge by filing a petition for voluntary deportation. He was
temporarily held at the BI’s Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa,
Taguig until his actual deportation. |
|
|
|
| DAR To Build P5.35-M Road In
Zambo Norte |
| Source:
http://www.dar.gov.ph |
|
Efforts to improve the economic condition of farming communities
in Mutia, Zamboanga del Norte got a big boost as the Department
of Agrarian Reform (DAR) launched the rehabilitation of a
farm-to-market road worth P5.35 million.
DAR Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Moh Dassan J.
Adju said the 850-meter road project would connect Poblacion to
Barangay Diland.may 13 2015 2
Adju said farmers and residents found the subject road too
narrow and rocky and vehicles often get stranded during wet
season because of thick mud.”
“The construction of the road have already started. It will
surely make transporting agri products faster. We also expect to
improve trade and commerce once the road is completed,” Adju
said.
“Roads are vital components in the department’s drive to spur
rural development in agrarian reform communities,” Adju said.
Adju said that some 3,000 residents in the area, 133 of them are
agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), are expected to benefit
directly from this project.
The farm-to-market road is being implemented under the DAR's
Bottoms-up Budget (BuB), Grassroots Participatory Budgeting
(GPB) with some counterpart funds from the municipal government.
(Soccorro Reambonanza) |
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President Benigno S. Aquino III’s Speech at the
conferment of a doctorate in humanities from the Tarlac State University
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Reception Hall, Malacañan Palace
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14 May
2015
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Normally ho, Tagalog ang talumpati natin. Inisip ko sana Kapampangan, kaya
desisyonan po ng ating mga writer gawing English. Democracy ho to, kaya kung
minsan sila na susunod.
I am indeed grateful to Tarlac State University for conferring on me this
honorary degree in humanities, which is an incredibly meaningful gesture.
After all, I am a son of Tarlac, and it warms my heart knowing that none
other than my fellow Tarlaqueños recognize what the entire nation has
achieved these past four years and eleven months.
Let me begin by sharing a situation I encountered early on in my term that I
believe shows the importance of education. I am not sure how many of you are
aware of this, but until our administration came along, none of the
universities in our country offered a bachelor’s degree in Meteorology.
Naturally, I found this quite strange—especially for the Philippines, which
is beset by so much weather phenomena on a yearly basis. Fortunately, the
situation has since changed. We now have four state universities that offer
a bachelor’s degree in Meteorology, and I am told that the first batch of 16
students is graduating this year, 15 of whom are joining PAGASA. Rest
assured we will do everything we can to ensure the sustainablity of these
programs in the long term so we can truly say that our hope is justified in
PAGASA.
I can never forget what my father told me: education, once possessed, is
yours for life. Knowledge will always enable us to build better lives for
ourselves and our families; more importantly, it allows us to render service
to our fellowmen.
I was fortunate to have parents who knew the value of education, and to have
attended an institution that did not simply give us the facts to decide, but
insisted on cultivating in us the ability to think for ourselves, combined
with a healthy curiosity about the world. Perhaps for this reason, I have
made a habit of asking questions, most of which begin with the word “why.”
For instance, why are so many Filipinos leaving the country? Why do they
have to leave a country so blessed with natural resources, with such a
talented, hardworking, and capable people? On an even broader scale: Why do
we have to accept things as they are, when we have the ability to change
them? It is my belief that the day one stops asking why is the day one stops
growing, and begins stagnating.
This litany of questions is what has driven the progress that the
Philippines has made these past few years. They characterized our refusal to
be defeated by the broken status quo we found when we came into office, and
they characterize our continuing refusal to become satisfied with all the
achievements we have made.
For instance, one question that has been asked by many, not only in
government: Why can’t the Filipino people break free from the shackles of
poverty? In the past, most subscribed to the idea of the trickle-down
effect: to focus on growing the economy and simply hope that the benefits
eventually make their way to the citizenry. My administration has abandoned
this way of thinking. Our answer to this question lies in the idea of
empowerment. We have relentlessly pursued every manner in which we can
capacitate our people, so that they can take part and contribute to growth.
One example of this can be seen in the Conditional Cash Transfer Program.
When we took office, the CCT covered around 800,000 beneficiary households
and was largely considered to be a dole-out program. Today, it covers more
than 4.4 million households. Under our watch, the deal is simple: We provide
monthly cash grants to less fortunate households, with one of the primary
conditions being that children attend school regularly. The CCT has recently
been expanded to cover beneficiaries with high-school aged children, and the
rationale for this is based on a study that discovered that high school
graduates earn around 46 percent more than those who finished some years in
grade school.
This agenda of empowerment also includes government’s own efforts to improve
the quality of education that Filipinos have access to. The Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has forged partnerships
with the private sector to improve the way we train scholars for future
employment. A partnership with the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries
in the Philippines, Inc. (SEIPI) yielded an 91.26 percent employment rate,
just to give you one example. Take a look, also, at our admonition to state
universities and colleges (SUCs) to be more relevant to their communities.
This is part of our effort to avoid, if not completely eliminate, the
phenomenon of students enrolling in courses that may have been popular when
they entered, but are no longer relevant by the time they graduate. We are
instead guiding them towards courses that will redound to real job
opportunities, which is all the more significant, as more investors enter
the country.
Even better news is the fact that we are not alone in asking, “Why?” One
person I am reminded of is Dr. Justino Arboleda, from Bicol State
University. He noticed something amiss with the status quo, and he
questioned it. His question was: “Why is this institution fostering so many
studies devoted to rice and corn, when the primary product and
income-generating activity of Bicol is coconut?” That question started it
all. He embarked on research in coconuts, and discovered even more uses for
it—for instance, the use of coco coir, which is extracted from coconut husk,
in preventing erosion. This is now being used by our own Department of
Public Works and Highways for slope protection and soil erosion control. May
I add that it is also turning out to be a major export item.
Dr. Arboleda’s question continues to yield benefits for the country. His
Coco Technologies Corporation is now working with Bicol University to
establish a model processing plant that will undertake the research,
training, and further development of non-oil coconut products and byproducts:
copra, coconets, cocopeat, coco charcoal, and cocowater, just to name a few.
The good news is that this will benefit the local community and the farmers
who will supply the facility with coconuts. On top of this, the projection
is that, within just four years and nine months, the income from the sale of
products will be enough to cover the original investment of 38.8 million
pesos—and perhaps even contribute to the replication of this facility for
other parts of the country. The ultimate goal being that the farmers will in
turn own these factories and have the means to increase their incomes
several fold.
The power of asking why can also be witnessed in the rise of what has become
one of our nation’s booming sectors: the IT-BPM sector. Back when he was the
Secretary of Trade and Industry, Mar Roxas wondered why our nation, with its
talented and English-speaking work force, couldn’t compete in the IT-BPM
industry. For this reason, he worked with industry leaders and launched a
program called Make IT Philippines, inviting companies from all around the
world to invest in the Philippines and in the Filipino people. The fruits of
his efforts are clear as day. From an industry with just a few thousand
workers in the year 2000, the IT-BPM sector is now directly responsible for
over a million jobs. This does not include the three to five more indirect
jobs created for each direct employee. On top of this, the DTI projects that
by 2016, the industry will be employing more than 1.3 million
employees–direct employees–and making revenues of around $25 billion.
Of course, I must emphasize that the effects of this industry’s success
expands far beyond the National Capital Region. As long as schools can
supply the necessary talent, companies will have no qualms about setting up
shop in the countryside. This will help so many other industries. It will
necessitate more housing, which helps our construction sector; it means more
people will be taking public transport, and buying merchandise from various
merchandisers in their localities. Ultimately, it accelerates development in
our rural areas, which increases the capacity of families to send their
children to colleges, subsequently deepening the talent pool that can
attract even more businesses to set up shop. This leads to a virtuous cycle
where growth leads to more growth, where the benefits of progress do not
simply trickle down, but are immediately felt by all.
The results of all our efforts are becoming increasingly clear. Unemployment
has gone down to just six percent—the lowest it has been in a decade.
Furthermore, the Social Weather Stations Survey has reported that the
proportion of families experiencing involuntary hunger has gone down to 13.5
percent in March 2015. Again, this is the lowest recorded rate in ten years,
and it is equivalent to 800,000 families no longer experiencing hunger. All
of this, we achieved, because we dared to ask why.
At this point, I cannot help but recall an exchange I had with my father
when we were in exile in Boston. And I asked: “Why are we the ones in exile
if we are in the right? Why is it so difficult to fight for what is right?”
His answer was: “How can those who cannot even eat think of concepts such as
freedom and dignity?” He said: “The first freedom that has to be won is the
freedom from hunger. Otherwise, all other freedoms are meaningless.”
This was one of the earliest instances where I saw the value of asking
“why.” My father’s answer, and that also of my mother’s guidance, has guided
all the decisions I have made as a public servant, and the results are
clear. I am hopeful that, having seen our resurgence these past four years
and eleven months, our countrymen will protect the progress we have made;
that before I step down from office, they will have cast their votes for a
successor who will build upon our achievements.
Nevertheless, until the very last day of my term, I will continue working
with my countrymen—who are my strength—towards building a greater Philippine
nation; I will continue to ask why; I will continue to show that, indeed,
the Filipino is worth fighting for.
Thank you, good day. |
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Predicted Mean Sea Level Pressure
Analysis 8 a.m. 14 May 2015
Predicted Mean Sea Level Wind Analysis 8 a.m. 14 May 2015 
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