PCOO ONLINE NEWS 02 NOVEMBER 2013 Typhoon Vinta evacuees already home Loon folks get back on their feet DSWD monitors extent of ‘Vinta’ DSWD, int’l agencies to distribute relief in Bohol on weekend PhP 18 Million Smuggled Fake Marlboro Cigarettes Seized by BOC Evacuees help maintain sanitation, security in evacuation centers DA chief bats for globally competitive Phl corn DOE, Japan agencies hold talk on energy efficiency in buildings DAR Investigation On Reported Fund Releases To NGOs Ongoing DFA Conducts Briefing for Senior Indian Defense Officials “The Philippines – Europe´s Gateway to Southeast Asia” Roxas: Barangay captain who killed three siblings in Capiz captured BLE bags 11th DOLE’s Labor Statistics Quiz Baldoz hails new Saudi government regulations for HSWs; says Saudi-PH agreement on HSWs now bearing positive results Court convicts Customs official for violation of the SALN law Bank Lending Sustains Growth in September BI ask for team effort to address long queues at airports Purisima meets with transferred Customs Officials ________________________________________ Typhoon Vinta evacuees already home Source: dswd.gov.ph The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported that as of 12 noon today, total number of families affected by Typhoon Vinta is 26,221 or 116,482 persons from Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). All evacuation centers in the affected areas have closed since yesterday as the weather has improved. However, in Cagayan Valley, 299 families composed of 1,794 persons from the town of Gonzaga are still staying with their friends or relatives but they continue to be provided with relief goods. According to DSWD-Field Office II Director Violeta Cruz, hauling of some 1,000 family food packs to districts I and II in Cagayan is on-going. DSWD social workers will assist during the distribution of goods to the affected families. Likewise, some 500 family food packs will be delivered to Sta. Ana, Cagayan anytime today. Trained social workers on Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) were also advised to be ready for deployment in the event that their services will be needed. Meanwhile, disaster operations in Region I and CAR have been terminated. All affected families in both regions were provided with family packs. |TOP| ________________________________________ Loon folks get back on their feet Source: dswd.gov.ph After the devastation brought by the 7.2- magnitude earthquake which hit Bohol on October 15, Loon, one of the hardest-hit towns is now rebuilding itself through the Cash-for-Work (CFW) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). According to DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman, the CFW is a temporary intervention for families during a disaster. It enables the heads of affected households to earn a living for their daily needs by participating in community work such as clearing roads and canals of debris, helping set-up community kitchen, and maintaining cleanliness in evacuation centers, among others. For the CFW in Loon, a total of 381 family heads from barangays Son-ong, Cabadug, Bas Daku, Cuasi and Tang-nan helped install the 473 tents given by the DSWD for families who choose to camp-out in their own backyard instead of staying in evacuation centers. They were paid P200 per day. DSWD released P94,000.00 for this project. “By providing affected families with a source of income while recovering from the impact of the disaster, they regain some dignity and self-esteem,” Secretary Soliman explained. “Pag linog, wala gyuy haligi nahabilin. Luoy kayo akong pamati sa akong kaugalingon kay manghanyo ko ug silingan nga makisilong sa ilang tulda ug maghuwat ko ug hinabang para makaka-on (No post was left standing when my house fell during the quake. For a while I felt so helpless because I had to ask neighbors to allow us to stay in their tents and have to wait for dole outs to eat),” said Anastasio Soler, 60, of Barangay Bas Daku. Installing the tent with the assistance of DSWD engineers made Anastasio feel better. “Sa akong katiguwangon nakat-on ko unsaon pagtaud sa akong kaugalingong tulda, ug nakatabang pa gyud ko sa akong mga silingan. Ang 200 pesos nga suhol nakapa-amgo nako nga puede di pa ulahi ang tanan, puede pa ko mutrabaho ug angay nang mangsikay-sikay para maka hinay-hinay ko ug Bangor (In my old age, I learned to put up a tent. The P200 daily wage that I received made me realize that I can still work and rebuild my life),” Anastasio narrated. For Anastacio and the rest of the people of Loon, all is not lost, believing that there is hope amid disaster. The CFW is a welcome and much needed intervention, for it bears the message of work, hope and rebuilding. |TOP| ________________________________________ DSWD monitors extent of ‘Vinta’ Source: dswd.gov.ph The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported that as of 12 noon today, a total of 2,301 individuals were affected by typhoon Vinta with 1,446 from Ilocos Region, 405 from Cagayan Valley, and 450 from the Cordillera Region. In Laoag City, the five families who evacuated at Barangay 27 Hall have returned home while the 405 affected persons in Cagayan Valley sought temporary shelter in the four evacuation centers located in the towns of Gonzaga, Sta. Teresita, Ballesteros, and Moconacon in Isabela. Fourteen passengers were stranded in Claveria, Cagayan bound for Calayan Island. The Quick Response Teams (QRT) of the affected regions continue to coordinate with the local government units to address the needs of the victims and to assess the impact of the typhoon. DSWD-CAR has 4,680 family packs already prepositioned in the various provinces in the region. Of these, 850 family packs are in Abra, 1,450 in Apayao, 400 in Ifugao, 1,030 in Kalinga and 950 in Mt. Province. Some 3,561 family packs are on standby at the Regional Office and are ready for augmentation to the provinces, including Benguet. A total of P463,408.86 Quick Response Fund is also maintained by the DSWD-CAR for emergency situations. DSWD-Region I has prepared 3,195 family foods packs ready for distribution to the affected provinces in the region. Similarly, DSWD-Region II said that 2,000 family food packs are available for immediate distribution. An additional standby fund amounting to P305,000 is ready for the purchase of emergency relief supplies. |TOP| ________________________________________ DSWD, int’l agencies to distribute relief in Bohol on weekend Source: dswd.gov.ph The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has partnered with Australian Aid (AusAID) and World Food Programme (WFP) in providing relief goods to the affected towns of the recent 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Bohol. “This partnership with AusAID and WFP will help us provide more relief goods to the affected families until such time that they can address their own food needs,” DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said. The relief packs to be distributed will contain 20 kilos of rice, 20 assorted canned goods, 10 sachets of chocolate drink, and 10 sachets of coffee. “Each relief pack is good for 15 days for a family of five members. These will be distributed to the most vulnerable families in worst-hit areas,” Secretary Soliman explained. A total of 59,703 food packs will be distributed over the weekend in the 17 worst-affected towns. Australian Ambassador Bill Twedell, AusAID Minister-Counsellor Layton Pike, and WFP Country Director Praveen Agrawal will arrive in Bohol on November 2 to lead the relief distribution activity in Sagbayan with Secretary Soliman and Bohol Governor Edgardo Chatto. Representatives from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will also join the activity on Saturday to distribute tents and blue sheets. Earlier, JICA and the DSWD signed the Deed of Donation for the tents and other items for the construction of temporary shelters. The group will also visit the DSWD Warehouse in Tubigon and the Tubigon West Central School, one of the biggest evacuation centers in Bohol sheltering 162 families or 575 individuals as of October 31. |TOP| ________________________________________ PhP 18 Million Smuggled Fake Marlboro Cigarettes Seized by BOC Source: customs.gov.ph The Bureau of Customs – Risk Management Office’s (BOC-RMO) tightened monitoring of cargo movements at the ports, in compliance with Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon’s order for heightened vigilance because of the on-set of the Christmas season, has caused the seizure of one (1) forty-footer container van of illegally imported fake Marlboro cigarettes worth PhP 18 million, which arrived at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) from China last October 29, 2013. In the inspection of the seized smuggled cigarettes today (October 31, 2013) at the MICP, Biazon said the consignee for the hot cigarette shipment, TRANSOCEAN EXPORT SALES, an Intramuros, Manila based trading company, violated Section 2503 of the Tariffs and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP) when it misdeclared its cigarette shipment as Mono Acetate Filter Rods. “Misdeclaration, as defined in the Tariffs and Customs Code of the Philippines, is outright smuggling. Thus, value declaration is no longer an issue in determining whether an alert-order should be issued or not as all misdeclared shipments are subject to immediate seizure by the government.” Biazon said. “The duty for cigarette importations was raised primarily to raise revenues for the government and to discourage smoking by making it more expensive to smoke. The BOC will, therefore, never allow cigarette smuggling to flourish, if only to raise more revenues for the government and to help Filipinos live a healthy life.” The Commissioner added. Dubbed as the Sin Tax Law, the authors of the law that raised duties for cigarette and liquor importations had in mind, raising more revenues for the government and helping in the government’s anti-smoking campaign by making it more expensive to smoke, when they crafted the law. RMO Chief lawyer Chris Bolastig for his part said, as the Bureau’s first line of defence against smuggling, we provide due diligence in assessing the risk levels of all importations based on certain World Trade Organization criteria, if only to enable us to determine the type of verification and inspection every shipment should have to go through. “Utmost prudence and vigilance are very important in our job, as providing the balance between trade facilitation and securing our borders from smugglers is a very tough job. While we will try, as much as possible, to help facilitate faster trade in the country, we shall, however, make sure that all suspicious shipments are comprehensively checked and verified of its appropriate duties and real content.” Bolastig said. The RMO is an adhoc office under the Office of the Commissioner which is responsible for tagging (Color-coding) all shipments with its appropriate verification and inspection procedures based on its risk level. Red is for high-risk shipments that must go through either X-Ray or physical examination, yellow is for medium-risk cargoes and must undergo document examination and green is for low or zero risk shipments that must be released expeditiously, without delay. |TOP| ________________________________________ Evacuees help maintain sanitation, security in evacuation centers Source: dswd.gov.ph Zamboanga City – Sta. Maria Elementary School is still considered home by 391 families who were displaced by the clash between government troops and the Moro National Liberation Front-Misuari faction. These families fled their homes immediately after the armed conflict broke-out on September 9. Camp Manager Minda Ramos, City Social Welfare and Development Officer recounted how things were not easy at the start. “We had to constantly remind the families to organize themselves and clean their area, especially that classes have resumed. We do not want the schoolchildren to be infected with communicable diseases caused by unsanitary surroundings,” she added. In doing their part, the male evacuees organized themselves and volunteered their services in ensuring the safety of the evacuees and in keeping the center clean. According to Juan Villaceron Escola, 57, from Brgy. Talon-Talon, “organisado ang mga kalalakihan dito. Sinasabi naming kailangan may unity kami. Mapa-Kristiyano o mapa-Muslim, pantay-pantay, dapat tulong-tulong. Meron kaming assigned sa security at meron sa paglilinis. Nagpapalitan kami sa gawain. (The male evacuees are organized. We tell one another that we must be united, whether Christians or Muslims. We are all equal here, thus, we need to help one another. We have assigned people to look after the security and cleanliness of surroundings. We take turns in doing the work.)” Twenty-eight year old James Daprosa added, “lahat kami nagbo-volunteer. Naglilinis din kami dito sa paligid, pati sa banyo. (All of us volunteer our services. We clean the evacuation center, as well as the toilets.)” The volunteers also helped construct the community kitchen which was provided by the Zamboanga Evangelical Disaster Response Network. The group also committed to provide utensils. Manuel Labao, 40, said they appreciate the newly constructed community kitchen. “Pwede magluto kung sino ang may gusto. Malaki naman yung kitchen. Welcome sa amin at nagpapasalamat kami sa pagkain na binibigay sa amin. Pero mas okay itong naluluto namin yung gusto naming kainin. (Anyone may cook here as the kitchen is big. We are thankful of the cooked food we are provided but cooking our own food is better.),” Labao added. Also, the Social Protection Cluster established a referral system at the evacuation center to ensure that evacuees, especially the women and children, are protected from abuse. Tarpaulins, provided by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), indicating the referral system with hotline numbers are posted in conspicuous areas at the evacuation center. Further, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office IX together with the Community and Family Services International (CSFI) recently conducted a training among camp managers on handling cases of gender-based violence inside evacuation centers. Although the evacuation center at the Sta. Maria Elementary School is managed by the city government, the DSWD FO IX continues to provide assistance there. A DSWD staff is assigned to help Ramos manage it. Further, DSWD FO IX continues to provide relief packs to the evacuees. Ramos added that they try to inject normalcy inside the center. They plan to hold a simple activity in observance of the Children’s Month Celebration. Other activities like singing and dancing contests, and recreational activities are being done for the evacuees. She added that a mass was held for the evacuees on October 16 at the Sta. Maria Parish Church. Fr. Moi Cuevas officiated the mass, with the parish also providing dinner for all evacuees. Ramos is happy that around 100 families in the evacuation center have returned to their respective homes in Brgy. Talon-Talon and nearby barangays. These families were provided by DSWD with ‘pabaon’ relief packs composed of rice, canned goods, noodles and coffee good for one week. |TOP| ________________________________________ DA chief bats for globally competitive Phl corn Source: da.gov.ph To be globally competitive, it is imperative to improve the quality of Philippine corn and further reduce its production cost by planting high-yielding, pest-resistant seeds, and using modern machinery and postharvest facilities. This was the call made by Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala to about 1,300 corn farmers, entrepreneurs, processors, machinery manufacturers and distributors, local government officials, agriculturists and farm extension workers, and DA officials, who attended the 9th Philippine National Corn Congress, October 23 to 25, 2013, in Tagaytay City. During the congress — held in conjunction with the first-ever National Corn Quality Achievers Awards — Secretary Alcala honored the country’s top five corn-producing provinces, 24 cities and municipalities, 100 corn program coordinators and farm technicians. He said continuous strong cooperation and coordination should be maintained among the DA, local government units (LGUs), farmers’ groups, private sector, and other industry stakeholders to further boost the country’s corn industry. The country is set to attain this year a record harvest of 8.2 million metric tons (MMT), for a 105 percent (%) sufficiency, and the private sector through the Philippine Maize Federation, Inc. (PhilMaize) plans to export at least 100,000 MT, pending approval of the National Food Authority Council. Coupled with increased production, the DA chief said postharvest losses were reduced, from 15% in 2011 to 12.7% last year. The DA through its National Corn Program, headed by Assistant Secretary Edilberto de Luna, aims to further bring down postharvest losses to at least 9% next year by encouraging farmers to adopt post-harvest technologies, and make use of modern drying equipment and storage facilities. During the affair, US Embassy Manila Agricultural Counselor Philip Shull lauded Secretary Alcala for the country’s improved regulatory systems and policies, adding the USA and the Philippines must continue to working together to further enhance the competitiveness of Philippine products in the US market. For his part, PhilMaize President Roger Navarro called on the congress participants to start promoting a positive mindset towards farming and agriculture in general, stressing that everyone should aspire for growth, innovation, and efficiency to further enhance the corn industry’s productivity and competitiveness. Philmaize Chairman Emeritus Roderico Bioco said the country’s legislators should continue crafting appropriate policies to make the country competitive and at par with its counterparts in the ASEAN region. The three-day congress also featured exhibits of agricultural products and machineries, technical workshops and discussion on major corn-related topics. Also present during the event were; Representative Mark Llandro Mendoza, chairman of the committee on agriculture and food at the House of Representatives; DA undersecretaries Dante Delima, Segfredo Serrano and Emerson Palad; DA assistant secretary and national corn program coordinator Edilberto de Luna; DA regional directors; provincial governors and board members of the five winning provinces (Pangasinan, Isabela, Occidental Mindoro, Misamis Oriental, and Agusan del Sur); city and municipal mayors, and councilors of the top 24 corn-producing cities and towns; provincial, city and municipal corn program coordinators, and agricultural extension workers; and PhilMaize and National Corn Board officers and members. (Catherine Nanta, DA Information Service) |TOP| ________________________________________ DOE, Japan agencies hold talk on energy efficiency in buildings Source: doe.gov.ph/ (Taguig City) The Department of Energy (DOE), in cooperation with the Japan Business Alliance for Smart Energy Worldwide (JASE-W), ASEAN-Centre for Energy (ACE), and the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, Japan (METI), hosted a conference on energy efficient technologies that aimed to boost the implementation of energy efficiency in the building industry. The “Conference on Energy Efficient Technologies in the Philippines (Business Sourcing and Matching Opportunities)” was held on 30 October 2013 at the Dusit Thani Manila, Makati City. The said conference is part of the ASEAN-Japan Energy Efficiency Partnership (AJEEP), which seeks to establish cooperation on energy efficiency initiatives between the ASEAN and Japan. The event highlighted discussions and presentations on the utilization of emerging technologies in the building sector of the Philippines such as heat pump technology, energy-efficient chiller application, and other energy saving and “green” products from Japan. There were also business sourcing and matching activities between the Philippine and Japanese companies to introduce new energy efficiency and conservation technologies and systems in the local market. “The best way to avoid building more power plants is to focus on energy efficiency,” Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla said. Sec. Petilla added that the key to a growing economy is practicing energy efficiency and building partnerships among industry players, in addition to proper information dissemination to the public. Around 200 participants, including building experts from Japan, officials from different government agencies, and energy efficiency and conservation practitioners from the academe, private sector, among others, attended the event. |TOP| ________________________________________ DAR Investigation On Reported Fund Releases To NGOs Ongoing Source: dar.gov.ph The Department of Agrarian Reform yesterday said that, following its internal investigation on the matter, it is currently collaborating with the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) on instituting collection cases against questionable NGOs in relation to fund releases in late 2010 to 2011. DAR Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Anthony Parungao said that they have collated the documents and completed the required staff work needed for the filing of collection complaints against five (5) of these NGOs, and have submitted the papers for the cases against three (3) of the NGOs to the OSG two (2) weeks ago, for the latter’s evaluation and appropriate action. He said that they will be transmitting the papers against two (2) more NGOs to the OSG today, 25 October 2013, while those for four (4) more will be transmitted next week. He also said that they will be sending more documents in the next two (2) weeks, as they are still doing case build up for the collection complaints on the others. “The filing of these collection cases is in conformity with the recommendation of the COA”, Parungao said. “Right now, not all documents are available, although certified true copies of a majority of the checks are already in our possession.” Parungao did not preclude the option of filing of criminal cases against members of these NGOs. He added that once all case build ups have been completed, they will also forward the same to the government investigating agencies concerned, for further investigation. He reiterated that DAR will continue the investigation which started some time July last year on the fund releases to other NGOs. He said that last July 2012, Undersecretary Pacturan of the DAR’s Support Services Office began investigating NGOs which were allegedly involved in questionable fund releases. Parungao also recalled that in the initial investigation of the said office, no projects were implemented, which is why letters were sent on July and November last year to these NGOs, reminding them of their obligation to submit reports and make an accounting of the funds. He said that the Department is committed to get to the bottom of this issue, and that it will not hesitate to take other actions once culpability is clearly established. Parungao clarified that according to prevailing guidelines at that time, undersecretaries may sign contracts and fund releases up to a certain level. Parungao also said that the Department has instituted more stringent measures on fund releases to NGOs and other private entities. These include, among others, having private entities such as, the NGOs, strictly undergo the process of competitive bidding if the entity to be funded will provide goods or services, or through a Needs Assessment and Design Assessment (NADA) procedure if the NGO is the beneficiary of funds or of support services. Parungao also relayed that in December 2011, several NGOs were again endorsed to facilitate PBD programs to the amount of P475M. DAR insisted on the conduct of competitive bidding in selecting service providers, including NGOs. Subsequently, these funds were withdrawn from the Department. In fact, Parungao said that it is unfortunate that funds were allocated to NGOs that were merely endorsed to DAR. He stressed that the reforms that they were starting to put in place early on precisely stipulated that all funds released to entities are subject to bidding. He made an assurance that, save those under investigation now, no other fund disbursements were made without having undergone the said instituted process. |TOP| ________________________________________ DFA Conducts Briefing for Senior Indian Defense Officials Source: https://dfa.gov.ph 30 October 2013 – A delegation of senior armed forces officers from India met with officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) today for a briefing on Philippine foreign policy and Philippines - India bilateral relations. The delegation, headed by Air Vice Marshall Rajeet Sachdeva, is in the Philippines for a study tour as part of the Higher Defense Management (HDM) course at the College of Defense Management of India. They were briefed by DFA Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Maria Theresa P. Lazaro and Assistant Secretary for Strategic Planning and Policy Coordination Joselito Jimeno. Their study tour also includes briefings with the Department of National Defense, National Economic Development Authority and National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council. The delegation’s visit comes after the visit of India’s Minister of External Affairs, Salman Khurshid last week for the 2nd Meeting of the Philippines-India Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation. Defense exchanges between the Philippines and India have been more frequent over the past years. From 1998 to 2008, a total of 25 officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) availed of training opportunities in India in such fields as higher defense orientation, peacekeeping operations and anti-submarine warfare. For 2012, 18 AFP officers completed their course work in Indian military training institutions. Five Indian naval ships also visited the Philippines for port calls from 2012 to 2013. A similar visit to Manila was undertaken by the National Defense College of India last September 2012. In turn, the Master in National Security Administration (MNSA) class of the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) chose India for their study tour last April 2013. |TOP| ________________________________________ “The Philippines – Europe´s Gateway to Southeast Asia” Source: https://dfa.gov.ph 31 October 2013— Philippine Ambassador to Spain Carlos C. Salinas was the Guest Speaker at the Desayuno Informativo (Informative Breakfast Meeting) held at the Westin Palace Hotel in Madrid on October 23. The meeting was organized by the Executive Forum España and was attended by about 120 guests from the Diplomatic Corps, contacts from the government agencies, presidents and CEOs of private companies and professors from Spanish universities. The Philippine presentation entitled “The Philippines – Europe´s Gateway to Southeast Asia” was delivered by Ambassador Salinas, joined by Deputy Chief Mission Catalino R. Dilem, Jr, and Second Secretary and Consul Arman R. Talbo. The presentation highlighted the potential of the Philippines as a gateway for Europe to Southeast Asia in terms of its strategic geographic location, history, cultural ties with Europe and South East Asia, population and workforce. The presentation also provided the audience with the developments in the Philippines in terms of fundamental demography, current socio-economic setting, political framework, economic profile, and tourism. Ambassador Salinas also reminded the audience of the strong historical ties between the Philippines and Europe which can be traced back in 1521, when Magellan arrived in the Philippines, and how this momentous event ultimately led to the development of the galleon trade and globalization. Ambassador Salinas underscored the positive developments in the political agenda of the Philippines under the administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III, with its policy of “Daang Matuwid” systematically instituting accountability, transparency, and integrity among government officials and civil servants. Ambassador Salinas ended his presentation with an invite to the audience saying “With all the great potentials that the Philippines has today, why not consider the Philippines as your next business and tourism destination? Why not be partners of the Philippines today, be the Magellans and the Galleon Traders of our time?”. The presentation was very well received by the audience and was followed by a Q&A. The Executive Forum España is a company that organizes informative breakfast meetings both for the government and private sectors in Spain. The company was established in Madrid in 2004 and since then has become an avenue for foreign embassies in Spain in promoting their countries. |TOP| ________________________________________ Roxas: Barangay captain who killed three siblings in Capiz captured Source: dilg.gov.ph MANILA, Philippines A Capiz village chief who killed three of his siblings due to a family feud that turned into a bitter political rivalry was captured by the police a day after Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas ordered an intensive manhunt for all those responsible in violent incidents that were recorded during the Oct. 28 barangay elections. The Philippine National Police (PNP) reported to Roxas that Manuel Arcenas, Sr., 62, outgoing barangay captain of Bgy. Manapao, Pontevedra Capiz, was taken into custody past noon last October 30 and is now detained at the PNP Regional Headquarters at Camp Delgado. The police said Manuel Sr. shot dead his brother Ramon, 54; sisters Jennifer Arcenas-Nuyles, 57 and Evelyn Arcenas-Espinar, 58, on Tuesday, a day after the winners of the barangay election were announced in their area. According to Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz Jr., director of PNP Regional Office 6, the elder Arcenas went into a shooting rampage after learning that his daughter Isabel, who was being groomed as his successor, lost to his younger brother Ramon in the recently concluded barangay elections. Isabel’s younger brother, Manuel Jr., also lost in his bid to be a barangay kagawad in their village. A day after Ramon was proclaimed winner as barangay chairman of their place, Manuel Sr., armed with a Cal. 30 Carbine rifle, went to the house of his siblings in Barangay Manapao and shot the three victims dead. On the orders of Roxas, the police immediately conducted hot pursuit operations against Manuel Sr., who was later traced to be hiding in La Paz, Iloilo. “Nakakalungkot ang pangyayaring ito dahil nauwi ang away ng pamilya sa madugong wakas,” Roxas said. Roxas has earlier directed the Philippine National Police to work double time for the early solution of all election-related violent incidents, saying justice must be served the soonest time possible. “Kailangang mabigyan ng katarungan ang pamilya ng mga biktima ng karahasan kaugnay sa nakaraang eleksyon,” the DILG chief said. “Hangad natin na mapanumbalik ang normal na pamumuhay ng mga residente sa mga lugar na ito sa lalong madaling panahon,” he added. |TOP| ________________________________________ BLE bags 11th DOLE’s Labor Statistics Quiz Source: dole.gov.ph Labor and Employment officers Kempee Royce Cruz and Rio Fe del Valle from the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) were proclaimed as this year’s Labor Statistics Quiz Champion. The BLE team bested 22 other DOLE agencies during the competition held on 23 October 2013 at the Ople Hall, DOLE Executive Building, Intramuros, Manila. Cruz and del Valle gave the BLE its second championship trophy in the DOLE’s Annual Labor Statistics Quiz. Dunhill D. Alcantara and Jayla N. Bitudio from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration claimed first runners-up, followed by Ma. Bernadette O. Agna and Zydney Lanz C. Cresino of the Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns, second runners-up; Jameson M. Miralles and Reynon E. Arlan of DOLE-National Capital Region, third runners-up; and Atty. Anna Patricia P. Jacobo and Atty. Rene Francis P. Battala of the DOLE-Legal Service, fourth runners-up. The annual Labor Statistics Quiz, which started in 2002, is anchored on the celebration of the yearly National Statistics Month in October. The 24th National Statistics Month highlights the vital roles that data and statistics play in the everyday life of the Filipino, as evidenced by this year’s theme, “Statistics that Matter to Every Filipino:. The DOLE’s annual statistics quiz is organized by the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES). |TOP| ________________________________________ Baldoz hails new Saudi government regulations for HSWs; says Saudi-PH agreement on HSWs now bearing positive results Source: dole.gov.ph Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz yesterday expressed elation over the fast move of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to give more teeth to the Philippines-Saudi Arabia agreement on the employment of Filipino household service workers (HSWs), as the Kingdom’s Council of Ministers last week approved Resolution No. 310, or the Household Regulation on Service Workers and Similar Categories, the new regulations that outline the rights and obligations of migrant HSWs and their Saudi employers. Citing a report of Officer-in-Charge and Welfare Officer Romeo C. Pablo who is based at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Baldoz said the new regulations will take effect 60 days after its official publication. “I am very much pleased that Saudi Arabia has issued its new regulations on the employment of foreign HSWs pursuant to the Agreement that Saudi Arabia Labor Minister Engineer Adel Bin Mohammed Fakeih and I signed on 19 May this year in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This Agreement, which followed after Saudi Arabia and the Philippines agreed on a Standard Employment Contract which shall govern the employment in Saudi Arabia of HSWs, will certainly boost the protection for our HSWs and enhance their welfare,” said Baldoz. The new regulations, all of 23 articles, lay down the specifics on the employment of HSWs by Saudi employers, detailing their employers and their employees’ rights and obligations. The regulations highlight the rights and obligations of HSWs as follows: (1) render the work agreed upon and do her best in the performance of her work; (2) follow orders of the employer and family members relating to the performance of her work; (3) take care of the employer’s property; (4) not harm the family members, children, and the elderly; (5) keep secrets of the employers, family members, and people living in or visiting the employer’s house; (6) not refuse work or leave the service without legitimate reason; (7) not affect the dignity of the employer and family members and not interfere in their affairs; and (8) respect the Islamic religion and observe Saudi regulations applied in Saudi Arabia; customs and traditions of the Saudi society; and not engage in any activity disadvantageous to the family. On the other hand, the employer should (1) not impose work on the household service worker unless the work has been agreed upon, and provided the work does not substantially differ from the original work; (2) not impose any dangerous work that threatens the health and safety and the human dignity of the HSW; (3) pay the agreed salary at the end of every month; (4) pay wage and benefits in cash or cheque to be documented in writing; if HSW does not want the wage or benefit deposited in a bank account; (5) provide appropriate accommodation to the HSW; (6) provide HSW opportunity to enjoy a daily rest of at least nine hours a day; (7) personally attend or send a representative to answer complaint, if any, of the HSW; and (8) not ‘rent out’ the HSW. Other benefits of the HSW under the regulations are a weekly rest day; one month leave after two years of service; paid sick leave of not more than 30 days; health care according to the rules and regulations of Saudi Arabia; and end-of-service benefits equivalent to one-month salary after four years. Baldoz said the regulations also carry stiff penalties for both employers and HSWs who violate them. Employers shall be fined 2,000 Saudi riyals and prevented from recruiting HSWs, while HSWs shall be fined 2,000 Saudi riyals and prevented from working in the Kingdom. Baldoz orders the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to disseminate correct and relevant information about the new regulations to all HSWs applicants, in coordination with all licensed recruitment agencies, to raise their knowledge, awareness, and understanding on the same. She also directed the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to include in the PDOS for HSWs information about the new regulations. |TOP| ________________________________________ Court convicts Customs official for violation of the SALN law Source: ombudsman.gov.ph The Office of the Ombudsman successfully secured the conviction of a ranking official of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for failing to declare certain properties in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and NetWorth (SALN) for the years 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. In an 11-page Decision, the Metropolitan Trial Court of Manila found Pier Angeli Senangote Sealtiel, Customs Operations Officer V, guilty beyond reasonable doubt of 10 counts of violation of Sec. 8 of Republic Act (R.A.) 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees) and sentenced her to pay a fine of P5,000 for each count. The case stemmed from Sealtiel’s non-disclosure in her SALNs two parcels of adjacent land and one apartment unit in Parañaque City registered in the name of her husband Leonilo and his siblings as co-owners. The Decision narrated that the previous title covering the said property was registered in the name of accused’s father-in-law Vedasto who died on March 30, 1983. Ownership of the said properties was transferred to Leonilo and his siblings following a Deed of Donation executed on March 24, 1994. In his Decision, Presiding Judge Juan Bermejo, Jr. stated that said “such issuance of Transfer Certificate Of Titles (TCTs) in the names of Leonilo Sealtiel and his siblings as registered co-owners, makes it incumbent upon accused Peior Angelie Senangote Sealtiel to disclose her husband’s interest over the subject properties beginning 1994, failing which, makes her liable for non-disclosure of her husband’s interest on the said properties.” The Court however acquitted Sealtiel on her act of non-disclosure of a Tagaytay property in her 1991 SALN stating that “that said property was subsequently titled on March 13, 1992 xxx thus, accused Pier Angeli Senangote Sealtiel cannot be faulted for not declaring the same in her 1991 SALN.” Sealtiel was similarly acquitted on her failure to declare in her 1993 SALN three parcels of land in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, as inheritance from her parents, considering that “there has been no settlement of the estate of their parents, nor any showing that the same has already been partitioned despite the demise of their ascendants.” |TOP| ________________________________________ Bank Lending Sustains Growth in September Source: bsp.gov.ph Outstanding loans of commercial banks, net of reverse repurchase (RRP) placements with the BSP, grew by 15.8 percent in September, higher than the 14.2 percent growth registered in August. Similarly, the growth of bank lending inclusive of RRPs in the same month expanded at a faster rate of 14.6 percent from 13.0 percent in the previous month. On a month-on-month seasonally-adjusted basis, commercial bank lending in September increased by 2.8 percent for loans net of RRPs and by 2.3 percent for loans inclusive of RRPs. Loans for production activities—which comprised more than four-fifths of banks’ aggregate loan portfolio— expanded further to 14.8 percent in September from 13.1 percent in August. The expansion in production loans was driven primarily by increased lending to the following sectors: real estate, renting, and business services (which grew by 26.5 percent); manufacturing (13.1 percent); wholesale and retail trade (15.5 percent); electricity, gas and water (21.5 percent); financial intermediation (9.0 percent); and construction (43.7 percent). Meanwhile, declines were observed in lending to agriculture, hunting, and forestry (-3.8 percent) and transportation, storage and communication (-0.6 percent). The growth in consumer loans eased slightly to 10.9 percent from 11.5 percent in the previous month, with the slowdown of credit across all types of household loans, namely credit card receivables, auto loans and other household loans (which include personal loans and salary loans). The continued broad-based growth in bank lending supports the sustained expansion of the productive sectors of the economy. Going forward, the BSP will continue to closely monitor credit and liquidity conditions to ensure that the monetary environment remains consistent with its price and financial stability objectives. |TOP| ________________________________________ BI ask for team effort to address long queues at airports Source: immigration.gov.ph The Bureau of Immigration OIC-Commissioner Siegfred Mison asks for the cooperation from the travelling public to collectively address long queues at the airports. Amid the long queues of travellers in the immigration counters brought about by the increase of flights and increase in volume of travellers during this peak season (November-January), Mison urges the public to help the Bureau mitigate these long queues by doing the following. • For all departing passengers to be at the airports early, at least two hours before their scheduled flights. • For all passengers, prior to entering the immigration area in the airport, to always be ready with pertinent documents (passport, arrival or departure cards, boarding pass, travel authority, etc) for presentation to the immigration officer. • For all passengers to properly fill out the Arrival Departure cards. On the part of the Bureau, Mison announced that these long queues shall soon be reduced in as much as (1) all personnel with immigration officer items stationed in Manila (around 70 persons) and who are not assigned in NAIA were directed to render one duty shift a week during this peak season, (2) some immigration officers from the Bay Service Section have already been reassigned to NAIA, and (3) immigration officers in NAIA performing secondary inspection were directed to perform stamping duties whenever necessary. Mison said the common objective of the public and of the Bureau of facility of travel (no long queues) can be easily achieved with collective efforts from all concerned. |TOP| ________________________________________ Purisima meets with transferred Customs Officials Source: dof.gov.ph Officials of the Department of Finance led by Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima met with senior officials of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) who had been detailed to the Customs Policy Research Office (CPRO). The meeting clarified issues and concerns surrounding the implementation of Customs Personnel Order (CPO) No. B-189-2013, detailing 27 Collectors of the BOC to the CPRO and apprised the officials on the directions for policy and legislative reforms that need to be undertaken at the BOC. “I need you to do this. You are the best resource people to take on this job because of your long experience and institutional knowledge of the Bureau of Customs. These reforms are urgent,” said Purisima to the Customs officials. The Finance chief cited antiquated laws and policies as a major source of revenue leakage for the BOC. Data from the Finance Department showed that an estimated P200-Billion in revenues is lost to the Bureau of Customs because of loopholes in customs policies and procedures, as well as outdated laws. The Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines, which is the primary law that enables and empowers the Bureau of Customs, has remained largely unchanged since 1957. “We need data to set the baseline for customs collections. It is important that we do this now with all the rapid changes in the global trading environment. We need metrics and accurate information for analysis and identification of revenue loss areas so that we can plug the loopholes.” The meeting with the detailed BOC officials was held amidst cases pending before the courts. Eleven of the 27 officials detailed to CPRO filed a case before the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) questioning the validity of CPO No. B-189-2013, while the DOF and the BOC filed a Petition before the Supreme Court that seeks to bar the Manila RTC from acting on the bid of district collectors citing lack of jurisdiction as it is the Civil Service Commission (CSC) that has the sole jurisdiction on the promotion and transfer of government employees. To date, at least twenty (20) of the twenty-seven (27) affected Customs officials have reported to the CPRO. Imelda Cruz, who held the rank of Collector V, tendered her irrevocable resignation last October 2; while Macabantug Mandangan and Juan Tan, who both hold the rank Collector V, both retired from the BOC with the former reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65 last October 25, and the latter availed of the government’s early retirement package last October 16. |TOP|
Posted on: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 02:40:35 +0000
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