by admin | Jan 15, 2018 | Headlines
The burdensome tax measure TRAIN imposed by the Duterte government will severely affect rice farmers and threaten the country’s rice production and food security. “TRAIN will definitely wreck our livelihood and drive us into a state of hunger.”
“The overall rice production and consumption will be affected by TRAIN. TRAIN will cause worsening hunger among the poorest of the poor. Whatever minimal gain that low to middle employees will get from TRAIN will be easily offset and swept by rising prices of commodities, services and public utilities,” says Danilo Ramos, chairperson of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas.
The new excise tax on oil products will result to a minimum 20 percent additional cost in the use of fuel-run farm equipment. Farmers will have to shell out more money out of their pockets for the added cost on production brought about by TRAIN. 2017 prices of diesel average at Php33 per liter. Now, diesel prices have gone up to at least Php40 per liter. Cost of fuel prices are higher in the provinces.
In a sample case study by KMP, a rice farmer in Bulacan province tilling one hectare of rice land will have to shell out additional Php294 per hectare per cropping for the use of mechanized hand tractor to pull and harrow rice lands during land preparation. This does not include added cost for the use of water pump for irrigation, use of dryer, payment for rice milling, transportation of rice produce and other daily expenses.
According to government data, the country has 4 million hectares of rice harvested lands. This minimum sample computation would translate to a Php1.176-billion additional cost for land preparation alone.
Other farm inputs such as seedlings, fertilizer, pesticides are also expected to increase. Food prices and commodities will increase too under TRAIN.
“This situation will have a domino effect on rice prices. Rice marketers and retailers are also expected to pass on added cost to consumers, resulting to hike in rice prices. We see prices of commercial rice increasing up to as much as Php58 to Php60 per kilo at the minimum in the coming months,” Ramos said. The current average price of commercial rice per kilo in retailers is Php50 to Php55 per kilo. NFA rice price averages at Php38 to Php40 with reported increase in some areas.
The NEDA has already rejected the NFA’s proposal to increase the buying price of rice from local farmers by Php5 per kilo from Php17 to Php22. The NFA is also poised to import 250,000 metric tons of rice this year. “These factors will affect severely the livelihood and economic state of rice farmers and TRAIN will make it worse,” Ramos said.
KMP will join nationwide mass protests the regressive TRAIN tax measure implemented by the Duterte government. ###
by admin | Jan 12, 2018 | Headlines
TAGBILARAN CITY, January 12, (PIA)–Bohol legislature has decided they had enough of the haphazard honor and respect communities are giving to the national anthem in public gatherings.
With the rising trend of using audio visual presentations of the National Anthem with cinematographic dramatizations and projected on wide screens, Bohol Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP-Bohol) saw this as more of dishonoring the flag and the country’s history than the assumed aesthetics of canned music.
The SP has pushed for Ordinance No. 007-2017, which mandates event organizers, government offices, Local Government Units, schools, hospitals, institutions and organizations need to give full honor and respect to the national emblems and hymns here.
The same proposed ordinance which is now on to the third and final reading now, prohibits the use of any audio visual presentation as background, except only when only depicting the Philippine Flag whether in stationary or waving presentation with or without projected lyrics when playing the Philippine National Anthem in public places.
Introduced by Board Members Kristine Alexie B. Tutor and sponsored by BM Gloria B. Gementiza, co-sponsored by BM Ricky B. Masamayor and BM Jade A. Bautista, the ordinance intends to ban the showing of pictures and dramatizations or other audio visual presentations as background.
BM Tutor said that prior to the drafting of the ordinance, it was referred to the Center for Culture and the Arts of the Office of the Governor, who in turn asked the SP to check with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines for advice.
The proponents also wanted to know if the power to prohibit the showing of videos fall within the ambits of the SP.
In response, the NHCP, through Acting Executive Director Ludovico D. Badoy told them “there is no provision in Republic Act 8491 that prohibits the use of Audio Visual Presentation (AVP) depicting the Philippine Flag and Anthem as backdrop during flag raising, and it is still within the authority of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Bohol to pass such ordinance.”
If it passes muster for the third and final reading and goes through the regular process for ordinances with penal provisions, institutions found to violate the ordinance can be fined.
While the ordinance allows stern warning for first time offenders, the second offense would be P2,000.00 fine while the third and succeeding offenses are P3,000.00, to be paid to the Local Treasurer’s Office of the Local Government Unit concerned.
And if an institution has unknowingly violated the ordinance when its sound system operator unknowingly played the prohibited video, by the doctrine of command responsibility, the institution is liable.
“If there will be a concert in the plaza, sponsored by a private company and unfortunately, the operator of the sound system or the electronic gadgets automatically played the national anthem with some pictures, it should be the private company who would be liable. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
Enough of the drama and the long sequences of audio video presentation on the dramatizations when singing the national anthem. The Philippine Flag, be it displayed stationary or wavering on AVP and nothing more or the public sings live, is the only way Bohol SP wants the way the singing of the national anthem goes. (rahc/PIA-Bohol.googlephoto)
by admin | Jan 12, 2018 | BFAR Advisory, Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
UBAY, Bohol, January 9 (PIA)—While legislators are busily tackling ways to bring down the price of fish in Bohol, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) kept to their mandate and inaugurates Bohol’s 11th fish hub, January 9 in Ubay town.
The fish hub is a facility where fishermen can land their daily catch to be assured of a market, or at least refrigerate them so it does not go to waste and can be sold the following day.
BFAR call these facilities Community Fish Landing Center (CFLC), and placed in them post-harvest facilities as well as spaces for trade, administration and at least a decent space for meetings and training.
Earlier, fishermen have admitted that bringing their catch to the mainland is risky as there might not be a market for their fish and without refrigeration at home, their catch might stale and go to waste.
On this, the BFAR intends to respond to that issue while noting that fisher-folk, including the entire fish trade value chain are registered and organized.
The CFLC acts as their common venue to train, to organize and plan as well as to mend their nets, sell their catch and store them in shared facilities to maximize on the harvest, BFAR Regional Director Dr. Allan L. Poquita said.
The Ubay CFLC is the 11th of the 14 multi-million facilities which Bohol got from the national government since 2016 to 2017.
Ubay CFLC has stainless steel stalls, and freezers so fish can be stored when it is not sold right away.
The new CFLC comes in its iconic shades of blue, two storey structure with provisions for an administration room, male and female restrooms, stock rooms, display and open spaces while the roof deck is a massive oven railed space for whatever the fishermen and their organizations deem it useful.
Funded by the national government through the National Anti-Poverty Commission, BFAR, National Fisheries Development Corporation and the local government unit of Ubay, the convergence of funds made the project a P2.8 million facility model of partnership, explained director Poquita.
Ubay Mayor Constantino Reyes, who used to have a fishing fleet before he ventured into politics, recalled that Ubay used to be among the town markets with the most bountiful fish.
It was also the time when the fisheries were not regulated and there was illegal fishing.
But himself convinced that regulated fishing as well as sustainable fisheries is the right way, he has spearheaded his town’s campaign into convincing blast fishers to go sustainable fishing.
With Ubay sitting in the midst of a biodiversity hotspot in the Danajon Double Barrier Reef, its sprinkle of islands, islets and shoals breed good fish which are tempting fishermen to go blast fishing.
To make sure destructive blast fishing ins stopped, the mayor organized confessed illegal fishers and gave them starter livelihood projects.
The town is also setting up two floating detachments to be manned by a composite team of wardens, police and the army as well as BFAR to keep guard of the town’s island fishers and poachers.
Now that BFAR has put up and nears its 14th CFLC, people are hoping that other sectors also look at how they can contribute to solve the mysterious pricing system when the amount fishermen get when they sell is too measly and decent enough.
With sustainable fisheries now convincing people that smart way is the better way, people each day ask the dreaded question: Will these facilities really affect and bring down the price of fish? (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
BFAR 7 Regional Director Dr. Allan Poquita said their biggest role in the fish industry is making sure that there is sufficient fish supply. Beyond that, they also make sure that their funded projects redound to poverty alleviation, this he said during the blessing and inauguration of the 11th CFLC in Ubay. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
by admin | Jan 12, 2018 | Business, National News
Recent preliminary report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that Philippine merchandise export performance continued on a positive trajectory increasing by 10.79% in the first 11 months (January to November) of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016, an analysis confirmed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
From January to November 2017, the value of merchandise exports was shared almost evenly by electronics and non-electronics with 51.38% and 48.62%, respectively.
Exports of Philippine electronic products increased remarkably by 10.84% in the first 11 months of 2017. This was achieved on the back of the robust performance of six out of the nine subsectors of the industry which contributed 97.95% share in the cumulative total value of the industry.
Meanwhile, non-electronic goods also increased significantly by 10.73% in the first 11 months of 2017, backed by positive growth of a wide range of sectors in the non-electronics category. Topping the list were Forest Products with triple-digit growth of 560.90%. Other contributing commodities exhibited double-digit increases including mineral products (76.12%), sugar and products (47.77%), footwear (47.43%), coconut products (37.61%), non-metallic mineral manufactures (32.17%), and furniture and fixtures (26.27%). Exports of garments also increased by 3.00%, while Travel Goods and Handbags at 1.53%.
“The increase of exports sales for some non-electronic goods this year may be viewed as a result of the sector-focused intervention included in the 2015-2017 Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP),” said DTI Trade and Investments Promotion Group Undersecretary Nora K. Terrado.
The leading destination of PH merchandise exports for the first 11 months of the year was still the combined markets of PROC and HK SAR. Shipments to this combined market, with a share of 24.49%, increased by 20.99% in value. The next leading destination is Japan with 16.42% share, followed by United States of America (USA) with 14.60% share in total exported goods.
Exports to other top 20 trade partners of the Philippines also showed double-digit growths, ranging from 10.13% to 66.36% YTD; and from 16.00% to 56.75% YOY.
Meanwhile, exports to the United Arab Emirates expanded by 26.96% YOY and 103.6% YTD, respectively. However, these countries account for very small shares in PH exports, ranging from shares of only 0.56% to 2.53% of total PH exports.
The DTI, through its Export Marketing Bureau, implements various programs that assist and cater to the needs of Philippine exporters across the country
by admin | Jan 12, 2018 | Headlines, Photo Story
DTI TIES-UP WITH GOOGLE AND IPGMB TO DIGITIZE MSMES. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez recently met with Google Philippines Country Manager Kenneth Lingan and IPG Mediabrands (IPGMB) Philippines, Inc. Chief Executive Officer Venus Navalta to discuss a possible cooperation on increasing the digital presence of businesses in the Philippines, especially Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). DTI, Google, and IPMB aim to equip MSMEs with marketing skills and encourage them to bring their businesses online to increase their competitiveness and eventually grow their enterprise. Likewise, Google Philippines and DTI are looking forward to collaborate using the Google My Business platform, which will help businesses be more accessible and searchable online. Google and IPGMB are also eyeing a possible partnership through DTI’s nationwide mentoring programs on educating MSMEs using digital platforms. The group discussed as well possibilities on facilitating 700 Negosyo Centers all over the country as hubs where businesses can verify their addresses on Google Maps and even create their own website. Also at the meeting were (L-R): IPGMB Associate Director Juliet Cababa, Google Philippines Sales Manager Samuel Jeanblanc, IPGMB Chief Digital Officer Albet Buddahim, IPGMB Chief Executive Officer Venus Navalta, Google Philippines Country Manager Ken Lingan, DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez, DTI Assistant Secretary Rosvi Gaetos, Negosyo Center Program Manager Doris Delima, BSMED Director Jerry Clavesillas, Special Assistant to the Secretary for MSME Affairs TSO Benedict Uy, and Ms. Rose Concepcion of IPGMB.
