by admin | Oct 28, 2016 | Features, Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita, Major Events, World
USAID facilitates tripartite partnership in investment promotion in Bohol and Tagbilaran City
Tagbilaran City – The Bohol Provincial Government, the Tagbilaran City Government, and the Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) entered into a tripartite partnership to formalize their commitment to pursuing inclusive growth. Recognizing the need for a solid “one voice for one destination” vision in promoting investments, the partnership is anchored on a unified and enhanced investment promotions program for Bohol and Tagbilaran City.
“The government must work with the business sector, civil society, and other stakeholders to achieve sustainable development,” said Bohol Governor Edgardo Chatto.
“The private sector is an important driver of growth,” he added. “As the province prepares for the influx of more tourists and businesses with the opening of the new international airport in Panglao in 2018 and the completion of infrastructure projects in Tagbilaran City, the more we need to synchronize our efforts to reach our potential as an economic growth hub in the region.”
The partnership was the result of a series of workshops on investment promotion organized by the U.S. Embassy Manila’s U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Strengthening Urban Resilience for Growth with Equity (SURGE) Project, in Tagbilaran City. The BCCI will take the lead in aggressive investment promotions for the province and Tagbilaran City, drawing foreign direct investments that can bring in more jobs and revenues. Governor Chatto will issue an Executive Order to create the Tripartite Technical Working Group.
“The tripartite partnership signifies the public and private sectors’ commitment to building a mutually beneficial economic relationship that will help generate more jobs and wealth and ultimately uplift the lives of citizens,” said Jeffrey Lehrer, Director of the USAID/Philippines Office of Economic Development and Governance.
Tourism and investments
Tourism continues to be the competitive advantage of Bohol, given its status as one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Philippines. Tourism played a crucial role in the recovery of the province after an earthquake and a typhoon in 2013.
While the consecutive calamities caused a sharp drop in tourist arrivals, the province, with the support of international donors, invested heavily in its tourism recovery program, Visit Bohol 2015. As part of the project, Tagbilaran City allotted PhP15 million (US$308,412) for the construction of the Bohol Friendship Park, which is designed to become a major tourist attraction in the city. According to the Department of Tourism, the number of travelers to Bohol nearly doubled from 356,370 in 2012 to 602,257 in 2015. Governor Chatto expects to attract 1.7 million tourists a year when the new international airport opens in 2018.
According to the National Competitiveness Council’s rankings in 2016, the province’s competitiveness increased by 18 places among the country’s 74 provinces, advancing from a rank of 54th in 2015 to 36th. Meanwhile, Tagbilaran City’s competitiveness increased by 9 places, from 34th to 25th among the 110 cities in the country.
Tagbilaran City Government identified tourism development, revitalization of information and communications technology (ICT), and a rationalized infrastructure program as the priority areas for development in the next three years.
“Various infrastructure projects are already in the pipeline and we are optimistic these initiatives will bring in significant contributions to what we have today—specifically, attracting investments that will eventually generate more jobs in the city,” said Tagbilaran City Mayor John Geesnell “Baba” Yap.
Strategic directions for investment promotion
The tripartite partnership will revise the enhanced Bohol Investment and Promotion Center’s two-pronged strategic direction to support business registration and micro, small, and medium enterprise development, and at the same time attract big investors. It will also strengthen the capacity of the center through learning exposures in international investment promotions conferences and destinations. This alliance will work toward establishing an Investment Promotions Center to be led by the private sector, supported by the government, and registered with the Philippines’ Securities and Exchange Commission.
“We believe in the province and city’s economic growth prospects, and the business sector intends to bring it to greater heights. The province and the city have various investment opportunities to offer and we just need to set the stage for more investments to come in,” said Marietta Gasatan, Vice President for External Affairs of BCCI.
“I commend the involved partners for coming together to plan for Tagbilaran City and Bohol’s future investment direction. USAID is committed to support the province and the city in improving its business environment, which will gradually contribute to deepening the Philippines’ competitive efforts globally and locally,” said Lehrer.
Tagbilaran City is one of USAID’s six partner cities under the Cities Development Initiative (CDI). The SURGE Project, the CDI’s flagship activity, is developing conditions for broad-based, inclusive, and resilient economic growth in the six cities, and will soon expand to cover additional cities.
SURGE supported the Tagbilaran City Government in updating its Comprehensive Land Use Plan to integrate climate change adaptation, gender equality, and social inclusion. It also facilitated the expansion of the inter-municipal alliance, the Panglao Island Executive Council, into the Panglao Island and Tagbilaran Executive Committee (PITEC). The PITEC, represented by local government heads from the province and the cities of Tagbilaran, Dauis, and Panglao, is addressing common concerns in urbanization and in managing the impacts of the construction and operation of the new international airport. A provincial ordinance will be issued to institutionalize the PITEC.
Moreover, the SURGE Project and the local government are developing an action plan to streamline the business registration process to three steps to improve the city’s business enabling environment.
The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is the main implementing partner for SURGE. ICMA is a global organization composed of more than 11,000 city, town, and county managers who work to professionalize local government management around the world.
Tripartite partners strike an “all of one, one for all” pose to symbolize a solid partnership.
by admin | Oct 27, 2016 | Headlines, Major Events, National News
MANILA, October 27 (PIA)–Gilagdaan na ni Presidente Rodrigo Duterte ang Executive Order No. 6 nga pormal nang nagtukod sa “8888” isip citizens’ complaint hotline.
Nakalatid sa maong EO ang mandato sa 8888 isip usa ka mekanismo diin mahimong mosumbong ang katawhan kalabot sa red tape o kahiwian sa mga ahensya sa gobyerno ug uban pang may kalabotan nga opisina sa gobyerno.
Pamunoan kini sa Office of the Cabinet Secretary nga gidumala karon ni Kalihim Leoncio Evasco Jr.
Mahimong mosumbong sa 8888 pinaagi sa text message, email, website ug sa social media.
Bukas kini 24/7 gawas na lamang kun holiday o suspendido ang trabaho.
Kun adunay mosumbong sa 8888, i-refer nila kini sa ahensyang hingtungdan alang sa mahimong lakang nila aron masulbad ang reklamo ug kinahanglan silang magbaton og konkretong aksiyon sulod lamang sa 72 oras.
Nagsugod na niadto pang Agosto 1 ang 8888 hotline apil na ang 911 emergency hotline, apan niadtong Oktubre 14 lamang nalagdaan sa Presidente ang pormal nga institutionalization sa maong emergency hotline. (ecb/PIA7-Bohol)
by admin | Oct 27, 2016 | Headlines, Major Events, National News
MANILA, October 27 (PIA)–Gilagdaan na ni Presidente Rodrigo Duterte ang executive order nga nag-reorganisa sa mga cabinet cluster.
Pinaagi sa Executive Order No. 7 nga gilagdaan sa Presidente niadtong Oktubre 14, 2016, gi-reorganisa niini ang gabinete sa lima ka cluster: ang good governance and anti-corruption; human development and poverty reduction; economic development; security justice and peace; ug climate change and mitigation.
Ubos sa E.O number 7, ang security, justice and peace cluster nga kanhi gipamunoan sa Executive Secretary pangunahan na karon sa Kalihim sa Department of National Defense (DND) sa tumong nga masiguro nga mapatuman ang mandato sa gobyerno nga pugngan ang lawless violence ug ipadaug ang kampanya batok sa krimen ilabi na sa ginadili nga droga ug korapsiyon.
Mahimong miyembro sa maong cluster ang Executive Secretary, Cabinet Secretary, ang Kalihim sa Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), ang National Security Adviser, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process ug ang National Security Council isip Secretariat.
Gi-amyendahan niini ang Executive Order No. 43 nga gipatuman ni kanhi Presidente Benigno Aquino III niadtong tuig 2011. (ecb/PIA7-Bohol)
by admin | Oct 26, 2016 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita, Major Events, World
TAGBILARAN CITY, October 26 (PIA)–Tungod sa nagsingabot nga Pasko, maayong balita ang gipahibalo karon sa Philippine Postal Corp. ngadto sa publiko nga tigpadala pinaagi sa koreo o Post Office nga ang mga padala gikan sa ubang nasod nga nagkantidad og P10,000 paubos, tax free na karon.
Kini base sa bag-ong probisyon sa balaod ubos sa bag-ong Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) nga gilagdaan niadtong Mayo 30, 2016 isip Republic Act (RA) 10863, aron e-rebisar ang 38-ka tuig nga Tariff and Customs Code sa Bureau of Customs (BOC) nga gipalabang niadtong 1978, aron mahatagan ang mga ordinaryong katawhan, overseas Filipino workers ug konsumidor nga mogamit sa serbisyo postal sa nasod.
Matud pa sa Chapter 3. Section 423. Determination of the De Minimis Value.— “ No duties and taxes shall be collected on goods with an FOB of FCA value of ten thousand pesos (P10,000) or below. The Secretary of Finance shall adjust the de minimis valued as provided herein, every three (3) years after the effectivity of this Act.
Nahimo kining epektibo kagahapon, Oktubre 25, 2016 human ang kinse (15) ka adlaw nga pagpamantala sa official gazette.
Sa bag-ong balaod, gisaka ang “tax-free cap” sa mga pakete nga ginapadala sa mga OFWs pinaagi sa Post Office.
Dako og mapahimos ang mga OFWs niining bag-ong balaod tungod kay mahimo na sila makapadala og mga personal items sa ilang mga minahal sa kinabuhi sa Pilipinas pinaagi sa koreo nga dili na buhisan basta ang mga ipadala dili molapas sa presyong gitakda ug wala gidili sa balaod.
Ang balaod sa “minimum thresholds” o ang “de minimis” mao ang gitakdang kantidad nga buhisan sa mga ipasulod o gipadala sulod sa nasod.
Ang Pilipinas nagtakda og minimum “thresholds” aron ang tanang ubos og kantidad nga ipasulod o ipadala nga moabot sa nasod mahimong “duty ug tax free”.
Gawas sa mga pantalan ug tugpahanan, moagi sa Post Office ang mga pakete ug sulat gikan sa ubang nasod nga kasagaran pahamtangan og buhis sa BOC base sa kantidad sa gipadala. (ecb/PIA7-Bohol)
by admin | Oct 25, 2016 | Features, Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita, Major Events
TAGBILARAN CITY, October 25 (PIA)–Nagpagawas na og pay rules ang Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) isip pahinumdom sa pribadong sektor sa pag-obserbar sa saktong pay rules ug core labor standards sa Oktubre 31 ug Nobyembre 1 nga gi-deklarar isip special non-working days.
Ang DOLE nipagawas sa Labor Advisory No. 15, Series of 2016 o Guidelines on the Payment of Wages for the Special Non-Working Days on October 31 and November 1, 2016.
Ang Oktubre 31 (Additional non-working day) ug Nobyembre 1 (All Saints Day) gi-deklarar nga special non-working days base sa Proclamation 1105, Series of 2015.
Kun ang empleyado dili mosulod sa trabaho niining mga petsaha, ipatuman ang “no work, no pay” nga palisiya gawas lamang kun adunay paborable nga palisiya, praktis, o collective bargaining agreement (CBA) nga mohatag og sweldo sa special non-working days.
Kun mo-trabaho sa maong mga adlaw, ang empleyado bayran og dugang 30 porsiyento sa iyang inadlaw nga suholan sa unang walo (8) oras nga pagtrabaho (Daily Rate x 130% + COLA scheme).
Alang sa mo-trabaho og lapas walo (8) ka oras (overtime work), ang empleyado pagabayaran og dugang 30 porsiyento sa iyang inoras kun hourly rate sa maong adlaw (Hourly rate of basic daily wage x 130 % x 130 % x number of hours worked).
Kun mo-trabaho atol sa special day nga natunong sa rest day sa empleyado, bayran sila og dugang 50 porsiyento sa ilang inadlaw nga suholan sa unang walo (8) ka oras nga pagtrabaho (Daily Rate x 150 % + COLA).
Samtang alang sa pagtrabaho og lapas sa walo (8) ka oras kun overtime work atol sa special day nga natunong usab sa rest day sa empleyado, bayaran sila og dugang 30 porsiyento sa ilang inoras nga suholan (Basic daily wage x 150% x 130% x number of hours worked). (ecb/PIA7-Bohol)
by admin | Oct 25, 2016 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita, Major Events
TAGBILARAN CITY, October 25 (PIA)–Dawaton na sa Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) isip nag-unang ID requirement sa pagkuha og pasaporte ang bag-o ug modernong postal ID sa Philippine Postal Corp.sa tanang buhatan niini sa tibuok nasod.
Matud pa sa PhilPost, gi-ila na sa DFA ang bag-ong postal ID tungod sa gibag-o nga pisikal ug biometrics based nga security feature niini.
Mahimo na usab dawaton ang bag-ong postal ID alang sa passport application sa mga satellite offices sa Metro Manila ug apil na usab sa mga regional consular offices ug mga foreign service posts.
Kasamtangan na usab gitarong karon ang ePassport Application Forms aron mauban sa listahan sa mga ginadawat nga primary ID alang sa passport application kauban na ang postal ID.
Ang postal ID usa sa mga government-issued ID nga gi-ila na karon sa mga institusyon isip kamatuoran sa kailhanan ug address.
Mahimo nang mo-aplay sa bag-ong postal ID sa tibuok nasod human gibuksan sa niaging tuig ang pipila ka buhatan sa PhilPost alang sa digital processing sa mga aplikasyon alang sa bag-o ug modernong postal ID card.
May bayronon nga P504.00 alang sa maong bag-ong postal ID ug renewable kini matag tulo ka tuig. (ecb/PIA7-Bohol)
