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TeleTech supports US in Harvey recovery

Global outsourcing firm TeleTech announced that it is providing contact support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist in disaster recovery for survivors of Hurricane Harvey. In a press statement, TeleTech said it will leverage its existing customer care facilities across the US to support in the recovery efforts. It is also opening two new centers in Houston directly within the affected areas to provide emergency contact center support. The company set up a volunteer contact center in its corporate headquarters to aid the American Red Cross in efforts to raise money for those affected by the disaster. TeleTech has more than 48,000 employees around the world, including in the Philippines.

IT-BPM firms from Korea and Philippines to meet

Information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) companies from South Korea and the Philippines will meet in Manila for the two-day Inbound Business Matching Mission. The undertaking seeks to promote the Philippine IT-BPM sector through a showcase of the country's IT offerings. The two-day ‘2017 Philippines-Korea ICT Partnership Program’ will provide a venue for ICT companies of both countries to exchange business experiences and develop possible business relationships. The main areas for business opportunities include digital advertising solutions, Internet of Things cloud-platform providers, smart-center platform solutions, database-encryption solutions, geographic information systems, education technology and software, digital-signage solutions among others.

BPO industry supports four-day working week IBPAP

The IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) said it supports the implementation of the four-day work week scheme although the final decision will still be with the employers because the scheme is not mandatory. IBPAP president and CEO Rey Untal said the association supports the scheme and added that because it is not mandatory, the scheme gives both employers and employees the opportunity to work out what is best for the business. Industry insiders also said that the four-day work week scheme will provide BPO workers more time to regain what their bodies lose from working night shifts. Generally, BPO employees surveyed by ABS-CBN had mixed reactions on the scheme. One said working beyond eight hours is no longer good for the human body while another one stressed the three-day off will allow BPO workers enough sleep and rest.

Overseas IT outsourcing market to see a slowdown â€" IDC

US research firm IDC estimates that the growth of the global IT outsourcing market will slowdown between 2016 and 2021 to around 8% annually. The projected growth of the market is 7% lower than the expansion the previous five-year period, according a report published by the Nikkei Asian Review. Growth in the overseas outsourcing market will slowdown because the market is already maturing, according to IDC analyst David Tapper. In the US the projected growth is just 6%. The US crackdown on visa issuance is also another factor that will drag down the growth of the market. Many US firms also are no longer convinced that their current tech contractors can keep up with the demand for services related to app development.

Ingram Micro opens new BPO center in Manila

IT products and services wholesaler Ingram Micro has recently opened a business process outsourcing (BPO) center in Manila as part of its global IT footprint expansion. The company's global shared services facility in Upper McKinley in Taguig City will house hundreds of its associates. The Ingram Micro Global Shared Services - Manila is part of the company's 30,000-strong workforce that supports more than 1,700 vendors and 200,000 customers. Ingram Micro managing director Junar Amador attributes the company's new milestone to its hardworking and passionate leaders and associates. The Manila center supports various processes of the California-headquartered Ingram Micro, from global IT operations to sales and fulfillment.

Press Release
Relampagos Moves for Faster Land Registration

Bohol First District Representative Rene L. Relampagos, during the meeting of the House Committee on Agrarian Reform which he chairs, discussed the legislative proposal to hasten land registration process in the country.

“Land registration in the country is very tedious. Documentary requirements are very hard to complete. It takes time. It costs money,” Chair Relampagos said. “House Bill 5487, principally authored by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, endeavors to eradicate the bureaucratic red tape in land registration which usually happens when government agencies require the submission of unnecessary documents. In addition, this proposal would rationalize the process of land registration of agricultural lands by streamlining the requirements imposed by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).”   

During the hearing, the DAR and the Land Registration Authority, as key agencies engaged in land registration, made presentations on the process involving the same. Under the current set-up, DAR clearance remains as one of the mandatory requirements for the registration of any transfer, sale or disposition of agricultural lands. The cost to get a DAR clearance alone, excluding registration fees, is around Php 10,000.00. And the time to secure the clearance takes months.

The proposed measure, thus, provides that the DAR’s clearance permit for land registration shall only apply for lands covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP); that the DAR approval or clearance permits shall not be required if the land for registration is not covered by the CARP, under Section 10 of Republic Act 6657, and below the five-hectare (5 has.) retention limit under Section 6 of RA 6657; and that penalties will be given to any public officer or employee who violates the law. Penalties include dismissal from office and perpetual absolute disqualification without prejudice to other criminal, civil or administrative penalties provided by law.

“While we intend to keep the sanctity of land titles and the procedure for registration, we aim to streamline bureaucracy and do away with procedures that serve no other purpose but to delay the proceedings and entail unnecessary costs to the registrant. More importantly, this will encourage more registrations,” Chair Relampagos stressed. “Let us not complicate things. The simpler, the better. Let us make bureaucracy work for the people.”

Said house bill was approved by the Committee and will be subject to second reading once the Committee Report has been duly approved and signed.

Press Release
PAPI-Baliwag-Sogo medical mission benefits 300 families
By Jessica M. Bacud

BALIWAG, Bulacan â€" Over 300 indigent families of this Bulacan town benefited from the recent medical mission here jointly organized by the Publishers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PAPI), Baliuag LGU and Sogo Hotel which fielded its Doctor On Wheels contingent under its Sogo Cares corporate social responsibility program.

Baliwag Mayor Ferdie Estrella also mobilized doctors and support medical personnel of the local government for the mission. Aside from the 300 families who were extended free medical and dental services and medicines, some 200 senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) also received gift packages including grocery items provided by Sogo Cares.

Mayor Estrella thanked PAPI national president Nelson Santos who initiated the project, and other mission partner groups for the community outreach initiative in Baliwag which coincided with the town’s annual week-long festivities and his birth month.

Santos who was joined by other PAPI national officers from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, said PAPI, Sogo Cares and PSiJourn Mega Manila have agreed to pursue the medical mission project, with the Sogo Doctors on Wheels as their core contingent. to help serve indigent families and PWDs in the countryside. 

He also acknowledged the indispensable efforts of Dr. Paolo dela Cruz and Baliwag City Health Officer, Dr. Ma. Joan Dinlasan who coordinated the project at the LGU level,Ms. Nicel Lavente who represented Sogo Hotel, The Greenery in Sabang Baliwag and PSijourn Mega Manila as media partner .

Dr. Dinlasan said PAPI’s initiative complimented Mayor Estrella community service program which, aside from medical, also includes other basic social welfare  services.

PAPI’s community service partnership with Sogo Hotel and PSiJourn Mega Manila started when they earlier jointly undertook a similar Doctor on Wheels medical mission in the rural barangays of Alaminos City in Pangasinan which benefitted some 600 indigent families and PWDs.

PAPI officials who joined the Baliwag City outing included Abel Pablo, Executive Vice President; Jessica Bacud, Vice President for Luzon, Angelina Lim, Vice President for Mindanao, Ester Gallardo, Board Secretary and president of PSiJourn Mega Manila, Nena Mallari, Auditor,  among others.

Press Release
P131 Million Worth Rural Electrification

LIGHT THE FAR-FLUNG VILLAGES: Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi (center) signed the P131M worth memorandum of agreement that will energize far-flung areas with a prepaid solar home system at the DOE headquarters in Taguig City on Wednesday (Sept. 20, 2017). With Cusi are (from left) Electric Power Industry Management Bureau Officer-in-Charge Director Mario Marasigan; Bohol II Electric Cooperative General Manager Eugenio Tan, Board President Dionesio Oliavar Jr. and Institutional Services Department Manager Tito Andamon; DOE Usec. Felix William Fuentebella, Quezon II Electric Cooperative (QUEZELCO II) General Manager Victor Cada; Busuanga Island Electric Cooperative General Manager Ruth Galang and Board Pres. Francisco Espina; and QUEZELCO II Board President Normelita Curioso.

(Taguig City). To help speed up the household electrification of far-flung off-grid areas, Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi signed last Wednesday (Sept. 20) a Memorandum of Agreement worth P131 million to energize 5,574 households in communities under Busuanga Island Electric Cooperative (BISELCO), Quezon II Electric Cooperative (QUEZELCO II) and Bohol II Electric Cooperative (BOHECO II). This forms part of the Philippine government counterpart for the European Union-Access to Sustainable Energy Program (EU-ASEP) program.

The project involves the installation of a prepaid Photovoltaic Mainstreaming system for the 5,574 beneficiaries for 2017. The teams from European Union-ASEP and the World Bank, for their part, target the energization of 40,500 households between 2017 (10,000 HHs) and 2018 (30,500 HHs).

“I want to fast-track the electrification projects, so that our kababayans in the far away communities can have access to basic energy services. We want the beneficiaries to have a decent life, their children to have the opportunity to read their books at night and the families to listen to the news and other developments among their other concerns,” Cusi said.

The Secretary also urged the electric cooperatives to ensure the proper implementation of the project, specially on the identification of beneficiaries. "We have to make sure that we are delivering our services to the people, to their homes. Let’s be accountable and work hard together,” he said.

The breakdown of the DOE-funded electrification program for 2017 is as follows:

• BISELCO: A total of 3,711 households residing in barangays Banuang Daan, Borac, Bintuan, Buenavista, Bulalacao, Cabugao, Lajala, Marcilla, Decabobo, Decalachao, Guadalupe, Malawig, San Jose, San Nicolas and Tara in Coron; Sto. Nino, Old Busuanga, New Busuanga, Quezon, Buluang and Panlaitan in Busuanga; and Culion Island.

• BOHECO II: A total of 530 households living in barangays Cataban in Talibon; West Hingotanan, East Hingotanan, Bilangbilangan Dako and Bilangbilangan Diyot in Bien-Unido.

• QUEZELCO II: A total of 1,333 households located in the barangays Aluyon in Burdeos; Canaway, Pagsangahan, Lumutan and Umiray in General Nakar; and Maunlad in Real.

These beneficiaries are in the off-grid areas situated in isolated islets, households located or far from electrified sitios, and isolated areas such as small communities in upland areas.

The DOE electrification program entails two solar home systems (SHS) Services - the SHS Service 1 with 30 watt peak and the SHS Service 2 with 50 watt peak. These systems could power lighting systems, charge mobile phones and run small television sets.

Based on the Energy Regulatory Commission solar home system (SHS) electricity service rate for electric cooperatives, the beneficiaries will pay between P180.00 - P222.00 per month or P5-P8 per day, depending on the solar home system and zoning service or distance from the electric cooperative headquarters.

“For sustainability, the electric coops will impose service charges to recover the costs of maintaining and replacing certain components of the system. There will also be a technician to check and monitor the systems,” the Energy Chief said.

Together with the Secretary, the signing ceremony was also attended by DOE Usec. Felix William B. Fuentebella, OIC for Electric Power Industry Management Bureau (EPIMB) Director Mario C. Marasigan, OIC for EPIMB-Rural Electrification Administration and Management OIC Division Chief Engr. Josue B. Balacuit, DOE Legal Services representative Atty. Isidro V. Almenteros, DOE Accounting head Arturo Cudia and officials of BISELCO (General Manager Ruth Galang and Board President Francisco Espina), BOHECO II (General Manager Eugenio Tan and Board President Dionesio Oliavar Jr.), and QUEZELCO II (General Manager Victor Cada and Board President Normelita Curioso).

THE HONORABLE
BERNADETTE “BH” HERRERA-DY
Bagong Henerasyon Party-list
Chair, Committee on Public Information

Reaction to the public debate on fake news and purveyors of fake news

FREEDOM, RESPONSIBLY

We now have an ecosystem of media. In this ecosystem, the traditional or mainstream media are the newspapers, radio stations, broadcast networks, and magazines, while the new media are the emails, websites, social media, and blogs. A third genre is emerging: virtual reality.

In this ecosystem, all the creatures great and small interact and are influenced by each other and the environments they happen to exist in. To keep matters organized and as sane as possible, we, the people, have the common good and rule of law as our guides, the beacons of light when darkness and confusion set in. The role of government in all of these is to lay down policies that are faithful to and implement the law and seek the common good.

Trusting in the common sense and sanity of responsible adults, I support self-regulation by each of the different sectors of the media and laws that will promote self-regulation and freedom of information.

To advance self-regulation, I, as Chair of the House committee on Public Information, am open to proposals from the exponents of mainstream media, new media, and virtual reality on how Congress can encourage, not hinder, self-regulation.

Free speech, whether spoken or written, are protected human rights. No matter how senseless, abrasive, or fiery. However, protected free speech is not absolute. Freedom of speech must be exercised responsibly. The right to freedom of speech ends where the rights of others begin. These are principles that transcend time and space and technologies.

Boltzmann's constant
â–¸ noun Chemistry the ratio of the gas constant to Avogadro's constant, equal to 1.381 × 10âˆ'23 joules per kelvin in the case where the number of molecules is equal to Avogadro's number. (Symbol: k)

Use the Best Anti-Virus Protection. Pls follow the link: https://goo.gl/S5Bzjd

STATEMENT BY
THE HONORABLE NEIL J. ABAYON
AANGAT TAYO Party-list
Assistant Minority Leader

SOLON ASKS DOTr TO REVIEW LTFRB DECISION RAISING TAXI FARE

I suggest that the Department of Transportation to review the latest decision of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to raise taxi fare rates.

The P13.50 additional to the flagdown is too high. The P2.00 running/waiting time rate is reasonable.

With the new rates, a five-kilometer trip with 10 minutes of waiting time would cost the passenger P127.50. (P40 + P67.50 + P20).

There should be a provision that requires taxi operators and taxi drivers to make sure the taxis are clean and roadworthy and that taxi drivers be courteous and helpful to their passengers.

Higher taxi fares could make their services unaffordable to many among the riding public who cannot afford the higher rates of the TNCs.

The higher fares could also make some  commuters choose to ride the TNCs instead of the taxis.

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Wednesday, 8th November 2017
6:00pm to 9:00pm,
10th Floor, The Calyx, Cebu IT Park

Join us for drinks with free-flow of beer, wine, cocktails, soft drinks and canapés
Meet your Cebu peers in senior management, suppliers and potential clients
PRICE

Attendance Fee (per person): P1,850.00

Early Bird Fee: P1,500.00 (For payment before 18th October 2017 only)

Group bookings: Discounts are available for group bookings, subject availability.

To register please click here

For further information, contact Christine Lapaz on +63 (0) 917 318 5126

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U.S. Embassy Closed on Monday, October 9

Manila, October 5, 2017â€" The Embassy of the United States in the Philippines and its affiliated offices will be closed to the public on Monday, October 9, in observance of Columbus Day, an American holiday.

The Embassy and its affiliated offices will resume their regular services on Tuesday, October 10.

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What thoughts I have of you tonight, Walt Whit-
man, for I walked down the sidestreets under the trees
with a headache self-conscious looking at the full moon.
     In my hungry fatigue, and shopping for images,
I went into the neon fruit supermarket, dreaming of
your enumerations!
     What peaches and what penumbras! Whole fam-
ilies shopping at night! Aisles full of husbands! Wives
in the avocados, babies in the tomatoes!--and you,
Garcнa Lorca, what were you doing down by the
watermelons?

     I saw you, Walt Whitman, childless, lonely old
grubber, poking among the meats in the refrigerator
and eyeing the grocery boys.
     I heard you asking questions of each: Who killed
the pork chops? What price bananas? Are you my
Angel?
     I wandered in and out of the brilliant stacks of
cans following you, and followed in my imagination
by the store detective.
     We strode down the open corridors together in
our solitary fancy tasting artichokes, possessing every
frozen delicacy, and never passing the cashier.
     Where are we going, Walt Whitman? The doors
close in an hour. Which way does your beard point
tonight?
     (I touch your book and dream of our odyssey in the
supermarket and feel absurd.)
     Will we walk all night through solitary streets?
The trees add shade to shade, lights out in the houses,
we'll both be lonely.
     Will we stroll dreaming ofthe lost America of love
past blue automobiles in driveways, home to our silent
cottage?
     Ah, dear father, graybeard, lonely old courage-
teacher, what America did you have when Charon quit
poling his ferry and you got out on a smoking bank
and stood watching the boat disappear on the black
waters of Lethe?

                                   Berkeley 1955

~ A Supermarket In California - Allen Ginsberg

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A Desolation by Allen Ginsberg

Now mind is clear
as a cloudless sky.
Time then to make a
home in wilderness.

What have I done but
wander with my eyes
in the trees? So I
will build:  wife,
family, and seek
for neighbors.

                     Or I
perish of lonesomeness
or want of food or
lightning or the bear
(must tame the hart
and wear the bear).

And maybe make an image
of my wandering, a little
imageâ€"shrine by the
roadside to signify
to traveler that I live
here in the wilderness
awake and at home.

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By Allen Ginsberg

Tail turned to red sunset on a juniper crown a lone magpie cawks.

Mad at Oryoki in the shrine-room -- Thistles blossomed late afternoon.

Put on my shirt and took it off in the sun walking the path to lunch.

A dandelion seed floats above the marsh grass with the mosquitos.

At 4 A.M. the two middleaged men sleeping together holding hands.

In the half-light of dawn a few birds warble under the Pleiades.

Sky reddens behind fir trees, larks twitter, sparrows cheep cheep cheep
       cheep cheep.
       
                                        July 1983


Caught shoplifting ran out the department store at sunrise and woke up.

                                        August 1983

~ 136 Syllables At Rocky Mountain Dharma Center - Allen Ginsberg



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Bohol Sunday Post, April 2014

The summary execution of a known gun-for-hire, who was believed responsible for a series of unsolved killings here, including the recent murder of the bus manager of Southern Star, was preceded with a wild chase all the way from the corner of M. Torralba and Visarra Streets, this city, and ended in front of the Tagbilaran City Central Elementary School. The daring murder took place midnight last Holy Wednesday. The victim identified as dismissed policeman SPO2 Carlito Bunado, alias Jerry, met his bloody end in a dramatic fashion ending a criminal career that started since becoming a bodyguard of former Batuan mayor Sixto Dano in 1998.

On the surface, Bunado was a low-profile perpetrator of celebrated hits as a gun-for-hire until the lid of his criminal enterprise was blown off when he was killed by professional killers who apparently have a score to settle with him. Many high-profile killings in this city and elsewhere were reportedly credited to him, in a criminal career that spanned for two decades. In his bid to cover his track, the dismissed policeman reportedly owned a business enterprise in Talibon, engaging in the sale of construction supplies. It was reported that he also owned at least two units of vans-for hire that ply the Talibon-Tagbilaran-Talibon ruote.

DRUG LORD?

Known as a hands-on assassin instead of relying on his minions, Bunado was feared even by those who know him up close and personal. The fallen ex-cop became a household brand in the underworld when he strayed into the lucrative drug market, making a name for himself as a drug lord in the league of Jaime Decasa, a low-profile drug personality until his recent arrest by NBI agents. Bunado was also associated with the activities of Sherwin Bautista, who is fighting for a bail grant after his house was raided by a combined posse of lawmen, yielding a cache of firearms and prohibited drugs whose estimated street value was in the vicinity of P1.7 million. As high value targets in the drug trade, the triumvirate reportedly partitioned the entire province of Bohol in the supply chain of the prohibited substance known as shabu. With Talibon as base of operations, Bunado was reportedly warned by Mayor Restituto Auxtero to stop his drug operations, or the chief executive would not renew his permit to operate his vans-for-hire. Apparently, the warning fell on deaf ears as it was reported that until his death, he was still very much in the drug business.

As investigators zeroed in on the Wednesday murder, one angle they are looking into on top of several others was Bunado's business inside the Central Market carnival. He was reported to have owned at least four tables of the popular red and blue pingpong balls. A kind of gambling masquerading as parlor game, Bunado reportedly raked a pile nightly arising from this business. In fact, it was suspected that he was on his way to the carnival when two motorcycles boarded by two men each gave chase to their target from the Tanduay Rhum warehouse at the corner of M. Torralba and Visarra Sts. Riding in an old model Toyota Corrola with an unidentified lady companion, the gunmen caught up with Bunado when they were in the vicinity of the City Central Elementary School. When the victim was hit by the pursuing gunmen, the car he was riding slammed into the fence of a nearby house. The lady companion escaped unhurt while the main target sustained three gunshot wounds. He died on the spot.

DISMMISED FROM SERVICE

As a policeman, Bunado was dismissed from service 16 years ago after he was implicated in the murder of a certain Ernesto Hingpit. In an interview with former Batuan mayor Necitas Dumagan yesterday, he confirmed that Hingpit was his election supporter when killed in barangay Cabacnitan, Bilar several days before the 1998 elections. Bunado at the time served as bodyguard of mayoralty candidate Sixto “Brady” Dano along with Vicente Dano Jr., brother of Sixto. Dano won the mayoralty against Roland Dampog, the candidate supported by former mayor Dumagan. In the ensuing investigation, the two Dano bodyguards were implicated in the Hingpit killing along with Decasa, who was Batuan vice-mayor at that time. Both Decasa and Dano Jr. were cleared of the crime charged while Bunado assumed the responsibility of owning up the crime. Upon conviction, the policeman served time at the National Bilibid Prisons. He was jailed for nine years until he was paroled apparently for good behavior.

THE KILLING

Police Supt. Jovito Atanacio, city police chief, said he together with Police Senior Inspector Quirino Geolagon and SPO2 Luciano Fuentes, responded to the call of TARSIER 117 who informed the City Police Station that a man, later identified as Bunado, had bumped his Toyota car (with plate number TLS 875) into a house fence along M. Torralba Street, this city. Reports said Bunado was chased by two motorcycles while he was travelling from the road near the Gov. Gallares Memorial Hospital heading to City Central School in Poblacion III. Residents living along M. Torralba Street told the city police that they were awakened of a burst of gunfire few minutes past midnight. Some thought it was a mere fireworks sound. However, thirty minutes into midnight, news had started creeping in the neighborhood that a man was shot dead inside a car. Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) had recovered from the crime scene 10 pieces of cartridges belonging to a .9mm caliber pistol, four pieces of cartridges belonging to a .45 caliber gun, and two unspent bullets. Post mortem examination conducted by Dr. Albert Calvelo, of City Health Office, had confirmed that Bunado sustained three gunshot wounds on his head. Initial investigation into Bunado's death revealed that the assassins were wearing helmets and masked when they chased Bunado and fired at his car. At first, the police thought that he was just an ordinary businessman coming from the town of Talibon. But when authorities had finally identified the victim as Jerry Bunado (also known as Carlito), little did they know that the bloodied victim was linked to several high-profile unsolved murder cases in the province. Sources have told the Bohol Sunday Post that Bunado had involvement in illegal drugs and illegal gambling. “It is so difficult to make a guess as to who killed Bunado,” a source said, “he had too many enemies in the past.”

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Damaged Power Infra by Maring and Lannie Almost Fully Operational

(Taguig City). Power infrastructure and facilities in areas affected by typhoons Maring and Lannie will all be back in operation soon, with power already restored in 456 or 57 percent of the affected barangays as of Friday, according to the reports submitted to the Department of Energy (DOE).

Generally, the generation, transmission, the Manila Electric Co. and other affected electric cooperatives franchise areas are already 100 percent operational.

For Quezon Province, electricity was fully restored Thursday night in the town proper of the Municipality of Perez in Alabat Island as it assured the public that total power restoration will be achieved at the soonest possible time with repairmen working round the clock.

According to the National Electrification Administration (NEA), power in 456 out of 804 barangays in Quezon has been restored Thursday afternoon. The 456 barangays account for 104,093 households which is equivalent to 60.16 percent of the entire household serviced by the distribution utility.

NEA is targeting 100 percent restoration of power by September 20 following the detailed assessment and inspection of the typhoon-affected facilities.

DOE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi emphasized, “We need to ensure that the infrastructures, wirings and meters in the typhoon hit areas are safe before energizing them. We want to protect the people from any harm, including those who are conducting the restoration activities.”

U.S. and Philippines Participate in Counterterrorism Crisis Response Drill
                                                     
Manila, September 15, 2017 â€" The governments of the Philippines and the United States will embark on a bilateral, interagency counterterrorism drill, Tempest Wind, in mid-September intended to test and improve the ability of both nations to rapidly plan, coordinate, and conduct counterterrorism operations.

The whole-of-government drill will be augmented by additional military assessments, national level engagement, and subject matter expert exchanges.  These events will take place in the Philippines and Hawaii and are designed to create a realistic environment to exercise counterterrorism strategy, including senior decision-making and tactical responses, while deepening the bilateral partnership.

In addition to important information exchanges, Tempest Wind is recognized as a way to test force readiness and exercise interoperability.  These assessments will help to focus future bilateral training efforts to enhance the crisis response capabilities of both nations.

The Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board approved Tempest Wind in November 2016, highlighting the enduring commitment of both countries to the U.S.-Philippine alliance.

The United States is a proud ally of the Philippines and will continue to provide support and assistance to Philippine counterterrorism efforts and work jointly to address shared threats to the peace and security of both countries.‎

Press Release
FFCCCIII host first Moon Festival Luncheon with Media & traditional Dice Game

   Next to the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, the Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival (ZhongqiuJie in Mandarin & “Tiong Chew Chue” in Hokkien) is the second most important festival in Chinese tradition with families and close friends gathering for reunions . In southern Fujian province of southeast China, where most ethic Chinese in the Philippines trace their ancestral roots, a traditional dice game called “pwationg chew” was invented with “ge-pya” or mooncakes of different sizes as the prizes.
   The Moon Festival is celebrated as a harvest and thanksgiving festival since ancient times on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar with full moon at night, this usually corresponds to late September to early October in the Western Gregorian calendar with full moon at night and this 2017 the Moon Festival will be on October 4 Wednesday night. It is also celebrated worldwide, especially in Asian societies like China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam , Singapore, Malaysia and other places.
   To express gratitude and appreciation to the media for important positive role in Philippine economic and social development, and to also hoping to share a unique festive Chinese tradition as part of the rich multi-cultural Filipino national life, the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) hosted its first ever Moon Festival Luncheon for Media last September 30 its headquarters in the 6th floor of Federation Center, Muelle de Binondo, Manila.
   The FFCCCII was established in 1954 for the main purposes of encouraging the Phillippine’s ethnic Chinese entrepreneurs nationwide not only to help inclusive and dynamic national economic growth, but also to continue the Chinese community’s centuries-old tradition of philanthropic or sociio-civic endeavors such as the construction and donations of public school buildings for rural barrios and other disadvantaged communities, to support the Filipino Chinese volunteer fire brigades which assist fire and other disaster victims of all socio-economic backgrounds, and assist other civic causes.
   The FFCCCII is headed by President Domingo Yap, and Chairman Emeritus Dr. Lucio C. Tan.

PRESS STATEMENT
Congressman RENE L. RELAMPAGOS
First District, Province of Bohol
14 September 2017

Rep. Rene L. Relampagos a No Vote

Bohol First District Representative Rene L. Relampagos, contrary to fake news, did not vote “yes” to the Php 1,000 budget of the Commission on Human Rights.

“This would be the height of irony for me having been the chairman of the House Committee on Human Rights during the 15th Congress and for having filed bills promoting human rights including the strengthening of the Commission through the proposed CHR Charter. This proposed charter I filed since the 15th Congress,” he explained.

“It was the last, and seventh, day of the budget hearings. The CHR budget was discussed last. I was not in the plenary when the voting happened. I was not able to vote.”

Regular plenary sessions at Congress start at 4:00 in the afternoon onwards. During budget deliberations, however, plenary sessions start at 10:00 in the morning onwards. At times, budget deliberations end at 2:00, even 3:00, in the morning.

“For a day, there are agencies on agenda. CHR was actually first on agenda for the September 6, 2017 plenary deliberations but they were called around 7:00 in the evening. Then they were made to go back 9:30 the following morning. On September 7, 2017, they came before 10:00 am but they were called around 7:00 pm. Again, they were told to come back Tuesday.”

“On Tuesday, Typhoon Maring caused the suspension of classes in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.  Malacanang also declared ‘no work’ for government employees. However, we were told to finish the budget. Hence, representatives and employees of the House braved the weather including all agencies that were left for deliberation. CHR was there as early as 10:00 am,” he narrated.

“You have to understand that we cannot sit the whole time, all the time, at the plenary. We sometimes have pocket meetings and appointments. We also have office matters to attend to. We were advised that budget voting will be at 7:00 pm. CHR voting came earlier and it was fast. Unfortunately, I was not there inside the plenary when it happened,” he explained.

Voting was 119 in favor, 32 against. There were 143 members who were not able to cast their votes.

“I recognize the importance of CHR as a constitutional body.  I was among those who moved for the passage of the anti-torture law, anti-enforced disappearance law and other important human rights measures. Again, how can I move for the strengthening of the CHR through my proposed CHR charter and yet give it no budget? That’s ironic,” Rep. Relampagos stressed.

“The budget season is not over yet. It’s not even halfway done. It would be premature to discuss some constitutional and legal issues at this time. If at all, this has forced a discourse on human rights and this is good. People are now talking about it,” he concluded.

House ups DEDVMH
bed capacity to 300
By JUNE S. BLANCO

THE Don Emilio del Valle Memorial Hospital (DEDVMH) in Ubay town stands to increase its bed capacity from 50 to 300.

This after the House of Representatives approved on final reading the Committee on Health-endorsed bill of Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado of Bohol’s 2nd District.

The move aims to decongest the hospital that already serves as many as 70 confined patients each day â€" on top of those attended to in the Out-Patient Department.

Aumentado noted that the DEDVMH now also caters to patients from even Bohol’s 3rd and 1st Districts.

Parallel to the increase in bed capacity, the hospital is also gearing up for the arrival, installation and operationalization in the next two weeks of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine that is part of the P45-million allocation from the surplus budget of the Department of Health (DoH) that Aumentado bagged during last year’s budget hearing.
The machine will be the first to be installed in a national government hospital in the province.

A Computed Tomography (CT) scan and five more dialysis machines round up the equipment procured with the P45 million.

“There can be no development under a sick constituency,” Aumentado said, hence he is pushing for the upgrading and modernization of the health industry especially in Bohol’s northeastern part.
“And the only way to start off and fast track the recovery of patients is to ensure that the hospital has ready and excellent medical services,” he added.

Modern equipment, he added, augur well for accurate diagnoses â€" with no need for referrals to hospitals in Tagbilaran City or even Cebu City. Transfers would entail more expenses for the patients and their families.

Meanwhile, Aumentado said, the dialysis machines are expected to arrive next year to beef up the capacity of the DEDVMH Dialysis Center â€" to be upgraded from merely a hospital unit.
The CT scan and MRI are machines that take pictures of the organs and structures inside the body and are used in diagnosis. The dialysis machine cleanses the blood of toxins for patients whose kidneys are no longer functioning.

Capacitating the DEDVMH will also cut the cost on the part of patients and their watchers. On top of the hospital expenses, some patients’ watchers who have no relatives in the city and with no money to spare for lodging houses have to make do with resting or even sleeping in the parking area. They also have to stretch their budget for food.

Whereas when all their patients’ needs can already be attended to in the DEDVMH, their watchers can be comfortable as their homes are just nearby. They can have reliever watchers as well.

The pinch will especially be felt by islanders because more often than not, the motorized boat trip from the island in the morning will be the only return trip in the afternoon.
If the patients and watchers miss the return trip, they will have to pay more for a special trip, or stay for the night â€" which spells even more expense.

Aumentado said this gave rise to the concept of a sea ambulance. He observed that for each two-way trip, the sea ambulance ferries around 200 patients â€" mostly children.

Press Release: GOVERNANCE COMMISSION FOR GOCCs IPINABUBUWAG

Sabi ni Bagong Henerasyon Party-list Congresswoman Bernadette Herrera-Dy, isa sa may akda ng House Bill 3014 o GCG Abolition Act, imbes na makatulong ang GCG sa pagpapaunlad ng mga GOCCs ay naging sagabal pa ito at naging isa lang “bureaucratic layer” sa dati nang kumplikadong istruktura ng checks and balances sa pamahalaan.

Higit 20 kongresista ang nanawagan para buwagin na ang Governance Commission for Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GCG), ang ahensiyang nangangasiwa sa galaw at operasyon ng may higit dalawan-daang GOCCs sa Pilipinas.

Inirereklamo pa umano ng mga GOCCs ang mga dagdag na requirements pinasusumite ng GCG sa kanila na nakakapagpabagal lamang sa kanilang operasyon.

Ang mga GOCC ay dati nang may pananagutan sa mga sumusunod:

1.  Sa Kongreso (House at Senate) â€" na may oversight function

2.  Commission on Audit (COA)â€" na may kapangyarihang suriin lahat ng accounts at property ng gobyerno

3.  National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) â€" na nag-aapruba ng lahat ng plano at joint venture activities

4.  Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) â€" na may kinalaman sa lahat ng procurement projects

5.  Office of Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) â€"bilang manananggol ng lahat ng GOCCs


Paliwanag pa ni Herrera-Dy, ang mga empleyado at opisyal ng mga GOCCs ay saklaw din ng mga samu’t saring mga batas hinggil sa tamang pamamahala at sakop pa nga sila ng jurisdiction ng Ombudsman.

“Bilang pagtugon sa panawagan ng Pangulong Duterte kamakailan na buwagin na ang mga ahensiyang may ‘duplicative and overlapping functions’ nais naming buwagin na ang GCG dahil hindi na ito kailangan,” giit ni Herrera-Dy.

Kapag naisabatas ang HB 3014, lahat ng empleyado at opisyal ng GCG ay makakatanggap ng dalawa at kalahating buwang sahod sa kada taon ng serbisyo bilang separation pay.

Panukala ni Herrera-Dy na i-take-over ng Presidential Management Staff sa ilalim ng Office of the President ang tungkulin ng GCG. (WAKAS)

DOE E-Power Mo to Pay Homage to Mindanaoans

(Taguig City). After empowering Luzon and Visayas, the Department of Energy (DOE) will bring the E-Power Mo Campaign to Mindanao on 3 October 2017 at the Grand Regal Hotel, Davao City as part of its continuing effort to invest knowledge and sound information to energy consumers and stakeholders.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said, "The E-Power Mo Mindanao is paying homage to President Duterte’s home town through the empowerment of Mindanaoans. It’s about energy and how people can have better energy options for their daily living.”

“We’ve done this in Luzon and Visayas, and this time we will provide this avenue for Mindanaoans to learn and grasp essential information and energy concepts, such as existing policies, programs and plans,” Sec. Cusi said.

The E-Power Mo Energy Investment Forum and Stakeholders Conference will highlight energy programs, opportunities, development plans and policies, financing and best practices, as well as the energy supply and demand outlook for Mindanao.

Like in the previous E-Power Mo, there are six (6) sectoral breakout sessions:

Breakout Session 1: Downstream Oil and Natural Gas Sector, which will focus on the Philippine National Standards for petroleum, consumer safety and protection protocols in the industry, and the development plans in the emerging natural gas industry.

Breakout Session 2: Upstream Sector, which will include presentations and thorough discussions on the proposed “Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Round” for coal at petroleum resources.

Breakout Session 3: Renewable Energy (RE) Sector, which will include the latest RE development in the sector (i.e., policies and programs), administrative procedures on RE service contracting, and the challenges and way forward.

Breakout Session 4: Power Sector, which will cover Local Government Units’ benefits and participation under the Energy Regulations 1-94 (ER 1-94) as well as the proposed amendments to include Indigenous Peoples in the policy. ER 1-94 entitles host communities of a power generating facility to have a share of P0.01/kWh of electricity sales to be used for projects that will uplift the living conditions within the locality.

Breakout Session 5: Alternative Fuels and Energy Efficiency Sector, which will give an overview of the energy efficiency and alternative fuels and technology programs of the DOE that will highlight the Government Energy Management Program, new and emerging energy technologies.

Breakout Session 6: Consumer Sector, which will mainstream gender and development in the sector, provide understanding on the energy supply chain, energy safety practices and labeling program gender and development in the energy sector, RE as energy of the future, and lastly, make the attendees an energy smart consumer.

The DOE E-Power Mo campaign is in partnership with the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

The campaign has four guiding principles that summarize President Rodrigo Duterte’s energy policy agenda:

1. Develop and utilize the energy resources available to Filipinos for wealth creation and global competition (E-POWER MO);

2. Undertake safety and savings measures through energy efficiency (E-SAFETY MO);

3. Secure the delivery of quality, reliable and affordable energy services (E-SECURE MO); and,

4. Empower consumers through a wide range of options in utilizing conventional, renewable and alternative energy sources. (E-DISKARTE MO).

THE HONORABLE NEIL J. ABAYON
AANGAT TAYO Party-list
Assistant Minority Leader

In view of recent incidents of robbers posing as TNVS passengers

MILLENNIAL SOLON SUGGESTS E-MICROINSURANCE, EMERGENCY ALARMS FOR TNCs, TNVSs

To address emerging safety and security issues affecting Transport Network Companies (TNCs), Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS), and the riding public, I urge the insurance industry, including the microinsurance sector, to develop affordable electronic microinsurance products that TNCs and TNVSs can jointly avail of to provide adequate insurance coverage for their customers and hired drivers in case of accidents and other insurable situations.

E-microinsurance is the solution I see that will address the concerns raised by the TNVS regarding limited shared liability.

E-microinsurance acquired by TNCs and TNVSs to insure passengers can be designed to be specific to each booking, factor in road risks during bad weather, and calibrated for risks during late night trips and travel through high-risk areas or localities.

Carnapping and robbery should be among the insurable situations the e-microinsurance should cover.

As Member of the House Committee on Transportation, I also urge Uber, Grab, and other TNCs to upgrade their booking apps with emergency silent alarms so they can be instantaneously notified of when their passengers and TNVS drivers are in imminent or present threat from robbers, carnappers, molesters or rapists. The TNCs should of course devise some way by which they can alert the police of TNVS units in distress.

The emergency alarms should also be designed for medical emergencies (i.e. heart attacks, stroke, sudden childbirth) that could befall or affect their TNVS drivers and passengers.  (END)

Reference: GMA NEWS ONLINE https://goo.gl/s3PtfU

Manila, October 2, 2017 â€" U.S. Marines and Sailors with the 3d Marine Expeditionary Brigade, together with their Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) counterparts, launch the inaugural exercise KAMANDAG today at multiple locations on the island of Luzon, Philippines.

KAMANDAG, which will run until October 11, is an acronym for the Filipino phrase “Kaagapay Ng Mga Mandirigma Ng Dagat,” or “Cooperation of Warriors of the Sea,” emphasizing the close partnership between the Philippine and United States militaries. KAMANDAG will increase overall U.S. and Philippine readiness, improve bilateral responsiveness to crises in the region, and further reinforce our illustrious decades-long alliance. Leading up to the commencement of KAMANDAG, AFP and U.S. forces completed bilateral humanitarian and civic assistance projects at schools earlier this month in Casiguran, Aurora.

The goal of KAMANDAG is to increase counterterrorism capabilities through bilateral military exchanges between the AFP and U.S. forces focused on enhancing counterterrorism capabilities, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capabilities, and performing humanitarian and civic assistance projects.

Some of the activities that service members will be able to practice together include combat lifesaving, shipboard mass casualty response, live fire training, urban operations, movement ashore, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

PH Strikes Energy Development Initiatives from AMEM35

(Manila, Philippines). Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi announced today (2 October) that the Philippine delegation conducted bilateral talks with China, Japan, Singapore, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the US-ASEAN Business Council on possible cooperation in oil exploration and natural gas industry, as well as renewable energy and emerging technologies.

The talks were an offshoot of the 35th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM35) hosted by the Philippines, according to Secretary Cusi, who said "the Philippines is attuned with the ASEAN’s vision of being the bright spot for energy investments and development in the global arena."

Cusi revealed that the Philippines is presently finalizing policies on natural gas and may have agreements with development partners like China, Japan and Singapore after the publication of the policy which is on 30 October this year "to fully embark on viable LNG cooperation projects."

The DOE is looking at three models on how the country will develop and utilize the natural gas resource: namely, to source indigenous natural gas, like that of Malampaya; to import liquefied natural gas (LNG); and to combine both models. LNG facilities, from the upstream to the downstream shall be established following the Philippine Natural Gas Regulation. Facilities include the integrated LNG import, storage, regasification and receiving terminals, pipelines and related facilities.

Other areas of cooperation are on renewable energies with possible joint ventures with Singapore on waste-to-energy, floating solar photovoltaic and battery technologies; with the IRENA on scaling up geothermal energy and renewable energy mini-grids for rural electrification; and with US-ABC on greening the grid and RE zoning.

Sec. Cusi underscored the streamlining of regulatory procedures in the country following the implementation of the Executive Order 30 (EO No. 30), expediting the processing of energy projects of national significance.

The bilateral talks also touched on initiatives on fuel marking to avoid counterfeiting of petroleum products, benchmarking of commodities for price transparency (i.e., fuel prices), smart grids using advanced digital information communication technology, electric vehicles for lower carbon emissions, the Visayas-Mindanao interconnection project, nuclear energy utilization and the building of power generation facilities, particularly in island provinces.

Cusi stated the DOE requested Japan through its Manila embassy for a non-project grant to assist the rebuilding of Marawi's electrical infrastructures and facilities damaged or destroyed.

Cusi also said that he informed the Chinese delegation on the latest update regarding Service Contract (SC) 57, covering the area offshore Calamian northwest of Palawan.

SC 57 was awarded in 2007 to PNOC Exploration Corp. with pending farm-in agreement with Mitra Energy Ltd., and state-run China National Offshore Oil Co. as endorsed to President Rodrigo Duterte for clearance.

“The Philippine government is committed to ensure necessary assistance to all energy investors from cooperation partners, and uphold to the government commitments for the benefit of both parties, and most importantly, of the Filipino energy consumers," said Cusi.

Cusi concluded by congratulating the DOE personnel for successfully hosting the AMEM35 in Manila last Sept. 25 to 29, which paved the way for more energy cooperation with government counterparts and other development partners.

STATEMENT BY
THE HONORABLE NEIL J. ABAYON
AANGAT TAYO Party-list
Assistant Minority Leader

A CONTRARY VIEW ON REFORMING THE CUSTOMS BUREAU
Create "purgatory agency" to weed out the bad from the good

Though supportive of the recommendation to grant emergency powers to President Duterte to take over the Bureau of Customs, House Assistant Minority Leader Neil Abayon proposes a contrary view to the proposal of the House Committee on Ways and Means to establish two bureaus to replace BOC.

“These are the Bureau of Customs Service which would have the primary task of assessing and collecting import duties and taxes and the Bureau of Security Control, which will exercise police authority at all ports, in charge of customs border control, port security and communication and inspection and monitoring of cargoes.”

Reference: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/628050/house-panel-recommends-emergency-powers-to-duterte-to-take-over-boc/story/

Simply splitting the Bureau of Customs into two new bureaus and absorbing the same personnel, structures, and systems does NOT solve the problem of corruption there. That simplistic solution will just perpetuate the same corruption and give it new life in the two new agencies. In other words, same banana. Actually, two similar bananas.

Corruption will stay there at Customs with the simple two-bureau solution because the bad are mixed in with the good.

We must pervasively transform the Bureau of Customs by weeding out the bad and solve other related problems along the way.

We must separate bad assets and liabilities the same way effective reform measures were done by previous Congresses.

When the National Power Corporation was reformed, Congress created the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corporation. https://www.psalm.gov.ph/   

When Congress reformed the Central Bank of the Philippines, Congress created a Board of Liquidators to dispose of assets and liabilities that burdened the Central Bank.

We need a sort of purgatory agency where we first separate the good from the bad at Customs.

We must limit Customs to policy-making in very much the same way that the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) are now regulating their respective jurisdictions in water and energy.

We must have world-class customs, tariff, and border control systems.

For these, outsourcing from overseas is the solution. What we have here now simply does not work they way we all want it to work. In other words, the Philippines must conduct an international competitive bidding of customs operations, and new agencies to handle tariff and border control. (END)

STATEMENT BY THE
HONORABLE FREDERICK W. SIAO
Lone District of Iligan City
Vice Chair, Committee on Tourism
Member, Committees on Appropriations, Mindanao Affairs,
Youth & Sports Development, and 7 other committees

MINDANAO SOLON CALLS FOR SOLUTIONS TO PERSISTENT ELECTION WOES

[REACTION TO THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE BARANGAY, SK ELECTIONS]


Member of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms and Iligan City Lone District Representative Frederick W. Siao is one of the House authors of the bill postponing the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections to 2018 which was just signed into law by President Duterte as Republic Act 10952.

The postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections gives everyone concerned time to sort out matters, figure out how the elections can be conducted in an orderly, peaceful, accurate, and credible way.

As Member of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, I am of the opinion that the barangay and SK elections should also use the vote counting machines.

Timely and accurate counting of votes cast must also be done at the barangay level, not just for other elections.

I am aware that this will pose technical challenges to the COMELEC because they would have to configure the vote counting machines' processing and memory cards with specificity match with each barangay to which the machines are sent.

What we seek to prevent here are long delays in the vote counting and the political violence and electoral fraud that often come with the long delays.

As many are aware, election violence is prevalent at the barangay and other local elections. Familiarity can breed contempt and contempt can percolate into election-related violence.

We must also consider that the lists of voters we have are still disorderly and voters still experience many problems looking for their names on election day. These problems are entirely preventable and solvable, but the solutions keep eluding us despite the many advances in technology available to us.

Electronic transmission of election results from the precincts has also been a problem that beset previous automated and computerized elections. There are still many precinct locations that are not within the coverage area or where internet or mobile signals are virtually non-existent. This is a problem the telecommunications companies and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) must address in coordination with COMELEC. (END)

Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur ,October 4, 2017â€" The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines’ United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the Department of Education, delivered its first batch of tablet arm chairs to schools in Mindanao, where displaced Marawi students are currently enrolled.

USAID’s Basa Pilipinas provided five schools in the municipality of Saguiaran (Saguiaran Central Elementary School, Bubong Elementary School, Maito Basak Elementary School, Sultan Angin Memorial National High School, and M&S Maito Basak National High School) with nearly 2,000 student tablet arm chairs.  They are among 52 Lanao del Sur public schools that will receive more than 6,500 student tablet arm chairs from the U.S. government.

On September 5, the U.S. government announced its commitment of approximately Php730 million in emergency relief and recovery assistance to support communities affected by the ongoing conflict in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, and the surrounding areas.  The U.S. government continues to coordinate with the Philippine government and humanitarian organizations to deliver critical relief supplies, and will help fortify Marawi’s longer-term stabilization and rehabilitation.

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THE HONORABLE FREDERICK W. SIAO
Lone District of Iligan City
Vice Chair, Committee on Tourism
Member, Committees on Appropriations, Mindanao Affairs,
Youth & Sports Development, and 7 other committees

2018 BRGY at SK ELECTIONS DAPAT GAWING AUTOMATED - SOLON
                       
Matapos lagdaan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang Republic Act 10952, ang batas na nagpapahintulot sa postponement ng Barangay at Sangguniang Kabataan elections, ipinapanukala ng isang mambabatas na gamitin ang vote counting machines sa gaganaping Barangay at SK elections sa ikalawang Lunes ng Mayo 2018.

“Kailangan din naman ng accurate at timely na pagbilang ng boto at paglabas ng resulta ng halalan sa barangay elections so dapat i-consider na rin ang paggamit ng vote counting machines sa darating na barangay at SK elections,” giit ni Rep. Frederick Siao, Kasapi ng House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms.

Sabi ni Siao, mabuti na rin na ipinagpaliban ang halalan sa Barangay at SK para mayroon pang dagdag na panahon para tugunan ang iba't ibang problemang lagi nararanasan ng mga botante at kandidato tuwing panahon ng halalan.

Sa mga nagdaang halalan ng barangay, “manual” ang proseso ng botohan at bilangan ng boto; kahit na “automated na ang halalan sa lokal at pambansa.

“Nauunawaan ko na magiging ‘technically challenging’ na gawing automated ang barangay elections para sa COMELEC dahil kailangan pa nilang i-reconfigure ang vote counting machines' processing and memory cards para sakto sa bawat barangay na padadalhan ng vote counting machine,” ani Siao na isa sa mga may-akda ng House version ng Barangay at SK elections postponement.

Sabi pa ni Siao na dating nagsilbing Konsehal ng Iligan City, “ang pagkaantala sa bilangan ng boto ay nagbubunsod sa political violence at electoral fraud.”

Hanggang ngayon “magulo pa rin ang list of voters dahil marami pa rin ang nahihirapan maghanap ng kanilang mga pangalan.”

“Ang electronic transmission ng election results mula sa mga presinto ay malaking problema pa rin. Maraming presinto ay ‘not within the coverage area’ o nasa lugar na mahina o walang internet o mobile signals. Solusyunan na dapat ito ng telecommunications companies at ng Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) katuwang ang COMELEC para di na ito maging problema pa sa 2018 Barangay at SK elections,” wika ni Siao.

CognizantWipro bags USD100m Munich Re deal

IT outsourcing giant Wipro has sealed a USD100m, five-year outsourcing contract with German reinsurer Munich Re, outbidding major rival TCS. The deal involves infrastructure management services and application development. Further details about the outsourcing contract, however, were not immediately disclosed as both Munich Re and Wipro declined to comment about the deal. Earlier, Wipro and CloudGenix Inc announced partnership to offer open and managed software defined wide area networking products. The service enables a rich user experience and IT infrastructure cost optimisation.

Cebu's leaders to discuss BPO parking space at IT Park

Business process outsourcing (BPO) workers at the IT Park in Cebu City have been complaining about the lack of parking spaces and high parking fees of existing parking areas, and Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is taking action. Osmeña and Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III are set to meet to discuss the plan to open a parking space for BPO employees at the IT Park. The mayor wants to use a provincially-owned lot right across from the park. Osmeña said the city is willing to enter into a possible agreement with the provincial government for the use of the lot. Davide said he will talk with the provincial administrator over the mayor's proposal. Davide and Osmeña said the parking fee should be very affordable for BPO workers.

DB keeps Philippine growth forecast

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has maintained its economic growth forecast for the Philippines for this year and next as it sees no overheating of the economy. In its Asian Development Outlook 2017 Update, the Manila-based ADB retained the growth forecast of 6.5% for 2017 and 6.7% for 2018. It first made the forecast in July. Joven Balbosa, ADB principal specialist for the Philippines, said the lender is not concerned about the country's slide into a current account deficit because it can be mitigated by the continued stream of remittances from Filipinos working abroad and receipts from the business process outsourcing industry. The country's growth momentum is expected to continue through 2018 due partly to the government's strong focus on infrastructure investment.

Philippines showcases game development sector in Canada

A Philippine delegation has participated in the External Development Summit (XDS) in Canada on 4-12 September to showcase the game-development sector of the country. The delegation was composed of officials of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Game Development Association of the Philippines (GDAP). In 2015 the game-development industry generated revenue of USD80.5bn and is expected to reach more than USD100bn by 2022. The delegation participated in business matching mission hoping to attract more customers and outsourcing partners. The Philippines is considered an outsourcing option due to the low cost of labor and the availability of animation and graphic-design platforms.

Recalibration of IT-BPM Roadmap to be decided next year

The Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) will decide next year if it will recalibrate the industry's IT-BPM Roadmap 2022 due to the impact of domestic conflict. IBPAP president and CEO Rey Untal said the rising incidence of security concerns may be factored in during the group's annual reassessment next year. Untal admitted that security concerns are contributing to the headwinds that the industry is dealing with. Untal, however, said the recalibration of the roadmap will only be made depending on the empirical data that will be presented during the meeting next year. The roadmap targets an average yearly growth of 9% from 2016 to 2022 to hit close to USD40bn in six years.

Pilipinas Teleserve provides 24/7 service to PHilHealth members

Pilinas Teleserv Inc, one of the country's leading call centers handling major government accounts, is providing a 24/7 call service to members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). The PhilHealth Call Center, partly operated by Pilipinas Teleserv, allows members to call the 24/7 hotline for questions on membership and other concerns. Delio Aseron II, Hea of PhilHealth's Corporate Action Center, said the partial outsourcing of the center is in response to the numerous questions, suggestions, complaints and recommendations of PhilHealth members and other partners. Currently, Pilipinas Teleserv Inc had deployed 20 call center agents to handle questions. The center receives an average of 2,000 inquiries through the hotline at any given day.

Marawi fighting unnerves many potential BPO investors

Many potential investors have put the brakes on their plans to invest in the country's outsourcing industry due to the prolonged fighting by Filipino militants and government troops in Marawi City. According to the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), the bloody conflict has unnerved many potential investors. IBPAP president Rey Untal said industry leaders have had to assure investors that work would continue with business as usual despite the fighting. He added that there is no outsourcing company in Marawi or in the nearby areas. Approved investment in the IT services sector, which includes the outsourcing industry, dropped 31.1% from a year earlier in Q2, recent government data showed.

Local contact centers ready for new global trends â€" Everest

Everest Group said Philippine-based contact centers are highly capable of riding the changing global trends in outsourcing and can further cement its position as a preferred location for non-voice jobs. However, the global consulting firm stressed that contact centers in the Philippines have to adopt certain skills set and hiring strategies to remain relevant. Everest recommends an upgrade of the skills set of local contact centers' workforces to meet requirements of customer-experience focused businesses. They should also adopt new recruitment and training strategies to ensure that their agents are capable of meeting the updated challenges of operations, Everest added.

Acticall Sitel brings smart contracting capabilities to 146 contact centers

Acticall Sitel is bringing smart contacting capabilities to its more than 146 contact centers across the globe following its partnership with Dial-Once, a telecom, web, and mobile solutions startup. The goal of the partnership is to increase the efficiency of customer interactions and reduce customer effort in non-value-add areas. Dial-Once has worked with Acicall Sitel Group's digital customer experience agency, The Social Client, for 18 months and has become an integral partner to the agency. The new partnership enables Dial-Once to expand the development of its solutions in Europe, North America, and South America.

DICT encourages students to take up science, IT courses

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is encouraging senior high schools students to take science, technology, engineering, and mathematics courses to make them more competitive. DICT Davao Regional Director Leo Ugto said there is a need for the country's ICT industry to level up so that it will not be left behind by other ASEAN countries. Every student, he said, will have to be trained in all ICT endeavors, including business process outsourcing, which covers non-voice, animation, healthcare, cybersecurity, and many other sectors. The DICT has already partnered with the Commission on Higher Education to integrate ICT-related courses into school curricula.

Accenture's outsourcing revenues up 7%

Accenture reported 7% growth in outsourcing revenues to USD16.1bn for the year ending in August 2017. The revenues went up after it posted USD4.22bn outsourcing net revenues in its Q4 financial quarter. Both the consulting and outsourcing businesses reported growth in earnings, with the company seeing record new bookings worth USD10.1bn for the quarter. Accenture's outsourcing division contributes approximately 41% of the company's value. During the quarter, this division continued to outpace the broader outsourcing industry, as net revenues grew by 8% to USD4.22bn. Accenture also reported strong demand for its outsourcing services, with new bookings at USD5bn.

Cebu, Negros remain preferred outsourcing destinations - Neda

The National Economic Development Authority (Neda) 7 said the information technology - business process management (IT-BPM) sector in Central Visayas remains strong, with several companies expanding their presence in the region. In fact, Neda 7 director Efren Carreon, said Cebu and Negros Oriental remain preferred destinations among outsourcing companies despite losing spots in Tholon's list of top outsourcing sites. Cebu’s delisting from Tholon’s top 10 outsourcing destinations was considered as among the major challenges faced by the region in the first half of this year. Other challenges include the Abu Sayyaf conflict in Bohol and the traffic and infrastructure woes.

Infosys head of technology resigns

Navin Budhiraja, senior vice president and head of technology at Infosys, has reportedly tendered his resignation. Budhiraja, who joined Infosys in August 2014, resigned a little over a month after Vishal Sikka stepped down as chief executive of Infosys. He was the 12th former SAP executive to have left Infosys since March 2016. Sources said Budhiraja's exit did not come as a surprise especially after Sikka stepped down. Infosys declined to comment on Budhiraja's exit. Aside from heading the technology division, Budhiraja was also head of the company's education, training, and assessment division.

Cutting red tape key to raising economic performance

Philippine Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said the country's economy could be further propelled if doing business is further eased. Zubiri, who was speaker at the Visayas Area Business Conference, said Senate Bill 1311 or the Expanded Anti-Red Tape Act of 2017 has been approved on third and final reading. When the bill becomes a law, Zubiri was optimistic that the Philippines can overtake its ASEAN neighbors and generate more income from local and foreign businesses. He added that the Visayas region can easily reach a 20% growth if the law is implemented. Last year, the Visayas economy grew 8.47%, driven by continued expansion of the BPO industry, an increase in tourism arrivals, and construction spending.

9th International IT-BPM Summit to discuss threat of AI, automation

The upcoming 9th International IT-BPM Summit this month will dwell on discussions on the looming threat of artificial intelligence and automation. IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) President Rey Untal confirmed that the association has decided to elevate the discussion on artificial intelligence, automation, and robotics during the summit. Experts from around the world are flying in to discuss the impact of technology and the future of the industry in great deal, Untal said. He added that while automation is considered as threat, it also enables the IT-BPM industry to move up the value chain.

TCS likely to contest USD420m fine in IP theft case

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) said a US court has issued an order that more than halved the USD940m jury award granted to EPIC Systems, which had accused the Indian IT company of stealing its trade secrets. The Western District Court of Wisconsin issued an order reducing the USD940m awarded to the US healthcare software firm to USD420m.Still, the Mumbai-headquartered IT major said it has received legal advice that the order, and the reduced damages awarded, are not supported by evidence presented during the trial, and a strong appeal can be made to a superior court to fully set aside the jury verdict.

Philippine call center operator to expand in Samoa

ADEC Innovation, one of the largest call center operators in the Philippines, is planning to set up a call center in Samoa. The plan is to start a call center with 50 to 100 seats in the initial stages, says Samoan Minister of Communications and Information Technology Afamasaga Rico Tupai. ADEC CEO James M. Donovan made the commitment during the Pacific Island Forum leaders meeting in Apia. Donovan said the call center will be set up once the Tui Samoa Cable is operational at the end of the year. Donovan said he will return to Samoa in November to continue negotiations with government officials concerned.

BPO job losses due to AI not happening â€" Sitel

Sitel Asia-Pacific CEO Craig Reines does not believe that the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) will cause job losses in business process outsourcing (BPO). While mechanical tasks will be automated, Reines said call center agents will be retooled to provide the human touch that the Philippine outsourcing industry is known for. The rise of AI is turning employees into hybrid digital and live interaction agents, Reines told ANC's Early Edition. AI is very boring and does not provide that wow that the customer wants to experience, he added. Contact Center Association of the Philippines president Jojo Uligan said BPO employees will be retrained and then move up to a more complex type of work.

Qualfon seeks 150 agents in Cebu for immediate work

Global business process outsourcing (BPO) firm Qualfon is looking to hire 150 call center agents for immediate deployment at its facility in Cebu City. In a job posting, Qualfon Philippines said applicants must be at least high school graduates, internet savvy, and must be fluent in English, among other requirements. The firm added that applicants should also be flexible with schedules, meaning they are willing to work on shift schedules including the night shift. Qualfon highlighted that the positions are for immediate hiring and will be full time. The company has more than 5,000 employees in the Philippines.

BPO growth slowing down â€" IBPAP

The business process outsourcing (BPO) sector is slowing down leading to 2022 as a result of strong expansion in previous years, the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) said. IBPAP president and CEO Rey Untal said the industry is forecast to grow 9% until 2022, lower than the annual growth rate of 17% in the past six years. Untal said the 8% to 9% projected growth is still higher compared to global industry growth of 5.7%. He also noted the BPO sector is unfazed by threats of protectionism that could keep companies from outsourcing jobs overseas. In terms of its contribution to the global industry, Untal said the Philippines will accordingly increase its share of the market from 12% at present to about 15% by 2022.

A Meeting in Copenhagen
By Yevgeny Yevtushenko

We are sitting at an airport
in Copenhagen drinking a lot of coffee.
It was most elegant there, and comfortable,
and refined to the point of lassitude.
Then suddenly he appeared- that old man-
in a plain green parka with a hood,
his face deep tanned by salt and wind-
loomed up rather than appeared.
He walked, furrowing through a crowd of tourists,
as if he’d just been sailing a boat,
and like the sea foam his beard,
whitening it, fringed his face.
With grim victorious determination
he walked, generating a big wave,
that swept through the modernized antique,
through every sort of antiqued modernity.
And pulling open the coarse collar of his shirt,
he, rejecting a vermouth and a pernod,
ordered a glass of Russian vodka at the bar
and pushed back the tonic with his hand: 'No! '
With rough-hewn hands, all scarred and dented,
in boots that made a mighty clatter,
in trousers indescribably stained and greasy,
he looked more spruce
than anything nearby.
The earth seemed to bend beneath him-
so heavily did he tread upon it.
And one of us said to me with a smile:
'Just look! The very spit of Hemingway! '
Expressed in each brief gesture, he strode off
with a fisherman’s ponderous gait,
all out of granite crudely hewn,
strode as men stride through gunfire,
through the ages,
He strode as if stooping in a trench;
strode shoving chairs and men aside...
He resembled
Hemingway so much!
Later I learned
it was, indeed, Hemingway!


Translated by George Reavey


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A Message to America by Alan Seeger

You have the grit and the guts, I know;
You are ready to answer blow for blow
You are virile, combative, stubborn, hard,
But your honor ends with your own back-yard;
Each man intent on his private goal,
You have no feeling for the whole;
What singly none would tolerate
You let unpunished hit the state,
Unmindful that each man must share
The stain he lets his country wear,
And (what no traveller ignores)
That her good name is often yours.


You are proud in the pride that feels its might;
From your imaginary height
Men of another race or hue
Are men of a lesser breed to you:
The neighbor at your southern gate
You treat with the scorn that has bred his hate.
To lend a spice to your disrespect
You call him the "greaser". But reflect!
The greaser has spat on you more than once;
He has handed you multiple affronts;
He has robbed you, banished you, burned and killed;
He has gone untrounced for the blood he spilled;
He has jeering used for his bootblack's rag
The stars and stripes of the gringo's flag;
And you, in the depths of your easy-chair --
What did you do, what did you care?
Did you find the season too cold and damp
To change the counter for the camp?
Were you frightened by fevers in Mexico?
I can't imagine, but this I know --
You are impassioned vastly more
By the news of the daily baseball score
Than to hear that a dozen countrymen
Have perished somewhere in Darien,
That greasers have taken their innocent lives
And robbed their holdings and raped their wives.


Not by rough tongues and ready fists
Can you hope to jilt in the modern lists.
The armies of a littler folk
Shall pass you under the victor's yoke,
Sobeit a nation that trains her sons
To ride their horses and point their guns --
Sobeit a people that comprehends
The limit where private pleasure ends
And where their public dues begin,
A people made strong by discipline
Who are willing to give -- what you've no mind to --
And understand -- what you are blind to --
The things that the individual
Must sacrifice for the good of all.


You have a leader who knows -- the man
Most fit to be called American,
A prophet that once in generations
Is given to point to erring nations
Brighter ideals toward which to press
And lead them out of the wilderness.
Will you turn your back on him once again?
Will you give the tiller once more to men
Who have made your country the laughing-stock
For the older peoples to scorn and mock,
Who would make you servile, despised, and weak,
A country that turns the other cheek,
Who care not how bravely your flag may float,
Who answer an insult with a note,
Whose way is the easy way in all,
And, seeing that polished arms appal
Their marrow of milk-fed pacifist,
Would tell you menace does not exist?
Are these, in the world's great parliament,
The men you would choose to represent
Your honor, your manhood, and your pride,
And the virtues your fathers dignified?
Oh, bury them deeper than the sea
In universal obloquy;
Forget the ground where they lie, or write
For epitaph: "Too proud to fight."


I have been too long from my country's shores
To reckon what state of mind is yours,
But as for myself I know right well
I would go through fire and shot and shell
And face new perils and make my bed
In new privations, if ROOSEVELT led;
But I have given my heart and hand
To serve, in serving another land,
Ideals kept bright that with you are dim;
Here men can thrill to their country's hymn,
For the passion that wells in the Marseillaise
Is the same that fires the French these days,
And, when the flag that they love goes by,
With swelling bosom and moistened eye
They can look, for they know that it floats there still
By the might of their hands and the strength of their will,
And through perils countless and trials unknown
Its honor each man has made his own.
They wanted the war no more than you,
But they saw how the certain menace grew,
And they gave two years of their youth or three
The more to insure their liberty
When the wrath of rifles and pennoned spears
Should roll like a flood on their wrecked frontiers.
They wanted the war no more than you,
But when the dreadful summons blew
And the time to settle the quarrel came
They sprang to their guns, each man was game;
And mark if they fight not to the last
For their hearths, their altars, and their past:
Yea, fight till their veins have been bled dry
For love of the country that WILL not die.


O friends, in your fortunate present ease
(Yet faced by the self-same facts as these),
If you would see how a race can soar
That has no love, but no fear, of war,
How each can turn from his private role
That all may act as a perfect whole,
How men can live up to the place they claim
And a nation, jealous of its good name,
Be true to its proud inheritance,
Oh, look over here and learn from FRANCE!

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A Dedication by Adam Lindsay Gordon

They are rhymes rudely strung with intent less
Of sound than of words,
In lands where bright blossoms are scentless,
And songless bright birds;
Where, with fire and fierce drought on her tresses,
Insatiable Summer oppresses
Sere woodlands and sad wildernesses,
And faint flocks and herds.
Where in drieariest days, when all dews end,
And all winds are warm,
Wild Winter's large floodgates are loosen'd,
And floods, freed by storm;
From broken-up fountain heads, dash on
Dry deserts with long pent up passion--
Here rhyme was first framed without fashion,
Song shaped without form.
Whence gather'd?--The locust's glad chirrup
May furnish a stave;
The ring os rowel and stirrup,
The wash of a wave.
The chauntof a marsh frog in rushes
That chimes through the pauses and hushes
Of nightfall, the torrent that gushes,
The tempests that rave.
In the deep'ning of dawn, when it dapples
The dusk of the sky,
With streaks like the redd'ning of apples,
The ripening of rye.
To eastward, when cluster by cluster,
Dim stars and dull planets, that muster,
Wax wan in a world of white lustre
That spreads far and high.
In the gathering of night gloom o'er head, in
The still silent change,
All fire-flush'd when forest trees redden
On slopes of the range.
When the gnarl'd knotted trunks Eucalyptian
Seemed carved like weird columns Egyptian
With curious device--quaint inscription,
And heiroglyph strange.
In the Spring, when the wattle gold trembles
'Twixt shadow and shine,
When each dew-laden air draught resembles
A long draught of wine;
When the skyline's blue burnished resistance
Makes deeper the dreamiest distance,
Some song in all hearts hath existence,--
Such songs have been mine.

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Manila, October 4, 2017 â€" The U.S. Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Program, together with the Strategic Trade Management Office (STMO) within the Department of Trade and Industry, recently conducted a tabletop exercise on the Philippine Strategic Trade Management Licensing Process.

Experts from the U.S. Department of Energy took the lead in designing and facilitating the exercise included participants from 17 relevant government agencies.

The tabletop exercise was designed to help the STMO test their proposed licensing procedure in preparation for the full implementation of Republic Act 10697, otherwise known as the Philippine Strategic Trade Management Act (STMA).  The STMA is designed to manage the trade of strategic goods and help prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The EXBS Program is designed to help countries develop and improve their strategic trade and border control systems. - PR

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STATEMENT BY HONORABLE RON P. SALO
KABAYAN Party-list Assistant Majority Leader

OCTOBER 5 IS NATIONAL TEACHERS’ DAY (RA 10743)

PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS ALSO DESERVE A PAY HIKE NOW LIKE COPS & SOLDIERS

Noting that Malacanang endorsed last September 20, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) draft asking Congress to authorize, via joint resolution, the increase in the pay of military and uniformed personnel (http://www.dbm.gov.ph/?page_id=21932), I now take the cudgels for public school teachers and other DepEd personnel, who also deserve a pay hike now.

In House Bill 3698, I proposed that the lowest salary grade of public school teachers be raised from Salary Grade 11 (P19,620 per month) to Salary Grade 15 (P27,565 per month) and that adjustments for salary levels for all corresponding plantilla positions be made over the course of five years. http://www.congress.gov.ph/legisdocs/basic_17/HB03698.pdf 

If the pay of soldiers, police, and other uniformed personnel will be raised, then the pay of public school teachers should also be raised now.

As the prime instruments in honing the young minds, public school teachers are considered to be the heart of the educational system. However, they receive a basic salary that is not commensurate to the value of their roles in Philippine society and the amount of work they do.

An income of P19,620 basic pay per month is inadequate to help them sustain their needs and that of their families, especially considering the rising cost of living. No wonder, many public school teachers and DepEd personnel are saddled with salary loans. Banks and other lending institutions even have loan programs designed for them or with them in mind.

I note that in the proposed 2018 national budget, the Duterte administration raised to P6,000.00 from P4,000.00 the net take-home pay (NTHP) limit that authorized salary deductions in government personnel salaries cannot violate or cross. This NTHP limit is provided in Section 46 of the proposed GAA general provisions. https://goo.gl/CnNdRJ

As we celebrate the National and World Teachers’ Day on October 5, I urge my colleagues in Congress to urgently tackle House Bill 3698 so that it can be enacted soon.

The salary of public school teachers must be raised now in order to attract the brightest graduates of best colleges and universities to teach in our public schools. Many of them seek better opportunities abroad. Those currently teaching lack the motivation to pursue further education and improve their skills.

An increase in the salary of teachers is a fitting tribute to them in our celebration of National Teacher’s Day. For indeed, other than accolades and praises, our teachers need a more concrete evidence of our gratefulness to them for their contributions to our society - higher salaries to make them capable of a more dignified existence.

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Davao E-Power Mo Speech of Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi
3 October 2017, Davao City
====================================

To our energy partners and stakeholdersâ€" investors, fellow public servants, energy consumersâ€"maayong buntag sa atong tanan!

Today we witness a paradigm shift in the approach to energy development and energy utilization.

The "E-Power Mo” is the Department of Energy’s campaign to empower and educate consumers of their options for a wiser and more intelligent utilization of energy resources.

To better explain energy to the consumers, we have developed energy tag lines to simplify the programs for the Filipino consumer.

To enable ourselves to globally compete and to create wealth for the Filipino, we need to develop indigenous energy resources to support our economic activities. Hence, we coined the over-arching term: E-POWER MO!

To utilize energy, safety and efficient practices are essential. Safety will prevent accidents and efficiency will result in more savings. Hence, we have: E-SAFETY MO!

To ensure quality, reliable, resilient and affordable supply of energy services, the energy family needs to secure the planning, development and operations aspects in the energy sector in close coordination with the consumers. Hence, we have: E-SECURE MO!

And lastly, to enhance the consumers' power of choice that ranges from the conventional sources to the renewable and other emerging technologies and systems we have: E-DISKARTE MO!
Under the Duterte Administration, real changes will be implemented to heed to the call for government to accelerate poverty reduction, speed up infrastructure projects, create more employment opportunities and improve government services in order to ensure that economic growth is actually felt by all Filipinos.

That is why this government is working on a vision to transform our country to an upper middle-income economy by 2022. 

We call this as the “golden age of infrastructure”. This is Dutertenomics.

To realize this goal to increase our capability to compete in the global economy, the National Economic Development Authority or NEDA launched the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 to serve as the blueprint of the country’s economic growth and to help achieve “Ambisyon 2040”.

In line with this, the DOE is working on several initiatives to ensure affordable, reliable, modern and sustainable energy. 

We will pursue fuel- and technology-neutrality, balancing environmental concerns and socio-economic growth through a competitive selection process to ensure reasonably priced energy. 

This will be coupled with the three-pronged approach driven by three I's -Incentives, Investments and Innovation. 

Under the three I's approach, government would provide the necessary support for players who want to invest in new technologies that not only increase reliability, but also reduce emissions. 

We have on hand the Philippine Energy Plan 2017-2040 and its comprehensive sectoral roadmaps to guide us in our long-term planning on energy.  These provide relevant information that would guide energy investors in formulating business plans and strategies.

We have good news for energy investors. As part of the government's support for the energy sector, President Duterte recently signed Executive Order No. 30 “Creating the Energy Investment Coordinating Council (EICC) to Streamline Regulatory Procedures Affecting Energy Projects”.             

This Council, led by the DOE, will coordinate the efforts of various agencies to fast-track the implementation of major energy projects.

These projects will be endorsed by the DOE as “Energy Projects of National Significance” if they are in accordance with the Philippine Energy Plan. 

The EO instructs government agencies to act on applications of energy projects within 30 days upon the complete submission of requirements. 

Another significant provision of the EO is the Presumption of Prior Approvals that gives the processing agency the power to act on the project application with the presumption that relevant permits from other concerned government agencies have already been issued.

With the EO in place, we can expect faster delivery of basic energy services, while encouraging additional investments in the economy that would lead to increased employment opportunities for Filipinos. 

In addition, the DOE in collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Board is finalizing the Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). 

The RPS is a policy mechanism under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 that requires electric power industry participants, particularly the distribution utilities, to source or produce a specified fraction of their power supply from eligible renewable energy resources. 

We are also pursuing the implementation of Green Energy Option which gives the end-users the option to source their energy requirements from either through your respective distribution utility, or directly with ERC-licensed Retail Electricity Suppliers for contestable customers, and through purchase of RE Certificates from the Renewable Energy Market (REM) or its equivalent until the REM is operational.

We are also glad to share with you that the first Filipino-owned solar panel facility in Batangas was recently inaugurated.  This indicates the government's direction in developing the local renewable energy (RE) industry for the benefit of consumers and the economy.

The Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries to natural calamities. We experience an average of 20 typhoons per year, flash floods, storm surges, earthquakes and landslides. 

With this reality, DOE is constantly assessing the negative impact of these disasters on the country’s energy systems to provide the necessary tools and technologies to enhance our resiliency planning and implementation.

In this respect, we encourage the installation of rooftop solar PV system in households to ensure the continuous supply of electricity in areas often hit by calamities.

The DOE is currently pushing another policy initiative to develop a disaster-resilient Philippines.

This is called “Adoption of Resiliency Planning and Program in the Energy Industry to Mitigate Adverse Effects Brought About by Disasters”.

Major principles considered under this policy include the strengthening of existing infrastructures, implementation of the “build-back better” principle in reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructures, improvement of operational, maintenance standards and practices, as well as resiliency standards for new energy facilities.

Specifically, the policy will institutionalize the Energy Sector Resiliency Compliance Program, which provides engineering and non-engineering measures to ensure infrastructure and human resource disaster preparedness.

The DOE will also conduct a series of public consultations nationwide to finalize and put this policy into action.

We will pursue the implementation of the Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program to encourage the entry of more investors in the upstream petroleum and coal areas.

The program aims to fast-track the exploration process by encouraging local and foreign companies to submit proposals which will undergo a competitive selection process.

These are DOE’s major initiatives which I would like to highlight.  These are aligned to the ASEAN Member States' vision to pursue a “One ASEAN Community Through Resilient and Sustainable Energy.”  We had a thorough discussion with my ASEAN counterparts last week during the 35th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting and Associated Meetings (AMEM35) which we hosted in Manila.

In a nutshell, let me mention that we have threshed out the seven agenda of the ASEAN: (1) Clean Coal Technology; (2) Civilian Nuclear Energy focusing on its safe and efficient development; (3) Regional Energy Policy and Planning; (4) Renewable Energy; (5) Energy Efficiency and Conservation; (6) Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline (TAGP) and (7) ASEAN Power Grid, all of which are geared towards ensuring regional energy security, sustainability and resiliency.

We have a gigantic task ahead of us to make the Philippines globally competitive which also requires substantial infusion of investments.   

We urge our partners in the private sector to actively participate in our country’s energy development to fuel the dreams and aspiration of our next generation.

At this point, I would like to acknowledge the continued support of our partners from the Presidential Communications Operations Office, Philippine Information Agency, USAID B-LEADERS and the organizers of this event led by Undersecretary Wimpy Fuentebella and his team.

Thank you also to our resource persons and the participants from the national and local government, private sector partners, banking sector, financing institutions, academe and consumers who joined us today.

Daghang salamat and E-Power Mo!

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Press Release
UMENTO SA SAHOD NG PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS, INIHIRIT

Halagang P27,565 kada buwan ang magiging pinakamababang sahod ng public school teachers sa buong Pilipinas kapag naisabatas ang House Bill 3698 ni KABAYAN Party-list Congressman Ron P. Salo.

Sa kasalukuyan, ang pinakamababang sahod na tinatanggap ng mga pampublikong guro ay P19,620 kada buwan o Salary Grade 11 lamang. Nais itong iakyat sa Salary Grade 15 ni Salo.

Nito lang Setyembre inendorso na ng Malacanang ang draft ng Department of Budget and Management (DBM) na humihiling sa Kongreso na taasan ang sweldo ng mga sundalo at pulis.

“Kung sa tingin ng DBM ay kayang bigyan ng umento sa sahod ang pulis at militar, tingin ko dapat bigyan na din ng umento sa sahod ang lahat ng mga guro sa Pilipinas. Edukasyon ang una ayon sa 1987 Constitution,” giit ni Salo, isang law professor at kasapi din ng House Committee on Appropriations.

Kung mapipirmahan ng Senado at Kamara ang joint resolution na inihahain ng DBM, madodoble ang buwanang sahod ng isang Police Officer 1 (PO1) mula P14,834 tungo sa P29,668.

Kapag naaprubahan ng Kongreso ang resolusyon, tataas din ang sahod ng mga may kaparehas na ranggo sa Department of National Defense (DND), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), at the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA).

Bilang Assistant Majority Leader, hiniling ni Salo sa mga kasamahan sa Kamara na paspasan na ang pagtalakay sa kanyang House Bill 3698 para maging batas na ito bago pa sumapit ang sususnod na school year.

“Ang umento sa sahod para sa ating mga pampublikong guro ang pinakamabuti nating maiaalay sa kanila sa pagdiriwang ng National Teachers’ Day. Ang dagdag na sahod ay magkakaloob sa kanila ng pagkakataon para sa mas disenteng pamumuhay at dagdag na motibasyon para pagbutihin pa ang paghubog sa kaispan ng ating mga kabataan,” wika ni Salo.

Tuwing October 5, ipinagdiriwang sa Pilipinas ang National Teachers’ Day sa bisa ng Republic Act 10743.

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Cusi to Energy Investors: Let Us Fuel the Mindanao Economy
Press Release from the DOE

ENERGY PLANS: DOE Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella presents the government's energy plans to participants in the Energy Investment Forum and Stakeholders Conference in Davao City on Tuesday, 3 October 2017, as part of the agency's E-Power Mo Mindanao campaign.

(Davao City). Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi called on the private sector to support the government's energy program through investments.

“We urge our partners in the private sector to actively participate in our country’s energy development to fuel the dreams and aspiration of Mindanao,” Cusi said in a message delivered by DOE Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella during the agency's E-Power Mo Mindanao campaign in Davao City on Tuesday, 3 October.

“We have a gigantic task ahead of us to make the Philippines globally competitive which requires the substantial infusion of investments," said Cusi in his message.

Cusi reiterated that the DOE pursues a fuel- and technology-neutral policy while balancing environmental concerns.

"The DOE will push socio-economic growth through a competitive selection process to ensure reasonably-priced energy."

:The DOE also follows a three-pronged approach driven by three I's--Incentives, Investments and Innovation," he said.

“Under the three I's approach, the government will provide the necessary support for players who want to invest in new technologies that not only increases reliability, but also reduces emissions,” Cusi clarified.

"Supporting the approach," he said, "is Executive Order No. 30 creating the Energy Investment Coordinating Council (EICC) to streamline regulatory procedures affecting energy projects of national significance."

Around 600 individuals coming from the academe; energy associations, companies involved in power, renewable energy, coal, petroleum, natural gas, alternative vehicles and energy efficiency industries as well as partners from national government agencies attended the E-Power Mo Mindanao Leg.

Furthermore, the DOE also reported on the major initiatives agreed upon during the 35th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting and Associated Meetings (AMEM35) hosted by the country concluding that we now have more partners for energy development.

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Pagpapa-rehistro para sa A&E Test 2016, simula na!

Press Release - PASIG CITY, Oktubre 3, 2017 â€" Bilang paghahanda sa nalalapit na Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Test para sa taong 2016, binuksan ng Department of Education (DepEd) ang pagpapa-rehistro para sa mga nagnanais kumuha ng naturang pagsusulit.

Simula Oktubre 2 hanggang 25, bukas na sa mga kwalipikadong aplikante ang registration centers kung saan sila ay dapat magpatala bago payagang makakuha ng A&E Test. Ang mga registration center ay mga Schools Division Office o District Office na itinalaga ng mga Schools Division Superintendent (SDS). Dito ay may Registration Committee na tutulong sa mga aplikante na kumpletihun ang kanilang mga registration form at susuri sa mga kailangang dokumento.

Maaaring magpa-rehistro para sa A&E Test Elementary Level ang mga aplikanteng hindi bababa ang edad sa 12-taong gulang, samantalang ang mga nais kumuha ng A&E Test Junior High School Level ay dapat hindi bababa ang edad sa 16-taong gulang.

Para mag-rehistro, humingi ng registration form sa registration center at magdala ng mga sumusunod na dokumento:

1.    Orihinal AT kopya ng Certification of ALS Program Completion na ibinigay ng Learning Facilitator (para lang sa mga mag-aaral ng ALS)
2.    Orihinal AT kopya ng birth certificate (makukuha sa Philippine Statistics Authority [PSA] na dating National Statistics Office)
3.    Kung walang birth certificate mula sa PSA, maaaring ipasa ang isa sa mga sumusunod:
i.              Baptismal certificate
ii.            Voter’s ID (may larawan at lagda)
iii.           Valid passport
iv.           Valid driver’s license
v.            Anumang legal na dokumentong nagsasaad ng pangalan, larawan, at pirma ng magpapa-rehistro (halimbawa: NBI clearance, barangay certificate, certification na mula sa barangay chairman o learning facilitator)
4.    Dalawang (2) kopya ng magkaparehong 1x1 ID picture (puting background at may name tag)

Siguraduhing kumpleto ang form at ang mga ipinasang dokumento para iwas aberya. Dapat ay ang mismong aplikante ang magkukumpleto ng form at magpapasa nito sa Registration Committee.

Pinapaalala rin ng DepEd na walang anumang dapat bayaran sa pagpapa-rehistro man o sa pagkuha ng eksam at certificate of rating. Bukas din ang mga registration center kahit Sabado at Linggo upang tumanggap ng mga aplikante. Para sa karagadagang tanong o paglilinaw, maaaring makipag-ugnayan sa inyong mga SDO o DO, o kaya’y tumawag sa DepEd-Bureau of Education Assessment (BEA) sa mga numerong (02) 631-2588, (02) 631-2589 at (02) 631-2571.

Good News. Lazada is on sale. Just follow this link: http://ho.lazada.com.ph/SHLYWy

"Pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved." - Song of Solomon 7:13

The spouse desires to give to Jesus all that she produces. Our heart has "all manner of pleasant fruits," both "old and new," and they are laid up for our Beloved. At this rich autumnal season of fruit, let us survey our stores. We have new fruits. We desire to feel new life, new joy, new gratitude; we wish to make new resolves and carry them out by new labours; our heart blossoms with new prayers, and our soul is pledging herself to new efforts. But we have some old fruits too. There is our first love: a choice fruit that! and Jesus delights in it. There is our first faith: that simple faith by which, having nothing, we became possessors of all things. There is our joy when first we knew the Lord: let us revive it. We have our old remembrances of the promises. How faithful has God been! In sickness, how softly did He make our bed! In deep waters, how placidly did He buoy us up! In the flaming furnace, how graciously did He deliver us. Old fruits, indeed! We have many of them, for His mercies have been more than the hairs of our head. Old sins we must regret, but then we have had repentances which He has given us, by which we have wept our way to the cross, and learned the merit of His blood. We have fruits, this morning, both new and old; but here is the point--they are all laid up for Jesus. Truly, those are the best and most acceptable services in which Jesus is the solitary aim of the soul, and His glory, without any admixture whatever, the end of all our efforts. Let our many fruits be laid up only for our Beloved; let us display them when He is with us, and not hold them up before the gaze of men. Jesus, we will turn the key in our garden door, and none shall enter to rob Thee of one good fruit from the soil which Thou hast watered with Thy bloody sweat. Our all shall be Thine, Thine only, O Jesus, our Beloved!

Good News. Lazada is on sale. Just follow this link: http://ho.lazada.com.ph/SHLYWy

Reuters - A retiree armed with multiple assault rifles strafed an outdoor country music festival in Las Vegas from a high-rise hotel window on Sunday, slaughtering at least 59 people before killing himself in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

The barrage of gunfire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel into a crowd of 22,000 people came in extended bursts that lasted several minutes, as throngs of terrified music fans cowered desperately on the open ground, hemmed in by fellow concert-goers, while others at the edge tried to flee.

More than 525 people were injured - some by gunfire or shrapnel, some trampled - in the pandemonium adjacent to the Las Vegas Strip as police scrambled to locate the assailant.

Police identified the gunman as Stephen Paddock, 64, who lived in a retirement community in Mesquite, Nevada. Authorities said they believed he acted alone, although his motive was unknown.

The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the massacre, but U.S. officials said there was no evidence to support the claim.

At least a dozen people were in critical condition at University Medical Center in Las Vegas, where the most seriously injured victims were taken, a spokeswoman said.

The preliminary death toll, which officials said could rise, surpassed last year's record massacre of 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, by a gunman who pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

Good News. Lazada is on sale. Just follow this link: http://ho.lazada.com.ph/SHLYWy

Ombudsman suspends Visayas local execs
15 September 2017

            The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the suspension of Mayor Susan Yap-Ang of San Isidro, Leyte and Vice-Mayor Santiago Maravillas of Escalante City, Negros Occidental. Both local officials were found guilty of Oppression and were ordered suspended without pay.
         In two separate Decisions, Yap-Ang was suspended without pay for six months while Maravillas was suspended for nine months.  In case of separation from the service, the penalty is convertible to a fine equivalent to respondent’s six months’ salary.
            The suspension order against Ang stemmed from her refusal to let complainant Ramonsito Viola, a member of the Sangguniang Barangay, attend the training on solid waste management in Cebu City last 03-05 December 2015.  According to Viola, “he was allegedly discriminated due to his party affiliation and was not included in the pre-payment of travelling expenses unlike his [other] colleagues.”  Records disclosed that during the barangay’s session on 13 December 2015, “it surfaced that respondent Yap-Ang ordered all barangay captains not to include in the travel order all barangay kagawads who are not politically affiliated with her.”
           According to the Ombudsman, “respondent’s act, that is, discriminating against complainant and not allowing him to attend the training without any reason while allowing other barangay kagawads to attend the same, constitutes an abuse of their authority amounting to Oppression.”

            In the case of Maravillas, then Acting Mayor of Escalante City, he was found to have illegally terminated the services of complainant Angel Sinadjan on 06 January 2016. Records showed that Sinadjan occupied the position of Livestock Inspector II, a permanent position in the City Veterinarian’s office.
            According to complainant, “respondent’s act of terminating his services and of the more than 70 employees without affording them due process is evident of respondent’s ill-motive.”

           In its Decision, the Ombudsman stated that “respondent’s act of terminating the services of complainant without cause and due process is a clear display of excessive use of authority.  The act of summarily dismissing complainant violates Section 36 (a), Article IX of Presidential Decree No. 807 (Civil Service Decree of the Philippines and the Administrative Code of 1987.”
         Oppression is defined as a misdemeanor committed by a public officer, who under color of his office, wrongfully inflicts upon any person any bodily harm, imprisonment or other injury. It is an act of cruelty, severity, or excessive use of authority. - Press Release

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THE HONORABLE SALVADOR B. BELARO, JR.
1-Ang Edukasyon Party-list
Assistant Majority Leader
House of Representatives

EDUCATION SOLON ASKS DEPED CHIEF TO SUBMIT SPECIFIC PROPOSALS VS HINDRANCES TO EFFECTIVE SPENDING

Considering that several bills seeking to amend the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184) are still pending at committee level, the House Appropriations Committee can still consider the request of Education Secretary Leonor M. Briones for an amendment that allows negotiated procurement after only one failed bidding.

However, to prevent abuse or machinations to cause a failed bidding, there must be safeguards and limitations.

I therefore ask Secretary Briones to present the DepEd position and proposed specific language on the safeguards and limitations that can be applied.

The Education Secretary has also called for changes to the Book Publishing Industry Development Act (RA 8047) and Guidance and Counselling Act of 2004 (RA 9258).

Noting that RA 8047 was enacted before the DECS was split into the DepEd, TESDA, and CHED, it is necessary for Congress to seek the inputs of all three key education agencies, including their proposed specific language for provisions they seek changes to.

It has been 22 years since RA 8047 became law and that is enough time for new situations and future challenges to have emerged. The education agencies might as well propose amendments that will address present-day concerns and future problems.

On RA 9258, Congress will also need DepEd and CHED inputs on the appropriate substitute to the masteral degree qualification for school guidance counselors. Would at least three years of hands-on work experience be enough or perhaps five years? Do CHED and DepEd have other qualifications to add to the minimum years of work experience requirement?

Congress is open to working on the requests of Secretary Briones, who enjoys wide, multipartisan support in the House of Representatives. (END)

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24 LGUs cited for improving delivery of basic education
By Aerol John Pateña  September 30, 2017, 9:21 pm Share

MANILA -- Some 24 cities and municipalities were recognized for their efforts in improving the delivery of basic education to their constituents.

The 24 local government units (LGUs) are: Alimodan, Iloilo; Argao, Cebu; Bacnotan, La Union; Balamban, Cebu; Bongao, Tawi-Tawi; Cabatuan, Iloilo; Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental; Concepcion, Iloilo; Dalaguete, Cebu; Dao, Capiz; Datu Paglas, Maguindanao; Diadi, Nueva Vizcaya; Diffun, Quirino; Ivisan, Capiz; Lambunao, Iloilo; Miagao, Iloilo; Mina, Iloilo; North Upi, Maguindanao; Santol, La Union; Simunul, Tawi-Tawi; Solano, Nueva Vizcaya; Valenzuela, Metro Manila; Villaverde, Nueva Vizcaya and Tuba, Benguet.

The LGUs were the inaugural batch of recipients of the Seal of Good Education Governance from Synergeia Foundation given in an awarding ceremony Friday held during the National Education Summit at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).

PLDT and Smart Communications provided the seal recipients technology packages worth PHP 1.5 million that will address the information and communications technology (ICT) requirements of the LGUs to further improve education in their localities.

Among the incentives are the installation and maintenance of Wi-Fi hotspots in public areas, and the provision of InfoCast, a web-based solution that will allow the LGUs to broadcast announcements and receive feedback via text message.

LGUs in remote areas will also receive a satellite-based communication solution that provides voice and SMS messages; Smart School in a Bag which contains a solar panel to serve schools without electricity, mobile devices, curriculum-based educational content, teacher training, monitoring, and evaluation; and trainings for personal development.

“We strongly support Synergeia’s efforts to encourage local governments to efficiently and effectively deliver basic education to Filipino children. Through the technology tools and digital educational content included in the incentive packages, these LGUs can further enhance learning among their young constituents,” PLDT and Smart Chief Revenue Officer Eric Alberto said in a statement.

“The PLDT Group will continue to work hand-in-hand with organizations like Synergeia and local governments to achieve our goal of building a smart nation,” he added.

The awardees were selected through a panel of judges composed of representatives from Synergia and the Department of Education (DepEd).

To receive the seal, LGUs must have broadened the membership and functions of their local school board and most of their schools should have functional school governing councils.

As an indicator of performance, the average National Achievement Test score of elementary school children must be higher than the national average of 66 percent or must have increased by at least two percentage points.  The LGUs must also have reduced the number of poor readers by at least 15 percent.

Moreover, their cohort survival rate -- the percentage of first graders who go on to complete sixth grade-- must be higher than the national average of 70 percent or must have increased by at least two percentage points.

LGUs should likewise have recorded a decrease in non-readers and frustrated readers by at least 15 percentage points.

“We put together an education governance scorecard to focus on the results of their work. While anecdotes and feel-good stories about education initiatives are helpful, the scorecard enables us to objectively evaluate the performance of LGUs,” according Synergia chief executive officer Milwida Guevarra.

“We are happy to recognize these outstanding LGUs, and hope that the Seal of Good Education Governance would inspire them to keep making children’s education a priority in their governance agenda,” she added.

Established in 2002, Synergeia is a coalition of individuals and organizations working closely with about 400 LGUs to improve the delivery of basic education to Filipino children. The foundation intends to award the Seal of Good Education Governance to deserving LGUs every year. (PNA)

P14-Billion for PH soldiers, cops, firefighters, jail guards
By Filane Mikee Cervantes  August 7, 2017, 12:14 pm Share

MANILA, Aug. 7 -- At least PHP14 billion has been allocated in the proposed PHP3.767-trillion national budget for 2018 to fund the hiring of additional soldiers, policemen, firefighters and jail guards as requested by President Rodrigo Duterte, a House leader said on Monday.

In a statement, House appropriations committee chair and Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles further noted that the PHP14-billion allocation will also finance uniforms, firearms, rifles, ammunition, gears, training and other expenses needed for the new recruits.

“It is safe to say that out of the computed requirement, PHP14 billion is already specifically provided in the proposed 2018 budget," Nograles said, noting that the fund is distributed among the various uniformed services.

If approved without any amendment, Nograles said that this would allow the Philippine National Police (PNP) to hire 10,000 additional policemen,  2,000 additional personnel for the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and 1,000 jail guards for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

"For salaries alone, the total basic pay for the creation of 10,000 police officer PO1 positions will entail around PHP1.78 billion. The creation of 20,000 soldiers may cost a total basic pay amounting to around PHP3.56 billion," Nograles said.

"As to the additional soldiers, we already created in 2017 for the Philippine Army 8,892 positions, which we are currently filling up," he added.

The Davao City lawmaker said the hiring of new uniformed personnel is necessary with the existing security challenges amid threats of terrorism and other forms of lawlessness.

“The Marawi crisis, the ongoing war against drugs and other forms of criminality that threaten the peace and security of the people are compelling reasons for us to prioritize the augmentation of our military and law enforcement personnel and the modernization of their weapons and equipment," he said.

Nograles assured that his panel will support the creation of new positions for uniformed personnel.

The proposed budget for next year is 12.4 percent higher than the PHP3.35 trillion budget for 2017 and represents 21.6 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

The education sector will get the biggest chunk of the budget with a funding of PHP691.1 billion broken down as follows: Department of Education (DepED), PHP613.1 billion; Commission on Higher Education (CHED), PHP13.5 billion; and State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), PHP64.6 billion.

The other agencies with the highest budgetary allocations are: Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH),PHP643.3 billion; Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), PHP172.3 billion; Department of Health (DOH), PHP164.3 billion; Department of National Defense (DND), PHP145 billion; Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), PHP138 billion; Department of Transportation (DOTr), PHP73.8 billion; Department of Agriculture (DA), PHP54.2 billion; Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), PHP33.5 billion; and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), PHP27.9 billion. (PNA)

source: PMDC File
Creation of the Philippine Mining Development Corporation (PMDC)
(formerly the Natural Resources Mining Development Corporation)

The PMDC (then NRMDC) was incorporated with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 4, 2003, pursuant to an authority contained in a Memorandum of the President of the Philippines dated April 9, 2003.

The PMDC is a wholly-owned and controlled government corporation with an initial authorized capital stock of One Hundred Million Pesos (100,000,000.00), 55% of the equity of which was from the Natural Resources Development Corporation (NRDC), and 45% from the Philippine National Oil Corporation â€" Energy Development Corporation (PNOC-EDC).

PMDC’s current capital structure is as follows:

Natural Resources Development Corporation (NRDC) - 44%
Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) - 36%
National Development Corporation (NDC) - 20%
Being    a    government   corporation,    the   PMDC   was attached to the   Department  of  Environment  and  Natural  Resources  (DENR).     Pursuant to
DENRAdministrativeOrderNo.2003-38 and by virtue of a Memorandum of Agreement between and among the DENR, PMDC (then NRMDC) and NRDC, the PMDC was designated/appointed as the new implementing arm of the DENR in undertaking the mining and mineral processing operations in the 8,100 hectare Diwalwal Mineral Reservation located in the municipality of Monkayo, Compostela Valley Province.

From DENR, the PMDC was transferred to the Office of the President on July 18, 2007, through Executive Order No. 636 signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. On December 27, 2007, the PMDC was transferred back to the DENR through Executive Order No. 689 signed by President Arroyo. The transfer was made to closely monitor and oversee the efficient and effective implementation of the country’s utilization and development of its mineral resources.

Press Release
STATEMENT BY THE HONORABLE
BERNADETTE “BH” HERRERA-DY
Bagong Henerasyon Party-list
Chair, Committee on Public Information

SOLON RENEWS PUSH FOR ABOLITION OF GOCC OVERSIGHT BODY

Very recently, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte spoke anew of the abolition of some agencies.

In line with the call of President Duterte to eliminate redundant, duplicative, and overlapping functions and organizations of the Executive Branch, over 20 Congressmen have come together to call for the repeal of RA 10149 (GOCC Governance Act of 2011) and the abolition of the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG).

We deem this abolition as necessary and we embodied our sentiments in House Bill 3014. The GCG is too slow. There are still too many GOCCs or state corporations.http://gcg.gov.ph/site/public_files/gcg1495439449.pdf

Last April 2017, the GCG counted 212 GOCCs and only two of these were listed as dissolved or abolished while 24 are "under abolition". There are 23 non-operational/inactive GOCCs.

Only three are undergoing privatization: GSIS Family Bank; Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation; and Southern Utility Management and Services, Inc.

There are four GOCCs involved in mining. If the GCG is to be consistent with the stance of President Duterte against mining, these four GOCCs should be abolished:

1)     Batong Buhay Gold Mines, Inc.;
2)     Natural Resources Development Corporation;
3)     North Davao Mining Corporation; and
4)     Philippine Mining Development Corporation.

There are also several GOCCs into food, agriculture and fisheries that should be privatized or merged:

1)     Food Terminal Inc. (should be privatized);
2)     National Sugar Development Company (merge with Philippine Sugar Corporation);
3)     Northern Foods Corporation (merge with Phividec);
4)     Phividec Panay Agro-Industrial Corp.; and
5)     Philippine Sugar Corporation.

Government should get out of the realty business by abolishing or privatizing five realty holding companies:

1)     Batangas Land Company;
2)     First Cavite Industrial Estate Inc.;
3)     G.Y. Real Estate Inc.;
4)     Kamayan Realty Corporation; and
5)     Pinagkaisa Realty Corporation.

Instead of piloting the development and growth of GOCCs, the GCG became another bureaucratic layer in the already confounded structure of checks and balances and has been taking up valuable time and resources of the GOCCs.

We have provided in HB 3014 that all officers and employees of the abolished GCG will be given two and a half months’ salary for each year of service as separation pay.

Functions and duties of the abolished GCG will be transferred to different departments with similar functions and duties. My prime candidate to take over GCG functions is the Presidential Management Staff. (END)

ASEAN Senior Officials on Energy to Meet in PH for Strengthened Cooperation

(Pasay City). Senior Officials on Energy of the ASEAN will discuss on Monday (25 September) the progress of implementing the Work Programmes under the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2016-2025.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said, “This Senior Officials Meeting on Energy will make the necessary actions to ensure the attainment of the ASEAN’s strategic objectives on energy.”

“The ASEAN meeting in the Philippines supports the country’s aim to be the knowledge hub for energy, especially on innovations, emerging technologies and resiliency strategies for the ASEAN.”

For two months, the Senior Officials were tasked to lay the groundwork for the activities of the APAEC covering the period 2016-2025 (Phase 1 covers the period 2016-2020). It comprises a series of policy guidelines to implement energy cooperation for the ASEAN towards regional integration.

The Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME) Preparatory Meeting kicks off the activities of the 35th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM35), which will take place from 26-29 September 2017 at the Condrad Manila Hotel, Pasay City.

The activities under ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation will be recommended to the ASEAN Ministers on Energy for consideration during AMEM35.

The SOME Preparatory Meeting for the AMEM35 will be attended by Senior Officials on Energy, the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN Centre for Energy, the Secretaries-in-Charge of Heads of ASEAN Power Utilities/Authorities (HAPUA) and ASEAN Council on Petroleum (ASCOPE), lead coordinators for the Sub-Sector Networks, ASEAN’s development partners and international organizations.

"Ultimately, the goal of the gathering is to make the ASEAN more globally competitive," Cusi concluded.

Press Release from Telum Media
Philippines Alert: 27th September 2017

Philippine media moves and news from DZMM, Global News Network, Yummy and more...

Have a recent or upcoming media move to announce?
Whether you have recently moved jobs, started a new role or want to announce the details of a new launch, Telum Media Alerts can help you update both the Journalist and PR communities. Email alert@telummedia.com for more details.

Updates at DZMM

Maria Arra Perez
Maria Arra Perez has left her post as Reporter, Anchor and Executive Producer for Global News Network and joined ABS-CBN’s DZMM Radyo Patrol 630. She covers news on the police beat and other human interest stories. Before her latest stint at Global News Network, Arra was a Digital Correspondent for CNN Philippines and a Reporter, Anchor and Writer for People’s Television Network.

Congratulate Arra on her move at arralimperez@gmail.com

Jekki Pascual
Jekki Pascual is now a Reporter for DZMM Radyo Patrol. He recently ended his 10-year run at ABS-CBN News Channel where he reported for programs such as Market Edge with Cathy Yang and Business Nightly. Jekki now covers the news during the graveyard shift, but will continue to contribute stories to other ABS-CBN News platforms.

Congratulate Jekki on his move at jekki.bp@gmail.com
Dulfo Pi Dulfo promoted at Global News Network

Dulfo Pi Dulfo has been promoted to the role of News Desk Editor at Global News Network. Dulfo joined the network in February this year as a Reporter, corresponding local news. His new role sees him editing and finalising program lineups for the hourly and main newscasts, assigning stories to reporters, pursuing special reports and gathering news tips.

Congratulate Dulfo on his move at dpdulfo99@gmail.com
Yummy ceases print

Yummy Magazine has ceased publication of its print edition but the brand will remain online via its website, Yummy.ph. Earlier this year, Yummy launched its kitchen studio, where it tests and produces recipe videos. Yummy.ph is currently producing and publishing at least 20 videos per month.

Reach Yummy.ph by emailing its editorial team:

Trixie Zabal Mendoza, Managing Editor: trixie.zabal-mendoza@summitmedia.com.ph
Roselle Miranda, Food Editor: mariaroselle.miranda@summitmedia.com.ph
Catalina Altomonte, Assistant Food Editor: catalina.altomonte@summitmedia.com.ph
Bjorn Biel Beltran joins BusinessWorld

Bjorn Biel Beltran has joined BusinessWorld as a Special Features Writer. Bjorn was most recently a Reporter and Researcher for QSR Media, and also contributed feature articles for K-Zone Philippines until it ceased publishing in July this year.

Congratulate Bjorn on his move at beltranbbm@gmail.com
Apple Joy Lucas Villamar joins MOR 101.9 For Life

Apple Joy Lucas Villamar is now the Digital Content Producer at MOR 101.9 For Life, the FM radio station of ABS-CBN Corporation. She covers news and events on entertainment for the radio station and produces catchy and entertaining online content, as published on the Facebook and YouTube accounts of MOR 101.9. Apple was most recently a Social Media Reporter at The Philippine Star, where she was responsible for online updates and breaking news stories. Apple also owns and blogs at ProeticShadows. She is also accepting freelance writing work, art commissions, and collaborations on her blog.

Congratulate Apple on her move and reach out to work with her at ajlucas@gmail.com or (63) 932 917 6555.
Duey Guison joins Unbox.ph

Duey Guison is now a Tech Writer at Unbox.ph, covering the tech beat and reviewing various gadgets. Prior to joining Unbox.ph, he worked with ABS-CBN for six years as News Archives Catalog Writer and Lifestyle Section Editor. Duey has also been a Freelance Photographer since 2011.

Reach Duey at dueyguison@gmail.com and view his photo blog on Instagram.
Jim Reynold Zamora joins LionhearTV

Jim Reynold Zamora is now a Writer for LionhearTV. He recently graduated from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines with a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism.

Reach Jim at jimreynoldzamora@gmail.com
Indochine Media Philippines launches new magazine

Indochine Media Philippines has launched My Pope Philippines, the Philippines’ first monthly fanzine celebrating the lifestyle and values of Pope Francis. It features stories highlighting encouraging developments in the lives of Filipinos whose values and actions reflect those that the Pope stands for, with sections on good news, inspiring stories, traditions, arts and crafts and everyday heroes.

My Pope Philippines was launched with a total print run of 50,000 copies, and its communication campaign involves a range of media, point of sale posters, and merchandising banners. It is available nationwide on newsstands at PHP 85 per copy.

For marketing partnership and PR inquiries, contact Marketing & PR Director, Vanika De Belen, at v.debelen@imv.com.sg or (63) 2 903 5399 Ext. 215.

For editorial cooperation, email info@mypope.com.ph
Tisha Alvarez leaves Summit Media

Tisha Alvarez has left her post as the Editor-in-Chief of Good Housekeeping Philippines, which released its last issue in August 2017. As she leaves Summit Media, Tisha is set to pursue a career as a Freelance Editor and Writer, and is open to receiving work on lifestyle, home and interiors, travel, food, family and parenting, relationships, personal finance, health, profiles, and human interest stories. She is also open to doing work in corporate communications as well as conducting training in Business Communication, having gained experience in these areas at Ernst & Young prior to her stint at Summit Media.

Reach Tisha at tishie.alvarez@gmail.com or at (63) 917 822 6942.
Audrey Carpio goes freelance

Audrey Carpio has left her post as the Features Editor of Esquire Philippines and is now a Freelance Writer. She is open to receiving assignments on lifestyle, specifically profiles, travel, art and technology, and book projects. She has also previously had experience as a Lifestyle Writer for Philstar.com and was the Senior Associate Editor at Metro Magazine from 2008 to 2010.

Reach Audrey at audreycarpio@yahoo.com
Mary Rose Hogaza leaves FHM.com.ph

Mary Rose Hogaza has left her role as a Staff Writer for FHM.com.ph and is now seeking career opportunities in writing or public relations. She was with FHM.com.ph for two years where she was responsible for pitching and creating engaging articles on relationships, fashion, grooming, and women, as well as producing photo and video shoots for the website. Her role also included sending out the publication's newsletter to subscribers. Mary had also previously contributed to Animal Scene Magazine and was also an Online Reporter at Manila Bulletin. She is knowledgeable in Google Analytics.
 
Reach Mary at mroseahogaza@gmail.com or (63) 917 318 9369 and find her on LinkedIn.
Inc. Southeast Asia is hiring (Philippines)

Inc. Southeast Asia is seeking a Writer to cover the region’s start-up ecosystem. The successful candidate must have two to three years' media experience, strong oral and written communication skills, dedicated reporting skills and persistence. The ability to meet daily article deadlines and willingness to multi-task when needed are also required. Please email marishka@inc-asean.com for inquiries and application.
LOOKING FOR OUR JOURNALIST JOB ADS?


We recently launched a dedicated Journalist Job Alert. Sign up to receive the weekly emails here. To feature your vacancies for free, simply send details of the opening and how to apply to journalistjobs@telummedia.com


Michelle Jamrisko relocates to Singapore

Michelle Jamrisko, previously based in Washington as a US Economy Reporter at Bloomberg News, is now with its Singapore bureau as Southeast Asia Economy Reporter. She will cover regional economic issues as well as the Singapore domestic economy as she enters her eighth year with the company. Prior to her US Economy team role, Michelle covered the US Congress and government contracting for Bloomberg. She is a former White House Assistant Correspondent for Kyodo News.
 
Welcome Michelle to Singapore at mjamrisko@bloomberg.net and on Twitter.
Emily Rayner joins Luxury Escapes

After three years at Fairfax Media and the Domain Group as Executive Editor of The Weekly Review, Emily Rayner has joined Luxury Escapes as Head of Digital & Content Merchandising. Emily leads a team of journalists, videographers and designers to create travel and lifestyle content across online, social, print and TV.
 
Product launches, interview opportunities with talent, and events should be sent to the Luxury Escapes team at content@luxuryescapes.com

Emily is currently on the lookout for freelance photographers based in Southeast Asia, North America and Australia with a background in travel. Contact her at emily.rayner@luxuryescapes.com
Babar Khan Javed role update

Formerly the Southeast Asia Editor for Campaign Asia Pacific, Babar Khan Javed is now the Technology Editor at the publication. He still covers stories in the Southeast Asia region, and is now also the key editor around tech, AR, VR, AI and IoT.
 
He remains contactable at babar.khan@haymarket.asia
Telum Talks to... Gwen Llana Serrano, Freelance Contributor, The Asian Parent & Blogger, Blissful Blooming


How did you start your career in journalism?
In college, I took up Communication Arts and joined the University of Sto. Tomas' cable television, TOMCAT, as an extra curricular activity. That was my first exposure to journalism. After graduation, I started my career as a researcher for a news magazine program at GMA Network.

Why are you a Journalist?
Writing has always been my passion. Thus, I chose a career path that would allow me to put my passion to good use. I can't think of any other career that can achieve that.

How do you balance writing freelance, blogging, your day job, and being a mother?
It's tough, but setting priorities and trying to be disciplined help me a lot to juggle these responsibilities. It also helps that writing, blogging, my current work (which is marketing), and motherhood are all my passion. I am happy doing all of them.

What does a day in your life look like, from the time you wake up to the time you get back to bed?
During weekdays, I wake up really early, at 5am. I send my baby to her grandparents, then go straight to my full time job. My work starts at 7am and ends at 4pm. After 4pm, I transform into my Freelancer / Blogger self. I write blog posts, respond to emails, or write for a freelance project.  In the evening, I go back to my baby and be the best mom I can be.

During weekends, I try as much as possible not to work so I can spend time with family. But in rare cases, I dedicate a few hours on weekends to do freelance writing or attend events for Bloggers.

Most memorable journalism moment?
My most memorable journalism moment happened when I was a Researcher for a news magazine show in GMA Network. We had to document how young boys in Tondo stole copper wires in the wee hours of the morning.

What kind of stories excite you?
Nowadays, I look forward to stories on parenting, motherhood, children, and family.

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Coffee (I love frappucinos) or lunch.

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Via email.

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PRs can send event notices at least two weeks in advance.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?
Teleportation. Journalists need that in the Philippines so we can cover events on time despite heavy traffic.

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HON. TEODORO “TED” G. MONTORO
AASENSO Party-list
Vice Chair, Committee on Cooperatives Development
Member, Committees on Transportation, Appropriations,
Labor and Employment, and 8 other committees

LIMANG BILLS NA PANG-MASA PASADO NA SA KAMARA, BERSYON NG SENADO PINAMAMADALI

Limang (5) mga panukalang batas na direktang may kinalaman sa mahihirap, manggagawa, at magsasakang pinoy ang pasado na sa House of Representatives at naghihintay na lamang ng bersyon ng Senado bago palagdaan sa Pangulo para maging ganap na batas, ayon sa isang solon.

Nanawagan ng suporta sa publiko si AASENSO Party-list Representative Teodoro Montoro para sa mga sumusunod na panukalang batas na kasama siya sa mga nag-akda:

1.    House Bill 6152 (Compressed Work Week);

2.    House Bill 5670 (Free Irrigation Service);

3.    House Bill 5240 (National Land Use Policy);

4.    House Bill 6112 (Safety Devices in PUVs); at

5.    House Bill 5745 (Coconut Trust Fund).


Bilang kinatawan ng uring manggagawa sa Kongreso, nakipagtulungan si Montoro para maitulak ang mga nasabing bills. “Kailangan ng pressure mula sa publiko para madaliin na ng Senado ang pagtalakay sa limang bills na ito,” ani Montoro.

Heto pa ang kanyang mga pahayag:

“Pag naipatupad na ang HB 6152 o ang compressed work week, maraming manggagawa ang magkakaroon ng tatlong araw na pahinga na pwedeng magamit kapiling ang pamilya.”

“Ang free irrigation service o HB 5670 naman na kasama sa mga priority bills ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ay may suporta sa mga kasamahang kong mambabatas mula sa iba’t ibang partido mapa-admnistrasyon man o oposisyon. Daang libong mga magsasaka ang makikinabang sa libreng patubig sa mga sakahan kapag nagkataon.”

“Ang National Land Use and Management Bill (HB 5240) ay matagal nang isinulong ng mga pro- agrarian reform at pro-environment na mga grupo. Sa wakas ay pasado na ito sa Kamara.”

“Ang Public Utility Vehicles Safety Monitoring Act (HB 6112) na nag-uutos lagyan ng closed-circuit televisions (CCTV) at global positioning system (GPS) trackers ang mga pampublikong jeep, bus, taxi, UV express, at TNVS ay layong gawing mas ligtas ang mga pasahero at motorista sa lansangan. Ang hamon na lang ay gawing magaan para sa mga operator at driver ang pagbili ng mga CCTVs at GPS trackers.”

“At pang-lima na kapapasa lang sa Kamara nitong Lunes sa botong 216-7 ay ang Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Trust Fund na layong magtaguyod ng trust fund para sa mga mahihirap na magniniyog.”

Pahabol ni Montoro, maaring ipabatid ng taumbayan sa mga senador ang kanilang pagsuporta sa mga nasabing mga panukalang batas sa pamamagitan ng social media at pagdalo sa mga public forum hinggil sa panukala.

Press Release
RANKING SOLON URGES PNP, DOJ TO SET 24-HOUR ULTIMATUM VS ATIO HAZING SUSPECTS

Massive nationwide manhunt should follow if suspects don’t turn over themselves to authorities â€" Rep. Salo

As Member of the House Committee on Justice, I call upon the Philippine National Police, other law enforcement agencies, and the Department of Justice to give the Atio Castillo hazing murder suspects a 24-hour ultimatum to surrender and to witnesses and persons of interest the same 24-hour deadline to cooperate in the investigation.

If they did not commit any wrong, then there’s nothing to fear. The legal process will vindicate them. If they participated in the illegal and brutal act, they should be human enough to face the consequences as that will ultimately define their person and their fraternity.

To the men and women of the justice system, I challenge you to make the Atio Castillo case a defining moment in the tragic history of hazing in the Philippines. Bring in all your expertise in ensuring that justice is served and that the perpetrators are placed behind bars.

To all fraternities and sororities, stop all hazing now. End hazing now. Never again. Never again. Hazing is torture.

If murder suspects don’t turn-over themselves, then the PNP should undertake a massive nationwide manhunt against the suspects. Let the resources of the government be spent in bringing justice to Atio and his family. (END)

Rescue Dog in Mexico City

Press Release

HON. TEODORO “TED” G. MONTORO
AASENSO Party-list
Vice Chair, Committee on Cooperatives Development
Member, Committees on Transportation, Appropriations,
Labor and Employment, and 8 other committees

BILLS FOR THE POOR, WORKING CLASS ADVANCE IN THE HOUSE

Five bills directly involving workers, laborers, and farmers are at advances stages of progress through the legislative mill: HB 6152 (compressed work week); HB 5670 (free irrigation service); HB 5240 (national land use policy); HB 6112 (safety devices in PUVs); and HB 5745 (coconut trust fund).

As party-list representative of the working class, I worked with my colleagues in the House and pushed for these bills. These bills address long-standing and persistent issues that have beset workers.

When the compressed work week gets implemented, some workers can have three full days of quality time for family and rest.

The free irrigation service is one of the priorities of the Duterte administration and has strong multi-partisan support. It will benefit hundreds of thousands of farmers and their families.

National land use legislation has long-eluded government and advocates for agrarian reform, but has finally gathered enough momentum to pass the House on third reading and is now with the Senate.

Safety devices on PUVs will help save many lives. The next challenge is to make it affordable for PUV operators and drivers.

Finally, the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Trust Fund, an issue imbued with Martial Law history.

These are five very significant bills. I ask the public to stand with the House in finally making these bills part of the laws of our land.

Aside from these five bills, there are also five more bills which directly address poverty. The Magna Carta of the Poor (HB 5811) was recently sent to the Senate.  (END)


REFERENCES:

HB06152
AN ACT INCREASING THE NORMAL WORK HOURS PER DAY UNDER A COMPRESSED WORK WEEK SCHEME, AMENDING ARTICLES 83,87 AND 91 OF PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 442, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LABOR CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES Status: Approved by the House on 2017-08-23, transmitted to the Senate on 2017-08-29 and received by the Senate on 2017-08-29

HB05670
AN ACT STRENGTHENING ASSISTANCE TO ALL FARMERS BY PROVIDING FREE IRRIGATION SERVICE FEE AND ALL OTHER SIMILAR OR RELATED FEES OR CHARGES, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 3601, AS AMENDED BY PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 552, PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1702, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION ACT AND REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8435, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS AGRICULTURAL AND FISHERIES MODERNIZATION ACT, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR Status: House requested for a conference committee on 2017-08-14

HB05240
AN ACT INSTITUTING A NATIONAL LAND USE AND MANAGEMENT POLICY, PROVIDING THE IMPLEMENTING MECHANISMS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Status: Approved by the House on 2017-05-02, transmitted to the Senate on 2017-05-09 and received by the Senate on 2017-05-09

HB06112
AN ACT MANDATING THE INSTALLATION OF SAFETY MONITORING DEVICES IN PUBLIC UTILITY VEHICLES AND PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION THEREOF Status: Approved on Third Reading on 2017-08-29

HB05745
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE COCONUT FARMERS AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT TRUST FUND AND PROVIDING FOR ITS MANAGEMENT AND UTILIZATION
Status: Unfinished Business (Period of Amendments)

Press Release
ASEAN Energy Officials Map Out Cooperation Activities

ASEAN AT WORK: Philippine Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Jesus Cristino P. Posadas sits as the Chair of the Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME)+3 (China, Japan and Korea). Usec. Posadas led the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) discussions on the various agenda under the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2016-2025.

(Manila, Philippines). Senior Officials on Energy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) continued on Tuesday (26 September) to thresh out cooperation activities on various agenda under the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2016-2025.

“All the activities and discussions for the 35th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM35) are geared towards solidifying the cooperation activities programmed under the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC),” Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said.

“Ensuring the attainment of these agenda items will also advance the country’s objective in continuously hosting energy events in the region,” Cusi pointed out.

"The Philippines takes pride in hosting the ASEAN meeting as our thrust is to introduce innovations, emerging technologies, and resiliency strategies in the energy industry for the ASEAN," he said.

Sitting as Chair of the Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME)+3 (China, Japan and Korea) is Philippine Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Jesus Cristino P. Posadas. The meeting was Co-Chaired by Senior Official on Energy Leaders: Deputy Adviser Yang Yang (China), Director Masaomi Koyama (Japan) and Research Fellow Jin Ho Park (Republic of Korea).

According to Posadas, the SOME+3 is in preparation for the Senior Officials report to the ASEAN+3 Ministers, which will review and deliberate on the progress made in implementing the Work Programmes under the APAEC 2016-2025 (Phase 1: 2016-2020).

The Programme Areas of the APAEC 2016-2025 are as follows:

1. Clean Coal Technology: The strategy is to enhance the image of coal through promotion of Clean Coal Technologies. Activities laid out include public awareness, recognition of best practices, trade and investment, collaboration with global networks, policy research and build capacity through workshops, and yearly submission of ASEAN Coal Database and Information System (ACDIS).

2. Civilian Nuclear Energy: The strategy is to build capabilities in policy, technology and regulatory aspects of nuclear energy. There will also be capacity building through workshops and international nuclear experts groups collaboration (e.g., Japan Atomic Energy Agency and International Atomic Energy Agency), public understanding through public fora; and regional cooperation (e.g., ASEAN Nuclear Safety Network and ASEAN Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy).

3. Regional Energy Policy and Planning: The strategy is to better profile the ASEAN energy sector internationally. To attain this, ASEAN Member States (AMS) should endeavor better profile, data and analysis through publication of energy cooperation report, outlook and statistics, collaboration with development partners and international organizations through various energy dialogues; and resilience and emergency preparedness.

4. Renewable Energy (RE): AMS aims to increase the component of RE to 23% by 2025 in the ASEAN Energy Mix. In accomplishing the 23% target, this entails public awareness campaigns, recognition activities, dialogues, research and development network on technology, RE financing scheme and advancement of biofuels utilization. Based on 2015 data, the accomplishment of ASEAN stood at 13.6%.

5. Energy Efficiency and Conservation: In this agenda, the strategy is to reduce energy intensity by 20% in 2020, based on 2005 levels. This includes development of energy efficiency standards particularly on lighting products and cooling systems, private sector participation including energy service companies, green building, and energy efficiency financing schemes.

6. Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline (TAGP): The strategy under this agenda is to enhance connectivity for energy security and accessibility via pipelines and regasification terminals. Actions towards the attainment of this strategy are monitoring of progress, setting up of database system and consolidated information, conduct preliminary study on the commercial aspects of ASEAN liquefied natural gas, and options on the amendments to the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA).

7. ASEAN Power Grid (APG): Under this strategy, the current initiative is the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Interconnection Project (LTMS-PIP). On 27 September, the countries will sign the Electricity Purchase Wheeling Agreement (EWPA) at the Condrad Manila, Pasay City.

The SOME+3 Preparatory Meeting for the 14th AMEM+3 was attended by Senior Officials on Energy of the AMS and China, Japan and Korea, the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), the Secretaries-in-Charge of Heads of ASEAN Power Utilities/Authorities (HAPUA) and ASEAN Council on Petroleum (ASCOPE), lead coordinators for the Sub-Sector Networks, ASEAN’s development partners and international organizations.

In the afternoon, Senior Officials on Energy Leaders also convened for the East Asia Summit Energy Cooperation Task Force Preparatory (EAS-ECTF) Meeting for the 11th EAS Energy Ministers Meeting, which will be held on Thursday (28 September) at Conrad Manila, Philippines.

The EAS preparatory meeting outlined the mid-term roadmap, energy efficiency goals and action plans, Southeast Asia small-scale hydro opportunities assessment, assessment of necessary innovations for sustainable use of conventional and new-type geothermal resources and the continuation of the operation of the biofuels database.

PH Wins Big in ASEAN Energy Awards 2017

FILIPINOS EXCEL: Department of Energy Officer-in-Charge, Director for Electric Power Industry Management Bureau, Mario C. Marasigan, and other Filipino awardees were recipients of the ASEAN Excellence in Energy Management by Individual award during the ASEAN Energy Awards held on Wednesday 27 September 2017 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City. Marasigan was given the award for his contributions in the renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation sectors. The ASEAN Energy Awards is held annually where the ASEAN Ministers on Energy recognize best practices in the field of energy.

(Manila, Philippines). Philippine energy sector participants took center stage during the ASEAN Energy Awards held Wednesday night (27 September) at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City as the Department of Energy (DOE) proudly hosted the 35th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM35).

As host and chair of AMEM35, DOE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi emphasized during the gala dinner and awards night, “With the theme ‘One ASEAN Community through Resilient and Sustainable Energy,’ energy cooperation is geared towards adapting to abrupt and erratic changes in the environment and anticipating the growing energy demands of the region.”

Cusi pointed out that "As energy resources face scarcity, we in the ASEAN region will exert all efforts to tap the diverse energy options and innovations around us.”

In the said the awards night, the ASEAN gave due recognition to 86 firms and individuals for their contributions in the fields of renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation, and coal resource utilization and development.

Individuals and companies vied in six (6) areas, namely: ASEAN Coal Awards 2017; ASEAN Best Practices Competition for Energy Management in Buildings and Industry; ASEAN Best Practices Competition for Energy Efficient Buildings; ASEAN Best Practices Competition For Green Building; Renewable Energy Competition Project; and ASEAN Excellence in Energy Management by Individual.

Philippine awardees include:

ASEAN Excellence in Energy Management
·      DOE Director Mario C. Marasigan as Former Senior Official on Energy Leader

ASEAN Coal Awards 2017
·      Best Practices Category (Clean Coal Use and Technology-Power Generation; 2nd Runner-up for Large or greater than 500 megawatts ton/year) â€"UNIDO BAT/BEP Program and Heat Rate Improvement by AES Philippines-Masinloc Power Partners Co. Ltd.

·      Best Practices Category (Clean Coal Use and Technology- Industry; Winner for Small or equal/less than100 MW/year) â€"Coral Bay Nickel Project by Coral Bay Nickel Corp.

·      The 2nd runner-up for the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Category - Strategic, Holistic, and Meaningful Approach to Corporate Social Responsibility through the Health, Education, Livelihood, and Environment (HELEN) Framework by AES Philippines-Masinloc Partners Co. Ltd.

ASEAN Best Practices Competition for Energy Management in Building and Industries
·      Building Category (Large; Winner) â€" BPI-PHILAM Life Makati Condominium Corp.

·      Industry Category (Small and Medium; Winner) â€"Maynilad Water Services, Inc. and La Mesa Treatment Plant 2

Renewable Energy Competition Project
·      On-Grid: National Grid Category (Winner) â€" 20 MW Maibarara Geothermal Project.

The energy chief also highlighted the importance of technologies meeting regional standards, mainstreaming of energy efficiency and conservation complemented by innovations and a strong policy framework.

The Secretary said that “the ASEAN is collaborating not only for energy security and accessibility but for sustainability and resiliency as well.”

“Let us continue to have the wisdom in guiding our sector towards achieving our common objectives and work in one community by continuously sharing resources and technologies towards regional economic growth,” Cusi said.

The ASEAN Energy Awards is the recognition body of the 10 member states for best practices in the development of the region-wide energy industry.

Press Release
Forbes Ranks SP Jain School of Global Management #20 in The Best International MBAs: One-Year Programs Ranking (2017-19)

The latest ranking places SP Jain School of Global Management in the company of top institutions like IMD, INSEAD, IE, Cambridge, Oxford, Warwick and SDA Bocconi.

September 28, 2017: For the fifth year in a row now, SP Jain School of Global Management’s (SP Jain) flagship Global MBA program has been ranked in the TOP 20 in the Forbes list of the world’s best 1-year International Full-Time MBAs.

The Forbes MBA rankings, along with Financial Times and The Economist, are amongst the most prestigious MBA rankings in the world, and SP Jain Global is the youngest school to get all three.

Forbes’ biennial ranking of the world’s best international MBA programs is based solely on the return on investment achieved by graduates. This year, the Forbes ranking compared the earnings of the Class of 2012 in their first five years post-MBA. SP Jain’s Class of 2012 reported close to a six-fold increase (2016) in salaries, from a pre-MBA salary. SP Jain has also ranked #1 in salary growth for all five years.

“Campus placements are often used to measure a School’s success. However, top rankings like Forbes, Financial Times and The Economist measure graduate outcomes over a period of time. This is a superior measure of success as they consider long-term student growth, and not just starting salaries,” shares Mr. Nitish Jain, President of SP Jain School of Global Management.

“Our ranking amongst the world’s best business schools by reputed international publications is a direct reflection of how well our graduates have been able to perform. To be the youngest school in the ranking is thrilling!”

A distinctive highlight of the Global MBA program is its multi-campus model, and the School credits much of their global success to this. Dr. Indu Niranjan, Dean of the program shares, “Our goal is to train our graduates for top companies around the world. Our students have the unique benefit of studying in three cities â€" Singapore, Sydney and Dubai. They get to understand how to navigate and adapt in a global business environment â€" a skill much valued by recruiters. They undertake projects assigned by both local or global companies, interact with business leaders and thinkers, immersing themselves in different local cultures and developing important global skills. These skills, we hope will provide them the chance for personal development and better job opportunities.”

SP Jain extends their gratitude and appreciation to all corporates, faculty, staff, partners and students on this joyous event.

For more information on the ranking, please visit this site https://www.forbes.com/business-schools/list/international-1-year/#tab:rank


Media Contact
Gladys Lee
Marketing Communications Manager, Southeast Asia
SP Jain School of Global Management
Email. Gladys.lee@spjain.org
Mobile or WhatsApp. +65 9183 4781
Website. www.spjain.sg

For Program Queries
Nyssa Bernal
Student Recruitment Manager for Phillipines
SP Jain School of Global Management
Email. nyssa.bernal@spjain.org
Mobile. +63 917 899 1917
Website. www.spjain.sg

Vincent Dela Cruz
Student Recruitment Manager for Phillipines
SP Jain School of Global Management
Email. vincent.delacruz@spjain.org
Mobile. +63 945 307 9690
Website. www.spjain.sg

Dear Michael Ortega Ligalig

We would like to share our joy of our latest achievement, with you and your audience.
This is especially how we feel as there has been an increasing number of students from the Phillipines, joining our programs.

Our Global MBA program has just been ranked amongst the TOP 20 in Forbes’ 2017 Ranking of the World’s best 1-year Full-Time International MBA programs.
On top of that, every year, we are ranked #1 in salary growth (5 years post-MBA)!

We are extremely honoured to be ranked alongside some of the most prestigious institutions like IMD, INSEAD, IE, Cambridge, Oxford, Warwick and Imperial.
We are also the youngest business school in the world (13 years old) to be placed in the company of these giants.

This is an achievement we attribute to our unique and innovative approach to business education through our three-city learning - Singapore, Sydney and Dubai..

The Forbes MBA rankings, along with Financial Times and The Economist, are among the most prestigious MBA rankings in the world, and we are the youngest school to get all three.
While the high rankings are not the only aspects that show why SP Jain is unique, they do illustrate our rapid rise as one of the world’s top business schools.

Thank you for reading this email and we hope to share more great news of the school, thought leadership pieces and student life stories that would benefit and inspire the audience in Phillipines.

For more information on the ranking, please click here.
To download the release, click here, otherwise we have included the content below, for your convenience.

Cheers

Gladys Lee | Marketing Communications Manager, S.E. Asia
S P Jain School of Global Management | Dubai ∙ Mumbai ∙ Singapore ∙ Sydney
10 Hyderabad Road, Singapore 119579
T: +65 64310032 DID| 52-163| gladys.lee@spjain.org | www.spjain.sg

Press Release - PH Hosts Signing of ASEAN Grid Integration Deal

(Manila, Philippines). The Philippines highlights its role this week as host to the historic signing of an agreement integrating the power grids of Laos, Malaysia and Thailand.

The deal dubbed Electricity Purchase Wheeling Agreement (EWPA) will be signed by the heads of the electric utilities of the three ASEAN member states during the 35th ASEAN Energy Ministers Meeting (AMEM35) on September 27 at the Conrad Hotel Manila. They are Bounoum Syvanpheng of Electricite du Laos from Lao People's Democratic Republic, Kornsrasit Pakchotanon of Electricity Generating Authority Thailand and Datuk Seri Ir. Azman Mohd of Tenaga National Berhad from Malaysia. ASEAN energy ministers will witness the EPWA signing.

In welcoming this development, Philippine Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi emphasized that the ASEAN is indeed the place for the investors to invest. This agreement is among the endeavors of ASEAN Member States in continuously looking into policies and areas of cooperation that are open and transparent.

The EWPA is the first multilateral electricity transaction in ASEAN that aims to advance electricity trade in the ASEAN Power Grid (APG). It implements Phase 1 of the Lao-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project that involves the purchase by Malaysia of up to 100 megawatts from Laos via Thailand’s transmission grid.

The APG is one of the key initiatives under the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) ‎2016-2025, which serves as a blueprint for better cooperation towards enhancing energy security, accessibility, affordability and sustainability under the framework of the ASEAN Economic Community. 

As one of the physical energy infrastructure projects in the Master Plan of the ASEAN Connectivity, APG is expected to boost electricity trade across borders to meet the increasing electricity demand and improve access to energy services in the region. It is also envisioned to improve economic generation and transmission of electricity, enhance reliability and security of electricity supply and provide a platform for future energy trade. 

APG is also expected to provide opportunities to collectively utilize the energy resources within ASEAN to reduce the need and dependence on imported fuels from other regions.

The EPWA signing is part of the week-long AMEM35, where energy meetings and exhibits make the country as the destination of energy cooperation in the ASEAN.

OPENING SPEECH OF PHILIPPINE ENERGY SECRETARY ALFONSO G. CUSI
Joint Official Opening Ceremony of the
35th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM35) and the
ASEAN Energy Business Forum (AEBF) 2017
27 September 2017, SMX Convention Center Manila
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fellow ASEAN Ministers / Heads of Delegation from the ASEAN Member States / Heads of Delegation from the Development partners/ the ASEAN Secretariat / the ASEAN Center for Energy and other International Organizations / Fellow Government Officials/ Distinguished Guests / Partners and Colleagues in the Energy Sector.

Magandang Umaga Po!! Good morning.

It’s great to welcome you all today to Manila for the joint opening of the 35th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting and the ASEAN Energy Business Forum.

I am especially delighted to have been given the opportunity to address such an eminent set of attendees: civil servants, fellow politicians, energy experts and business leaders across the region. We are also pleased to have with us many of ASEAN’s old friends from countries such as Australia, China, Japan, Korea, United States and Russia, India and New Zealand.

The diverse backgrounds and nationalities of our attendees highlight the truly global nature of the issues that we will be discussing throughout the week.

We will need great commitment, bold ideas and innovative solutions in our pursuit to make our tomorrows better than today. This is an endeavor that can only be realized if it is built on the foundations of regional and public-private cooperation.

Presented with an opportunity to do just that this week, I hope that all of us will be up to the task.

Ladies and gentlemen, in our journey towards one ASEAN community through resilient and sustainable energy, I believe that it is imperative that we take stock of the emerging headwinds faced by the global energy landscape.

These are headwinds that bring about new energy realities.

Realities that promise to change the way that governments and businesses approach the big energy questions of our times. New realities that manifest themselves in two notable trends.

First trend is that ASEAN is COMMITTED TO A FUTURE OF RENEWABLES

The first comes in the form of renewable energy. This of course is something that all of us in this room â€" by instinct or by outlook â€" feel strongly about. From reduced carbon footprints to lower emissions to cleaner air, we know just how important it is that we invest in a future of renewables.

I am pleased to say that this is an endeavor that ASEAN has been proactive in pursuing. That is why we celebrate the fact that in 2013, ASEAN exceeded its target RE mix under the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC), where we made an initial promise to increase our RE mix to 23% by 2025. We managed to exceed this target in 2013 - ahead of time and some 12 years before our deadline.

That is why we also celebrate the recent strides in renewables made by member countries in this region. We celebrate the fact that Singapore has developed the region’s first offshore renewable energy system. We celebrate the fact that Malaysia is the 3rd-largest producer of solar panels in the world.

It’s clear that ASEAN wants to be part of the solution and not the problem. But while these are milestones that are significant, the work does not stop here. There is still more that needs to be done.

THE RENEWABLES INDUSTRY MUST INNOVATE TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

With ASEAN’s resolve in this pursuit undiminished, a challenge has also been thrown to the renewables industry: How can you continue to attract investments, build capacities and eventually, bring costs down?

This is important because while renewables are a sustainable source of energy, they also need to be commercially sustainable. By this, I mean that it’s not just enough to have your technologies out there supplying power for the grids. Renewables need to be a commercially viable option - able to stand on its two feet without the crutches of subsidies as well as being an affordable solution for consumers.

I’m glad to say that we’ve seen in recent times that costs have come down.  But in far too many countries, renewables still need to be subsidized to compete with other sources. This is not good for the future of renewables. Nobody â€" least of all the industry â€" should expect that subsidies would remain forever, especially when consumers have to foot the bill. Ultimately, renewables must reach grid parity. In a world where carbon is priced in a fair manner.

Therefore, it is imperative that we pursue a vision of a competitive market that keeps tariffs low and within reach. Where the onus is on renewable players to be able to innovate and compete on a level playing field. This is not a fantasy.

And as I argued earlier, the new reality for renewable energy sources is that they can and are becoming sustainable -- thanks to competition and innovation. The evidence is clear. Indeed, we have been able to do that to an extent here in the Philippines.

Consider that we’re the second-largest producer of geothermal energy in the world, which runs without subsidies and can cater to our baseload needs. Consider that we’ve also begun phasing out FIT schemes for Solar and Wind due to falling tariffs. For these sources, we are entering a new phase that sees market-based incentives at the forefront.

These come in the form of the Renewables Portfolio Standards, which guarantees incremental demand on the distribution side for power generated by renewable source.

We also see this happening on a broader scale. Asia has already emerged as the largest producer of renewable energy. China is leading the way, with a renewable sector that is growing faster than fossil fuels and nuclear.

In India, solar and wind tariffs have torpedoed making them viable options for the Indian consumer. Globally, we’ve seen Elon Musk develop power pack batteries that have already cut electricity bills in homes by up to 92%.
These are moves that are changing the renewable energy landscape. No longer are renewables the energy of tomorrow. Instead, they are slowly becoming the energy of today. Clearly, the future is renewable. One where it is sustainable. One where it is affordable. One where it is competitive.

To ride this wave, ASEAN countries can meet their end of the bargain by providing a market that can attract investments. But it is up to the industry to continue to meet its end of the bargain by bringing costs down, in line with the emerging trends and innovations that are on-going.

My challenge to you is to be part of this wave -- To innovate and to bring sustainable solutions. And I believe that this week’s conferences can serve as a platform where best practices on renewables can be learnt and shared. Not just among ASEAN member countries but also from our esteemed friends from the +3 nations and the other East Asia Summit countries.

Another trend is in the LNG: THE BRIDGING FUEL OF THE FUTURE

Ladies and Gentlemen, while sustainable renewables will come to dominate the future, there is still a need for a stable source of electricity that can bridge this transition. Without this, we will not be able to secure our energy security.

I would like to draw your attention to the second emerging trend that is changing our energy landscape: The revolution in gas that promises to make it the bridging fuel in the short to medium-term.

This revolution is defined by three major developments.

The first is increasing demand from Asia - where our players will eventually transition from net exporters to net importers.
The second is increasing supply from the rest of the world: Where new supplies have come on stream, especially from the United States.

The third is cheaper gas. Due to the reconfigurations of these supply and demand mechanics, changing the way gas is purchased and pushing costs down in the process.

In this region, these changes already taking place, and at a fast pace. For starters, nowhere are the prospects higher for the demand of gas than in Asia. For the first half of this year alone, Chinese LNG imports jumped 38% from the same period in 2016.This thirst for gas is set to grow further.

According to forecasts by British Petroleum, China and India alone are expected to account for half of the 30% increase in global energy demand between today and 2035.The same trends are happening in ASEAN, where the situation is such that as gas fields continue to deplete, we will eventually transition from net exporters to net importers.

In fact, the Oxford Institute for Energy anticipates that by 2021, ASEAN countries will be net importers requiring 20 million tons. This is set to rise to at least 45 million tons in 2030. Now, that’s just on the demand side of the equation. As demand continues to grow, things look promising on the supply side as well. Indeed, global supplies of LNG are on course to increase by 50% between 2014 and 2021.

It’s also wise to take note of the effects that US LNG exports have had on the global LNG market due to the shale gas revolution in the United States. Once a net importer, the US is now a net exporter of natural gas and is expected to become the world’s 3rd biggest exporter of LNG by 2020.

This has had a disruptive effect on the markets, as the prospects of rising US gas exports has put pressure on the pricing formula of several existing long-term contracts. What is happening is that a market once-dominated by long-term contracts between a small number of suppliers, and an equally exclusive club of buyers such as Japan and South Korea, have been blown open by the influx of US gas.

Consider that a decade ago, more than 95% of LNG contracts were for 10 years or more. Today, that figure is down to about 60%. Given these new developments, ASEAN needs to start planning for this future. We need to think of how we can ride this LNG wave, to ensure that we can safeguard our energy security.

We’ve started doing just that in the Philippines. We’ve started with the rollout of the Batangas LNG Terminal by 2020 to safeguard against the anticipated depletion of the Malampaya gas facility in 2024.

The buy-in is there. The investors are in. And we expect to commence groundbreaking of this project in 2018.

Things are also picking up on the regional front. We have already begun pursuing the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline to ensure that we can move gas around the region, with pipelines linking Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and Indonesia.

This will benefit our member countries, lowering costs to move gas around. This sense of urgency is encouraging, but more needs to be done to put us on a stronger footing. Especially when you consider ASEAN's increasing needs for LNG.

Already, it is expected that Southeast Asian nations could soon double import capacity for liquefied natural gas as domestic energy sources fall short, collectively becoming a key player in the global LNG market.

This will see the region boosting its annual LNG receiving capacity from 25 million tons to some 50 million tons over the next five years. The expanded figure equates to about 20% of the LNG carried on tankers worldwide in 2015.

ASEAN THEREFORE IS THE PLACE TO INVEST

These are great plans, yes. But these are plans that will cost money. It is now imperative on us to draw in more investments and expertise to ensure that we are prepared for this new future. Hence, I call on our friends from other countries to help us on this journey.

We welcome your expertise, your experience as well as your investments to help power growth in this region. My message is simple: ASEAN is the right place for you to invest.

Not only because of our growth potential, but also because of our efforts to make our region the primary investment destination for foreign investors. This is especially true here in the Philippines, where we intend to fulfill our side of the deal.

Our track record speaks for itself. We already have an open and transparent market. And we’ve always looked to introduce policies to create a regulatory environment that is conducive and supportive to both regional and global investors.

We’re also doing more, making conscious efforts to reduce regulations and to speed up the process of project approvals through the introduction of Executive Order No 30. This will change the way we process energy projects.
No longer will it take up to 3 years for an agency to respond to a proposal for a project. Instead, these agencies must act on a proposal WITHIN 30 days, failing which, the proposal is deemed approved.

Such efforts are not just unique to the Philippines. Indeed, similar trends are taking place across the region, as ASEAN member-countries seek to pull-in much needed investments.

My friends, if ever there was a right time to invest in energy in ASEAN, it is now!
             
Ladies and Gentlemen, let me conclude today by reiterating the points that I made earlier. I spoke about two emerging trends that are changing the realities of the global energy landscape.

I said at the start, that the prospects for sustainable renewables are better today than any time in the past. I also alluded to the fact that while renewables will come to dominate energy mixes in the long-term; LNG, will prove to be the bridging fuel that gets us through the short to medium-term.
These developments will bring their own sets of challenges. But at the same time, there are plenty of opportunities -- opportunities that can only be realized if all of us can work together to meet these challenges. And we can’t do this by merely grasping for simple solutions. We can only do this by engaging in a transition that is thorough.

That means innovation towards sustainability from a competitive renewables industry;
That means laying out detailed plans to make the most of the LNG revolution;
That means ASEAN governments clearing hurdles to investments;
That means our friends in the private sector and +3 nations and other East Asia Summit countries, sharing their best practices and investments in this region.

So, I encourage all of you to come and join us in ASEAN on this journey, as I believe this will not only be good for you and for us, but for future generations to come. The investments in these ideas will not only be good for the ASEAN economy, but also for our planet.

If all of us can work to ensure that all paths can lead to the same place, then we can get to where we need to be. With your full support, I look forward to the success of AMEM35 and its Associated Meetings and the ASEAN Energy Business Forum 2017.

Thank you and Mabuhay!

Press Release
DOE to Accelerate Rural Electrification

STUDY TURN-OVER: Philippine Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi (L), Chair of the 35th ASEAN Ministers Energy Meeting and Associated Meetings (AMEM35), thanks International Renewable Energy Agency Director General Adnan Amin (R) during the official turn-over of the IRENA study entitled "Accelerating the Deployment of Renewable Energy Mini-Grids for Off-Grid Electrification- A Study on the Philippines.” The turnover of the RE study was held during the concluding press conference of the AMEM35 at the Conrad Manila.

(Manila, Philippines). Filipino households can look forward better to access basic electricity services with the government's thrust towards total electrification.

This was stressed by Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi as he received Thursday (28 September) a study conducted by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) during the concluding ceremonies of the 35th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM35) at Conrad Manila, Pasay City.

The study is entitled "Accelerating the Deployment of Renewable Energy Mini-Grids for Off-Grid Electrification- A Study on the Philippines".

Cusi said, “The IRENA study supports the country’s total electrification goal for Filipino families to enjoy equal opportunity to access basic electricity services.”

“Electrification of households, particularly n the rural areas, remains a big challenge for us. Thus, we have to take advantage of this study to bridge the residual gaps in our electrification efforts,” the Energy Chief emphasized.
The study explored the issues and barriers to the implementation of mini-grids through a comprehensive review of government legislation and programs and select international studies.

The study entailed a documentary review, focus group discussions and field studies in four sites, which resulted in several key recommendations to accelerate the deployment of energy mini-grids via RE and other emerging technologies for off-grid electrification in the Philippines.

The study came up with five key recommendations:

(1) define roles and responsibilities to remove overlapping roles, functions and accountabilities to acknowledge stakeholders’ roles and to define private-sector boundaries;

(2) undertake comprehensive and strategic planning for total electrification, missionary electrification development, stronger coordination among relevant agencies, grid and off-grid development efforts, and resource utilization, especially renewable energy;

(3) establish a clear policy approach for mini-grids to introduce a graduation policy for the universal charge for missionary electrification entitlement;

(4) revise regulatory approach for mini-grid projects to remove existing barriers and  facilitate smooth entry in the market by streamlining processes, updating procurement rules, and improving tariff determination procedures and

(5) increase project development and execution support for more accessible financing, and promotion and understanding of renewable energy by all stakeholders.

IRENA is an intergovernmental organization that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future, and serves as the principal platform for international co-operation, a center of excellence, and a repository of policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge on renewable energy.

The international agency also promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind energy, in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy security and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity.

ABOUT A HORSE WALKS INTO A BAR by David Grossman

**WINNER OF THE 2017 MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE**

The award-winning and internationally acclaimed author of the To the End of the Land now gives us a searing short novel about the life of a stand-up comic, as revealed in the course of one evening’s performance. In the dance between comic and audience, with barbs flying back and forth, a deeper story begins to take shapeâ€"one that will alter the lives of many of those in attendance.

In a little dive in a small Israeli city, Dov Greenstein, a comedian a bit past his prime, is doing a night of stand-up. In the audience is a district court justice, Avishai Lazar, whom Dov knew as a boy, along with a few others who remember Dov as an awkward, scrawny kid who walked on his hands to confound the neighborhood bullies. Gradually, as it teeters between hilarity and hysteria, Dov’s patter becomes a kind of memoir, taking us back into the terrors of his childhood: we meet his beautiful flower of a mother, a Holocaust survivor in need of constant monitoring, and his punishing father, a striver who had little understanding of his creative son. Finally, recalling his week at a military camp for youthâ€"where Lazar witnessed what would become the central event of Dov’s childhoodâ€"Dov describes the indescribable while Lazar wrestles with his own part in the comedian’s story of loss and survival. Continuing his investigations into how people confront life’s capricious battering, and how art may blossom from it, Grossman delivers a stunning performance in this memorable one-night engagement (jokes in questionable taste included).

ABOUT THE MISTRESS by Danielle Steel


#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Incomparable storyteller Danielle Steel illuminates rarely glimpsed precincts of unimaginable wealth and power, where love and freedom are the most dangerous desires of all.

Natasha Leonova’s beauty saved her life. Discovered starving on a freezing Moscow street by a Russian billionaire, she has lived for seven years under his protection, immersed in rarefied luxury, while he pursues his activities in a dark world that she guesses at but never sees. Her home is the world, often on one of Vladimir Stanislas’s spectacular yachts manned by scores of heavily armed crew members. Natasha’s job is to keep Vladimir happy, ask no questions, and be discreet. She knows her place, and the rules. She feels fortunate to be spoiled and protected, and is careful not to dwell on Vladimir’s ruthlessness or the deadly circles he moves in. She experiences only his kindness and generosity and believes he will always keep her safe. She is unfailingly loyal to him in exchange.

Theo Luca is the son of a brilliant, world famous, and difficult artist, Lorenzo Luca, who left his wife and son with a fortune in artwork they refuse to sell. Lorenzo’s widow, Maylis, has transformed their home in St. Paul de Vence into a celebrated restaurant decorated with her late husband’s paintings, and treats it as a museum. There, on a warm June evening, Theo first encounters Natasha, the most exquisite woman he has ever seen. And there, Vladimir lays eyes on Luca’s artwork. Two dangerous obsessions begin.

Theo, a gifted artist in his own right, finds himself feverishly painting Natasha’s image for weeks after their first meeting. Vladimir, enraged that Lorenzo’s works are not for sale, is determined to secure a painting at any price. And Natasha, who knows that she cannot afford to make even one false move, nevertheless begins to think of a world of freedom she can never experience as Vladimir’s mistress. She cannot risk her safety for another man, or even a conversation with him, as Theo longs for a woman he can never have.

From Moscow to the Riviera, London, and Paris, The Mistress is a riveting tale of vast fortune, cruelty, creative genius, and daring courage, as uncompromising individuals chart a course for collision.

Taking a Knee

ENHANCEMENTS TO CONSOLIDATED “REVISED ANTI-HAZING BILL” PROPOSED

Rep. Abayon proposes inclusion of sports teams in the list of “organizations,” posting of announcements of initiation rites via official social media sites of barangay or school, and additional penalties

Assistant Minority Leader and AANGAT Tayo Party-list Congressman Harlin Neil Abayon, III supports the “Revised Anti-Hazing Bill” forwarded by the Justice Panel to the plenary.

As his way of making sure that the hazing death of fellow millennial Horacio “Atio” Castillo, III won’t be in vain, the 29-year-old lawmaker wants be of help in crafting an anti-hazing law that has teeth and can be implemented well by present and future authorities. Below are his proposed enhancements to the bill.

Out of abundance of caution and prevention, I propose the inclusion of sports teams in the list of groups considered as “organization” in the Anti-Hazing Bill of the House.

For the public posting and disclosure of the conduct of all initiation rites, I also propose the addition of official social media sites and accounts of schools and barangays because it is not enough that the notices and applications are posted on the bulletin boards. In this day and age, bulletin boards are largely ignored or simply passed by. However, people pay attention to social media accounts, which are today’s modern version of bulletin boards.

I also propose the following penalties for anyone convicted of hazing:

1) permanent disqualification from holding any public office;
2) permanent loss of the right to vote; and
3) permanent prohibition on the issuance or grant of any license to possess any firearm and ammunition or parts thereof.

Lastly, I propose that all the authorities tasked to regulate initiation rites have a monitoring and reporting system and corresponding accountabilities.
On Parental Vigilance

Parental vigilance, unfortunately, cannot be legislated. We can only keep on appealing to parents to be more active in the supervision of their children and teenagers.

We understand that the necessity of work or business forces parents to be away from their kids, but ways must be found to overcome this challenge. (END)

‘Game Of Thrones’ Stars Kit Harington And Rose Leslie Are Engaged

Bohol outmigrants: a case study
Author(s):
Adem, E S
Title(s):
Bohol outmigrants : a case study / E.S. Adem.
Series:
SEAPRAP Research Report ; no. 74
Country of Publication:
Singapore
Publisher:
Singapore, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Southeast Asia Population Research Awards Program [SEAPRAP], 1982.
Description:
159 p.
Language:
English

Summary:
The report summarizes research undertaken on outmigration from the Bohol province of the Philippines to Cagayan de Oro--an urban center near Bohol. The objective of the study was to identify the factors that work together and trigger an individual's movement out of rural areas, into the city. The study utilizes the case history method in discovering latent and implicit interlocking motives for moving. It was limited to 106 households which experienced outmigration between 1978-1979. The conclusions discredit theories which view migration as a wholly economic-motivated decision. The case history method of gathering research, (as opposed to the survey method), revealed that the "kinship system" underlies outmigration. In this system, members of the family, particularly siblings who have established themselves in the city, prearrange employment for a member of their family before the migrant moves away. Thus, on the whole, the Boholano migrant is not independently motivated to go to the city to find work but rather was brought there or sent for by the kin. Pursuit of higher education often initiates outmigration of the young, which in turn triggers migration of other siblings. Family and community ties remain extremely important to the migrant and often cause him to return to Bohol or to shuttle frequently between Bohol and the city. Policy implications of the findings are examined and recommendations are made for further studies in migration.

First ever meetup in Barangay Liboron, Calape, Bohol
Balong (Rene Econg, born in Maribojoc, Bohol) of Tubag Bohol arrived yesterday in Bohol from Florida, USA.

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Press Release - The following is the status of the power plants causing the "yellow alert" (thinning of reserves) in the Luzon Grid:

1. Plants on unplanned outage:

a. Ilijan B (3 units)â€" 600MW;

b. Limay 7 â€" 60MW (may return anytime now);

c. Makban 5 â€" 55MW

d. Sual 2 â€" 647MW


2. Plants on planned outage:

a. Kalayaan 3 â€" 180MW;

b. Kalayaan 4 â€" 180 MW;

c. San Lorenzo 1 - 265MW;

MERALCO, for its part, is in close coordination with its customers who have enlisted in the interruptible load program. As of 10 am, it reported that there are a total of 126 accounts with a load of 189.22 MW that have committed to deload, if necessary.

Press Release
ASEAN Grid Milestone - Representatives from Lao, Thailand and Malaysia signed today the Energy Purchase Wheeling Agreement (EWPA) which is the first multilateral electricity transaction in ASEAN that aims to advance multilateral electricity trade. 
In photo from left are: Electricite Du Laos Managing Director Bounoum Syvanpheng, Vice Minister of Energy and Mines of LAO PDR Thongphat Inthavon, Electricite Du Laos Deputy Managing Director Bounma Manivong,  Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand Governor Kornrasit Pakchotanon, Minister of Energy Thailand General Anantaporn Kanjanarat,  Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand Assistant Governor Abdul Pitakchartiwongse, Tenaga Nasional Berhad of Malaysia CEO-President Datuk Seri Ir. Azman Mohd, Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water of Malaysia Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Maximus Johnity Ongkili and Tenaga Nasional Berhad of Malaysia Company Secretary Ms. Nozarni Mohd Isa.

Philippines Hosts Signing of ASEAN Grid Integration Deal

(Manila, Philippines). The Philippines highlights its role this week as host to the historic signing of an agreement integrating the power grids of Laos, Malaysia and Thailand.

The deal dubbed Energy Purchase Wheeling Agreement (EWPA) will be signed by the heads of the electric utilities of the three ASEAN member states during the 35th ASEAN Energy Ministers Meeting (AMEM35) on September 27 at the Conrad Hotel Manila. They are Bounoum Syvanpheng of Electricite du Laos from Lao People's Democratic Republic, Kornsrasit Pakchotanon of Electricity Generating Authority Thailand and Datuk Seri Ir. Azman Mohd of Tenaga National Berhad from Malaysia. ASEAN energy ministers will witness the EPWA signing.

In welcoming this development, Philippine Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi emphasized that the ASEAN is indeed the place for the investors to invest. This agreement is among the endeavors of ASEAN Member States in continuously looking into policies and areas of cooperation that are open and transparent.

The EWPA is the first multilateral electricity transaction in ASEAN that aims to advance electricity trade in the ASEAN Power Grid (APG). It implements Phase 1 of the Lao-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project that involves the purchase by Malaysia of up to 100 megawatts from Laos via Thailand’s transmission grid.

The APG is one of the key initiatives under the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) ‎‎2016-2025, which serves as a blueprint for better cooperation towards enhancing energy security, accessibility, affordability and sustainability under the framework of the ASEAN Economic Community.

As one of the physical energy infrastructure projects in the Master Plan of the ASEAN Connectivity, APG is expected to boost electricity trade across borders to meet the increasing electricity demand and improve access to energy services in the region. It is also envisioned to improve economic generation and transmission of electricity, enhance reliability and security of electricity supply and provide a platform for future energy trade.

APG is also expected to provide opportunities to collectively utilize the energy resources within ASEAN to reduce the need and dependence on imported fuels from other regions.

The EPWA signing is part of the week-long AMEM35, where energy meetings and exhibits make the country as the destination of energy cooperation in the ASEAN.

Press Release
ASEAN Ministers to Enhance Energy Cooperation

(Manila, Philippines). ASEAN Member States (AMS) together with the ASEAN Secretariat, development partners and stakeholders have agreed on various energy cooperation projects to propel regional economic progress.

At the conclusion of the ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM35), the Philippines' Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi pointed out that the agreements on enhanced cooperation are intended to achieve a “One ASEAN Community Through Resilient and Sustainable Energy.”

The series of AMEM35 meetings included the 14th ASEAN+3 (China, Japan and Korea) Ministers on Energy Meeting; the First AMEM-International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Dialogue; the ASEAN Energy Business Forum (AEBF); and the 11th East Asia Summit-Energy Ministers Meeting or the AMEM+8 (Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russian Federation and the US).

Regional Energy Policy and Planning

The AMS, development partners and affiliate international organizations discussed the outlook for global and ASEAN energy and member states’ support for the implementation of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2016-2025.

They agreed on the need for sustained cooperation to ensure security of energy supply and promote a low-carbon energy sector.

The AMS also gave due recognition to best practices and developments in the energy industry through the ASEAN Energy Awards.

Renewable Energy

The AMS agreed to boost efforts to attain ASEAN’s aspirational target of 23% Renewable Energy (RE) share in the region-wide energy mix by 2025.

The Ministers were also united in forging sustainable renewable energy cooperation together with the active participation of IRENA.

"We have a long way to go, so we have devised a Renewable Energy Outlook as guide to narrow the gap on the RE initiatives in the region,” Cusi said.

Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline (TAGP)

The AMS agreed to ensure accessibility and security of oil and gas supply in the region, through their continuing efforts on the intra-ASEAN Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Cooperation initiated by the ASEAN Council on Petroleum (ASCOPE).

The participants also stressed the pivotal role of natural gas to the region’s sustainable growth and the need to implement the long-term goal of open access to gas markets in the region; identify commercial opportunities; share best practices; and enhance policy development.

Clean Coal Technology

The AMS acknowledged the importance of promoting highly efficient and clean coal technologies in the regional drive to lower carbon emissions and a more sustainable future for the region and the world. At present, coal continues to be a major fuel source in the region.

Energy Efficiency and Conservation

The AMS agreed to work towards achieving by 2020 the ASEAN’s energy intensity reduction target by 20% based on 2005 levels. Currently, the ASEAN is at 18.3% level.

The Energy Ministers emphasized the need to foster innovative solutions and encourage countries to continue information sharing, best practices, capacity building, better business models and other alternative and emerging efficient energy technologies.

Civilian Nuclear Energy

The AMS discussed how to enhance the Member States’ capabilities on civilian nuclear energy for its safe and efficient development. The AMS invited development partners who are experts in the field, including Canada, China, Japan, Russia and the United States, to share their experiences.

ASEAN Power Grid

The AMS has already embarked on multilateral electricity trade in the ASEAN Power Grid through the signing of the Phase 1 of the Energy Purchase and Wheeling Agreement among Lao PDR, Thailand and Malaysia under the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project (LTMS-PIP).

ASEAN Energy Investment

The AMS agreed to target an increase in the average GDP growth to 6% across the region, and recognized the vital role of the private sector and their active participation in the ASEAN region. The AMEM35 and the ASEAN Energy Business Forum had a joint opening ceremony to underscore the fact that the ASEAN is a sweet spot for business growth and development.

Finally, Cusi said: “The Philippines takes pride in hosting the AMEM35 as this showcases not only our capability to manage an international energy event, but the beauty and culture of the country as well the talents and hospitality of Filipinos.”

Press Release
ATIO HAZING CASE:
MILLENNIAL SOLON CALLS ON DFA TO INVOKE EXTRADITION TREATY WITH U.S.A.

House Committees on Foreign Affairs and Justice Member AANGAT Tayo Party-list Congressman Harlin Neil Abayon, III supports the “Revised Anti-Hazing Bill” forwarded by the Justice Panel to the plenary. The 29-year-old lawmaker seeks justice for 22-year-old hazing victim Horacio “Atio” Castillo, III and wants all resources of the government be spent in bringing justice to Atio and his family.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) must invoke the extradition treaty between the Philippines and the United States so that any suspects in the killing of Horacio “Atio” Castillo, III who fled to the US will face justice here in the Philippines.

US Ambassador Sung Kim should work with the DFA and Department of Justice (DOJ) on the arrest of the suspects. As a friend of the Philippines, the US ought to help us seek justice for Atio.

Ambassador Kim can function as the facilitator of the DFA and DOJ with the US State Department and US Justice Department.

The Bureau of Immigration confirmed that primary suspect Ralph Trangia y Cabales left for Taiwan last September 19. Taiwan Economic Cultural office (TECO) said that Trangia then took a flight to Chicago.

Trangia and at least 16 other Aegis Juris Fraternity members are among those charged with murder, violation of the anti-hazing law (RA 8049), and robbery in connection with Atio’s hazing death.

Trangia is clearly now a fugitive from justice. I appeal to the DFA to urge the US government to undertake wide-ranging, inter-state manhunt operations against Trangia. He should face the charges here in the Philippines. We should not let him hide for too long.

Balskie, inig retire nimo sa Florida. Lansad ka sa Maribojoc.

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(Manila, Philippines). Philippine Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi on Wednesday asked investors to help fund the many energy-related undertakings of the member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as he formally opened the 35th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM35).

Cusi welcomed his fellow energy ministers at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay as the host of the AMEM35, along with the ASEAN Energy Business Forum (AEBF). AMEM35, with the AEBF, serves as a platform for government energy policy makers, the business sector and energy innovators to meet and encourage more energy cooperation for the ASEAN region.

Highlighting the efforts of the ASEAN Member States to make the region a primary investment destination, Cusi told the business groups that the “ASEAN is the right place for you to invest in.”

Cusi said the Philippine government, as well as its counterparts in the ASEAN, have consistently tried to create a regulatory environment conducive and supportive of both regional and global investors.

“There are great (energy) plans, but these are plans that will cost money. Thus, it is imperative to draw in more investments," said Cusi, who cited renewable energy and liquefied natural gas as key areas for energy cooperation.

“From reduced carbon footprints to lower emissions to cleaner air, we know how important it is that we invest in the future of renewable energy sources. Ultimately, renewable energy must reach grid parity  in a world where carbon-based energy (like coal and oil) is priced in a fair manner,” Cusi said.
 
Cusi pointed to an increasing demand for relatively cheaper natural gas from Asia, complemented by increasing supply from the rest of the world (i.e., the United States).
“Things are picking up on the regional front,” Cusi emphasized as the ASEAN member-states begin pursuing the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline.

This will ensure the utilization of natural gas around the region, with investments on pipelines linking Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and Indonesia, he said. - Press Release

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Capitol Inn Travelbee Cebu Phone & Address

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Jacinth Pension House Cebu Address Phone

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Press Release
Less than a month before the scheduled barangay elections

REP. SALO BATS FOR REGULAR SALARIES OF BARANGAY OFFICIALS

House Assistant Majority Leader and KABAYAN Party-list Representative Ron P. Salo files House Bill 6033 or the Barangay Officials Salary and Benefits Act.

Barangay officials are deemed persons in authority in their respective barangays, and are mandated to maintain public order and ensure the efficient delivery of basic services to the people. Their functions cut across the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.

As a basic political unit of government, the barangay serves as the primary planning and implementing unit of government programs. However, despite these functions and responsibilities imposed on barangay officials, they are among the least paid public servants, and are not entitled to the regular benefits afforded to regular government employees.

Barangay captains used to receive honorarium, a measly sum of P1,000 while council members, secretaries, and treasurers used to receive P600 only as honorarium.

In 1996, the Department of Budget and Management addressed this by fixing the compensation of barangay captains at Salary Grade 14 and for the rest, Salary Grade 10. Payments at these new rates, however, are subject to the availability of funds of the LGU concerned. As such, their compensation is subject to the whims and caprices of those in power.

HB 6033 seeks to address this further by making sure the salaries come from the funds of the cities and towns they are part of. Those funds include the internal revenue allotment as already provided by law, among them the Local Government Code.

HB 6033 proposes to raise the compensation of barangay chairmen to Salary Grade 15 and kagawad (councilmen) to Salary Grade 12. The proposal shall give regular salaries to barangay officials.

When HB 6033 becomes a law, all barangay officials shall be entitled to the following fixed regular salaries:

a)    Punong barangay â€" Salary Grade 15 (P27, 565 per month)
b)    Sangguniang Barangay Members â€" Salary Grade 12 (P21,387 per month)
c)     Barangay Secretary â€" Salary Grade 10 (P18, 217 per month)
d)    Barangay Treasurer â€" Salary Grade 10 (P18, 217 per month)

Reference on salary grades: https://goo.gl/QFz43g

If this bill gets passed before the next batch of barangay officials are elected, that next batch and every batch thereafter will be entitled to the salary increases, as well as GSIS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG benefits.

Bottom line is this: We want and expect these local leaders to really function. We should match our expectations with commensurate compensation. Let us professionalize the barangay. Let's give our barangay officials the compensation they deserve to ensure that they shall be completely focused in performing their functions.

Cat Mozart

Press Release
DOTr HINIMOK MAGBIGAY AMNESTY SA COLORUM PUVs

Nagpanukala si AASENSO Party-list Representative Teodoro G. Montoro na dapat maglatag ng kaakit-akit na amnesty program ang gobyerno sa mga operator ng colorum na jeep, bus, UV, express, at taxi, na kakagatin kahit pa ng mga kritiko ng PUV modernization.

Sa September 25 at 26, nakatakdang magsagawa ng tigil-pasada ng ilang transport groups para tutulan ang planong jeepney phase out ng Department of Transportation na bahagi ng modernization plan ng ahensiya.

Ideya ni Montoro na kasapi ng House Committee on Transportation: Dapat may probisyon ang amnesty program na oobliga sa lahat ng operator ng colorum units na isuko sa gobyerno ang lahat ng colorum units para mapalitan ito ng mga electric at environment-friendly na mga sasakyan.

Ang mga amnesty-covered na colorum units na maayos pa nag kalagayan ay ido-donate ng gobyerno sa mga State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) sa mga probinsya sa labas ng metro-cities para mapakinabangan ng mga estudyante at mga guro.

Iyon naman mga bulok at kakarag-karag nang colorum units ay kakatayin at pipiyesahan at ilalagak ang mapagbebentahan sa kaban ng gobyerno.

May hypothetical na scenario pang isinalaysay si Montoro para ipaliwanang ang kanyang ideya:

May tatlong kolorum na sasakyan si Mang Nanding â€" isang UV express, isang bus, at isang jeepney. Ang UV express at bus ay maayos pa at ipinapasada pa kahit ilegal. Pero ang jeepney ay nakumpiska at naluma na sa impounding area at matagal nang di natutubos ni Mang Nanding.

Kapag nagbigay na ng amnesty ang DOTr, maaari nang isuko ni Mang Nanding sa gobyerno ang pagmamay-ari ng kanyang mga kolorum na sasakyan at papalitan naman ito ng gobyerno ng electric vehicles.

Bababayaran na lamang ni Mang Nanding ang diperensiya sa presyo ng kanyang tatlong amnesty-covered vehicles at ng mga bagong electric vehicles. Maaari pang magbayad si Mang Nanding sa DOTr nang hulugan para maging magaan sa kanya ang pagbabayad.

Dahil din sa amnesty, hindi na kakasuhan ng gobyerno si Mang Nanding dahil sa colorum violations niya. Legal nang magagamit ni Mang Nanding sa pamamasada ang mga bago niyang electric vehicles.

Yung UV express at bus ni Mang Nanding na nakuha ng gobyerno ay ibibigay sa mga SUCs; habang ang bulok na jeepney ay pipiyesahan at babakalan na lamang at ang mapagbebentahan ay mapupunta sa kaban ng bansa.

“Ang nasabing amnesty ay epektibong diskarte para matanggal ang libu-libong mga colorum at road unworthy na mga sasakyan na bumibyahe pa rin sa metro-manila at mga urban areas. Luluwag na ang trapiko, mababawasan pa ang air pollution,” sabi ni Montoro, kinatawan ng party-list para mga manggagawa.

“Ang panukala kong amnesty program ay lulutas din sa transportation problems ng malalayong SUCs. Ang mga isusukong roadworthy na sasakyan ay maaaring ipanghatid at sundo sa mga estudyante at propesor sa mga kanayunan na nagbibyahe pa nang malayo para lamang makarating sa eskwelahan,” giit ni Montoro na isa din sa mga may-akda ng House Bill 6112 or Public Utility Vehicle Monitoring Act, isang panukalang umaayon sa modernization plan ng DOTr.

“This set of solutions hits three birds with one massive stone,” pagwawakas ni Montoro sa kanyang pahayag.

Press Release
As commuters brace for Sept 25-26 transport strike against jeepney phase out

AASENSO SOLON URGES DOTr TO PROPOSE PUV AMNESTY PROGRAM

House Committee on Transportation Member and AASENSO Party-list Representative Teodoro G. Montoro proposes an amnesty program for owners of colorum vehicles in which amnesty-covered vehicles shall be swapped for new electric and environment-friendly vehicles. Montoro supports the PUV modernization plan of the DOTr and is one of the authors of House Bill 6112 or Public Utility Vehicle Monitoring Act.


When the Department of Transportation (DOTr) proposes to Congress a detailed amnesty program for colorum jeepneys, buses, UV express, and taxis, I will support it in the form of a bill.

However such an amnesty program should attractive enough to entice even the critics of public utility vehicles (PUV) modernization.

The amnesty should have a provision that will require all operators of the colorum units to surrender the amnesty-covered vehicles to the government, which will replace all non-roadworthy vehicles with new electric vehicles, while all the roadworthy units will be turned over to state universities and colleges (SUCs) located in the provinces for their use as service vehicles to ferry students and faculty.


To illustrate, here is a hypothetical scenario:

Mang Nanding owns three (3) colorum vehicles â€" a UV express, a bus, and a jeepney. The UV express and bus are in Mang Nanding’s garage, while the jeepney is languishing in the impounding area and is already dilapidated.

Once the DOTr offers amnesty to owners of colorum vehicles, all Mang Nanding's vehicles can be surrendered to the government in exchange for brand-new electric vehicles which Mang Nanding will pay in easy-installment plans. He will need to pay only for the difference in price of the 3 amnesty-covered vehicles and the new electric vehicles.

The government will also not file charges and will not prosecute for the colorum violations. Mang Nanding can now legally use for his transport business his newly-acquired electric vehicles.

The UV express and the bus that are still roadworthy shall be acquired by the government and shall be donated to SUCs outside of metro-cities for their official use.

The jeepney that is already dilapidated shall be disposed as scrap metal and the proceeds of which shall go to the government coffers.


An amnesty program would be one effective way to remove tens of thousands of vehicles from the congested streets of Metro-Manila and other urban areas. It can also make urban air cleaner.

Turning over the roadworthy colorums to SUCs will address some of the access problems of students and faculty who travel long hours just to get to school.

This set of solutions hits three birds with one massive stone.