US EXPANDS ACCESS TO PH BASES

The Philippines on Thursday said it has agreed to let the United States expand its military presence here, giving American troops access to four new sites in the country against the backdrop of aggressive Chinese actions in the West Philippine Sea.

In a joint statement issued during the visit of US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III, both sides announced plans to accelerate the full implementation of the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), including designating four new locations in strategic areas of the country and the substantial completion of projects in the existing five locations.

EDCA enables US forces to have access to designated Philippine military camps, where they can be indefinitely stationed on a rotational basis. In October, the US sought access for a larger number of its troops and weapons.

“The EDCA is a key pillar of the US-Philippines alliance, which supports combined training, exercises, and interoperability between our forces,” said the statement released by the US and Philippine Defense departments. “Expansion of the EDCA will make our alliance stronger and more resilient, and will accelerate modernization of our combined military capabilities.”

“The addition of these new EDCA locations will allow more rapid support for humanitarian and climate-related disasters in the Philippines, and respond to other shared challenges,” it said.

The statement did not identify the four new locations or refer to China specifically.

“The United States has allocated over $82 million towardinfrastructure investments at the existing five sites under the EDCA, and is proud that these investments are supporting economic growth and job creation in local Philippine communities,” the US embassy said in a statement.

CHINA: AVOID TROUBLED WATERS

China has hit the United States for its “zero-sum game mentality” and warned the Philippines against allowing itself to be “dragged into trouble waters.”

The Chinese embassy in Manila issued the statement Thursday hours after visiting US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III said reaffirming commitment to the 1951 PH-US Mutual Defense Treaty was important as, “China continues to advance their illegitimate claims in the West Philippines Sea.”

“The United States, out of its self interests and zero-sum game mentality, continues to step up military posture in this region. Its actions escalate regional tension and undermine regional peace and stability,” the embassy said.

“It is hoped that the Philippine side stays vigilant and resists from being taken advantage of and dragged into trouble waters,” it added.

The embassy said Austin “smeared” China on the WPS issue “to advance the anti-China political agenda of the US.”

“Such moves contradict the common aspiration of regional countries to seek peace, cooperation and development, and run counter to the common aspiration of the Filipino people to pursue sound economic recovery and a better life in cooperation with China,” the embassy said.

It added that defense cooperation must “not target against any third party, even less to harm the interests of a third party.”

JAPAN MULLS SENDING 200 BILLION YEN AID TO PH FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

TOKYO—Japan is considering providing annually more than 200 billion yen ($1.6 billion) in aid to the Philippines for its infrastructure development, government sources said Thursday, with the two countries trying to bolster their economic ties.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is also planning to agree with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is slated to visit Japan next week, to boost security cooperation amid China's growing assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region, the sources said.

Tokyo and Manila, which have maintained friendly relations in recent years, have been joining hands in the security and economic fields as the two nations have been locked in territorial spats with Beijing in the South and East China seas.

After Kishida and Marcos, both of whom have also expressed eagerness to deepen security ties with the United States, hold a meeting in Tokyo next Thursday, a joint press statement is expected to released, according to the sources.

On the bilateral front, the two leaders are likely to confirm that the two countries will continue their security dialogue involving their defense and foreign ministers, which was first held in April 2022, the sources said, with an eye on future joint drills.

The new aid package to the Philippines, centering on official development assistance, would be supplied within less than five years, the sources said.

MAKABAYAN BLOC URGES MARCOS JR. TO SPEAK UP ON ICC PROBE

MANILA - Members of the Makabayan bloc pressed President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to declare his position on the Duterte administration's withdrawal of the Philippines from the International Criminal Court (ICC), after the tribunal resumed its investigation into the previous administration's war against illegal drugs.

"Hanggang ngayon nakakabingi ang katahimikan ni Marcos Jr. mismo sa usaping ito. Kailangan na niyang magpasya kung makikipagtulungan ba siya sa ICC o hindi, kung titindig ba siya mga biktima at para sa karapatang pantao o hindi," Kabataan Party List Rep. Raoul Manuel said during the bloc's weekly press conference.

House Deputy Minority Leader/ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro said the current position of the government undermines the country's stature in the international committee and efforts to draw foreign investors to the country.

"Ano ba 'yung nagiging mukha natin samantalang nananatili 'yung kawalan ng accountability, kawalan ng hustisya sa mga biktima ng EJK or ng tokhang dito sa pekeng war on drugs ni dating President Duterte at kaniyang administration? Paano magtitiwala sa atin ang ibang bansa kung mismong ang gobyerno ni Marcos Jr. ay tila may pinagtatakpan?" Castro said.

Castro and Manuel noted how the slow pace of the justice system has allowed those behind the bloody war on drugs to go scot-free.

"Napakabagal ng ating justice system. Totoo na gumagana ang ating justice system pero ito ay talagang — ano sinasabi ng mga biktima? — justice delayed, justice denied," Castro said.

"Kaya sa 7,000 na sinasabi ng mga pulis na mga kaso ng tokhang at nanlaban, wala pang isang daan dito 'yung iniimbestigahan at 2 kaso pa lang 'yung may verdict na guilty," Castro added.

"Sa ating Secretary of Justice, huwag sabihing nakakairita ang ICC dahil talaga namang napakaraming pagkukulang ng ating justice system," said Castro.

Both Castro and Manuel pointed out that the justice system has so far failed to go after former President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who as national police chief, implemented the war on drugs.

DA TOLD TO ELIMINATE MIDDLEMEN IN FOOD CHAIN

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Agriculture (DA) to directly connect food producers to consumers and institutional buyers, and remove the middle men in the system.

In compliance with the President’s directive, the DA enhanced its initiative to help farmers cooperatives and associations (FCAs) across the country.

Under the initiative, spearheaded by the department’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS), about P2.589 million worth of onions have been sold by the FCAs to institutional buyers from September 2022 to Jan. 24, 2023, composed of 3,478 kilos of red onions worth P755,455 and 5,106.38 kilos of white onions worth P1.833 million.

The DA-awarded Kadiwa trucks and vans also helped the FCAs with their hauling and delivery to markets and big buyers.

“Logistics have a big help really. Kadiwa also helped with the logistics,” Elvin Jerome Laceda of RiceUp and Sakahon farmers’ enterprises said. The DA had awarded a four-wheel truck worth P1.3 million to RiceUp Farmers, Inc. in Pampanga in 2022.

Farmers are also provided with assistance and training in farm clustering and consolidation, where market-driven production and focuson supplying institutional buyers are applied to help farmers earn better with higher volume.

Through ‘Sakahon’, which is an agritech solutions company, Laceda and his team aim to create a system in which farmers already know what the market needs even before they plant and harvest.

DEPED LOOKING INTO PURCHASE OF ALLEGED OVERPRICED CAMERAS

MANILA — After the procurement of allegedly overpriced but outdated laptops, the Department of Education (DepEd) is once again facing a similar controversy. This time, the agency has been accused online of purchasing pricey cameras.

The agency "will check on" the social media post that claims it bought an "overpriced camera," DepEd Spokesperson Michael Poa said.

Poa said he has not determined the camera in the photo.

"Sa Public Affairs Service dito sa Central Office, wala po kaming entry level cameras. Puro Mark IV," he said In a message to reporters late Wednesday.

"So I will have to ask the regional offices kung may mga ganitong entry level cameras na na-procure," he added.

On Tuesday, activist Renato Reyes posted screenshots of a Facebook post by a supposed professional photographer "who inquired why [an] entry-level camera [from the DepEd] apparently costs P155,000 while a similar model sells for P23,000 in Lazada."

The photo on the post showed a DepEd sticker on the gadget, with an acquisition cost of P155,929.

"Mukhang matagal nang modus itong sa mga camera. Heto ang mga sample notices ng DepEd para sa purchase ng mga camera. Approved budget ay P500,000 para sa isang DSLR at isang camcorder," Reyes said, with screenshots of the supposed documents.

"Approved budget P816k for 2 DSLR, 1 camcorder, 1 battery grip, 2 tripod and 1 condenser mic. Sample of the specs indicated. Nakakalula din ang budget na ito ano? These are previous contracts in 2019 involving the purchase of DSLR cameras. The camera in the pic worth P155k was acquired in 2022," he added.

DROP IN ONION FARMGATE PRICES HURTING FARMERS

MANILA – Farmgate prices of onions have dropped amid the arrival of imported onions in the Philippines, an agriculture group said Friday.

Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) President Rosendo So said prices of white onions have dropped to P70-P90 per kilo from a high of P700 last December.

"Ang puting sibuyas yesterday ano eh, nasa P70-90 ang puting sibuyas. Ito’y nasa Bongabon area, in Nueva Ecija, itong pula is tumatakbo as P170-P190 ang tumatakbong presyong yesterday," he said in a TeleRadyo interview.

Farmers, however, are hurting due to the low farmgate prices of the commodity, said James Ramos, administrator of the Facebook page Onion Farmers Philippines.

Ramos noted that the low prices are affecting their income.

“Siyempre ngayon lang po sana kami makakatikim ng magandang presyo kaso, ang ginawa naman ng (Department of Agriculture), sinabayan kami sa importation. Masakit po yun,” he said.

“For more than 30 years ngayon lang po sana makakatikim ng magandang kita mga farmers. Pero, hinadlangan ng DA dahil doon sa importation na yan.”

He said farmers were not consulted ahead of the importation of onions.

GRAB COMMITS TO INVEST IN LOCAL TRANSPORT WITH 500K JOB POTENTIAL

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has secured an investment commitment from ride-hailing service Grab, which could create 500,000 new jobs.

The President met with officials of Grab Holdings Inc. on Feb. 2, Thursday, in Malacañang Palace to discuss Grab’s recommendations on possible ways to modernize transportation in the Philippines.

During the meeting, Anthony Tan, Grab CEO and co-founder, promised to create jobs in the country, assuring the President that his company will deliver.

“Well, that is what we need. At the very start of all of this, we had always stressed that what we have to do is create jobs right now.

Because so many businesses closed, so many people really have no place to go, even the OFW’s. So… we need to find jobs,” President Marcos said in response to Tan.

“So we’ve been able to do that but it’s still continuing… because ourunemployment rate is not bad, but we’d like to keep bringing it down,” Marcos said.

BIR CHIEF FILES P3.57B TAX RAPS VS. 53 TAXPAYERS

Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. on Thursday led the filing of criminal complaints against 53 individual and corporate taxpayers for tax evasion totaling P3.57 billion before the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Without publicly disclosing their identities, the erring taxpayers were separately charged with willful failure to pay taxes; willful attempt to evade or defeat the payment of taxes due; willful failure to pay/remit its income tax liabilities; and include those who filed their tax returns without corresponding payment.

The BIR said the charges were filed under the agency’s Run After Tax Evader Program ahead of the deadline for the filing of tax returns.

“As tax filing season is approaching, let this serve as a warning to taxpayers who intend to fraudulently evade payment of taxes that they better file and pay the correct taxes,” Lumagui said.

“We would like to remind tax evaders that the BIR is serious in pursuing its enforcement activities on a national scale. We are also sharing this to the public because we want to assure you that the BIR is committed to ensure that everyone is paying their fair share of taxes,” he added.

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DOH TO PRIORITIZE HEALTH WORKERS, SENIORS, IMMUNOCOMPROMISED IN BIVALENT JABS

MANILA — The Philippines will administer the first batch of bivalent COVID-19 vaccines to vulnerable groups, the Department of Health said Thursday.

Those who will be prioritized include healthcare workers, senior citizens and individuals with comorbidities, the DOH said.

This is in line with the conditions set by COVAX facility, the United Nations-backed international vaccine-sharing scheme, it added.

"Once additional doses are secured and available, prioritization may be expanded to other priority groups," the DOH said in a statement.

The agency said it was finalizing the guidelines on the use of the bivalent vaccines. Bivalent vaccines are modified jabs that target the omicron variant and the original form of the virus.

"Rest assured that the guidelines shall be issued in time for the implementation of the roll-out of the vaccines in the country," the DOH said.

"Currently, different strategies and allocation mechanism are being studied by DOH, taking into consideration acceptability, equity, and operational efficiency in utilizing the vaccine," it added.

The Philippines has secured an initial donation of around 1 million doses of Pfizer's bivalent vaccines from COVAX facility. The shots are expected to arrive in the country before the end of March.

MARCOS ADMIN'S FIRST PPP PROJECT IS CANCER CENTER

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board has approved the construction of a P6-billion cancer center at the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital in Manila—the first public-private partnership (PPP) project under the Marcos administration.

This developed as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. presided over the 3rd NEDA Board Meeting at Malacañan Palace in Manila on Thursday, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil said in a statement.

“The NEDA Board gave its nod for the construction of a P6-billion, 300-bed capacity hospital, the administration’s first PPP project,” Garafil said.

The project, Garafil said, will provide a full range of cancer treatments, including radio oncology (radiotherapy), imaging, medical oncology and support for the UP-PGH’s teaching and research activities.

Garafil said the proposed cancer center, with a lot area of 3,000 square meters, will be located within the UP-PGH campus in Manila.

She added that the entire building will have a capacity of 300 beds (150 charity beds for the UP-PGH Area and 150 private beds for the Private Area), 15 to 20 floors, 350 parking spaces, 1,000-square-meter commercial space, and an area for three linear accelerators (LINAC) bunkers.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

JOHN LLOYD CRUZ GOES CAMPING WITH SON ELIAS, RUMORED GIRLFRIEND ISABEL SANTOS

MANILA — Actor John Lloyd Cruz has been spotted going on a camping trip with artist and rumored girlfriend Isabel Santos, as well as with Elias, his son with his ex Ellen Adarna.

Isabel posted on her Instagram account a series of videos of her, John Lloyd, and Elias going on a camping trip.

"Camping yarn" Isabel wrote in a caption accompanied by a zombie emoji. Comments on Isabel's post have been limited.

One video sees John Lloyd watching Elias as the the child walked down with a pair of sticks, while another photo has Elias with a much bigger stick in front of what appears to be preparations for a campire.

Rumors about John Lloyd and Isabel's relationship have been spreading for months but the two have yet to officially confirm it.

Last November, Isabel accompanied John Lloyd to the 15th Asia Pacific Screen Awards, where Lav Diaz's "Kapag Wala Nang Mga Alon" starring the actor was competing, wearing a dress made from leftover materials.

A month before the awards ceremony, Isabel posted a wacky photo of John Lloyd on her Instagram which she then dubbed as her favorite picture because of "the composition, the view, the lighting! And the subject.... 5 stars! 10 yums!"

SPORTS

PHOENIX DEF. NORTHPORT, 108-97

Phoenix Super LPG (1-3) defeated NorthPort Batang Pier (0-4), 108-97 to grab their first win in the 2023 PBA Governors' Cup on Thursday, February 1 at the PhilSports Arena.

The Scores:

PHOENIX 108 - Maxwell 26, Perkins 26, Jazul 16, Manganti 13, Tio 8, Serrano 6, Garcia 6, Muyang 2, Lojera 2, Lalata 2, Soyud 1, Adamos 0, Alejandro 0, Go 0, Camacho 0.

NORTHPORT 97 – Weather 31, Salado 15, Dela Cruz Jr 12, Munzon 8, Chan 7, Tolentino 6, Sumang 5, Balagasay 5, Calma 2, Zamar 2, Taha 2, Caperal 2, Ayaay 0.

Quarters: 23-25, 55-46, 86-72, 108-97.

CONVERGE DEF. RAIN OR SHINE, 112-98

Converge FiberXers (4-0) defeated Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (0-3), 112-98 to grab their fourth straight win and seize solo top spot in the standings in the 2023 PBA Governors' Cup on Thursday, February 2 at the PhilSports Arena.

Jamaal Franklin led the FiberXers with a huge triple-double performance of 25 points (7/18fg, 3/12 3pts, 8/8ft) to go with 13 rebounds, 15 assists and 2 steals in 43 minutes of play.

Five local players scored in double-digits for Converge led by Justine Arana with 21 points (9/14fg, 3/5ft) along with 8 rebounds and 2 assists while Jeron Teng finished with 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and a block.

The Scores:

CONVERGE 112 - Franklin 25, Arana 21, Teng 17, Balanza 12, Tratter 11, Stockton 10, Ahanmisi 7, Murrell 5, Tolomia 2, Racal 2, Guinto 0, Ambohot 0.

RAIN OR SHINE 98 – Qualls 34, Nambatac 16, Demusis 8, Mamuyac 8, Santillan 7, Ponferada 6, Nieto 6, Torres 6, Caracut 3, Asistio 2, Belga 2, Ildefonso 0, Borboran 0, Yap 0, Clarito 0.

Quarters: 29-21, 52-48, 84-69, 112-98

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 53.84

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

If we listened to our intellect, we'd never have a love affair. We'd never have a friendship. We'd never go into business, because we'd be too cynical. You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down. - Annie Dillard