MARCOS URGES FILIPINOS TO PAY CORRECT TAXES AS BIR VOWS TO RUN AFTER TAX EVADERS

MANILA - President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Tuesday encouraged Filipinos to pay the correct taxes critical to the government, just as the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) promised to go after tax evaders.

Speaking during the agency's tax campaign kickoff for this year, Marcos said taxes are important to revive the pandemic-battered economy.

"I encourage the public to pay the correct amount of taxes on time to support the country's economic recovery and expansion so critical in this time," Marcos said.

"It is my confidence that you will continue to cooperate, collaborate, and coordinate with the government on how to improve the experience of our tax collection system," he added.

The President also lauded the efforts of the bureau in digitalizing transactions and intensifying the crackdown on tax evaders and those who violated the tax code.

For his part, BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui, Jr. said their enforcement activities will continue against those who continue to dodge their taxes.

It was important, Lumagui said, that his agency forms a culture "in which taxpayers feel that the tax authority is on their side."

"Against tax evaders: we will not stop with our hardline stance. We will not hesitate to prosecute erring taxpayers," said the BIR chief.

"We will continue to go after illicit traders. We will charge producers and users of fake receipts," he added.

The BIR's activities, Lumagui noted, include bolstering operations to gather "a huge pot of uncollected taxes which escaped the public through fraud or illegal activities."

A Supreme Court ruling showed that the Marcoses' estate tax assessment of P23 billion became "final and executory" in March 1999.

The President had said his family's P203-billion unpaid estate taxes should be "opened," noting that they were not allowed to argue on this.

His former spokesman in April claimed their case is still being litigated even as the Supreme Court has already issued a final ruling decades ago.

UNEMPLOYMENT SLIGHTLY UP AT 4.3 PERCENT IN DECEMBER BUT UNDEREMPLOYMENT EASES

MANILA - More Filipino workers were jobless in December, but fewer workers were underemployed, according to the preliminary data released on Wednesday by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The unemployment rate settled at 4.3 percent in December, equivalent to 2.22 million jobless Filipinos. December's figure is slightly higher compared to the 2.18 million or 4.2 percent rate in November 2022, the PSA said.

December 2022’s jobless rate was the second lowest since 2005, the PSA said, trailing only the November 2022 figure. It was also much lower than the unemployment rate in December 2021 which was at 6.6 percent.

Underemployment, meanwhile, eased to 12.6 percent, equivalent to 6.2 million Filipinos seeking more jobs or job hours. December's underemployment rate was better than the 14.4 percent or 7.16 million seen in the previous month, data showed.

The overall employment rate in the country is also slightly lower in December at 95.7 percent or 49 million compared to November's 95.8 percent rate or 49.71 million Filipinos, the PSA said.

The Philippine economy grew 7.6 percent in 2022, beating analysts’ forecasts. But economists said growth could be slower this year.

PH TO DEPLOY 85-PERSON TEAM TO QUAKE-HIT TURKEY, SYRIA

MANILA - The Philippines will deploy a team of disaster response specialists and healthcare workers after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on Monday.

Officials immediately mobilized an 85-person response team following the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The Turkish Embassy in Manila earlier sought assistance in the form of emergency medical and urban research and rescue teams.

“We have organized a group of about 85 personnel together with some goods. Ang hinahanap sa atin ay mga blanket, mga winter clothing dahil syempre, ‘yung mga nasiraan ng bahay sa Turkey ay wala na silang tirahan,” Marcos told reporters at a Bureau of Internal Revenue event at the Philippine International Convention Center.

Government officials conducted a readiness inspection of the response team at Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday afternoon.

Thirty-three personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines will join the Philippine humanitarian contingent to Turkey. The team is composed of 21 Philippine Army personnel and 12 Philippine Air Force personnel.

Centino said appropriate clothing and search and rescue equipment were provided to the response team to help them perform their mission effectively.

The Department of Health will also send 31 healthcare workers to help in relief efforts.

IT COULD HAPPEN HERE, TOO—PHIVOLCS

As a magnitude 7.8 earthquake recently hit Turkey and Syria, the head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Tuesday said such a magnitude is also likely to happen in the country.

“There’s always this possibility. In fact, it already happened on July 16, 1990… The 1990 Luzon earthquake was magnitude 7.8,” Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol said in a briefing.

Bacolcol added that the country has many active faults that are capable of generating a magnitude 7.8 earthquake.

Based on instrumental records, the 1990 Luzon earthquake was the strongest to hit the country, producing a 125-kilometer-long ground rupture that stretched from Dingalan, Aurora to Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya.

The quake was caused by strike-slip movements along the northwest segment of the Philippine Fault Zone and its splay, the Digdig Fault.

“We have several active segments in the Philippines. It’s more than a hundred segments, but the longest is the Philippine Fault – 1,200 kilometers from Davao to Luzon,” Bacolcol said.

The Phivolcs chief added that the Philippine Fault moved just last week, causing the magnitude 6 earthquake in Davao de Oro.

He said he thinks that people are more prepared now compared to 20 years ago, regularly participating in quarterly earthquake drills.

Bacolcol reminded the public to duck, cover and hold in case of earthquakes, and to go out in an orderly manner once the ground shaking stops.

GOV'T OPEN TO HALTING DEPLOYMENT OF NEW DOMESTIC WORKERS TO KUWAIT

MANILA — The Department of Migrant Workers said Wednesday it is open to halting sending new domestic workers to Kuwait, as the Philippines negotiates with the Gulf state to improve the existing labor agreement between the two countries with the goal of ensuring that overseas Filipino workers there are better protected.

“Secretary [Susan] “Toots” [Ople] is open and she supports your suggestion to impose a targeted ban,” Migrant Workers Undersecretary Maria Anthonette Velasco-Allones said in Filipino during a Senate hearing, in reply to Senate migrant workers panel chairperson Raffy Tulfo.

“So by that, we mean that the ban that would be imposed is for newly-hired household workers bound for Kuwait,” Velasco-Allones continued.

This was a reversal from Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople’s stance that favored labor diplomacy — or settling issues through official negotiations and talks — over a deployment ban.

Tulfo said earlier in the hearing that he was “dismayed” at Ople’s position on the deployment ban, which he said appeared to favor recruitment agencies.

“It’s unfortunate that Secretary Toots Ople and I don’t see eye to eye. I was expecting that her heart would be for OFWs because I thought she had a lot of experience in helping OFWs,” he said.

But Velasco-Allones claimed Ople never opposed Tulfo’s suggestion for another deployment ban for household workers in Kuwait and actually supported this.

“That’s why Secretary Toots said in the immediate, we should ban deployment in the meantime while negotiations are ongoing,” Velasco-Allones said.

The Senate hearing conducted by the Senate migrant workers and foreign affairs panels was triggered by the killing of OFW Jullebee Ranara allegedly at the hands of her employers’ 17-year-old son.

Ranara’s death is the latest among Filipino workers in Kuwait.

PHILIPPINES RECORDS FIRST CASES OF COVID VARIANTS XBB.1.5, CH.1.1

MANILA — The Philippines has confirmed its first case of the omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, which experts said is the most transmissible form of COVID-19, a Department of Health report showed on Tuesday.

Out of 1,078 samples sequenced by health authorities from Jan. 30 to Feb. 3, 196 were classified as XBB, including 1 case of XBB.1.5, the DOH said in its latest biosurveillance report.

The XBB cases were found in all regions except Region 8 and the Bangsamoro, the report showed.

The DOH said the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control classified XBB.1.5, an offshoot of the XBB subvariant, "as a variant of interest due to its increasing prevalence globally and enhanced immune-evading properties."

The variant has been detected in 59 countries across 6 continents, according to sequence submissions in GISAID, a global platform for COVID-19 data.

Currently available evidence for XBB.1.5 does not suggest any differences in disease severity and clinical manifestations compared to the original omicron variant, it added.

"Currently, the subvariant is still reported under XBB by the WHO and will remain classified under omicron until sufficient evidence arises showing that the virus characteristics are significantly different from omicron," the DOH said.

The country has also detected its first cases of the new omicron variant CH.1.1, the same DOH report showed.

Results of the samples processed by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center revealed that 7 cases were identified as BA.2.75, including 3 cases classified as CH.1.1 and 3 cases classified as BN.1.

According to the DOH, the CH.1.1 subvariant, a descendant sublineage of BA.2.75, has been classified by the ECDC as a variant under monitoring "due to its increasing prevalence and potential for immune escape."

To date, the subvariant has already been detected in 71 countries across 6 continents, citing sequence submissions to GISAID.

SPEAKER SLAMS AGRI TRADERS TO ‘MODERATE GREED’

Speaker Martin Romualdez on Tuesday urged “profit-hungry traders” manipulating or hoarding the supply and prices of agricultural products, particularly onions to “moderate their greed” or suffer the dire consequences of their actions.

Romualdez and other leaders of the House met earlier with representatives from the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) during which he called for an all-out war against profiteers preying on consumers.

“We’ll be working closely with the Executive, with the Department of Agriculture, to make sure these hoarders and all these foolish activities of traders are stopped,” Romualdez said in an interview.

“My message is: moderate your greed, release the supply of these basic commodities –these vegetables, whether they be onion, garlic. Moderate your greed, and give us fair prices, if not, your days are numbered, we’re going after all of you,” he stressed.

In a separate statement issued shortly after the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between the House of Representatives and Ateneo de Manila University for a Research Partnership Project, Romualdez said he has already directed House Committee on Agriculture chairman and Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga to get to the bottom of the situation.

“We’d like to tell the public that the House of Representatives will use all its resources, and employ all its efforts to ensure that we bring back stable prices and stable supply of these basic commodities,” the Speaker said.

According to Romualdez, there is no reason for the prices of commodities such as onion and garlic to soar sky-high because there is sufficient supply based on the information reaching the House.

“It only points out to one thing, there is hoarding, there is price manipulation. So we are warning those who are behind these nefarious activities—that your days are numbered, the House will be going after you,” Romualdez said.

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80 PROVINCES NOW MALARIA-FREE

MANILA — Only one of the 81 provinces nationwide has yet to be declared free of malaria.

“As of this time, 80 out of the 81 provinces in the country are all malaria-free except for Palawan,” Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire told a press conference yesterday.

“We are working closely with the local government of Palawan so that it can also achieve the status of being malaria-free,” she said.

Last year, Oriental Mindoro, Rizal, Aurora and Cotabato were declared free of malaria by the DOH.

Vergeire said the absence of local transmission in the past five years is among the criteria for a province to be declared malaria-free.

She said studies of endemic areas for malaria in the country are ongoing.

She said the DOH is working with the private sector and World Health Organization (WHO) to help Palawan achieve a malaria-free status.

Meanwhile, Western Visayas logged 453 cases of dengue, another mosquito-borne disease, last month, the DOH regional Center for Health and Development reported yesterday.

SEARCH FOR MISSING CESSNA PLANE CONTINUES

MANILA — Two weeks after a Cessna plane carrying six passengers disappeared over the Sierra Madre mountains in Isabela, rescue teams are scouring possible landing or crash sites of the aircraft.

Isabela public information office chief Joshua Hapinat said local rescue teams have teamed up with the military in searching for the aircraft.

The Philippine Air Force said it has not received any new information from its tactical operations group as of yesterday.

Teams from the 95th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army are helping in the search for the missing plane.

Constante Foronda, head of the Isabela Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, had earlier given assurance that the search would continue despite the risks.

KRIS AQUINO REMEMBERS LATE BROTHER NOYNOY ON HIS BIRTHDAY

MANILA – Kris Aquino penned a message for her late brother, former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, as she marked what would have been his 63rd birthday.

Turning to social media anew, Kris apologized to her brother “for being a brat and wasting years.”

“I’m sorry na nagpaka spoiled na nga May 18, 2021 para masilip ka- for once nag obey ako sa strict bilin ng doctor, when i should have been the REAL me & barged in para nayakap kita,” she said in the caption.

“FYI nakabawi ka naman, i was scheduled for a Pet Scan that night BUT in the instructions dapat emotionally calm & well rested, but everyone na kinwentuhan ko iniyakan ko, so i had to re-sked. It just felt wonderful that on your birthday you made me feel loved,” she added.

Towards the end of her post, Kris thanked her brother “for everything I never thanked you for.”

“I hope you've noticed I'm more private now... I've seen the wisdom in quietly enduring my physical suffering - just like you, because that's what courage is all about. Thank you to all who continue praying for us.”

She then finally greeted her brother, saying he is “the best Kuya any bunso could’ve wished for.”

Kris, the youngest of five siblings, has been open about her “complicated relationship” with her brother when he was still alive. In mid-2018, she revealed they were not on good terms, without divulging the reason. The rift lasted two years, during which they had no communication.

In May 2021, Kris’ rare public mention of her brother, through a social media post, hinted that they finally reconciled.

President Aquino died on June 24, 2021 due to renal disease secondary to diabetes.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

JUDY ANN SANTOS TO STAR IN SERIES DIRECTED BY ERIK MATTI

MANILA -- Judy Ann Santos is doing a new series with award-winning director Erik Matti.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News on Tuesday at the sidelines of media conference for her upcoming horror film "The Diary of Mrs. Winters" with Sam Milby, Santos shared some details of her upcoming series.

"It's a very, very challenging character. Masaya 'yung cast, ang saya nung set. Nakakaaliw. Basically nakakaaliw itong series na ito. It's very, very different that's why I accepted the project kasi sobrang ibang-iba talaga siya sa lahat ng teleserye na ginawa ko. And when I say lahat, lahat," Santos said.

Asked if the series is for an international release, Santos said: "That I'm not sure. In all honesty, hindi ko talaga alam. But, hindi pa kami tapos. Ako naka-stop lang for now but sila tuloy-tuloy pa rin sila kasi may mga eksena naman na hindi ako kasama. Then I will resume with them on April."

"Nung pinresent siya sa akin, the platform has not yet been decided. Ang decided lang ay kung ano ang gagawin at kung ano ang character. Pero open naman sila and they were very honest enough in saying na 'yung platform will vary, depende kung saan siya puwede ilabas," she added.

Joining her in the upcoming series under the Reality Films are Edu Manzano, RK Bagatsing and Gina Alajar.

"It's not under ABS-CBN, it's under Reality Films. And at the same time wala akong contract with ABS-CBN as of now but then again I called Tita Cory (Vidanes) para ipaalam sa kanya na I'm going to make a series outside ABS-CBN. So ipinaalam ko ng maayos," she said.

Dubbed as the "Queen of Teleseryes," Santos was last seen on television as a guest host of the morning show “Magandang Buhay” last year.

In 2020, Santos hosted “Paano Kita Mapasasalamatan?” at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The award-winning actress last starred in a TV series in 2019 when she bannered the ABS-CBN show “Starla.”

SPORTS

PBA: GINEBRA'S AGUILAR TAKES LEAD IN ALL-STAR VOTING

MANILA -- Barangay Ginebra's Japeth Aguilar is now the top vote-getter for the 2023 PBA All-Star Game, the league announced on Wednesday.

Aguilar dislodged San Miguel center June Mar Fajardo from the top spot after receiving a total of 190,273 votes as of February 7.

Ginebra point guard Scottie Thompson is still in second place with 186,187 votes, while Fajardo dipped to the third spot with 183,903.

As it stands, Aguilar and Thompson will serve as the captains of the All-Star teams for the game that takes place on March 12 in Passi City, Iloilo.

The biggest turnaround came from Rain or Shine rookie Gian Mamuyac, who is now in sixth place with 170,359 votes after the second wave of ballots cast by fans were assessed.

The rookie out of the Ateneo de Manila University men's basketball program was not in the Top 24 during the initial tally of votes last week.

Ginebra's Jamie Malonzo and Calvin Abueva of Magnolia kept their respective slots at fourth and fifth with 174,112 and 172,383 votes, respectively.

Two-time MVP James Yap of Rain or Shine is now at No. 7 with 170,313 votes, followed by Christian Standhardinger of Ginebra (169,718), CJ Perez of San Miguel (169,036), and LA Tenorio of Ginebra (166,317).

Fans can vote online and on-site until February 15. The All-Star weekend is set from March 9-12.

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 55.08

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action. - Frank Tibolt