CZECH REPUBLIC EYES TO 'EXPAND MIGRATION FOR WORK' SCHEME FOR FILIPINOS

MANILA — Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala on Monday said his country is looking to “expand migration for work” for Filipino citizens as Czech companies are “very satisfied with Philippine citizens.”

Fiala made the remark during his joint press statement with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Malacañang.

“Czech companies are very satisfied with Philippine citizens. We are discussing the possibilities to expand migration for work,” Fiala said.

“We also highly appreciate the Philippine system of the recruiting of workers for work in other countries,” he said.

The Czech head of state did not give further details on the plan, but said that his 3-day official visit to the Philippines and his meeting with Marcos Jr. would “be a new impulse for stronger collaboration” between Manila and Prague.

“In the end, I would like to thank to all Filipinos for a warm welcome and to all our partners for great cooperation in every possible fields, every areas,” Fiala said.

“We will be very happy to cooperate this Philippine government and companies much more,” he said.

Marcos Jr. described their meeting as an “important milestone in the 50 years of diplomatic ties between the Czech Republic and the Philippines.”

“We both emphasize our country shared commitment to democracy, to human rights, and the rule of law,” Marcos Jr. said.

“I look forward to the continued strengthening of the bilateral relationship between the Philippines and the Czech Republic in the years to come,” he said.

Czech Republic is the Philippines’ 8th largest trading partner among European Union member countries, with bilateral trade amounting to $450 million in 2019, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Czech Republic is known for manufacturing equipment and vehicles such as aircraft, cargo vessels, yachts, as well as various power facilities around the world.

Fiala is expected to depart Manila on April 18, and will proceed to Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

CHINA ENVOY SAYS HE WAS ‘MISQUOTED’

The Chinese Embassy in Manila said Ambassador Huang Xilian was “misquoted” after he drew flak for saying the Philippines should deny American troops access to its bases if it cared about the fate of 150,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Taiwan.

In a tweet Sunday, the embassy said Huang’s remarks were either “misquoted or misinterpreted” or simply taken out of context.

The embassy provided a transcript of his speech “to set the record straight.”

“Some tried to find excuse for the new EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement) sites by citing the safety of the 150,000 OFWs in Taiwan, while China is the last country that wishes to see conflict over the Strait because people on both sides are Chinese,” the official transcript of Huang’s speech read.

“But we will not renounce the use of force, and we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures. This is to guard against external interference and all separatist activities.”

“The Philippines is advised to unequivocally oppose ‘Taiwan independence’ rather than stoking the fire by offering the US access to the military bases near the Taiwan Strait if you care genuinely about the 150,000 OFWs,” it also read.

The last part of the statement drew criticism from administration officials as well as the opposition.

PHILIPPINES EYES FREE TRADE DEAL WITH US

MANILA - The Philippines is eyeing a free trade deal with the United States while waiting for the renewal of its eligibility to the US GSP (Generalized System of Preferences) program which expired in 2020, a trade official said on Tuesday.

The GSP is a trade program that provides duty-free importation of select goods from eligible developing countries.

Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said the Philippines is waiting for the decision of the US Congress regarding the GSP grant.

"We're waiting for what's happening in the US Congress and we'd like to renew the GSP benefit," Rodolfo said during the launch of the US-Philippines Economic Impact Study by the Ateneo School of Government.

But Rodolfo said a free trade agreement (FTA) is also preferred.

"We'd like to have an FTA with the US. We believe this is a more permanent mechanism compared to GSP. When both sides are ready probably this will happen," he said.

He said the US is the Philippines' 5th largest source of investment in 2022 amounting to P5.06 billion.

The friendlier relations between the 2 countries under President Ferdinand Marcos' administration have increased the interest of foreign investors in the Philippines, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez earlier said.

In January 2023, the US was among the top 3 sources of foreign direct investments. The US was also the Philippines' top source of cash remittances in January 2023.

NFA WILL NO LONGER IMPORT RICE FOR BUFFER STOCK, DA CONFIRMS

MANILA -- The National Food Authority will no longer import rice for its buffer stock, DA Undersecretary Mercedita Sombilla confirmed.

In an interview to media, she said they advised the NFA to instead source rice from local farmers.

"Sabi namin, I think you can do that locally. Nag-usap na sila ng rice program how they can secure that 330,000 [tons] from local sources. Wala kaming napag usapan na importation and I think the president knew about that, na hindi pwedeng mag-import ang NFA," Sombilla said.

In a news release last week, the Palace said NFA proposed the importation of 330,000 metric tons of rice for its buffer stock, which is used during calamities.

But this was met with flak, as it goes against the Rice Liberalization Law.

The law states that NFA can only source rice from local farmers.

Several agricultural stakeholders slammed NFA's proposal as "unlawful."

Sombilla assured consumers of enough rice supply by the end of this year.

Although there will be lean months in the third quarter, rice production is expected to pick up in the fourth quarter, coinciding with the harvest season.

Sombilla said total supply by the end of the year, including imports from the private sector, will last for 45 days.

She also downplayed reports of 6-peso per kilo price increases. She said price of rice in world markets have started to decline, after a spike induced by the Ukraine-Russia war.

SPEAKER: FILIPINAS KEY PART OF DIGITAL PUBLIC INFRA IN PH

House Speaker Martin G. Romualdez on Monday said he wants to make sure Filipino women won’t get left behind in the Marcos administration’s push for the Philippines to adopt a digital public infrastructure (DPI), even as he cited the success of women as an integral part of modern society.

Romualdez made this known after hearing the remarks of philanthropist and women advocate Melinda French Gates in her lecture at the World Bank (WB)-International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings.

“Melinda French Gates also mentioned how important the digital public infrastructure is to women’s empowerment. DPI provides them access to capital and opportunities. It gives them dignity and respect and allows them to engage in more activities,” Romualdez said.

The event took place Saturday (Philippine time) at the headquarters of the IMF in the United States capitol of Washington D.C.

Romualdez said he was both “impressed and inspired” by the lecture of French Gates, who is the co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the world’s largest private charitable organizations.

The ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Melinda Gates has written about women empowerment and is an advocate of increasing the number of women technologists in the workplace, having seen first-hand how men dominate the field.

“French Gates’ words ring true in that even in this day and age, women are still marginalized professionally. We cannot keep ignoring this unfortunate situation if we are to truly have an inclusive society. Luckily, digitization can be the great equalizer and place women on equal footing as men in terms of work opportunities, power, and influence,” the Speaker said.

BAGONG MODUS: RELIHIYON PINEPEKE PARA MAKAPAGTRABAHO ABROAD, AYON SA BI

MAYNILA — Isang bagong human trafficking modus ang tumatarget sa mga Pilipinong nais magtrabaho abroad bilang mga kasambahay, babala ng Bureau of Immigration nitong Lunes.

Ayon sa ahensya, naharang nito ang dalawang babae na nagtangkang umalis pa-Dubai mula sa Ninoy Aquino International Airport noong Abril 14.

Nagpakilala umano ang mga babaeng edad 36 at 37 bilang mga Muslim na nagpaplanong sumakay ng bus papuntang Saudi Arabia para lumahok sa umrah o pilgrimage. Dagdag pa ng dalawa, sila ay mga bagong convert sa Islam at nagpaplanong tumuloy sa Saudi nang pitong araw.

Pero ayon sa BI, paiba-iba ang pahayag ng dalawa at umamin sila kinalaunan na pineke ang kanilang mga dokumento.

Na-recruit lamang umano sila sa Facebook ng isang babaeng nag-asikaso ng kanilang mga visa at ticket, at inutusan silang magpanggap bilang Muslim pilgrims para makaalis ng bansa.

Ikinadismaya naman ni Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco ang insidente.

"These traffickers will stop at nothing to earn from their racket, they have even abused religion to evade immigration inspection," sabi niya sa isang pahayag.

Dinala na ang dalawang biktima sa inter-agency council against anti-trafficking para sa karagdagang imbestigasyon laban sa kanilang recruiter.

PNP: EX-DRUG CHIEF COULD FACE STIFFER CHARGES

THE highest-ranking police official tagged in the alleged cover-up of a P6.7-billion drug bust in October 2022 may face stiffer charges than his subordinates, the task force investigating the incident said Sunday.

At a press conference to present the findings of the Special Investigation Task Group 990, the director of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management said the former chief of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group, Narciso Domingo, could face stiffer penalties over the mishandling of now-dismissed police master sergeant Rodolfo Mayo Jr.’s case.

Mayo was arrested in October 2022 after authorities confiscated some 990 kilograms of suspected shabu with an estimated value of over P6.7 billion following a series of anti-drug operations in Manila.

Cruz said some police officers allegedly pilfered about 42 kilos of shabu from the illegal drugs seized from Mayo.

As a result, 49 PNP officials and personnel are facing criminal and administrative charges due to their alleged cover-up of the incident.

Cruz said Domingo and five other police officials committed grave neglect of duty “for failure to suppress the criminal act of their respective subordinates.”

Cruz added that Domingo and four others were also allegedly guilty of “incompetence to perform duties of a police officer especially as a PCO or Police Commissioned Officer.”

“The higher the responsibility, the higher the rank, the higher the accountability. You are the commander, you should know what is happening with your men,” Cruz said.

Domingo had denied any cover-up in Mayo’s drug case.

ALBERT DEL ROSARIO, WHO WON PHILIPPINES' MARITIME CASE VS CHINA, DIES AT 83

MANILA — Former Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario — who played a key role in securing the landmark Hague ruling that invalidated China’s expansive claims in the West Philippine Sea — has passed away. He was 83 years old.

The Management Association of the Philippines, a business group, announced the passing of its former president on Tuesday, April 18. Del Rosario — also a businessman — was a MAP member for 45 years.

Prior to his appointment as foreign affairs secretary under the late Benigno Aquino III, Del Rosario served as Philippine Ambassador to the United States under former President Gloria Arroyo’s administration.

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GROUPS URGE SC TO STRIKE DOWN SIM REGISTRATION ACT

The Supreme Court (SC) has been asked to declare unconstitutional Republic Act No. 11934, otherwise known as the SIM Registration Act, on the ground that it violates the basic constitutional rights of SIM card users.

In a 59-page petition filed by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and several other individuals, the petitioners also sought the immediate issuance of a temporary restraining order and/or a writ of preliminary injunction enjoining the implementation of the law pending the resolution of the petition.

The NUJP-led petitioners stressed that there is a need to immediately enjoin the implementation of the law as more than 106 million other unregistered Filipinos stand to be disenfranchised through automatic deactivation of their SIMs if they fail to comply with the April 26 deadline.

Aside from the NUJP, petitioners also included journalist Ronalyn Olea, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Eufemia Cullamat, and Bayan Secretary-General Renato Reyes, among others.

The NTC meanwhile said it is still studying the possible extension of the SIM registration deadline on April 26.

The group called on the SC to declare the law unconstitutional for allegedly infringing on Article III Sections 1, 2,3, and 11 of the 1987 Constitution.

The petitioners also prodded the SC to order public telecommunication entities to cease and desist from using, storing, transferring, and processing all information gathered into the SIM register and to destroy data already gathered.

OCTA: COVID POSITIVITY RATE IN NCR RISING

The COVID-19 positivity rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) maintained its upward movement in the past week, posting a 7.2 percent last weekend, based on data by independent monitoring group OCTA Research on Monday.

OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said the percentage of people who were found positive for COVID-19 in NCR among the total number of individuals tested there slightly went up from 6.5 percent on April 8, to 7.2 percent on April 15.

Official figures suggested the coronavirus has infected at least 4.08 million and killed 66,441 since it swept ashore in March 2020.

“High” positivity rates were also recorded in three provinces: Misamis Oriental (22.7 percent), Camarines Sur (21.1 percent), and Rizal (20.2 percent).

There was also an increase observed in Benguet, Bulacan, Cavite, Cebu, Laguna, Pampanga, Pangasinan, and Zamboanga del Sur.

The country’s daily average of new COVID-19 cases also increased by 23 percent from April 10 to 16, the Department of Health reported Monday.

ACT: REVIEW OF K TO 12 SHOULD ADDRESS LACK OF PROGRAMS FOR FARMING, LOCAL PRODUCTION

MANILA — A nationwide group of teachers has urged the country’s sole congressional body tasked to review the education system to assess how education has contributed to the development of the local agriculture and whether there are enough opportunities for students to do so.

"It is not enough to assess why the employment rate of our K to 12 graduates is starkly low, and the attrition rate of those employed is high. It is more important to analyze how education served to be a tool for economic development through boosting local agriculture and building local industries," said Vladimer Quetua, chairperson of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers.

The group called on the second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) to evaluate why the current curricula in schools gears students for a career in multinational companies "instead of developing our local production," as well as the absence of an agriculture track for senior high school.

"While a dominant majority of more than a million of K to 12 graduates we produce each year remain unemployed, our agricultural production is dipping and many of our micro, medium, and small enterprises are closing down," Quetua said.

This finding is based on the CHR's interviews with students, employers, non-government organizations and the reported high attrition rate among K to 12 graduates.

DELA ROSA DENIES BEING BOUGHT OFF BY TEVES: 'HINDI PO AKO KAYA BAYARAN'

MANILA — Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa on Tuesday denied being biased to embattled lawmaker Arnulfo Teves, Jr. as he addressed "malicious allegations" that he was under the solon's payola.

"Ako daw being a chairman of this committee is biased to the Teves because ako daw ay bayad na ni Teves, ako daw ay tuta ni Teves. Hindi po ako kaya bayaran kahit gaano kayaman ni Teves at kahit sino man," said Dela Rosa during the continuation of the Senate Public Order committee's hearing on the Degamo slay.

According to Dela Rosa, social media posts circulating in Negros Oriental claim that his wife is related to the Teves clan.

"Ang asawa ko daw ay related sa mga Teves by affinity... Ang asawa ko po ay merong auntie, bale pinsan ng kanyang mother na married to a Teves dyan sa Dumaguete. Pero ito ay not in any way related to Arnie Teves," he explained.

Sen. Joel Villanueva, who was present in the hearing, came to Dela Rosa's defense.

"Hindi kayang bayaran ng salapi, hindi kayang silawin ng anumang kayamanan si Sen. Bato dela Rosa ako na mismo nagpapatunay nyan," Villanueva said.

Teves was barred by the Senate panel from virtually attending the opening of its investigation on Monday.

He has yet to return to the country, more than a month since his travel clearance expired, citing alleged threats to his life.

DIESEL FUEL PRICE ROLLED BACK P0.40, GASOLINE HIKED P0.30, KEROSENE 10C

The country’s oil firms implemented a mixed price movement effective 6 a.m. Tuesday, with gasoline and kerosene prices going up and diesel costs going down.

The oil firms hiked prices by P0.30 per liter for gasoline and P0.10 per liter for kerosene, but rolled back the price of diesel by P0.40 per liter.

“Petron will implement the following price adjustments effective 6 a.m. on April 18: P0.30/li increase for gasoline; P0.40/li rollback for diesel and P0.10/li increase for kerosene. These reflect movements in the international oil market,” Petron Corp. said in its advisory.

Chevron Philippines, Jetti Petroleum, PetroGazz, Seaoil Philippines, Cleanfuel and PTT Philippines also adjusted pump prices.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

JUDY ANN, GLADYS, JOLINA, CLAUDINE AT ANGELU, MAGSASAMA SA ISANG PELIKULA?

MANILA -- May pinaplanong pelikula na pagsasamahan nina Judy Ann Santos, Jolina Magdangal, Gladys Reyes, Angelu de Leon at Claudine Barretto.

Ito ang ibinahagi ni Reyes sa naging pagbisita niya sa "Magandang Buhay" nitong Lunes kasama sina KaladKaren Davila at Elijah Canlas.

"Star (Cinema) baka naman. Marami ang nagre-request pero ito siyempre in the process. Sinasabi ko na kay Jolens kanina off air na soon sana po matuloy 'yung aming movie with Ms. Judy Ann Santos, of course Jolina, Angelu and Claudine Barretto. Sana, soon. Mga batang '90s alam niyo na," ani Reyes.

Nang matanong kung tungkol saan ang proyekto, tugon ni Reyes: "Siyempre mga momshies na iba-iba ang katauhan, alam mo na. Soon siyempre maririnig nila 'yan uli. Sana matuloy."

"I-manifest na natin yan," hirit naman ni Magdangal, isa sa mga host ng "Magandang Buhay."

Sa pang-umagang programa, binalikan ni Reyes ang naging pagkapanalo niya bilang best actress sa unang Summer Metro Manila Film Festival para sa pelikulang "Apag."

Hindi rin napigilan ni Reyes ang maging emosyonal nang ikuwentong alay niya sa yumaong ama ang pagganap niya sa "Apag."

INDICATORS

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Habit creates the appearance of justice; progress has no greater enemy than habit. - José Martí y Perez