MARCOS LAUNCHES PLANS TO BOOST 'LAGGING' EXPORT SECTOR

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday launched his administration's plans for the Philippine export sector in the next six years, saying the industry was still lagging behind the country's Asian neighbors.

At the International Trade Forum in Taguig City, Marcos and Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual unveiled the Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) for 2023 to 2028, which aims to make the Philippines an "agile export powerhouse in key industries" and a "leading exporter of high-value products and services" by the time Marcos steps down from office.

Marcos approved the PEDP drafted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) earlier in June.

In his speech, Marcos noted that while Philippine exports were growing, the country was "still playing catch-up" in the international trade market, citing less diverse export portfolios as well as trade barriers and frictions.

"I came across a rather eye-opening statistic... that 40 percent of all our exports are only one product. So the level of diversification is something that we have to look at and we have to improve in the coming years," Marcos said.

Despite this, the President said he was confident that the industry was headed for a "bright future."

"We also recognize that there's a great potential in the sector. No less than $49 billion worth of revenues remains untapped," he added.

In an interview with reporters after the event, Marcos said that aside from the PEDP, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) would help the Philippines to boost its exports.

The RCEP, a free trade agreement (FTA) between the Philippines and its 9 fellow member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), came into force on June 2.

AROUND 17,000 FLEE HOMES AS 306 ROCKFALL EVENTS RECORDED IN MAYON

MANILA — Some 17,000 people living near Mayon volcano have moved to evacuation centers as it continued to erupt, the Albay local government said on Thursday.

Albay Governor Grex Lagman said 17,941 people or 5,016 families have left their homes to avoid the wrath of Mayon, which has been restive since early June.

There were 306 rockfall events observed at Mayon Volcano, the second day in a row that it surpassed the 300-mark as it continued its unrest that has displaced thousands of residents.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said there were also two volcanic earthquakes recorded in the past 24 hours since Wednesday.

Phivolcs observed slow effusion from the summit crater emplaced lava flow and collapse debris on the Mi-isi (south) and Bonga (southeastern) gullies within approximately a kilometer from the crater. There were also three dome-collapse pyroclastic density current (PDC) that lasted three to six minutes.

Fair crater glow or “banaag” and incandescent rockfall shed from fluidal lava at the summit was observed as well as steam-laden plumes that reached 700 meters following the continuous moderate degassing from the summit crater.

Phivolcs said that Alert Level 3 is maintained over Mayon Volcano and warned a hazardous eruption is possible within weeks. It noted that there is currently a relatively high level of unrest as magma is at the crater.

The evacuation of residents in the 6-km radius permanent danger zone (PDZ) has been undertaken due to the danger of PDCs, lava flows, rockfalls and other volcanic hazards.

Meanwhile, there were 20 volcanic earthquakes recorded in Taal Volcano since Wednesday, including five volcanic tremors that lasted two to three minutes.

There was also an observed upwelling of hot volcanic fluids and voluminous emission of plumes that measured 2,100 meters tall.

There has been a short-term inflation of the western Taal Volcano island.

Taal remains under Alert Level 1 or low-level unrest.

Phivolcs has recommended the strict prohibition of entry into Taal Volcano island especially the main crater and Daang Kastila fissures, and occupancy and boating on Taal Lake.

ECONOMIC MANAGERS PITCH MAHARLIKA FUND TO SINGAPOREAN INVESTORS

MANILA — The administration's economic managers headed by Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno on Thursday encouraged foreign investors in Singapore to support the Philippines' proposed Maharlika Fund.

During the Philippine Economic Briefing in Singapore, Diokno said the fund would invest in infrastructure projects in the country.

“If you want to invest in the Maharlika fund, that’s another avenue for investment. I mentioned 194 ready to implement projects,” Diokno said.

“The 194 infrastructure projects, I think we want the Maharlika fund to be able to finance some of them, not all of them. We have identified another source of funding for this very important infrastructure projects that will make a difference in the landscape of the Philippine economy," he added.

The P8-trillion flagship projects lined up under the administration include airports, railways, bridges and more.

There is no official Palace announcement on whether or not the bill forming the sovereign wealth fund has been signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The Senate version mandating the creation of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) was recently adopted by the Congress.

PHILIPPINES TO MULL PLAN TO TEMPORARILY HOST AFGHANS

MANILA — The Philippine Senate's foreign relations committee will discuss a plan on Friday to temporarily house thousands of Afghans awaiting resettlement in the United States.

The Philippines received a request from the United States in October to temporarily host the Afghans, Manila's envoy to Washington told CNN Philippines in an interview Thursday.

Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said under the proposal, Afghans who had worked for the US government would be issued special immigration visas to be processed at a facility in the Philippines.

"The information that we so far have received is that there are about 50,000, which includes the families of the Afghan citizens who worked with the United States government."

A schedule of Senate hearings for Friday noted that the Foreign Relations committee would discuss "proposed temporary housing" in the country for Afghan applicants.

Contacted by AFP, the Philippine foreign ministry refused to comment on the plans.

A US embassy spokesman in Manila told reporters: "We do not comment on ongoing diplomatic discussions".

BAKIT NAGTAAS NG TOLL FEES ANG NLEX?

MAYNILA - Bakit nagtaas ng toll fees ang pamunuan ng North Luzon Expressway (NLEX)?

Paliwanag ng CEO at president ng Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation na si Rogelio "Babes" Singson, ang kakaarangkada lang na 11% toll hike ng NLEX ay nagsimula pa dapat noong 2012.

Aniya, may kontrata ang gobyerno at NLEX na magtaas ng singil sa toll fee kada dalawang taon. Kailangan umano ng kaunting adjustment sa toll fee para hindi naiipon at hindi nabibigla ang increase.

Giit ni Singson, kung hindi mababawi ng NLEX ang dagdag-singil ay posibleng mabaon sa utang ang kompanya. May choke points pa umano sa naturang expressway ngayon na binibigyan na ng prayoridad na maisaayos.

Hindi umano kakayanin ng gobyerno kung bibitawan ng private sector ang pag-o-operate ng NLEX.

Kahit naging epektibo na ang taas-singil ng toll sa NLEX simula Huwebes, may panawagang suspindehin muna ito.

SENATE PANEL TO PROBE COMPLAINTS VS CEBU PACIFIC

Airline passengers who have experienced Cebu Pacific's alleged poor quality of service are expected to troop to the Senate on June 21 and register their cases before a Senate panel.

The Senate Committee on Tourism chaired by Senator Nancy Binay will start its investigation on complaints against the airline company's reported records of "overbooking, offloading and booking glitches" on Wednesday.

"Affected travelers and customers complained that Cebu Pacific has not provided immediate assistance or support regarding their concerns despite seeking help from the airline's customer service hotlines and in person help desk," Binay, in her penned Resolution 575, stated.

"Overbooking is a deliberate industry-wide business practice where airlines are allowed to sell 10% more tickets than the number of seats available for a particular flight. From the industry standard of 10%, the Civil Aeronautics Board has set a 5% allowable overbooking to optimize utility, and avoid empty seats," the senator added.

Binay said getting offloaded without an alternative flight or compensation, not only affects the traveler's travel plans, but also the tourists' impression on how airlines treat their customers.

These cases, Binay said, also bring a negative impact to the Philippine government's efforts to entice more tourists to visit the country.

On Wednesday's hearing, Binay will specifically investigate if authorities are strictly implementing the Air Passenger Bill of Rights.

The public hearing will also aim to press both the Department of Tourism and the Civil Aeronautics Board to strongly address this issue, and how affected customers should be compensated.

SARA TACKLES EDUCATION,  COOPERATION WITH SINGAPORE LEADERS

MANILA  — Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday met with Singapore’s prime minister and president to discuss education-related issues and cooperation between the Philippines and the city-state.

Duterte, concurrently the Philippines’ education secretary, was in Singapore as part of her official trip as president of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO).

Duterte said she discussed language proficiency with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

“Aside from using English as the global language, Prime Minister Lee and I advocate for the teaching of mother tongue to our youth to ensure that their identity and culture will remain alive,” she said in Filipino.

In a Facebook post, the Prime Minister said he had a good discussion with Duterte regarding the “positive trajectory of our bilateral cooperation, and the contributions of the Filipino community in Singapore to our society and economy.”

Duterte also discussed the use of new technology in education with President Halimah Yacob.

Earlier, Duterte met with Singaporean Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, then visited SEAMEO’s Regional Language Center, the Temasek Foundation and the Mandai Wildlife Reserve.

The Mandai Wildlife Reserve is home to a pair of Philippine Eagles, named Sambisig and Geothermica, handed over by the Philippine Eagle Foundation in 2019.

She also met with the Filipino community in Singapore on Wednesday night.

The Vice President traveled to Singapore after a three-day visit to Brunei, where she visited the SEAMEO VOCTECH Regional Center and celebrated the 125th Philippine Independence Day.

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BSP SLAPS P1-M FINE TO BPI OVER FAMILY BANK MERGER

MANILA  — The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas slapped a P1 million fine on the Bank of the Philippine Islands for the disposal of treasury shares that came as a result of its merger with BPI Family Savings Bank.

In a disclosure sent to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Thursday, BPI said they received a letter from the BSP on June 13, which stated out the details of the penalty.

The BSP indicated that BPI failed to comply with Section 10 of Republic Act No. 8791, or the General Banking Law of 2000.

As it is, BPI explained that they disclosed on September 29, 2022, that they will not pursue the proposed amendment on its articles of incorporation to trim its authorized capital stock by disposing of treasury shares.

The disclosure was made since the BSP “did not favorably endorse” BPI’s request to dispose treasury shares that came from its merger with BPI Family Savings Bank.

The central bank indicated that the retirement of these treasury shares cannot be considered a sale or disposition of shares, in line with Sec. 10 of the General Banking Law of 2000.

By then, BPI told the BSP that they approved the declaration of property dividends to stand as BPI’s way of disposing the treasury shares. This move, according to BPI, will only be completed once they secure approval from regulators.

Shares in BPI closed trading up 0.96% to P105 per share on Thursday.

MAGNITUDE 6.3 QUAKE HITS BATANGAS, PARTS OF LUZON

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit Calatagan town in Batangas on Thursday morning with the tremor felt across Luzon, including Metro Manila, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

Although no major damage was reported from the quake as of press time, the temblor shook parts of the National Capital Region, including major transport systems, sending people streaming out of buildings weeks after the most recent national earthquake drill.

The runway at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport was closed for inspection, temporarily halting its operations, along with other airports and the railways crisscrossing the big city.

In a statement, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said the building and equipment at San Jose Airport in Mindoro, across the sea from Batangas, did not sustain major damage.

The cracks found in two stations of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) following the earthquake are “no cause for alarm,” the Department of Transportation said in a statement.

Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol said the earthquake possibly came from Manila Trench due to the depth of its tectonic origin. The agency did not issue any tsunami warning following the quake.

Meanwhile, Calatagan Mayor Peter Palacio said no significant damages were observed in their town, but tasked municipal engineers to check the town hall and other structures.

Classes in some schools in the town were suspended, but government offices remained open to the public, according to Palacio, who warned residents of Calatagan to watch out for aftershocks.

NWRB EXTENDS HIGHER ANGAT ALLOCATIONS FOR WATER FIRMS

MANILA  — The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) has decided to maintain the raw water allocation from Angat Dam until end-June, effectively giving reprieve to customers of Maynilad Water Services Inc. in Metro Manila and nearby provinces whose water interruptions were scheduled to begin today.

In a text message, NWRB executive director Sevillo David yesterday confirmed that the 52 cubic meters per second (CMS) raw water allocation from Angat Dam was extended until June 30 following the request of Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).

Originally, the NWRB only approved the 52 CMS from June 1 to 15, and would be reduced to 50 CMS from today until June 30.

In another text message, MWSS division manager Patrick Dizon welcomed the NWRB approval as this would help prevent the implementation of rotating service interruptions in the areas covered by Maynilad.

“With the same commitment that we promised to NWRB when the 52 CMS was first approved in April 16 that there will be no interruption in the areas supplied by Angat Dam,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“We have presented to NWRB the impact of the non-extension of the 52 CMS allocation, which is water interruption on 632,000 water service connections,” Dizon said.

The NWRB had approved in mid-April the increase in water allocation from Angat Dam to 52 CMS dedicated to Maynilad.

This allowed Maynilad to lift its water service interruptions, which lasted up to 19 hours in most of its covered areas, except in the southern portion of its service area dependent on the Putatan output.

DICT: RETOOL, RESKILL WORKERS AMID AI THREAT OF DISRUPTION

With artificial intelligence tools threatening to replace Filipino workers in jobs and disrupting workplace, the Department of Information and Communication Technology said Thursday it is preparing for the potential effects of AI development.

DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy believes this can be addressed by teaching and training Filipinos to work with AI so they can adapt.

“People ask me, ‘Will AI replace a person in his job?’ The way I see it, no.

AI will not replace the person. What will replace the person is another person who knows how to use AI,” he said in an ABS-CBN report.

“That’s why it’s critical that we, by understanding how AI works, should learn how to leverage it, how to use it in order to empower our workforce and our people,” the DICT chief said.

He also urged the government to regulate AI as the technology “lacks humanity.”

While some will eventually lose jobs to AI-powered tools, some jobless Pinoys may eventually be employed thanks to the technology, so Uy said it is important to train “our own people, re-skill them, retool them so that they become adept at utilizing AI as a tool rather than being enslaved by AI.”

Artificial intelligence is changing the way things are being done, the secretary said.

“This disruptive technology will have a significant effect on our labor force, on our workforce, and we need to build up our digital work force on how they will have to work with AI in the future and in order to secure our current status,” Uy said.

He said the AI revolution “is progressing at a much faster, much bigger scale than anyone ever anticipated or dreamed of. AI is emotionless, it does not adhere to morality or ethics, it’s pure logic and intelligence, and that is a cause of concern.”

“Without proper regulation by government, it could become dangerous, it could become destructive as it evolves. And it’s evolving very very fast,” Uy added.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

JUDY ON WORKING WITH CLAUDINE: ‘THIS IS THE PERFECT MOMENT’

MANILA – After Claudine Barretto expressed her willingness to work with erstwhile rival Judy Ann Santos, the Kapamilya actress echoed the same sentiments in an interview with Boy Abunda.

“A project with Claudine? Of course. Why not? I think hindi lang naman dahil sa hinihingi ng mga tao but I think it would be a very interesting project,” Santos told Abunda.

“For me and Claudine to do a project, I think this is the very perfect moment. Why? Because kalmado at payapa ang paligid.”

The veteran Kapamilya actress also revealed that she got teary eyed after watching the interview of Barretto, who admitted that she and Santos are good friends despite many fans thinking that they are not on good terms.

“Tama si Claudine. We never really had the chance to be close nung mga bata kami because Star Magic siya and I have Tito Alfie [Lorenzo] with me and palagi kaming nakatapat sa isa’t-isa. I guess that’s a very healthy competition back then,” Santos explained.

But Santos acknowledged the need for a rivalry in the industry to gauge one’s skills as an actor.

Claudine Barretto hopes to work with Judy Ann Santos in a movie

“We’re very good friends. We’re okay. We just never had that chance to go out and be really close,” she continued.

Santos, however, made it clear that she is fine with a limited series or shows as she does not want to take much of her time away from her family.

"I've been working for the past decades of my life and buong buhay ko binigay ko dito. Now that God has given me a very beautiful family that I've prayed for and wished for, hindi pwedeng may makaligtaan ako,” Santos said.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Vision without action is merely a dream, action without vision is merely passing time, but vision with action can change the world. - Nelson Mandela