PH, JAPAN MUST 'WORK TOGETHER TO ALLEVIATE TENSIONS' IN SOUTH CHINA SEA: MARCOS JR.

MANILA — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized the need for close collaboration between the Philippines and Japan to address tensions in the South China Sea during a meeting with Yamaguchi Natsuo, chief representative of Komeito International Affairs Bureau. Both nations, beyond their economic partnership, must now focus on security and defense in the region. The President praised Japan's contributions in terms of training, equipment, and cooperation to ensure peace and freedom of navigation. He highlighted shared principles and emphasized the importance of working together to alleviate tensions and promote economic strength for regional peace. Yamaguchi expressed his party's commitment to strengthening ties and enhancing cooperation between the two countries while emphasizing the need to avoid unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force, especially in maritime security.

LOCSIN TAPPED AS CHINA ENVOY

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed former Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin as special envoy to Beijing, days after the Chinese embassy in Manila called on the Philippines to meet it halfway over maritime disputes in the West Philippine Sea.

“[Ambassador Locsin’s appointment] is to boost bilateral relations between the two countries,” Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil said, adding that Locsin will serve as concurrent Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Chinese Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Zhou Zhiyong earlier said Beijing and Manila are neighbors that “can’t move away from one another,” thus disputes between both countries should be managed through dialogue and consultations.

“China has repeatedly expressed its willingness to resolve differences with the Philippines through bilateral dialogues. Meet the Chinese side halfway and find an effective way of managing the situation on the sea through diplomatic consultations,” Zhou said.

However, the Department of Foreign Affairs said China has yet to officially call for bilateral talks, contrary to Brijing’s claim that it has already sent fillers for a proposed meeting that the country has yet to respond to.

Locsin, while serving as foreign secretary under former president Rodrigo Duterte, was outspoken in his criticism of China.

HOUSE OKS BILL SETTING HIGHER, 'MORE REALISTIC' CAP FOR CAMPAIGN EXPENSES

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives has approved on final reading a bill increasing the limit on candidates’ campaign expenses to an amount that lawmakers say would meet the growing costs of recent electoral campaigns.

House Bill 8370, which received 268 favorable votes and one abstention on Wednesday, revises an over three-decades-old law to allow candidates in local and national elections to declare a higher amount for their authorized campaign expenses.

Under the current law or Republic Act 7166, candidates are limited to spending between P3 to P10 per registered voter. However, the proponents of HB No. 8370 argue that these limits have become obsolete.

“This cap was set almost 32 years ago, in November 1991 when the law was enacted. Factoring in annual inflation, a candidate’s P3 or P10 three decades ago may amount to nothing today. Thus, the need to adjust the expense limit,” House Speaker Martin Romualdez said of the bill.

DIOKNO: BANNING CHINESE FIRMS MAY CAUSE ‘DELAYS’

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno shot down Wednesday suggestions to ban Chinese contractors from participating in Philippine projects.

"In case decision is made to ban Chinese contractors from participating in pipeline projects of the national government, it may affect the implementation of official development assistance (ODA) projects from bilateral or multilateral ODA partners alike," Diokno told the Senate finance committee.

He said the proposed ban could also affect locally-funded projects and public-private partnerships if their main contractors, suppliers, or subcontractors were Chinese firms or nationals.

"Because of the huge list of infrastructure that we want to do, we're running out of workers in the Philippines... we're also running out of private sector workers. And we need foreign workers, maybe Indian workers or Chinese workers," Diokno said.

He said the ban could delay projects and force government to shift the financing for projects that were requested from China.

Suggestions to ban Chinese contractors were prompted by the China Coast Guard's recent use of water cannons against Philippine vessels heading to Ayungin Shoal.

"Banning one of their state-owned companies is a way to tell China that we will not tolerate any abuse anymore," Sen. Risa Hontiveros earlier said.

DIOKNO SAYS MUP CAN BE REDUNDANT, PROBLEMATIC PLAN

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno has said the contentious military and uniformed personnel (MUP) pension program was already being allocated more funds than the military’s budget for its operations

Diokno issue the observation during the briefing of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on the proposed 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

“I think if you let this through, the next administration will be faced with a huge problem. In fact, the current situation now is that the amount we allocate for the military pension is much higher than the current operating budget of the military. That is how heavy it is already,” he said.

Under the 2024 NEP, the government proposes to allocate P164 billion for the MUP pension, reflecting a 3.5-percent increase from thefunding for benefits this year. This is fully funded by the government, without any direct contributions from the MUPs themselves.

“The pension system that is for the military is not a real pension system in the following sense — there are no contributors,” Diokno noted.

“A pension system is where the beneficiaries of the pension system contribute to the system and there is a government counterpart, okay, but in this particular sense, there is no contribution in the part of the beneficiaries, and we only appropriate it annually,” he clarified.

ENVOY HOPEFUL EU, PH WILL RESUME FTA TALKS

European Union (EU) Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Veron has expressed optimism that the “scoping exercise” for the resumption of negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Philippines will bring the relationship to the “next level.”

The EU) and the Philippines jointly announced the start of a scoping exercise towards the resumption of FTA negotiations,” Veron posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, August 15.

“With this launch, the (EU) is paving the way to take its partnership with (Philippines) to the next level,” the envoy added.

Veron reposted the previous statement made by the European Commission (EC).

According to the post, EC President Ursula von der Leyen’s recent visit to the Philippines and meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. paved the way for the planned scoping process.

“The announcement confirms the key importance of the Indo-Pacific region for the EU trade agenda,” the EC said.

This was after the Philippines and the EC announced late July that they will soon launch the scoping process.

The EC said the process will “assess to which extent they share a mutual understanding on the future FTA.”

“If this process concludes successfully, and after consultations with the Member States, the EU and the Philippines would be in a position to resume FTA negotiations,” the commission said, in a statement.

PALACE DEFENDS MARCOS JR'S P403-M TRAVEL EXPENSES IN 2022 AFTER COA NOTES 'SIGNIFICANT INCREASE'

Malacañang has defended President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s foreign and local travels, totaling over P403 million last year, by stating that they were essential to fulfill his roles as the country's leader. The Commission on Audit (COA) reported a significant increase of P367,052,245.96 in travel expenses compared to the previous administration, citing official travels for foreign summits and state visits. Press Secretary Cheloy Garafil noted that these travels were conducted as economic restrictions eased, part of the administration's post-Covid recovery efforts to ensure government programs and assistance reach beneficiaries. Garafil also emphasized that direct engagement with local governments and communities is integral to the President's decision-making process. The President's office has agreed to attend various international events, conferences, meetings, and state visits to benefit the country and enhance bilateral ties and international relations.

MARCOS JR. INVITED TO VISIT PERU NEXT YEAR: PALACE

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has been invited to Peru next year to "deepen cooperation in areas of mutual interest," Malacañang said.

It said Cecilia Zunilda Galarreta Bazan, Peru's non-resident ambassador-designate of to the Philippines, extended her government's invitation for Marcos to visit her country during the presentation of her credentials in Malacañang Palace.

In November 2024, Peru will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting. Peru and the Philippines will also mark the 50th year of formal diplomatic relations in 2024.

"The Peruvian envoy looks forward to receiving President Marcos Jr. and the Philippine delegation in her country next year, noting the similarities in culture between the two nations -- the closest one culturally with Peru, according to her, among all countries in Southeast Asia," according to information from state-run Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM).

Marcos, Jr. thanked the ambassador for the "gracious invitation extended to him to participate in the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Peru next year."

"That will be a very good step for the strengthening and deepening of the relations between what might be regarded as very, very distant countries but in fact are connected by the Pacific Ocean," he said.

DBM: GOV’T WORKERS TO GET PAY HIKE IN ‘24

Government workers can look forward to another pay increase next year with the allocation of P16.95 billion for the purpose in the proposed 2024 national budget, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Meanwhile, the DBM also allotted P105.6 billion for state universities and colleges (SUCs) under the proposed P5.768-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2024.

In a related development, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the proposed national budget for 2024 is “woefully unfit” to address the continuing economic crisis being faced by Filipinos.

In a statement, the DBM said the projected budget for salary hikes of state workers was provided for by the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF) as stipulated in the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the salary adjustments may be implemented starting next year.

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'WORRYING TREND' IN QUEZON CITY'S LEPTOSPIROSIS CASES: EPIDEMIOLOGY BUREAU

MANILA — Quezon City is expressing concern over a surge in preventable leptospirosis cases, leading to 5 recent deaths across different barangays. This brings the total leptospirosis-related deaths to 12, compared to 8 last year. The city's Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (CESU) reported a recent increase in cases, with 34 new infections between August 8 and 14, representing a 13.33% rise compared to the previous week. Barangay Batasan Hills has become an emerging hotspot for cases, and potential clusters are identified in other areas. Leptospirosis cases often rise during the rainy season due to people encountering contaminated floodwaters. Symptoms include fever, chills, aches, red eyes, vomiting, and jaundice. Pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis measures are available.

LTFRB AIMS TO DISTRIBUTE FUEL SUBSIDY BEFORE END OF AUGUST

MANILA — The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Wednesday said it aimed to distribute fuel subsidy to around 1.3 million operators and drivers of public utility vehicles before the end of August.

The agency is just waiting for funds to be downloaded from the budget department, LTFRB technical division head Joel Bolano said.

"Hopefully, before the end of August or within August ay ma-implement po ito, basta ho mai-download na po iyong budget coming from DBM," he said in a public briefing.

MMDA PUSHES DRIVE VS. SMOKING, VAPING

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is taking a proactive approach to combat smoking in public places, eyeing the involvement of youth leaders in the campaign.

The agency has started using public parks as venues for the series of events with the Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Council) Federation in Metro Manila taking center stage.

The project aims to promote awareness of the youth on health and safety.

“Our youth must be provided with healthy surroundings. Public parks must be conducive for activities that would strengthen our children’s bodies and protect them against any danger,” said MMDA chairman Romando Artes.

BI RESCUES FIVE HUMAN TRAFFIC VICTIMS AT NAIA

Immigration agents have arrested an alleged human trafficker and rescued five suspected human trafficking victims at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the recruiter and the victims were intercepted at the NAIA Terminal 3 after attempting to depart as tourists bound for Malaysia and Singapore.

In a statement, the BI chief said the group underwent secondary inspection and were interviewed by the immigration protection and border enforcement section (I-PROBES).

During the interview, it was confirmed that the five were recruited to work abroad as massage therapists, entertainers, tutor, and caregiver and were made to pose by their recruiter as her employees.

The BI’s I-PROBES immediately referred the case to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).

DEPED WON'T WADE INTO MAKATI-TAGUIG SCHOOL OWNERSHIP ROW

The Department of Education on Thursday said it is up to the courts to decide who owns 14 schools built by the Makati city government but are now under the territorial jurisdiction of Taguig.

DepEd spokesman Undersecretary Michael Wesley Poa said the department has ordered the formation of a committee to ensure a smooth transition of management of the 14 schools to Taguig. He noted the transition plan will include details on utilities, existing contracts and transfer of teachers.

The 14 schools will be placed under the direct supervision of the Office of the Secretary during the transition, he said.

Poa said the August 29 school opening will not be moved, saying both local governments are in agreement about the issue.

What remains in dispute, he said, is the ownership of the 14 school buildings.

"It is clear there is a Supreme Court decision. Ang pinagtatalunan na lang ay 'yung ownership nung school buildings o structure. Pagdating sa ownership of the school buildings, hindi po dapat kasama si DepEd. Pwede na pag usapan sa proper forum, whether it is a court or somewhere else," he said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.

"'Yan po ay disputed actually. Sa DepEd, it would be inappropriate for us to give an opinion on that because that is a legal dispute between the cities.

Kasi ang nangyari, itong mga school building ay pinatayo ng Makati noong panahon na ang territorial jurisdiction ay nasa Makati. But with the Supreme Court decision, nalipat na sa Taguig."

Makati Mayor Abigail Binay welcomed the decision of Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte to take over the management and supervision of the 14 schools.

HOUSE EXPELS TEVES FROM LAWMAKER DUTIES OVER 'ABANDONMENT OF OFFICE'

The House of Representatives has voted to expel Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves Jr. due to his prolonged absence and allegations of orchestrating the assassination of former governor Roel Degamo. The vote, with 265 in favor and 3 abstentions, follows the Ethics and Privileges Committee's unanimous recommendation for expulsion based on Teves' pursuit of asylum in Timor-Leste, continuous unauthorized absence, and alleged "indecent behavior" on social media discrediting the House. Committee chair Rep. Felimon Espares emphasized Teves' "gravity of misconduct" and abandonment of office due to his asylum pursuit.

The camp of expelled lawmaker Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves Jr. on Wednesday questioned the decision of the House of Representatives to vote him out of Congress, calling it a "kangaroo court."

According to Teves' lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, the proceedings of the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges "are nothing but that of a kangaroo court."

"From the start of the proceedings, it bore all the hallmarks of an inquisition: the Committee was the motu proprio Complainant, making it both the accuser and the judge; Rep. Teves was never allowed to participate in the proceedings by himself, but only through letters of his counsel, who were never even allowed to present," he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Teves Jr. can file a motion for reconsideration or seek relief from the Supreme Court against his removal from the House of Representatives, his colleague Nueva Ecija Rep. Rosanna Ria Vergara said on Thursday.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

HEART EVANGELISTA BREAKS SILENCE OVER ALLEGED RIFT WITH FORMER GLAM TEAM

MANILA, Philippines — Kapuso actress Heart Evangelista broke her silence over the issue surrounding her former glam team.

In her interview with GMA News, Heart said that "life is like that."

"Marami tayong pagdadaanan with our careers and our personal life and everything is for a reason, and everything is for us to, you know, be stronger so we can face everything else in life,” she said.

Heart also shared the piece of advice she received from husband Chiz Escudero.

“My husband would always tell me, ‘With the glory comes the punches'," she said.

"So, you can’t have a perfect life, and nobody’s perfect. So everything’s made for a reason to make us better people and stronger,” she added.

Rumors about the rift between Heart and her glam team began when DJ Jai Ho talked about a "famous celebrity" who allegedly kicked out her "stylist and makeup artist" for maxing out her credit card.

Heart’s makeup artist Justin Louise Soriano denied the credit card rumors in the comments section of his Instagram account.

Responding to a social media user's query on Instagram, Justin said he can't let the issue pass because it's all about money.

"Sorry but I can’t let this pass lang, especially pera ‘yung pino-point out,” he said.

“The falling-out has nothing to do with money matters. Please, let’s stop making issues. We are over it already. Patahimikin na po natin ito,” he added.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The feeling of being hurried is not usually the result of living a full life and having no time. It is on the contrary born of a vague fear that we are wasting our life. When we do not do the one thing we ought to do, we have no time for anything else- we are the busiest people in the world. - Eric Hoffer