MARCOS JR SUSPENDS 'PASS THROUGH FEES' IN NATIONAL ROADS

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. suspended the collection of "pass through fees" in national roads and other roads not constructed and funded by local government units, Malacañang announced Friday.

Executive Order No. 41 cited the importance of reducing transport and logistics costs, which were eventually passed down to consumers.

The efficient and unhampered movement of products in the regions is also among the strategies in kickstarting local industries under the Philippine Development Plan 2023 to 2028, said the President.

"All [local government units] are prohibited from collecting toll fees and charges upon all motor vehicles transporting goods or merchandise, while passing through any national roads and such other roads not constructed and funded by LGUs pursuant to Section 155 of RA No. 7160," Marcos said.

Localities were also encouraged, in the interest of public welfare, to suspend or discontinue collecting sticker fees, discharging fees, delivery fees, market fees, toll fees, entry fees, or mayor's permit fees, which are imposed on all vehicles carrying goofs and passing through any local public roads they constructed.

“The unauthorized imposition of pass-through fees has a significant impact on transportation and logistics costs, which are often passed on to consumers, who ultimately bear the burden of paying for the increase in prices of goods and commodities," he said.

Administrative and disciplinary sanctions await those local officials that do not comply with the order, based on the document.

The interior department was also tasked to monitor and take appropriate actions on local government units that fail to follow the order.

EO No. 41 will take effect immediately upon its publication on the Official Gazette.

MARCOS, MACRON TACKLE WPS SECURITY ISSUES, BILATERAL TIES

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed security issues in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in a phone call, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said Thursday.

During the call, Marcos told Macron that the Philippines is exerting all efforts “to maintain the peace, to maintain the stability, [and] keep the shipping lanes… and airways open” in the WPS, said PCO Secretary Cheloy Garafil.

The President also thanked France for its support in terms of upholding the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), for its messages of support, and for even sending ships to patrol the vital waterway.

The phone call comes at a time of heightened tension between the Philippines and China because of Chinese ships in Philippine waters.

In a forum in Makati City on Wednesday, Western Mindanao Command chief Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos said the military is looking at “three lines of efforts” to further enhance the Philippines’ presence in the WPS.

Carlos said the initiatives include effective occupation of all islands now occupied by the country in the WPS, establishment of a stronger naval presence and enhancement of maritime domain awareness.

Garafil said Marcos invited the French leader to visit the Philippines whenever he heads to Asia.

French Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontanel on Sept. 20 relayed Macron’s invitation for Marcos to embark on a state visit to France.

Macron told Marcos that a group of French ministers would visit Manila before the end of the year, as part of the efforts to strengthen the two nations’ ties and forge more cooperation.

CHINA SPENDING BILLIONS TO SPREAD DISINFORMATION: US GOV'T REPORT

WASHINGTON, United States - China is spending billions worldwide on disinformation campaigns, posing a threat to global freedom of speech, warns a US State Department report. The report, released by the State Department's Global Engagement Center, highlights China's use of propaganda, disinformation, and censorship to manipulate information. It also accuses China of suppressing critical information on issues like Taiwan and human rights. The report underscores the danger of allowing this manipulation to continue, as it could erode democratic values and create a world where fact and fiction blend. China's tactics include promoting "digital authoritarianism," controlling Chinese-language media, and co-opting foreign influencers and journalists. The report suggests that if unchecked, China could reshape the global information environment.

CONGRESS PASSES SEVERAL CRUCIAL PRIORITY MEASURES

Speaker Martin G. Romualdez congratulated the House of Representatives for the speedy passage of 20 pieces of legislation aimed at uplifting the lives of the Filipino people.

He reported “mission accomplished” to members of the House, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., and the nation before the 19th Congress adjourned for the first recess of its second regular session on Wednesday night.

In the Senate, 18 measures, five of which were included in the President’s list of priority bills, were approved by senators over three days before the end of the second regular session of the current Congress.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the chamber buckled down to work on the last week of their regular plenary session before the legislature goes on a monthlong break starting Sept. 30.

“Once signed into law, these measures will help shore up the Marcos administration’s initiatives to make the Philippines a prime investment destination,” Zubiri said.

Meanwhile, Romualdez also authorized all standing and special committees of the House to hold hearings during the congressional break.

In her formal motion in the plenary, House Deputy Majority Leader and Pangasinan Rep. Marlyn Primicias-Agabas moved to allow all committees to continue their work of producing legislation during the break from Sept. 28 to Nov. 5, 2023.

Romualdez expressed his “heartfelt appreciation and profound gratitude” to his colleagues, including members of the minority, and House personnel for his chamber’s record accomplishment.

He recalled that last July 5, during the second full meeting of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), 20 priority bills were targeted for approval by both houses of Congress by the end of December.

As of adjournment time, Romualdez said he was proud to report that the House has approved all 20 measures LEDAC members agreed to have Congress pass by the end of this year.

“We are three months ahead of target… thanks for all your help,” Romualdez, the head of the 311-strong House of Representatives, said.

“I have no doubt that our collective action, imbued with competence and a passion for public service, led us to deliver responsive and relevant legislative measures required to champion social justice and economic development,” he said.

DAVAO SENDS DURIAN EXPORTS TO CHINA: VP SARA

Davao City has sent its first durian export to China following negotiations between the government and Chinese officials, Vice President Sara Duterte said Friday.

In a Facebook post, the Vice President said Gov. Zhao Long of Fujian province, People’s Republic of China visited Davao City to bring 2 pieces of good news: the renewal of the Sister City Agreement between Davao City and Jinjiang City in Fujian and the successful export of durian to China.

Negotiations with Jinjiang City started while Duterte was still mayor of Davao City in 2018, she said.

"Kasama si Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, nagpaabot ako ng aking pasasalamat kay Gov. Zhao sa dalawang good news na dala ng kanyang byahe sa siyudad. Una, ang renewal ng Sister City Agreement sa pagitan ng Davao City at ng Jinjiang City sa Fujian Province. Unang nagkaroon ng ugnayan ang Davao City sa Jinjiang habang mayor pa ako ng siyudad noong 2018," she said.

"Pangalawa, ang matagumpay na unang pagpapadala ng Davao City ng durian bilang export product sa China. Ang negosasyon dito ay nagsimula din sa ilalim ng aking administrasyon bilang mayor sa tulong ng Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Davao."

She added that Gov. Zhao also met with her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Other Chinese officials who visited Davao City on Thursday's 5th Anniversary celebration of the Sister City Agreement were Quanzhou City Mayor, Cai Zhansheng and Party Secretary, Zhang Wenxian of Jinjiang, China.

SWS: HALF OF FILIPINOS DISSATISFIED WITH K-12 CURRICULUM

MANILA — About half of Filipinos are dissatisfied with the K to 12 basic education program, while 9 in 10 prefer the previous June to March academic calendar, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) found in a survey released on Thursday.

Fifty percent of 1,500 respondents said they were dissatisfied with the K-12 curriculum, while 30 percent said they were satisfied and 9 percent were undecided, the SWS said.

The same poll found that 89 percent of Filipino adults preferred the June to March academic calendar, while 10 percent were in favor of the September to June calendar and 1 percent had no preference.

The school year opened last Aug. 29 for public schools. The academic calendar began a few weeks earlier for some private schools.

The Department of Education earlier said it was studying calls to bring back the June to March academic calendar, which several groups sought due to harsh heat in classrooms during the dry season.

The agency is also testing a revised K to 10 program, which reduces learning areas and focuses on foundational skills.

The review for the Grade 11 to 12 curriculum is still pending.

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GOOD NEWS! DOE SEES HIGHER PUMP PRICE CUTS NEXT WEEK

Good news, Kapamilya! The Department of Energy is seeing more pump price cuts next week, with an even higher drop compared to this week's price rollback.

"Base sa estimate, meron tayong inaasahang rollback sa gasoline and kerosene. Sa diesel alanganin ho at kailangan antayin 'yung Friday trading," DOE Oil Management Bureau chief Rino Abad said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.

"Medyo mataas ang rollback..Estimate sobra ito sa 1 peso ang rollback sa gasoline, sa kerosene 40-60 centavos," he added.

He noted, however, that there is an impending increase in liquefied petroleum gas prices.

Last Tuesday oil companies implemented a decrease of P0.20/liter for gasoline and diesel, and P0.50/liter kerosene. The price adjustments resulted in a year-to-date net increase of P17.30/liter for gasoline, P13.40/liter diesel and P9.44/liter for kerosene.

LRT-1 ADDS MORE TRAINS, DAILY TRIPS; SHORTER WAIT TIMES SEEN

MANILA- Passengers of the LRT-1 will soon enjoy shorter waiting times for trains as the railway adds more trains and increases the number of trips daily.

Light Rail Manila Corp, the private company that operates the country’s first light railway system, said it will expand its fleet to a maximum of 23 train sets, resulting in a significant increase in daily trips.

LRMC said seven Generation-4 train sets are already in commercial service.

On weekdays, the number of LRT-1 trips will rise from 410 to 460, while weekends will see an increase from 293 to 331 trips on Saturdays and 307 trips on Sundays, the company said.

“Our transport capacity will increase by almost 10 percent for weekday operations and about 20 percent on weekends. We at LRMC are continuously thinking of ways to better serve our passengers with increased capacity and shorter waiting time,” said LRMC Chief Operating Officer Rolando J. Paulino III.

Meanwhile, starting Oct. 1, the LRT-1 will implement a new first train schedule on weekends and holidays. The first train will depart from Baclaran and Fernando Poe Jr. stations at 5 a.m.

The last trip leaving Baclaran Station is at 9:30 p.m, while the last train leaves Fernando Poe Jr. Station at 9:45 p.m.

The company said this is to allow the company more time to perform track works and upgrade the railway.

But there will be no changes in the weekday schedule of LRT-1 with the first train leaving both Baclaran Station and Fernando Poe Jr. Station at 4:30 a.m., while the last trip is still at 10:00 p.m. and 10:15 p.m., from Baclaran Station and Fernando Poe Jr. Station respectively.

NO NIPAH VIRUS OUTBREAK IN CDO – DOH

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has dismissed as ”misinformation”reports of a Nipah virus outbreak in schools in Cagayan de Oro.

“The DOH officially maintains that there are no Nipah virus cases in the country,” the DOH-Northern Mindanao office said in a statement.

Earlier reports said a Nipah virus outbreak had affected students and school personnel in Cagayan de Oro.

Nipah virus is a zoonotic virus, meaning it can spread between animals and people.

While some students and teachers in Cagayan de Oro manifested symptoms of the illness, the DOH said it is not clear whether a particular virus is to blame.

“Despite the fact that the Nipah virus is new to us, this is not the case in other countries like India and Malaysia, where it has been reported to affect humans and animals and caused serious illnesses and even death,” the DOH regional office said.

Pigs, horses as well as saliva, excrement and blood extracts from  fruit-eating bats are sources of the Nipah virus transmission, the DOH said.

It advised the public to practice hand washing, proper use of face masks, proper ventilation, isolation of those with symptoms and other minimal public health standards to prevent the spread of infections.

P3.6-B SHABU SEIZED IN PAMPANGA

Law enforcement agencies have seized P3.6 billion worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu” in a warehouse in Mexico City, Pampanga, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Thursday.

Remulla said the drug haul was “the biggest catch so far under the administration of President Marcos.”

“A total of 530 kilos amounting to P3.6 billion street value were confiscated and believed imported through the Subic port,” Remulla said.

Customs District Collector Ciriaco Ugay said the seized illegal drugs were declared as animal feed from Thailand, packed in 881 bags.

Each pack contained approximately one kilogram of shabu, Ugay said.

Remulla said the seizure of the illegal drugs from a warehouse in Purok 5 in San Jose Malino was a result of a multi-agency operation led by the National Bureau of Investigation.

He said investigators already have a list of persons involved in the criminal activity.

“The NBI is on the job now pursuing these people,” he said.

The NBI said the operation was done in collaboration with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Bureau of Customs, and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.

“The NBI will conduct a financial investigation in tandem with the Anti-Money Laundering Council against the corporations identified as being used as conduits to traffic the seized illegal drugs,” the bureau said.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

IZA CALZADO RETURNS TO FILM WITH 'SHAKE, RATTLE & ROLL EXTREME'

MANILA -- Iza Calzado, known for her roles in Filipino horror films, takes on a new challenge in "Shake Rattle & Roll Extreme" for this year's Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). She's grateful for the opportunity and hopes for the revival of Philippine cinema. Calzado is also passionate about improving industry practices and recently participated in discussions about the Eddie Garcia Bill, advocating for better working conditions. She encourages fellow actors to join the dialogue.

When asked about extreme experiences in her life, Calzado mentioned almost leaving her career for love and her network transfer as career-related extremes. As for personal life, she left it to the imagination. She expressed gratitude for being part of "Shake Rattle & Roll Extreme" and the MMFF, marking her return to the big screen after giving birth to her baby girl Amihan earlier this year.

"Shake Rattle & Roll Extreme" is directed by Jerrold Tarog, Joey de Guzman, and Richard Somes and features a star-studded cast.

SPORTS

ASIAN GAMES: GILAS WEATHERS THAILAND RALLY FOR SECOND WIN

Gilas Pilipinas bucked a flat start and survived a fourth quarter flurry from Thailand to claim an 87-72 victory in their second game of the 19th Asian Games on Thursday.

The Philippines found themselves in a nip-and-tuck game in the first half, pulled away in the third, then were chased down by their Southeast Asian rivals to open the fourth quarter.

But some big buckets by Ange Kouame and Justin Brownlee restored order for Gilas, and they improved to 2-0 in Group C after the contest at the Zhejiang University Zijingang Gymnasium.

Brownlee had 22 points and 15 rebounds, though he shot just 8-of-27 from the field as the entire Philippine team struggled to find their rhythm. CJ Perez had 16 points on 7-of-17 attempts, while also missing some point-blank shots.

With the victory, the Philippines is assured of qualification to the next phase of the tournament. They can still secure direct qualification to the quarterfinals if they win their final Group C game against Jordan.

The Philippines led 68-50 after the third period and looked to be on their way to a comfortable win, only to give up a 13-0 run to Thailand to open the fourth quarter. The tandem of Tyler Lamb and Frederick Lish did the heavy lifting for the Thais, with Lamb's three-pointer making it a five-point game with still over six minutes left, 68-63.

Kouame's bucket on the other end -- the Philippines' first of the final quarter -- gave Gilas some breathing room before Lish answered for Thailand. Brownlee knocked down a three-pointer and Kouame converted two free throws to give Gilas a double-digit spread, 75-65, midway through the frame.

Thailand last threatened when Chanatip Jakrawan scored to make it 79-70 with 3:13 left, but the Philippines' defense held the fort the rest of the way.

Lamb had 29 points while Lee scored 22 for Thailand, the only players in double-digits for their team.

The Philippines won despite shooting just 39% from the field and making just 15-of-23 free throws. They did have a 63-35 advantage in rebounding and a 24-12 edge on assists.

Gilas will next face Jordan, starring TNT import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, on Saturday at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre.

INDICATORS

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life. - Rachel Carson