MARCOS SAYS OVP, DEPED CONFIDENTIAL FUNDS 'A SETTLED ISSUE'

TOKYO – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Monday said that he considered the removal of the confidential funds for the offices of Vice President Sara Duterte a “settled issue”, following his confirmation that he would signing the national budget on Wednesday, Dec. 20.

Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Japan, Marcos said it was not him who insisted on the removal of said funds for next year.

“Well, that was actually the initiative of the Vice President. Again, I am not talking about the confidential funds and to not insist that they have such confidential funds. So, I think as far as I am concerned, it is a settled issue,” he said.

Duterte earlier requested to be given a total of P650-million in confidential funds for the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education (DepEd) for 2024.

She later dropped the bid, noting that the issue of confidential funds had become ‘divisive’ and asked Congress to instead realign some of the requested funds to learning recovery programs of DepEd.

Meanwhile, Marcos noted that while there seems to be a “differential” between the appropriated funds in the proposed 2024 budget and the actual funds collected by government, he remained “comfortable with the way the budget has turned out.”

“The budget, I think, very closely follows what our original NEP was,” he said.

“So, there is a certain amount that we now have extra, that we now have to collect. But I am confident in that because we are changing the system in [Bureau of] Customs. The BIR has been very efficient at making the collections. But we are still providing new initiatives to make businesses easier and also to increase our collection,” he said.

“We just have to do the work over the years to make sure that they will cover the differential between the actual appropriated funds and the unappropriated funds that have been appropriated by Congress,” he added.

Asked if the 2024 budget for the country’s defense will be sufficient to cover the necessary steps to address the issue on the West Philippine Sea, Marcos admitted that it won’t be enough.

“Even if we go up to the desired level of spending on defense, of up to 2% of GDP, we will still be very not comparative of actual military force to the Chinese. I think that is obvious to everyone,” he explained.

What the country can do to support our defense, Marcos said, is to forge alliances with other nations to boost our capability.

“We have to again continue, as I mentioned before, to align ourselves with as many countries around the world, especially in Asia, in the Indo-Pacific area, but around the world. And the key to be able to speak with a unified voice is essential, and that will only come with strong coalitions between different countries, amongst different countries,” he said.

MARCOS ‘UPSET’ OVER CHINESE ENVOY HUANG, BUT SEES NO REASON FOR HIS RECALL

TOKYO — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Monday said that while he was "upset" with Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian's remarks on the issue of the West Philippine Sea, he saw no reason to request China to replace its envoy.

“Kung siguro ako personally ang pinag-uusapan, maybe I’ll be upset but you are not talking about me; you are talking about the Philippines. It does not serve any purpose for us to lose our temper or overreact,” Marcos told reporters in Tokyo, Japan.

“I wish we could talk about it over the table as opposed to colliding with each other's ship in the open sea. Of course, I will prefer the less confrontational method of trying to decide these things, but it is what it is,” he added.

Marcos said he understood that the Chinese ambassador was "just doing his job" to push Beijing's stance on the issue.

“He is continuing to state the Chinese narrative. Of course, we won't agree with that narrative but I cannot see him doing anything else, so we just keep trying,” Marcos said.

“Because the truth of the matter is, kahit mapalitan na si Ambassador Huang pareho pa rin ang sasabihin ng susunod na ambassador, dahil iyon ang linya ng China. So hindi nila ititigil iyan. That is why we have to work around it,” he added.

Several lawmakers recently expressed displeasure over Huang's supposed failure to help ease tensions between the Philippines and China.

Some urged the government to declare the Chinese envoy a "persona non grata".

Marcos said the country “cannot overreact” on this matter.

“Iyong iba nga napipikon, hindi naman tungkol sa atin ito. Tungkol sa Pilipinas ito. Kung magkamali tayo eh di malaking gulo. We don’t want to go anywhere near that situation,” he said.

COMELEC WILL FOLLOW SUPREME COURT ORDER ON SMARTMATIC

MANILA -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will follow the Supreme Court order on Smartmatic.

This was the assurance of Comelec Chairman George Garcia when asked to react on the Supreme Court Resolution requiring it to comment on Smartmatic’s Petition for Certiorari (With Extremely Urgent Application for the Issuance of a Temporary Restraining Order and/or Writ of Preliminary Injunction).

The group of former Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. also needs to comment.

The said group previously filed a petition for disqualification against Smartmatic.

The Comelec and Rio’s group were given 10 days.

Smartmatic had assailed the poll body’s decision disqualifying it from participating in all Comelec procurement processes.

“Although we have yet to receive our official copy of the Order (per information of the Office of the Clerk of the Commission), the Commission on Elections shall remain consistent to its commitment to comply with the directives of Supreme Court, and at this instance, with the assistance of the Office of the Solicitor General,” Garcia said in a statement.

“Most importantly, the High Court found no compelling reasons to issue an injunctive writ to stall the implementation of our questioned resolution,” he added.

MTRCB ORDERS 14-DAY PREVENTIVE SUSPENSION OF 2 SMNI SHOWS

MANILA — The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) has imposed a 14-day preventive suspension on two Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) shows, "Gikan Sa Masa, Para Sa Masa" and "Laban Kasama ang Bayan." The suspension, effective December 18, comes after an investigation into alleged content violations. The shows and the network are under scrutiny for potential franchise violations and the broadcast of false and defamatory content. The MTRCB cited violations of established guidelines and standards and called for a meeting with SMNI on December 7. The 14-day suspension aims to address concerns and ensure compliance with broadcasting standards.

GLOBE SAYS 60 PCT OF TOWER SALE, LEASEBACK DEAL COMPLETED

MANILA -- Globe Telecom on Tuesday said it has completed 60 percent of its P96 billion tower sale and leaseback deal, raising P57.4 billion to date.

In a statement, the telco giant said it had successfully transferred 2,057 towers in 2023.

Its last transaction for the year is the third, closing 79 towers sold to Unity Digital Infrastructure for P948 million.

It transferred 115 towers to Unity Digital Infrastructure in July.

Globe said it has officially turned over the ownership of 4,467 towers out of 7,506 towers sold.

Aside from its deal with Unity, Globe sold tower portfolios to Frontier Tower Associates Philippines Inc., Phil-Tower Consortium, Inc. and MIESCOR Infrastructure Development Corporation.

Telco giants have been selling and monetizing their passive assets to help reduce debt.

TOBACCO TAXES CAN STILL BE RAISED FURTHER: RESEARCHER

The Philippines already ranks first in Southeast Asia in terms of taxing tobacco and alcohol as a means of discouraging smoking and binge drinking.

But the country can still do better, according to a researcher from the Ateneo de Manila University.

"There are still points for improvement because according to the World Health Organization, the recommended tax share as a percentage of retail price is around 75 percent. We are just around 56 percent," said Ken Abante, research faculty at ADMU.

Cigarettes have proven to be 'price inelastic', meaning that people will consume them regardless of the cost, Abante noted.

While tobacco taxes are already high, the absolute price remains low.

"Single stick sales or tingi-tingi make tobacco use very attractive to many people," he noted.

While a pack of cigarettes may cost P100, this is just P5 if purchased per stick, which makes it very affordable to many.

He added that the use of e-cigarettes has also risen among the youth, with 14 percent of students 13 to 15 years old now vaping.

DENR: 'MAJOR PROBLEMS' AHEAD IF EL NIÑO PERSISTS IN SECOND HALF OF 2024

MANILA — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) warned of potential “major problems” in the water supply should the El Niño phenomenon extend beyond the second quarter of 2024.

The water supply from Angat Dam and other sources can meet the demand "until around May or June of 2024," DENR Undersecretary Carlos Primo David told reporters on Monday.

Angat Dam supplies around 90 percent of Metro Manila’s potable water requirement.

“We’re trying to preserve it that way so that once we enter 2024, it’s at its maximum volume... If the El Niño event next year progresses, intensifies, and even extends further than June, then it will be a major problem for Metro Manila,” David said.

He said Metro Manila could experience a repeat of the 2019 water crisis, where residents lined up for water rations and some hospitals faced days of limited or no water supply.

“We want to prevent that. Twenty-first century na. We should be better in terms of forecasting, better in terms of managing our resources,” the official said.

THE REST

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HUGE COVID OUTBREAK UNLIKELY DESPITE CASE UPTICK: DOH CHIEF

MANILA — The Philippines is unlikely to experience a repeat of the COVID outbreak seen at the peak of the pandemic despite a recent increase in cases, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said on Tuesday.

"I don’t think there will be large or huge outbreak that will stress the health system," he told ANC's "Headstart."

Health authorities recorded 2,725 new coronavirus cases from December 12 to 18 — a nearly 50 percent increase from the previous week's 1,821 infections.

As of Monday, there were 4,780 active COVID infections, according to the Department of Health's data.

Herbosa pointed out that some 74 million Filipinos have received protection from COVID vaccines and another 5 million have gotten their coronavirus defense naturally from getting infected.

"I think the fear and the scare isn't as much as it was when there was a lot of uncertainty. So people have learned more about these illnesses," he also said.

"The doctors are also more confident about how they treat these cases. It’s not like when it was 2020 when we were all scared, the doctors were dying, patients were dying, and emergency departments were full."

FIREWORKS GROUP: NO NEED FOR FIRECRACKER BAN

More regulation but no ban.

This is the call of the Philippine Fireworks Association after the Department of the Interior and Local Government secretary said he wanted a total ban on firecrackers that cause injuries during New Year celebrations.

"Hindi kailangan na i-ban. Ang nangyayari lately, kulang ang regulasyon. Dapat higpitan ang regulasyon," Philippine Fireworks Association president Joven Ong said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.

Ong said the explosion of a cargo truck that was carrying a load of fireworks was because the firecrackers were improperly packaged.

"Mali ang formulation na ginawa. Kasi pag hindi dumaan sa masusing monitoring ng DTI Bureau of Product Standards at walang PS mark ito, dapat hindi ito ginagawa ito ng may lisensya o [walang] lisensya," he said.

Ong said that instead of a firecracker ban, the PNP-CSG should disallow permits for potassium chlorate - a common oxidizer in pyrotechnics that is no longer in use in other countries.

Instead of potassium chlorate, a more stable chemical should be used by manufacturers. "Dapat hindi na nakakakuha nang ganitong uri ng kemikal dito sa Pilipinas," he said.

AFTER MAJOR QUAKE, KABAYAN SPARES SURIGAO DEL SUR BUT AFTERSHOCKS REMAIN

Residents of Surigao del Sur still reeling from the magnitude 7.4 earthquake this month can heave a sigh of relief after a weather disturbance (formerly tropical storm Kabayan) left no fatalities in the province Monday.

Surigao del Sur Gov. Alexander Pimentel said he was initially worried that Kabayan would destroy infrastructure that was already affected by the magnitude 7.4 earthquake earlier this month.

"Kinabahan ako na baka masira yung mga nag crack na eskwelahan. Hanggang ngayon, no classes kami. Hindi pa tapos ang Phivolcs at mga engineers na mag-inspect," he said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.

He said he ordered a forced evacuation ahead of the storm, which affected 49,000 families and 181,000 individuals.

He said 20,000 families are set to go home today after the government gave the all-clear.

Affected by Kabayan were repair work in Hinatuan while some vehicles were damaged. Power has already been restored as of Monday evening, he said.

"Walang namatay, wala ring (damage sa infra)," he said. However, he said aftershocks measuring as high as magnitude 6.8 continue to affect the province.

The governor said classes in Surigao del Sur will resume next year to give way to repair work of damaged schools.

He added that residents may have a sad Christmas this year after he ordered all Christmas parties at the LGU, provincial, municipal and barangay level canceled so that the money could be used to help those affected by the earthquake.

"'Yung gagastusin sa Christmas party i-donate na lang sa mga nasiraan ng bahay. Walang Christmas party dito," he said.

CONSTRUCTION OF P182-M WORTH LANAO DEL SUR AGRI TRADING CENTER BEGINS

COTABATO CITY — Lanao del Sur is constructing a P182 million agricultural trading center in Marantao municipality to enhance connectivity among local merchants and entrepreneurs. Funded by a loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines, the project aims to facilitate trade within the province and with counterparts outside. The large trading hub aligns with the socio-economic goals of the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Moro National Liberation Front. With a significant portion of residents relying on farming, the facility is expected to benefit decommissioned MILF and MNLF members who are now thriving as farmers. The center will also streamline trade between Lanao del Sur and nearby areas, promoting economic growth in the region.

BAGUIO LAUNCHES ‘PANAGBENGA’ 2024

MANILA — Baguio City launched the 2024 edition of its famed “Panagbenga” yesterday morning – six days before Christmas and weeks ahead of the month-long Flower Festival in February.

Panagbenga (a local term for season of blooming) is themed “Celebrating traditions, embracing innovation” for 2024 and is seen to draw more local and foreign tourists.

“It is not just a festival but a pride of Baguio where diverse cultures of the people come together to showcase the beauty of the City of Pines,” said Frederico Alquiros, Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. president.

“Panagbenga” was conceptualized in 1995 by lawyer Damaso Bangaoet and implemented by then mayor Mauricio Domogan to symbolize the city’s rise from the rubble and devastation of the 1990 earthquake that left over 2,000 people dead.

Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong promised to provide “all the support needed from the local government” even if the flower festival is a private sector-led endeavor.

Magalong said the high number of tourists expected to visit the city for the flower festival would also be a boon for the neighboring communities in La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan and Tuba towns.

GLOOMY TUESDAY IN PH DUE TO LPA, AMIHAN, SHEAR LINE

Three weather systems will bring rains over most of the country, weather bureau PAGASA said in its Tuesday morning forecast.

The remnant low pressure area (LPA) of tropical depression Kabayan and the shear line will bring scattered rains in Aurora, Quezon, Bicol Region, MIMAROPA, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Flooding and landslides remain a threat in these areas, especially those which received antecedent rainfall, during occasions of moderate to at times heavy intensity.

At 3:00 a.m. Tuesday, the LPA was located 290 km west southwest of Zamboanga City. Weather forecaster Robert Badrina said the system will move westward and has a slim chance of re-developing into a weather disturbance.

Kabayan, the eleventh storm in the country this year and the first in December, formed east of Mindanao early Sunday and intensified into a tropical storm by nighttime. It slightly weakened before making landfall in Manay, Davao Oriental Monday morning, eventually becoming a remnant LPA in the afternoon while crossing the rugged northern Mindanao terrain.

The shear line forms when the cool northeast monsoon or Amihan with the warm and moist winds blowing from the Pacific.

Meanwhile, the Amihan will bring cloudy skies in Cordillera Administrative Region and Cagayan Valley and isolated light rains over Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon.

The seaboards of Northern Luzon and the eastern seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao remain a no-sail zone for small sea vessels due to big waves from the three weather systems.

Weather conditions in the central and southern parts of the country may improve beginning Thursday, forecaster Rhea Torres said on Gising Pilipinas on TeleRadyo Serbisyo.

Based on PAGASA's tropical cyclone probability forecast issued Monday, no other weather disturbance is seen to affect the country until the end of the year.

SPORTS

NBA SCORES OF GAMES PLAYED ON DEC 17, 2023

Final

1          2          3          4          T

Magic

16-9

31        19        24        23        97

Celtics

20-5

27        34        22        31        114

TD Garden , Boston, MA

PLAYERS OF THE GAME

P. Banchero ORL PF

36 PTS , 10 REB , 1 AST

J. Brown BOS SF

31 PTS , 5 REB , 6 AST

Final

1          2          3          4          T

Pelicans

16-11

33        28        44        41        146

Spurs

4-21

20        31        27        32        110

Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX

PLAYERS OF THE GAME

C. McCollum NO PG

29 PTS , 2 REB , 2 AST

V. Wembanyama SA PF

17 PTS , 13 REB , 4 AST

Final

1          2          3          4          T

Rockets

13-10

28        32        31        28        119

Bucks

19-7

33        38        29        28        128

Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI

PLAYERS OF THE GAME

F. VanVleet HOU PG

22 PTS , 2 REB , 6 AST

D. Lillard MIL PG

39 PTS , 5 REB , 11 AST

Final

1          2          3          4          T

Wizards

4-21

29        29        31        19        108

Suns

14-12

21        25        35        31        112

Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ

PLAYERS OF THE GAME

D. Gafford WAS C

26 PTS , 17 REB , 3 AST

K. Durant PHO PF

28 PTS , 5 REB , 5 AST

Final

1          2          3          4          T

Warriors

12-14

27        38        24        29        118

Trail Blazers

6-19

23        26        35        30        114

Moda Center at the Rose Quarter, Portland, OR

PLAYERS OF THE GAME

K. Thompson GS SG

28 PTS , 4 REB , 1 AST

J. Grant POR PF

30 PTS , 7 REB , 6 AST

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 55.87

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

All human beings have an innate need to hear and tell stories and to have a story to live by. Religion, whatever else it has done, has provided one of the main ways of meeting this abiding need. - Harvey Cox