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Hse not keen on Senate’s wage hike

By Nidz Godino

“It’s a good and a popular bill. But if we increase the salaries, the employers should be able to bear and be able to implement this,” Deputy Majority Leader Rep. Janette Garin pointed out at a news briefing officials of the House of Representatives are not keen on supporting the Senate-approved P100 legislated wage hike, citing reasons such as the capacity of employers to implement the measure.

 “The problem in our country is that 98 to 99 percent of our business sectors are MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises). So, the question begs to be asked: how many businesses are going to shut down because of this?” Garin asked.

She then posed the possibility of streamlining personnel if only to comply.She explained that salaries of all workers are sourced from private funds, not from government coffers, noting that state workers only account for 1.6 million of the country’s total workforce.

Economist Reps. Joey Salceda and Stella Luz Quimbo, along with Deputy Speaker David Suarez, are not also keen on approving the bill, citing the same reasons put forth by their colleague Garin.

“We already have a workable arrangement with the regional wage boards. We cannot say that this is not responsive. There is no unintended consequence. If only we are to divide the giant firms, that may work. But this will affect the MSMEs, they won’t be able to afford that,” Salceda said.

Quimbo, for her part, declared, “Companies would just pass on the additional cost to the prices of goods and services, so we will have an inflationary problem.

“We will have cost-push inflation. Yes, you will temporarily satisfy our workers, who are also end-consumers. But eventually, the raise in their salaries will be eaten up by high prices,” she said.

Suarez said the issue of having a bigger economy has to be addressed first to have more money, more industry players, and more maneuverability in terms of labor laws and practices.

Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma noted that DOLE is not against any effort to increase the purchasing power of workers employed in private companies but stressed the need for a thorough and careful study of the proposed legislated salary hike.

Aside from 4.2 million minimum wage earners, Laguesma said another eight million workers receiving higher pay may also benefit from the legislated salary hike due to wage distortion.

“This needs careful analysis because this will have an effect on our employment level, inflation rate and our target GDP growth,” he pointed out.

The recent wage hikes granted by the different Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) nationwide, he said, were a product of consensus and only had minimal impact.

Even without a law, he said, workers may still enjoy an across-the-board increase by way of collective bargaining agreements.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, meanwhile, sees the proposed measure hurtful for MSMEs as it may lead to the reduction of their workforce or even closure.

“Not to mention that 84 percent (of workers are) not covered by minimum wage because they have no employers. These are the farmers, fisherfolk, tricycle drivers, jeep/bus drivers, vendors, etc,” PCCI president Enunina Mangio told The STAR.

Employers expressed opposition against the proposed measure, noting that wage hikes should be an objective judgment of the RTWPBs.

“At the very least, the wage boards where government, labor and employers are represented are guided in their decision to adjust minimum wages by objective parameters following consultations and public hearings,” several business groups said in a letter addressed to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.

The business groups said informal workers will not benefit whatsoever from any legislated wage increase, noting that they will be even more hurt by the higher inflation rate resulting from the proposed legislated minimum wage increase.

They added that the sudden imposition of a significant national wage hike would place an unprecedented burden on businesses, particularly on MSMEs, many of which are still reeling from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead of focusing on wage increases, the groups urged policymakers to adopt a more comprehensive approach to addressing economic inequality.

“This includes investing more in education, skills development, and infrastructure, as well as creating an enabling environment for business growth and job creation,” the business groups said.

The letter was signed by PCCI, Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc., Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines, Management Association of the Philippines, the Philippine Retailers Association, Philippine Franchise Association and Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc.

Other signatories include Philippine Association of Legitimate Service Contracts Inc., Philippine Constructors Association Inc., Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Organization Inc., Philippine Hotel Owners Association, American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, People Management Association of the Philippines and the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines. 

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Meralco refund in March

By j.lo

“While Meralco admits that a validation of the impact of the use of LNG and the new gas supply contracts is necessary in light of the terms of its power purchase agreements, up to this date, the ERC has not been provided with the results of Meralco’s validation,” Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). Chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta said customers of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) will get a refund in March corresponding to the increase in Malampaya gas price of Meralco senior vice president and head of regulatory management Ronald Valles said they are implementing a refund upon “guidance” from ERC.

In its order to Meralco to issue a refund, the ERC said the power distributor should have reviewed the higher natural gas prices from the Malampaya consortium before passing on the increase to consumers.

The power distributor increased its February rates by P0.5738 per kilowatt-hour, mainly due to increase in fuel cost such as liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Meralco said it earlier reached out to ERC to seek guidance on how to address the increase in natural gas price from its main supplier, First Gen.

 “Pending Meralco’s validation of the basis of such charges, passing on of such costs to the consumers may be premature,” she added.

In a letter addressed to the ERC, the power distributor admitted not having received a copy of the new gas supply and purchase agreement between Malampaya Consortium and First Gen.

“What drove the increase in the generation charge which churned up by P0.4552 per kilowatt-hour is possible primarily due to higher cost of power from Independent Power Producers and Power Supply Agreements,” Meralco vice president and head of corporate communications Joe Zaldarriaga said at a press conference last week.

In a statement, Valles said that the higher gas prices are pass-through costs and they would also not be in a position to pay the equivalent cost to First Gas.

For the LNG component of the fuel cost of First Gas plants, Meralco said they would file “the appropriate pleading” with ERC for confirmation of the pass-through costs.

“We emphasize that the use of LNG for commissioning is important to ensure that First Gas plants will continue to operate and supply power to Meralco at the least cost, in light of anticipated expiration of the Gas Supply Agreements between First Gas and the Malampaya consortium,” Valles said.

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DepEd defers answer Salary hike for teachers

By j.lo

“As a matter of fact, even prior to the bill being filed, DepEd had already engaged the World Bank to provide a study, not only on whether an increase should be made, but also on the ideal percentage of increases for the coming years vis-a-vis inflation rates,” Department of Education DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa said. DepEd has deferred its position on salary increases for teachers pending a World Bank study it commissioned last year that will assess the feasibility and extent of pay hikes long sought by education groups.

This comes after a series of actions earlier this week in the halls of Congress and in schools calling to raise the salaries for public school teachers – a long-sought measure that is being revived by lawmakers and teacher groups now to help teachers cope with inflation. 

Makabayan bloc lawmakers refiled a bill on Tuesday seeking to nearly double entry-level public school teachers’ pay to P50,000 — a “living wage” amount that they say is just enough to keep up with the rising cost of goods and the “distortion” of military personnel’s wages during the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte. 

A day after the bill was filed, teachers’ group Alliance of Concerned Teachers held school-based protests in Metro Manila to demand an increase in teachers’ pay, stressing that they can only “perform well if the economic and professional rights are addressed properly.”

While the department remains an “advocate” in providing teachers with additional benefits, Poa said that they cannot comment on the amount being lobbied in the House for now as they wait for the results of the WB study.

The DepEd official added that they will bring up the results of the WB study during the House’s deliberations of House Bill 9920 and are now forwarding pertinent data to the international organization.

The WB study seeks to answer whether there is a need to increase teachers’ salaries and by how much, Poa said.

“Not only for a one-time increase, but also the amount of increases for the next few years. We want to see the recommended amount or percentage of increases in the next few years due to inflation rates,” he said.

Last year, ACT criticized the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for rejecting its petition to approve a salary increase for teachers that would have bumped up entry-level pay from P27,000 to P36,000. 

The teacher group pointed out that uniformed personnel received a whopping 100% increase in 2019 under Duterte, who is known to have pursued police- and military-centric populist policies.

In a February 2023 letter, the DBM said it could not approve the increase due to fiscal constraints – including the “high cost” of increasing teachers’ and public workers’ pay and the salary “distortion” it would cause.

ACT maintained that the annual adjustments in teachers’ pay have been “pennies” when compared to the actual family living wage — the amount a household needs to earn for a decent life — which it pegged at P34,000 a month in November 2022.

“The current salary level of teachers and other workers in government is not livable,” ACT Chairperson Vladimir Quetua said.

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2 retired Mindanaoan Roman Catholic bishops die hours apart on Feb. 1

By J.Lo

“The Diocese of Tandag mourns the death of His Excellency Most Rev. Nereo P. Odchimar, D.D, Bishop-Emeritus of Tandag,” the Facebook post of the diocese read two retired Roman Catholic bishops of Mindanao dioceses passed away hours apart on Tuesday.

Bishop Nereo Odchimar, the former president of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), died at the age of 83, the Diocese of Tandag, which he was the former bishop, announced via a Faceboook post.

The Tandag diocese said the bishop died at 10:27 a.m. at San Pedro Hospital in Davao City. Odchimar had been suffering from diabetes and kidney complications. The immediate cause of death was “metabolic encephalopathy due to end-stage renal disease and diabetic nephropathy”.

Meanwhile, Bishop Honesto Pacana, the retired Jesuit bishop of Malaybalay, Bukidnon, died at the age of 91 at 12:33 p.m.

His death was announced by the official Facebook page of the Society of Jesus in the Philippines and by the Diocese of Malaybalay.

“This is to inform you that Bishop Honesto C. Pacana SJ, Bishop Emeritus of Malaybalay, died shortly after noon today, at Maria Reyna – Xavier University Hospital in Cagayan de Oro City. He was 91,” the announcement read.

Pacana’s former diocese, the Diocese of Malaybalay, said the bishop-emeritus was admitted for days at the intensive care unit of the Maria Reyna Xavier University Hospital, in Cagayan de Oro City.  No cause of death was revealed.

Bishop Odchimar was born on Oct. 16, 1940, in Bacuag, Surigao del Norte. He finished his Philosophy studies at the Sacred Heart Seminary in Palo, Leyte, and his Bachelor of Sacred Theology at the San Carlos Seminary in Makati City. He was ordained priest on Dec. 19, 1964.

After his ordination, he served the Diocese of Surigao from 1965 to 1977, in the parishes of San Agustin, Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur; San Nicolas de Tolentino in Mainit and Sts. Peter and Paul in Tubud, Surigao del Norte; and St. Vincent de Paul in Mangagoy, Bislig, Surigao del Sur.

He pursued advanced studies at the University of Santo Tomas Central Seminary, where he received his Canon Law degree, magna cum laude in 1982 and his Doctorate in Canon Law, magna cum laude in 1983. He also finished his Master of Business Administration at the De La Salle University in Manila.

He also served at the Archdiocese of Manila, in the parishes of Sto. Niño in Tondo, Most Holy Redeemer in Masambong, San Francisco del Monte, Quezon City, and San Roque Parish, Alabang, Muntinlupa. He was also a member of the archdiocese’s board of consultors.

He was parish priest of the Most Holy Redeemer parish in Quezon City, and Associate judge of the National Appellate Matrimonial Tribunal and Judicial Vicar of the Metropolitan Matrimonial Tribunal of Cagayan de Oro when Pope John Paul II appointed him bishop of the Diocese of Tandag on Oct. 18, 2001.

He was consecrated bishop of Tandag on Nov. 27, 2001 by then-Manila archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin at the Manila Cathedral with Bishops Socrates Villegas, then-auxiliary Bishop of Manila and Bishop Ireneo Amantillo, C.SS.R, bishop-emeritus of Tandag, as co-consecrators. He took possession of the diocese on Dec. 11, 2001. 

While serving as bishop of Tandag, Odchimar was elected the 18th President of the CBCP serving from 2009-2011. He served Tandag until his retirement at the age of 77 on Feb. 26, 2018.

According to the Tandag diocese, Odchimar served the diocese “with outmost zeal and dedication” by upholding the diocesan stand “in protecting the integrity of environment against illegal logging and mining.” The late bishop created “mission stations, devotional chapels, quasi-parishes and parishes, and conducting pastoral visits reaching the far-flung areas of the diocese”. 

“He commenced to put in place the financial management system of the diocese and also initiated to build the new San Nicolas de Tolentino Cathedral,” the diocese said. 

On the other hand, Bishop Pacana was born on Jan. 22, 1933 in Kauswagan, Cagayan de Oro City. He was ordained a priest of the Society of Jesus on June 10, 1965. Pope John Paul II appointed him bishop of Malaybalay on Jan. 12, 1994.

He was consecrated bishop on March 24, 1994 at the San Isidro Cathedral by then-Papal nuncio Gian Vincenzo Moreni as principal consecrator with Archbishops Jesus Tuquib of Cagayan de Oro and Gaudencio Rosales of Lipa, as co-consecrators. He served Malaybalay as its third bishop from 1994 until his retirement in 2010 at the age of 77. 

The Diocese of Malaybalay said in a statement that Pacana “served our diocese with unwavering dedication”. 

“During his term, he touched countless lives and inspired many with his wisdom, compassion, and devotion. As we mourn his loss, let us remember and celebrate the profound impact he had on our faith community,” the diocese said.

Funeral arrangements for the two late prelates are to be announced soon according to their dioceses.

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‘Revoke of Teves passport , victory for justice’

By Nidz Godino

”No one can escape justice,” to Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos told reporters

 court ruling, ordered cancellation of the passport of expelled Negros Oriental representative Arnolfo Teves Jr., is a ”victory for justice”.

Abalos welcomed the court decision, saying it shows that the judicial system in the country is working.

Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 51 Judge Merianthe Pacita Zuraek issued the order.

Teves was tagged in the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo last year.

The court said the prosecution had established that Teves, who is also facing charges of multiple murder in connection with a series of killings in 2019, is a “fugitive from justice.”

It noted that an arrest warrant for Teves was issued in September 2023, adding that he was designated as a terrrorist by the Anti-Terrorism Council.

“Teves Jr. in utter disrespect of the court and willful disregard of the law, refuses to yield,” the court said. ”By his refusal to come back to face his cases and his consistent flight mode, he deliberately continues to frustrate the ends of justice.”

The camp of Teves said it would exhaust all legal remedies to reverse the court ruling.

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Forest  fire closed Camp John Hay ‘Forest bathing’ site

By J.Lo

“John Hay Management Corporation requests no entry to the areas affected by fire for safety reasons. This will also enable our firemen to perform their duties and contain the fire,” John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC)management said in its advisory

Baguio City’s famous “forest bathing” site at the yellow trail of Camp John Hay (CJH) was temporarily shut down after a blaze hit portions near the Voice of America (VOA) compound on.

The fire forced the management of the state-run JHMC to appeal to the public not to go into the reservation’s premises yet, especially the areas that was affected by the bush and forest fire that apparently started on Saturday night and got bigger in the early Sunday morning. 

Zyrell del Prado,  JHMC information office, however, said that the management only detected the fire at around 3 a.m. on Sunday. With the immediate response of firefighters from the nearby Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and various water delivery services that provided water to douse the fire, the forest fire was declared “fire out” five hours later, hence preventing additional damage and destruction.

Parado added that there is an ongoing investigation to determine the cause of the forest fire and they are waiting for the official report. 

“So that JHMC can prevent similar incidents from happening in the future”.

Aside from the Camp John Hay fire, the forest fire that hit Mt. Sto Tomas in Tuba, Benguet and portions along the Baguio City side was already declared out of further danger. 

The fire reportedly started on Feb. 7, 2024 and burned almost two hectares of the forest reservation.

Meanwhile, a portion of the Marlboro Camp Site along the Akiki Trail of Mt. Pulag in Kabayan, Benguet was also gutted by fire that started early Monday morning.

Firefighters and forest rangers have difficulty suppressing the fire, whose damage is yet to be determined.

Despite the fire, however,  tourists and adventurists braved to reach the peak of the highest mountain in Luzon and second highest mountain of the country.

They braved the smoke and the possible danger and rushed to Mt. Pulag’s peak through the Akiki Trail, considered as the “killer trail” of the “mountain climbing mecca” in Luzon.

In February 2019, the Akiki Trail was closed to mountaineers and visitors for rehabilitation, after the grassland portions turned into ashes after a group of tourists erred operating their butane gas stove sparking a huge fire.

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Extortion vs  5 NAIA officers

By J.Lo

“After the victim filed a complaint with us, we requested CCTV viewing,” Lt. Col. Alfredo Lim, who heads the Avsegroup’s unit at NAIA-3,  said criminal charges were filed against five security officers who allegedly extorted money from a Chinese at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA-3).

The Aviation Security Group (Avsegroup) referred cases of robbery extortion against the suspects before the office of the city prosecutor.

Lim identified the five Airport Police Department (APD) personnel who reportedly extorted P15,000 from the victim based on closed-circuit television (CCTV) footages.

When the CCTV footages were shown to the victim, he pointed to the suspects who took the money from him. A representative from the APD then provided the names of the concerned personnel.

The APD is a unit under the supervision of the NAIA and not the Philippine National Police.

The victim said he accompanied a fellow Chinese to the airport last Feb. 4 when the APD officers ordered him to show his passport.

The victim showed a copy of his passport on his cell phone to the APD personnel but the suspects still took him into custody.

It was then the suspects warned the victim he would end up in jail if he does not give them P15,000.

Fearing for his safety, the victim gave in to the suspects’ demands.

It is unclear if the NAIA has suspended the APD officers.