Day: March 26, 2023

The study on the devolution of some roles of the executive branch to local governments is expected to be out in two months, a Department of Budget and Management (DBM) official said on Saturday. ‘Last week, the President directed the NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority) to further study the implementation of this full devolution taking into consideration the overall capacities of the local government units (LGUs) and to take a look at the particular functions and services that should be retained by the national government,’ DBM Director John Aries Macaspac said in a news forum in Quezon City. ‘So, these are basically those that cannot really be implemented by the local government units taking into consideration their technical and financial capacity and then we will also identify those that could already be implemented by the local governments,’ Macaspac added. After the completion of the study, DBM will propose the necessary policy recommendations for the Chief Executive ‘to issue and to serve as guidance of the local governments and the national government agencies in the implementation of the full devolution effort.’ The necessary policy guidelines will also be issued or probably an amendment to Executive Order (EO) 138, Macaspac said, adding that the DBM together with its partner agencies, particularly the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), will also issue the corresponding implementing guidelines for the purpose. ‘And the local government units, as well as the national government agencies concerned will be duly informed, capacitated and, well, they will be informed of these policy directives for the full, efficient and effective implementation of this full devolution effort of the government,’ he said. Macaspac pointed out that the full devolution effort of the government is being implemented to cushion or mitigate the fiscal impact of the Supreme Court (SC) ruling on the Mandanas-Garcia case. EO 138, s. 2021, was issued to support the efficient implementation of the SC ruling on the Mandanas-Garcia case and strengthen the autonomy and empowerment of LGUs. It directs full devolution of certain functions of the Executive branch to the LGUs and also provides for the creation of a Committee on Devolution to monitor the implementation of the EO. Basis of devolution The SC ruled in 2018 that the just share of LGUs from the national taxes is not limited to ‘national internal revenue taxes’ collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and other tax collecting agencies. Under the Mandanas ruling, the national government is mandated to expand the share of LGUs in tax collection. On the other hand, LGUs are required to handle the responsibility of operating social services like agriculture, connectivity and health within their jurisdictions. The ruling is a result of two separate petitions filed by Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas and former Bataan governor Enrique Garcia Jr., requesting that the basis of computation of the Internal Revenue Allotment of LGUs be adjusted to include national taxes. Macaspac said the full devolution is made consistent with the Local Government Code of 1991 and it was directed to be fully implemented through the EO 138 issued by former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2021. ‘So in the implementation of the full devolution, we have initially prescribed three years starting last year which is the start of the implementation of the Mandanas-Garcia ruling until 2024. But due to the noted lack of technical and financial capacity of the local government units and taking into consideration the significant reduction in the year 2023 national tax allotment shares, the President instructed the oversight agencies namely the DBM, the DILG, the DOF (Department of Finance) and the NEDA to study this full devolution effort,’ he said. While the study is ongoing, Macaspac said the national government will continue to provide the needed support by the local governments particularly in the capacity-building programs and interventions, the continued provision of financial assistance to LGUs in the form of the local government support fund and those that are being provided by several national government agencies.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is urging patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to avail of outpatient treatments. In a news release, PhilHealth acting president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. said PhilHealth’s Outpatient HIV/AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) package covers up to PHP30,000 per year or PHP7,500 per quarter. The package is part of the PhilHealth’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)-related benefits. ‘This includes payment for medicine, laboratory examinations, and professional feels of providers of HIV/AIDS-related cases that have been tested in Rapid HIV Diagnostic Algorithm facilities, STD/AIDS Central Cooperative Laboratory or the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine,’ he said. Ledesma said PhilHealth has paid 15,191 claims from HIV treatment facilities, equivalent to 0.11 percent of the total claims count for the year, amounting to PHP108,463,468 as of the end of 2022. As of February of this year, there are 103 government and 44 private HIV treatment facilities accredited by PhilHealth for outpatient HIV/AIDS treatment. Ledesma reminded that while outpatient HIV/AIDS treatments are covered by PhilHealth, prevention is ‘still the best medicine’ as there is still currently no cure for the disease. ‘Prevention is crucial to help slow the spread of the virus and reduce the risk of transmission thereby protecting individuals from infection and ultimately saving lives,’ he added. Based on the Department of Health (DOH) 2022 HIV/AIDS registry, a total of 14,970 new HIV cases were detected from January to December last year. The 2022 figure is 2,631 cases more than the 12,339 cases recorded in 2021, equivalent to a 21 percent increase. The DOH also reported that 79 Filipinos aged 10 to 19 years and seven children below 10 were diagnosed with HIV in January 2023 alone. DOH officer-in-charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier said accessibility to social media could be one of the factors for the increase in HIV cases among adolescents and teenagers. Since sexual contact is the main mode of transmission of HIV among cases, Vergeire reminded adolescents and teenagers that such behavior could lead to diseases. She likewise assured that acquiring HIV is no longer a ‘death sentence’ as medicines that can prolong the patient’s life are already available.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Philippines kicked off its campaign on the right track after winning three gold medals on Saturday at the start of the International Weightlifting Federation Youth World Championships at Ramazan Njala Sports Complex in Durres, a port city in western Albania. Delos Santos, a resident of Angono, Rizal, sizzled with three medals, including two golds, in the men’s 49kg category. He ranked first in snatch (92kg) and despite settling for second in clean and jerk (113kg), submitted the highest total of 205kg for a two-gold and one-silver finish. Eron Borres of Cebu City claimed the third gold for the Philippines after topping the clean and jerk (114kg). He placed third in snatch (87kg) and second overall (201kg) in his first international competition. India’s Darush Loganathan got the silver medal in snatch (88kg) and the bronze medals in clean and jerk (112kg) and total (200kg). “This is the future of PH weightlifting. The boys have finally arrived. It’s always been the girls and women. We’re fighting now to be the world’s best even in the boys and men’s categories. We’re really lucky to have good coaches and sponsors such as the Philippine Sports Commission. And most of all, to God be the glory. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas (Long live the Philippines)!” Monico Puentevella, Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president, said in an interview on Sunday. Angeline Colonia of Zamboanga City was scheduled to compete in the women’s 45kg category Sunday (PH time). The 16-year-old Colonia delivered three medals in the youth women’s 40kg category during the 2022 Asian Youth and Junior Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Albert Ian Delos Santos, who saw action in the 2021 Youth World Championships in Saudi Arabia, will compete in the men’s 61kg category on March 27 while fellow Zamboangueño Rosalinda Faustino will vie in the women’s 55kg category on March 28, both at 2 a.m., Philippine time. In the same 2022 Uzbekistan meet, Faustino pocketed three gold medals. The five athletes are accompanied by coaches Gregorio Colonia, who competed at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and Diwa Delos Santos, a Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Portuguese triathlete Filipe Azevedo on Sunday ruled the male professional category of Alveo Ironman 70.3 here. Azevedo finished the 1.9-kilometer swim, 90-km bike and 21-km run in three hours, 51 minutes and 10 seconds. Serbian Ognjen Stojanovic clinched the second place in 3:52:29 while Chang Tuan-chun of Taiwan settled for third in 3:57:11. In the female pros’ category, Sarah Crowley finished first in 4:20:15 followed by American Lauren Brandon in 4:22:50 and Lottie Lucas of United Arab Emirates in 4:25:10. Around 1,700 triathletes from 40 countries participated in the race with the champions in the professional division bringing home USD30,000 (PHP1.5 million) prize each. Aside from the Ironman event, a 12-man team competition called Tribu Maisugon was held in honor of the 11 tribes of the host city. TRI SND Barracuda won the team event and the PHP550,000 cash prize. Meanwhile, an 18-year-old male spectator who crossed the street collided with a male participant on a bicycle at the Panabo City part of the race According to local reports, the teener wanted to pick up a drinking water container which fell from another participant so it would not cause an accident, hurting himself in the process. He was taken to a hospital right across the accident site, reportedly with serious injuries. The participant sustained wounds but went on to finish the race. Organizers also confirmed the death of one participant, who “required medical attention during the swim portion” and was transported to a hospital.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) and some of its air assets will assist in the ongoing cleanup operations on the massive oil spill in Mindoro. Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr., Officer-in-Charge of the Department of National Defense, has already informed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. that USCG and the US Air Force’s largest strategic airlifter will be arriving in the country in the following days, according to a news release of the Presidential Communications Office on Sunday. ‘We are looking forward to the arrival of the entire US Coast Guard contingent for the additional technical support in our disaster response operations. Although one US C-17 with equipment (60K loader) already arrived this morning and is now at Subic Air Base, another C-5 is expected to arrive,’ Galvez said. On Saturday morning, Galvez, also the chair of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, conducted an aerial inspection of the affected areas along with the Office of the Civil Defense Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno, Philippine Coast Guard chief Admiral Artemio Abu, and other Armed Forces and local government officials. ‘We will immediately employ these assets and integrate them into our response operations. In addition, we continue to closely monitor the ROV’s (remotely-operated vehicle) operations for significant updates and to further determine the extent of the oil spill,’ he added. Galvez likewise noted that the presence of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has considerably helped in the cleanup operations by providing rapid environmental assessments of the affected areas, identification of priority areas at risk of environmental damage, and assessment of the needs for ecosystem restoration. ‘They (NOAA) provide support for scientific modeling to estimate the trajectory of the oil spill and satellite imagery to boost assessment efforts,’ Galvez said. The Japanese ROV found out that the oil tanker, M/T Princess Empress, ‘suffered extensive structural damage after sinking,’ according to Galvez. Citing findings of the Japanese team, he said there was no visible consumption fuel leak coming from the damaged vessel. Oil leaks were observed from all eight compartments (tanks). Through ballast tanks, the volume of remaining oil inside the compartments cannot be estimated at this point. The oil spillage rate from the source is likewise yet to be determined. Galvez also noted that the situation in affected areas in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) and Western Visayas regions have been better and more encouraging so far due to response efforts of various government agencies and collaboration of all stakeholders. A total of 10,206 liters of oil waste and oily water and 72,643 kilos of oil-contaminated debris have been collected in the shoreline cleanup operations. To date, the Marcos administration and non-government organizations have already extended more than PHP95 million worth of assistance to the residents in the areas affected by the oil spill. M/T Princess Empress was loaded with 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil when it sank off Naujan town on February 28.

Source: Philippines News Agency

South Korean police are trying to capture two Kazakhstanis who fled Incheon International Airport on Sunday, after they were denied entry into the country for unspecified reasons, officials said.

The two individuals, aged 21 and 18, respectively, climbed over a fence near a runway at around 4:20 a.m. after breaking a terminal window to get out of the airport, according to the airport police.

They had been waiting for a repatriation flight after being denied entry into South Korea on Friday. The reason for their denial of entry remains unclear.

“At the moment, we have identified who they are, and we are tracking them,” a police officer said on condition of anonymity.

The two were able to escape from the airport despite the airport’s various security measures, such as advanced monitoring technology and barbed wire lining the fence.

Police are currently checking security footage to track the two Kazakhstani nationals.

Source: Yonhap News Agency