28 European Countries Opens to Philippine Airlines Friday - Ambassador Guy Ledoux

EUROPE Lifted ban for Philippine Airlines. EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux said PAL will be allowed to fly into the 28-member bloc from Friday (July 12, 2013), which will spur tourism and business links

More Europeans to have more fun in Philippines

The Philippines expects a "significant increase" in tourist arrivals from Europe following the decision of the European Union (EU) to lift a ban on Philippine Airlines (PAL) flying on its airspace.

In a statement, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. described the EU's move as "an excellent opportunity for Philippine tourism." He said the country's flag carrier "will be able to effectively augment the existing services by foreign carriers that cater to tourists in the region."

The United Kingdom, Germany and France are among the key European markets for Philippine tourism. Once the PAL flights are made available, Jimenez said "we … expect a significant increase from these markets, to include those from adjacent countries.

On Wednesday, the European Union allowed PAL and Venezuela's Conviasa back into European airspace on the grounds of improved safety and compliance with EU regulations. Its executive, the European Commission, removed the two from a blacklist—the EU air safety list—after slapping an operational ban on PAL in 2010 and on Conviasa in 2012.

Beginning Friday, July 12, 2013 Philippine Airlines are allowed to fly over the European airspace as date of effectivity of the said lifting of ban.

Department of Tourism targets 10 Million

Jimenez said the lifting of the EU ban would greatly help in achieving the government's target of 10 million foreign visitors by 2016.

From January to May, a total of 213,598 European tourists visited the Philippines, representing an 8.5-percent increase from the 196,794 tallied for the same period in 2012, according to the Tourism Department.

The department has set targets of 574,565 European tourists this year and nearly 700,000 in 2014.

"As we work toward our goal … by 2016, we need our international air seats and connectivity greatly enhanced, in addition to our ongoing internal development work on infrastructure, destination and facilities," Jimenez said.

He expressed optimism that other Philippine carriers would address their own safety issues that would allow them to gain access to tourist-rich Europe.

Japan, South Korean restrictions

Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., chair of the Senate public services committee, said the next goal should be the lifting of the EU ban on other Philippine carriers and the Japanese and South Korean restrictions on Philippine carriers.

"Our work is far from finished. But after five years, it is heartening to see positive results. We must be more aggressive," Revilla said in a statement. The senator also heads the joint oversight committee on the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

"While there have been no formal responses from both countries (Japan and South Korea) regarding our requests to have the restrictions lifted, they have remained bull-headed and refuse to act. The challenge for the CAAP is to continue the momentum," he said.

The decision to lift the ban on PAL and Conviasa was an element of the EU's updated list which now leaves 280 airlines from 20 states still barred from flying in the EU.

"Today, we confirmed our willingness to remove countries and airlines from the list if they show real commitment and the capacity to implement international safety standards in a sustainable manner," the EU's Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said in Brussels.

Earlier in Manila, EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux said PAL will be allowed to fly into the 28-member bloc from Friday, which will spur tourism and business links.

"This is a tremendous achievement in such a short period of time," Ledoux said.

He said the European Union would conduct further reviews so that other Philippine carriers could fly to Europe as well.

"This decision is very encouraging and is the first success of the CAAP and Philippine Airlines," he told reporters.

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) will prioritize air talks with countries in Europe following the "selective" lifting of a three-year ban, according to its executive director, Carmelo Arcilla. He noted existing agreements with several key cities in Europe.

So far, the agency has identified Ethiopia, South Africa and Israel as destinations it would have air service discussions with for the year, Arcilla said in a text message. He added that it was looking to start talks with Italy "in the last quarter of the year."

PAL president Ramon S. Ang said the airline could fly seven times a week to London in the United Kingdom and at least six times a week to Paris in France. It intends to fly nonstop to these destinations "by September or October," he said.

The company is owned by listed PAL Holdings, which is controlled by San Miguel Corp. and the group of tycoon Lucio Tan. A trading suspension on PAL Holdings will be lifted today after the company complied with the public ownership requirements of the Philippine Stock Exchange.

"Remember that [PAL] used to operate to major EU cities in the 1970s and 1980s. These can be used by EU carriers and local airlines to resume flights between Europe and Philippines," Arcilla said.

The air panel also intends to negotiate for new and expanded traffic rights to Europe, he said.

 

ICAO audit

The EU announcement was expected, given that the Philippines passed an audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in February.

In 2009, ICAO conducted an audit and found "significant safety concerns." Its report was used as the main basis for the EU decision to ban all flights from the country beginning March 31, 2010.

Ledoux on Wednesday cited corrective actions undertaken by the CAAP as a reason behind the selective lifting of the ban. Other domestic carriers seeking to fly to Europe can present their case to the EU Air Safety Committee meeting on Nov. 29.

Revilla expressed optimism that the Philippines would soon regain its Category 1 status from the US Federal Aviation Administration following the favorable audit by ICAO in March and the lifting of the EU ban.

Category 1 means the air carriers from an assessed state may initiate or continue service to the United States in a normal manner and take part in reciprocal code-share arrangements with US carriers.

The Philippines remains classified under Category 2, which means that its civil aviation industry does not meet ICAO standards and its air carriers cannot initiate new service and are restricted to current levels of any existing service to the US while corrective actions are underway.

"The ICAO report and the EU ban in 2010 greatly affected the decision of the FAA in not upgrading our Category 2 status.  Now that there is a new audit report, and with the EU leading the way in lifting their ban, albeit partially, the FAA may see that we are serious in our efforts toward the global standard," Revilla said.

Jimenez said the tourism industry was looking forward to the continued support of various government agencies for improvements in airport infrastructure development, aviation safety and security, and air services agreements "so that we can continue to show to the world why it's more fun in the Philippines."

With reports from Tina G. Santos, Norman Bordadora, Miguel R. Camus of Inquirer and AFP

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Supreme Court Order: UCPB is not owned by Cojuanco, Coco Farmers but the Philippine Government

 Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco

In collaboration with former Dictator President Ferdinand Marcos, Philippine President Noynoy Aquino's Uncle Danding Cojuanco, Juan Ponce Enrile, and others the "Coco Levy Fund" was extracted forcibly from Coco Farmers from all over the country.

What is Coco Levy Fund Scam?

The Coco Levy Fund Scam was a controversy in the 1970s and 80's in the Philippines involving the former President Ferdinand Marcos and his cronies. It is alleged that Marcos, Danding Cojuangco, Juan Ponce Enrile, and others conspired to tax coconut farmers, promising them the development of the coconut industry and a share of the investments, but on the contrary were used for personal profit particularly in the purchase of United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) and majority stake in San Miguel Corporation (SMC), to name a few.

The issue has not died today, with coconut farmers fighting for justice against the forced taxation, and a share of the Coco Levy Funds' investments. The Coco Levy Fund is estimated to have ballooned anywhere in the range of ₱100-150 billion in assets.

The recent Supreme Court decision Wednesday, awarding the share of the UCPB to the Philippines Government is the latest turn in the 40-year struggle to bring to poor coconut farmers the benefits of the Marcos-era levies gouged from them

Farmers demand return of coco levy fund after SC ruling on UCPB

Coconut farmers on Thursday hailed the decision of the Supreme Court on the United Coconut Planters Bank case and demanded the immediate return of the funds they said were forcibly extracted from them.

The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and the claimants' movement Coco Levy Funds Ibalik sa Amin (Return the Coco Levy Funds to Us, or CLAIM) also called on Congress to immediately tackle and pass House Bill 1327, or the "Genuine Small Coconut Farmers' Fund Act of 2013," filed by Anakpawis party-list Representative Fernando Hicap.

The measure says the coco levy funds shall not be part of the national government's general funds but shall be used exclusively for the benefit of genuine small coconut farmers and mandates the "cash distribution of the recovered funds."

Section 6 of the bill also mandates that the funds "shall be apportioned to all coconut farmers without discrimination/prejudice in the form of cash and other social benefits including but not limited to, pension benefits; medical and hospitalization benefits; maternity benefits; and educational assistance including scholarships."

It also seeks to use the funds "to finance socio-economic projects initiated by small coconut farmers and their organizations and/or cooperatives that shall primarily focus on: livelihood programs and projects meant to provide additional incomes to small coconut farmers; small and medium-scale coconut enterprises, marketing and trading mechanisms, inventions and innovations of machineries and equipment for the development of high-quality coconut and improvement of local coconut production; and, programs that would provide loan facilities for small coconut farmers."

The high court, voting 14-0, ruled that the shares of businessman Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco, chairman of San Miguel Corporation, in UCPB belongs to the government.

The decision rejected an appeal by Cojuangco to overturn a November 2012 ruling that declared unconstitutional provisions of a May 25, 2975 agreement between the crony of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and the Philippine Coconut Authority allowing him "to personally and exclusively own public funds or property."

The agreement provided for the transfer to Cojuangco "by way of compensation," of 10 percent of the 72.2 percent shares of stock that PCA purchased using the coconut levy funds, which came from taxes paid by coconut farmers during the Marcos administration.

"The SC ruling did not only strengthen the small coconut farmers' legitimate claim over the 72.2 percent shares in UCPB but reaffirmed the historical truth that President (Benigno III) Aquino's uncle plundered the coco levy funds," KMP deputy secretary general Winston Marbella said.

Cojuangco is first cousin of Aquino's mother, the late former President Corazon C. Aquino.

Marbella described the UCPB case as the "strongest testament of how Cojuangco and Marcos plundered the coco funds."

But he said the decision that the UCPB shares are owned by government should mean "the funds were owned by the small coconut farmers."

"The government is only a trustee for the small coconut farmers, the genuine and legitimate owners of the funds," he said. "The funds were forcibly exacted from small coconut farmers by the Marcos dictatorship."

"In light of the SC ruling, we demand (that) Aquino … immediately return to small coconut farmers the whole 72.2 percent shares in UCPB, along with the more than P70 billion recovered from San Miguel Corporation in October last year," KMP and CLAIM said.

With report from Interaksyon 

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Foreign Affairs asks Europe Luxembourg Gov’t to accept Philippine CPA's as US, UK, AU,CA

DFA spokesman Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez. FILE PHOTO

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has asked the government of Luxembourg in Europe to accept Filipino accountants who want to work there.

"Foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario has asked Luxemborg to recognize Philippine-issued accounting degrees, noting that Filipino accountants are sought in many countries including the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia," DFA spokesman assistant secretary Raul

Hernandez told reporters Wednesday.

"There are about 30 Filipino accountants in Luxembourg, one of Europe's major financial centers," he said.

The request was conveyed by del Rosario to Luxembourg's deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister Jean Asselborn during their meeting last Monday, Hernandez said.

Del Rosario had also met with European Council president Herman Van Rompuy in Brussels, Belgium who congratulated the DFA secretary for the 7.8-percent economic growth of the Philippines during the first quarter of 2013.

Europe is among the largest investors in the Philippines and its exports to the country increased by 20 percent in 2012, Rompuy cited.

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Solar, Wind and Biomass Power Philippines? All PINOY could now Sell Electricity to Meralco, any Electric Company through RA 9513

In the new PRESS RELEASE for the ERC issues the Net-metering Rules, All end users who are just a mere electric consumers could now sell their excess electricity through bi-directional meters to the electric company following the price based on the Distribution Utility (DU) Standard approved by the ERC.

The Philippines joined the rapidly growing list of countries allowing consumers who generate their own electric power to sell excess supplies back to the electric grid for a reasonable price.

Last week, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), the principal government agency responsible for regulating the electric grid, approved a new interconnection standard that will enable net-metering of renewable energy for customers with distributed generation.

"The net-metering program will definitely change the electricity landscape," said Zenaida Cruz-Ducut, ERC chairwoman. "From just being recipients of electricity, electricity users may also now become generators, supplying not only their electricity requirements but also that of others through their distribution utilities' system."

In a net-metering arrangement, the consumer maintains a two-way connection to the distribution system and is

Consumers can generate up to 100 kilowatts of electricity from sources like solar, wind and biomass with equipment installed on their own premises. If they generate more than they can consume, they can sell the excess power supply back to their distribution utility company.

Under the new net metering rule, customers are only charged or credited, as the case may be, for the difference between the electricity they purchase from the grid and the electricity they sell back to the grid.

"It is a win-win solution, for the electricity end-user and for the environment," said Ducut.

PRESS RELEASE ERC issues the Net-metering Rules

07/03/2013

In a Resolution promulgated on July 1, 2013, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) adopted the Rules Enabling the Net-metering Program for Renewable Energy, including the Net-metering Interconnection Standards (Net-metering Rules).  The Net-metering Rules allow electricity end-users who are updated in the payment of their electric bills to their distribution utility (DU) to engage in distributed generation. They can generate electricity from renewable energy (RE) sources like solar, wind, biomass or such other RE Systems not exceeding 100 kW that can be installed within the end-users' premises and supply the electricity they generate in excess of what they can consume directly to their DU. 

In a net-metering arrangement, the end-user maintains a two-way connection to the distribution system and is only charged or credited, as the case may be, for the difference between the electricity supplied by the DU (import energy) and the electricity it supplies to the DU during times when it has excess RE generation (export energy), both of which are metered using 2 uni-directional meters, one for import and one for export, or a single bi-directional meter.  Under the Net-metering Rules, pending the development of a different pricing methodology, the net-metering customer's export energy shall be priced based on its DU's blended generation cost.  Included in the Net-metering Rules also are the standards, which shall be complied with and observed by the net-metering customer to address engineering, electric system reliability, and safety concerns for net-metering interconnections, such as those concerning voltage level, frequency, and power quality, and those relating to system protection. 

Section 10 of Republic Act No. 9513 or the Renewable Energy Act mandates the ERC, in consultation with the National Renewable Energy Board (NREB), to establish the net-metering interconnection standards and pricing methodology to usher in the implementation of the net-metering for renewable energy program.  NREB developed the draft net-metering rules, which after being subjected to public consultations and after a series of coordination meetings and workshops between the ERC and the NREB Technical Working Groups and the relevant stakeholders, was adopted and approved by the ERC.

"The net-metering program will definitely change the electricity landscape.  From just being recipients of electricity, electricity users may also now become generators, supplying not only their electricity requirements but also that of others through their distribution utilities' system.  They avoid drawing electricity from the distribution grid equivalent to their own RE generation that they consume, in the process realizing savings in their electricity bills, and get paid a reasonable price for their RE generation that they cannot any more consume. It is a win-win, for the electricity end-user and, more importantly, for the environment because of the additional RE capacity that is shored up by the program," ERC Chairperson and CEO Zenaida G. Cruz-Ducut explained.

Resolution No. 9, Series of 2013, Rules Enabling Net Metering Program for Renewable Energy

Download the Resolution No.9 in PDF here

With report from Forbes and ERC

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Philippines to cut poverty in half by 2015 from 33% to 16.6% - “reasonable assumption,”

Leading financial figures in the Philippines promised on Friday that the government was on track to growing its economy to the point of halving the nation's poverty, by 2015.

That's a sizeable prediction. Almost 28 percent of the country's 97 million residents live below the poverty line, The Associated Press reported. Government economists say they can bring that figure to 16.6 percent in just a couple of years. The government forecasts economic growth of almost 7 percent for the rest of this year, and it's not changing that prediction.

The numbers are being examined, but experts still see that growth pattern as a "reasonable assumption," said socioeconomic planning secretary Arsenio Balisacan.

The key to achieving the poverty-reduction goal, he said, was for the government to prioritize: Job creation first, housing issues second, and cash payouts to poor, third. The country provides cash to poverty-level families with children as long as the children stay in school and make regular visits to doctors.

Creating better jobs for Filipinos and reducing the underemployment rate by half to about 10 percent over the next two years would help the Philippines achieve the nearly impossible 2015 Millennium Development Goal on poverty reduction, the country's top economic manager said.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said that underemployment, or the poor quality of jobs among many Filipinos, was largely to blame for the extremely slow progress of efforts to lift people out of poverty over the past two decades.

Under the Millennium Development Goal on poverty reduction, to which the Philippines as a member of the United Nations is committed, poverty incidence should be halved by 2015 from its level in the early 1990s.

From 33 to 16.6 percent

In the case of the Philippines, the goal is to bring down poverty incidence from 33 percent to 16.6 percent.

As of June last year, poverty incidence in the country stood at 27.9 percent.

Balisacan said the very minimal reduction in poverty incidence from the 1990s level makes the 2015 goal difficult to achieve.

"It is not impossible [to bring down poverty incidence to 16.6 percent by 2015], but it is very challenging," Balisacan said.  "Therefore, we need to generate jobs of good quality," he added.

The bigger problem

Balisacan said that in the Philippines, underemployment is a bigger problem than unemployment, with the underemployment rate in April pegged at 19.2 percent, which is equivalent to 7.252 million Filipinos.

Being "underemployed" technically means that people have a job, but are either looking for additional jobs, new jobs with longer work hours, or additional work hours in their present jobs.

"I would like to see the underemployment rate reduced by about half to 10 percent," Balisacan on Friday said in a forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.

"We also want to see an increase in the proportion of wage and salary workers to the total number of the employed," he added.

Balisacan said the Aquino administration was in the process of updating the Philippine Development Plan and would like to focus on programs and projects that would create decent jobs for the unemployed in the remainder of its term.

These programs and projects included more tourism-oriented infrastructure, a higher budget for education, and the streamlining of policies to boost the manufacturing sector, the economic manager said.

Conservative

Balisacan said the government is sticking to its 6 to 7 percent growth forecast this year despite the surprising 7.8 percent GDP leap in the first quarter, preferring to be conservative due to remaining economic uncertainties in the United States, Europe and China.

The economy was projected to grow between 6.5 percent and 7.5 percent next year, and 7 to 8 percent in 2015, he added.

Balisacan said infrastructure bottlenecks will be addressed and the economy diversified from dependence on consumption and services to one with stronger industries and investments.

The latest Labor Force Survey conducted by the National Statistics Office showed that the country's unemployment rate stood at 7.5 percent in April 2013, up from 6.9 percent in the same period last year.

Significant poverty incidence

But Balisacan said an unemployment rate in the 7-percent territory was not that bad, and that the country's high underemployment rate was the main reason that poverty incidence remains significant.

Data from the NSO showed that of 37.8 million Filipinos who had jobs during the period of the survey, 57.5 percent or at least 21.8 million fell under the category of "wage and salary earners." The rest were either unpaid family workers, self-employed, or employers in their own farms or businesses.

With report from Associated Press and Inquirer News

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Manila pushed to change the name of the Philippines back into “Slaves & Servants of Spain” would “Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao” Agree?

If Manila will continue pushing this, then it would mean that only Manila is part of the Philippines while Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are united as 1 country in the name of its respective Islands "The Federal Republic of Luzon Visayas and Mindanao"

The 7,107 islands exist and inhabited by locals prior to the invasion of Spain on March 15, 1621. The islands Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are the living witness how the Spain lie to the world that "Magellan" discovered the "Las Islas Filipinas" but should we agree with their lies that they discovered our land?

Let's start from defining what is the meaning of "Discovered"?

According to the "The Free Dictionary" "Discover" is defined as:

a. To be the first, or the first of one's group or kind, to find, learn of, or observe.

b. To learn about for the first time in one's experience

Would you agree that a Portuguese explorer "Ferdinand Magellan" is the first person discovered the 7,107 Islands in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao?

If you will agree that a Portuguese explorer "Ferdinand Magellan" is the first person discovered the islands then to whom we should credit the existence of the lumads, the indigenous people, the aborigines who are originally wearing "bahag"? Are they created through a test tube by Magellan? Or  through a magical wand?

Magellan is not the first person discovered the islands because the islands he claimed already exist and inhabited by the lumads and actively trading with Arabian countries and with the neighboring Asian countries. The word discovered is already a big mistake and a big lie to the world which hidden in its cover is "the Invasion of Spain in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao".

"Filipinas" the Slaves and Servants of Spain

After the Invasion of Spain in "Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao" the islands named after the reigning power of Spain King Philip as "Las Islas Filipinas" or the Islands of Filipinas / Islands of King Philip.

For more than 300 years, the People of Luzon Visayas and Mindanao lost their lands and make them as the "Slaves and Servants of Spain" in the name of "Las Islas Filipinas"

Our dear compatriots, would you agree to be called again as "Filipinas" the Slaves and Servants of Spain?

Our dear great Heroes "Andres Bonifacio and Jose Rizal" died for our freedom and now the Manila Government is pushing again to get in and go back to past to be the slaves and servants of Spain.

Re-invasion of Spain

The queen of the damn in the closely defunct kingdom of Spain recently visited the Philippines for a modern invasion that creates a magic in designing a hidden plan of taking over the Philippines once again to save them from the economic crisis in Europe. The Spain currency "Spanish Pesetas (₱)" were gone with the wind long time ago and they are only relying now with the foreign currency from Europe as they could no longer afford to produce their own money for its high costs but low monetary value. Spain is only one of the few countries in the world without their own currency.

The head of the Commission on the Filipino Language Virgilio S. Almario was enlightened for changing the name of the Philippines back the time when the people of "Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao" in the name of "Filipinas" as the Slaves and Servants of Spain after the recent visit of the queen of spain.

What kind of gifts did the Commission on the Filipino Language head Virgilio S. Almario received from Spain?  Millions of Euros, Hacienda, one-night-stand or the Yamashita treasure?

Virgilio S. Almario could be the most corrupt government servant in the face of our clean President Benigno Aquino III for accepting any bribe from Spain to change the name of the Philippines into "Filipinas" as the Slaves and Servants of Spain.

The Commission on the Filipino Language headed by Virgilio S. Almario is not yet done. They are still facing the criticism of making the Philippine National Language illegal as it violates the order of the Republic Act (RA) No. 7104.

The Philippine National Language remained "illegal" which is being criticized as the Commission does not really do its job in developing the Filipino language. This is grounded in the fact that Filipino was essentially Tagalog, a fact acknowledged by former Commissioner, Ricardo María Duran Nolasco, and with an impoverished technical and scientific vocabulary, at that, which relies heavily on foreign borrowings and, often, constructions. It is often left to the universities to develop their own respective terminologies for each field, leading to a lack of uniformity and general public disuse.

It is argued that current state of the Filipino language is contrary to the intention of Republic Act (RA) No. 7104 that requires that the national language be developed and enriched by the lexicon of the country's other major languages.

The called Philippine National Language now is still violating the Republic Act (RA) No. 7104 .

The Republic Act (RA) No. 7104 required that the Philippine National Language must be based from the major languages of the Philippines namely; Bikol, Cebuano or Binisaya, Hiligaynon, Ilocano (Iloko), Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Tagalog and Waray but what happened in the Commission on the Filipino Language headed by Virgilio S. Almario? They failed their job and just leave the language to Tagalog alone and borrow from the foreign languages to make ease and to sit-down as nothing happened, no job to be finished.

Before this Virgilio S. Almario will push for the changing of the name of the Philippines, he must do his unfinished job first.

Language body wants 'Pilipinas' changed to 'Filipinas'

As reported by the Philippine Star,

Malacañang said changing Pilipinas to "Filipinas," as adopted by the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), would be an interesting discussion.

In a resolution dated April 12, which also went viral, the KWF decided to revive the use of "Filipinas" instead of  "Pilipinas" to promote the official and modern name of the country.

The commission said Filipinos could be more united with a better sense of history.

"Let us see what the various sectors' reaction will be," deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said over radio dzRB.

Valte said there is no letter "f" in the Filipino alphabet before and so Pilipinas was used.

Now that "f" is back, the commission deemed it fit to make use of "Filipinas" in seals, letterheads, notepads and other materials.

Valte said the issue has yet to be discussed with President Aquino.

The name of the Philippines is short for The Philippine Islands, derived from King Philip II of Spain in the 16th century.

"Filipinas" used to be the official name of the archipelago but it changed in the course of history.

The name Philippines was officially adopted during the American period.

Rebuilding for the better Philippines would clearly say that we are not agree of renaming the Philippines into the colonial era as "Filipinas"

We would push for the name "The Federal Republic of Luzon Visayas and Mindanao" from its original islands' name than adopting the push of  Virgilio S. Almario, a person who failed to do his job in the Commission on the Filipino Language.

"The Federal Republic of Luzon Visayas and Mindanao"

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Philippine PEZA Zones investments up 92% to ₱83.7 billion in H1; Japan, UK, Germany pouring investment

PEZA Director General Lilia de Lima: We're on the radar of European companies

More foreign firms express interest in setting up shop in PH

Investment pledges registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) surged by nearly 92 percent to ₱83.7 billion in the first six months of 2013 from the ₱43.6 billion recorded a year ago.

The bulk of these investments came from manufacturing companies, most of which are based in Japan, Peza director general Lilia de Lima said on the sidelines of the Sonion Philippines Inc. facility inauguration in Batangas.

De Lima noted that a lot of foreign companies are now inclined to put up their respective facilities in the Philippines, given the robust performance of the local economy and the ease of doing business in an economic zone.

"What's good now is that we're on the radar of European companies … those from Germany and the UK. In the United States, when we went to New York and San Francisco, I talked to several firms there who are interested. These are from the manufacturing and IT sectors," De Lima revealed.

There also has been "several leads" from automotive firms, but the Peza head declined to cite further details until agreements have been firmed up.

What is clear, according to De Lima, is that once these investments materialize and companies start their operations, employment and export figures will also increase.

De Lima further assured prospective investors that there is adequate space in economic zones as new areas are being developed in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Central Luzon, while existing ones are also being expanded to accommodate new companies. On the average, the utilization rate of existing economic zones are said to be 85 to 90 percent.

According to De Lima, Peza has already approved applications for the creation of new economic zones, but these may need presidential proclamations before the areas are developed.

At present, there are already 286 economic zones in the country, she said.

Also, De Lima revealed that several firms operating in the country's economic zones will inaugurate new facilities within the year.

Some of the companies are Canon Inc. and Brother Industries Ltd., which will be making printers with reported investments of 6 billion yen and 4.23 million yen, respectively; Japanese electronics manufacturer Funai Electric Co. Ltd., which took over the inkjet business of Lexmark International; and electronics components maker Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd., which was earlier reported to have invested 620 million yen.

With report from INQUIRER

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Philippines ASAP the delivery of 4 fighter jets and 2 Maestrale Frigates from Italy to end China Bullying

Philippines will purchase 2 Maestrale class frigates.  The Maestrale class frigates were primarily designed for anti-submarine warfare, however the ships are highly flexible so they are also capable of anti-air and anti-surface operations. Ships of this class have been widely used in various international missions, either under NATO or UN flag, and during normal operations of the Italian Navy.

Two days after President Benigno Aquino III vowed more support for the Philippine Air Force, a defense undersecretary disclosed the department is working for the immediate delivery of at least 4 of the total 12 FA-50 fighter jets it will be purchasing from South Korea.

Defense Undersecretary Fernando Manalo said the Department of National Defense (DND) has begun negotiations with the Korean Aerospace Industry (KAI) while it is waiting for Malacañang's final approval of the sales agreement. It will be a government-to-government procurement that requires multi-year obligational authority from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

"Once we get confirmation of the sales agreement and once we get the multi-year obligational authority from DBM, we can start formal negotiations and we can schedule the delivery of at least 4 fighter jets," Manalo told reporters.

"We are negotiating for the immediate delivery of a certain number out of the 12 we are going to procure. We are hoping we can get at least four so our pilots can start their training," Manalo added.

The Philippines retired the last of its US-designed F-5 fighters in 2005 and lacks air defense.

'Minimum deterrence'

In May, Aquino announced a ₱75-billion military upgrade to defend the country's territory against "bullies." The 12 fighter jets will cost ₱P18.9 billion, part of the 24 items in the shopping list of the AFP.

READ: ₱75-B boost for PH navy to resist 'bullies' and PH to buy 12 South Korean fighter jets

The AFP modernization will give the Philippines "minimum deterrence capability" so that other countries would "think twice about waging wars against us," Manalo said. Manila is embroiled in a diplomatic row with Beijing over islands in the disputed South China Sea (West Philippine Sea).

The AFP modernization program will serve various purposes, Manalo added.

"We cannot deny that we have an internal security problem. We cannot deny that there are terrorist threats. We need to assert our rights in the West Philippine Sea," Manalo said.

"We are not advocating war. But we cannot just ask soldiers to defend our rights using only their hands. We have to give them equipment," he said. "Buhay na natin ang nakatalaga dito," he added. (Our lives are at stake here.)

Frigates for the Navy

Two frigates will be procured for the Phippine Navy, too. It will cost ₱18 billion.

Manalo said the navy had already decided to acquire two new Maestrale-class frigates from Italy instead of buying used ones from the Italian navy.

The frigates would add to two refurbished Hamilton-class cutters formerly used by the US Coast Guard that the Philippines acquired from its US ally to upgrade its ageing navy fleet, which includes some vessels that first saw action in World War II.

Manalo is hoping the military's procurement of frigates will give the country a chance to join military exercises with other countries.

Under the 2013 General Appropriation Act, ₱5-billion was allocated to the "regular fund" of the AFP while ₱10.6 billion was for "unprogrammed funds." The latter is intended for projects that are awaiting approval.

Manalo said the DND's 2014 budget proposal also includes an allocation of ₱15 billion for the "unprogrammed fund."

Bases upgrade

Military bases will be upgraded. Manalo said hangars and other infrastructure in various military bases, such as the Naval Base Rafael Ramos in Cebu, will be improved to make them suitable for the new equipment.

Aside from fighter jets and frigates, the Philippines will procure the following:

• Rocket launcher, handheld radios, night fighting system for the Philippine Army
• Radar system and long range patrol aircraft for the Air Force
• Combat utility helicopter
• Flight simulator
• Lead in fighter trainers
• Amphibious assault vehicle

Manalo said the objective is to deliver all these within the term of President Aquino. Outside the ₱75-billion budget, the DND is also procuring 55,000 assault rifles.

According to Manalo, it is the "deliberate" intention of President Benigno Aquino to implement all 24 projects under the plan before he ends his term in 2016, with initial delivery of at least four of 12 FA-50 fighters next year or soon after.

The FA-50s as well as the radar systems and helicopters will be used mainly to defend interests in the West Philippine Sea, with installations of support facilities, including hangars, set up on Palawan island, the Philippines' nearest province to the disputed territories, Manalo said.

The acquisition of new military equipment will also increase the Philippines' chances to participate in joint training and exercises with other countries or, at least, expand the scope of its participation, boosting its capabilities, Manalo said.

The Philippines has recently disclosed a plan to grant the United States, and possibly, Japan, greater access to its military facilities.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said strengthening ties with strategic allies, the United States and Japan, are necessary because the Philippines is not yet capable of dealing with "Chinese aggression" on its own.

To end China "bullying"

"We are modernizing not because we want to go to war with China," he told a news conference.

He said the government had a sworn obligation to defend the "West Philippine Sea," using the government's preferred term for Philippine-claimed areas in the South China Sea.

"We are not saying that this is part of our preparations to assert our sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea. What we are saying is that we cannot just give them up."

The frigates would add to two refurbished Hamilton-class cutters formerly used by the US Coast Guard that the Philippines acquired from its US ally to upgrade its aging navy fleet, which includes some vessels that first saw action in World War II.

Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also claim areas in the South China Sea.

with a report from Defense News,  Inquirer, Agence France-Presse, Rappler.com, Kyodo, & Global Post

 

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Philippine Public infrastructure spending up 36% to ₱106.4 Billion Php from January to May 2013

Public infrastructure spending continued its upward trend, rising to ₱106.4 billion from only ₱77.1 billion in the same period in 2012. This brings total disbursements to ₱751.2 billion. Photo: philSTAR

Philippine Public infrastructure spending grew 35.6 percent in the first five months of the year, reinforcing the government's commitment for sustained and inclusive economic growth.

The Department of Budget and Management reported that from January to May, infrastructure spending continued its upward trend, rising to ₱106.4 billion from only ₱77.1 billion in the same period in 2012.

This brings total disbursements to ₱751.2 billion as of May, up 12.4 percent from the previous year. Expenditures for this period also exceeded the 8.1-percent growth average for January-May disbursements since 2005.

"The implementation of program budgeting helped bring a more deliberate and strategic approach to spending, so that expenditures are closely aligned with President Aquino's campaign for long-term, inclusive growth," Budget and Management Secretary Florencio Abad said.

According to the World Bank, the Philippines needs to jack up its infrastructure spending  to provide that "fiscal spark that is still missing in the country's growth path" and to attract more foreign direct investments into the country.

Maintenance and other operating expenditures went up by 25.1 percent to ₱120.2 billion during the review period, mostly going to social welfare programs under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Branding Campaign Program under the Department of Tourism (DOT), as well as expenses made to cover the 2013 National and Local Elections.

Abad said while disbursements under net lending fell, the decrease showed that the government was no longer covering for losses incurred by government-owned or controlled corporations.

He said the country's spending performance to date will act as a solid base for growth in the second semester of the year, as the government continues to ramp up spending.

"We are working actively with our Account Management Teams in key implementing agencies to sustain and further improve the pace of disbursements, as well as to eliminate expenditure bottlenecks that might prevent our agencies from making the most of their fund releases," Abad said.

Capital spending increased by 26.8 percent to ₱104.6 billion. More than half of the amount was used to cover the ₱60 billion in payments made by the DPWH to suppliers/contractors for various public infrastructure projects.

Other contributors to the increase are disbursements made for projects under the Department of Transportation and Communication as well as the construction of farm-to-market roads under the Department of Agriculture.

Personnel Services amounted to ₱237.7 billion, up 12.2 percent year on year largely due to the annualized salary adjustments as a result of the implementation of the Salary Standardization Law III, as well as claims for retirement gratuity and terminal leave benefits.

With report from philSTAR

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Investors to still favor the Philippines; least vulnerable to any sort of macro crisis

The Philippines is expected to continue its upward trend economic growth as it is least vulnerable to any sort of macro crisis  which usually encountered by major economies - Investors to still favor the Philippines

THE PHILIPPINES, seen as an Asian economy least exposed to risk, is likely to be favored by investors once the US Federal Reserve starts unwinding a stimulus program, a Japanese investment bank said.

"When the Fed starts tapering its quantitative easing, the likely implication is increasing investor differentiation across Asia, with a preference for sustainable over fast growth," Nomura said in its Global Markets Research report.

Foreign investors have been taking money out of emerging markets -- earlier favored given better returns -- after the Fed said it could start dialing back a bond-buying program given likely US economic recovery.

In the Philippines, the peso and stock market fell to multi-month lows late last month but have since made up some ground.

"The Philippines and Taiwan seem among the least vulnerable to any sort of macro crisis," Nomura said, adding that in the former, "sustainable growth" and "structural reforms" provided a cushion.

The Philippine economy grew by 7.8% in the first quarter, beating market expectations and the government's 6-7% full-year goal.

Inflation settled at 3% as of May, at the low end of the central bank's 3-5% target. An "infrastructure investment-led model supported by remittances, business process outsourcing and electronics exports continues to be highly supportive of strong growth momentum, which looks to be set in motion for the next couple of year," the bank said of the country.

"With Standard & Poor's and Fitch Ratings having upgraded the sovereign to investment grade, we expect Moody's to follow in due course," Nomura added.

Countries tagged as "HIGH RISKS", meanwhile, were the following:

• China,
• Hong Kong
• India.

Countries tagged as "MEDIUM RISKS" were the following:

• Korea
• Malaysia,
• Singapore
• Thailand

Countries tagged as "LOW RISK" were the following:

• Philippines
• Taiwan

The Philippines is least vulnerable to any sort of macro crisis.

"China's high debt, property prices and slowing potential growth, Hong Kong's debt, property prices and current account and India's current account deficit, property prices, inflation and slowing potential growth" placed the three in dangerous territory, Nomura said.

It said that once the Fed tapers its stimulus, countries with "either weak economic fundamentals or that are too slow in normalizing macro policies and implementing structural reforms could struggle to attract investment."

With report from Business World Online

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