Monday, November 25, 2024

Hi, My Name is...54

Babies are the future of any society. But maybe in the Philippines that is not the case. These kinds of stories might encourage the pro-abortion crowd as abortion remains illegal in the Philippines. In the meantime there is always abandonment.

Hi, my name is 9-month-old baby. After 9 months of having me around my mother decided she did not want me anymore. So, she put me in a bag and left me on inside a tricycle like trash. In fact the tricycle driver told the authorities he though I was trash. When the doctors examined me they found out I was malnourished which means my mother had not been giving me the food I need. 


https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/520921/9-month-old-baby-abandoned-in-lapu-lapu

The Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LCPO) is now conducting backtracking to identify the person responsible for abandoning a 9-month-old baby near a boutique in Barangay Poblacion, Lapu-Lapu City on Saturday evening, August 5, 2023.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Christian Torres, chief of the City Investigation Detection and Management Unit (CIDMU), said that they are now reviewing the CCTV cameras near the area where the baby was abandoned.

On Saturday, a tricycle driver turned over the baby girl to the barangay hall.

Torres said that based on their investigation, the tricycle driver told them that someone left the baby in his tricycle unit.

The baby was placed inside an eco-bag.

At first, the tricycle driver thought that it was just trash. The driver was about to throw the eco-bag but was shocked to find out that a baby was inside it.

“Swerte nalang gyud to kay pag-aksyon niya ug butang, nilihok ang bata,” Torres said.

(He was lucky because when he was about to throw the bag, the baby moved.)

The baby is currently admitted at the Lapu-Lapu City Hospital for treatment after they found out that it was malnourished. 

The City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) provided the needs of the infant.

“Possible sad nga dili taga dinha ang nagbilin,” he added.

(It is possible that the one who left it is not from there.)

Aside from identifying the person who abandoned the baby, Torres said that they are also trying to identify the parents, who may face charges for abandoning their child.

Hi, my name is newborn baby. At 4:00 a.m. just after giving birth to me my mother abandoned me in a tricycle. Luckily the driver saw what she did and rescued me. I was so newborn my placenta was still attached. The driver did not chase after my mother. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/8/22/newborn-baby-placenta-still-attached-abandoned-in-tricycle-in-rosario-cavite

A newborn infant with a placenta still attached was abandoned in a parked tricycle in Barangay Tejeros Convention in Rosario.

Rosario Public Information Officer Sid Samaniego told the Manila Bulletin that the infant has been officially turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Thursday, Aug. 22.

Early morning on Saturday, Aug. 17, a tricycle driver named Mac Leonardo Dela Cruz discovered the abandoned baby. 

At around 4:00 a.m., Dela Cruz reportedly saw a woman wearing a yellow shirt and pink jogging pants enter a parked tricycle nearby.

A few hours later, Dela Cruz approached the tricycle and saw a newborn infant alone inside, crying and covered in blood.

Dela Cruz sought help from the authorities, and the baby was immediately taken to the Rosario Maternity and Medical Emergency Clinic (RMMEC) for a check-up and medical treatment.

To ensure the baby is in good health, the infant remained under the care of RMMEC until the doctors confirmed the baby was ready for turnover to the DSWD.

Authorities, meanwhile, are backtracking CCTV footage to net the suspect who abandoned the baby.

Hi, my name is dead newborn baby. After giving birth to me my mother abandoned me in a vacant lot. She did not even bother to cut my umbilical cord. After several days the locals noticed a foul stench but did not pay any attention because it is the Philippines and the air always smells. But then the smell became unbearable and that is when a resident found my rotting remains. 


The decomposing body of a newborn baby boy was found in a vacant lot in Purok Celita, Barangay Alijis here on August 21. 

Police Capt. Greeky Cayao, head of Police Station 7, said residents noticed foul odor in the area for several days but paid no attention to the stench. 

A resident checked the area when the smell became unbearable and found the body. 

The baby had an umbilical cord attached to him when he was found. 

Cayao said the baby might have been in the area for three days when he was discovered. 

Police said it is unclear if the baby was alive or dead when he was abandoned. 

Cayao said the baby was subjected to autopsy to determine the cause of death and was later buried.

Hi, my name is abandoned newborn baby boy. After giving birth to me my mother quickly abandoned me. She was so quick that she did not cut my umbilical cord. 


An abandoned newborn baby boy was found on Monday, September 2, in Purok 7, Barangay Santo Cristo, this town. 

Police said that Susan Vegas Angeles, 44, a resident, found the infant whose umbilical cord was still attached.

He was taken to the Sariaya lying-in clinic in Barangay Concepcion and later transferred to the United Candelaria Doctors Hospital in Candelaria, Quezon for further medical attention.

Police are looking for his mother and have coordinated with the Municipal Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for documentation and assistance.

Hi, my name is 11-month-old baby. My father did not want me so he decided to sell me for 55,000 pesos. The NBI was tipped off and they arrested him. Now I will grow up in the care of the Social Services Development Department of the Quezon City.


https://mb.com.ph/2024/9/18/father-arrested-charged-for-selling-his-11-month-old-baby

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) slapped a Quezon City father of a human trafficking charge after he was arrested in the act of selling his 11-month- old baby for P55,000.

Charged before the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office was Kenneth Crisologo who was arrested last Sept. 3 during an entrapment operation conducted by agents of the NBI's Special Task Force (NBI-STF).

The NBI said "the case stemmed from an information received by the NBI-STF that Subject Crisologo is engaged in selling his own child online.”

“NBI-STF operatives were able to engage with Subject Crisologo, who confirmed that Subject was indeed selling a baby in exchange for P55,000,” it said.

“With this development, NBI Director Jaime B. Santiago instructed the operatives of NBI-STF to conduct an entrapment operation to arrest the Subject,” it added.

The entrapment operation was conducted in barangay (village) Pag-asa, Quezon City that “resulted in the arrest of Subject Crisologo in the act of selling his 11-month old child.”

After Crisologo's arrest, the NBI said the child was turned over to the Social Services Development Department of the Quezon City.

Hi, my name is 7-month old baby. I used to sleep in the same bed as my parents. At the foot of the bed they kept a pail full of water which they used to wash me. For some reason the pail was always full. In the middle of the night I rolled off the bed and into the pail where I drowned. 


A seven-month-old baby boy died after he drowned in a pail of water in their house in Barangay Sum-ag here on Monday, Oct. 21. 
Police Master Sgt. Rutthan Guardafe, chief investigator of Police Station 9, said the victim’s parents discovered their son drowning around 7:30 a.m. 
Guardafe said that the victim’s parents would often put a pail at the end of their bed to enable them to easily clean their son. 
The victim’s parents suspect that their son might rolled over their bed and fell into the pail. 
The baby was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead.

Hi, my name is unborn baby. My father's friend came over and showed off his .38 caliber pistol. All of a sudden the gun went off and hit my mother in the abdomen. The bullet killed me instantly. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/11/3/unborn-baby-killed-in-accidental-firing-in-cadiz-city

An eight-month-old unborn baby was killed by a stray bullet in Purok Zone 4, Barangay VF Gustilo, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental on All Souls’ Day.

Police said that a 35-year-old man was showing his .38 caliber revolver to his friend with his 34-year-old live-in partner nearby when the firearm accidentally discharged and hit the abdomen of the woman.

The victim was taken to a hospital here but the baby did not survive. 

The man surrendered to a barangay official and was arrested by the police on Sunday, Nov. 3.

He turned over the firearm with five bullets and a fired cartridge.

Police Lt. Col. John Joel Batusbatusan, Cadiz police chief, said that both parties have discussed a settlement as they considered it as a case of accidental firing.

However, he said the man may still face charges for illegal possession of firearm and ammunition.

Hi, my name is six-year-old daughter. I am not a baby but close enough. My father accused me of stealing a bracelet and cash from a neighbor. Instead of asking me what happened he stabbed me to death. 


https://mb.com.ph/2024/11/21/father-stabs-6-year-old-daughter-to-death-in-surigao-del-norte

Police arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly assaulting and stabbing his six-year-old daughter to death in Mainit town, Surigao del Norte province on Tuesday night, Nov. 19.

Surigao del Norte Police Provincial Police Office (PPO) Director Police Col. Nilo T. Texon, in a report on Thursday, Nov. 21, to Police Regional Office-13 Director Police Brig. Gen. Alan M. Nazarro, said the victim was accused of stealing a bracelet and cash from a neighbor. 

The suspect confronted the victim when she arrived home at 7 p.m. The suspect assaulted and stabbed the victim with a locally made knife called sundangay in the body. 

She was taken to a hospital in Mainit where she was declared dead. The suspect fled but was arrested by the police in a follow-up operation. 

Texon vowed justice for the victim.  

"The Surigao del Norte police remain unwavering in their commitment to ensure justice is swiftly served in this heartbreaking case,” he said, adding, “We urge everyone to remain vigilant and to foster an environment where children can grow up free from violence and harm, and let this incident remind us all of our shared responsibility to protect the most vulnerable members of our community." 

PRO 13-Regional Public Information Office chief Police Major Jennifer S. Ometer said the suspect is under the custody of the local police for proper disposition and awaiting the filing of appropriate case.

Friday, November 22, 2024

Retards in the Government 392

It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.

 


https://www.philstar.com/nation/2024/11/15/2400439/female-engineer-barmm-public-works-ministry-shot-dead

A suspected hired killer shot dead a female engineer in the Bangsamoro public works ministry while in a roadside eatery along a highway in Barangay Tamontaka in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte on Thursday, November 14.

Engineer Darlene Pacete was with companions inside the establishment when a man approached, pulled out a pistol from his bag, shot her repeatedly and ran away.

Citing a report from the Datu Odin Sinsuat Municipal Police Station, Brig. Gen. Romeo Jaime Macapaz, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, told reporters on Friday, November 15, that Pacete died instantly from bullet wounds in the head.

Pacete, a civil engineer by profession, worked in the Ministry of Public Works and Highways-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, whose regional office is in Cotabato City, only about five kilometers north of Barangay Tamontaka where she was killed.

Her killer managed to escape using a getaway motorcycle, parked a few meters away from where she was attacked, driven by an accomplice.

A suspected hired killer shot dead a female engineer in the Bangsamoro public works ministry while in a roadside eatery along a highway in Barangay Tamontaka in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte on Thursday, November 14.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil ordered the immediate dismissal of 11 Special Action Force (SAF) officers for grave misconduct related to a moonlighting case.

This came after the recommendation of the PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) for supposedly covering up for two Zamboanga-based SAF members who were serving as private security for a Chinese national without proper authorization.

The case stemmed from a May 2024 fistfight in a residential village in Muntinlupa City between the two SAF members.

In a statement to the press on Friday, Nov. 15, PNP said the IAS investigation found that the battalion commander and executive senior police officer deployed the two personnel to moonlight as private security.

Two more battalion officers falsified daily reports to make it appear that the moonlighting SAF members were present on duty.

All in all, one lieutenant colonel, three captains, two lieutenants, one executive master sergeant, two senior master sergeants, and two corporals were summarily dismissed from the force.

They were found guilty of grave misconduct, dishonesty, grave irregularity in performing their duties, and conduct unbecoming of a police officer.

Additionally, one captain was found guilty of simple neglect of duty and less grave neglect of duty. He was suspended for 31 days.

Meanwhile, one captain, chief master sergeant and one corporal were exonerated from the case due to insufficient evidence linking them to the scheme.

At a press briefing at Camp Crame on Friday, Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, PNP spokesperson, said the dismissed officers “have every right to exhaust legal remedies” but added that the order was a “summary dismissal proceeding” due to the gravity of the allegations.

In a statement, Marbil said, “Let it be clear that the Philippine National Police does not and will not tolerate any form of misconduct or dishonesty within its ranks.”

“This is a message to all PNP personnel: We are here to serve the people with integrity, and we will continue to cleanse the ranks of those who undermine the trust placed in us,” he added.

Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil ordered the immediate dismissal of 11 Special Action Force officers for grave misconduct related to a moonlighting case.

The Office of the Ombudsman has indicted Mayor Gina Merilo of Tanauan town, Leyte for hiring two losing candidates within the one-year ban.

Merilo would be charged for violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for hiring Quintin Octa Jr. and Reynalda Almaden on July 1, 2022, about two months after the two lost in the May 2022 elections.

Octa, Merilo’s former running mate, was appointed as a project engineer while Almaden was hired as a mobile nurse for the municipality.

The nine-page decision, signed by Ombudsman Samuel Martires on Sept. 30, was released on Nov. 4.

The charges stemmed from a complaint filed by Tanauan resident Mildred Lopez, who questioned the appointments that transpired during the one-year ban on hiring losing candidates.

Merilo, in her explanation submitted to the anti-graft office, defended her actions, claiming good faith in the appointments.

She explained that, as a first-term mayor, she had consulted the town’s human resource officer, who, in turn, sought the guidance of the regional Civil Service Commission and Department of Interior and Local Government offices, both of which reportedly supported the appointments.

Merilo clarified that both positions were not regular plantilla posts but merely job order assignments.

The Ombudsman, however, ruled that Merilo’s actions showed “manifest partiality” in favoring Octa and Almaden by hiring them on a job order basis to bypass the one-year ban.

“Respondent acted with manifest partiality when she hired Octa and Almaden… [with] the furtive design and intent to circumvent the constitutional and statutory provisions prohibiting the hiring of losing candidates one year after the immediate preceding elections,” the anti-graft court said.

The Ombudsman found sufficient basis to indict Merilo and ordered the filing of a case in court.

Merilo, who spoke through her office staff member on Monday, Nov. 4, said they have yet to receive the Ombudsman’s decision but intends to respond once she does.

The Office of the Ombudsman has indicted Mayor Gina Merilo of Tanauan town, Leyte for hiring two losing candidates within the one-year ban.


https://www.philstar.com/nation/2024/11/15/2400293/barangay-chairman-shot-dead-nueva-ecija

The chairman of Barangay Don Mariano Marcos in Jaen, Nueva Ecija was shot dead by unidentified men in a dawn attack on Wednesday.

Col. Ferdinand Gemino, Nueva Ecija police provincial director, said barangay chairman Mark Vic Pascual was meeting with a group of barangay workers when the suspects arrived in a car and fired their guns.

Gemino said investigators are looking into the incident to identify and arrest the assailants. They are also determining if the killing is related to the upcoming polls.

Pascual, a nephew of Jaen Mayor Sylvia Austria, ran unopposed during the 2022 elections.                                             

The chairman of Barangay Don Mariano Marcos in Jaen, Nueva Ecija was assassinated by unidentified men.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2006656/south-cotabato-vice-mayor-aspirant-slain-in-gun-attack

An aspirant for vice mayor in South Cotabato was killed Monday morning by unidentified gunmen in his residence in Tantangan town, police said.

Jose “Bobot” Osorio, 58, former village chair of Barangay Bukay Pait, who is running for town vice mayor under the ticket of former Tantangan Mayor Benjamin Figueroa, was found by relatives in a pool of blood inside his home and carinderia (eatery) at 5:50 a.m. Monday, Nov. 18, according to Major Erika Vallejo, Tantangan municipal police station chief.

Osorio was believed to have been attacked on Sunday night but his body was found only early Monday morning.

Crime operatives found six empty shells at the crime scene.

The victim’s body is now at a funeral parlor undergoing post-mortem investigation.

South Cotabato Second District Rep. Peter Miguel has offered a P1 million reward for anyone who could provide information leading to the identification and arrest of the suspect or suspects in the killing.

“I hope this will help fast-track the investigation so justice will be served for Osorio,” Miguel told reporters near the victim’s home.

Osorio is seeking the town’s second top post under the Lakas-CMD party along with reelectionist Miguel.

The victim’s relatives told reporters that Osorio had no known enemy and that he was well-loved by the people of Barangay Bukay Pait, where he served three consecutive terms of office.

A former barangay chairman running for vice mayor has been assassinated. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/11/20/2401474/sandigan-upholds-conviction-pork-scam-execs

The Sandiganbayan has upheld the conviction of officials of three abolished state firms in connection with the pork barrel scam.

In a 19-page resolution promulgated on Nov. 6, the anti-graft court’s Third Division said former officials of the abolished state firms National Agribusiness Corp. (NABCOR), National Livelihood Development Corporation (NLDC) and Technology Resource Center (TRC) failed to raise any new meritorious argument in their respective motions for reconsideration (MRs) that would warrant the reversal of its June 28, 2024 decision finding them guilty of graft and malversation of public funds.

“After due consideration of the arguments raised by the accused-movants and the prosecution, as well as the assiduous review of the records, the Court finds no compelling reason to reverse their respective convictions,” the Third Division’s resolution read.

“The Court finds that the grounds relied upon by the accused-movants were fully threshed out by the Court in the assailed Decision,” it added.

Specifically denied were the MRs of NABCOR Human Resource supervisor Encarnita Munsod, NLDC president Gondelina Amata, NLDC Asset Management Division chief Gregoria Buenaventura and former TRC deputy director general Dennis Cunanan.

Also denied was the MR of private respondent Flerida Alberto, president of non-government organization (NGO) Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa Foundation, Inc. (KKAMFI).

The Third Division had earlier found Munsod guilty of four counts of graft and two counts each of malversation and malversation through falsification, while Amata and Buenaventura were convicted of four counts each of graft and three counts each of malversation through falsification.

Cunanan was earlier convicted of one count each of graft and malversation while Alberto was convicted of six counts of graft and three counts each of malversation and malversation through falsification.

For the graft cases, they were sentenced to six up to ten years of imprisonment for each count, with the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office and forfeiture of all retirement and gratuity benefits.

For the malversation and malversation through falsification cases, meanwhile, they were sentenced to varying years of imprisonment for each count, ranging from two up to six years, six to 10 years and 10 to 17 years in some cases.

They were also ordered to jointly pay the government a total of P62.63 million, equivalent to the amount of public funds found to have been malversed.

The Third Division, meanwhile, ordered the cases against the primary accused, former Misamis Occidental First District Rep. Marina Clarete, to be temporarily archived as she remains at-large. The Third Division said this is without prejudice to the cases’ revival upon her arrest or voluntary surrender.

Filed by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2017, the cases stemmed from the alleged misuse of P62.63 million in Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel of Clarete from 2007 to 2009.

The ombudsman said Clarete “unilaterally chose and endorsed” questionable NGOs to implement her seven PDAF-funded livelihood projects without the benefit of a public bidding required under Republic Act 9184 of the Government Procurement Reform Act.

The ombudsman said the NGOs were “unaccredited and unqualified” to carry out the projects.

Furthermore, the ombudsman said field investigation revealed that none of the projects were ever implemented as the supposed beneficiaries denied receiving any livelihood kits or attending any of the supposed livelihood seminars.

The ombudsman said the officials of NABCOR, NLDC and TRC processed and released the payments to the NGOs without carefully verifying their qualifications and the supporting documents that they submitted.

In its new resolution, the Third Division maintained that the prosecution panel of the ombudsman was able to establish with “moral certainty” that each of the convicted officials had participated in the commission of the charged crimes.

“Wherefore, in light of all of the foregoing, the Motions for Reconsideration... are denied for lack of merit,” the Third Division said.

The Sandiganbayan has upheld the conviction of officials of three abolished state firms in connection with the pork barrel scam.

A program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is in question after an alleged aide of Rep.  Julienne “Jamjam” Baronda here was caught in an buy-bust operation last week. 
Several issues arose following the arrest of Pearl Pudadera Hugo, who was listed as a grantee of DOLE’s Government Internship Program (GIP) and was detailed to work in the office of Baronda. 
Among them was how  Hugo was able to qualify as avgrantee when she’s already overage. 
Based on DOLE’s requirement, the grantee must only be between 18 to 30-years- old. But Hugo is already 34. 
The grantee is only supposed to be for indigent individuals without work experience.  A GIP grantee can work for three or six months. 
Baronda only issued a statement that Hugo would be removed from the GIP. 
Based on police records, Hugo was also arrested for a drug-related case in 2022.  She was released when she entered a plea bargain but was arrested again last Nov. 13 here. 
DOLE-6 Regional Director Atty. Sixto Rodriguez Jr. was sought for comment but has yet to respond as of posting time. 
A program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is in question after an alleged aide of Rep. Julienne “Jamjam” Baronda here was caught in an buy-bust operation last week. 

Thursday, November 21, 2024

Coronavirus Lockdown: So Near Yet So Far, COVID-19 Benefits, and More!

More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.

The Philippines has secured a major grant from the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to bolster their pandemic response. 

The Philippines has received a $24.9-million grant from the World Bank (WB) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to help the country fight off animal and human health threats.

The Philippines is one of 50 countries chosen to benefit from the two institutions’ Pandemic Fund Grant worth $547 million, intended for strengthening disease surveillance and upgrading laboratories, among others.

The Philippines’ grant for the Resilient Philippines project forms part of the second funding round by the WB and FAO to beef up pandemic prevention, preparedness and response of many recipients worldwide.

The project calls for implementing the One Health approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Department of Agriculture said the grant would help the Philippines invest in early warning systems, laboratory infrastructure and the development of a skilled health workforce.

“This grant will not only enhance our pandemic preparedness but will also strengthen the nation’s agricultural sector, which is vulnerable during outbreaks,” Agriculture Assistant Secretary Constante Palabrica said.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the grant was a “game-changer” for the Philippines.

“It will not only reinforce our capacity to respond to future pandemics but also ensure the continuity of essential sectors, such as agriculture,” Tiu Laurel said.

“By investing in disease surveillance and health infrastructure, we safeguard food security, protect our farmers and secure the well-being of the entire Filipino community,” he added.

The FAO said last month said it was “timely” for the Philippines to secure the grant as it topped the World Risk Index for the third consecutive year.

“The rapid decline in biodiversity—driven by deforestation, ecosystem destruction and habitat loss—has triggered the emergence and re-emergence of transboundary animal diseases and zoonoses, or diseases transmitted between species, such as from animal to human,” FAO country representative Lionel Henri Valentin Dabbadie said.

The G20 launched the Pandemic Fund in 2022 as a direct response to the global vulnerabilities caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

It finances vital investments to beef up the pandemic preparedness and resilience of most at-risk countries.

It's only a game-changer if the money is used properly. So it's a wait and see game. Everyone is preparing for the next pandemic which means it could only be a matter of time. 

The tourism forecast for 2024 has been lowered because targets are not being met. 


https://www.panaynews.net/ph-24-tourism-arrivals-forecast-cut-to-6m/

THE volume of tourist arrivals in the Philippines is expected to reach just 6 million by the end of the year, according to BMI Research, a unit of the Fitch Group.

This is a downgrade from an earlier projection of 6.6 million, as the sector is yet to fully recover from the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

BMI Research said that while tourist arrivals hit 4.5 million from January to October, which was higher than the 4.1 million tallied in the comparable period in 2023, it was still not enough to pull up the numbers to what they were before the global health crisis hit in 2020.

“This is just 66.5 percent of the tourist arrivals during the comparable period over 2019, highlighting how the sector is still in a postpandemic recovery phase,” the report read.

“With 10 months of tourist arrivals data published for 2024, we maintain our view that arrivals over the year will fall short of a full pandemic recovery,” the report also said.

The latest projection would still mean a 19.5 percent growth for 2024, although still considerably less than the 8.2 million recorded in 2019 and short of the government’s target this year of 7.7 million.

Bank of America said in an earlier report that the Philippine tourism sector’s recovery has been hampered by the lack of Chinese tourists, with arrivals from China just at 20-30 percent of prepandemic levels.

Global inflation that has reduced discretionary spending is another factor.

4.5 million tourists is still not enough to get those numbers up. That means the tourism sector "is still in a post pandemic recovery phase" and has not fully recovered. 

Health allowances for COVID-19 frontliners in the BARMM are just now being released by the Bangsamoro government. 

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2024/11/14/2400137/allowances-barmm-2020-2023-anti-pandemic-medics-released

The Bangsamoro government has started releasing allowances for 4,000 frontline medics involved in COVID-19 mitigation efforts in the autonomous region from 2020 to 2023. 

Radio reports in Cotabato City on Thursday, November 14, stated that among the recipients of the Health Emergency Allowance (HEA) are barangay volunteer emergency responders, personnel of different Army battalions and brigades and members of units under the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. 

The Ministry of Health-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao started releasing on Monday, November 11, the HEA from the national government, ranging from P3,000 to 9,000 per health worker, depending on the extent of services of each to the local communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Employees of the municipal and provincial health offices and hospitals in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao shall also receive HEA, according to BARMM’s health minister, Kadil Sinolinding Jr.

The physician-ophthalmologist Sinolinding, a concurrent member of the 80-seat BARMM parliament, said they are grateful to the national government for providing the HEA funds earmarked for health workers in the autonomous region.

That is rather shocking. Funny that the lack of pay for BARMM health workers was not mentioned in all the other news about the situation.

Much has been said about how the Philippines economy has recovered from the pandemic and is now robust. But according to outside observers that is not the case. 

https://fulcrum.sg/so-near-yet-so-far-the-philippines-lower-middle-income-country-trap/

If you listen only to the Philippines’ economic managers, you’d think the country is one of ASEAN’s bright spots.

On 8 August, Arsenio Balisacan, the country’s socioeconomic planner, proudly exclaimed that the 6.4 per cent GDP growth in the second quarter of the year meant that the Philippines kept its rank as “one of Asia’s best-performing major emerging economies”. He added, “For East Asia’s economies that have released their second quarter 2024 GDP growth, we follow behind Vietnam at 6.9 per cent while leading Malaysia at 5.8 per cent, Indonesia at 5.0 per cent, and China at 4.7 per cent.”

But in fact, a disturbing number of indicators point to the Philippines lagging behind the region.

First, we need to go back to the start of the pandemic. In 2020, the Philippine GDP dropped by nearly 10 per cent, the worst recession among all ten ASEAN countries (Figure 1). This is hardly surprising, given the mismanagement of the previous administration of Rodrigo Duterte, which led to one of the world’s longest pandemic lockdowns.

Because of this, the pandemic scars on the Philippine economy are now permanent. The Philippines needs GDP growth in excess of 10 per cent yearly to return to its pre-pandemic GDP trend. This puts the perceived “high” growth of 6.4 per cent into proper perspective.

Second, Vietnam officially overtook the Philippines in per-capita income during the pandemic. This is a remarkable development because just a few decades ago, Vietnam was economically worse off than the Philippines. Even Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar have made significant strides. When we contrast all 10 ASEAN countries, the Philippines’ trend of GDP per capita sticks out as a sore thumb: the country’s trend line is distinctly flatter compared to the rest of the region (Figure 2).

The Philippines’ slow progress is underscored by a frustrating failure to transition into an “upper-middle-income country”. The economy has been stuck in the “lower-middle-income” category since 1989 when the World Bank first developed its country classification by income.

To be sure, growth in recent decades means that the Philippines has been inching closer to the upper-middle-income status. Most recently, Balisacan said the Philippines will be upper-middle income “towards the latter part of 2025 or early 2026”. However, the Philippine government has been promising this status change every year since at least 2017. Every year, too, this promise has been broken.

The Philippines is by no means unique in being a perennial middle-income country. But its case is special because the Philippines has been stuck in lower-middle-income status for at least 35 years. This long period allowed several ASEAN countries to overtake the country economically.

When we contrast all 10 ASEAN countries, the Philippines’ trend of GDP per person sticks out as a sore thumb: the trend line is distinctly flatter compared to the rest of the region.

What gives? How can the Philippines escape this lower-middle-income trap?

Sound macroeconomic fundamentals would be key, and in this regard, the Philippines has no major problem. It has come a long way since the gross economic mismanagement during the Marcos dictatorship (1972-1986), which culminated in the country’s worst post-war recession from 1984 to 1985. Growth is steady, overall inflation has been in single digits for decades, and unemployment recently reached a historic low.  

The bigger sticking point lies in the economy’s structure and how it is transforming. Figure 3 shows a spurt of industrialisation in the 1960s and 1970s, peaking in 1981. But since then, the share of industry in GDP has gradually declined and stagnated.

By contrast, the Philippines is now a service-driven economy, with services accounting for 62.3 per cent of its GDP in 2023. The predominance of services in the Philippines is part and parcel of a growing trend in many developing countries called “premature deindustrialisation”. More and more countries have leapfrogged from agriculture to services, bypassing industry — and this is not necessarily bad.

Yet the Philippines seems to have largely missed out on the promise of industrialisation, insofar as industry — especially if export-oriented — holds out great potential technological progress and positive spillovers.

Indeed, export-oriented industrialisation has brought many Asian economies on a path towards prosperity. Vietnam, for instance, is now a manufacturing hub for many prominent tech companies such as Samsung, Intel, Apple, and LG. It is also leading in electric vehicle exports. Leaning into this export-oriented strategy has resulted in massive dividends for Vietnam, whose electronics exports amount to US$11.5 billion monthly. By contrast, the Philippines’ exports remain stuck in low-value-added semiconductors and other electronic components. Its total exports are a little over US$6 billion monthly.

A recent World Bank study showed that Vietnam’s booming exports have made ripples across its economy so that even workers in non-export-oriented industries have benefitted. The export boom has lifted wages and promoted employment across Vietnam, especially among lower-income groups. The export boom also tended to reduce the premium on college degrees while fostering wage growth for non-degree-holding workers, allowing better chances for economic mobility for those with lesser education. Women, too, benefitted a lot more in terms of wages.

Vietnam’s experience offers hope for countries like the Philippines, which are stuck in a rut. Some economists have argued that the Philippines has lost its chance at industrialisation. But Vietnam’s case suggests it may not be too late for the Philippines.

The first step is to address the dearth of investments, especially in export manufacturing. As early as 2007, South Korean investments flocked to Vietnam, attracted by cheap labour, good infrastructure, and a host of incentives. By contrast, the Philippines’ foreign direct investments of late have declined steadily since 2021, precisely because of opposite factors: expensive labour, bad infrastructure, and insufficient incentives.

It is not too late for the Philippines, but its leaders must step up and not be lulled into complacency by the sparkly growth figures.

According to this article "the mismanagement of the previous administration of Rodrigo Duterte, which led to one of the world’s longest pandemic lockdowns" and "because of this, the pandemic scars on the Philippine economy are now permanent." Who would have thought?

In a bid to cut costs and increase benefits elsewhere PhilHealth has reduced COVID-19 benefits.


https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2006410/philhealth-reduces-covid-19-benefits-amid-calls-for-better-fund-use

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has cut case rates for “severe” and “critical” COVID-19 amid calls for the overfunded state health insurer to increase its benefits.

Retroactive to Nov. 1, PhilHealth began to cover only up to P590,000 in expenses for adults who contract critical COVID-19, a 25-percent decrease from the previous P786,384.

For children who get critical COVID-19, the new benefit package is P275,000—down by 65 percent from P786,384.

Severe COVID-19 benefit packages were also reduced: P250,000 for adult patients and P230,000 for pediatric patients (down by 25 percent and 31 percent, respectively, from the previous case rate of P33,519).

The case rate cut stemmed from PhilHealth Circular No. 2024-0026, signed by PhilHealth president Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. on Oct. 30, which listed separate benefit packages for adult and children COVID-19 patients.

The rate for moderate COVID-19 with pneumonia for pediatric patients also decreased from P143,267 to P92,500 (down by 35 percent).

Nevertheless, the new circular also increased the remaining COVID-19 rates.

For adults contracting moderate COVID-19 with pneumonia it is now P157,000 (up 10 percent from P143,267), while adults who got infected with COVID-19 without pneumonia may get up to P55,000 (up 25 percent from P43,997).

For children who get mild COVID-19, the benefit package went up by 16 percent from P43,997 to P51,000.

In a message to the Inquirer, PhilHealth vice president for corporate affairs Rey Baleña said the benefit cuts were based on the minimum standards of care under guidelines established by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Society of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Under the new rules, Baleña said COVID-19 patients admitted to basic rooms or ward accommodation in government hospitals shall not be charged more than their PhilHealth coverage under the no-balance billing policy.

“However, patients admitted to nonbasic accommodation may be charged a copayment or out-of-pocket payment for services beyond the essential health services,” he noted.

From April 2020, when the benefit packages for COVID-19 were first implemented, to June 2024, PhilHealth paid almost 7 million claims, amounting to more than P76.3 billion.

The state health insurer paid the most claims in 2023—when the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and its subvariants caused surges of cases in the country—amounting to P35.4 billion, or 14 percent of PhilHealth’s total claims payments.

In May 2023, the World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 was no longer a public health emergency of international concern, although health authorities clarified that the pandemic itself was not.

In June this year, the DOH reported a surge of COVID-19 cases in the country, which it attributed to the so-called “FLiRT” COVID-19 subvariants.

These are the JN.1.18, JN.1.7, KP.2 and KP.3—which are considered variants under monitoring and descendants of JN.1, an earlier detected subvariant of Omicron.

The DOH has stopped publishing cumulative COVID-19 data since January this year, with the country’s number of cases stuck at 4.1 million, with 66,864 Filipinos who died from the disease.

The real question is, with the DOH no longer publishing cumulative COVID-19 data, how many people have had to avail of these benefits? How many people are actually being hospitalized for COVID and how many of those people have pre-existing co-morbidities.