"You know if there is an improvement in public service in the airport, one is that there will be no more inspection for bags that come in." It is a statement from President Rodrigo Duterte following another incident of the alleged baggage pilferage at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) that victimizes the passengers especially the overseas Filipino workers (OFW). The president said that he would prefer minimizing human contacts in checking and screening of the baggage.
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President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday bags of travelers will no longer be opened during airport screening and "human contact" would be minimized.
The President then made a joke about how bringing in contraband like dynamite, bullets, and marijuana would be okay, but that the police and the members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) would be waiting for them outside the airport.
He also said that there would be no more human contact in airport immigration. By this, he was most probably referring about the newly installed eGates at the airport which is now operational. he said.
Duterte said that in his years as a public servant, he has seen how poorly the overseas Filipino workers are being been treated. He recalled one instance where he witnessed an OFW who arrived from Hong Kong with a small TV being charged a fee the OFW could not afford.
The President said he nearly got into a fight with the airport personnel over the way the OFW was treated. The president also reiterated that he does not like any form of oppression among the Filipino people, especially on his presence. Filed under the category of public service, inspection, President Rodrigo Duterte, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, overseas Filipino workers
Overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who had been deported from Saudi Arabia expressed their dismay over their lost belongings at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The victims wanted the matter to be brought to the attention of President Rodrigo Duterte.
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In a video circulating on social media, it shows OFWs with belongings scattered on the floor as they grieve the loss of their hard-earned belongings on their arrival at the NAIA. Andrew Montes, a deported OFW was complaining about his missing watches and smartphone, which according to him, are amounting to around P60,000. It is worth all of his earnings in working abroad until he was deported and most probably all that he has to start his life in his home country. Another OFW, a woman, cries as she was checking her bag and discovered that everything she worked for just vanished in thin air. Pilferage at NAIA is not a new thing. There are many cases where the culprits are caught on CCTV cameras but the same incidents happen every time in spite of the Manila International Airport Authority Chief Ed Monreal's assurance that they will do anything to stop such things from happening again at the airport under his watch. Update: Meanwhile, Manila International Airport Authority Chief Ed Monreal said that upon review of the footages from CCTV and personnel body cams, they found no signs of irregularity at the NAIA. It was further observed from records that eleven (11) previous Saudia Airline flights yielded several reports from Filipino deportees saying they lost items from their luggage which were checked-in by Saudi authorities. Monreal also appeals to people like Mr. Andrew Montes to use social media responsibly to avoid spreading baseless allegations which drag the whole country to degradation.
Filed under the category of Overseas Filipino workers (OFW), deported, Saudi Arabia, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, NAIA, President Rodrigo Duterte
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A report from Forbes Magazine said that the average Filipino is doing better under President Rodrigo Duterte's administration. The negative effect of the high inflation rate does not reflect a failure of leadership but apparently, it shows otherwise. Many Filipinos especially overseas Filipino workers (OFW) are also pessimistic and still believe that the country is on the right track with the leadership of the present administration.
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Panos Mourdoukoutas, Forbes.com contributor, based his assessment on a report of Tradingeconomics.com that the Philippines’ per-capita gross domestic product (GDP) registered a record high of USD2,891.36 in 2017.
The all-time high per-capita GDP was well higher than the average USD1,627.98 from 1960 to 2017.
The report, titled “The Philippines’ Per-Capita GDP Has Reached An All-Time High Under Duterte,” said Filipinos are doing better under Duterte when per-capita GDP is adjusted by purchasing power parity (PPP).
“That measure, too, reached a record USD7,599.19 in 2017, well above of USD4,969.71 for the period 1990-2017,” it added.
The GDP per capita is obtained by dividing the country’s GDP, adjusted by inflation, by the total population.
“Macroeconomic stability has helped the Philippines economy demonstrate a great deal of resilience in recent years. At the end of 2017, it grew at an annual 6.9 percent in the September quarter. That’s the strongest growth since the third quarter of 2016. And the Philippines’ economy was still growing at 6 percent at the end of 2018,” the report said.
McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) said that the Philippines is lined with the emerging market economies “that are well-prepared to achieve sustained growth over the next decade”.
MGI cited the increase in gross fixed capital formation (investment) which “reached PHP695,414.08 million in the second quarter of 2018 from roughly PHP450,000 million in July of 2015 — well above the PHP303,138.16 million for the period 1998 until 2018, and an all-time high”.
However, the Philippines’ per capita GDP is equivalent to 23% of the world’s average which makes an impression that Filipinos are poor.
Mourdoukoutas advised the Duterte administration to “keep an eye on the price of bread and rice” rather than celebrate the record per capita GDP.
Mourdoukoutas also said that President Duterte should look at his human rights record as well.
Filed under the category of Forbes Magazine,Filipino, President Rodrigo Duterte, high inflation rate, overseas Filipino workers
Many Filipinos especially those in the remote areas of the country. They can only avail of medical attention once in a blue moon through medical missions coming from non-government organizations (NGO's) and other health advocacy groups. Instances also happen where citizens, even at the heart of the city suffer illnesses and just succumb to their deaths without having treated due to expensive medications and hospitalization. Soon, all Filipinos will have access to free health services including the families of the overseas Filipino workers (OFW).
This situation is about to change as the new universal health bill was already approved and soon to be enacted as a law. The Senate passed on third and final reading a bill that seeks to provide adequate health care services to Filipinos. The senators unanimously voted for the approval of Senate Bill #1986 also known as the "Universal Health Care Bill."
President Rodrigo Duterte wanted it to be certified urgent and called for the proposed measure's passage at the Senate.
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With this law being enacted, Filipinos will be given health care coverage and benefits under the National Health Security Program, which replaces the National Health Insurance Program or Philhealth.
Under the universal health care law, "contributors" or those who have the capacity to pay will have to pay for their premiums while the government will shoulder the contributions of non-contributors. Funds for the subsidy will be included in the annual General Appropriations Act as well as sin taxes from cigarettes will also be a major source of funding for the policy.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, who authored the bill when he was still a party-list representative, thanked the Senate for passing what he considers to be a "groundbreaking" law. The House of Representative had previously passed a version of the bill (House Bill No 5784) in September 2017.
The President's move in certifying the bill as urgent shows the administration's "unrelenting commitment to provide the marginalized and disadvantaged with sufficient and better health care services," Roque said. Filed under the category of Filipinos, non-government organizations (NGO's), health advocacy groups, free health services, universal health bill, Senate, Universal Health Care Bill, President Rodrigo Duterte
As a move to urge Filipinos and foreign businessmen to engage in doing business in the country, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act into law in May 2018. This new law sets a deadline for the government to quickly act on business applications, about three to five days for simple processes and seven to 10 days for complex ones. Even before the effectivity of this new law, the government had already been doing its part to make business registration for prospective entrepreneurs easier by making some application processes online.
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The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)’s business name registration for single proprietors is among the first processes to become digitized.
The Philippine Business Registry (PBR), DTI’s business name registration system, has been made more accessible for single business owners since 2012.
A prospective entrepreneur is not anymore required to visit DTI offices to secure a Certificate of Business Registration. With the PBR website, the certificate can even be printed in the comfort of their own home.
Here are the steps you have to take to secure that certificate.
Check the availability of a business name
Before starting the registration process, it helps to check if the business name you have in mind is still available to use. At the PBR, one can easily type in the prospective business name and it will check the database if there are enterprises already using that trade name.
A word of advice: don’t just try to check the business name you are aiming for once. Try to modify your search to save time later on. For example, if you are thinking of putting up a business called “Juan dela Cruz Services,” modify your search and break down every part of the business name from just “Juan dela” to “Cruz Services.” Some business names just differ in spacing or spelling.
The DTI also reminds applicants to ensure that the business name isn’t similar to an existing trade name or trademark, such as “Anne Dok’s Lechon,” “Jolibee” and "Starbax Café.” On the other hand, names that are too generic, such as “The Coffee Shop” for your café, aren’t permissible, too.
Business owners also can’t use the abbreviation of a government agency or international organization.
Business name registration
Once you’ve verified that your prospective business name is still available for use, you can proceed to the business name application.
Once in the page, you will be required to choose the geographic scope of the enterprise: national, regional, city or town, and barangay. If you are keen on operating a business that will reach clients in different parts of the country—for example, an online shop—then it’s best to register your scope as nationwide. The fees will vary depending on the scope, ranging from Php200 to Php2,000.
Afterward, the business owner’s personal info will be required. You will only have to submit some basic details such as tax identification number, residence address and mobile number.
By this time, you’re done with the most tedious part of the online registration process. You may now choose whether to pay cash through either a local DTI office or Go Negosyo Center, or via an online payments system.
The PBR only accepts two kinds of online payments: Bancnet and GCash. If you have an online account with any bank, then paying through Bancnet is advisable. Otherwise, a GCash account may be needed to complete the transaction.
You also have the option whether to pick up your business certificate from a local DTI office or have it printed yourself.
Once the payment is complete, a message will be sent to your e-mail on how you will retrieve the certificate based on the method you selected. Most likely, the whole process will only require 15 to 30 minutes of your time.
Filed under the category of Filipinos, foreign businessmen, President Rodrigo Duterte, Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act, business registration, entrepreneurs, application processes online
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Update: The DTI online business registration is temporarily suspended due to systems upgrade and will notify the public when it is ready. The business owners are advised to proceed to the nearest DTI offices near your area. To download the application form for business registration, you may visit the DTI official website.
