News Roundup 15 February 2023
Feb 15, 2023 • 4 min Read
Countries rally behind Philippines in maritime incidents with China | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines (Updated 5:17 p.m.) — Several countries have expressed their support for the Philippines after the coast guard reported being tailed and directed a military-grade laser device by China during a rotation and resupply mission in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal last week.
Former colonizer and treaty ally United States was the first to issue a statement of support. Trade and development partners Japan, Australia, Canada, and Germany also issued separate statements to back Manila.
“The PRC’s conduct was provocative and unsafe, resulting in the temporary blindness of the crewmembers of the BRP Malapascua and interfering with the Philippines’ lawful operations in and around Second Thomas Shoal,” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement dated February 13.
Countries also urged China to follow international rules-based order and put an emphasis on the 2016 Hague ruling that invalidated Beijing’s claims over the disputed waters, which include parts of the West Philippine Sea. However, it never recognized the validity of the ruling.
Full Story at: Countries rally behind Philippines in maritime incidents with China | Philstar.com
4 years since rice tariffication: Farmers’ income per hectare shrank by 40% | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — A research and advocacy group has renewed the call to junk the Rice Liberalization Law, saying it has failed to deliver on the promise of boosting farmers’ incomes and worsening the country’s import dependency four years since it took effect.
An analysis by IBON foundation published Tuesday found that rice farmers’ net returns per hectare decreased by around 40% – or from P32,976 to P19,680 – after rice tarrification was implemented in 2019.
“The effect is even worse when inflation is taken into account. When adjusted for 2018 prices, the real income rice farmers lost is worth P15,053,” the think tank said. “Not only did farmers lose money since rice liberalization, but their purchasing power also weakened as well.”
IBON foundation scored the current government for its “lack of interest” in supporting local production of rice in the long run, which placed the country’s rice farmers at risk of “plunging further in the spiral of import dependence.”
Rice watchdog Bantay Bigas also called for a repeal of Republic Act 11203, saying it pushed prices of unhusked rice to P7 per kilogram in Bicol in 2019 to 2020, which has now stagnated at P10 – P15 per kilogram on average.
Full Story at: 4 years since rice tariffication: Farmers’ income per hectare shrank by 40% | Philstar.com
Pampanga folk baffled as LGU hails power generation hike as ‘good news’ | INQUIRER.NET – MABALACAT CITY — To the surprise of some netizens, the city government of San Fernando (CSFP), the capital of Pampanga province, hailed as “good news” the 104 percent increase in power generation charges to be imposed on consumers by a local power distribution company.
“GOOD NEWS. SFELAPCO’s statement regarding their impending generation rate increase,” the CSFP City Information Office said on its Facebook post recently.
It was referring to San Fernando Electric Light and Power Company’s announcement that the generation charge for January 2023 will be P7.90 plus value added tax per kilowatt hour (kWh) and not P10.50 per kWh as it earlier anticipated.
This, SFELAPCO stated, was due to the decreasing price of coal on the world market and the appreciation of the Philippine peso.
Full Story at: Pampanga folk baffled as LGU hails power generation hike as ‘good news’ | Inquirer News
Baguio folk fight for ‘open spaces’ amid Camp John Hay row | INQUIRER.NET – BAGUIO CITY, Benguet, Philippines — The city council on Monday asked the Department of Education (DepEd) to preserve a contested Camp John Hay school property by placing it under the public education system amid a legal battle with the agency supervising the former American rest and recreation base.
The century-old John Hay Elementary School (JHES) in Barangay Scout Barrio is the subject of a dispute between villagers and the John Hay Management Corp. (JHMC) over who holds the rights over barangay roads, institutional lots like the school, and open public spaces, said Councilor Fred Bagbagen.
Bagbagen, a lawyer, sponsored the DepEd resolution that the council passed during its regular session on Monday.
JHMC, the Camp John Hay estate manager of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), has asserted its administrative control over all areas of the 600-hectare forest reservation, including JHES and Scout Barrio’s public spaces, he said.
Full Story at: Baguio folk fight for ‘open spaces’ amid Camp John Hay row | Inquirer News
