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The Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), recently held a meeting to define guidelines for the dredging projects in three lahar-clogged river systems – Bucao, Maloma, and Sto. Tomas – in Zambales Province.

Representatives from MGB, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and other local and national government agencies, as well as dredging operators from Zambales Province were present during the consultative meeting.

Various concerns were raised during the open forum, including the suspension of dredging operations, loss of revenue as a result of the former concern, and human health risk due to exposure to lahar.

As a result of these concerns, commercial utilization of minerals and river restoration of the three river systems were also discussed.

During the discussion, Atty Analiza Teh, Undersecretary for Climate Change Service and Mining Concerns (DENR) said that the current system, which requires dredging operators to send their dredging plans to DPWH, is not effective in restoring the river systems.

However, under the proposed Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) on the Guidelines on the Issuance of Clearance and/or Permit of Dredging, DPWH will be the one providing the dredging plan for operators working in the same river system.

Dredging operators will only submit a work program in accordance to the dredging plan.

She also assured everyone that the government is one with the stakeholders in addressing their concerns, and to be successful, economic growth and environmental management must be in equilibrium. She urged everyone to cooperate in order to solve the pressing concerns being faced by the dredging industry.

Source: dredgingtoday.com

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The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is going after the income tax payments of more than 130,000 unregistered Chinese working in the Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogo) sector.

Internal Revenue Deputy Commissioner Arnel Guballa told reporters last Monday that the BIR had expanded its investigation to also include about 2,000 foreigners employed in the Clark and Subic economic zones.

“They are consultants, engineers, designers, IT (information technology workers)… Our estimates showed that there are around 2,000 [foreign workers in economic zones] but what we are really prioritizing are the Pogos,” Guballa said.

The BIR official said majority of the Pogo workers in the country were Chinese.

He said all of these Chinese workers in Pogos did not secure tax identification numbers (TIN) from the BIR. As such, they are not registered as taxpayers.

“We are looking for all of them. Although they are employed in online gaming, what we are checking is if they are paying their taxes,” Guballa said, as he noted that some Pogo firms actually had remittances to the BIR.

“We will check if their remittances are correct, if [payments were] below the actual [income tax] rate or below the declared income. We are counterchecking the income that they receive,” he said.

Before this month ends, the BIR will finalize the list of Pogo workers as it is currently in the process of validating data.

For those to be found not paying taxes, “we will file the corresponding necessary enforcement—if you are not registered, then we impose penalties on those unregistered.”

Guballa said many Pogos were already registering because they now know that the government was very much aware of their activities.

But even after these Pogos finally register, Guballa said the BIR “will stretch back as far as we will determine [how long they were operating so they] will pay for all the penalties of all those violations.”

Early this month, the Department of Finance (DOF) said the government wanted to collect about P32 billion in unpaid income taxes from foreigners who work in the Pogo industry.

It was based on a rough computation by Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III on the assumption that up to 138,001 foreign workers earned an average of $1,500 a month and paid the 25-percent personal income tax.

Based on the report submitted to Dominguez by the Department of Labor and Employment and the Bureau of Immigration last month, 54,241 Pogo workers had been issued alien employment permits aside from 83,760 who have special working permits.

For Dominguez, the reported salaries of foreign Pogo employees amounting to only P20,000 a month were “ridiculously low” for skilled workers.

Source: business.inquirer.net

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MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government will be taking legal action against Chinese nationals harvesting giant clams in Scarborough or Panatag Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said.

This statement comes in response to an ABS-CBN News report that the Chinese continue to extract giant clams at Scarborough Shoal, a traditional fishing ground off the coast of Zambales.

“We just caught them doing that recently, filed a diplomatic note, and will be taking legal action. With our legal department now,” Locsin said on Twitter.

We just caught them doing that recently, filed a diplomatic note, and will be taking legal action. With our legal department now. https://t.co/sd6u87LnTq

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) April 15, 2019

In the report, Filipino fishermen revealed that they have been watching the Chinese harvest giant clams in the area for years.

According to local fishermen, Chinese Coast Guard speed boats prevent Filipino and other fishing vessels from accessing the shoal.

Just last month, the camp of opposition senatorial bet Neri Colmenares released a documentary video where Filipino fishermen narrate how the Chinese Coast Guard would seize their catch and drive them away from Scarborough Shoal.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo then said the Philippine government would protest if proven that the Chinese harass Filipino fishermen.

Panelo insisted that the Philippine Coast Guard said here have been no incidents of harassment.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines also disputed the claims of Filipino fishermen from Masinloc, Zambales, which has jurisdiction over the Scarborough Shoal.

“We have coordinated with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and initially, there were no reports of Filipino fishermen being subjected to the said attack of Chinese water cannons, and so far, there were no sightings of dredging ships in the waters of Bajo De Masinloc or in the West Philippine Sea,” AFP Northern Luzon Command commander Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Salamat said.

Source: philstar.com

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The Supreme Court has released its decision on Wednesday (April 10) to make permanent the temporary restraining order it issued on March 24, 2015 that restricted the cutting of trees along Luneta Hill for the expansion of a mall in the city.

“The permanent status of the temporary restraining order is without prejudice to the filing of an application of environmental compliance certificate in accordance with existing laws and regulations,” said SC Public Information Office Chief Atty. Brian Keith Hosaka.

The petitioners against the cutting of the trees in the city, however, were not satisfied with the Supreme Court’s decision, saying that the number of trees they were fighting for to save has now dwindled into half.

Glo Abaeo, former President of Cordillera Global Network said over a phone interview that it was a bittersweet victory for them, “because after 7 years ng ipinaglalaban namin, may magandang resulta pero ayun nga naputol na iyong karamihan ng kahoy doon. So from 182, na pinoprotesta namin noon I think 100 or more na yata ang naputol [because after 7 years that we have been fighting, we got good results, but still, many trees had been cut down. So from 182 that we are proresting (to be protected), I think 100 or more were cut down].”

Karlo Altomonte, Spokesperson of Save 182, on the other hand, said, “too late ang lumabas na desisyon. Pero napigilan sana natin yung panggagahasa sa kalikasan ng baguio kung umaksyion ang local government [the decision came too late. But we could have prevented the ravaging of the natural resources of Baguio (City) had the local government acted against it].”

In 2018, the Baguio City Local Government released the guidelines on issuing permits to business establishments about cutting trees.

The guidelines said exceptions on the ban to cut trees include trees that will put establishments and passers-by in danger, such as trees that have been rendered weak by infestation and trees that are already dead.

Source: ph.news.yahoo.com

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The Sandiganbayan has ordered the arrest of incumbent Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino and 15 others after it found probable cause to hold them in trial for supposedly entering into an allegedly disadvantageous lease contract for government properties.

Paulino and his co-accused were charged with violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for supposedly taking advantage of their official position to fast-track the award of the lease contract of the Olongapo City Civic Center to SM Prime Holdings Inc.

This was, however, allegedly not in compliance with the provisions of RA 6567, or the act that authorizes the financing, construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructure projects by the private sector.

Also ordered arrested were Aquilino Yorac Cortez, Jr., Elena Calma Dabu, Benjamin Gregorio Cajudo II, Eduardo Guerrero Guerrero, Noel Yabut Atienza, Alruela Mauro Bundang-Ortiz, Edna Alviz Elane, Emerito Linus Dolantre Bacay, Randy Dela Cruz Sionzon, Egmidio Manzano Gonzales, Jr., Tony-Kar Balde III, Cristiflor Buduhan, Anna Marin Florentina Sison, Mamerto B, Malabute, and Joy Fernandez Cahilig.

The Sandiganbayan Second Division, where the charges have been lodged, set the bail for each accused at P30,000 for their temporary liberty, which they have posted already.

The Office of the Ombudsman had earlier ordered Paulino suspended for 90 days for the same case pending trial.

Private complainant Rodalyn Guinto Hanif welcomed the Sandiganbayan order, but expressed disappointment that the accused individuals were able to post bail.

Source: gmanetwork.com

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