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The Philippines is considering a 24 billion-peso ($499 million) wage subsidy plan that could help pandemic-hit companies retain as many as one million workers.

Small businesses that have reduced work hours or temporarily closed will be prioritized, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said in a virtual employment summit on Saturday. The plan, which is under review by economic managers, will provide a monthly subsidy of 8,000 pesos for each worker for three months.

“The proposed wage subsidy program is a safety net program which aims to save jobs, promote employee retention, and augment income loss of affected workers,” Lopez said… Read More

(Business World) A LAWMAKER is batting for a Universal Basic Income (UBI) system as part of the proposed third economic stimulus fund, with those with higher income to be taxed more to help fund this component.

In a statement on Friday, Albay 2nd District Representative Jose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda said the implementation of the proposed Bayanihan to Arise as One Act is “an opportunity to experiment with UBI.” The bill for the third economic stimulus fund was approved jointly by the House Committees on Economic Affairs and Social Services.

“The concept of UBI is that it is a measure to correct some of the faults of the free market, including over-accumulation of wealth. We need those measures in this country,” he said.

UBI is a system where the government supports individuals by giving them a set amount of money regularly.

The third Bayanihan bill, a follow-up to the Bayanihan to Heal As One and Bayanihan to Recover as One laws signed last year, aims to help the economy recover from the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“COVID-19 was a jobs killer. It killed many small businesses. While Filipinos resorted to microentrepreneurship, mostly via online selling and the informal sector, these are not sustainable income flows. Meanwhile, the wealthiest segments of the population were able to buy assets on the cheap. As the economy recovers, they will only get richer,” Mr. Salceda said.

Mr. Salceda said the UBI system will be funded by revenues generated from rationalized taxes on the wealthy, which is part of the third package of the government’s Comprehensive Tax Reform Program.

“The most obvious tax on the wealth is the real property tax. We should update land valuations and pass Package 3 of tax reform, or the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform. I am also proposing that we impose higher rates on low-density housing for the rich in Metro Manila… Read More

(Washington Post) Many in the Philippines blame a lackluster effort by the government for the shortage of vaccines and hospital beds… Read More

(Business World) THE PHILIPPINES won’t end patrols in the South China Sea, President Rodrigo R. Duterte said on Wednesday night, adding that the country’s sovereignty is nonnegotiable.

Tensions over the sea, which China claims almost entirely, have spiked as Beijing refuses to withdraw vessels from Philippine waters and Manila boosts sea patrols. Mr. Duterte is under growing domestic pressure to take a harder stance, but has been reluctant to confront China over the issue.

“I read China said we should leave,” the tough-talking leader said in a televised speech. “I now say: Do not leave. Period,” Mr. Duterte told Philippine ships that held drills in the disputed waterway.

Mr. Duterte said Philippine sovereignty over the disputed waterway is nonnegotiable even if it owes China a “debt of gratitude.”

“There are things which are not really subject to a compromise,” the President said. “I hope they will understand, but I have the interest of my country also to protect.”

China’s Foreign Ministry earlier demanded that Manila stop its sea drills in the South China Sea.

Mr. Duterte said the Philippines would not go to war with China over the South China Sea, citing the country’s long-standing friendship with its neighbor.

“We do not want war with China. China is a good friend,” he said in a televised speech, citing Beijing’s donation of coronavirus vaccines.

“So China — let it be known — is a good friend and we do not want trouble with them, especially a war,” Mr. Duterte said.

China has donated at least a million doses of CoronaVac to the Philippines.

Mr. Duterte blamed retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio T. Carpio and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. Del Rosario for China’s island-building activities in the South China Sea.

He said both had failed to stop Chinese incursions in the area under the administration of his predecessor Benigno S.C. Aquino III.

“I have one question for Carpio and Albert: If you are bright, why did we lose the West Philippine Sea?” Mr. Duterte said in Filipino, referring to areas of the sea within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

He said China’s occupation of certain features in the water happened during their time.

Mr. Carpio and Mr. Del Rosario led the country’s legal fight against China’s claims in the area. An international tribunal in 2016 favored the Philippines and rejected China’s claim to more than 80% of the sea based on a 1940s map.

Mr. Duterte insisted that invoking the legal victory, which he said was nothing but “paper,” constitutes going to war with China.

Mr. Carpio and Mr. Del Rosario and other maritime experts have said the Philippines does not need to go to war to defend its territories.

In a statement on Thursday, Mr. Carpio noted that it was Mr. Duterte who announced that he was “setting aside” the ruling in favor of seeking loans and investments from Beijing worth $22 billion… Read More

(Coconuts Manila) President Rodrigo Duterte told his propaganda team to inform Filipinos that the country is supposedly doing better than other nations in its COVID-19 fight, an official of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) said yesterday.

This confirmation comes after a memo circulated online yesterday, where PCOO Undersecretary George Apacible told his staff that “all government media platforms” should provide COVID data about other countries to show that the Philippines is “faring better.”

Director Virginia Arcilla-Agtay of the PCOO Integrated News Team said the memo is authentic, and merely reflects Duterte’s instructions.

“Yes, there is a memo directing us to give updates on world data regarding COVID-19 and to convey that we are faring better than other countries,” Agtay said in a statement.

She added that the president “has given the instruction in order to provide adequate information and convey working policies, particularly those that aim to address the effects of the pandemic in the country.”

“There is nothing wrong with this, nor is it a lie, it is simply amplifying facts,” she said.

“And here are the facts: Regionally and globally, we have achieved a reputable and efficient response to the virus as compared to some developed, more advanced, and less densely-populated countries,” she said.

Agtay said that based on the data provided by OCTA Research Group, the virus’ reproduction number has gone down while the country ranks fourth in Southeast Asia in terms of the number of vaccine doses given. Her statement, however, does not paint a complete picture. About 100 Filipinos die each day of COVID, many of whom have had to jump from one hospital to another just to seek medical care. Facilities are running out of manpower, medicines, and beds, and some people had even perished in hospital parking lots and tents without being treated by medical professionals.

On top of that, only 0.2% of the population has been vaccinated, or about 247,000. The National Capital Region alone has a population of at least 13 million.

As of today, there are a total of 1,020,495 COVID cases recorded in the country, including 17,031 deaths. The Duterte administration has started inoculating health workers, senior citizens, and people with comorbidities but admitted that it has a hard time procuring vaccines due to global supply issues… Read More

(Moneymax) In the Philippines, the leading causes of mortality include heart disease, vascular disease, and cancer. But how much does dealing with these diseases cost? Funerals usually take from three to seven days. The longer a funeral is held, the more expensive it gets. The following funeral essentials are among the things that you can factor into the cost of dying in the Philippines.

Caskets are usually expensive, as they’re designed to weather different underwound conditions and properly protect the deceased person’s body. The price of a casket heavily depends on its material. Wooden caskets may cost PHP 3,000 and up. The more expensive ones may be built using a special kind of wood. Metal caskets, on the other hand, may cost between PHP 17,000 and PHP 80,000.

You may also need to spend on the deceased person’s clothing. The price will largely depend on the style and material of the clothes. For instance, barong gowns and shirts may cost anywhere between PHP 1,000 and PHP 3,000. While many wakes are held at home, some families prefer to have the ceremony at a memorial chapel, so they can easily accommodate more people. Some families who live quite far away may also choose this option to make the funeral much more accessible to relatives and friends.

Usually, the venue is included in the memorial package. Otherwise, you may shell out PHP 1,000 and up per night. If you’re planning to have the memorial service at a much bigger venue, you may find yourself paying between PHP 5,000 and PHP 10,000 per night. Funeral Ceremony: PHP 8,000 – PHP 500,0000. Mortuary services are also included in the memorial package. But in case they’re not, you’ll need to take care of a couple of things, such as the viewing set-up, flowers, and lamps.

You’ll have visitors coming to the wake, and a few of them may even stay the night. With that, you’ll need to offer them some food and drinks. Your budget for this will depend on the expected number of guests and the duration of the funeral. It would be safe to set aside between PHP 5,000 to PHP 30,000 for this cost of a funeral in the Philippines. Of course, this will either go up or down, depending on the kind of refreshments you’ll serve and how many times in a day you’re going to serve them.

Burial costs typically revolve around these two factors: the memorial lot and burial-related services. Even in the end, you’ll still find yourself taking a sizeable amount of money out of your pocket. However, this shouldn’t be a problem if a memorial lot has already been purchased beforehand or the family has a mausoleum. Apartment tombs may cost between PHP 1,000 and PHP 3,000. For the poorest of the poor, some charities and organizations may offer burial assistance.

Prices of private lots may reach up to PHP 100,000. More expensive options, such as a mausoleum, may have a starting price of PHP 1 million. Other upscale options, such as a garden or estate lot, may be priced beyond PHP 10 million. These funeral services include transportation and security. You may prepare up to PHP 50,000 for this alone. Excavation of the lawn lot also comes with a price, which is usually between PHP 15,000 and PHP 40,000.

There are also miscellaneous expenses to take care of such as burial registration, which may cost between PHP 150 and PHP 500. While cremation may be a much cheaper alternative than burial, it still comes with a hefty price tag. Prices of cremation in the Philippines start at around PHP 70,000 and may reach up to PHP 100,000.

When it comes to urns, you may find options online that are priced between PHP 2,500 and PHP 17,000. The cheaper ones are usually made of marble. If you want to honor your loved one in the grandest way possible, some urns are priced at PHP 100,000 and up. On the other hand, a columbarium in the Philippines may be priced from PHP 20,000 to PHP 250,000… Read More

(Reuters) MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte is extending restrictions on movement and gatherings in the Philippines’ capital region and four nearby provinces for another two weeks to curb a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases and bolster its medical capacity.

The country is battling one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Asia, with hospitals and medical workers in the capital Manila overwhelmed, while authorities face delays in the delivery of vaccines.

“I am sorry I have to impose a longer modified enhanced community quarantine. It is necessary,” Duterte said in a late night televised address.

Non-essential movement, mass gatherings and dining in restaurants will remain banned in Metro Manila and in the provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Cavite for a further two weeks from May 1.

Restrictions to curb the spread of the disease have taken a painful toll on the Southeast Asian economy, which suffered its worst contraction on record due to the pandemic last year.

The Department of Health recorded 6,895 new COVID-19 cases and 115 more deaths on Wednesday, bringing the tallies to 1.02 million confirmed infections and more than 17,000 fatalities.

While the government aims to inoculate 50 to 70 million out of the country’s more than 108 million people, the pace of its inoculation campaign has been slow due to difficulties in securing supply.

But Carlito Galvez, who is in charge of the government’s vaccine procurement programme, said that will change in the second half when the bulk of the supply the country procured will have arrived, making 500,000 daily inoculations possible.

Galvez also said the Philippines has told Israel of its wish to get AstraZeneca shots which it no longer needs.

Around 1.56 million people have so far received at least one coronavirus vaccine shot. Only 3 million doses have been delivered, out of 140 million the Philippines aims to procure… Read More

(Coconuts Manila) The “general population” of the Philippines will be vaccinated by August, vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. said in a publicly broadcast government meeting last night.

Galvez said that the government will be done inoculating those belonging to the A1 (healthcare workers), A2 (elderly), and A3 (people with comorbidities) categories in July. Those under the A4 category (economic workers) and A5 (indigents) will be vaccinated by June, he said.

“In August, when the vaccines arrive, we can do a public vaccination by August because we have enough vaccines,” Galvez said.

The vaccine czar said last month that general vaccination will start in April or May, but he changed his tune this month and said it will begin in July. It remains to be seen if his promise will come true this time.

Meanwhile, at least 500,000 CoronaVac vaccines have arrived in Pasay City this morning, bringing the total number of the Sinovac jabs to 3.5 million. Out of this number, 1 million were donated by the Chinese government.

Galvez, who welcomed the vaccines, said that the CoronaVac will be distributed immediately to areas that have recorded a high number of COVID cases.

CoronaVac doses which had arrived on April 22 faced distribution issues because Sinovac failed to submit the necessary paperwork on time… Read More