Marina sanctions illegal Chinese dredger linked to Manila Bay reclamation project

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

tivities of the Chinese dredgers that were found to be operating outside their approved areas of operation as against the issued Special Permit” from Marina.

NCWC is an inter-agency maritime surveillance and coordinated unit led by the Philippine Coast Guard. It is attached under the Office of the President through the Office of the Executive Secretary.

In a text message to the BusinessMirror , Marina National Capital Region Director Marc Anthony Pascua said the agency has conducted an investigation into the report submitted by the National Coast Watch Center (NCWC) and has taken action against the alleged perpetrators.

“ Those vessels were already investigated by the Marina. We have already issued show-cause orders, and they were accordingly penalized. Further, these vessels have already settled their penalties,” he said.

T he NCWC earlier flagged Chinese vessels that allegedly conducted dredging and transport of reclamation sand to reclamation areas in Manila Bay.

T he report listed “suspicious ac-

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

THE new and enhanced Land Sector Development Framework and Roadmap (LSDF) 2019-2040 for efficient and effective land management in the country is getting the muchneeded boost.

N CWC also noted that Chinese dredgers were allegedly “operating without a dredging clearance” from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), “had no Environmental Compliance Certificate” from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB), “had no memorandum of agreement” between the DENR and the dredging company, “had no accreditation” from the DENR-MGB, “had no ore transport permit” from the

DENR-MGB, and “had no” Notice To Proceed for their operations.

T he NCWC also asserted that the Chinese dredgers allegedly failed to secure a “No Objection Clearance” from the Office of the National Security Adviser. It also flagged the said dredgers of “operating with false Automatic Identification System [AIS],” which essentially allows the authorities to properly monitor and record their exact movements inside Philippine territorial waters. A llegedly, they turned off their AIS during operation and while berthed, according to the NCWC. “ The Marina would also like to reiterate that vessels whose Special Permits have been revoked and have paid the corresponding penalties may nonetheless apply for another permit so long as they are going to comply with the requirements of the relevant Marina Circular,” Pascua said.

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

project, the framework underwent rigorous consultations from government and nongovernment groups, academe, professional organizations, and communities to develop an evidence-based and inclusive framework.

sultation at the San Jose Del Monte City Convention Center in Barangay Sapang Palay Proper.

By Andrea E. San Juan

TRADE Secretary Alfredo E.

Pascual said the launch of the Strategic Trade Management Office (STMO) e-Licensing Platform is a significant stage in monitoring and controlling trade in strategic or military goods and dual-use items.

Today’s launch of the STMO eLicensing Platform is a significant stage in monitoring and controlling trade in the specified strategic goods,” the Department of Trade and Industry chief said during the official launch of the STMO e-licensing Platform on Monday.

Pascual also noted that with the launch of the said platform, “We aim to balance facilitating legitimate trade and maintaining international peace and security, and we want to trade in tools, while ensuring that these tools are not used as weapons.”

During the same event, Janice Sacedon-Dimayacyac, Director of the DTI’s Strategic Trade Management Office (DTI-STMO), presented the strategic goods, which are compiled under the National Strategic Goods List (NSGL).

In her presentation, Dimayacyac said strategic goods are “goods, software, technology that can be used in developing WMDs [weapons of mass destruction] and conventional arms.”

Based on the NGSL, which is contained in the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act No. 10697 or the Strategic Trade Management Act (STMA) of 2015, military goods include guns, ammunition, missiles, armored vehicles, among others.

Meanwhile, per the NGSL, dualuse goods include drones/unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs), digital converters, machine tools, and chemicals.

Dimayacyac said dual-use goods refer to items, software, and technology that have both civil and military applications or end-use.

Pascual underscored the importance of “efficiently managing the trade of strategic goods and maintaining peace and security.”

Pascual added the management of WMDs, as well as other arms proliferation challenges are part of the Philippines’s obligation to the international community in pursuing peace and security.

Confronting these challenges effectively is critical to protecting our country’s national security, foreign policy, international commitments, and most importantly, our people, our environment, and our allies. WMDs are weapons that can cause widespread damage to human and animal life, infrastructure, and the environment; they also evoke terror in the population. They can be nuclear and radiological, biological, or chemical,” Pascual explained.

T he STMO was granted IT infrastructure support from the United States Defense Threat Reduction Agency (US DTRA), through the Cooperative Threat Reduction Agreement (CTRA), between the United States and the Philippines, DTI said.

T he trade department noted that the e-Licensing Platform establishes a “one-stop shop” of all strategic trade-related services accessible 24/7 by all stakeholders. With this, Pascual said, “It is expected that with this infrastructure, the awareness and compliance of industries with the STMA will significantly increase, which, in turn, will improve the Philippines’s implementation of its international obligations.”

For his part, Trade Undersecretary for Industry Development and Trade Policy Ceferino S. Rodolfo said, “With the use of technology, we are able to approach the twin objectives of ensuring security, while ensuring ease of doing business in a seamless and complementary or integrated manner.”

According to Pascual, the STMO is a bureau created under the administrative supervision of DTI. He noted the office services as the executive and technical agency in establishing a management system for the trade in strategic goods.

The STMO was established in 2017.

The trade chief noted the key milestones of the office in July 2020, when it started implementing and accepting export authorization applications up to the end of that year, noting that the export value for strategic goods amounted to $3.6 million.

T he following year or in 2021, Pascual said, there was a “big jump” when traded strategic goods climbed to $4.5 billion.

Together with the Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC) and German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)—Land Management Bureau successfully raised the pledges at the National Governance Summit held in Quezon City last month.

Lawmakers from the Senate, House of Representatives and national government agencies involved in land administration and management and various organizations attended the summit.

The enhanced LSDF—led by the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) and supported by the DENR and GIZ—is a long-term strategic roadmap for the land sector that provides a relevant, responsive, holistic, and progressive approach in areas such as land administration, land information systems and management, land governance, and land valuation and market development.

In a statement, DENR Undersecretary for Legal and Administration Ernesto D. Adobo Jr. has emphasized the importance of “timely, evidence-based, and equitable policies and technology-driven” land governance amid the ever-growing population and the negative effects of climate change.

“Today, we will be looking at the improved LSDF with renewed excitement, as consultation and inputs from broader land agencies, local governments, the private sector and civil society groups have been incorporated, and its vision aligned with Ambisyon 2040,” Adobo said, referring to the framework that establishes national development goals and strategies for the next 20 years.

A nchored on the previous version of the LSDF 2010-2030, key land developments and policies, and rapid urbanization trends, the enhanced LSDF serves as a foundation to develop integrated policies for land administration and management reforms, and identify key areas of intervention and problems to be solved.

Funded under GIZ’s Responsible Land Governance in Mindanao

Lawmakers and government officials who expressed their commitment were La Union First District Rep. and House Committee on Agrarian Reform vice chairperson Francisco Paolo Ortega, Sen. Ana Theresia Navarro HontiverosBaraquel, Senator Raffy T. Tulfo, and Department of Finance-Bureau of Local Government Finance OIC Executive Director Ma. Pamela Quizon.

Land Registration Authority Administrator Gerardo Sirios, Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III, National Mapping and Resource Information Authority Undersecretary and Administrator Peter Tiangco, National Commission for Indigenous Peoples Chairman Allen Capuyan, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., South Cotabato Governor and League of Provinces of the Philippines president Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. also conveyed their support through their representatives.

In addition, representatives from the academe, farmers and fisherfolk groups, indigenous peoples, and the urban poor, including Roel Ravanera of Xavier Science Foundation and Institute of Land Governance, Ireneo Cerilla of Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka, Ruperto Aleroza of Pambansang Katipunan ng mga Samahan sa Kanayunan, Giovanni Reyes of Bukluran, and Ruby Haddad of the Homeless People’s Federation Inc. expressed approval for the enhanced LSDF and called for more collaboration with land sector agencies.

FEF consultant Elmer Mercado said the updated version of the LSDF is broader and more comprehensive in scope as it also focuses on private land, valuation of ecological resources, alternative dispute resolution, and capacitybuilding of land agencies when it comes to technology.

I n the areas of Land Administration, Land Management and Governance, Land Information Systems and Management, and Land Valuation and Market Development, the enhanced LSDF aims to contribute to tenure security, protection of natural resources, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and resilience.

AFTER seven public consultations, the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments on Monday approved a Resolution of Both Houses calling for a Constitutional convention (Con-con) to amend the 1987 Constitution.

With 16 affirmative votes, three negative votes and one abstention, the committee approved the motion of San Jose del Monte Rep. Rida Robes to pass a joint resolution of both houses calling for a Con-con.

Under the proposal, a Con-con is hereby constituted to proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines.

It shall be composed of delegates who shall be elected from every legislative district of the Philippines on October 30, 2023. Each legislative district shall have a delegate to the Con-con.

T he committee will resume its hearing on Wednesday to identify which provisions of the 1987 Constitution will be amended.

H ouse Committee on Constitutional Amendments chairman Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said the approval of the resolution was done after his committee conducted seven public consultations in Cagayan de Oro City for Mindanao, Iloilo City for the Visayas and Pampanga and San Jose del Monte in Bulacan for Luzon.

“ The 2 in-house public consultations dated January 26 and February 6 reveal that 65 percent of the resource persons are in favor of amending the Constitution, and 52 percent are for Con-con and 28 percent are economic reforms.

On the other hand in the outof-town public consultations, 93 percent of the reactors are in favor of amendment, 43 percent of them are for Con-con and 71 percent are for economic amendments,” he said.

We also asked the participants in these out-of-town public consultations to answer survey questionnaires on the 3 issues of necessity, mode and proposed amendments. The results show that 77 percent are in favor of amending with 41 percent for Con-con and 38 percent proposed economic amendments,” added Rodriguez.

R odriguez said for those who responded to the committee’s written request to give their views on the matter, 60 percent of those who responded are in favor of the amendment, 46 percent are for Con-con and 29 percent are for economic reforms.

Nearly 700 participants from various sectors attended the public con-

For her part, Robes, who chairs the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, said the consultation is important to get the views and feedback of the public on proposals to amend the 1987 Constitution which provisions, which according to her, are no longer attuned with the current times.

This public consultation is important to ensure that the public are informed about the amendments in the Constitution. Thirty-six years ago [since it was ratified] and a lot has changed and a lot needs to be fixed,” the lawmaker pointed out.

The purpose of the public consultation is to find out the concerns of the majority on the proposed constitutional reforms like how it will be done and what are these proposed reforms,” she added.

Zamboanga del Sur 1st District Rep. Divine Yu, vice chair of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, presided over the public consultation last Saturday.

Yu expressed hope that through the series of public consultations, the House will be able to gauge public sentiment on the following: whether or not it is necessary to amend the Constitution; if yes, the preferred mode of amendment; and what specific amendments would they like to propose.

Former National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos, one of the panelists, said it is imperative to change the basic law of the land because “we discovered that the conditions upon which the 1987 Constitution has been established have changed.”

Carlos, who now heads the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department of the House of Representatives, said the Constitution is not as cast in stone but as open to change so that it stays abreast with new developments.

House Assistant Majority Leader and Leyte 4th District Rep. Richard Gomez said the amendments to the 36-year-old Charter, particularly its restrictive economic provisions, are “urgent and overdue.”

M arikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo, meanwhile, presented the adverse effects of the restrictive constitutional provisions on the lives of Filipinos and the possible benefits in making these provisions more open. F ormer Supreme Court chief justice Reynato Puno on Monday proposed to the House Committee on Constitutional Amendment a “hybrid” Con-con in amending the 1987 Constitution.