BI bans use of cellphones by travelers at NAIA Senate passes bill providing financial relief for ARBs

of the day in order to arrest the build-up of passengers,” he said.

“The processing time is critical here. If we can increase the processing rate of our immigration channels for each passenger, they should not have to wait too long even if the queue grows,” he added.

Chiong also said MIAA has already increased the number of immigration counters, specifically in Terminal 3, from 26 to 29 counters.

In addition to the existing electronic gates, or e-gates, installed by BI for arriving Philippine passport holders, MIAA is also advocating for the installation of new e-gates for departing passengers in order to reduce travelers’ processing time even further.

FOILED DRUG SMUGGLING ATTEMPT. Combined agents of the Bureau of Customs, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group stationed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport intercept an estimated P25.4 million worth of prohibited drugs including ecstasy tablets and dried high-grade marijuana concealed in a balikbayan box declared as containing personal e ects from France, and the United States.

In Brief

Lawmaker wants to stamp out child labor

THE chair of the House of Repr sentatives’ labor and employment committee has appealed to the government to “exhaust more measures and enlist more allies” in the fight to eradicate child labor in the country.

“More and more children are being forced to work since the pandemic. We need to exhaust more measures and enlist more allies so we can protect our children from the dangers of child labor and exploitation,” Rizal Rep. Fidel Nograles said.

Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, Nograles said the number of child laborers in the country went up in 2021.

According to the PSA, he said there were 1.37 million working children aged five to 17 years old in 2021. This figure is higher than the 872,333 children of the same age range working in 2020.

The PSA added that 62.8 percent or 858,000 of these child laborers were boys, while girls had a 37.2 percent share or 508,200.

Agriculture accounted for the highest proportion of working children at 45.7 percent, followed by the services sector at 45.4 percent of the total working children.

Maricel V. Cruz

DOH cedes HTA functions to DOST

THE Department of Health (DOH) has officially transferred the operations of the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) through a ceremonial turnover of the HTA Council and HTA Division from the DOH to the DOST on Monday at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Manila. DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire and DOST Secretary Renato So- lidum Jr., presided at the event which was in compliance with the UHC Law mandate on the transfer of the HTA Council as an attached agency to the DOST within five years after its establishment.

UHC legislators, Senator Pia Cayetano and former congresswoman-now Quezon Governor Quezon, Angelina Tan who chaired the Committee on Health of the House of Representatives for six years, also gave their messages of support as champions of UHC and HTA Council.

DOST Undersecretary for Scientific and Technical Services Maridon Sahagun and DOH Assistant Secretary for Health Regulation Charade MercadoGrande whose offices the HTA Division directly reports to, also participated in the turnover. Willie Casas

DENR cites BOC’s help in campaign vs. wildlife trade

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has recognized the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for its assistance and support to the government’s campaign against illegal wildlife trade.

BOC port of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) collector Carmelita Talusan and her team received plaques of commendation from the DENR - Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) over the weekend.

NAIA Customs agents foiled a series of attempts to smuggle wil life species such as poisonous spiders, tarantulas, snakes, marine animals, in coordination with the Enforcement Security Service—Environmental Protection and Compliance Division—NAIA (ESSEPCD-NAIA) and DENR

The awards were given in line with the celebration of the 2023 World Wildlife Day with the theme “Partnership for Wildlife Conservation” held at the BMB Training Center Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center, Diliman Quezon City. Joel E. Zurbano