brownout

that we are hoping to avoid. But this time it was a little more dangerous, because they were close and they almost collided with us. And that will cause

hits NAIA-3, 46 flights canceled

By Joel E. Zurbano, Macon Ramos-Araneta, and Darwin Amojelar

THOUSANDS of passengers were stranded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Monday due to the cancelation of at least 46 domestic flights following an eight-hour brownout at Terminal 3.

Authorities identified a “fault current” as the cause of the power outage on Labor Day – just as people were coming and going from a long weekend -- but an investigation is still ongoing to determine the root of the issue, which impacted some 9,000 passengers.

Later, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) ordered a full electrical audit on NAIA Terminal 3, and possibly for Terminals 1 and 2 as well.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the MIAA will implement the electrical audit as recommended by the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and added he will ask the National Intelligence Coordinating

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE country’s oil firms cut pump prices by as much as P1.50 per liter effective today but raised the price of cooking gas or liquefied petroleum gas by P0.85 per kilo or P10.15 per 11kilo tank to reflect the higher contract price of LPG in the world market.

The oil firms cut the price of gasoline by P1.50 per liter, kerosene by P1.40 per liter, and diesel by P1.30 per liter effective 6am Tuesday.

“Petron will implement the following price rollbacks effective 6 a.m. on May 2: P1.50 per liter for gasoline; P1.30 per li for diesel and P1.40/li for kerosene. These reflect movements in the international oil market,” the company said in its advisory.

In an interview with the media en route to Washington, the President said agriculture, power, infrastructure “and all these new technologies” are on top of his agenda during his five-day working visit.

“That’s on the economic level... On the political level, it will still be centered around the relationship between the Philippines and the United States,” Mr. Marcos said.

The President also talked about maintaining peace in the Indo-Pacific region amid global tensions as well as enhancing the role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the global dialogue.

The chief executive is also expected to sit down with legislators, major US companies and business groups during his trip.

In his interview with the Philippine media delegation, Mr. Marcos said the country continuously “works for peace” and that the Philippines will not be used as a “staging post” for any military action amid rising tensions in the region.

“Our goal in the Philippines is sim-

Agency (NICA) to investigate for possible sabotage.

“If there was sabotage ... we are not discounting that,” he added.

Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Cesar Chiong said the power outage, reported at 1:05 a.m. on Monday, affected mostly domestic passengers on 24 flights, with some international flights delayed.

The power outage also resulted in disrupted communications, the closure of stores and other businesses, poor ventilation, and the delayed departure of some international flights at the terminal.

Airlines had to resort to manual check-in and loading of baggage while processing passengers at immigration booths took longer than usual.

This happened four months after the New Year’s Day air space shutdown that affected hundreds of flights and 65,000 passengers at the country’s premier airport.

“There are a lot of possible causes of the power failure, so it’s time to do a full electrical audit since NAIA 3 was built in the 1990s... We will ask the help of Meralco for us to conduct the audit,” Bautista said.

“We really need to do procurement for the airport because it is a huge job. Meralco said it may take 60 to 90 days (for audit and repairs) for Terminal 3 alone,” he added.

“On behalf of the MIAA management, we really would like to extend our apologies to all the passengers… and everyone that was affected by this power interruption,” Chiong said in a virtual briefing on Monday.

“We really would like to thank all of our airline operators because they made sure that the impact to the operations and the power interruptions were really minimized and in fact, it was confined to domestic flights,” he said.

Chiong said the 9,000 affected passengers were equivalent to 7% of the total number of passengers who usually travel through NAIA Terminal 3, while the 24 roundtrip flights canceled translates to 6.5% of the 750 to 760 flights operated.

Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) canceled 46 domestic flights to and from Cebu, Caticlan, Butuan, Bacolod, Zamboanga, Puerto Princesa, Dipolog, General Santos, Ozamiz, Legazpi, Pagadian, Cotabato, Iloilo, Davao, and Cauayan.

CEB management offered affected passengers to make a “Refund, Rebook their flights without fare difference for travel up to 30 days from the original flight date, or Store the amount in a virtual CEB wallet valid for six months and use this to either book a new flight or pay for add-ons such as baggage allowance and seat selection.” ple, we work for peace... We’ll not encourage any provocative action by any country... We will not allow that to happen,” the President said when asked how he sees the Philippines’ role in the Indo-Pacific.

“We thank our passengers for their patience and understanding,” Cebu Pacific said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Air Asia Philippines made slight changes in the scheduled departure of nine flights. Those affected include domestic flights to and from Caticlan and Cebu, and international flights to and from Taipei, Osaka, and Incheon.

Air Asia Communications and Public Affairs Country head Steve Dailisan also offered an apology to all affected guests.

“While waiting for the power supply to be restored, our ground staff have offered snacks and refreshments and have attended to other needs of our guests. We are also closely working with the MIAA management to minimize any inconvenience in the present circumstances,” he said.

“All we are worried about is the peace and the safety of our people, here and abroad. And that’s the main consideration. So in my view, that’s the role,” he said.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) also plays a crucial role in “keeping peace” and “lowering tensions in our area,” he added.

“And I think the best move for us is to stay within ASEAN, keep ASEAN solid, strong, and united,” Mr. Marcos said.

The President’s assurances came after watching live-fire sea drills in the biggest Balikatan joint military exercises involving American, Filipino and Australian troops.

Manila recently granted Washington access to more Filipino military bases as the allies seek to counter China’s growing assertiveness in the region and its sweeping claims over disputed waters, islands and shoals in the South China Sea.

Mr. Marcos’ visit comes after the Unit- ed States called on China to stop “provocative and unsafe conduct” in the contested South China Sea following a near-collision with a Philippine Coast Guard vessel.

“We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Saturday, adding that any attack on Philippine armed forces would trigger a US response. Manila and Washington are bound by a 1951 mutual defense pact.

The April 23 incident was “a nearcrash and that ... can cause casualties on both sides,” Marcos said on the flight to Washington DC.

“That’s exactly what we want to avoid.”

Mr. Marcos urged China to follow through on his agreement with President Xi Jinping, reached earlier this year in Beijing, to set up a “direct communication mechanism” on issues involving overlapping claims in the South China Sea.

While Manila has formed its team, Beijing has yet to do the same, Marcos said.

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, ignoring an international court ruling in favor of the Philippines in its territorial dispute with China.

Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), in the South China Sea.

Marcos has said he will not let China trample on the Philippines’ rights in the sea, and has gravitated towards the United States as he seeks to strengthen defense ties.

Last month, the Philippines identified four military bases – in addition to five existing sites -- to which US forces will have access, including one near the disputed Spratly Islands and two facing Taiwan.

Speaker Martin G. Romualdez on Monday said the House of Representatives fully supports the initiative of the President. to push for the preservation of peace in the Indo-Pacific region as one of the key discussion points in his meeting with US President Joe Biden.

Romualdez was among the Filipino officials who welcomed President Marcos on his arrival in the United States at Joint Base Andrews airport in Maryland.

“Geopolitical tensions and apprehensions of possible hostilities in the region will have an adverse effect on our aspirations for sustained economic growth and prosperity. It is to everyone’s benefit to ensure that conflicts are resolved through diplomatic and peaceful means,” Romualdez said. With AFP, Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty is very reassuring,” he said. casualties on both sides, and that is exactly what we want to avoid,” he said.

Other oil companies also cut pump prices, such as Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Cleanfuel, Seaoil Philippines, and Jetti Petroleum.

Meanwhile, Petron said it will implement a P0.85 per kg (VAT-inclusive) increase in LPG prices effective 6 a.m. on May 1.

“AutoLPG prices will likewise increase by P0.48/li at the same time. These reflect the international contract price of LPG for the month of May,” Petron said.

Solane LPG also increased prices for LPG, which is currently sold in Metro Manila from P818 to P980 per 11-kilo tanks, depending on the location, market forces, and brand.

DOE director for Oil Industry Management Bureau Rodela Romero said world oil prices dropped amid deepening concerns of an economic slowdown, while a stronger dollar outweighed hopes of higher Chinese demand.

The President also called for the final adoption of a Philippines-China “direct communication line.”

He said the Philippine side has already formed a team, but the Chinese have yet to do so.

While the overall priority is safeguarding maritime security, the President said China has agreed to sit down and talk about Filipinos’ fishing rights in the West Philippine Sea.

“So that’s what we have to do. That’s what we have to decide and they have agreed again to sit down. I’ve asked the Coast Guard and the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) to put together perhaps a map of these fishing grounds that we consider to be part of the Philippines, and we’ll see what they say when we give them our proposal,” Marcos said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Both President Marcos and Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier affirmed the establishment of a “direct communication mechanism” during the Filipino leader’s official state visit to Beijing in January.

Both leaders further agreed that “confidence-building measures would contribute to improving mutual trust.”

In a Twitter post, British Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils expressed concern over the near collision in the South China Sea.

“The UK is concerned by continued reports of dangerous conduct towards Filipino vessels in the South China Sea,” Beaufils said.

She added that the UK remains committed to international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the

Meanwhile, Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez urged President Marcos to recall the country’s ambassador to Beijing as a show of protest and displeasure over the “David vs Goliath” near-collision of a Philippine Coast Guard ship with a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel.

“Aside from the usual filing of a diplomatic note, we should order our principal representative in China to return home. He should not go back to Beijing until we receive a response from the Chinese government apologizing for their harassment and bullying tactics in the West Philippine Sea and committing to rectify their misconduct,” he said.

The country’s ambassador to Beijing is Jaime Flor Cruz, a former journalist who covered China for many years for American news organizations.

Rodriguez said the Philippines has filed hundreds of protest notes with Beijing over China’s aggressive and bullying activities.

In 2022 alone, 193 protest notes were served on Beijing, including 65 by the Marcos administration, he said.

“All these protestations fell on deaf ears. That is why they continue to harass and bully our Coast Guard patrols and our fishermen, from the northern part of our country in Pangasinan and Zambales to the south in Palawan,” he added.

The Mindanao lawmaker also lauded the reaction of the United States to the recent near-collision incident, which happened in the Ayungin Shoal area, where a small contingent of Filipino soldiers is stationed in an old, rusting Navy ship.

“We welcome the unequivocal, clear commitment by the US government. The reiteration of US obligations under lusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP). tiempo muerto (dead season) as a result of the sugar crisis.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Monday condemned the latest “act of harassment” from China.

In a statement released on Labor Day, the Transport Department said it viewed the act against the Philippines with “grave concern” citing that the PCG was exercising its rights to patrol its territory as granted by international law.

“The Department of Transportation (DOTr) views with grave concern the latest act of harassment against the Philippines in the Philippine exclusive economic zone forming part of the West Philippine Sea,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, PCG spokesperson on West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said in an interview that he supports the plan to conduct joint maritime patrols in the country’s waters with the United States after China’s latest actions.

Tarriela said that these aggressive tactics from China have become routine occurrences in the West Philippine Sea.

Tarriela also countered the statement from China that the Philippine vessel was the one instigating “provocative actions” that led to the near-miss with the Chinese ship.

“The routine, seven-day maritime patrol carried out by the [PCG] in the WPS from April 18-24 was non-provocative and did not undermine the interests of other states,” Tarriela said on his Twitter account.

“The PCG is under no obligation to request permission from other nations while patrolling the waters near Ayungin Shoal, as this area falls within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” he added.

“Oil kept falling in Asia as the outlook for global demand remained in question, and Asian fuel markets flashed warning signs on shrinking refining margins and investors await the release of oil inventory data by US EIA (Energy Information Administration) for further guidance,” Romero said.

This week’s rollbacks would be the third consecutive week of price cuts for diesel and the second consecutive week for gasoline and kerosene.

The oil companies implemented a per-liter decrease of P1.40 for gasoline, P0.70 for diesel, and P0.20 for kerosene on April 15.

From them more vulnerable to COVID again.” the President said onboard Presidential Flight PR001 en route to Washington DC. provide Filipino workers with better opportunities, as well as improved living and social conditions.

The goal of the vaccination drive, he said, is to increase the output of vaccinated Filipinos and lessen the risk of moderate to severe COVID-19 cases.

“We might have to think about it (mandatory masking) … But what I am looking is because although the rate is increasing, our baseline where we started is very low so hopefully, we’re still going to be able to do it (vaccination),” Mr. Marcos said.

The President added he will wait for the guidelines and recommendations of the Department of Health and of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) that manages the COVID-19 situation in the country.

“Let’s see if the IATF has a guideline, if DOH has guidance. I think --I hope we don’t have to (mandatory masking). We might, but I hope not.” Mr. Marcos said.

They also chided the government and lawmakers for focusing on amending the Constitution when they should be dealing with more urgent economic concerns.

“We endured the heat of marching under the sun because the burning issue of low wages and high prices is a priority concern,” said Rene Magtubo, national chairperson of the militant Partido Manggagawa (PM) and a city councilor in Marikina. “Chicha, not cha-cha,” he said, using the slang term for food and the shortened term for charter change.

The labor group also lambasted a newly drafted executive order (EO) creating an inter-agency committee on labor rights, saying it fell short of the recommendations of the International Labor Organization (ILO) high-level tripartite mission (HLTM) for the President to personally direct the committee and was crafted without a dialogue with workers and employers.

“Where is the President? The fact that President Bongbong Marcos is abroad today mirrors his absence in the interagency committee and reveals his utter disregard for improving the rights and welfare of workers,” Magtubo said.

Mr. Marcos is on an official visit to the United States.

Thousands of workers from various labor groups assembled at Blumentritt along Espana in Manila before marching towards Mendiola.

The main Labor Day mobilization in Manila was led by the coalition All Philippine Trade Unions which brings together the groups Nagkaisa, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, Ki-

Similar rallies were held in the cities of Cebu, Bacolod, Davao, Iligan, General Santos, Cotabato and Tagum.

“Sahod, Trabaho, Karapatan” (Wages, Work and Justice) was the theme of the nationwide protests.

“We call for a P100 minimum wage hike to recover the lost purchasing power of workers. Also, we demand an end to endo and the return of regular employment as the norm. Finally, we ask the government to heed the ILO HLTM proposals on protecting labor rights in the country,” Magtubo said.

In Metro Cebu, PM assembled at the Plaza Independencia at 8:00 a.m. before marching to Metro Gaisano in Colon for the joint rally of the coalition Sugbuanong Mamumuo Nagkahiusa Alang sa Living Wage (SANAAL). Some 1,000 workers marched demanding a wage hike and regular jobs. The highlight of the protest was the destruction of a makeshift statue of Senator Robin Padilla by a giant hammer to symbolize the workers’ fight against cha-cha.

In Iloilo City, the coalition United Labor led the march of some 1,500 workers at 2:30 p.m. to the Capitol grounds.

The unions at Pepsi, Coke, URC and Iloilo Doctors were among the participants together with a contingent from the Iloilo Grab Riders Union (IGRU).

The IGRU is the first union established among Grab riders in the country.

In Bacolod, some 3,000 workers joined the United Labor of Negros rally at the public plaza. Sugar workers trooped to Bacolod City for the Labor Day protest of the groups PM, KMU, NACUSIP, BMP, CAILO, BUNYOG and BACOD. Unrest is brewing among sugar workers due to the early onset of

In Iligan, the Federation of Democratic Labor Organizations (FDLO) led the Labor Day march around the city, which ended at the city plaza. PM, Mindanow, and other civil society organizations joined the FDLO rally.

Meanwhile, Senator Jinggoy Estrada said the Senate committee on Labor, employment and human resources development, which he heads, will tackle the bills seeking to increase the minimum wage on May 10.

Among the measures that are expected to be tackled are the bill seeking to reform the system of increasing the minimum wage, the bill seeking to provide a P150 across-the-board wage increase and the bill amending the Wage Rationalization Act, which will impose penalties against employers who do not follow the daily wage increases.

“We will listen to the comments and inputs from the tripartite sectors: labor, employer, and government, and look forward to a mutually beneficial result for both workers and employers,” Estrada said.

In a television interview, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said it is high time to review the minimum wage in all regions, noting that the cost of living in the rural areas is now higher.

Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said 10 wage hikes are pending and under review by various regional tripartite wages and productivity boards.

Laguesma said there would be no wage hike announced during Labor Day.

President Marcos, who is out of the country, acknowledged the vital role of Filipino workers in the country’s economy in his Labor Day message. The President stressed the need to

“Our labor force is essential to the sustenance of a soaring economy and also in laying the groundwork for our important industries. That is why we strive to address the cares and concerns of our workers as well as provide them with better opportunities so that they are capable of their full potential and active participants in nation-building,” the President said in a statement.

Mr. Marcos called on the private sector to help the government promote good governance and labor reforms to ensure job sustainability, livelihood security, and economic productivity.

“If we all unite and work together with renewed hope, vigor, and enthusiasm in our respective fields, industries, and endeavors, I am certain that we can usher in a more equitable and prosperous future ahead,” he added.

Speaker Martin G. Romualdez acknowledged the sacrifices workers make for their families and the country.

“Our workers are the backbone not only of their families but of the economy and the nation. The economy would not be running if not for their tireless toil,” Romualdez said.

“This is the reason why we in the House of Representatives always make it a point to attend to their concerns. We are committed to continue working on measures that protect their rights, promote their welfare and preserve their jobs and incomes,” he said.

He said recently-enacted laws that aim to enhance economic growth and improve the investment climate in the country are geared toward job and income preservation. With Rey E. Requejo and Rio N. Araja