Mild rollback on pump prices amid China fears

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE country’s oil firms rolled back pump prices by as much as P0.35 per liter for gasoline effective 6 am Tuesday to reflect the movement of prices in the world oil market.

The oil firms also cut the price of kerosene by P0.30 per liter and diesel by P0.10 per liter as traders remain wary about the growth of the Chinese economy.

“Phoenix Petroleum Philippines will decrease the prices of gasoline by P0.35 per liter and diesel by P0.10 per liter effective 6 am of June 20, 2023,” the company said in a statement.

for any individual who can give credible information that will lead to the arrest of Bantag.

Another P1 million is being offered to anyone who can give information that will lead to the arrest of Zulueta.

Bantag and Zulueta are the alleged masterminds of the killing of broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa and alleged middleman Jun Villamor.

Clavano said individuals who may wish to share information may reach out through phone numbers 0945 831 058 and 0928 416 9585.

“It is crucial that these individuals are brought to justice and held accountable for their alleged actions. Your cooperation can make a significant difference in ensuring the swift apprehension of Bantag and Zulueta and providing closure to the families of the victims,” Clavano said.

“We assure the public that all information provided will be treated with the strictest confidentiality in accordance with the law,” he added.

Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla stressed that they are now offering a reward because Bantag has not surrendered.

“We want the law enforcement people and everybody else to be more aggressive in helping the department get hold of the suspects in the killing of Percy Lapid,” Remulla explained.

“We want to widen our intelligence. And sometimes it takes a little more persuasive power of a reward to make people rise from their slumber,” he said.

According to Remulla, the cash reward will be taken from a fund at the Department of Justice.

the LRT-1 and LRT-2 in line with the government’s aim to improve the public transport infrastructure.

“We are aiming to make our rail services more accessible, convenient, and efficient for commuters,” Aquino said.

“We at the Department of Transportation believe that this fare adjustment will contribute to maintaining affordable mass transportation services for the two commuter-train lines,” she added.

With the fare adjustment, Aquino said the state-owned LRTA is eyeing to allocate about P110 million, which accounts for 97 percent of the projected P114 million additional rail revenues, for maintenance, operating expenses, and the much-needed repair and upkeep of crucial rail systems and facilities.

This will improve the turnaround time of equipment and ensure timely preventive maintenance activities for optimal performance, the rail official said.

Senator Grace Poe, however, said an improvement in train services and facilities should come first before any fare increase.

“Any fare hike is a pain in the pocket especially to our students and workers who live on a shoestring budget and rely on the cheaper mass transportation. As a privately-operated company, we expect the operators of LRT-1 to continuously invest in a better train system to freedom of information... We will strive to maintain a government that is not only effective and efficient but also t ransparent and accountable to our people,” Mr. Marcos said.

“In the coming budget deliberation, we want to see how these subsidies are spent and ensure they benefit the passengers. If the service is good, there will be more passengers. It is only right that they feel the safe, comfortable, and modern train system on every trip,” she said.

ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro also hit the fare hike, citing the continued impact of high prices and low wages on the commuting public.

“Commuters are still reeling from the high prices of goods and services due to inflation, and they do not even feel that inflation is slowing down with their low wages. The proposed fare hike for LRT 1 and 2 will only add to their burden,” she said.

Castro said public transportation is a basic service that must be accessible and affordable for all Filipinos, especially those who rely on it daily for their livelihood.

“We should prioritize the welfare of the people, especially in these difficult times. The government should provide adequate subsidies to ensure that the fare remains affordable for the commuting public,” she added.

The party-list lawmaker called on the DoTr to reconsider the fare increase and look for alternative solutions to improve the quality of public transportation without burdening the people.

“Like everyone here, we too recognize as a matter of principle that fake news should have no place in modern society,” he said during the 14th International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC), a network overseeing the implementation of access to public information laws and policies worldwide.

“I reiterate our call not only to the executive branch but to all branches of government, to genuinely uphold and give effect to the people’s freedom of information in the course of our dayto-day operations, with good faith and with openness,” he added.

Mr. Marcos said his administration would undertake a media and information literacy campaign, which shall be digital, multimedia, and youth-oriented.

“The ICIC can be assured that the Philippines will continue to promote

“We value its potency to empower our people to make informed decisions to participate fully in the democratic process, and hold their representatives accountable without fear or apprehension,” he added.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said it agreed with the President’s sentiments on disinformation even as it cautioned against labeling critical reports as fake news.

“We hope, however, that such a campaign will not —as it has previously — lead to the labeling of critical reports and of dissent as ‘fake news.’ We hope as well that the government’s drive against misinformation and disinformation will include openness on government transactions and records and greater access for journalists to officials and agency heads,” the NUJP

“We call on the government to prioritize the needs of the people, especially the poor and marginalized sectors. We cannot allow public transportation to become a luxury that only a few can afford,” she said.

In other developments: said in a statement.

* Seafarers will enjoy free Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) and Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) rides on June 25 in celebration of the Day of the Filipino Seafarer. The LRT-2 will provide free rides from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. For the MRT-3, the free rides start from 5:30 a.m. until the rail line closes for the day.

LRT-2 runs from Recto in Manila to Antipolo City in Rizal, while the MRT-3 runs along the stretch of Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City.

* The DOTr said portions of Commonwealth Avenue in Fairview, Quezon City will be closed from night to early morning beginning July 25 until Dec. 6 to make way for the construction of the Regalado Station of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7). In an advisory Monday, the department said the affected portion -- from Regalado Avenue to Fairlane Street – would be temporarily closed to install the station’s steel structure. The road closure of the westbound lane will begin on July 25 until Nov. 26 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The eastbound lane will begin road closures on Aug. 8 until Dec. 6 during the same hours.

“We also hope that this drive will cover the malicious and baseless labeling by government officials and their surrogates of some of our colleagues as terrorists and enemies of the state, an old form of disinformation against dissent that has been revived in recent years,” the group added.

The President said the FOI program “has leveraged available technology and digital platforms to be of greater service to our people.”

“The FOI Program has greatly advanced the campaign against misinformation and disinformation in the country. A problem that we in the Philippines also suffer from as I guess all of us do around the world,” he said.

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil said that hosting the ICIC this year was a testament that “the Philippines recognizes access to information as a fundamental right that must be upheld.”

The rollback is lower than the previously forecasted values last week of as much as P0.65 per liter starting Tuesday, as markets expressed concern over more rate hikes from the US Federal Reserve.

Industry sources estimated a price rollback on the prices of petroleum products of P0.30 to P0.65 per liter for gasoline and P0.30 to P0.55 per liter for diesel.

Sources said kerosene was also likely to go down by P0.40 to P0.65 per liter.

The movement is based on the Mean of Platts Singapore movement, the benchmark of oil importers and foreign exchange average week-on-week.

“Markets weighed optimism of China’s robust demand data over more US interest rate hikes that temper their energy demand,” Department of Energy director for the Oil Industry Management Bureau Rodela Romero said.

On Monday, Reuters reported that world oil prices declined by one percent amid questions over China’s economy, which outweighed the production cuts to be implemented by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies starting in July.

PhilHealth...

From A1

But with the PCPN under the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, funds will now be frontloaded.

The seven Konsulta PCPNs cover around 2 million individuals from Bataan, Guimaras, Quezon, South Cotabato, and Baguio City.

At least 300,000 more Filipinos who are under the care of the LiFE group as well as QualiMed would also benefit from the new financing scheme.

The first PCPNs are projected to be paid a total of P1.2 billion which may be used to improve infrastructure, equipment, and staff compensation even before the first patient starts using services.

“Primary care and essential public health services, integrated with a broader health care network of hospitals and other facilities, is a key element needed for universal health care to happen. Every Filipino should feel the UHC,” Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said.

Ecuador...

From A1 in disease severity and/or clinical manifestations compared to the original Omicron variant. Limited information is available for the variant and researchers are currently characterizing FE.1 in terms of transmissibility, immune evasion, and ability to cause more severe disease,” the DOH said in its latest COVID-19 biosurveillance report.

The Health Department said the subvariant was initially flagged “for its in- creasing global prevalence.” FE.1 has been detected in 35 countries or jurisdictions across six continents. It was classified as a variant under monitoring by the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC).

A VUM refers to a variant with “genetic changes that are suspected to affect virus characteristics and early signals of growth advantage relative to other circulating variants.”

Meanwhile, data from the independent monitoring group OCTA Research showed that the positivity rate in the each evacuation center to separate those with illnesses and help them recover.

Mayon Volcano is under alert level 3 due to its “intensified unrest” or magmatic unrest.

The top 10 leading causes for the consultations led by the Department of Health were coughs and colds (96 cases), fever (88), acute respiratory infection (75), headache (60 ), hypertension (33 ), dizziness (16), skin disease (15), abdominal pain (14), colds (13) and acute gastroenteritis (12).

NDRRMC spokesperson Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said the DOH is considering setting up isolation rooms in

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said no volcanic earthquakes were reported in nearby areas but it had 265 rockfall events, very slow lava flow, and five pyroclastic density current events in the last 24 hours.

The NDRRMC said the government has provided some P71.5 million to the families affected by the unrest in May- on Volcano so far.

National Capital Region further eased to 7.3% over the weekend from 11.6% from the previous week.

Positivity rates likewise dropped in Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, Cagayan, Camarines Sur, Cavite, Isabela, La Union, Laguna, Oriental Mindoro, Pampanga, Quezon, Rizal, Tarlac, and Zambales over the same period.

It, however, increased in Palawan and Pangasinan.

Across Luzon, the positivity rate was recently seen the highest in Isabela at 29.2%, and lowest in the NCR.

In its update Monday, the NDRRMC said the amount includes cash and other forms of assistance such as water, food, assorted tents, hygiene kits, and other items.

The Office of Civil Defense in the Bicol Region assured the public that Albay is still safe for tourists.

This was after the region’s Tourism department drew flak for posting a list of safe viewing sites for those who want to see the lava flow from the rumbling of Mayon.

Some social media users criticized the agency for promoting the so-called “disaster tourism” while thousands are being

After the ordeal at the wake, Montoya was kept in the hospital in the town of Babahoyo. She died of a stroke on Friday, the regional health department said.

“This time my mother really did die,” Barbera was quoted as saying by the newspaper El Universo. “My life will not be the same.”

The Health Ministry has ordered a probe into how she was declared dead in error the first time.

Local news reports said Montoya suffered from a condition called catalepsy, in which a person loses sensation and consciousness and the body becomes rigid. AFP affected by the volcano’s eruption.

“Through dialogues with the different agencies including the Department of Tourism, the current status of Mayon does not need for any ban on tourism or suspension of tourism activities outside the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone,” Gremil Naz of OCD Bicol Region told ANC’s “Headstart.”

“Tourists are encouraged to view what is happening in Legazpi or other parts of Albay, but we recommend to utilize the viewing decks because we have viewing points situated on the different municipalities and cities in Albay.