DBP sets P49b for seniors’ pension

By Julito Rada and Maricel Cruz

THE administration has allotted P49.81 billion in next year's proposed budget to cover the 100 percent increase in the social pension of indigent senior citizens from P500 per month to P1,000, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said.

“The budget for social pension for indigent senior citizens will be doubled to P49.81 billion from P25.30 billion in 2023 to cover the increased government monthly allowance of P1,000 for more than 4 million indigent senior citizens who are not part of

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Brawner said the military is looking at Filipino fishermen to be part of the reserve forces.

He issued the statement after Chinese vessels used water cannons and engaged in dangerous maneuvers against Philippine boats on a resupply mission for troops manning the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal on Aug. 5.

A Philippine Navy officer who was on board the resupply vessel that was fired upon with water cannons said they received radio challenges from the Chinese ships. At a press conference at the Western Command headquarters in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Lt. Ramsey

Gutierrez said the supplies and goods that were supposed to be delivered to troops stationed at BRP Sierra Madre were destroyed because of the incident.

“The rice got wet. The other food provisions were hit by the water cannon, so they were destroyed—the vegetables and meat," Gutierrez said.

The Navy officer also said they were boxed in by the Chinese ships, and their movement was heavily restricted.

He said there were two militia vessels on the starboard and port side and a Chinese Coast Guard vessel right behind them.

“There was no way for the boat to sail on the intended track,” Gutierrez said.

Only one vessel was able to resupply the Marines on the BRP Sierra Madre, he said.

Lt. Junior Grade Darwin Datwin, who was on one of the boats, said the Chinese ships tried to ram their vessel.

"Our boats going there are only at 24 meters. Made of wood. This is a civilian chartered boat. The distance between them [Chinese ships] is less than five meters to the starboard of the boat,” Datwin said.

The AFP said another resupply mission will be conducted soon because only half a month’s worth of food and water was successfully delivered to the

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From A1 prices that are $30 to $40 lower than before," said Agriculture Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban. Panganiban added that the government is working with India to discuss the possibility of their selling the Philippines some rice on humanitarian grounds, despite its recent ban on all rice exports.

These talks, Panganiban said, could pave the way for the country to get better terms for the 300,000 metric tons (MT) to 500,000 MT of rice it needs to import this year. But Rep. Wilbert T. Lee of the AGRI party-list group on Friday warned against being overly dependent on rice imports as he said the Philippines should focus on improving rice self-sufficiency.

"While we thank Vietnam for the assurance that there will be a steady supply of rice to the Philippines, the export policies of other nations are beyond our control and we cannot predict when these will change," Lee said, citing India as an example.

The president of Vietnam's National Assembly had earlier assured House Speaker Martin Romualdez that Vietnam—which currently supplies 90 percent of Philippine rice imports— will continue to provide the Philippines with a stable supply of rice at affordable prices.

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From A1 for gasoline, and P1.10 to P1.40 per liter for diesel. The source said this is based on the movement of the benchmark Mean of Platts Singapore for the first four days of trading in the global oil market.

The price adjustment forecast, once it takes effect on Tuesday, will result in a year-to-date net increase of P13.15 per liter for gasoline, P8.50 per liter for diesel, and P5 per liter for kerosene, respectively.

the pension system,” she said. The Social Pension for Indigent Seniors Act (RA 11916), which lapsed into law on July 30, 2022, has officially doubled the monthly pension from the current P500 to P1,000 per validated indigent seniors who military outpost in Ayungin Shoal.

AFP WESCOM chief Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos said he hoped the reception would be less aggressive, given the international attention now focused on Chinese actions in the area.

But former Supreme Court associate justice Antonio Carpio urged the government to do joint patrols with like-minded allies on the next resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre.

Carpio, who played a pivotal role in securing a legal victory for the Philippines against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016, said the Philippines can follow the examples of Malaysia and Indonesia.

These countries continued their survey and naval drills in their exclusive economic zones in the South China Sea, together with the United States and Australia, despite warnings from the Chinese Coast Guard.

“We can have joint patrols with the US at the same time [in the next resupply mission to the Ayungin Shoal]. We can calibrate it. Remember, Malaysia and Indonesia were able to survey and drill despite warnings from the Chinese Coast Guard that the area falls within the nine-dash line…"

"They sent their Navy together with the survey ship and the drilling ship, and, at the same time, the US and Australia conducted naval drills in the same area, that’s for Malaysia. For Indonesia, the US aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan happened to pass by,” Carpio said.

“The Americans are there. They did the favor for the Malaysians and Indonesians without a defense treaty. And the Australians also did the same for Malaysia. Why are they doing this? Because they want to preserve freedom of navigation… We can do all these things. It’s up to us if we have the political will,” he added.

Carpio made the statement during a forum on Thursday organized by the Stratbase ADR Institute, in partnership with the United States Institute of Peace.

(See full story online at manilastandard.net)

On the other hand, the Indian government last month imposed a ban on non-basmati white rice after retail rice prices in India climbed 3 percent in a month after heavy monsoon rains caused significant damage to crops.

"As such, the best solution to shield ourselves from unpredictable export policies is for us to ensure our farmers are fully supported by our laws, programs, and policies to be able to plant and harvest rice,” Lee said.

The lawmaker argued that food security is a key component of national security, saying inadequate access to food can trigger social unrest.

Meanwhile, Sebastian, the DA Undersecretary for Rice Industry Development, said he is optimistic that rice output in 2023 may hit more than 20 million metric tons (MT), following a bumper harvest in the first semester.

“With the 3 percent production growth in the first semester, we can expect that barring the occurrence of destructive typhoons, the production for 2023 could surpass 20 million MT,” Sebastian said.

He added that the 3 percent incremental output is excellent news for farmers and for the country.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that palay output from January to June 2023 rose to 9 million MT, from 8.7 million MT in the same period in 2022, higher than the DA’s projections. (See full story online at manilastandard.net) are frail, sickly or with a disability; with no regular income or support from family and relatives; and without pension from private or government institutions.

Department of Energy director for the oil industry management bureau Rodela Romero confirmed the forecasted oil price hike for Tuesday.

"This is attributed to the Saudi's production cut, US government agency projected a rosier outlook on the economy and Ukraine's threat to retaliate if Russia continues to block Ukrainian ports. These offset concerns about slow demand from China," Romero said.

Last week, oil firms raised pump prices by P4 per liter for diesel, kerosene by P2.75 per liter, and gasoline by P0.50 per liter.

The budget for the SPIC Program is part of the allocations for the Social Services sector, which will get P2.183 trillion or 37.9 percent of the proposed 2024 National Expenditure Program, Pangandaman said.

She said the spending priorities in the national budget are the starting point of the administration's 8-Point Socioeconomic Agenda which aims to help address inflation by protecting the purchas-

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The source said there is an upcoming training in the last quarter of the year for a one-week exchange, but the AFP will likely not send participants anymore.

Brawner said that on average, less than five military officers are sent every year to Beijing.

For his part, AFP Western Command chief Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos said the exchange program gives Filipino military officers an opportunity to learn more about the system of other countries.

“Personally, for me, that is an opportunity to learn what is happening on the other side,” said Carlos, who graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1989 and completed his General Staff Course at the Naval Command College - People’s Liberation Army-Navy in China in 2008.

“That is my distinct advantage now. I know both the US and Chinese sides… I feel like it’s a good opportunity for us to learn about the other system—how they work, how they think. I don’t feel any 'utang na loob' (debt of gratitude) to China just because they sponsored my ing power of families and consumers and to mitigate the socioeconomic scarring brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. schooling there. Our work is the national interest of the government and the Philippines,” he added.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has expressed hope that the Senate will prioritize the passage of a bill strengthening the government’s national health program for senior citizens through a comprehensive nutrition and wellness program.

The chamber approved on third and final reading House Bill (HB) 8461 which seeks to amend the Senior Citizens Act, as earlier amended, with a vote of 266 to none.

Brawner added that no Philippine Military Academy cadets are sent to a military school in China.

“We only send cadets to four countries: the United States, Australia, Japan, and South Korea,” he said.

Defense Senior Undersecretary Irineo Espino earlier told senators that only officers with the rank of lieutenant colonel or higher apply for a yearlong training in China.

The Philippines on Monday summoned Beijing's envoy to protest the use of water cannons and dangerous maneuvers against Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said.

The incident happened Saturday as the Philippine Coast Guard escorted chartered boats carrying food, water, fuel, and other supplies for Filipino soldiers stationed at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the Spratly Islands.

Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea and has ignored a 2016 international court ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.