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OPINION
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2024
mst.daydesk@gmail.com HONOR BLANCO CABIE, Editor
Pop Goes The World Jenny Ortuoste
EDITORIAL
The year that was THE year 2023 was marked by contrasting experiences, blending moments of triumph with challenges that tested resilience, as always. Amid progress, global uncertainties persisted, accentuated by sociopolitical tensions and environmental concerns. Here are some of the past year’s highlights and lowlights: In January, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines shut down the country’s airspace for around six hours due to a power outage that affected its communication systems; the Court of Appeals acquitted online news platform Rappler and its founder Maria Ressa in a tax evasion case filed by the previous administration; the Supreme Court declares the TRAIN Law (Republic Act 10963) Constitutional.
requests for P500 million in confidential funds for the Office of the Vice President and P150 million for the Department of Education, of which she is Secretary; and criticism as well of the OVP’s expenditure of P125 million in confidential funds over 11 days in 2022. Also scored was President Marcos Jr.’s signing into law of the Maharlika Investment Fund in July; its enactment was postponed in October for “further review,” after public backlash. In that same month, the COVID-19 pandemic was declared ended as a public health emergency in the country, opening up the return and resurgence of business and work. In August, the internet erupted over a road rage video that went viral. It showed a former police officer cutting off a male cyclist in Quezon City and threatening him with a gun. A settlement between the parties was made out of court. In September, vog and sulfur dioxide spewing from Taal Volcano forced school closures and the suspension of some outdoor activities for many. In the same month, some 200 high school students in Bohol were said to have been “possessed” after they exhibited strange behavior such as fainting, trembling, and hyperventilation while attending Holy Mass. A similar case of mass hysteria was noted in July, when some 13 female high school students were supposedly “possessed” by an evil spirit at their high school in Danao City, Cebu. November saw the end of Senator Leila de Lima’s six years of detention on alleged drug charges; as well as the disqualification by the Commission on Elections of Smartmatic from providing services in future Philippine elections. In December, a bomb exploded during Holy Mass at Mindanao State University in Marawi; four people were killed in the blast. In the same month, a passenger bus fell into a ravine in Hamtic, Antique, killing 19. Space constraints prevent me from citing more instances, but these should give you a good idea of what a ragtag year we had. Among many other issues, we were reminded of how far we still have to go in terms of finding solutions to the ongoing and interminable transport and traffic crises that hinder productivity and drive up the financial and human costs of doing business and making a livelihood. May 2024 be a better year for all of us, one that will hopefully see politicians and government officials doing their best to deliver necessary social services and the creation of infrastructure that will benefit the people, especially those most in need.
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May 2024 be a better year for all of us, one that will hopefully see politicians and government officials doing their best to deliver necessary social services
In February, the Philippines granted the U.S. Armed Forces access to four more military bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement; a Chinese Coast Guard ship was alleged to have used some sort of laser device or weapon on a Philippine Coast Guard vessel in Ayungin Shoal, sparking a diplomatic protest; oil tanker MT Princess Empress sank off Oriental Mindoro and spilled 900,000 liters of industrial fuel oil, causing P10.8 billion in environmental and livelihood damage to some four or six provinces. In March, traditional public jeepney and minivan operators held a transport strike in various cities to protest the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program; a United Nations women’s rights panel found that the Philippines violated the rights of ‘comfort women,’ victims of sexual slavery during World War II, by failing to provide reparations, social support, and recognition of the hurt they suffered; Vogue Philippines featured tattoo artist Apo Whang-od on its cover, making her the magazine’s oldest cover model ever. The succeeding months saw criticism of Vice President Sara Duterte’s
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MAIL MATTER
On Mr. Hilario’s ‘Power rates’ THIS is in reference to the article “Power rates: Up, up and away” of Mr. Ernesto M. Hilario which was published in the Manila Standard on Dec. 29, 2023. While Meralco does charge varying rates for different customer segments, this structure of power rates is followed not just by Meralco but by all private distribution utilities and electric cooperatives in the country. It also bears emphasis that the distribution sector in the Philippines where Meralco belongs is highly regulated. The information on the share of electricity in a typical household’s expenses mentioned by Mr. Hilario should also be further explained and verified. According to the 2018 Family Income and Expenditures Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority posted on its website, water, electricity, gas, and others (not just electricity) accounted for only at 8.8 percent of expenditures of families in NCR. On Mr. Hilario’s claim that we have one of the highest electricity
rates in Asia, it should be noted that a very recent study by the Australiabased International Energy Consultants which was widely publicized contextualized and assessed Philippine power rates. IEC highlighted in the study that many of the Philippines’ neighboring countries appear to have cheaper electricity because their governments subsidize more than 50 percent of their tariffs. It concluded that “Meralco’s regulated customers are currently paying a fair and reasonable price for electricity.” Meralco does not benefit from what Mr. Hilario claims as “miscellaneous bill components.” These charges are non-revenue components and Meralco does not in any way earn from these charges. Taxes, universal charges, and feed-in tariff allowance are all remitted to the government. Additionally, these are broken down in detail in Meralco’s electricity bills. The article also mentioned MGen
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Sympathy for the shock victims
W
E SYMPATHIZE, as we stand in solidarity, with survivors of the Monday major earthquake that hit Japan which, like the Philippines, lies on the volatile Pacific Ring of Fire.
Like the Armed Forces of the Philippines, we recognize the severity of the situation and the chasing issuance of tsunami warnings, eventually lifted, as images on social media showed cars, houses and bridges in Ishikawa prefecture wobbling violently as terrified people cowered in shops and train stations.
In Japan, natural disasters occur frequently since the archipelago is along the nearly 40,000-km Ring of Fire, an area where meet several tectonic plates – the most active earthquake tectonic belt – which makes it vulnerable to natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. The Philippines, being in the Pacific Ring of Fire – also referred to as the Circum-Pacific Belt – makes it vulnerable to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Viewed from space, the Ring of Fire would appear as a strip that runs up the western coasts of South America and North America, continuing across the Alaskan Aleutian Islands to Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, then it heads south, off the coast of Eastern Asia, passing through Japan.
We raise our compassion for the survivors and families of the 48 victims of the major shock that caused widespread destruction
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Houses collapsed and huge cracks appeared in roads while others were hit by landslides. The earthquake was centered around 30 kilometers east-northeast of Wajima with a provisional depth of 16 km, registering a maximum 7 on
Citizen Barok
Louis ‘Barok’ Biraogo
Romualdez’s political star
IN A a surprising turn of events, key political figures in Davao Oriental, once staunch allies of the Duterte family, have switched allegiance to House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s LakasCMD party, shedding light on the internal tensions within the Marcos Jr. administration’s UniTeam. The move, spearheaded by Davao Oriental 2nd District Representative Cheeno Miguel Almario and endorsed by Vice Governor Nelson Dayanghirang Jr. and several provincial board members, signals a significant departure from their previous affiliations with the Nacionalista Party (NP) and Vice President Sara Duterte’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago Party (HPP). The decision to join Lakas-CMD has been portrayed as a strategic choice driven by dissatisfaction with the direction of the previous administration, particularly the perceived discord between Romualdez and Sara Duterte. The rift intensified when the House of Representatives, led by Romualdez, scrutinized Sara’s proposed confidential funds and the Department of Education’s budget, leading to a clash with the Duterte family. Romualdez’s dedicated tenure as the president of Lakas-CMD, coupled with Sara Duterte’s prior resignation as the party’s chairman, has established him as a pivotal figure in this political realignment. The decision of influential leaders in Davao Oriental is viewed as a transition towards Romualdez’s sphere of influence, driven by a growing belief that he has presidential aspirations, thus deepening the divide between him and the Duterte camp. The departure of these officials from the Duterte family’s political orbit to Romualdez’s group is underscored by a
commitment to prioritize the development of Davao Oriental. Rep. Almario emphasizes the decision to join Lakas-CMD was premeditated, dismissing any connection to the disagreements between Romualdez and Sara Duterte.
and while the power generation unit does have a portfolio of power generation plants using coal and natural gas, Meralco only buys a small portion of its energy supply from it. We source supply largely from contracts with power generation companies, which we have always been transparent about. Meralco has been proactively conducting competitive selection process (CSP) to ensure that it gets the leastcost power for its customers, consistent to its mandate. Mr. Hilario loosely mentioned the allowable rate of return, saying it “now
stands at 14 percent from 9 percent a few years ago.” He may be referring to the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) which Meralco has already clarified as an industry-WACC that applies to all private distribution utilities in the same category and not specific to Meralco. To further clarify, Meralco does not yet have a determined WACC since there has been no complete rate reset process since 2013. I hope this clarifies certain points raised by Mr. Hilario. Please feel free to reach out to us in
Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Anita F. Grefal Baldwin R. Felipe Edgar M. Valmorida
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the country’s seismic intensity scale, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. A level-7 quake is described as making it impossible for people to remain standing. Such a temblor was last recorded in 2018 in Hokkaido, the weather agency said. At least 48 people have been confirmed dead in the powerful earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas in central Japan on New Year’s Day as more reports of damage came in and rescuers raced to find survivors on Tuesday. The magnitude-7.6 quake caused extensive structural damage and fires in the city of Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture, as continuing aftershocks and rubble on roads hampered rescue operations. There have been at least 50 aftershocks in the region. Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene Garcia-Albano said Filipino community leaders have contacted their members and reported there were no Filipino casualties thus far. While we thank God there were no Filipino casualties, we raise our compassion for the survivors and families of the 48 victims of the major shock that caused widespread destruction.
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The leaders’ unwavering support for Romualdez showcases their belief in his ability to uphold good governance, transparency, and the welfare of the Filipino people
The endorsement from former President Duterte during the 2022 elections had initially solidified the support of Almario and other local leaders for the Duterte-Marcos tandem. However, recent events, including the House’s scrutiny of Sara’s funds and proposals for cooperation with the International Criminal Court’s inquiry into the anti-drug campaign, have led to this unexpected political realignment. Almario’s vocal support for Romualdez and the House leadership, despite criticism from the elder Duterte, underscores the confidence in Romualdez’s
ability to steer the House towards good governance and transparency. The Commission on Audit’s report, cited by Almario, adds weight to their claim the Lower House’s funds have been dispensed responsibly under Romualdez’s guidance. The strategic move by these Davao Oriental leaders to align with Romualdez not only signifies a regional shift in political dynamics but also highlights the perceived strengths of Romualdez’s leadership. The emphasis on unity, understanding, and dialogue, as articulated by Almario, suggests a departure from personal and political divides in favor of national welfare. As Romualdez’s influence grows, fueled by support from key regional figures, the political landscape in Davao Oriental and potentially beyond is set for transformation. The leaders’ confidence in Romualdez’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and transparency positions him as a unifying force capable of steering the nation through challenging times. The switch in affiliation by known Duterte allies in Davao Oriental to Romualdez’s Lakas-CMD marks a strategic political realignment. Driven by dissatisfaction with the previous administration and a perceived commitment to regional development, the move elevates Romualdez as a central political figure with aspirations beyond the House speakership. The leaders’ unwavering support for Romualdez showcases their belief in his ability to uphold good governance, transparency, and the welfare of the Filipino people, setting the stage for a potentially transformative era in Philippine politics.
order to verify certain conclusions so we can help in providing the proper context. Given the importance of accuracy in information, it has been a personal advocacy to pursue information, education and transparency to enlighten all our customers and the public on the very technical nature of the energy industry. Joe R. Zaldarriaga Vice President and Head of Corporate Communication Meralco
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