BusinessWeek M I N DA N A O CREDIBLE
Volume XIV, No. 147 AS OF 6:00 PM MAY 25, 2023 (THU)
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Briefly Drive vs cigar smuggling THE Bureau of Inter nal Revenue (BIR) on Thursday filed before Department of Justice (DOJ) 69 tax evasion charges against illicit traders who were caught selling untaxed, fake and smuggled cigarettes. In an inter view, BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said the cases stemmed from the first ever nationwide raids conducted by the agency last January 25 in different parts of the country. “The total exposure we have filed today, including the penalties and fines, amounts to PHP1.8 billion based on the result of our nationwide raids against illegal cigarette [traders]. Again, it was the first ever nationwide operation in the BI history,” he said.
IN-DEPTH
Fri-Sat | May 26-27, 2023
COMPENSATION BOARD SIGN IRR
P15.00
Marawisiegevictims to get compensation By FROILAN GALLARDO MindaNews
M
Vaccination target BU T UA N C i t y – F i ve municipalities in Agusan del Sur have achieved over 100 percent of their targets in the ongoing Measles-Rubella bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine Supplementary Immunization Activity (MR-bOPV SIA) in the province. In a report Tuesday, the provincial health office (PHO) said their health teams have successfully carried out the immunization activity in the different towns since May 1 and attained a 96.2 percent vaccination rate for MR and 78.9 percent for bOP. The province has a total target of 62,647 children aged nine to 59 months, and 17,819 children aged zero to 59 months for MR and bOP immunization, respectively.
Upscale bamboo industry DAVAO City – The Department of Agriculture in Davao Region (DA-11) has recently turned over a P20- million Bamboo Rural Enterprise and Development (BREAD) project to the Davao del Sur State College (DSSC) in Matanao town, Davao del Sur province. In a Facebook post Monday, DA-11 Director Abel James Monteagudo said the BREAD project intends to upscale the bamboo industry by increasing productivity in the region. This can be done, he said, by promoting, producing, and processing engineered bamboo as a substitute to the diminishing wood industry in the country.
IRR FOR COMPENSATION PACKAGE. Lawyer Maisara Dandamub-Latiph, chair of the Marawi Compensation Board (center), shows a copy of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Marawi compensation package. She is flanked by Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (left) and Marawi Mayor Majul Gandamra. MindaNews photo by FROILAN
A R AW I C i t y – T h e Ma r aw i C ompensation Board (MCB) finally signed the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for the renumeration of the victims of the Marawi Siege here on Tuesday, May 23, exactly six years after the start of the five-month urban warfare between government troops and Islamic State-aligned militants that destroyed the core of the country’s only Islamic city. The IRR needs to be published first in two papers with national circulation before the P1 billion tax-free reparation can be rolled out to renumerate the residents who lost family members and properties during the siege, Maisara Dandamub-Latiph, MCB chairperson, said. “F i f te e n d ay s ( af te r publication), the real work will begin as the board will start evaluating the claims and schedule the payments,” Latiph, a lawyer, said. MARAWI/PAGE 7
Zambo City emerges as tourism 5 dead in Oro fire destination in W. Mindanao By GERRY L. GORIT Reporter
ZAMBOANGA City – The city is emerging as a tourism d e s t i n at i o n i n We s t e r n Mindanao with the ease of the pandemic restrictions and the reopening of mountain resorts and island beaches. This came as the City Tourism Office (CTO) noted a new influx of tourists coming to the city for leisure and business based on
the data they gathered from different hotels and other local accommodations. Data gathered by the CTO showed that 160,884 tourists have visited Zamboanga City since Januar y. Of the 160,884 visitors, 160,419 are domestic tourists while the remaining 465 are foreigners. “They find Z amboanga City as
an i d e a l pl a c e for f u n , leisure, and business,” said CTO chief Sarita Sebastian on Tuesday. Sebastian is optimistic that the number of tourists will build up in the coming months with t he e asing of p andemic restrictions. Currently, the CTO has lined up activities for
DAVAO City — Former Sarangani Governor Miguel Rene AlcantaraL.Dominguez By ANTONIO COLINA IV MindaNews has joined the 60-year-old DAVAO Development City – Davao and del Alsons Norte GovernorCorporation Edwin Jubahib Investment welcomedDev) on Wednesday (Alsons as its new the Senatewho inquiry the director will into oversee power crisis affecting the the business strategy and Island Garden Samal operations of City the of premier (IGACOS) and some parts of property developer and real the province being served by estate pioneer in Davao City. the Alsons Northern Electric DevDavao is the real estate Cooperative (NORDECO).
In a statement, Jubahib said it is high time that the matter be brought to the Senate to investigate the alleged gross negligence and incompetence of the electric cooperative in providing stable power supply in the province. Senator Raffy Tulfo, chair of the Senate Committee on Energy, earlier sought an inquiry over NORDECO’s
alleged failure to address power outages in Samal Island. The public hearing was slated Wednesday, May 24. Jub a hib note d t hat NORDECO is confronted with various issues, particularly its outdated submarine cables affecting the power of supply of IGACOS, which has been placed last May 16 under a
ZAMBO/PAGE 7
DESPITE the Bureau of Fire Protection’s intensive campaign dubbed as Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan, the fire that gutted down a two-storey residential house along the busy Osmeña Street in Cagayan de Oro City on Wednesday noon has resulted to the death of five family members, city fire district marshal Lt. Sam
Velarde. “The fire lasted for a few minutes and the total damages were only about P50,000, but unfortunately the five victims were not able to escape and their charrged bodies were found beyond recognition,” Velarde said. Fire marshalls received the fire alarm at 12:31 noontime and were immediately
FIRE/PAGE 7
Davao Norte Gov. Jubahib welcomes Senate probe on power crisis
SENATE/PAGE 7
BAGSAKAN. Laborers prepare cabbages inside the Farmers Trading Center, locally known as Bagsakan, in Bankerohan Market, Davao City. Mindanews Photo
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