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SRA revamp up, probe on
BBM sets move this weekend, Congress tables import mess inquiry By Vince Lopez and Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz
A
SHAKEUP at the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is imminent, after the agency approved the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar without the consent of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in a move the Palace called “illegal.” Marcos told reporters Wednesday the reorganization would be done by the end of the week, following the resignation of two of its board members and Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian, who signed Sugar Order No. 4. His announcement comes as the Senate and the House of Representatives moved to open investigations into the aborted importation of sugar. The President said after the shakeup, he would focus on addressing
the shortage of sugar that is affecting industrial consumers of the commodity, and leave the investigations to Congress. Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles, however, said the Palace probe into the unauthorized signing of the resolution will still continue despite the President’s pronouncement. Last week, Sebastian resigned after signing the SRA order on behalf of the President. Next page
VOL. XXXVI • NO. 184 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Gov’t to lose billions in tax income from softdrinks By Julito G. Rada
In a San Miguel Corp.-sponsored Economic Journalists Association of ECONOMIC managers said Wednes- the Philippines forum, Economic Planday that the sugar supply shortage in ning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the country could affect the economy’s the impact could be felt in terms of low tax revenues generated from manufacrecovery from the pandemic.
Marcos to extend public health emergency until yearend
PINASLAKAS VS. COVID-19. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his son, Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos, do the ‘strong and boosted’ pose together with Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna (left) and Department of Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire after receiving their second and first booster shots, respectively, at SM City Manila. By Willie Casas
demic until the end of the year. Marcos said the county would lose PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on international assistance in combatting Wednesday said he is likely to extend COVID-19 if the declaration of a state the state of public health emergency in of calamity, which expires on Sept. 12, the country due to the COVID-19 pan- is lifted.
He said the international medical “The international medical commucommunity, including the World Health nity is giving us a lot of help when there Organization (WHO), is supporting is a state of emergency,” he said. countries under a state of emergency, The President said amending adding “if we lift it, the support will the procurement laws for vaccines stop, as well.” Next page
turers of soft drinks and other carbonated beverages. “If soft drinks production goes down, billions of pesos in revenues will be lost,” Balisacan said. Next page
Palace readies P5.268-t nat’l budget for OK THE Department of Budget and Management will be submitting the Marcos administration’s first spending plan to Congress on Monday. In a video message during an economic forum hosted by the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines and the San Miguel Corp., Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the DBM would submit the proposed P5.268-trillion national budget for 2023 to Congress. “[We] have already presented the administration’s first National Expenditure Program or NEP amounting to P5.268 to President Marcos Jr. on July 28 and we are gearing up for its submission to the 19th Congress on Monday, August 22,” she said in her speech. Pangandaman admitted that “it was not easy” to prepare the NEP after the country’s gains were undermined by inflationary pressures and external conflicts. “But this only strengthens our resolve to ensure that the government’s programs, activities, and projects will reach every Filipino and improve their quality of life amid the pandemic, through our recovery and beyond,” she added. She said the 2023 NEP is anchored on the theme “Agenda for Prosperity: Economic Transformation Towards Inclusivity and Sustainability.” Next page
House panel hears ABS, TV-5 deal, Marcoleta nixes it, Tulfo roots for it By Maricel V. Cruz
The committee, chaired by Parañaque City Rep. Gus Tambunting, THE House of Representatives Com- will hold the public hearing at 2 p.m., mittee on Legislative Franchises will a few days after SAGIP party-list Rep. hold a briefing today on the reported Rodante Marcoleta delivered a privilege speech questioning the agreement between media giants deal as illegal. ABS-CBN Corp. and TV5 Network Inc. Next page
LACK OF ONIONS CAN ALSO MAKE YOU CRY. Fastfood chain Burger King
EMBLEM OF SUNSHINE. People take photos of the sunflowers at the center island of the University Avenue in Quezon City on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022. The sunflowers at the University of the Philippines Diliman campus have been a fixture during graduation season since the 1970s. Joey Razon
What, no onion rings on Whopper?! Yes dear, veggie is in short supply
DHSUD ordered to build 1m housing units yearly
says it is out of onions for its flame-grilled burgers, offering instead extra lettuce or tomato or crispy onions.
THEY don’t mean to make you cry, the tasty vegetable in the country. but Burger King Philippines on “Our onions are a bit hard to Wednesday said they were not put- come by these days due to a shortting onion rings on their Whoppers age in regular supply affecting our anytime soon owing to a shortage of Next page
By Macon Ramos-Araneta PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development to build one million housing units a year, Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar told the
Senate on Wednesday. During yesterday’s organizational meeting of the Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement, Acuzar said he was instructed by the President to build 6 million houses in six years.
The DHSUD chief admitted the number isn’t sufficient due to the huge backlog in housing, but their hands are tied owing to the limited budget allocated for the department under the General Appropriations Act. Next page