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First of a six-part supplement to mark Women’s Month SEE PAGE A3
VOL. XXXVII • NO. 19 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Feb. inflation may hit 9.3% high BSP admits prices won’t ease as forecast, sets further interest rate hike
By Julito G. Rada and Maricel V. Cruz
D
ESPITE earlier predictions that prices would ease by February, inflation is likely to set another 14-year high for the month that just ended, the central bank said Tuesday. In a statement, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said February inflation would likely settle between 8.5 percent and 9.3 percent, the high end of which would be more than the 8.7 percent recorded in January. February inflation would be driven by higher prices for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and key food items such as pork, fish, eggs and sugar, the BSP said. Lower prices for domestic petroleum, fruits and vegetables, chicken and beef, on the other hand, would ease inflation. The BSP said it would continue to raise interest rates to keep inflation in check, and said it would continue to closely monitor price developments. Over the weekend, BSP Governor Felipe Medalla said they were ready to act accordingly if inflation in February remained higher compared to a month ago. In an interview at the sidelines of the 2023 annual reception for the banking community Friday night, Medalla said there would be no reason to raise the policy rate if inflation slowed down in February. But he added: “We are still hawkish. If the February inflation is bad, we will Next page
PNP to integrate water patrol unit with Navy, PCG
EVOLVING ROAD ICON. A driver shows his modern jeepney with a Euro5 compliant diesel engine at the FTI Terminal in Taguig City. Operators and drivers of traditional jeepneys are protesting the government’s modernization program deadline which requires them to join a cooperative or form a corporation by June 30 to start the phaseout process. Manny Palmero
Transport group rejects dialogue, stands ground on weeklong strike By Macon Ramos-Araneta
test the government’s PUV Modernization Program. The leader of the Manibela transMORE than 100,000 jeepney and UV Express drivers are expected to join port group, Mar Valbuena, rejected the week-long transport strike to pro- Transportation Secretary Jaime Bau-
tista’s call for a dialogue to head off with the strike on Monday for a week,” he the strike, contradicting the announce- said in Filipino in a TV interview. ment that there would be talks. The transport strike will start on “There will be no dialogue for now. I March 6 at 7 a.m. and will last until will stand my ground. We’ll push through Next page
PBBM orders steps to boost maritime trade
TO STRENGTHEN the government’s maritime law enforcement capability, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is By Vince Lopez planning to integrate its maritime units with the Philippine Navy and the PhilPRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on ippine Coast Guard, with a focus on the Tuesday ordered a whole-of-governcountry’s boundaries with Malaysia ment approach to bolster the new mariand Indonesia. time industry program that is expected The country’s southern borders are to bring substantial economic growth. considered porous and are usually the In a speech during the Philippine routes of smuggling and human trafMaritime Industry Summit 2023, ficking activities. President Marcos said the new proPNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. gram, called the Maritime Industry said their maritime units’ patrols will Development Plan (MIDP) 2028, will focus near the country’s shorelines and cover the eight-point economic agenhelp in the ongoing campaign against MARITIME TALKS. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. shares a light moment with Speaker Martin Romualdez and Transportation Secretary da of his administration. smuggling, human trafficking, and oth- Jaime Bautista during the Philippine Maritime Industry Summit 2023 at the Tent City in Manila Hotel on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. Ver Noveno Next page er transnational crimes. “We wanted to have a memorandum of understanding with (the PCG and Philippine Navy) to secure our waters against contrabands and including the Mr. Marcos, also the concurrent Agcampaign against human trafficking,” By Vince Lopez and Maricel V. Cruz Agriculture to produce a detailed crop- is formulating a plan to improve the counping schedule to ensure that agricultural try’s fishery sector, as he has instructed riculture Secretary, held a briefing with he told reporters after the presentation and blessing of newly procured police PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. imports will not harm local production. different agencies to develop the neces- the DA and other concerned agencies to The President also said the government sary infrastructure and facilities. Next page on Tuesday asked the Department of Next page
President directs DA to improve local cropping system, fishery sector
House approves Con-con bill on 2nd reading SC affirms COA rule disallowing By Maricel V. Cruz
Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez
THE House of Representatives on Tuesday took another step toward approving the bill that will review the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution. In a voice voting, the House on plenary session approved the Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 6, which calls for the creation of a hybrid constitutional convention (Con-con), setting the stage for the resolution’s plenary approval on third and final reading before Congress adjourns in March. The second reading approval came after just three days worth of plenary
debates on the measure. On Tuesday morning, the House committee on appropriations chaired by Rep. Zaldy Co of Ako-Bicol, approved the funding provision of the RBH 6. The budget would be used for the election of delegates, as well as the operation of the Constitutional convention. Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chair of the House constitutional amendments committee, maintained that the Constitutional convention itself would require a budget of about P6 billion while another P3 billion will be used for the conduct of a plebiscite on
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P15m benefits to PhilHealth staff
By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court has affirmed a decision of the Commission on Audit (COA) disallowing the grant of P15 million in allowances and incentives to employees of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth). In a 19-page decision, the SC en banc denied a petition filed by PhilHealth seeking to issue a tem-
porary restraining order against a COA decision. The decision affirmed the notices of disallowance (NDs) on PhilHealth’s payment of transportation allowance, project completion incentive, and educational assistance worth P15 million to its regular and contractual employees. Penned by Associate Justice Rodil Next page