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Unions ask House to pass proposed P150 wage hike By Vito Barcelo THE Associated Labor Unions (ALU) on Tuesday urged the House of Representatives to legislate a P150 acrossthe-board daily wage recovery increase for all private-sector workers this Labor Day.
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 75 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2024
In a statement, the labor group said the Senate has already passed a bill providing for a P100-daily increase for minimum wage earners. It added that passing House Bill 7871 or the Wage Recovery Act filed by party-list Trade Union Congress of the Next page
131 LGUs in calamity state
DOLE advises employers to adopt 4-day workweek By Charles Dantes and Vito Barcelo
S
OME 131 local government units have declared a state of calamity as the country continues to grapple with the effects of the El Niño phenomenon.
The Department of Labor and Em- they may opt to shift to a four-day workployment likewise advised employers week to alleviate the inconvenience be-
ing experienced by employees due to the scorching heat. The Department of Education, on the other hand, sent a letter to President Marcos citing a more “aggressive” return to the April-May school break. Task Force El Niño spokesperson and Presidential Communications Office Assistant Secretary Joey Villarama
said the LGUs currently under a state of calamity include Occidental Mindoro, Antique, Sultan Kudarat, Basilan, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao Del Norte, and South Cotabato. “These LGUs are all over the country,” he said. Citing data from the Department of
IMF UPGRADES PH GROWTH OUTLOOK BUSINESS / B1
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‘FIREFLY’ TAKES FLIGHT ON PRIME SHOWBIZ / C3
NO LET-UP. Two Chinese coast guard ships blast with water cannons a Philippine coast guard vessel on patrol near Scarborough Shoal yesterday. The PCG vessel sustained damage but no reported injuries to the crew. PCG
China vessels damage PCG ship with water cannons near Panatag By Vince Lopez, Rey Requejo CHINA Coast Guard vessels fired water cannons at two Philippine Coast Guard vessels, causing damage to one of them, during a patrol near Scarbor-
ough Shoal, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said Tuesday. “This damage serves as evidence of the forceful water pressure used by the
China Coast Guard in their harassment of the Philippine vessels,” he said. “Despite the harassment and provocative actions of the Chinese Coast Guard, both the PCG and BFAR vessels stood their ground and continued their
PROMISE FULFILLED.
President Marcos led the inauguration of the Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project Stage II (MMIP II) in Pikit, Cotabato. The MMIP II aims to provide irrigation to more than 10,000 hectares of farmland in Cotabato and Maguindanao. More than 4,000 families are expected to benefit, including former Moro Islamic Liberation Front combatants. PCO
maritime patrol. They were not deterred and will persist in carrying out their legitimate operations to support Filipino fishermen and ensure their safety,” Tarriela added.
PH KARATE TEAM BAGS 6 GOLDS SPORTS / A8
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Marcos orders agencies to lead adoption of AI tools for MSMEs By Charles Dantes PRESIDENT Marcos directed concerned agencies to lead the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), citing the need to adapt to new technologies. In a sectoral meeting in Malacañang on Tuesday, the Chief Executive emphasized the imperative for MSMEs to embrace modern technology to meet the evolving demands of both physical and online markets
amid technological advancements. “We are not teaching them to be engineers, AI engineers. We’re not teaching them to be blockchain engineers. We’re teaching them how to use the system that we have provided. That, I think, we have to be clear about that,” President Marcos said. “Don’t teach the theory that goes on behind it, but just teach what it is that they need to use the AI. That’s the whole point of AI, you just talk, that’s where we want to get them to,” he added. President Marcos Next page
PBBM: Adopt Speaker pushes for amending e-vehicles for rice law to bring down prices public transport By Maricel V. Cruz
By Charles Dantes PRESIDENT Marcos ordered the development of the electric vehicles (EV) industry in the country with a focus on the public transportation sector. In a recent sectoral meeting in Malacañang on Tuesday, the President directed the Department of Energy (DOE) and other concerned agencies to review the implementation of the EV industry in the Philippines. The move aims to boost the local manufacturing of EVs and Next page
SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Tuesday said the House of Representatives is working on changes in the Rice Tariffication Law to bring down the price of staple by P10-15 per kilo. He told reporters in an interview that the House of Representatives is targeting to reduce the retail price of rice to P30 per kilo, from the present P40-45 to more than P50. He said he would ask President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to certify the proposed amendments as urgent so these could be enacted as soon as possible. “We are doing this because the President said we have to find ways to lower the price of rice. So, what we
are targeting is that by June, we should bring the price of rice down by at least P10 or even P15, which is close to P30 pesos per kilo,” he said. The President also said his administration will do this “by having the NFA (National Food Authority) bring to the market affordable rice so citizens can buy at an affordable price of P30. These are the amendments that we can speed up.” He added that the House would coordinate with the Office of the President on the proposed amendments. Romualdez asked the Senate to work on similar changes in the law. “This is what our President really wants: to lower the price of our rice for the people. That’s our announcement because our Committee on Agriculture Next page
TIME TO AMEND RICE LAW. Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez announces that the House will work to amend the Rice Tariffication Act to allow the National Food Authority to sell rice to the public at affordable prices. He made the disclosure during an ambush interview with members of the media.