SIGNS OF THE TIMES.
Fans made of anahaw (native palm) leaves hang above Antonio Rivera Street in Barangay 234, Tondo, Manila that will celebrate its fiesta on May 18 to 19 amid the sweltering heat. Yancy Lim
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WHERE HAVE ALL THE FISHES GONE? Photo of Pag-
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 81 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES MAY 5, 2024
asa Island cays shows its ‘degraded state’ with low coral and fish diversity and abundance.
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US TO PREPARE FOR MORE CHINA ‘GREY ZONE’ ACTS
AS 4 DEFENSE CHIEFS HIT DANGEROUS ACTIVITIES IN SCS
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EW United States Indo-Pacific Command chief Admiral Samuel Paparo said Washington must be ready to answer China’s “grey zone activities.” This as the defense chiefs of the Philippines, Japan, the United States, and Australia collectively called out China’s “dangerous use” of coast guard and maritime militia vessels in the South China Sea. The statement was made after the quadrilateral meeting among Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III, Japanese Minister of Defense Kihara Minoru, and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles at the US Indo-Pacific Com-
mand headquarters in Honolulu, Hawaii. In a joint readout, the four ministers said they “strongly” object to the dangerous use of coast guard and militia vessels, and that they are seriously concerned over the ongoing situation in the East and South China Sea. “They reiterated serious concern over the PRC’s (People’s Republic of China) repeated obstruction of Philippine vessels’ exercise of high seas freedom of navigation and the disruption of supply lines to
The Chinese Embassy in Manila said the “temporary special arrangement” reached during the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte allowed small scale fishing around the West Philippine Sea but restricted access by military, coast guard and other official planes and ships. It said the Marcos administration’s decision to renege on the deal is “the basic reason for the ceaseless disputes at sea between China and the Philippines over the past year and more.” Second Thomas Shoal, which constitute dangerous and destabilizing conduct,” it read. The defense ministers also emphasized the need to uphold freedoms of navigation and overflight, and called on China to abide by the 2016 Arbitral Ruling on the South China Sea. Paparo, for his part, said: “Our world faces a complex problem set in the troubling actions of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and its
rapid build-up of forces.” “We must be ready to answer the PRC’s increasingly intrusive and expansionist claims in the Indo-Pacific region,” Paparo said. Some call it the grey zone. My friend General (Romeo) Brawner from the Republic of the Philippines has a phrase called ICAD and he has renamed grey zone, which sounds otherwise benign and dull into ICAD which is Illegal, Coercive, Aggressive, and Deceptive,” he added.
LTFRB RULES OUT FARE HIKE AMID JEEPNEY MODERNIZATION By Maricel V. Cruz and Joel Zurbano NO FARE hikes shall be implemented for public utility vehicles (PUVs) despite the ongoing PUV modernization program, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said. “Fare increases should undergo thorough study and multiple con-
sultations with concerned agencies,” LTFRB chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III said. He said any petition for a fare increase must go through the proper process of the LTFRB Board. Several factors such as inflation and cost of fuel must be considered before the agency approves a new fare increase. The current minimum fare for
traditional jeepneys is still at P13 and P15 for modern jeepneys, Guadiz said. For its part, the Department of Social Welfare and Development committed to provide assistance to jeepney drivers who will be affected by the implementation of the PUVMP. DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao said the department shall ex-
tend much-needed help to affected jeepney drivers, subject to the assessment of DSWD social workers. “The DSWD is ready to provide assistance to those who will be affected. So far, we have not received any information, but of course, if someone approaches us and requests for assistance, it will be responded to immediately by the DSWD,” Dumlao said in Filipino.
PAG-ASA ISLAND CAYS OBSERVED IN ‘DEGRADED STATE’ —STUDY By Charles Dantes and Ratziel San Juan A MARINE biologist on Saturday revealed Pag-asa Island cays, which are low islands or reefs, have been observed in a “degraded state” due to suspected island-building activities in the West Philippine Sea. University of the Philippines Institute of Biology professor Jonathan Anticamara cited their marine resource assessment with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) conducted in March. During which, the biologist noted “low coral and fish diversity and abundance.” This manifested in fewer than 10 coral and fish species per 100 square meters transect, he said. Moreover, most of the specimens surveyed were noted to be small. Anticamara was part of a team that conducted a survey of Cays 1 to 4 in the WPS from March 20 to 23. Anticamara also mentioned three cays having sand and rubble piles “atypical of naturally formed coral or sandy barrier islands, indicating that these are possibly product of islandbuilding activities.” He said the piles appeared manmade, with steeper slopes and coral rubble suggesting they were artificially transported there. They were also white, indicating their formation less than a year ago. “(You) can only see something like this if you go to a reclamation area,” Anticamara said Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela pointed to Chinese ships roaming the area as the possible culprit. “There’s no other suspect that we can name with this kind of activities. It’s only the People’s Republic of China,” Tarriela said.
PBBM: PH ECOZONES OFFER BEST DEALS TO INVESTORS By Charles Dantes
GREEN ESCAPE. Tourists use a boardwalk to go around Katunggan Park in Mahinog, Camiguin Island. Joan Bondoc
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PRESIDENT Marcos on Saturday highlighted the attractive investment arrangements provided by the government to businesses intending to operate in the Philippines, noting that the country’s economic zones are open to all foreign investors. “We have economic zones where anyone can participate,” the Chief Executive explained during an interview with Chang Dae-hwan, chairman of South Korea’s Maeyeong Media Group.
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President Marcos informed Chang that South Korean companies can capitalize on the business and trade opportunities offered by the economic zones in the Philippines These economic zones, he said, feature a unified tax code and incentive scheme. Within these zones, locator companies are spared from dealing with each local government unit (LGU), he said. The President said economic zones are accessible to all investors seeking special incentives and tax breaks.
Mr. Marcos pointed to the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone (CFEZ) in Clark City, Pampanga, where government arrangements have rendered it an attractive destination for foreign investments. “They (investors) have come in, and I attribute that to the system we have established, which is appealing for their investment,” the President. “And so, we’ll continue to [do] that and will be able to do even better if the Luzon Economic Corridor is completed, and the travel times and the cost of travel of transport will be brought down,” he added.
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