Eastern Visayas workers to get pay hike starting June 25

TACLOBAN CITY, June 13 -- The new wage order raising the daily pay of minimum wage earners in Eastern Visayas from PHP20 to PHP30 will take effect on June 25, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) announced on Wednesday.

Citing Wage Order No. 20, Regional Tripartite and Wages Productivity Board Chairman (RTWPB) Chairman Cyril Ticao said there are varied adjustments depending on the nature of industry and number of workers.

From a minimum daily pay of PHP285 under old Wage Order, workers in the non-agriculture sector including sugar mills are entitled to a PHP305 daily wage under the new order, said Ticao, the director of the Department of Labor and Employment in Region 8.

The board ruled to increase the pay for those employed in the retail services (with 11 up to 30 workers) to PHP305 from PHP275. For workers in smaller retail businesses (with 10 employees and below), the new minimum daily pay is PHP275 or a PHP30 hike.

Those employers in cottage and handicraft industries will receive a daily pay of PHP275 or PHP22 higher than the old wage rate.

Workers in the farming sector, the lowest income earners covered by the old directive, got a daily pay of PHP275 under Wage Order No. 20. The board approved a PHP24 wage adjustment for sugar farms and PHP30 for other farm-related businesses.

The wage adjustment will take effect 15 days after its publication in a local newspaper on June 10.

“We will conduct information drive to inform both employers and workers about the wage adjustment. The new wage order recognizes the need to improve worker’s productivity and income, enhance enterprise competitiveness, and strengthen the link between pay and productivity,” Ticao said.

The board reviewed the region’s wage structure through “motu proprio” noting the increasing prices of fuel and basic commodities. “Motu proprio” is an official act taken without a formal request from any party.

The consultations checked the economic conditions, adjustment of prices of basic goods and services, and impact of wage adjustment to both workers and business owners. The seven-member regional wage board signed the new order on May 7.

Since February, the wage body has been evaluating the impact of Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law to workers in the private sector.

President Rodrigo Duterte on December 19, 2017 signed the TRAIN law, which imposes higher taxes on fuel, cars, coal, tobacco, mining, and some sugar-sweetened beverages.

The measure exempts those earning an annual taxable income of PHP250,000 and below from paying personal income tax. The board is convinced that excise tax in petroleum products has raised the prices of basic goods and services.

The regional board in Eastern Visayas is a tripartite body composed of six members -- three representatives from the government, two from the workers sector and one from the employers sector. (SQM/PNA)

P1-M sales eyed from local trade fair

TACLOBAN CITY, June 13  -- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is eyeing at least PHP1 million in sales from the four-day regional trade fair here, which aims to link small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) to local institutional buyers.

DTI Regional Director Cynthia Nierras said in an interview Wednesday that the exhibit at Robinsons Place aims to match small producers with local businesses, such as hotels, restaurants, bakeshops, and souvenir shops.

At least 35 small and medium entrepreneurs from six provinces joined the “Bahandi” trade fair, which opened Tuesday, and which will run until June 15. “Bahandi” is the local term for wealth.

The event is anchored on the theme, "Celebrating Freedom and Festivals".

“Let us help patronize local products. Any income they would earn will redound to the development of their communities. They generate income for their own, employ locals, and support raw materials suppliers, such as farmers and fishermen,” Nierras told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

The DTI official noted that many Cebu- and Manila-based buyers have been patronizing products from Eastern Visayas, but there is still a low level of awareness in the region on the existence of locally-made processed food, wearables, and homestyle products.

“You can see a lot of improved products and enhanced packaging and labeling after years of assistance extended to them. This is a good opportunity to help sustain the operations of our SMEs,” she added.

Included in the trade fair is a booth of MGM Company, one of the biggest food packaging and containers suppliers in the Philippines. The company will provide free consultation on the latest technology and appropriate packaging for food products.

The local marketing event is part of preparations for the “Bahandi” trade fair at SM Megamall in October, to be joined by SMEs that are being assisted by the trade department for years already.

Among the products up for display are lechon (roasted pig), tuba (coconut wine), tahong (mussel) crackers, turmeric tea, moron (sticky rice with chocolate), sweet potato chips, chocolate tablets, dried squid, woven mats, coco shells, and fashion accessories. (SQM/PNA)

Reg’l committee wants delayed projects fast-tracked

TACLOBAN CITY, June 11 -- The Regional Project Monitoring Committee (RPMC) has asked concerned government agencies to fast-track the implementation of delayed projects in the region, saying that slow-paced works have a negative impact on the local economy.

In a report released Monday, the Regional Development Council’s project monitoring arm reported that the top 10 monitored projects with highest negative slippage included coconut fertilization, farm-to market road, school buildings, and road widening activities.

RPMC chairperson Bonifacio Uy, regional director of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), said they have been linking up with concern agencies through problem solving sessions to address issues that caused project delays.

“Timely construction activities are very important in our regional economy. In 2017, our economic growth slowed down due to lower utilization of budget for construction projects,” Uy said on Monday.

The 2017 Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) performance nose-dived by 10.2 percent from 12 percent in 2016 to 1.8 percent. Eastern Visayas' GRDP was way below the 6.7 percent growth rate achieved in the national level.

The RPMC identified the 10 most delayed projects in Eastern Visayas in the first quarter of 2018 as checked by different government agencies and private sector representatives.

The most delayed on the list is the PHP238.33 million coconut fertilization project by the Philippine Coconut Authority. The project posted 85 percent negative slippage as of end of March 2018 due to delays in the procurement of fertilizer meant for 12,414 hectares.

PCA officials were not available for interview when reached for comments.

Next on the list is the PHP20 million farm-to-market road (FMR) concreting linking Burabud and Rizal villages in San Antonio, Northern Samar. Road right-of-way acquisition issues hampered civil works of the project with 85 percent of activities delayed, according to RPMC.

With a completion rate of only 22 percent, the concreting of Cagaut-Cantamoja-Camanga-Carapdapan FMR in Salcedo, Eastern Samar has been tagged as the third most delayed project with a negative slippage of 78 percent.

Ranked fourth to seventh are school buildings projects. These are the PHP51.47 million three-story building at the Ridge View Park Integrated School in this city, the PHP31.1 million four-story school building at the Leyte National High School also in this city, the PHP32 million two-story building at San Isidro National High School in Northern Samar, and the PHP66.9 million three-story building at the Ridge View Park Integrated School in this city.

These projects registered negative slippage of 55 percent to 74 percent. Reasons for the delay included access road concerns, delayed permit issuance, and non-availability of ideal site for high-rise classrooms, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Eighth on the list is the concreting of junction-Manraya FMR in San Antonio, Northern Samar. About 55 percent of the scope of work of the PHP19.80-million project was delayed, according to RPMC.

The last two projects on the list are the PHP20 million improvement of San Jose-Manlurip Park Road and the PHP43 million widening of Leyte-Samar Road (via Guintigui-an), both located in this city.

The two projects posted 49 percent and 44 percent negative slippages, respectively, largely due to the contractor’s incapacity and lack of resources.

DPWH Regional Director Edgar Tabacon said delayed infrastructure projects are anticipated in some areas in Northern Samar province due to frequent rainfall.

The RPMC asked PCA and DPWH to fast-track the completion of these projects in compliance with President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s directive.

Uy said these programs and projects with substantial negative slippage and problems in implementation have been the priority for field monitoring and problem solving sessions.

For 2018, RPMC identified 188 projects prioritized for monitoring, including hospital, terminals, water supply, post-disaster housing, livelihood assistance, agriculture and irrigation development, school buildings, roads and bridges, tourism access roads, airports, and seaports.

These projects have been identified as critical to the attainment of the regional development goals and targets. (SQM/PNA)

29% fishery output drop alarms group in Eastern Visayas

TACLOBAN CITY, June 11  -- A key official from the region’s fishery sector has expressed alarm over record breaking drop of fishery production in Eastern Visayas during the first quarter of 2018.

Gerardo Malinao, fishery sector representative in the Regional Development Council, said on Monday the 29 percent drop in fish production is a proof that many programs, regulations, and policies related to fishing are not working well.

“The national government should strengthen fishery law enforcement activities. Likewise, local government units should support fishery projects because this is the source of food of our poor families,” said Malinao, who heads the biggest group of fishermen in the region based in Samar province.

Earlier, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that fishery production in Eastern Visayas dropped by 29 percent from 37,607 metric tons (MT) in the first quarter of 2017 to 26,704 MT in the same period this year.

All provinces registered decreases in fishery production, except Samar, the only province that recorded a significant increase of 24.5 percent to 11,822 MT in the first three months of 2018 from 9,498 MT last year. Leyte recorded the highest decrease of 68.4 percent, from 17,517 MT to 5,527 MT, according to PSA.

Reached for comment, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) assistant regional director Justerie Granali said the overall output is largely driven by commercial fishing decline.

“There has been a reduction in commercial fisheries, brought by the intensified patrol operations, inclement weather and decrease in the number of licensed commercial fishing vessels,” Granali added.

Also aggravating to the problem is overfishing and the rising prices of fuel used to run fishing boats, the BFAR official said.

In contrast, Malinao calls for review in the processing of fishery production data since some of the region’s fish catch has been shipped to other areas. For instance, processors in Bicol region have been getting sardines from Northern Samar fishermen.

“Since we don’t have post-harvest facilities in Leyte and Samar provinces, our fishermen sell their produce outside the region. Consequently, prices of fish in the market have been increasing this year. There’s no economic justice here,” Malinao said.

In the first quarter of 2018, more than half or 55.3 percent (14,776 MT) of the total fishery production in the region were from municipal fishing. Aquaculture contributed 30.9 percent (8,244 MT) while commercial fishing accounted for 13.8 percent (3,684 MT). (SQM/PNA)

DENR says team to validate Region 8 reforestation program

TACLOBAN CITY, June 6  -- A private firm will check thousands of hectares planted with trees in Eastern Visayas under the government’s “National Greening Program (NGP)”, an official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said.

The DENR will tap a group of experts from the private sector to conduct the validation within this year for areas covered by the massive reforestation program launched in 2011, said DENR-NGP regional coordinator Ricardo Tomol.

“There have been validation activities in the past, but this is the first time that we will tap a third party to revisit NGP areas. They will see if how many planted trees survived and if reforestation really improved the lives of people in the community,” Tomol said on Wednesday.

Earlier, the DENR has entered a contract with a private firm to validate areas planted with mangroves, also a component of NGP. The next step is to expand the assessment to upland areas.

Aside from measuring the physical status of the project, the validation will also determine the effectiveness and efficiency of the project implementation; generate feedbacks, lessons, and experiences on the project implementation procedures; and provide recommendations as input to program designing and in aid of policy formulation.

The NGP is one of the flagship program of the DENR, which aims to reforest 1.5 million hectares of denuded lands nationwide from 2011-2016 for food security, poverty alleviation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and biodiversity conservation.

The project will continue until 2022 since there are still many open areas potential for reforestation activities, Tomol said.

In 2016, NGP planted 27,993 seedlings in 16,818 hectares. Last year, the project reforested 13,499 hectares by planting 6,578 seedlings. For 2018, the target is to plant in 9,218 hectares.

Planted areas are being maintained by people’s organizations through contract agreements with the DENR. Tomol said they expect a survival rate of 85 percent in the first six years after planting. (SQM/PNA)