public service – Page 82 – Author Carlo Carrasco

Maldives lawmakers in Muntinlupa City

July 27, 2023July 25, 2023carlocarrasco

In the progressive city of Muntinlupa, the City Government hosted a delegation of lawmakers from Maldives who were on an official visit, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. Mayor Rufino Biazon led the local officials in hosting them.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin’s news report. Some parts in boldface…

Lawmakers from Maldives, a country located in the Indian Ocean, visited Muntinlupa and met with officials led by Mayor Ruffy Biazon.

The delegation from Baa Atoll in the Maldives, led by council chief Ahmed Afrah, arrived in Muntinlupa for a working visit and study tour.

“We warmly welcome our friends from The Maldives delegation and we are privileged to share with them what we know about local governance in Muntinlupa,” Mayor Ruffy Biazon said.

He added, “They have come a long way to explore and learn more about the local government’s practices and gain more insights. We hope our visitors took away valuable lessons from us.”

After meeting Biazon, the Maldives officials attended the weekly session of the Muntinlupa City Council to learn about the city’s legislative procedures.

Atoll chief Ahmed Afrah also gave a privilege speech during the session, saying, “We are grateful for the very warm welcome and accommodation given us by the City Government, and we have learned a lot from the orderly way that the (Muntinlupa) council holds its regular session.“

The Maldives has a total population of 515,132 as of 2022, according to the Maldives Bureau of Statistics.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this development? Do you wish to see more foreign lawmakers to visit Muntinlupa and learn from the local officials?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Marcos emphasizes digitalization and online payment systems

July 26, 2023July 24, 2023carlocarrasco

During his 2^nd State of the Nation Address (SONA) this past Monday, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., emphasized the focus on digitalization and online payment systems for efficiency, achieving public service, easing the processes of doing business and cutting graft and corruption, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

During his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said digitalization helps in frontline services, back-end functions, as well as supports the government in “data-driven and science-based planning and decision-making.”

“Digitalization is the call of today; not of the future –but of the present. It is here. It is needed, and it is needed today,” Marcos said.

He said government streamlining efforts through digitalization has so far “significantly boosted efficiency” such as in government payments, company and business registration, issuance of permits and licenses, loan applications, and revenue collections.

“All our digitalization efforts will be linked to our payment systems, whose digital transformation has been accelerating at a remarkable rate,” he added.

In 2022 alone, Marcos said digital payments accounted for 42 percent of total retail payments for businesses, individuals, and by the government.

“Its high trajectory is now well-positioned to achieve Bangko Sentral’s target of 50 percent of total retail payments by this year,” he said.

Digital payments – Marcos cited the rise in the share of retail digital payments to 42 percent of the total in 2022, almost near the 50 percent share target of the Bangko Sentral ng ng Pilipinas (BSP) by this year.

Based on the BSP’s 2022 Status of Digital Payments report released last June, digital payments were only 1 percent of the total in 2013.

It rose to 10 percent in 2018, 14 percent in 2019, 20.1 percent in 2020, and 30.3 percent in 2021.

Retail payment transactions grew by 611.7 million in terms of volume in 2022 relative to the previous year, BSP data show.

In 2022 alone, payments made by persons accounted for 68.6 percent of the total, and were followed by the payments made by businesses, 30.3 percent; and payments made by the government, 1.1 percent.

Of the total, 90.6 percent of digital payments volume were accounted for by person-to-business (P2B) payments, 73.7 percent; person-to-person (P2P) and business-to-person (B2P), 14.7 percent; and salaries and wage payments, 2.2 percent.

Authorities have attributed the big rise in digital payments to the impact of the pandemic, which prevented most people from going out, thus the need to do online transactions for most of their purchases.

Marcos said the country’s financial system, which he describes as “the nerve center of our economy”, “remains strong and stable.”

He said banks, the monetary policy’s transmission arms, “have strong capital and liquidity positions.”

With the easing of restrictions put in place during the pandemic, Marcos said, “transactions once again flourished—alongside the booming e-commerce that was undeterred by the pandemic.”

“In 2022, the digital economy contributed PHP2 trillion, equivalent to 9.4 percent of our GDP (gross domestic product). The economy is revived and rejuvenated, backstopped by a favorable enabling environment and the strong rule of law,” he said.

eGov PH app – To eliminate redundancy and further ensure ease of use, Marcos showcased the eGov PH mobile app that aims to integrate all key government services for the convenience of its users.

“The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has been directed to consolidate all these digitalized government services into the eGov PH app to establish the National Government Portal and the Philippine Business Databank, and to improve the internet speed in our country,” he said.

On the other hand, Marcos said the National ID System will serve as the core of a “digitally transformed network of government services.”

To date, he said the National ID System reported around 87 percent total registration.

“We are now closer to establishing a complete, accurate, and reliable digital database of our entire population. This has already been integrated into the eGov PH app, and can be accessed by our citizens,” he added.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Have you been using digital or online methods to settle your dues with government units?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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President Marcos signs Maharlika Investment Fund bill into law

July 20, 2023July 18, 2023carlocarrasco

A new economic age for the Philippines has started as President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., signed into law the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill which formally establishes the nation’s sovereign wealth fund, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday signed into law a bill establishing the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF), the Philippines’ first-ever sovereign wealth fund.

Marcos signed Republic Act (RA) 11954 in a ceremony at the Kalayaan Hall of Malacañan Palace in Manila.

In a keynote speech, Marcos said the MIF is designed to drive economic development in the country.

“The MIF is a bold step towards our country’s meaningful economic transformation. Just as we are recovering from the adverse effects of the pandemic, we are now ready to enter a new age of sustainable progress, robust stability and broad-based empowerment,” Marcos said.

“We now have an available fund that will provide us the seed money for investments and to attract other foreign investments and for us to be able to participate in those operations, in those investments without additional borrowings,” he added.

Following the signing of RA 11954, Marcos said his administration would “go out to the world and do the changes that are necessary for the Philippines to become an investment-friendly nation.”

“The fund will fail if we do not make money on the fund. It’s that simple… That is why we put up a Maharlika Fund so as to be able to give us the capacity and the ability to join in those investments, be part of that,” he said.

He reiterated that he would make sure that the MIF would be “well-run” by professionals.

He added that the country has the “best” economic managers both in government and the private sector to ensure the proper management of the MIF.

“Let us make sure that the decisions that are being made for the fund are not political decisions, that they are financial decisions because that is what the fund is,” Marcos said.

The MIF is established to optimize national funds by generating returns to support the Marcos administration’s economic goals laid out in the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework, the 8-point Socioeconomic Agenda, and the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

In a separate statement, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will continue to provide support and technical assistance in the formulation of the implementing rules and regulations of RA 11954.

“The creation of this development fund is very good news because this means we now have an opportunity to expand our fiscal space for the government’s priority programs,” Pangandaman said. “Of course, we fully support this as it will help expand our fiscal space. So we at the DBM remain committed to helping ensure that this development fund will be a success and implemented with utmost integrity.”

Under RA 11954 , the MIF will be used to invest in a wide range of assets, including foreign currencies, fixed-income instruments, domestic and foreign corporate bonds, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, real estate and high-impact infrastructure projects that contribute to the attainment of sustainable development.

The establishment of the MIF will provide the government with a long-term source of income, as well as ease the burden on the national budget by providing additional funding for other priority projects of the government.

Unlike other government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCCs), the MIF will be able to maximize government assets through its investments in projects that generate bigger returns.

The proposed measure seeks the establishment of the Maharlika Investment Corp. (MIC), which will act as the “sole vehicle for the purpose of mobilizing and utilizing the MIF for investments in transactions in order to generate optimal returns on investments (ROIs).”

The MIC is expected to have at least PHP75 billion in paid-up capital this year, with PHP50 billion sourced from the Land Bank of the Philippines and PHP25 billion from the Development Bank of the Philippines.

The law prohibits government agencies and GOCCs that provide for social security and public health insurance to contribute to and invest in the Fund.

These include the Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, Home Development Mutual Fund, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and Philippine Veterans Affairs Office pension fund.

For the newcomers reading this, if you want to understand what a sovereign wealth fund is and how it would work with the Philippines in mind, watch the video below…

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? What do you think about the Maharlika Investment Fund that is now officially a law? Do you expect financial or economic breakthroughs to happen for the Philippines soon?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) award for Muntinlupa City

July 19, 2023July 17, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, the City Government was awarded by the Anti-Red Tap Authority (ARTA) for innovation with regards to business registration, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Muntinlupa City government was recognized by the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) for its innovative business registration.

Muntinlupa is one of the cities that received the Accelerating Reforms for Improved Service Efficiency (ARISE) Award to recognize initiatives to improve the delivery of government services.

“We are definitely proud of this recognition, as this is validation of the City Government’s commitment to bring quality public service to every Muntinlupeño,” Mayor Ruffy Biazon said.

The city’s Business One-Stop Shop (BOSS) and its electronic format eBOSS, which places all the necessary agencies for a business license or permit in one location, was commended earlier this year by ARTA in its latest compliance monitoring as a benchmark for other local government units (LGUs) to follow.

In addition to BOSS, Muntinlupa also has the Business Permits and Licensing Office Single-Window Transaction (BPLO-SWiT) program in partnership with Festival Mall in Alabang in order to bring tax payment and registration services closer to business owners.

Alternatively, business owners may also renew their license and mayor’s permit at the BPLO at Muntinlupa City Hall, as well as online via the Business E-payment System (BESt), through the city’s official website (www.muntinlupacity.gov.ph).

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this development? Are you delighted with the award from ARTA for the City Government?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Las Piñas City employees receive CPR training

July 13, 2023July 12, 2023carlocarrasco

In Las Piñas City, employees at city hall received training on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to prepare themselves how to respond properly during emergencies, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Las Piñas Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) conducted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training for its city hall employees to equip them with proper knowledge to respond to emergencies.

Mayor Imelda Aguilar said 30 CPR instructors received certifications from the Department of Health (DOH) recently after they finished the said seminar.

Aguilar said the instructors were composed of members from the DRRMO, City Health Office, Nutrition Office, Lying-In Clinic, and the Bureau of Fire Protection – Las Piñas,

She said with the new group of instructors, Las Piñas City can now offer free comprehensive CPR training to schools, offices, companies, and barangays.

The mayor said the group started training at least one representative from different offices in the city hall for them to be prepared anytime.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Do you feel confident that the training will help city hall employees to respond better during emergencies?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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New child development center in Las Piñas City inaugurated

July 10, 2023July 7, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently in Las Piñas City, a new child development center was formally inaugurated in the presence of the Vice Mayor and a City Councilor, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Las Piñas city government held the inauguration and blessing of the newly established child development center located at Santos Homes 2 Complex in Barangay Pulang Lupa Uno on July 6.

Vice Mayor April Aguilar and City Councilor John Jess Bustmante led the ceremonies for the inauguration.

Aguilar emphasized the significance of the center in nurturing the future generation. She said the center is poised to provide a safe and nurturing environment for young children, facilitating their growth and development in various aspects of their lives.

The vice mayor also commended the efforts of the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) under Lowefe Romulo and expressed her heartfelt sentiments about the importance of child development centers.

Aguilar stressed that the child development centers play a crucial role in shaping the future of the community by fostering early childhood education, social skills, and emotional well-being.

She said the new child development center is part of the city government’s broader commitment to investing in early childhood development and ensuring the well-being of its young residents.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Do you think the new child development center will be beneficial to the city as a whole?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Muntinlupa City raises cash incentives for local athletes who are able to win in local and international sports events

July 5, 2023July 2, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, the City Government officially raised the cash incentives for its local athletes who are able to win medals in varied local and international competitions, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Muntinlupa City government increased the cash incentives to athletes winning in international and local competitions including the Olympics, and Asian and SEA Games.

Mayor Ruffy Biazon signed Ordinance 2023-091, passed by the Muntinlupa City Council, giving incentives and rewards to athletes bagging gold, silver and bronze medals in international, national, regional and local competitions.

The ordinance covers athletes and coaches representing Muntinlupa who win in contests sanctioned by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), International Olympic Committee (IOC), National Association (NSA) and the city government.

It also applies to athletes and coaches who are residents of Muntinlupa and are part of the sports development program of the city, and winning athletes who represent the country who have lived in Muntinlupa for at least a year.

“Our city is definitely proud of Muntinlupeños excelling in sports. It is but fitting that we reward their hard work and support their continuous pursuit of excellence,” said Biazon.

The new local law amended Ordinance 18-299 approved in 2018, which gave cash incentives to winning athletes and their coaches.

Under the new ordinance, Olympians winning gold, silver and bronze medals will get P750,000, P500,000 and P250,000, respectively.

For the full listing of cash incentives under the new ordinance, click https://mb.com.ph/2023/7/1/muntinlupa-lgu-increases-cash-incentives-to-winning-athletes-in-international-local-games

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this development? Do you think that the higher cash incentives would inspire more locals to engage in sports events and win?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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COMELEC declares no delays related to October 2023 Barangay and SK Elections (BSKE)

July 4, 2023June 30, 2023carlocarrasco

As far as the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is concerned, there will be no delays related to the anticipated Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) set for October 30, 2023 and the related final list of voters will be released this August, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA).

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

There will be no delays in the release of the final list of voters in August and the holding of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) by October, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday assured.

During the Laging Handa public briefing, Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said the poll body targets to provide a clean list of registered voters by the first week of August.

“Tuloy na tuloy na po iyan… ginagarantiya natin na maayos at malinis na po iyan. Kahit po iyong mga sinasabing namatay na, iyan po ay pinapatanggal din natin sa ating election registration board (It [will certainly] be pushed through… We are guaranteeing an organized and clean [list]. Even those who have already died, we are also asking the election registration board to remove them),” he said.

Any political party or citizen’s arm may secure access to the clean list from local Comelec offices once finalized.

Based on Comelec’s automated fingerprint and identification system, around 21,000 double and multiple registrants were found.

The poll body also assured the BSKE on Oct. 30 will also push through following the recent ruling of the Supreme Court on the unconstitutionality of the postponement of the December 2022 BSKE.

“Bagama’t unconstitutional nga po ang sabi ng ating Korte Suprema doon sa batas na ipagpaliban ang halalan, wala po itong epekto sa atin pong ginagawang paghahanda para sa October 30. Tuloy na tuloy po ang ating October 30 Barangay and SK Elections (Although it’s unconstitutional to postpone the elections as per the law cited by the Supreme Court, it has no effect on our preparation for October 30. The October 30 BSKE will push through),” Garcia added.

However, around 1.3 million ballots are still left for printing, particularly for those registered from Dec. 12, 2022 up to Jan. 31 this year.

Garcia said the printing of ballots for the said batch will be launched in July once the clearing of double and multiple registrants is finalized. To date, the Comelec has already printed 91 million ballots needed for the upcoming BSKE.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you intend to vote in the BSKE this October 30? Do you think the COMELEC has done enough to ensure election integrity?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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“Love the Philippines” launched as the nation’s new tourism slogan

July 3, 2023June 28, 2023carlocarrasco

As part of its campaign to become a tourism powerhouse in Asia in the years to the come, the Philippines officially launched their new slogan called “Love the Philippines”, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) report. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., approved of the ambitious tourism plan covering 2023-2028 and he reiterated his support for Philippine tourism.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday expressed optimism that the Philippines will become the “tourism powerhouse” of Asia in the next few years.

This, as Marcos witnessed the unveiling of the country’s new tourism slogan “Love the Philippines” during the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) 50th anniversary celebration at The Manila Hotel.

In a keynote speech, Marcos affirmed his commitment to advancing the tourism sector, hoping that the new campaign slogan would help stimulate economic activities and generate job opportunities in the country.

“What a better way to express that love than directly incorporating it into our country’s newest tourism campaign slogan, Love the Philippines. This is new branding which we unveiled today. It will serve as our guidepost for the Philippine Tourism Industry moving forward,” Marcos said.

“Allow me then to express my sincere appreciation to Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco and for the DOT team because aside from the tourist destination, the campaign that you have conceptualized aims to enhance the overall experience of every traveler,” he added.

In May, Marcos approved the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2023-2028 which will serve as his administration’s blueprint and development framework for the tourism industry.

Marcos said the NTDP 2023-2028 contains the government’s targets, which include the promotion of local products and the implementation of more infrastructure projects to ensure hassle-free travel.

“The five-year plan stemmed from this admin’s determination to implement programs that will positively transform our country towards being a tourism powerhouse in Asia in the coming years. Let us therefore strive to translate out golden vision into reality,” he said.

Marcos lauded the DOT for making the tourism industry as “a major driver of economic growth.”

He also welcomed the “improving” figures in tourism revenues, employment, international arrivals and domestic trips, saying these indicate the country’s recovery from the onslaught of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

“All of these are encouraging signs that the tourism industry in our country as a whole is headed well towards full recovery. It also conveys a strong message to the world that we are ready and fully equipped to welcome tourists, travelers as well as investors,” Marcos said.

To realize his administration’s goal of transforming the Philippines as Asia’s tourism powerhouse, Marcos urged Filipinos to be the country’s tourism ambassadors.

“I enjoin you all to be our country’s promoters, advocates, and if I may borrow a coined term in this age of social media, be our country’s top influencers,” he said.

“Indeed, the Philippines will never run out of places to discover, meals to enjoy, adventures to experience, people to meet, talents to admire. Let us take pride and celebrate the love we have of our country and our people for it is the same love that gave meaning to the establishment of the DOT and the same love that will propel our tourism industry moving forward into the future,” Marcos added.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you foresee a bright economic future with a reinvigorated national tourism industry? Does “Love the Philippines” sound attractive to you?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Muntinlupa City ranks #2 in the NCR in public financial management

June 30, 2023June 28, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, it was revealed that the city finished at 2^nd place among the local governments within the National Capital Region (NCR) on the assessment about public financial management, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Muntinlupa City government ranked second among local government units in the National Capital Region (NCR) in public financial management assessment done by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

“Muntinlupa ranks 2nd in PFMAT Compliance of the Department of Budget and Management,” according to Mayor Ruffy Biazon.

The ranking was a result of the Public Financial Management Assessment Tool (PFMAT) based on budgeting, accounting, auditing, cash management, management of public debt/procurement, revenue generation and public reporting on public sector financial operations, added Biazon.

“Public Financial Management (PFM) is a system of rules, procedures and practices for government to manage public finances. PFM seeks to address the key challenges of controlling government spending and making agencies operate efficiently and effectively,” according to previous guidelines issued by the DBM.

Biazon said Muntinlupa’s ranking is “proof to our commitment to transparency, accountability, and responsible financial management. We ensure that public funds are spent well and effective.”

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this development? Are you delighted with what the city government achieved?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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