Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Sunday, July 31, 2022.

BBM vetoes tax, transport bills

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has vetoed two more bills, including a measure that seeks to grant tax exemptions for honoraria, allowances and other benefits of workers rendering service during the election period, Malacañang said Saturday. Press Secretary Rose Beatrix "Trixie" Cruz-Angeles said the President made his decision known through two separate letters addressed to the Senate and House of Representatives. In his letter, the President told Congress that House Bill 9652 or Senate Bill 2520 known as "An act exempting from income taxation the honoraria, allowances, and other financial benefits of persons rendering service during an election period runs counter to the objective of the government's Comprehensive Tax Reform Program to correct the inequity in the country's tax system and negate the progressivity of the reforms introduced under Republic Act 10963 or the Train law." Moreover, Marcos noted that the studies of pertinent government agencies on the revenue loss is too substantial an impact to be foregone." According to the Department of Education, more than 647,000 teaching and non-teaching personnel served in this year's polls. An estimated 319,317 public school teachers sat as electoral board members and while some served as supervisory election officials. Less than a month in office, Marcos has already vetoed five bills ratified by both houses of Congress. Apart from the two measures, the President had also vetoed the bills creating the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and Freeport, expanding the franchise area of the Davao Light and Power Company Inc., and strengthening the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel. As the head of the government's executive branch, the President of the Philippines is granted under the 1987 Constitution, the power to veto measures that he or she objects to.

DoLE to provide jobs to quake survivors

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has released an initial P50 million to provide emergency employment to people displaced by the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that hit the province of Abra on Wednesday. Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said the DoLE will roll out the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (Tupad), which is an emergency employment program aiming to mitigate the adverse economic effect of natural disasters like earthquakes and health emergencies, among others. Most affected by the earthquake was Region 1 (Ilocos) and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). Laguesma said the DoLE is also eyeing to provide jobs to quake survivors who lost their jobs through the Public Employment Services Office. The latest report from National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that the number of casualties of the July 27 earthquake was now at 10 while 62,024 families or 228,238 individuals from 639 villages in three regions have been displaced. NDRRMC spokesman Mark Timbal said the four individuals earlier reported missing were already found dead, increasing the death to 10. Some 320 individuals were injured and have undergone medical treatment, the NDRMMC added. A total of 48 cities and municipalities experienced power outages, of which 46 got their power supply restored. Four cities and municipalities experienced water supply interruption, but supply was soon restored in all three but one. A state of calamity was declared over 27 cities and municipalities in the affected regions.

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Blinken visits PH amid tension over WPS

AMID growing concerns in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is coming to Manila for a day visit in August, the US Embassy and the Department of Foreign Affairs said in separate statements. Blinken's visit comes about a month after Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman arrived in the country in June. The US Embassy in Manila said on Friday that Blinken will be in the country on August 6 to meet with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo to discuss bilateral efforts to "strengthen US-Philippine alliance, including through increased cooperation on energy, trade, and investment, advancing our shared democratic values, and pandemic recovery." Blinken's visit will be the first for a US Secretary of State since his predecessor Mike Pompeo came to Manila in March 2019. Although the points of discussion between Blinken and Marcos have yet to be disclosed, both are expected to touch on the dispute in the South China Sea, which has caused tension between Washington and Beijing and among claimant countries, including the Philippines. The Philippines claims parts of the South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone and calls it the WPS.

Concepcion: Avoid vax waste with Covid roadmap

GO Negosyo founder Jose Maria "Joey" Concepcion 3rd said the wastage of billions of pesos worth of vaccines this month could have easily been prevented if the Philippines has a clear roadmap in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. The vaccines expired days after the Department of Health (DoH) allowed the administration of second booster shots to adults 50 years and older and those 18 to 49 years old with comorbidities. Concepcion warned in April that a batch of vaccines was about to expire in July. As of June 26, there were 29,795,970 doses stocked in the national cold chain facility, more than four million which were due to expire by July 31. Concepcion said that the DoH, having the pertinent data, could have guided the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) on the expiration of the vaccines.

Anti-vape advocates vow to challenge new law

Anti-vape advocates vow to challenge vape law HEALTH advocates that are opposed to the newly enacted Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Devices Regulation Act or the Vape Act vowed to fight against its adoption, noting that the law will have harmful implications for weakening regulations on e-cigarette devices. The measure, which lapsed into law on July 25, will transfer the regulation of vaporized nicotine products or "vapes" and electronic cigarettes from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). It will also decrease the age of access to these products from 21 years old to 18 years old, which, according to health experts, would increase vape usage among the youth.

Basilan border security tightened

PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. on Saturday ordered tightened security measures in Lamitan City, Basilan to arrest the killers of the father of Dr. Chiao Tiao Yumol. Yumol shot and killed a former mayor and two others at the Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) campus in Quezon City last July 24. Following the directive from Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin "Benhur" Abalos Jr., Danao said he had already beefed up border security to prevent the possible escape of the gunmen. Yumol's father, Rolando Yumol, was gunned down just outside his residence also in Lamitan, early Friday morning. BGen. Roderick Alba, PNP's chief public information officer, said that it would be speculative to assume its direct relation to the shooting incident that happened at AdMU campus involving the younger Yumol. Reports said the incident occurred at 6:30 a.m. when gunmen onboard a motorcycle opened fire at the elder Yumol. Danao said PNP personnel have already been deployed at checkpoints to monitor suspected persons attempting to pass through. The PNP chief said that it is vital to arrest the perpetrators to deepen the investigation, as many assumptions would link the incident to the July 24 shooting at AdMU campus.

SSS set to release calamity assistance

Over to business, the Social Security System (SSS) announced it is ready to grant a Calamity Assistance Package to the members and pensioners in areas to be declared by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council as under the state of calamity. SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Regino said that the Calamity Assistance Package will consist of the Calamity Loan Assistance Program (CLAP) and the three-month advance pension for pensioners. This is in light of the recent, strong earthquake which struck the provinces of Abra and its surrounding areas last Wednesday.

4 teams dispute last semis berths

Topping sports, on Sunday, there will be a pair of knockout matches in the last play date of the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals as bitter rivals Barangay Ginebra and Meralco square off in the main game at 6:30 p.m. right after the 4:30 p.m. tussle between NLEX and Magnolia Timplados at the Mall of Asia Arena. The Gin Kings and the Road Warriors were able to avert elimination and extend their respective best-of-three series to sudden death matches following hardearned victories on Friday. Barangay Ginebra had to grind it out and used its championship experience against its favorite victim to pull off a 94-87 victory. n exclusive interview. NLEX staved off a late rally by Magnolia to preserve a 90-77 triumph in a game where Kevin Alas had a breakout performance.

Opinion and editorial

Marlen Ronquillo is today's front page columnist, as he explains what the Philippines can learn from the situation in Sri Lanka.

Today's editorial believes helping micro, small, and medium enterprises requires better government policy execution. Read a full version on the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.

For more news and information, get a copy of The Manila Times on print, subscribe to its digital edition or log on to www.manilatimes.net. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram and Keep Up with the Times.

For The Manila Times, this is Paulo Dimaapi.