Category: Business Mirror

SEN. Mark A. Villar is pushing for the removal of the 12-percent Value-Added Tax (VAT) imposed on system loss charges in electricity bills, saying consumers should not be taxed for electricity they did not actually consume.

Villar filed Senate Bill 2392, which seeks to exempt the system loss component charged by distribution utilities and electric cooperatives from VAT by amending Section 109 of the National Internal Revenue Code. The measure covers recoverable technical and non-technical system losses allowed by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001.

‘Simple lang ang prinsipyo natin: kung hindi naman nakonsumo ng consumer ang kuryente, hindi siya dapat singilin ng buwis para rito. Mataas na nga ang binabayaran ng ating mga kababayan sa kuryente, may systems loss pa na hindi naman nila kasalanan. Kaya dapat nating alisin agad ang mga dagdag na singil na maaari namang bawasan,’ Villar, whose family used to run a power distribution utility company, said.

System loss refers to electricity that is lost before reaching consumers. This includes technical losses that naturally occur as power travels through the distribution system, as well as non-technical losses caused by factors such as electricity pilferage, inaccurate metering, unmetered consumption, and human error. Allowable system losses may currently be passed on to consumers and typically account for around five to six percent of an electricity bill, according to the explanatory note of Villar’s bill.

The proposal comes amid renewed efforts to bring down electricity costs in the country. The ERC has similarly recommended removing VAT on system loss charges, arguing that the tax should apply to electricity actually consumed by customers rather than power lost within the distribution system.

Villar added that the proposal is particularly timely as Filipino households continue to contend with high electricity costs. He also cites alarming data that the Philippines is among the highest electricity rates in Southeast Asia as of June 2026 and as well as among the highest in Asia.

‘Hindi makatarungan na ang consumer na nga ang sumasagot sa system loss, papatawan pa ito ng VAT. We have to make electricity charges fairer and ensure that every peso paid by Filipino families corresponds as much as possible to the electricity and services they actually receive,’ Villar stressed.

The senator added that even modest reductions in monthly electricity bills can provide meaningful relief when accumulated across millions of households, particularly for low- and middle-income families whose budgets are already stretched by everyday expenses.

‘Sa bawat bawas sa singil sa kuryente, may dagdag na puwedeng ilaan ang pamilya para sa pagkain, pamasahe, gamot, at edukasyon. This is a practical reform that can translate directly into savings for our consumers,’ Villar said.

The latest data on agricultural trade deficit from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) provided a glimpse of what the country is capable of in terms of its export performance. PSA data showed that the farm trade gap in May shrank 6.4 percent to $988.65 million, from last year’s $1.06 billion. (See, ‘Farm trade deficit narrows to $988.65M in May-PSA,’ in the BusinessMirror July 11, 2026). While payments for imported food continued to account for the lion’s share of agricultural trade during the period, the 12.8-percent increase in exports allowed the Philippines to narrow the deficit.

Of the products shipped out by the country, edible fruit and nuts, and peels of citrus fruit or melons were the top farm export in May, earning $299.68 million or 35.7 percent of total farm export revenues. This was followed by animal, vegetable, or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products; preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts, or other parts of plants; and tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes. Malaysia, according to the PSA, was the top buyer of Philippine food exports during the period.

The government is building on the recent gains in farm exports through its latest initiative-origin-based branding, which has the potential to prop up the value of agri-fishery exports. The Department of Agriculture (DA) has tapped the assistance of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) for geographical indications or GI. (See, ‘Origin-based branding seen hiking farm export receipts,’ in the BusinessMirror, July 29, 2026). According to IPOPHL, a geographical indication is any indication that identifies a good as originating in a territory, region or locality, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographical origin or human factors.

The Philippines’s aspiration is to have something like Champagne (France), Scotch whisky (Scotland), Parmigiano Reggiano (Italy), or Kobe beef (Japan). The DA said these products carry a bigger price tag because consumers associate them with a specific place, heritage and quality. These products, however, did not earn their reputation overnight; they were a result of years of innovation, attention to detail and the quest of producers to continually improve their offering.

The IPOPHL website indicated that three local products are already in its GI register-Guimaras mangoes, Aklan pina and Albuquerque Asin Tibuok. While mangoes are considered a major farm export of the Philippines, the two other GI products have yet to make significant inroads into foreign markets and earn a status that will enable them to shore up the country’s export receipts. Although mangoes are popular worldwide, exporters continue to face hurdles related to sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards and other non-tariff measures.

The government intends to expand its GI list with the potential inclusion of Cordillera Heirloom Rice, Davao Pomelo, Zambales Mangoes, Davao Cacao, Davao Durian, Bonuan Bangus, Quezon Lambanog, Camarines Norte Queen Pineapple, Oriental Mindoro Calamansi, and Bohol’s Ubi Kinampay. These products, however, must be acceptable to foreign markets and must meet stringent international standards. Sans the necessary support that will allow local producers to hurdle nontariff measures, these products will surely struggle to reach foreign shores.

THE Philippines won the women’s foil and men’s saber team gold medals and bagged two silver and four bronze medals in the Southeast Asian Fencing Federation (SEAFF) Cadet and Junior championship on Tuesday at the Arena TSH OCM in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Victoria Ebdane, Willa Galvez and Jodie Tan beat Vietnam, 44-37, in the women’s team foil gold medal play, while Khiane Felipe, Vito Coching, Drake Chung and Matthew General defeated Thailand, 45-40, in the men’s team saber final.

Oscar del Castillo clinched silver medal in men’s individual epee and bronze medal with Joaquin De Silos, Jacob Mayo and Boo Geronimo in men’s team epee.

Estelliah Gilliana, Hailey Sophia Peters, Arianna Tiu and Nadelle Turiano also gave Team Philippines a silver medal in women’s saber team event.

Bagging bronze medals were Team B of Canlas, Del Castillo and Malvar got bronze in women’s foil; Rhiana Cruz, Eleina Junia, Faith Olemos and Papina Torre in women’s epee; and Inigo Divinagracia, Lucas Palafox, Jethro Chan and Elijah Timbol in men’s foil.

Galvez-backed by Nickel Asia Corp., NLEX Corp., Rain or Shine, MVP Sports Foundation, Strong Group Athletics, Pocari Sweat and Icons Sports Management Services-also earned a bronze medal in women’s individual foil at the expense Singapore’s Sita Naidu Maaravis, 15-14, in the quarterfinals but lost to eventual gold medalist and Malaysia national team member Suraya Rizzal, 15-8.

After dispatching Philippines Team B of Yuna Canlas, Hagia del Castillo and Victoria Malvar in a nail-biting 29-28 triumph in the semifinals, Philippines Team A was in full control all throughout the finals match.

Protecting a slim 9-6 lead, the 15-year-old Galvez – a member of the multi-titled fencing team University of the East – outscored 10-1 her opponent Nguyen Thi Anh Thu on the fourth of nine bouts that gave the Philippines a comfortable 19-7 advantage.

Galvezaccounted for 21 of the team’s total touch points, Ebdane added 13 points while Tan had 10 points.

PRESIDENT Marcos on Tuesday said the government will push ahead with its waste-to-energy program as part of efforts to address garbage buildup in waterways and help mitigate flooding.

Marcos raised the issue after inspecting a high-vacuum self-priming drainage trailer pump in Barangay Zapote, Las Piñas City, amid heavy rains brought by two back-to-back tropical cyclones and the enhanced southwest monsoon or habagat in parts of Luzon.

The President said garbage had accumulated in waterways in nearby Parañaque City after floodwaters opened drainage channels, with high tide causing the waste to be trapped.

‘Nakita ninyo ang mga picture, punong-puno ng basura iyong mga kanal na hindi naman galing sa Parañaque, galing sa ibang lugar iyon (You saw the pictures – the canals were full of garbage that did not come from Parañaque. It came from other places],’ Marcos said.

He urged local governments (LGU) and the public to dispose of waste properly, warning that garbage dumped indiscriminately could worsen flooding and cause significant damage.

Marcos said the government will continue its waste-to-energy program, which involves processing garbage to generate electricity.

‘Kami naman sa pamahalaan, itutuloy na namin ang waste-to-energy program. Iyon iyong kinukuha basura at ito ay pino-process at ginagawang kuryente [For the government’s part, we will continue with the waste-to-energy program. It takes garbage, processes it, and turns it into electricity],’ he said.

‘Napakalaking bagay niyan kapag nagawa natin [That would be a very significant thing once we accomplish it].’

Marcos said waste-to-energy technology is already established, indicating that the government sees the program as a viable long-term measure for addressing the country’s waste problem.

The initiative is being pursued alongside flood-control measures under the administration’s Oplan Kontra Baha, including dredging waterways and completing flood-control infrastructure.

Marcos was accompanied by Public Works Secretary Vivencio Dizon and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority General Manager Nicolas Torre III, as well as local officials, during the Las Piñas inspection. PNA

Social housing is a basic need, not a political commodity. For low-income families still waiting for decent shelter, every new home built by the government means a step toward safer and more stable communities.

In the upland district of Calinan, rows of mid-rise buildings are changing the face of socialized housing in Davao City.

People’s Ville drew public attention after conflicting claims that the project should be credited to former President Rodrigo Duterte and her daughter Sara’s ‘accomplishment’ as city mayor prior to her being elected vice president, after a visit to the site in barangay Riverside on July 28 by President Marcos, and noted the pace of construction, with 26 buildings already completed and four more nearing completion within three years.

In Davao, long considered the Dutertes’ political stronghold, People’s Ville is emerging as one of the country’s largest modern social housing townships under the Marcos administration. It is also being seen as a possible model for affordable mass housing in fast-growing urban centers.

The Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC), a key shelter agency under the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, started construction in 2023. The work began a year after Marcos declared the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program, or 4PH, a priority in the national shelter agenda.

After Marcos took office, SHFC President and Chief Executive Officer Federico Laxa reviewed the agency’s assets and saw the potential of its property in Calinan District. SHFC later proposed the site for one of its 4PH vertical housing townships, along with projects in San Fernando, Pampanga; Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental; Tondo, Manila; and Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

On September 13, 2022, the Sangguniang Panlungsod approved the development permit for People’s Ville. A month later, the groundbreaking ceremony was held for Phases 1 to 3. The City Planning and Development Office then issued on July 26,2023 a certification, confirming that the project site was within a residential zone.

For Margo Babao, manager of SHFC’s 4PH projects in Davao City, People’s Ville marks a shift in public housing. He said the project is not only about putting roofs over families’ heads, but also about building a community where residents have safety, access and hope.

THE Senate has approved on final reading the proposed Revised Philippine Coast Guard law to strengthen the agency’s capabilities and organizational structure amid escalating challenges in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Sen. Raffy Tulfo, sponsor of Senate Bill 2116, seeks to repeal Republic Act 9993 or the Philippine Coast Guard Law of 2009 to address critical organizational gaps and allow the PCG to effectively respond to modern maritime threats and changing geopolitical demands.

Tulfo, chairperson of the Committee on Public Services, highlighted the frontline sacrifices of Coast Guard personnel who face harassment and water cannon incidents while asserting the country’s territorial integrity.

‘The Philippine Coast Guard continues to defend our sovereignty, assert our rights, and protect our territorial waters while it exercises strategic restraint to protect lives, uphold international law, and strengthen the country’s moral and legal position,’ he said.

Under the measure, a stronger organizational structure will be institutionalized through three core functional commands: maritime safety services, marine environmental protection, and maritime security law enforcement. It also mandates a sufficient minimum manpower requirement to effectively safeguard the country’s vast 36,000 kilometer coastline.

DIRECTOR General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. of the Bureau of Corrections has ordered the relief of two senior officers from the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) to pave the way for an investigation into the P6 million missing trust fund of persons of deprived of liberty (PDLs).

Relieved were Corrections Senior Supt. Daisy Sevilla-Castillote, CIW, superintendent and her deputy. C/Ssupt. Marites Lebardo.

Catapang directed the two officers to report to the Office of the Deputy Director General for Administration (DDGA) at the National Headquarters in Muntinlupa City.

He also sought the assistance of Muntinlupa Police Station in tracking down Corrections Officer 2 Bianca Ramos, who handles the PDLs’ trust fund.

Ramos has been absent without leave (Awol) since July 29.

Corrections Technical Senior Insp. Lariza Martin, the chief of the Reception and Diagnostic Center, has been designated as the acting superintendent of CIW.

Catapang has also directed BuCor’s Chief of the Internal Audit Service Unit Edgardo Virtudazo to conduct an internal audit concerning the alleged mishandling of trust funds.

The audit will include gathering and verifying all relevant details, existing information, and reports related to the issue.

Catapang also directed the Directorate for Intelligence and Investigation chief, lawyer Ferdinand V. Balduman, to conduct a parallel investigation to determine the extent of culpability among both former and current CIW officers.

‘If it were true that there are missing funds amounting to about P6 million, this did not happen overnight. We need to get to the bottom of this and hold those accountable in their proper place,’ said Catapang.

Catapang also expressed disappointment over the alleged involvement of BuCor personnel over the alleged anomaly.

‘It pains me that while we are striving to reform the Bureau of Corrections, our own men would be involved in this kind of anomaly. That is why I want this to be thoroughly investigated so that we can determine who should be held liable,’ Catapang said.

Maya Inc. announced last Wednesday of having bagged seven recognitions at the ‘2026 Stevie Awards for Great Employers’ after extending the artificial intelligence (AI) tools it uses in its consumer products into how it recruits, onboards and engages its workforce.

The haul covered four organizational categories and three individual honors. Maya took a ‘Silver Stevie’ for experience-driven employer branding, and ‘Bronze Stevies’ for scaling hiring with embedded AI, for its employee engagement program, and for its end-to-end onboarding design.

A higher penalty of P5,000 awaits violators of proper garbage disposal, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said on Wednesday.

Chairman Romando Artes of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said that the fine was raised from P500 to P5,000 across Metro Manila, following the approval of the Metro Manila Council (MMC) while violators in Pateros will be paying P2,500.

Artes said that they are just waiting for the ordinances from each city.

‘Ifo-follow up po natin ‘yan sa next Metro Manila Council meeting,’ Artes said. The MMC, composed of the 17 Metro Manila mayors, is the governing and policy-making body of the MMDA.

The MMDA and Metro Manila mayors have expressed alarm after a sea of trash clogged the Redemptorist Water Channel, Brgy. Baclaran, in Parañaque City after days of massive downpour brought about by heavy monsoon rains (habagat) and Tropical Depression Crising.

As of 3 p.m. of August 12, the MMDA reported that a total of 96 truckloads trash or 418.4 metric tons of waste/debris hauled at Redemptorist Water Channel.

A NATIONAL federation of fishermen has expressed support for the investigation of the ‘unauthorized’ reclamation activities disguised as flood control projects in the Taguig City side of Laguna de Bay, citing its violation of the ‘socio-economic and environmental rights’ of fisherfolk and urban poor families.

In a statement, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said that the reclamation is part of the 37-kilometer Laguna Lakeshore Road Network (LLRN) that has already displaced urban poor families and fishermen in Muntinlupa and Taguig City.

The LLRN Phase 1 orginates in Calamba, Laguna, and ends at Lower Bicutan in Taguig City.

‘Whether it be unauthorized or compliant with the proper procedures, reclamation is never beneficial to the coastal residents and aquatic resources. The said activity has been proven to be disadvantageous to the socio-economic rights of the people and the environment. Indeed, the Cayetano political clan in Taguig City must be held accountable for pushing for the destructive reclamation projects in Laguna de Bay, under the guise of flood control projects,’ Ronnel Arambulo, Pamalakaya vice chairperson said.

Pamalakaya also refuted Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano’s defense of the reclamation projects, which he claimed are meant for flood control and lake’s protection.

‘May we remind Senator Cayetano that the reclamation project can never be a flood control, nor a protectionary measure to the lake’s ecosystem. Scientific records and our actual experiences already point to a different reality from what Senator Cayetano is saying.

‘Reclamation projects carried out across the lake have further weakened the coastal communities’ defense against flooding because such activities obstruct the natural waterways,’ Pamalakya noted.

The said government activities are also to blame for the gradual degradation of Laguna de Bay’s aquatic and fishery resources. Aside from displacement, Laguna de Bay fishermen experience first-hand environmental degradation through depleted fish catch and the loss of the lake’s traditional and endemic fish species.

‘We support any investigation that will hold accountable the officials who pushed for the destructive reclamation projects in Laguna de Bay,’ Arambulo said.