ATTY. PEACHES ARANAS

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has issued Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 58, 2018 on the Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation on income tax between the Philippines and Mexico, which has entered into force last April 18, 2018. The Agreement was signed in November 17, 2015 between President Benigno Aquino and President Enrique Pena Neto ofMexico and was just ratified by the Philippine Senate last February 19, 2018. The Agreement shall have effect on income that arises in the Philippines beginning January 1, 2019.

The agreement is properly called a “double taxation agreement” or DTA but is more popularly known as a “tax treaty”. Before we go into the salient provisions of the Philippines-Mexico DTA, it would be worthwhile to know what is a DTA, and what is its purpose.

Let us assume that Mr. X, a Philippine citizen, provides consultancy services to a company in Mexico. Without going into the details of the Philippines-Mexico DTA, we can safely say that any income received by Mr. X for service rendered, may potentially be subject to Philippine taxes (Mr. X being a Philippine citizen) and Mexican taxes (as the income is derived, or has its source from Mexico). As the same income is subject to tax under two separate jurisdictions, “double taxation” arises. Thus, a DTA is an agreement signed by two countries to avoid, or if not, minimize double taxation.

The benefits that a DTA brings, especially to international trade, cannot be overemphasized. From our illustration above, the effects of double taxation, if left unchecked, will be to hamper the efficient flow of cross-border transactions. Specifically, Mr. X will feel safer in transacting business in the Philippines to avoid contending with potential tax issues from two separate tax jurisdictions. Countries (aka “contracting states”), in this case, the Philippines and Mexico, will then find it to their best interest to enter into and conclude as much DTAs as they can to address the issues of double taxation.

With that, we look into the salient provisions of the Philippines-Mexico DTA:

Dividends shall be taxed at the following rates:

5 percent if the beneficial owner is a company that directly holds at least 70 percent of the capital of the entity paying the dividends;

10 percent if the beneficial owner directly holds at least 10% of the capital of the entity paying the dividends;

15 percent in all other cases.

Save for a few exceptions, interest shall be taxed at 12.5 percent if the beneficial owner is a resident of the other contracting state.

Royalties shall be taxed at 15 percent if the beneficial owner is a resident of the other contracting state.

In the sale of shares or other participation rights, a transaction shall be exempt from capital gains tax if the sale takes place between affiliated companies to the extent that the consideration received by the transferor consists of shares of stock of the transferee, or of another company that owns at least 80 percent of the voting rights and value of the transferee, provided certain conditions are met.

The gains from the sale of shares, interests, or other rights in the capital of a company shall be taxable, if the seller has held, together with related persons, at least 20 percent of the capital of the company at any time during the 12-month period preceding the sale.

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San Beda University displayed a champion’s resolve, as it downed University of Perpetual Help System DALTA, 67-65, to open its three-peat bid on a high note in Season 94 National Collegiate Athletic Asso-ciation (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

San Beda head coach Boyet Fernandez lauded his wards for pulling off a win against Red Lions’ former mentor and multi-titled tactician Frankie Lim in front of a cheering crowd of 19,205.

James Kwekuteye of San Beda grabs a rebound against Jerome Pasia of Perpetual Help during the opening game of Season 94 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena . PHOTO BY RUSSELL PALMA

“Like I said, playing against coach Frankie will always be a tough one. It was an up and down game but the boys never gave up,” said Fernandez.

“We’re just happy to win the first game. It’s really tough to win opening games especially playing the host team but we still came through and win this game,” he added.

Main man Robert Bolick led San Beda with 15 points including a crucial steal at the end of the game. Veteran forward Javee Mocon pumped in a double-double of 14 markers and 10 boards while Came-roonian center Donald Tankoua tallied 12 points and as many boards.

“You know, Bolick is my go-to guy every game. He did a good job for us,” said Fernandez.

After a low-scoring first half at 33-all, Mocon exploded into action racking up nine points resulting in a slim 44-40 lead for San Beda heading into the final frame.

But host Perpetual Help snatched the advantage, 48-45 after rookie guard Jielo Razon sparked an 8-1 run at the start the payoff period.

The Lions roared back with an 8-2 rally led by Joe Presbitero to regain a 53-50 lead.

A seesaw tussle ensued until Toba Eugene completed a three-point play and Bolick sank three straight free throws for a 61-57 lead with three minutes left.

Tankoua finished a one-two play with Bolick to keep a four-point gap, 67-63, with 54.8 seconds remain-ing. Eze drew Tankoua’s final foul and converted his freebies to push Perpetual Help anew, 65-67, with 14.8 ticks left.

Presbitero muffed his shots from the charity stripe, giving the Altas a chance to tie or even win the game. But Bolick intercepted Edgar Charcos’ pass halfway the court to seal the hard-earned win.

Transfer guard Charcos led the Altas with 14 points while Nigerian big man Prince Eze had a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds.

AJ Coronel had 13 points and Razon had a decent debut as he finished with 10 markers, seven re-bounds and four assists in the loss.

Last season’s runner-up Lyceum of the Philippines University is still playing against San Sebastian Col-lege-Recoletos at press time.

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At a time when fake news and disruptive technology are making it hard to distinguish the real from the fabricated, the premium of authenticity is going sky-high. From the latest newsbreak to an industry report, readers and viewers everywhere want to be assured that what they are consuming is nothing less than the unexpurgated truth.

One company that has successfully weathered the test of trends and unreliable measurement devices is the global research firm Nielsen. Its network covers 100 countries, providing its client corporations accurate data and analyses which of its campaigns are effective, how its consumers are behaving, and which of their products are dominating their respective industries. Recently, its Philippine office has released game-changing studies, such as the pre-eminence of mobile in successful digital campaigns, and the rapid expansion of the small-format stores despite the continued growth of the powerful supermarkets.

John Patrick Cua, managing director of Nielsen Philippines, names the key factor that has made the company endure for decades in the country, and almost a century in its home country, the United States of America; “We stand for independence and lack of bias. We are careful with the Nielsen brand and protect it because our clients trust us.”

John Patrick Cua, managing director of Nielsen Philippines

While Nielsen’s famous ratings have often been associated with traditional media, the company has also been covering digital campaigns and platforms as well. The latter’s pace is faster, keeping everyone on their toes. At the same time, online media and measurement offers client companies certain advantages. Cua says, “We help advertisers determine if they did reach their correct target audience. This is done daily—and they can adjust. They don’t’ have to wait a month but they can change your placements every week.”

The accelerated pace and sudden changes in both digital technology and the market have also prompted the continuing drive to innovate. In the pipeline is a new measurement device that will assess the behavior patterns of what Cua calls the “total audience,” covering both digital and traditional media. Another groundbreaking product, Neurofocus, seems straight out of the annals of science fiction. Rooted in neuroscience, Cua describes it as “a methodology that uses the brain waves to help optimize the advertising programs and make them more effective. It will help brands optimize their marketing campaigns.”

Innovation has also spurred Nielsen’s workforce to shift their strategy and become more client-centric. There was a time that many of them were more focused on the numbers and the research. Without relinquishing that role, they are now encouraged to branch out and connect with their clients on a closer level, positioning themselves as “co-creators of solutions” that will address their requirements and re-mediate their issues.

Cua himself is undergoing the same transformation, making him the right person to lead the charge. A computer science degree and 16 years of working with systems, analytics, and finances in Procter & Gamble have made him adept in crafting business intelligence solutions. He then moved to Nielsen Philippines in 2013, holding as his last position the executive directorship of consumer packaged goods. Today, his focus as managing director is to promote the brand’s products and solutions to their B2B market, strengthen the relationships with his clientele, and ensure a robust financial bottom line.

“It is about profit and loss,” he says of his position that he assumed in October of 2017. “But then I’ve always wanted to run a business.”

Despite the headway that Nielsen has already carved in the Philippine market, Cua is enthused that there are still new frontiers waiting to be explored. He elaborates, “We want to help brands succeed if they want to expand into regional markets. For retailers that are family-owned, we want to help leverage their data and increase their profits. We can also help our media industry, online and offline, by leveraging their research to make them more profitable.”

Cua admits that part of the challenge of his job is contending with a lot of players in the market, both from the MNC and the agency sectors. One weapon in their arsenal is a principle that they have always lived by, and which is in great demand today: transparency. Cua elaborates, “Nielsen founder Arthur C. Nielsen said in the 1960s that markets that are more transparent operate more efficiently.” Done the right way, transparency can “actually provide more returns to Philippine companies.”

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Ignorance of Filipinos about investing in virtual currencies opens opportunities for cybercriminals, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said last week.

With the rising popularity and value of digital currency globally, there is also an equal need of increasing one’s knowledge in entering the cryptocurrency market, SEC Commissioner Ephyro Luis Amatong stressed during the panel discussion on “Demystifying Blockchain in the Age of Disruptions” in Makati City.

“[Fraudsters] take advantage of the fact that people don’t know where they are investing in … A fraudster will take advantage of a person’s ignorance. That’s their main road of stealing your money,” he said.

Amatong reiterated that people wanting to invest a large amount of money in cryptocurrency must be vigilant and inquisitive.

“What we always say at the SEC is be aware of what you’re doing when you invest your money. Ask questions. ‘Is this thing registered? Are there telltale red flags?’” he added.

Bitcoin as cryptocurrency (AFP FILE PHOTO)

In January SEC expressed its desire to craft regulations on initial coin offerings (ICOs) to guard Filipino investors from fraudsters.

“We are really trying to come out with regulations for ICOs. For now, we want to also come out with our own set of regulations, and the best that we could under the current circumstances is just to consider the Securities Regulation Code,” SEC Chair Emilio Aquino told reporters earlier.

Aquino said the regulator was looking at crowdfunding requirements, but no decisions have emerged yet as “it only addresses accredited investors for a limited period of time.”

Crowdfunding is a fundraising exercise to finance a project or venture happening via internet.

Given this, the Commission was in talks with its Australian counterparts and a US-based fintech group to learn more about ICO models. Aquino noted the Commission was open-minded about this, particularly for remittance purposes as Filipino overseas workers are expected to benefit from “lower costs and faster money transfer.”

“So long as you are able to comply, you submit to us and we feel that investor protection issues are duly addressed and we get to safeguard our investors, and then of course following strict disclosure requirements under the SRC, then more or less we will allow it,” he stressed.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) also released the Circular 944 stating rules and regulations concerning the virtual currency exchanges versus money laundering and terrorist financing.

“We have actually allowed the use of cryptocurrency in remittance services, but we also impose obligations to fullfill anti-money laundering commitments,” BSP Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. told reporters in October 2017.

Espenilla said the Philippines acknowledged this innovation to increase financial inclusion and to improve the financial system.

“We also realize pragmatically that even as we talk, it grows, whether or not we like it. So rather than prohibit something that is very hard to prohibit anyway, we chose to engage, and the industry has accepted that engagement to the BSP,” he said.

The central bank’s latest data said the monthly average transaction values in bitcoin surged from $2 million in 2015 to $6 million last year.

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A STORM that the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center categorized as a “super typhoon” has maintained its strength as it headed towards the Philippines on Sunday, the state-run weather bureau said.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said “Maria” (international name) would be named “Gardo” and would be categorized only as a “typhoon” once it enters the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

The typhoon is 1,820 kilometers (km) east of Central Luzon as of 3 p.m., packing winds of up to 185 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 225 kph. It continues to head northwest at 15 kph, Pagasa said.

It will unlikely make landfall but will trigger the southwest monsoon or “habagat” over large areas of Luzon and Visayas, weather specialist Aldzcar Aurelio said.

“It may still intensify as a super typhoon as it hovers over the sea towards the country,” he said.

Pagasa’s classification of a super typhoon is one with maximum winds of up to 200 kph, Aurelio said.

“Yolanda” in 2013 was a super typhoon that ravaged the country with its 200-kph winds and heavy rain, killing thousands and damaging billions of pesos worth of crops and infrastructure.

As of posting time, the southwest monsoon is expected to bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms over Metro Manila, Western Visayas, Mimaropa, the provinces of Bataan, Zambales, Batangas, and Cavite.

Mimaropa is composed of the provinces of Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan.

The public is advised to monitor possible flooding and landslides in these areas.

The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers caused by localized thunderstorms, Pagasa said. GLEE JALEA

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LOS ANGELES: Star guard Devin Booker signed a maximum contract extension with the Phoenix Suns on Saturday worth a reported $158 million over five years.

“We are thrilled to announce this contract extension with Devin,” Suns general manager Ryan McDonough said in a statement.

“‘Book has been a pillar for the Suns franchise ever since he arrived in Phoenix in 2015. Devin and the team both wanted to extend his agreement with the club as long as we possibly could.”

Booker, 21, said he was “humbled and honored” to make a long term commitment to the Suns.

“Thank you to the Suns for drafting me and believing in me,” he said.

Through his first three seasons with the Suns, Booker has averaged 19.8 points, 3.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 208 games.

On March 24, 2017, Booker scored a franchise record 70 points at Boston, becoming just the sixth player in NBA history to record a 70-point game.

Booker averaged 24.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game last season, making him one of nine players in the league and the youngest to average at least 24 points, four rebounds and four assists per game.

Booker has 4,120 career points and eclipsed the 4,000-point mark on March 2, 2018, at the age of 21 years, 123 days old.

The only two NBA players to reach 4,000 points at a younger age are LeBron James and Kevin Durant. AFP

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FIVE members of a Filipino family in the United States were killed in a car accident in New Jersey in the United States, according to reports of the incident posted online.

According to NorthJersey.com and People Magazine, the Trinidads from Teaneck, New Jersey came from a beach vacation in the state of Delaware, when the accident involving two other vehicles took the lives of Audie, 61, and his four daughters, Kaitlyn, Danna, Allison, and Melissa, aged 13 to 20, on Friday afternoon (Saturday morning in Manila). Only Mary Rose Trinidad, 53, Trinidad’s wife and mother of the children, survived the accident.

In its official Facebook page, state police reported that the accident happened on Pine Tree Road at 3:47 p.m. on Friday (3:47 a.m. Manila time).

Trinidad’s brother, Daniel, told the NorthJersey paper that the family attended church every Sunday and did not understand why this happened.

“The coffin part will be the hardest part,” he said. “How do you bury five people at the same time?

According to NorthJersey, a GoFundMe page was set up to raise money for the injured mother. The couple originally met in New York City in 1980’s. ARIC JOHN SY CUA

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THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is now working closely with the Iraqi and Libyan authorities in securing the release of five Filipinos whom armed men took in two separate incidents on Friday.

“The Department, through our embassies in Baghdad and Tripoli, has been informed that five of our kababayans have been taken by armed men in Iraq and Libya on Friday,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement.

Chargé d’Affaires Julius Torres from the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad said there were actually four Filipinas who were on their way to Baghdad from Kurdistan when a still unidentified armed group blocked their vehicle and abducted two of them along a highway in Uzem District, south of Kirkuk. The two other Filipinas escaped and are now in police custody.

Torres said the embassy received reports that the driver abandoned his vehicle, leaving behind his passengers.

In another kidnapping incident, three Filipino technicians were among four foreigners taken by a group of armed men from a waterworks project site also on Friday, according to the Philippine embassy in Tripoli.

Chargé d’Affaires Mardomel Melicor said armed men entered the construction site 500 kilometers from Tripoli early morning Friday and took five foreigners and four Libyans from their quarters.

Melicor said the armed men later released one of the foreign workers and all the Libyans.

“We are in touch with authorities in Iraq and Libya and have requested their assistance in locating and securing the release of our missing kababayan (countrymen),” Cayetano said. JEFFERSON ANTIPORDA

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FOUR countries have expressed willingness to supply the Philippine Air Force (PAF) with new helicopters after scrapping the contract with Canada, the Department of National Defense (DND) said on Sunday.

These are the US, Russia, Turkey and South Korea whose representatives met with defense officials and members of the PAF technical working group (TWG) at the military headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Defense Spokesman Arsenio Andolong said.

The TWG was formed to consider other countries with the capability to deliver combat choppers.

“The Air Force is taking these steps, which is to look for other sources as replacement to the cancelled deal on the helicopters with Canada,” Andolong told The Manila Times.

Andolong was referring to the deal terminated by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte after the Canadian government ordered a review on the procurement of combat utility helicopters by the Philippines.

The review was prompted by a report that the helicopters from Canada would be used for counterinsurgency operations.

Andolong also said that despite South Korea’s visit to the DND headquarters in Quezon City, it did not mean that Manila had sealed the deal.

“It is not a done deal yet. The technical working group of the Air Force is still conducting its market research over the potential countries that may be the new sources for the choppers and as of this time, they are still pre-studying the countries,” he said. DEMPSEY REYES

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ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Philippine military on Sunday urged anew the Abu Sayyaf, which has forged ties with the Islamic State (IS), to surrender peacefully and return to the fold of the law, after 13 of its fighters surrendered in the southern province of Sulu.

Lt. Col. Gerry Besana, a spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command, said the militants surrendered late Saturday to the 2nd Special Force Battalion under Lt. Col. Jessie Montoya, in Samak village in Talipao town.

Citing a report from Joint Task Force Sulu, Besana said the militants also surrendered their weapons. “The surrenderees brought along with them assorted high and low-powered firearms and promised to bring more after their initial processing at the headquarters of the 2nd Special Forces Battalion,” Besana said.

He also quoted, Brig. Gen. Divino Rey Pabayo, task force commander, as saying: “This is a clear manifestation that we are achieving our goal of clearing Sulu province from the menace of the Abu Sayyaf through peaceful means by giving them a better option and to re-embrace the true essence of Islam.”

Lt. Gen. Arnel dela Vega, Western Mindanao Command chief, praised the surrender of the Abu Sayyaf fighters and assured them of government aid as part of “Oplan: Balik-loob,” which encourages militants to surrender to authorities.

“We welcome the surrenderees and we ensure that they will be covered by the support packages offered under the government’s Oplan Balik-loob. We urge the other Abu Sayyaf members to do the same because there is nothing more fulfilling than to accomplish our mission without any bloodshed,” dela Vega said.

The military did not say who negotiated the surrender of the militants, or if they were involved in the spate of ransom kidnappings and terrorism in the restive region. The Abu Sayyaf is still holding nearly a dozen, mostly foreign sailors.

The Abu Sayyaf, whose leaders have pledged allegiance to the IS, has been on a deadly campaign for over two decades now. It is one of several militant groups fighting for a separate homeland in Mindanao, which was previously under Muslim rule. AL JACINTO

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PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde on Sunday directed all special investigation task groups to take a closer look into the spate of killings on local executives.

“We in the PNP are committed in getting to the bottom of this and have already tasked our special investigation task groups on the ground to conduct a thorough investigation,” Albayalde said in a statement.

“We are disturbed and saddened by this and similar incidents involving our local chief executives,” he said.

Albayalde issued the directive a day after Trece Martires, Cavite vice mayor Alexander Lubigan and his driver, Romul Guillemer, were shot dead.

Lubigan was the third local executive to be killed in a month.

Tanauan City mayor Antonio Halili was felled by an assassin’s bullet during a flag ceremony at the city hall on July 2.

A day after, mayor Ferdinand Bote of General Tinio, Nueva Ecija was ambushed and killed after his meeting at the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Nueva Ecija.

Albayalde urged the public to help police in investigating the recent spate of killings by providing information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects to “help us quickly solve these cases so that justice will be served to the victims and their families.” DEMPSEY REYES

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Higher-than-expected inflation is expected to continue to remain on investors’ minds this week although attention could turn to listed firms’ earnings prospects, analysts said.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange (index), which snapped a four-day recovery last Thursday following news that consumer price growth had hit a five-year high of 5.2 percent in June, could go either way this week, analysts said.

“It’s all going to come down to volume. If we see more volume come in then we may end higher but if we get another low-volume week then we will see it come down even further,” Eagle Equities, Inc. research head Chris Mangun said.

For online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia.com, meanwhile, investors’ focus will likely turn to earnings and whether listed firms remain on track with regard to full-year expectations.

Mangun said the June inflation result, which breached market expectations and fanned fears of further Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) policy rate hikes, would continue to influence trading decisions.

Consumer price growth has stayed above a 2.0-4.0 target since March, prompting the BSP’s policy-making Monetary Board to order two successive 25-basis point rate hikes in May and June.

Some analysts expect an increase of as much as 50 bps to be announced as early as next month.

The Bangko Sentral, which has described June inflation as a “setback”, last Friday said that this year’s peak would only be hit in the third quarter.

Year-to-date inflation, at 4.3 percent, is already near the upper end of the revised 4.0-4.5 percent forecast announced just last week by economic managers.

Friday saw the PSEi fall further to 7,186.71, down 0.65 percent or 46.86 points, while the wider All Shares fell 0.46 percent or 20.28 points to end at 4,387.34.

A boost could come from Friday’s market gains elsewhere, with Wall Street up for a second straight session as investors chose to focus on strong US jobs data instead of the start of a trade war between the US and China.

European markets also gained, taking their cues from a bargain hunting-driven rebound in Asia.

WITH A REPORT BY ANGELICA BALLESTEROS

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NSFR adoption could prompt banks to cut long-term lending – BMI
Bank compliance with new liquidity requirements adopted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) could pose an indirect downside risk to economic growth, a Fitch Group unit said.

In a report released late last week, BMI Research said it expected “Philippines banks to feel some pinch in the short-term in the form of higher transition and funding costs as they adjust their balance sheets in order to comply” with the newly adopted net stable funding ratio (NSFR).

The NSFR, a measure of a bank’s ability to fund liquidity needs over a year, is part of the Basel III reform package drawn up by international regulators in response to the 2007-2008 global financial crisis.

BMI noted that the NSFR covers the long-term aspect and mandates the amount of available stable funding (ASF) to exceed the required stable funding (RSF) for a one-year period of extended stress.

Beginning January 1, 2019, banks and select subsidiaries will have to maintain an NSFR of 100 percent on both solo and consolidated bases.

BMI pointed out that businesses could see drop in the availability of long-term financing as banks are likely to be discouraged from conducting business that involve higher RSF.

“This may see banks cut back on long-term lending, undermining banks’ traditional role in liquidity and maturity transformation in the economy,” it said.

“This poses downside risks to economic growth in the Philippines given that the country has an underdeveloped capital markets and businesses rely more on banks for long-term financing,” BMI added.

In general, it acknowledged that banks would likely be forced to cut back on short-term wholesale funding and raise deposit rates to attract more retail deposits, which could see funding costs increase over the coming quarters.

However, BMI said this was unlikely to be a big issue for most Philippine banks given that the overall industry loan-to-deposit ratio stood at 74.3 percent as of April 2018.

“There will also likely be an increase in the issuance for longer-dated debt by banks with a maturity of one year or greater, which could lead to a steepening of the yield curve,” it continued.

Overall, the research firm stressed that that the adoption of the NSFR would be positive for financial stability over the long-run.

It highlighted that the rationale for NSFR was to limit structural maturity mismatches and to reform the asset and liability structures of banks to make them less prone to cyclical factors.

“The BSP has typically been ahead of its regional peers when it comes to the adoption of macro prudential regulations and we believe that this will continue to help safeguard financial stability,” BMI said.

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TYPHOON “Maria” entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Monday morning and was renamed “Gardo”, the state-run weather bureau said.

As of 7 a.m., Gardo was 1,350 kilometers (km) east of Basco, Batanes, packing strong winds of 200 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 245 kph, as it moved west-northwest at 30 kph.

“Gardo is not expected to hit any part of the country but will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon over parts of Luzon and Visayas,” weather specialist Meno Mendoza of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

Mendoza added that Gardo would exit the country on Wednesday evening

The southwest monsoon is currently bringing cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms over Metro Manila, Western Visayas, Mimaropa, Calabarzon, Bicol region, the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Aurora, Bataan, and Zambales.

Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon make up Calabarzon while Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan make up Mimaropa.

Flash floods or landslides are possible because of light to moderate to at times heavy rains.

Pagasa added that Gardo would enhance the southwest monsoon in these areas until Tuesday.

Monsoon rains may also affect most of Luzon, especially over the western section, beginning Wednesday.

The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers caused by localized thunderstorms, Pagasa said.

Local government units (LGUs) and some parts of Luzon suspended classes on Monday because of the inclement weather.

READ: http://www.manilatimes.net/walangpasok-july-9/417388/

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SOME local government units (LGUs) announced the cancellation of classes in parts of Luzon on Monday because of the threat of floods from the heavy rain spawned by a typhoon that entered the Philippines earlier in the day.

The announcement comes as Typhoon “Maria,” categorized as a “super typhoon” by the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center, swept into the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and was renamed “Gardo,” packing 185-kilometer per hour winds (kph) that would enhance the southwest monsoon over Luzon and the Visayas.

As of posting time, classes are suspended in:

Metro Manila:
Marikina City – all levels (public and private)
Muntinlupa City – all levels (public and private)
Parañaque City – all levels (public and private)

Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR):
Abra – all levels (public and private)

Region 3 (Central Luzon):
Balagtas, Bulacan – all levels (public and private)

Region 4-A (Calabarzon)

Cavite
Bacoor – all levels (public and private)
Dasmariñas – all levels (public and private)

Rizal
Binagonan – all levels (public and private)
Cainta – all levels (public and private)
Morong – all levels (public and private)
Rodriguez – all levels (public and private)
San Mateo – all levels (public and private)
Tanay – all levels (public and private)
Tereza – all levels (public and private)
Taytay – all levels (public and private)

GLEE JALEA

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THE proposed Bangsamoro Basic law (BBL) — a measure that abolishes the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and replaces it with Bangsamoro Region – is constitutional and will be signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte during his third State of the Nation Address (Sona) on July 23, members of Congress said on Monday.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas of Ilocos Norte at the House of Representatives made the announcement on the first day of discussions of the bicameral conference committee on the BBL.

“In performing our duties, we should be guided with constitutionality. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land [and]sets both the latitude and delimitations of what we can incorporate in the BBL,” Zubiri said in his opening statement.

“We have to be guided by the Constitution because anything we do here will surely be questioned,” Fariñas said.

The proposed BBL provides that a duly-elected Bangsamoro Parliament will govern the Bangsamoro Region.

Under the 1987 Constitution, autonomous regions should be created in Muslim Mindanao and in the Cordilleras “consisting of provinces, cities, municipalities, and geographical areas sharing common and distinctive historical and cultural heritage, economic and social structures, and other relevant characteristics within the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippines.”

Likewise, the 1987 Charter provides that the President will maintain general supervision over autonomous regions “to ensure that laws are faithfully executed”.

Fariñas called on his colleagues to pass the BBL in time for President Dutere’s third SONA.

“If we can come up with an acceptable version for both panels, we will present this to our respective chambers for ratification when we resume our Third Regular Session on July 23 so that the President can sign it into law in the afternoon of the same day,” Fariñas said. LLANESCA T. PANTI

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SEN. Grace Poe is still the leading candidate among senatorial hopefuls in the May 2019 elections, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey released on Monday.

The poll from June 15 to 21 among 1,800 adult Filipinos nationwide showed Poe topping the survey with 70.8 percent of the respondents, saying that they will vote for her.

Taguig City Rep. Pia Cayetano ranked second with 55.7 percent followed by incumbent Sen. Cynthia Villar with 50.1 percent (for a statistical ranking of 3rd to 4th place).

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio garnered 46.2 percent (ranked 3rd to 5th), followed by Sen. Edgardo “Sonny” Angara Jr. with 41.9 percent (ranked 4th to 8th), former senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada with 37.9 percent (ranked 5th to 12th) and Bureau of Corrections Director Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa with 37.7 percent (ranked 5th to 12th).

Completing the “magic 12” are Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel 3rd with 37.7 percent (ranked 5th to 12th), Sen. Nancy Binay with 37.1 percent (ranked 6th to 12th), former senator Sergio Osmeña with 36.6 percent (ranked 6th to 13th places), former senator Lito Lapid with 36.2 percent (ranked 6th to 13th places) and Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito: 35.6 percent (ranked 6th to 13th places)

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THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday said that no Filipino casualties have been reported in the areas affected by the massive floods and landslides triggered by the record heavy rainfall in Japan over the weekend.

“No reports so far of Filipino fatalities in the areas affected by the massive floods and landslides that came after the western region was pounded by record heavy rainfall over the weekend,” the DFA said in a statement based on a report submitted by the consulate general in Osaka.

Consul General Aileen Bugarin said members of the Filipino Community in the affected areas have been advised to heed warnings from authorities about possible flooding and mudslides.

They were also told to monitor announcements from local authorities, especially on a possible evacuation. JEFFERSON ANTIPORDA

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MAE SAI, Thailand: The second phase of an operation to evacuate the remaining nine members of a Thai football trapped deep in a flooded cave is underway, the chief of the rescue bid told reporters Monday.

“At 11 am sent (in) the second operation,” Narongsak Osottanakorn said, adding he hopes it will be “quicker” than Sunday’s operation which brought out four of the team. AFP

AFP/CC

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FOR the second time this month, oil companies in the Philippines will raise the prices of petroleum products effective on Tuesday.

Prices of diesel and gasoline will climb by 35 centavos per liter and 40 centavos per liter, respectively. On the other hand, the price of kerosene will increase by 70 centavos per liter starting on Tuesday.

So far, companies that have announced their price adjustments for this week include Flying V, Petro Gazz, Phoenix Petroleum, Pilipinas Shell, and PTT Philippines. JORDEENE B. LAGARE

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