Gov, Cong. Guicos to Appeal to the FIRB Sumitomo's Dilemma

FOR THE HIRING OF ANOTHER 7,000 WORKERS

By Mortz C. Ortigoza, MPA

 LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The governor of Pangasinan and his congressman’s father will appeal to the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) to allow Sumitomo North Philippines Wiring Systems Corporation (SNPWSC) in Binalonan to push through on its Phases 2 and 3 expansions so another 7,000 workers could be hired.

The Sumitomo North Philippines Wiring Systems Corporation in Binalonan, Pangasinan. 

SNPWSC has 3,000 present workers there.

Together with 5^th District Rep., Ramon Guico, Jr. Governor Ramon V. Guico, III exhorted national leaders and their agencies and others to join the provincial government in solving the dilemma faced by SNPWSC with the FIRB.

Governor Guico said the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act he suspected required the FIRB to direct the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) for Sumitomo to hurdle another layer of requirements.

“But iyang isang layer iyan nadala po namin sa Binalonan dumaan pa ng FRRB hindi na-isubmit yata I have to look into it kung mali ang aking information. Sabi po ng Sumitomo hindi po nila kasalanan na hindi sila na-aprobahan ng Foreign Investment Review Board ng mga PEZA approval o benefits. So almost 3,000 employees na sila ngayon doon sa economic zone. 10,000 iyan e,” the Governor told reporters in the Capitol ground here.

Republic Act No. 11534, otherwise known as the CREATE Act, is the second package of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program that reduces corporate Income tax rates.

 SNPWSC said, according to the Governor, that incase Sumitomo could not get the imprimatur of the FIRB they would not continue the construction of the Phases 2 and 3 that could generate another thousands of jobs.

“So ngayon hindi nila kasalanan kasi parang it seems late ang submission ng PEZA to the FIRB”.

SNPWSC is into the manufacture and sales of wiring harnesses for electric automobiles, hybrid-car related components, and electronics around the world.

The come-on by the government of the PEZA sanctioned locators like the SNPWSC are the four to seven years Income Tax Holiday (ITH) or 5% Gross Income Taxation (GIT), Value Added Tax zero-rated purchases and duty-free importations given by the government for countless of years so the motivated investor could recoup immediately the capital and the cost of goods exported to other countries.

 

LMP Prexy, Lingayen Mayor Bataoil Exhorts Youth Leaders to Vote Wisely

 

League of the Municipalities of the Philippines - Pangasinan Chapter President and Lingayen Mayor Leopoldo Bataoil exhorts youth leaders in the 44 towns and 4 cities' province to vote wisely on November 14 election of the Federation President of the Sangguniang Kabataan in their respective local government units.

36 Out of 48 LGUs in P’sinan Pass CFLGA

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

 Only 36 out of the 48 local government units (LGU) in Pangasinan hurdle the 2022 Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA) conducted last year by the Department of Interior & Local Government (DILG).

PANGASINAN MAYORS. Top photo first row: Lingayen Mayor Leopoldo Bataoil (left) and Calasiao Mayor Kevin Roy Macanlalay. Second row: From L-to-R: Mangaldan Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno, San Fabian Mayor Marlyn Agbayani and Basista Mayor Jolly R. Resuello. Third row: Manaoag Mayor Jeremy Agerico Rosario (left) and Sta. Barbara Mayor Lito Zaplan.

 Those that were given the awards early this month were the cities of Alaminos, Dagupan, San Carlos and Urdaneta and the towns of Aguilar, Alcala, Anda, Asingan, Balungao, Bani, Basista, Bayambang, Binalonan, Bugallon, Burgos, Calasiao, Infanta, Laoac, Lingayen, Malasiqui, Manaoag, Mangaldan, Mangatarem, Natividad, Pozorrubio, Rosales, San Fabian, San Manuel, San Quintin, Sta. Barbara, Santa Maria, Sto. Tomas, Sual, Umingan, Urbiztondo and Villasis.

 The CFLGA is a mandatory audit chaired by the DILG in support of the country’s commitments to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). It covers all 145 cities and 1,489 municipalities in the Philippines.

 The LGUs were assessed last year using major indicators categorized based on the children’s rights on survival, development, protection, participation and governance.

Some of the indices based on the five major indicators above are the following:

Percentage covering of fully immunized children age 0-12 month old; percentage coverage of children age 3-4 years old provided with early childhood care and development (ECCD) services; both public and privately managed and home centered or community-based; management of reported cases of children in need of special protection (CNSP); child representation in the local council for the protection of children.

Q&A: Hamas Attacks Worse than the 3 Major Arabs-Israeli Wars – Amb.

Political columnist Mortz C. Ortigoza interviewed recently Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines His Excellency Ilan Fluss. The Ambassador – a former naval officer wore a skullcap or kippah - was accompanied by Consul Moti Cohen when they visited the office of Binmaley Mayor Pete Merrera in Pangasinan. The envoys were in the town to attend the internment of Hamas terrorists murdered caregiver Angelyn Peralta Aguirre,33. EXCERPTS:

Israel Amb. Ilan Fluss interviews by Mortz C. Ortigoza.

MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA (MCO): Your Excellency, I'm an avid student of Israel history. From the war against the Arabs in the 1948 Partition, the 1967 Six Days War to the 1973 Yom Kippur War, was the attack of Islamic militants (that killed more than 1,200 Jews) last October 7 the worst that happened in your country?

 AMB. ILAN FLUSS (AIF): It is not the worst which happened in our country compared to those wars, it is the worst attack in our country as the number of casualties in one day since the Holocaust. If we can share the footages of murdering (by Hamas) of the entire families, parents and their children burning in their cars, beheading of babies, beheading of adult (sic) soldiers, butchering innocent people, family, civilians. So these were the atrocities Israel has not seen before. Hamas (wanted) to destroy the State of Israel and to murder all Jews and all Israelis and Hamas is not alone. Hamas is supported by Islamic Jihads and it is supported by Hezbollah which controls Southern Lebanon which is bordering (the) northern part of Israel. They are all supported by Iran which has the same ideology. 

MCO: U S State Secretary Antony Blinken is in Jordan today talking with the Arab world's leaders about the bombings of Israel in Gaza City that saw almost 10,000 dead mostly civilian Palestinians. People around the world have been demonstrating in the streets their anger against the Israelis because of these carnages. If U.S President Joe Biden (aside from the yearly $3.8 billion military aid to Israel, Biden requested U.S Congress this year $14.3 billion mostly in arms for Tel Aviv) asks your country to have ceasefire, would you stop your ground troops inside Gaza City?

AIF: This is purely…. and President Biden is not asking for ceasefire. Will be discussing on humanitarian corridors different other means in order to make it for the civilians. Unfortunately, Hamas is using the civilians as human shields as human shields they were forced to stay in the military zone. We have more than 230 hostages that have been kidnapped Israelis and non- Israelis that to be released by Hamas that nobody seen them for the last month. No. 2, Israel will not allow to have been attacked by Hamas again -- which means no more terror facilities which should be on our border. We cannot accept Hamas on our border and this is supported by the international community. U.S is a very close ally and is trying to help for some of the resolutions. It’s too early to say what’s going to be and what’s going to be the pressure. We really hope to achieve as soon as possible to end this war and to bring peace and development for the Israelis and Palestinians alike. The war is not against the Palestinians. The war is against Hamas which launched this attack.

MCO: What were the benefits from the Israeli government of the four Filipinos killed by Hamas in your country?

AIF: The family also get the benefits and assistance from the Israeli government. Assistance for burial, assistance for the wake and also later for the monthly basis they will be getting income for their parents, their husbands, (and) children. They will be getting monthly income I’ll show to you later the figure they will be getting monthly income from the Israeli government. They will be getting too also special assistance/allowances for medical treatment, for education.

NOTE: On a list of benefits given by Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Fluss to Binmaley Mayor Merrera, the monetary benefits are the following:

Burial and Mourning Expenses

Mourning expenses:                   P112,476.00

Widowhood grant:                           80,780.00

Participation in burial expenses:    72,800.00

Maintenance of the grave:              50,442.00 (Once in every 5 years)

TOTAL:                                               316,498.00

Monthly Benefits

For spouse or common law

    partner                                        P134,749.44 (Amount can be higher

   depending on the number of children)

For bereaved parents

(combined)                                         118,297.06

For single parent                                  94,637.65   

 

     Annual Benefits

Annual convalescence grant             P50,288.00   

 Memorial grant                                     14,182.00   

 

 

 

Opisyales ng SK Batang Namulat sa Kurapsyon

 Ni Mortz C. Ortigoza

 Maagang namulat ang mga Pilipinong kabataan ngayon sa kurapsyon. Mantakin ninyo sa idad na 18 years old hanggang 24 years old makakatangap sila ng P50,000 to P100,000 sa linggong ito sa mga magulang at pulitiko na sumusuporta sa kandidatura ng isa para sa pagka president ng Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation sa Sangguniang Bayan o Panlungsod (town and city’s lawmaking bodies) sa karamihan sa buong Pilipinas.

 Ang mananalo dito sa pamamagitan ng majority votes ng mga SK chairmen sa mga barangays ng bayan o siyudad ay maging ex - officio ng Konseho.

Ibig sabihin sila ay may katumbas na kapangyarihan at perks and privileges ng isang town o city councilor.

Kada isa sa kanila ay magsasahod kada buwan ng P80,000 to P100,000 kagaya rin ng isang councilor ng first class town o siyudad.

***

Pero bago ang sahuran, kung sino ang may pinakamaraming pera sa mga SK chairmen na ito na pambili ng boto ay may pagkakataon manalo sa pagiging ex-officio Councilor sa pamamagitan ng vote buying sa kapwa nila kabataan. Siyempre ang pasimuno diyan ay ang mga magulang o ang mayor na backer ng kandidato na gustong makitang panalo ang manok nila lalo na sa Alkalde na may kakulangan ang numero niya sa mga Konsehales sa Konseho para maipasa ang gusto niyang legislation o batas – kung saan pinagkikitaan niya rin.

Iyong ibang mga magulang na gumagastos ng sobra sa eleksiyon ng SK President ay hinahabol na lang nila diyan ang prestihiyo ng puwesto.

Mantakin mo ba naman pati Major o Colonel na Chief of Police ng bayan “Sir” o “Maam” ang tawag sa anak nila dahil ang salary grade niya sa gobyerno ay mataas.

“Noong tumakbo ang anak ko bumili kami ng P500 kada isa sa 500 botante na binadgetan namin,” ani ng isang ina na kung saan siya at ang kanyang mister ay gumastos ng P250, 000 para lang manalo sa pagiging SK Chairman at maging ex-officio Kagawad ng barangay ang kanilang anak noong October 30 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election (BSKE).

Ang sahod pala kada buwan (kasama na ang 13th month pay) ng anak nila sa barangay ay P10,000 o P260,000 sa dalawang taon na term hanggang November 30, 2025.

Dahil gusto nilang manalo muli ang  anak sa pagiging SK President ng bayan, namili na sila sa 12 na SK Chairmen ng tag P50, 000 kada isa.

“Ang kalaban namin na pamangkin ng national public official ay namili na rin pero siyam (9) lang ang hawak nila,” dagdag pa niya.

Sa kasalukuyan naghahanap ang mag-asawa – na backed up ng Alkalde nila – kung saan “kikidnapen” ang twelve na mga bata ngayong linggo para hindi na masulot ng pamangkin ng bilyunaryo na pulitiko na pueding tapatan ng P100,000 ang P50, 000 nila bumaliktad lang ang mga nabili nilang SK opisyal at panalunin sa Lunes na eleksiyon sa pagka Presidente ng SK ang manok ng kalaban.

“Naghahanap kami ng resort kung saan namin dadalhin at itago ang mga bata,” ani ng Ina sa kagustuhan ng mga kabataan na magliwaliw ngayong araw hanggang sa linggo.

Sa kidnapping na ito, libre ang lamon, inuman at babaeng bayaran (sa mga lalaking SK chairmen) sa mga kabataan pero ang mga cellphone nila ay embargo muna para iwas sulot ng kabilang kampo.

Tawag ko sa ganitong pangyayari sa English column ko ay Bacchanalian Feast – isang wild, wine-soaked rowdy party.

Pag sinuwerte ang mga ito, bago sila bumalik sa bayan nila para bumoto, mabibigyan uli sila ng dagdag na paldong datung.

Nakakaingit ba o nakakasuka ang kalakaran sa SK? Basahin itong blog kong ito para lalo kayong maingit o masuka:P5-M to Win an S.K Presidency Thru Vote Buying

It’s the U.S not the Colombians that destroyed Escobar

MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

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I am a twenty years seasoned Op-Ed Political Writer in various newspapers and Blogger exposing government corruptions, public officials idiocy and hypocrisies, and analyzing local and international issues. I have a master’s degree in Public Administration and professional government eligibility. I taught for a decade Political Science and Economics in universities in Metro Manila and cities of Urdaneta, Pangasinan and Dagupan. Follow me on Twitter @totoMortz or email me at totomortz@yahoo.com.

P’sinan Guv Lauds Senators Alan, Pia

FOR P175-M PROJECTS 

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The governor of Pangasinan expressed recently his gratitude and lauded the sibling’s Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Pia Cayetano for interceding in the national government on the P175 million of projects for the provincial government.

SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano (left) and Pangasinan Governor Ramon V. Guico, III.

Governor Ramon V. Guico, III told the provincial government officials, brass of the Department of Publics Works and Highways (DPWH), his consultants and other guests who attended the ground breaking ceremony held at the capitol ground last November 6 that the P100 million would be allocated to fund the Reflecting Pool and Interactive Fountain.

He cited that the P75 million would be intended to bolster the construction of the various district hospitals spread in the forty-four towns and three cities’ province.

“I’d like to thank personally Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Pia Cayetano for their initiative for this project of the province (the national government) has funded. It’s not only this I’m sure that there will be phase-1, phase-2 if needed. In addition to this funding of P100 million, the good Senators funded an expansion of our Eastern Pangasinan District hospitals of P75 million,” he said.

The governor has been working with the chiefs of hospitals on the conversion from the bungalow type to major project of buildings.

                                                    REFLECTING POOL

The Reflecting Pool – influenced by The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool - is guided by an illuminated gentle stream of water which symbolizes continuity and consistency inspired by the natural features of Pangasinan’s Lingayen Gulf and salt beds. It also features a formal stretch of walkway that aims to inspire and exude tranquility with a path to reach one’s goals and aspirations lead by the Guico Administration.

                                              INTERACTIVE FOUNTAIN

The Interactive Fountain generates a festive sound, light and water that beckons people to celebrate the local culture, heritage and unity. The fountain promotes a rich display of diversity depicting a united effort to uplift the people’s quality of life through inclusive leadership, firm vision and faith as linchpin for the province to soar beyond its present and future challenges.

 

                              SEN. COMPANERO, THE 18TH CONGRESS

The P175 million projects materialized because former Senator Rene “Compañero” Cayetano – the late patriarch of the two senators – was born in San Carlos City, Pangasinan.

“Si Senator Alan pa ang nagremind na my Dad was born in San Carlos City, Pangasinan – siguro that time hindi pa city iyan. Kaya ang sabi niya tutulong ako sa lalawigan ng Pangasinan kasi andiyan ang roots ng aking Tatay”.

Guico pointed too to the crowd how he stood with Senator Alan Peter when the latter Speakership was being challenged by opponents in the 18^th Congress.

“I was one of the few Congressmen at that time who never left Speaker Cayetano. I stood my ground I told the party I will stick with the Speaker that time kaya in a way ginawang pasasalamat and appreciation of the former Speaker now a Senator of being on his side until the very end”.

The groundbreaking ceremony and laying of the capsule was graced by Guico, Vice Governor Mark Ronald DG. Lambino, DPWH Region Office-1 Engr. Amelia M. Zamudio and DPWH 2^nd Provincial Engineering District Engr. Editha L. Manuel.

It is located at the Provincial Capitol Complex here where the proponent was the provincial government and to be implemented by the DPWH Regional Office No.1. The source of fund comes from the 2023 General Appropriation Act and will be finished in 360 calendar days.

Kin of Pinoys Killed by Hamas BNF of P100-K Plus Pension, Others

 

 From the Israeli Gov't

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BINMALEY, Pangasinan – Family members of Filipinos who died on the attacks by Hamas terrorists are beneficiaries of hundreds of thousands of pesos of monthly pension and grant from the Israeli government.

MURDERED BY HAMAS. From top left and clockwise: Angelyn P. Aguirre, Paul Vincent Castelvi, 42, Loreta Villarin Alacre, 49, and Grace Prodigo Cabrera, 42. 

On a list of benefits given by Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss to Binmaley Mayor Pedro A. Merrera, III when the former attended the interment of Angelyn Peralta Aguirre,33, in Barangay Balagan here in November 5, the monetary benefits are the following:

Burial and Mourning Expenses

 

Mourning expenses:                         P112,476.00

Widowhood grant:                                 80,780.00

Participation in burial expenses:              72,800.00

Maintenance of the grave:                      50,442.00 (Once in every 5 years)

TOTAL:                                               316,498.00

Monthly Benefits

For spouse or common law

    partner                                              P134,749.44 (Amount can be higher                                                                                           depending on the                                                                                          number of children)

For bereaved parents

(combined)                                            118,297.06

For single parent                                      94,637.65   

 

     Annual Benefits

Annual convalescence grant                    P50,288.00   

 Memorial grant                                      14,182.00                                                                                          

On October 7, Hamas militants launched 3,000 rockets into Israel and assaulted areas bordering the Gaza Strip, killing at least 1,200 Israelis, as well as foreign nationals from 23 countries. Among the foreign citizens who were killed were Aguirre, Paul Vincent Castelvi, 42, Loreta Villarin Alacre, 49, and Grace Prodigo Cabrera, 42.  Aguirre lived in Israel for six years and was recently married. Her husband resides in Binmaley.

 Deputy mayor of Jerusalem Fleur Hassan-Nahoum told X (former Twitter) that Aguirre had been caring for an elderly woman identified as "Nira" in the Kibbutz Kfar Aza, which is situated between Netivot and Sderot about 5 kilometer east of Gaza.

The deputy mayor wrote that although Angeline had the opportunity to escape from the Hamas assault.

 " She showed unbelievable humanity and loyalty by remaining Nira’s side during the violence, resulting in both of them being brutally murdered by Hamas." Hassan-Nahoum lauded Angeline's sacrifice as an "unimaginable honor in the face of evil."

The Departments of Hostile Action Casualties and Rehabilitation at the National Insurance Institute of Israel are responsible for family member benefits for victims of hostile acts.
“All benefits granted are under the Law on Compensation for Victim of Hostile Act (1970). In order for The National Insurance Institute to recognize a person as a victim of hostilities, the person must meet the conditions dictated by law,” the Victims of Hostile Act says.

Submission of a Claim for Compensation

In order to receive the compensation and benefits, one must submit a claim for compensation for the family of a victim of a Hostile Act.