Rainy Week For Davao City

As of today, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has declared that there is as yet no tropical cyclone within the Philippine area of responsibility. However, Dabawenyos can expect rainy days for the rest of the week.

According to Pagasa, there will be cloudy skies, scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms for Mindanao and Palawan. The same thing goes for Northern and Central Luzon but with possible landslides and flashfloods over the eastern sections.

So get your colorful umbrellas, raincoats and jackets and have fun despite the rain.

Kidapawan City Beats Davao As Mindanao’s Richest City

Kidapawan City in North Cotabato is the richest among the cities and municipalities in Mindanao based on the 2003 poverty incidence data, besting General Santos City, Davao City and even Cagayan de Oro City.

“We were also surprised with the result of the survey but this can be blamed on the inflation rate in Davao and in the other cities and municipalities which were rated behind Kidapawan City,” National Statistical Coordination Board XI head Estrella R. Turingan said during a press conference held at the Philippine Information Agency yesterday.

NSCB defines poverty incidence refers to the proportion of population or number of families with per capita income below the poverty threshold. Turingan said this is the first time that they were able to get statistics up to the municipality level due to budget constraints. NSCB generates statistics on the provincial level every three years and the 2003 data is their newest available data.

“We were only able to afford conducting the survey up to the municipality level because the project was financed by the World Bank,” she said.

Kidapawan City is a first class city and is the capital of North Cotabato. It is known primarily as a tourist destination for those who want to climb Mt. Apo, the country’s highest peak.

With a poverty incidence of only 12.46%, Kidapawan City bested General Santos City (13.98%), Polomolok (14.29%), Davao City (14.94), Tagum City (15.42%), Cagayan de Oro City (15.50%), Koronadal City (16.18%), Digos City (18.22%), Padada (21.99%) and Hagonoy (22.60%).

Kidapawan City is the only area in North Cotabato that has made it to the top 10 richest cities and municipalities based on poverty incidence. The provinces of South Cotabato and Davao del Sur each had three areas in the Top 10 list.

“Poverty threshold is driven by the price of the basic necessities for the current year; it appears that the average income of Davao City’s residents are not enough to catch up with the price increases in the city,” Turingan said.

City Council Approves Tax Exemption For Jose Mari Chan Concert

The Davao City Council has approved the tax exemption of the Jose Mari Chan concert.

The concert is scheduled at the CAP Auditorium on November 29, 2008, 7:30 PM.

Tickets for the Jose Mari Chan concert are worth P1,500, P1,000 and P500.

Chan has become popular for his mellow crooning style. Among the songs he popularized are "Christmas In Our Hearts", "Constant Change", "Deep In My Heart", "Sing Me A Song Again Daddy" and "Please Be Careful With My Heart" among others.

State Insurance Fund Healthy Despite Delinquent Payment From Gov’t., Private Employers

The Employees’ Compensation and State Insurance Fund remains healthy despite delinquent payments from employers in both the government and the private sectors.

This was revealed by Employees Compensation Commission executive director Dr. Benjamin Vitasa during the ECC Convergent Project held at the Apo View Hotel yesterday. A total of 180 participants from the government and private sectors belonging to an estimated 90 industries attended the conference which seeks to promote awareness about the program.

“The funds for the State Insurance Fund can last several more years if the present rate of payment continues,” Vitasa said. A total of 8,000 private sector employers and 1,5 million government employers are presently contributing to the fund at the rate of P30 per worker per month (private sector) and P100 per worker per month (government sector).

However, VItasa admitted that not all employers are paying the mandatory contribution for the Employees’ Compensation Program. Even employers from the government sector do not pay the mandated P100 per worker monthly contribution for the fund. Some government employers are only paying P30 per worker per month, he added.

Payment for the ECP is mandated by law to provide a compensation package for public and private employees in case of work-related injury, sickness or death. The ECP is implemented by the Social Security System for private sector workers and by the Government Service Insurance System for government workers. It does not however cover self-employed workers.

Vitasa did not mention any specific penalty for employers found not paying the mandatory contribution for their workers. However, he said, if an accident happens and the employer failed to log it and report it to the SSS the employer is made to pay a certain percentage of the compensation due the worker instead of the whole amount coming from the ECC.

Those who suffer from an injury or illness as a result of their work can apply for compensation either with the SSS or the GSIS. These agencies will evaluate if the claim is really work-related. Claims that are denied can be appealed to the ECC.

“It is very easy to appeal a claim to us because you do not need a lawyer; just inform us about your denied claim and we will decide in 30 days,” Vitasa said. The ECC, he added, has a very high percentage of case disposition with 95% of cases resolved in 2007 and already 88% resolved as of the third quarter of 2008.

Vitasa said “we have approved 11% of the 700 cases appealed to us last year where ruled in favor of the workers.” Those whose cases are denied by the ECC can appeal to the Court of Appeals and to the Supreme Court.

A sickness is considered work-related if it is in the ECC list of Occupational Diseases, he said. If it is not in the list, he added, then there should be proof that it was caused by the nature of the work or the working conditions of the employee.

He said an employee who meets a work-related accident can also claim under the ECP provided it arises in the course of employment such as when the employee is injured at the workplace (of while going to or coming from work) while performing his official function and other conditions that apply under the law.

He said most of the compensation cases from 70 to 80% come from Luzon particularly regions 3, 4 and the National Capital Region probably because most industries are located in these areas.

Mati To Declare Bankruptcy If SC Upholds Decision Declaring City Laws Unconstitutional

The City of Mati might declare bankruptcy if the Supreme Court decides to uphold its recent decision declaring the unconstitutionality of the law converting 16 municipalities into cities.

The Supreme Court's decision is considered a victory for the League of Cities of the Philippines which filed last March 11 an opposition to the conversion of 16 municipalities into cities on the ground of unconstitutionality.

Among the cities that will be affected by the SC's decision are: Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte; Tandag, Surigao del Sur; Bayugan, Agusan del Sur; Mati, Davao Oriental; Tayabas, Quezon; El Salvador, Misamis Oriental; Guihulngan, Negros Oriental; Baybay, Leyte; Borongan, Eastern Samar; Bogo, Cebu; Carcar, Cebu; Naga, Cebu; Tabuk, Kalinga; Catbalogan, Samar; Lamitan, Basilan and Batac, Ilocos Norte.

Mati City Mayor Michelle Rabat, who was interviewed by the media this morning, said "If that happens, we might declare bankruptcy." Rabat and the other mayors of the affected cities are now at a quandary as to how they can get back to their operations as a municipality.

The "unmaking" of Mati alone will result to:
1. lay-off of 600 employees who were hired by the city for new local offices
2. cancellation of the P8 million scholarship program for the city which subsidized the education of 22,000 pupils
3. cessation of the city's health program with 2,400 beneficiaries
4. derail the P5 million budget for the provincial hospital for new rooms and beds
5. cancellation of the P1 million allocation for each of the 22 Mati barangays

Prior to the law in question, the cities were receiving a Internal Revenue Allocation of only P111 million. The new cities received an IRA allocation of P382 million which paved the way for new job opportunities, more public services and bigger investment contracts.

PGMA Finally Hears From Obama

Beggars can't be choosers, as President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo might have realized when she called but failed to talk to United States President-elect Barack Obama at least three times for various reasons.

The first time Arroyo called Obama was when she was in the US while the Presidential campaign was going on. The second and third time she called Obama was to congratulate him for his victory. All calls remained unreturned apparently because Obama was just too busy or too tired to accept the call.

And now, finally, Arroyo can sleep in peace knowing that Obama has finally recognized the Philippines' existence by calling her and assuring her of a continued good relations between the Philippines and the US. Obama's phone call to Arroyo was announced by Press Secretary Jesus Dureza.

December 1 Is A Holiday

Just when the Filipinos thought their confusion over the changing of the holiday dates is over, Malacañang beats the year-end by declaring December 1, 2008 a non-working holiday. Traditionally, November 30 of every year is a holiday but since it falls on a Sunday, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has declared Monday a holiday instead.

Not that it bothers regular wage earners who will still get their salaries even if it is a holiday. However, it is a different story for daily-paid workers who live on the maxim "no work, no pay".

Holiday merry-makers will also be glad to note that December 26 (the day after Christmas) and December 29 (sandwiched between a Sunday and Rizal Day) have also been declared non-working holidays.

The declaration of the said holidays is part of Malacañang's "holiday economics" which seeks to maximize the days wherein workers can save on gas, fare and whatever as well as spend the day with their families.

The following days in December are also holidays as declared by the President by virtue of Proclamation 1463:

Regular Holidays:
Dec. 25 (Thursday) – Christmas Day
Dec. 30 (Tuesday) – Rizal Day

Special Non-Working Holidays:
Dec. 31 (Wednesday) – last day of the year.