Davao Regional Hospital in Tagum turns medical center

CITY OF TAGUM, Davao del Norte, Aug. 27 (PIA)--- Davao Regional  Hospital  located in Apokon, Tagum City  has been declared Davao Regional Medical Center as President Benigno S. Aquino signed yesterday (Aug. 26) Republic Act No. 10678 which levels up DRH status as a medical center.

                Davao del Norte 1^st District Congressman Antonio Rafael G. del Rosario this morning revealed  the update on  his sponsored House Bill No. 67  seeking to level up Davao Regional Hospital into a medical center with increased bed-capacity from 200 to 600.

                In his speech during this morning’s inauguration ceremony of DRH new hospital facilities and equipment,  Del Rosario  said that HB 67 was filed in the House of Representatives in July 2013 and that  the House approved it a year after.

                He gave due credit to Compostela Valley House Representative Maria Carmen Zamora-Mabanglo whom he worked in tandem with , in pushing for the approval of such Bill.

                HB 67 got the approval of the Philippine Senate in May 2015 with the sponsorship of Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona III who heads the Senate Committee on Health, Del Rosario said.

                With  the upgrading  of Davao Regional Hospital, medical center chief, Dr.  Romulo Busuego  expected an increase of about 30 percent from the current P52 million budget allocation for operating expenses.

                He said such increase in allocation can now somehow cover the expenses for patients whom DRH has been serving beyond bed-capacity.

                Designed with only 200-bed capacity,  DRH has been stretching its services to about 500 patients, Dr. Busuego said. However, the Davao Regional Medical Center will no longer be serving far beyond its capacity, he added.

                Earlier, Busuego said the medical center will handle specialized medical services or tertiary medical cases with expert doctors and with provisions of state-of-the equipment.

                “We will empower the nearby hospitals to handle medical cases they can take care at their (community) levels,” he said in explaining a strategy of easing influx of patients to the medical center.  

                On  the other hand,  Davao del Norte Provincial Gov. Rodolfo P. del Rosario during the same occasion expressed hopes that the Davao Regional Medical Center will live up to its commitment to provide decent, better quality of health services accessible by every Filipino.

                “It is the right of everyone to be given with accessible and prompt healthcare,” he said.

                Meanwhile, Senator Guingona envisioned Davao Regional Medical Center to become a Mindanao major health facility where Mindanawans can seek treatment of whatever illnesses and sickness they are suffering.

                “We no longer need to go to Manila or abroad. Whatever illness, you may have, they can take care of you,” he said in expressing hopes for a much improved and much sophisticated medical services that the Davao Regional Medical Center can offer in the future.  (PIA 11/Jeanevive D. Abangan)

Government open to proposed reduction in income tax rate

Malacañang said it is open to proposals to reduce the country’s personal income tax rate, said to be the highest in Southeast Asia.

“Government is open to consider proposals on changing the income tax rates and continues to work with Congress on this matter. The Department of Finance (DOF) is advocating a comprehensive review of the existing taxation system, so that needed reforms may be instituted,” Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said.

“It is also important to identify new and additional sources of tax revenues that will offset any reduction in collection of income taxes,” Secretary Coloma added.

He noted that the finance department will make an extensive review of the existing tax policy.

“According to (Finance) Secretary (Cesar) Purisima, and I quote, ‘The DOF prefers a holistic review of the tax structure so as not to put our fiscal gains and fiscal health at risk,’” said Coloma.

Senator Francis Escudero earlier made an appeal to the President to certify as urgent a bill lowering individual income tax, saying this is his opportunity to bring down one of the highest income tax in the region.

According to reports, the Philippines’ personal income tax rate stands at 32 percent, compared to Thailand’s 10 percent, Singapore’s 2 percent, Vietnam’s 20 percent, Malaysia’s 11 percent, Cambodia’s 20 percent, and Laos’ 12 percent. (PCOO News Release)

Malacañang respects overseas Filipino workers’ right to join ‘No Remittance Day’ protest

Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said the government respects the decision of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to join the “No Remittance Day” on August 28 in protest of the Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) plan to conduct random inspection of balikbayan boxes.

Secretary Coloma, Jr. said OFWs have the right to express their sentiments.

"Iginagalang namin ang karapatang magpahayag ng saloobin ang ating mga Overseas Filipino worker. Patuloy naming kinikilala ang mahalagang ambag ng mga OFW sa ating ekonomiya, bagaman kailangan ding isaalang-alang ang pangangailangang sawatain ang mga smuggler na nananamantala sa bayan sa paggamit ng mga balikbayan box, at sirain ang simbolo nito bilang bunga ng pagpupunyagi ng mga OFW na nagsasakripisyong magtrabaho sa ibang bansa para sa kapakanan ng kanilang mga pamilya," he said.
"Iyon namang pagpapadala ng kinita, kung tutuusin natin, ay personal na pagpapasya ng bawat manggagawa at ang kanilang pinagpapadalhan ay ang kanilang mahal sa buhay—pamilya na tinutustusan, sinusuportahan, at binibigyan ng kalinga," he further said.

Secretary Coloma noted that OFWs may delay their remittances but they would still send money to their families.

"Kaya sa kanilang pagpapasya isasaalang-alang nila na, kung ano mang pagpapahayag ng kanilang saloobin, kailangan pa rin nilang maiparating ang mga remittance na ‘yon. Maaaring maantala ito ng isang araw pero hindi naman siguro ito nila iniisip na huwag nang ipadala," he said.

"Ang pagsunod nila o hindi nila pagsunod, ibabatay nila ito sa katuwiran, at nananalig kami na sa paggamit nila ng katuwiran ay gagawin nila ang pinakamainam para sa kapakanan ng kanilang mga mahal sa buhay," he added.

The Palace official saw no cause for concern if the "No Remittance Day" pushes through, citing a similar incident in 2013.

“Ang dating naging karanasan diyan ay noon pang 2013, noong kasagsagan ng isyu ng PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) o pork barrel, at noon naman ay walang naiulat na masamang epekto ito. Kaya kung ito ang pagbabatayan ay tila wala naman tayong dapat ikabahala hinggil dito,” Coloma said.

Migrante International, an OFW group, has urged migrant workers to join the remittance holiday on August 28 to protest the BOC policy to manually inspect random balikbayan boxes in an effort to curb smuggling.

President Aquino however ordered the BOC to have the balikbayan boxes pass through X-ray machines, instructing that only packages with suspicious contents will have to be manually inspected. (PCOO News Release)

New United States Pacific Command Chief calls on President Aquino

The new commander of the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM), Admiral Harry Harris, Jr., paid a courtesy call on President Benigno S. Aquino III at the Music Room of Malacañang Palace on Wednesday (Aug. 26).

Admiral Harris was accompanied by US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg, USPACOM Foreign Affairs Policy Advisor Christopher Marut, Senior Defense Official Colonel Earnest Lee, and Political Military Affairs Chief Marc Jackson.

He was received by Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Undersecretary Evan Garcia, and Assistant Secretary on American Affairs Maria Andrelita Austria, as well as Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, and Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Hernando Iriberri.

The 59-year-old admiral assumed leadership of the USPACOM last May 27.

He was born in Japan to a Navy enlisted man and a Japanese mother and grew up in Tennessee. He is a graduate of the US Naval Academy, and attended Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, and Oxford University for his postgraduate studies.

He is the highest-ranking Asian American in the US Navy. (PCOO News Release)

Pres. Aquino confers Order of Sikatuna on outgoing EU Head of Delegation

President Benigno S. Aquino III conferred the Order of Sikatuna on outgoing Head of Delegation of the European Union (EU) to the Philippines Ambassador Guy Ledoux at the Music Room of Malacañang Palace on Wednesday (Aug. 26).

The President presented the Order of Sikatuna with the rank of Datu, Katangiang Ginto (Grand Cross, Gold Distinction) to Ambassador Ledoux for his “creative efforts in promoting a robust partnership and cooperation between the Philippines and the EU, and his support for the Philippines’ development goals and shared multilateral objectives, such as addressing climate change, sustainable development, and disaster risk reduction and management.”

Present during the ceremony were Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya.

Ambassador Ledoux meanwhile was accompanied by EU Head of Administration Jose Maria Romero Pruche, and EU Programme Managers Edoardo Manfredini, Robert Frank, and Brenda Candries.

The Order of Sikatuna is an order of diplomatic merit conferred upon individuals who have rendered exceptional and meritorious services to the Republic of the Philippines. Together with the Philippine Legion of Honor and the Order of Lakandula, the Order of Sikatuna is one of the three senior honors of the Republic. (PCOO News Release)