PRES. DUTERTE ORDERS ARREST, DEPORTATION OF MONEY LENDERS

President Rody Duterte last night moved to save the struggling poor Filipino vendors by ordering the arrest and deportation of foreigners involved in the usurious "5-6" money lending scheme.

At the same time, he announced the allocation of an initial P1-B for a micro-lending program to provide loans for small business capitals to be handled by the Dept. of Trade and Industry.

"Sobra na yan. Pautangin ng 5-6 (interest rate) tapos bentahan pa ng mahal na mga appliance. Patay talaga ang pobre dyan," he commented after the issue of the usurious money lending scheme of foreigners, especially Punjabis from India, was discussed towards the end of the Cabinet meeting last night.

There are about 50,000 motorcycle-riding Punjabis involved in a money-lending scheme where borrowers pay back a P5,000 peso loan with a P1,000 interest in one month collected on a daily basis.

The very high interest rates, however, have resulted in hardships for the borrowers who could hardly pay up the loans.

DTI Sec. Ramon Lopez said the proliferation of the "5-6" lending is mainly due to the inability of government lending institutions to provide an easy access facility for small businessmen.

Sec. Lopez said DTI has already designed a scheme on how to extend soft loans to small businessmen with an interest of 20% every year, payable in one year.

During the Cabinet meeting last night, President Duterte asked Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay, Jr. to inform the Indian Ambassador of his decision to stop the usurious lending scheme in the Philippines.

"They are violating Philippine laws by indulging in a money-making business without the necessary permits," President Duterte said.

During the campaign, then Presidential candidate Duterte vowed to relieve the small Filipino businessmen from their sufferings by providing a P1-B easy access credit per region.

Last night, after I discussed the poverty in the countryside and the desperate moves of small businessmen to borrow money from "5-6" lenders just to survive, President Duterte announced an initial release of P1-B for a micro-lending program.

He said that as soon as the country's gaming bodies, the PCSO and PAGCOR, turn over to his Office funds collected from their operations, he would provide additional money for micro lending program in all regions.

By Manny Piñol

PHILIPPINES OFFERS TO EXPORT EGGS, DUCKS TO SOUTH KOREA

As South Korea reels from the devastating effect of a new Bird Flu outbreak, the Philippine Dept. of Agriculture has taken steps to support our Asian neighbour and ally by offering to supply its eggs, ducks and poultry requirements.

On Jan. 16, a team from the Bureau of Animal Industry led by Asst. Secretary Enrico Garzon will leave for South Korea to formally ask the South Korean government to give the Philippines market access for hatching and table eggs for both chicken and ducks.

It was the DA's agriculture analyst Maria Alilia Maghirang assigned in South Korea who sent me a memorandum earlier last week informing me of the immediate requirements for chicken and duck eggs in that country.

She said that one of the DA's contacts in South Korea alone needs 1.5-million eggs daily for industrial use and 300,000 chicken hatching eggs and 500,000 duck eggs every week.

"The South Korean government recently announced the lifting of tariffs on eggs and egg products temporarily starting 3 January 2017 due to the supply shortage of eggs and skyrocketing prices of eggs brought about by the mass culling of about 30 million chicken due to the spread of the H5N6 and H5N8 strains of the avian influenza virus in the country," Maghirang said in her report to the DA Secretary.

Quoting the Korea Times newspaper, Maghirang reported that the South Korean government has decided to facilitate the import process for eggs and egg products and subsidise the freight cost for these products from overseas.

The demand for eggs, dressed chicken and ducks is expected to increase further as the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration nears.

Aside from our genuine concern to help a long-time ally in this time of crisis, I am also looking at this development as a rare opportunity for the country to start exporting not only eggs but also dressed chicken and ducks to South Korea.

I intend to conduct further negotiations with the Ministry of Agriculture of South Korea and convince its officials to look at the Philippines as a steady and reliable partner which could supply their country with eggs, chicken and ducks in view of the recurrent outbreak of Bird Flu.

This could be the break that our poultry and duck farmers have been waiting for.

PRES. DUTERTE TRAVELS IN PAL ECONOMY CLASS

In the many Cabinet meetings I attended, President Rody Duterte has repeatedly reminded members of the Cabinet to travel "Economy Class" when flying locally.

Some people thought he was just joking.

But here is a photo which proves that the President himself is doing what his Cabinet members are told to do.

The President sleeps in the back portion of the plane from Davao to Manila while his loyal alter ego, Sec. Bong Go, stays awake watching his President.

Russian Navy Willing to Help Philippine Navy!

HAPPENING NOW: Zdravstvuyte Russian Military Ship Capt. is in the Philippines for a 7-day goodwill visit.

Russian Navy says they are willing to help the Philippine Navy in whatever way they can, be it training or equipment.

Russia eyeing joint military exercises with Philippines, China and Malaysia in the controversial West Philippine Sea.

PRES. DUTERTE AWARDS P60-M TO 2016 CLEANEST COASTAL VILLAGES

The campaign to stop illegal fishing and other destructive fishing practices goes to high gear with the award of over P60-million in livelihood support funds for the country's cleanest coastal communities by President Rody Duterte sometime this month.

The "Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan" (MMK) annual Presidential Awards is a program of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to promote sustainable and responsible fishing in the face of continued illegal fishing activities and dwindling catch by marginal fisher folks.

To qualify, the coastal towns must meet the five criteria set by the national selection committee of the MMK.

First, the coastal town must have no reported cases of illegal fishing.

Second, the town must have a declared and protected marine sanctuary.

Third, there must be a well-managed and protected mangrove area.

Fourth, the town must have a self-imposed closed fishing season which would coincide with the spawning season of the fish species found in its fishing rounds.

Fifth, the coastal waters and fishing grounds must be free of floating garbage and effluence flowing from factories or processing plants.

Regional winners who will receive P2-million each have been selected while the five finalists will be announced during the awards ceremonies expected to be held in Malacañang.

Of the five finalists, the MMK Presidential Awardee will receive P20-million, the first runner up P8-million and the second runner up P5-million.

The prizes will be given to the winning towns and could only be utilised for livelihood programs for fisher folks especially during the closed season for fishing, speed boats for the Bantay Laut members and activities aimed at stopping illegal fishing.

Undersecretary Eduardo Gongona, BFAR national director, said the winning towns will also be supported by the bureau with fiberglass fishing boats, fish landing and ice making facilities.

The top three winners of the MMK for 2016 will no longer be qualified to compete in the future search for winners.

The exact date of the MMK Awards will be announced as soon as Malacañang confirms the availability of President Duterte in view of his very tight schedules.

Here's the VIDEO of the campaign!

By Manny Piñol