PH working on multilateral joint patrol in West PH Sea, envoy says

By CNN Philippines Staff

Published Nov 22, 2023, 12:30:36 PM
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 22) — A joint patrol in the West Philippine Sea
involving different countries will possibly happen as Manila continues to reach out to like-
minded nations to ensure peace in the disputed area, Philippine Ambassador to the United
States Jose 'Babe' Manuel Romualdez said Wednesday.

“We are also working with other countries like Australia, Japan, and even South Korea and
perhaps sometime in the future we’re going to have a multilateral joint patrol,” he told CNN
Philippines’ The Source.

Romualdez said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “was very clear he wants to see a combination of
other countries that have the same interests to make sure that the waters are free from any kind
of harassment from other countries.”

The Philippines and US on Tuesday began their three-day maritime and air patrols in the West
Philippine Sea as part of a series of activities to boost defense ties and maintain peace in the
disputed area. This started in the vicinity of Batanes — at the northern tip of the country close
to Taiwan — and will end in the West Philippine Sea.

Romualdez said authorities have been planning this for a long time, and the chief executive gave
his go signal for the joint patrol when he was in Hawaii.

The official noted there are no arrangements yet on whether US troops will join the Philippines’
resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal.

In a resupply mission in September, a Boeing P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft from the US
Navy was spotted. The National Security Council said this is legal since the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea states that the exclusive economic zone of any country is
subject to freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight. There was also no American ship or
any other assistance from Washington used during the operation.

Other countries the Philippines is talking to about joint patrols are Vietnam and Malaysia, which
also have territorial claims.

“There is an indication that both countries, Vietnam and Malaysia, are very interested into also
being able to protect the waters from any kind of interference,” Romualdez said.

BOC launches unified digital data collection system

By CNN Philippines Staff
Published Nov 22, 2023, 12:08:07 PM
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 22) — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has launched
the eTravel Customs System, a unified digital data collection platform aimed at simplifying
passenger experience in airports.

"Travelers and crew members can now utilize a user-friendly and single web portal which
integrates the border control requirements of the Bureau of Immigration (BI), Bureau of
Quarantine, Bureau of Customs, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)," the BOC said in a
statement Wednesday.

"This collaborative initiative aims to optimize border control, enhance health surveillance, and
facilitate economic data analysis," it added.
The system – launched at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 on Tuesday – is a
joint effort with the BI, BSP, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), and the Department of
Information and Communications Technology.

"Notably, its key feature is the Electronic Customs Baggage and Currency Declaration interface,
formerly part of the BOC's I-Declare System, introduced on June 29, 2022," the BOC said.

"The eTravel Customs System will play a pivotal role in ensuring the security of our borders and
fostering a seamless travel experience for all," said Customs chief Bienvenido Rubio.

PH-China economic ties beyond West PH Sea issue — NEDA

By Tristan Nodalo, CNN Philippines
Published Nov 22, 2023, 7:15:11 PM
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 22) — The Philippines will continue its economic
cooperation with China amid conflicts in the West Philippine Sea, Socioeconomic Planning
Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said Wednesday.

"The economic front should not be affected. Any economic relationship we have with China
should continue and we should not mix it up with issues in the West Philippine Sea," Balisacan
said in an interview with reporters on the sidelines of UN Day Forum held in Makati.

The Department of Transportation previously said the government is looking for new funding
sources for three major railway projects previously backed by China.

Balisacan said China remains part of infrastructure development plans.

"We are looking for ways in accelerating and ramping up these infrastructure programs but we
are not saying that China is out of the infrastructure programs," he added.

The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier said the Philippines remains part of China’s Belt and
Road Initiative.

“The Philippines signed a new MOU (memorandum of understanding) on the Belt and Road
Initiative last January 2023. The Philippines is still implementing infrastructure projects funded
with Chinese official development assistance,” the DFA said on Nov. 16.

Manila and Beijing share around 40 government-to-government projects, including 18 that were
completed.

Some Chinese-funded infrastructure projects are the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge and the Pasig-
Marikina River and Manggahan Floodway Bridges Construction Project.

The Samal Island-Davao City Connector Project and the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project are
also part of infrastructure-related projects.

PH's richest 1% emits carbon as much as poorest 50% – study

By CNN Philippines Staff
Published Nov 22, 2023, 8:43:04 PM
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 22) — An analysis by the nonprofit organization
Oxfam has exposed a stark contrast in carbon pollution, revealing that the carbon emissions of
the richest 1% of Filipinos are equal to the combined emissions of the poorest 50% of the
population.
The study, "Climate Equality: A Planet for the 99%," highlighted the unequal distribution of
emissions associated with different income groups up to 2019.

"The report shows the stark gap between the carbon footprints of the super-rich — whose
carbon-hungry lifestyles and investments in polluting industries like fossil fuels are driving
global warming — and the bulk of people across the world," Oxfam Pilipinas Executive Director
Erika Geronimo said.

Oxfam also emphasized the role of the richest 10% in the climate breakdown, noting that its
contribution to the climate story is "far less well known and documented" along with the top 1%.

In the Philippines, the report claimed that the excessive carbon emissions in 2019 of the nation's
richest 10% of people contributed to 18,584 heat-related deaths.

It is true for the rest of the world, according to Oxfam.

The study found that the top 1% of the world's population, or 77 million people, is accountable
for 16% of the consumption-related emissions worldwide. This is equal to the emissions of 5.11
billion people, or 66% of the world's population based on income.

Carbon emissions from private jets, planes cars, and yachts, among other high-end fossil fuel
transport of the so-called super-rich, are enough to cause 1.3 million excess deaths due to heat,
said Oxfam.

But carbon emissions and heat are not the only challenges faced by lower-income groups,
particularly those living in poverty. Oxfam emphasized that climate change hit people in poverty
the hardest as they tend to live in areas prone to flooding, heavy rains, heat stress, and other
natural disasters, with poor-quality houses that often lack basic building safety.

Aside from not having savings and access to social protection insurance, the study stated that
people in lower-income groups also face challenges in proving their losses since their assets are
frequently unregistered or improperly acknowledged.

Oxfam said that this is true in the Philippines with regard to land tenure and when "disputed"
land is taken from disaster victims, resulting in long-term relocation.

Citing other research, Oxfam noted that after Super Typhoon Yolanda (internationally known as
Haiyan), "only those who could prove their rights to land were given alternative lands,
compensation, and access to insurance."

“The inequality of the climate crisis is more obvious when poorer communities in the Philippines
are being made to bear the harshest burden of more severe and frequent disasters due to the
climate crisis despite having minute carbon emissions compared to the 1% richest," Geronimo
said.

"And even with the best intentions to prepare for disasters, we are constantly dealing with
further damage and loss," she added. "We may not be able to keep up if we are not more
committed and ambitious with our climate actions."

What can be done

Oxfam's proposed solution is not new, but it is one that climate activists continue to fight for:
taxing the ultra-rich and investing the proceeds in renewable energy.

"A 60% tax on the incomes of the richest 1% would cut emissions by more than the total
emissions of the UK and raise $6.4 trillion a year to pay for the transition away from fossil fuels
to renewable energy," said the Oxfam report, which advocates for a new round of taxes on
corporations and billionaires.

The report noted that the top 1%'s income level varies by nation and takes purchasing power
equality into account, but analysis conducted within-country sheds further light on the
differences.

Oxfam said that in France, the top 1% of earners emit the same amount of carbon in a year as
the bottom 50% does in a decade. When emissions related to investments are taken out of the
equation, the carbon footprint of Bernard Arnault, the richest person in France and the creator
of Louis Vuitton, is 1,270 times greater than that of the typical French citizen.

Aside from taxing the super-rich, Oxfam further underlined the need for tailored government
measures to address these discrepancies in the fight against climate change, such as phasing
out fossil fuels and implementing proven policies to dramatically drive down the gap between the
richest and the rest.