In Eastern Samar

CAN-AVID, Eastern Samar – House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Representative Marcelino ‘Nonoy’ Libanan and Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone led the groundbreaking ceremony of the P96.49 million Canteros-Guibuangan-Jepaco Can-avid road project in Barangay Canteros, this town.

Also present during the August 1 event were Vice Governor Maricar Sison-Goteesan and Engineer Domcelio Natividad of the Eastern Samar District Engineering Office.

According to Libanan, the project will be implemented by the regional office of the Department of Public Works and Highways and is part of the Sustainable Infrastructure Projects Alleviating Gaps (SIPAG) program.

The project commenced in June 2024 and is expected to be completed within 300 calendar days, by April 2, 2025.

About 1,700 residents from the three villages are to benefit the project, including in the delivery of their farm produce.

The project includes the construction of a 2.3-kilometer concrete road, with a width of 6.10 meters and a thickness of 9 inches, extending from Brgy. Canteros to Guiboangan and ending in Brgy. Jepaco, Can-avid.

The funding comes from the current general appropriations, initiated by Rep. Libanan.
However, the project still has a 2-kilometer unpaved and unfunded section needed for its completion.

Once completed, this project will greatly benefit residents by improving travel within the municipality and facilitating the transport of their products.

In his message, Libanan vowed to secure funding for the remaining 2-kilometer unpaved road to complete the project.

Gov.Evardone expressed his happiness that the long-time dream of the people living in the area is being realized.

“Personally, I am also happy that these far-flung barangay roads will be concreted. This will be of great help to the residents,” the governor said.

“The truth is, I was the one who suggested to Cong. Libanan to facilitate the funding of this project. Thank you so much, Congressman, for fulfilling the dreams of our constituents,” Evardone added.

Evardone also requested the cooperation and support of the residents affected by the project for the development of their town.

The villages of Jepaco and Guiboangan can currently only be reached through a local transport known as “bote” or sea craft.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA, JOEY A. GABIETA)

Globe welcomes President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s recent signing of the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA), seen to address prevalent online scams through more robust deterrence and enforcement measures.

The law aims to “protect all persons from falling prey to the various cybercrime schemes by regulating the use of financial accounts, and preventing their use in fraudulent activities.”
Globe believes this law will complement the Cybercrime Prevention Act and the SIM Registration Act, strengthening security measures against ever evolving scam tactics by fraudsters.

“As a service provider that deals with fraudsters every day, Globe is grateful that the Philippines now has a law that is up to date and addresses fast-evolving threats to the security of our financial system,” said Ernest Cu, Globe President and CEO.

“We especially appreciate how the law covers in great detail various emerging fraud methods, including the recruitment of money mules, social engineering schemes, and other modes assisted by tech, including SMS, email, and even generative AI. This ultimately gives regulators and law enforcers sharper teeth in stopping financial fraud,” he added.
He said the law will serve to reinforce Globe’s ongoing efforts against financial fraud, including proactive blocking of person-to-person SMS and bank-related phishing and vishing.

In the first half of the year, Globe blocked over 2.74 million bank-related spam and scam messages, a decline of 43.56% compared to the 4.85 million messages blocked in the same period of 2023. This reflects how Globe’s collaboration with banks and other financial institutions to curb financial fraud has been working.

Cu reaffirmed Globe’s commitment to stringent monitoring and blocking of potential financial fraud in its network.

“Globe will remain a staunch ally of the government and financial institutions in beating fraud. Through the passage of AFASA, we look forward to a safer financial environment for our customers and the public,” he said.

AFASA mandates banks and other financial institutions to implement stringent security measures and robust fraud management systems to protect financial accounts.

It empowers the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to thoroughly investigate and scrutinize financial accounts potentially involved in illicit activities. It also authorizes the BSP to apply for cybercrime warrants for electronic communications implicated in violations of this law, effectively bypassing the usual constraints imposed by bank secrecy and data privacy regulations.

The law penalizes financial fraud schemes with heavier penalties, including imprisonment of 6 to 8 years and fines of up to Php 500,000 for money mule schemes; prison time of 10 to 12 years or fines of up to Php 1 million for social engineering schemes; and life imprisonment or fines of up to Php 5 million for economic sabotage. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY –The House of Representatives, led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, received on Monday, July 29, the proposed P6.352-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for fiscal year 2025 from Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.

The committee on appropriations will soon begin deliberations on the national spending plan, aiming to deliver social and economic transformation and position the Philippines as a prosperous, inclusive, and resilient society.

The budget proposal focuses on social services and economic growth and will fund education and training programs, expanded quality healthcare services, and the development of job opportunities.

During the turnover ceremony, Speaker Romualdez emphasized the House’s collective responsibility for the swift and timely passage of the proposed 2025 national budget.
He stressed the importance of ensuring the budget meets the immediate needs of the Filipino people while setting the stage for a prosperous and equitable Philippines.

Among those who joined the Speaker in receiving the 2025 NEP were Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, Appropriations Committee Chair Elizaldy Co and Senior Deputy Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)