By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
President Marcos Jr.’s appointed housing czar, Secretary Rizalino Acuzar, is eyeing to build one million housing units per year till the end of this administration. The aim is to cut the backlog in Filipino housing which, according to most recent data, stood at 6.5 million.
Initially, Acuzar’s “Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino: Zero ISF Program for 2028” will put a roof over the heads of Metro Manila’s 500,000 informal settler families (ISFs) who live in particularly high-risk areas. There are about 3.7 million ISFs in total nationwide.
We need such vision and effort, and I am rooting for these goals to be achieved. Expectations, though, for “Zero ISF” by 2028 is a tall order. Let’s hope this is more than just great ideas expressed in big words.
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It all boils down to revenues. That’s why government remains neither here nor there in dropping the ax on Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).
But out of the P40 billion to P50 billion promised by this industry, the government has collected a measly P4 billion a year. This, perhaps, is what Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno had seen when he said the country could move forward without POGOs.
Therefore, revenue should not be the bottom-line argument.
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In the eyes of Chinese-Filipino civic leader Teresita Ang-See, there are at least seven illegal POGOs in the country for every legally operating POGO.
No wonder Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla is easily looking at deporting an estimated 40,000 Chinese nationals involved in unlicensed POGOs. And his order to the National Bureau of Investigation to monitor, probe, and shut down illegal POGOs has just begun.
How much will all this sleuthing cost? I won’t be surprised if going after the thousands of actors in this crime-ridden industry – which includes kidnappings, assaults, and syndicated fraud – would just eat away at the revenue government derives from registered POGOs.
And we haven’t computed the social costs or the international backlash on our country of maintaining such a self-defaming industry. Firing Line says, “Fuego!” Death to POGOs now!
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Climate change watchdogs and environmentalists got what they wanted to hear from President Junior’s speech before the UN General Assembly – a call on nations to commit to lowering harmful emissions.
Domestically, however, these same groups criticize locally elected officials for not following through with existing policies to protect the environment from destruction. Sadly, there is no aggressive or strict resolve on the local or regional levels to uphold “climate change adaptation and resilience,” according to Climate Reality Project Philippines Manager Nazrin Castro.
President Bongbong, why don’t you begin with those armed trespassers seeing through the land-grabbing attempt of one supposed “Major Layno” at the Masungi Georeserve in Rizal province?
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SHORT BURSTS. For comments or reactions, email firingline@ymail.com or tweet @Side_View. Read current and past issues of this column at https://www.thephilbiznews.com