NEDA okays new rules on foreign ownership

Foreigners can now fully-own key public services

BY CHINO S. LEYCO

Mar 20, 2023 10:25 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• The National Economic and Development Authority releases the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 11659 or the Amendments to the Public Service Act (PSA) on March 20, 2023.

• NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan says the IRR has undergone extensive review and consultations with the public, legislators, relevant administrative agencies, and other key stakeholders.

• Upon its effectivity on April 4, 2023, foreigners will be allowed fully-own select industries in the country such as airports, railways, expressways, and telecommunications. 
• Balisacan says the PSA amendments would attract more foreign investments to the country, boost market competitiveness, foster innovation, and create high-quality jobs.

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The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has released the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the amended Public Service Act (PSA) that allows full foreign ownership of some Philippine businesses.

In a statement Monday, March 20, NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan assured that the IRR has undergone extensive review and consultations with the public, legislators, relevant administrative agencies, and other key stakeholders.

Belisacan also said all 21 government agencies, including NEDA, approved the IRR of the amended PSA, which will become effective on April 4, 2023.

“With the IRR already in place, we see this as a landmark reform that will further improve the country’s position as an ideal investment hub, which will help enhance employment opportunities and allow more Filipinos to benefit from more improved goods and services,” Balisacan said.

Upon its effectivity, the amendments to the PSA shall enable the liberalization of key public services by allowing full foreign ownership of businesses in select industries such as airports, railways, expressways, and telecommunications.

Prior to the approval of the amendments, foreign ownership in the aforementioned industries was limited to 40 percent.

Meanwhile, public service utilities such as electricity transmission and distribution, water and wastewater pipeline distribution system including sewerage, petroleum and petroleum products pipeline transmission systems, seaports, and public utility vehicles remain subject to the 60:40 foreign equity limitation.

Accordingly, the amendments also provide safeguard provisions to protect the country against national security concerns that may arise through any proposed merger or acquisition, or any investment in a public service.

“The PSA amendments form a critical part of our endeavor to attract foreign investments to the country to boost market competitiveness, foster innovation, and create high-quality jobs,” Balisacan said.

Further, relevant administrative agencies may issue guidelines and circulars for the effective implementation of RA No. 11659 and its IRR, provided that these remain consistent with Commonwealth Act No. 146 as amended, as well as with RA No. 11659 and its IRR.

“Together with complementary policies and measures… we are confident that the Philippines will be able to attract much-needed capital and technology, sustain its high-growth trajectory, and generate high-quality jobs enabling rapid poverty reduction in the next six years,” Belisacan said.

More foreigners, balikbayans coming to Philippines

 

Rudy Santos - The Philippine Star 

MANILA, Philippines — More foreigners and balikbayans have been arriving through the country’s main gateway since the government reopened the Philippines to international travelers last Feb. 10.

Personnel operating at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminals observed that more foreign tourists are now coming in from France, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, China and other Asian countries.

Airlines also reported a noticeable increase in passenger arrivals at the NAIA.

Yesterday’s Gulf Air flight GF 154 from Bahrain, for instance, arrived with 214 passengers. At the height of the pandemic, this flight only had about 50-60 passengers on board.

“We are slowly on the edge of recovery,” an airline officer told The STAR.

Dana Sandoval, spokesperson of the Bureau of Immigration (BI), said foreigners from visa-free countries who wish to visit the Philippines must be fully vaccinated or they will be denied entry.

This requirement, along with a negative RT-PCR test 48 hours before boarding the flight from the country of origin, applies even to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and returning overseas Filipinos or balikbayans.

The BI said an arriving balikbayan and his/her spouse and children who are traveling with them are now exempted from presenting an outbound ticket.

But they should be registered online with One Health Pass prior to boarding their flight to the Philippines like all other inbound passengers.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) recently exempted the outbound ticket requirement for returning overseas Filipinos and their families.

“This adjusted policy allows those arriving under a balikbayan status to better enjoy their one-year visa-free privilege,” explained Morente.

Balikbayans, as defined by the BI, are former Filipinos who have been naturalized to any of the 157 countries under Executive Order No. 408, s. of 1960 as amended.

Balikbayan is entitled to a one-year visa-free entry, which they can extend to their spouse and children if traveling to the Philippines together with them.

Family members of Filipinos not included in the list of visa-free countries, on the other hand, are required to secure an entry visa prior to their arrival.

Cebu Pacific won’t accept foreigners from countries covered by PH travel ban

by Ariel Fernandez, Manila Bulletin

The government has extended the ongoing travel ban until Jan. 31 following the detection of the new COVID-19 variant in the country.

As a result, budget carrier Cebu Pacific spokesperson Candice Iyog said they will not accept foreign nationals who originated from, transited via, or visited any of the 34 countries covered by the extended travel restrictions imposed by the Inter-Agency Task Force.

Only Filipinos will be accepted on flights from Dubai, Hong Kong, Nagoya (Japan), Singapore, and Seoul (South Korea) during this period, Iyog said.

The list of affected countries and complete details may be viewed at http://bit.ly/IATFResoNo94_011521

Passengers affected by the temporary ban may avail of any of the following options:

– Free rebooking within 90 days – waived rebooking fee and fare difference

– Full travel fund, valid for two years

– Full refund

In compliance with IATF regulations, Filipinos who wish to proceed with their travel plans will be subjected to mandatory 14-day quarantine in an accredited facility upon arrival in Manila.

Cebu Pacific said they will continue to operate its domestic and international flights as scheduled. Before going to the airport, Cebu Pacific advised passengers to check the real-time status of their flights in their website.

“We continue to work closely with the authorities and will provide updates through our website and official social media accounts as necessary,” Cebu Pacific said.

Advisory From the Bureau of Immigration

The ALIEN REGISTRATION DIVISION (ARD) reminds all registered aliens as follows:

1. Incomplete and/or improperty accomplished registrations forms shall be dismissed;
2. To register and secure the ACR I-Card only through authorized persons;
3. To report, in writing, changes in informations (e.g. civil status, citizenship, address and the like) IN ORDER TO AVOID SANCTIONS, INCLUDING IMPRISONMENT FOR NOT MORE THAN SIX MONTHS;
4. To pay the ANNUAL RREPORT FEE within the first 60 days of each year, unless exempted by law;
5. To renew ACR I-Cards at least three months in advance of pre-schedulded travels;
6. To check printed data on the ACR I-Card and promptly report errors and/or discrepancies;
7. To avoid false statements, misrepresentation and fraud in any immigration matter under pain of VISA CANCELLATION/FORFEITURE and/or deportation;
8. To secure REGULAR/PAPER-BASED EMIGRATION CLEARANCE CERTIFICATION (ECC) 72 hours before departure for the following:

a) Holders of Temporary Visitor's/Tourist (9a) Visa, who STAYED FOR MORE THAN SIX MONTHS;
b) Immigrants and Non-immigrants with DOWNGRADED OR EXPIRED VISAS except (a);
c) Immigrants and Non-immigrants with valid visas, who are leaving for a good except (a);
d) PHILIPPINE BORN temporary visitors, who are leaving FOR THE FIRST TIME;
e) FOREIGN NATIONALS with ORDER TO LEAVE; and
f) FOREIGN SEAFARERS, with BI-approved discharged, who stayed for more than 30 days.
9. All ACR I-Card holders, not included above, who are TEMPORARILY leaving the country may pay ECC RP/SRC fees at airports.

For queries, please contact (632) 465 2400 local 205 (ARD), email xinfo@immigration.gov.ph and binoc_immigration@hotmail.ph or visit the socal media accounts, officialbureauofimmigration on Facebook and @immigrationPH on Twitter.

Philhealth to Increase Members' Contribution from 1,200 to 2,400 Pesos

I am an expat in the Philippines since 1999 and also a member of PhilHealth.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation is looking at increasing contribution of its members from 1,200 to 2,400 Pesos (from 20 to 40 EUROS) per year. effective July 1, 2012. One could learn this from Dr. Eduardo Banzon, president and chief executive officer. Banzon said the increase on contribution is based on Circular 22 approved already last December. Under this circular, members can avail of the old rate by paying their contribution before June 30. They can also avail if they pay their 2012 contribution before the deadline.

By July 1, members, including those newly - registered will have to pay the annual contribution of 2,400 Pesos. Self-employed professionals earning an average monthly income of more than 25,000 Pesos will continue to pay their annual premium contribution of 3,600 Pesos. 

PhilHealth also implemented already the "No Balance Billing Policy to provide financial protection to its members, including indigent families. This means the patient does not need to shell out money for other fees or expenses. All government hospitals are reminded not refuse admissions to PhilHealth members, Banzon said.

Racial Prejudices?

In all parts of our globe we find ethical hierarchy. It's an indirect status with fixed judgements and points of view. Social distance and discrimination predominate and make it easier to use categories such as "race", "naiton" or "culture".Social indifferences have been built up.

We can find he refusal because of the different skin color or adopted biological differences. We see misinterpretation of poverty and backwardness. We say of every refugee, i.e., that he seeks asylum.

Most racial prejudices have its  roots from the heritage of colonial supremacy. Justification of slavery goes back to the 17th century. In early colonial history skin color was not the main reason, it was the paganism of original inhabitants in America, Africa and Australia. bringing Christianity started the forward roll.

Terms such as "Indian" and "Negro" an be found even in world's literature: the good-natured "Winnetou" (German Karl May, 1842-1912); "Friday" (Freitag), the noble savage in "Robinson Crusoe" (Daniel Defoe, England, 1660-1731); or "Uncle Tom" (Harriet Beecher-Stowe, USA, 1811-1896).

Political conflicts between "white colonial supremacies" and "colored subjects" have been explained and described as racial segregation - many times instigated by Christian missionaries. Innumerable examples in world history proves brutal force and power up to genocide.

Reacial prejudices?

"Love your enemy as yourself!" (Leviciticus 19:18). Am I am enemy as expatriate in the Philippines?

"When alien live besides you in yourland, do not mistreat him. The alien living living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself...." (Leviticus 19:33,34).

What Foreigners Sometimes Ask About the Philippines... .

I am living in the Philippines for good since January 1999. Being involved in several businesses - as you can read in profile - I do get a lot of emails every day. Mostly from concerned foreigners, who plan to put up a business here in the Philippines, to get married to a Philippine national -or plan to settle down here. Not only inquiries because of this and that - no, but also a lot of questions. Sometimes it's indeed very difficult to formulate the correct (or best) replay and answer. 

Of course, foreigners, who are still planning to stay here for good, should plan very well and ask a lot of questions, because law and requirements change always. All updates regarding all concerns can't even be published here.

But here are also some (additional) questions, I get on a regular basis:

- A doctor from a Western country asked, if Filipinos are also wearing shoes, because he only (?) sam them wearing slippers.

- A business man asked, why most Filipinos try to avoid  to speak  the Spanish language. (I suggested the man to research in Philippine history...).

-  A German woman asked, if the Philippines (in general) are really poor, and if  we would experience hunger here. What would you answer her?

- Another doctor from an European country, who planned to open a clinic in "the capital of the Philippines - and really only there!", asked me, if I really would enjoy living and working - in "Jakarta" (!?).

Some questions are really more then unbelievable. Asking me, if Filipinos can survive without electricity, or, if we also have chickens and tomatoes - oh boy, I am sure, everybody understands that I left such questions unanswered.

As Philippine Star columnist Jessica Zafra voiced out last year: "The Philippines is an entire country also outside its national borders. All those Filipinos have have friends, foreign classmates, colleagues and family members living and working all over the globe!"

Those Filipinos are also helping to promote the right imagine of this wonderful country. Who else could help?

Dramatic Increase of Foreigners in The Philippines

The Bureau of Immigration has reported a 559-percent (!) increase in the number of registered foreigners in the Philippines during the first semester 2010.  The new alien registration division chief Danila Almeda said the number  of foreigners listed at his office numbered almost 58.000 as of June 2010, compared to only more than 12.000 who were registered in the same period in 2009.

Almeda disclosed that during the first quarter of the year, the number of BI-registered aliens increased already by 365 percent and their number surged further during the second quarter.

Justice Undersecretary Jose Vicente Salazar is now the officer-in-charge of the bureau.

Expatriats or working visa applicants account for the bulk of registered foreigners, followed by holders of student visas and foreigners married to Filipinos. 

I would really agree with Almeda's statement attributing the large increase in registered aliens to the aggressive campaign of former BI-commissioner Marcelino Libanan in encouraging foreigners to visit, do business and study in the Philippines. I met Libanan several times personally.

Of course, the Philippines remains as a favorite destination for foreign business executives, many of whom are employed by multinational companies. 

And one more thing: Also citied as a major factor is the success of the BI's regionalization program where in the various field and satellite offices of the bureau were mobilized to encourage foreigners outside of Metro Manila to register and regularize their stay in the Philippines. I am also glad and happy being able to deal with the BI-office in Davao City for example. No need for travelling to Manila... .