Case 8

5 current issue

1.)A new report by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) shows that the number of tertiary population in schoolyear 2002-2003 was 2.4 million compared to 1.87 million in 1994-1995. It cites however that while state institutions had their population soar by 415,972 (from 399,623 to 815,595 during the same period), private colleges and universities could only absorb an additional 139,357 enrolees (or from 1.472 million to 1.611 million).It is true that in 1997, enrollment in private tertiary schools grew by 6.47 percent. By 2002 however the figure plunged drastically to a -2.8 percent. Enrollment figures in private schools fell by 46,354 in schoolyear 2002-2003 from 1,657,735 in the previous year.The exodus of college students enrolled in private schools to state universities and colleges (SUCs) over the last two decades is also shown in other CHED records. In 1980, only 10 percent of college students were studying in SUCs. By 1994, the number went up to 21 percent and in school year 2002-2003, it already accounted for 34 percent of tertiary population.
>>Opinion - Five years from now, the Philippines’ tertiary education will likely face a crisis if the current trends in college enrolment and dropouts will continue. Due to continuing tuition hikes more and more students enrolled in private colleges and universities find themselves either dropping out or forced to transfer to state institutions.

2.)The navy, the newest of the services, traces its ancestry to the Offshore Patrol, which was formed as part of the army in February 1939. It became autonomous and was redesignated the Philippine Naval Patrol in 1947. After the armed forces reorganized in 1950, the force became known as the navy. Naval personnel strength of approximately 25,000 in 1990 included marine, coast guard, and naval air units. Naval headquarters was in Manila, close to its major base at Cavite, south of the city. Other major naval bases were located in Zamboanga City, Cebu City, and at Subic Bay on Luzon, west of Manila. The Subic Bay facility, probably without peer as a deep-water port in the region, was used almost exclusively by the United States Navy. The navy was commanded by a rear admiral, known as the flag officer in command, who was supported by vice and deputy flag officers in command. Major naval operating forces came under the commander of the fleet, who directed the naval air, special warfare, assault craft, amphibious, and patrol groups. The navy also maintained six naval districts that supervised deployed naval forces under the operational control of the area unified commanders. The naval headquarters controlled the training command, coast guard and marine commands, and the naval support group which provided supply and maintenance support to the fleet.
>>Opinion - Many of the navy's ships, however, were in poor repair and of questionable operational capability. Roughly one-third of the ships were said to be serviceable, and only about twenty of them put to sea regularly. Because of these operational deficiencies, which the navy attributed to budget shortfalls, the navy embarked on a modernization program in 1990. Plans called for the overhaul of some ships and for the acquisition of thirty-five new patrol craft. Several older ships, including four frigates, had been decommissioned in the late 1980s, and more retirements of inoperable ships were planned.

3.)The individual income tax consists of taxes on compensation income (from employment), business income, and passive income (interests, dividends, royalties, and prizes). In 1998 compensation income tax rates were restructured into 6 bands with marginal rates ranging from 5% to 35%. Exemption levels are 20,000 pesos (about $400) for individuals, and 32,000 pesos (about $640) for married couples. In 2000, the business income tax rate was lowered from 33% to 32%. The tax rate on passive income is 30%. For resident foreign corporations, after-tax profits remitted abroad are subject to a 15% tax, except for corporations registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), the Board of Investment (BOI), the Bases Conversion Development Authority, or operating in independent special economic zones (ecozones), all of which are eligible for special tax and customs incentives, exemptions and reductions designed to attract foreign, new, necessary and/or export-oriented foreign investment. The Omnibus Investment Code of 1987 lays out tax incentives administered by the BOI of the Department of Taxation and Development, and the annual Investment Priorities Plan (IPP) sets out the investment areas, national and regional, to which these incentives currently pertain. In 2002 the national list included export activities, industrial development and mining, agricultural/fishery production and processing, logistics, drugs and medicine, engineered products, environmental projects, IT services, Infrastructure, mass housing projects, R and D activities, social service, tourism, patriotic and documentary motion pictures and new projects with a minimum cost of $2 million. Special economic zones (SEZs) can be designated as export processing, free trade and/or information technology (IT) parks, each designation providing a schedule of tax holidays, exemptions from import duties on capital goods and raw material, and preferential income tax rates with more favorable treatment accorded pioneer industries over nonpioneer or expanding companies.
>>Opinion - There are several views on how to "cure" our economic ills. I've been thinking on it a lot. I know that one view is to increase taxes on the rich to help balance the budget and provide for those in need. That seems to be Obama's idea. Here's the problem: The rich are the people that hire. And when they get taxed, they stop hiring, which only ends up hurting those we hoped to help. That is an endless cycle. My question is, if you are in favor of the method I just discussed, how do you figure it can work?

4.)The Manila hostage crisis occurred when a dismissed Philippine National Police officer took over a tour bus in Rizal Park, Manila, Philippines on August 23, 2010. Disgruntled former senior inspector Rolando Mendoza, from the Manila Police District (MPD) hijacked a tour bus carrying 25 people (20 tourists and also a tour guide, all from Hong Kong, and four Filipinos) in an attempt to get his job back.[3] He said that he was summarily dismissed without the opportunity to properly defend himself, and that all he wanted was a fair hearing.[4]After about ten hours into the siege, the Filipino bus driver was able to get out of the bus by falling through the driver's bus window and was shown on television saying "patay na lahat (everyone is dead)" before being whisked away by police.[5][6] The ensuing rescue assault mounted by the MPD and resulting shoot-out was watched by millions on live television news and took around 90 minutes.[7] At the end, eight of the hostages and Mendoza were dead and nine other people were injured. The Hong Kong Government soon after issued a top-level "black" travel alert for the Philippines.[8] The assault on the tour bus to rescue the hostages was widely regarded by pundits at home and abroad as "bungled" and "incompetent"; the Philippine government also admitted that errors had been made and promised a thorough investigation, which they would report to the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong SAR governments.
>>Opinion - Aquino said prudence prompted him to give a copy of the report first to the Chinese government before revealing its content to the public. He said if the official report would be disseminated to the public first, the report could be given a media twist that could be misunderstood by Chinese authorities, leading to further problems in China-Philippines ties.
But with the report in Chinese hands first, such possible misunderstanding could be ruled out, he said.

5.) THE Commission on Higher Education (CHED) yesterday said the government’s plan to add two more years to the 10-year basic education system is encountering resistance from some higher education institutions (HEI) as there is a possibility they may end up with no enrollees, especially in the first year level.CHED chairperson Dr. Patricia Licuanan said many HEIs are worried this scenario may happen since the K+12 (Kinder plus 12) plan would add one year in the elementary level and another year in high school.She said that many of these HEIs are pushing for the adoption of a "pre-university" or pre-baccalaureate scheme that will act as a transition program.Licuanan said she supports the K+12 plan because it would also help address the need for a skilled workforce.Former CHED chairman Dr. Emmanuel Angeles has said it would do well for the government to implement a "pre-university" scheme adding it is more "doable, practical and advantageous" to the government.
Angeles said adding two more years to the elementary and secondary education will cost the government an additional P57 billion while the pre-university scheme will cost only P11.5 billion since there are facilities, adequate number of faculty and learning materials in the tertiary education compared to the primary education.
Experts who made studies on the plan including former DepEd Undersecretary Juan Miguel Luz estimated that the K+12 plan will cost P100 billion spread out over five years.DepEd data showed only 66 percent of the total high school population managed to graduate. Only 27 percent were able to enroll in college or university and only 16 percent finished college.
>>Oponion - according to this issue we must to dis- agree on this issue because we know that it is so hard to earn money to pay a tuition fee of our son or daughter . Including on this payments are enrollment fees, project and others. etc.