One of the modes of procurement under the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA) or Republic Act (R.A.) No. 12009 is competitive bidding, which is open to participation by any eligible bidder. The government procuring entity, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), conducts an eligibility screening of prospective bidders, and measures their financial eligibility, legal eligibility, and technical eligibility.
The Social Security System (SSS) has announced that starting October 20, 2023, enhanced guidelines will be implemented for its Social Security (SS) Funeral Benefit Program. The new guidelines aim to incentivize active membership by raising the maximum amount of funeral benefits to PHP 60,000.00 and streamline the provision of funeral benefits to claimants, especially for surviving legal spouses.
In the case of Macalinao vs. Macalinao, G.R. No. 250613, April 3, 2024, the Supreme Court has ruled that benefits arising from the seafarer’s death under the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) contract should be awarded only to the surviving legitimate spouse, despite being long estranged from the seafarer, alongside the seafarer’s legitimate and illegitimate children.
The State shall, in pursuit of poverty reduction through decent jobs, sustainable enterprises and economic transformation, ensure an environment that encourages more employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, provide comprehensive support to existing and emerging businesses, particularly to the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and improve the employability, productivity and competitiveness of Filipino workers.
On November 12, 1931, Act. No. 3883 as otherwise known as an Act to Regulate the Use in Business Transactions of Names other than True Names, was issued to regulate the use of names other than true names in business transactions.
The said Act provides that no person shall use or sign, on any written or printed receipt, or on any written or printed contract not verified by a notary public, or on any written or printed evidence of any agreement or business transaction, any name other than his true name, without first registering such other name with the Department and Trade Industry (DTI).
On December 5, 2022, the National Privacy Commission (NPC) issued Memorandum Circular No. 2022-04, which sets forth the framework for the Registration of Personal Data Processing System, Notification Regarding Automated Decision-Making or Profiling, Designation of Data Protection Officer, and the National Privacy Commission Seal of Registration.
In the case Argelyn M. Labargan v. People of the Philippines, G.R. No. 246824, December 6, 2023, the Supreme Court emphasized that statements against public officers do not constitute oral defamation when made in relation to their discharge of official duties, unless the prosecution establishes that they were uttered with actual malice.
On May 13, 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos issued Administrative Order (AO) No. 23, which orders the implementation of a digital and integrated system for the Pre-border Technical Verification and Cross-border Electronic Invoicing of all import commodities.
On July 20, 2024, Republic Act (R.A.) No. 12010 or the “Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act” (AFASA). The salient provisions under the AFASA emphasize the protections afforded to an owner of a financial account, and the concomitant mandate of institutions such as banks, non-banks, payment and financial service provides under the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to protect said owner or client’s financial account from prohibited acts constituting financial account scamming.
The Data Privacy Act of 2012 or Republic Act (R.A.) No. 10173 states in its declaration of policy that the State is to protect the fundamental human right of privacy while still balancing and ensuring the free flow of information. Pursuant to the Act and such State policy, the National Privacy Commission (NPC) was established.
