Month: July 2016

Sufficient Change for Consumers has Come

Consumers can better demand for sufficient change from establishments now that Republic Act 10909 or the No Shortchanging Act lapsed into law last July 21, according to Sen. Bam Aquino.
 
Sen. Bam sponsored the measure penalizing establishments that shortchange consumers in the 16th Congress, during his term as chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.
 
In his sponsorship speech, Sen. Bam said the Act aims to promote a culture of decency, integrity, and professionalism among Filipino businesses.
 
By giving consumers what they are due, down to the last centavo, Sen. Bam said it breeds the values of precision and fairness that should permeate through all Filipino businesses, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
 
“Naniniwala tayo na madadala at mapakikinabangan ng mga negosyanteng Pilipino ang kasanayang ito kapag lumaki at lumago ang kanilang negosyo,” Sen. Bam said.
 
The bill penalizes first-time violators with a 500-peso fine while the second offense will warrant a three-month suspension of the establishment’s license to operate along with a fine of 15,000 pesos.
 
The third violation will result in the revocation of the establishment’s license to operate and a fine of 25,000 pesos.
 
However, the law allows establishments to give more than the exact change, if situation calls for it.
 
With its passage, Sen. Bam now has 16 laws to his name, including the Philippine Competition Act, Go Negosyo Act, Foreign Ships Co-Loading Act, Lemon Law, Microfinance NGOs Act, Youth Entrepreneurship Act and Credit Surety Act.
 
As chairman of the Committee on Youth in the 16th Congress, Sen. Bam co-authored and co-sponsored the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act, the first law in the country with an anti-political dynasty provision.
 
In addition, Sen. Bam authored or co-authored other laws, such as the Act Authorizing Punong Barangay to Administer Oath of any Government Official, Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, Election Service Reform Act, Children’s Emergency Relief and Protection Act, Tax Relief for PWDs Act, Closed Caption Broadcasting for Television Act and the law establishing the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

Bam: All systems go for 2 PH teams to The International

With all kinks now ironed out, it’s all systems go for the two Philippine teams that will see action in The International – the biggest DOTA tournament in the world —  in Seattle, Washington, according to Sen. Bam Aquino.
 
Sen. Bam announced that Execration and TNC Pro Team have received the required visas to participate in the tournament with a grand prize of 18 million US dollars, which will be held from August 3 to 13.
 
“Our prayers for TNC and Execration have been answered. Matutuloy sila sa The International DOTA2 Championships at tuloy rin ang ating pagsuporta!” said Sen. Bam, an ardent supporter of local eSports and video game development industry in the country. 
 
Out of around 20,000 teams vying to qualify for this competition, Sen. Bam said only 18 will compete and two are from the Philippines.
 
“I would like to wish our Philippine teams good luck as they represent our country in the world stage! We are very proud of you,” the senator added.
 
Execration and TNC, for their part, thanked Sen. Bam for his continuing support to the eSports community.

 

Bam: Go out and register for Barangay, SK polls

Go out and register.
 
Sen. Bam Aquino urges qualified individuals to register for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections before the non-extendible July 30 deadline set by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), stressing this is an opportunity to effect change in their communities.
 
“Sayang naman ang pagkakataon na makatulong sa pagbabago at makapamili ng mga karapat-dapat na lider sa ating barangay at sa kabataan kung hindi natin sasamantalahin ang pagkakataong ito,” said Sen. Bam, co-author and co-sponsor of Republic Act No. 10742 or the SK Reform Act.
 
Sen. Bam issued the call after the Comelec announced that it will not extend the registration period for the Barangay and SK elections.
 
The SK Reform Act is the first legislation with an anti-dynasty provision as it prohibits relatives of elected officials up to 2nd civil degree of consanguinity or affinity from seeking SK posts.
 
Aside from its anti-dynasty provision, the new law adjusts age limit of SK officials from 15-17 to 18-24 years old, making them legally capable of entering into contracts and be held accountable and liable for their actions.
 
Sangguniang Kabataan officials will now be required to undergo leadership training programs to expose them to the best practices in governance and guide their development as leaders.
 
The new law also mandates the creation of the Local Youth Development Council (LYDC), a council that will support the SK and ensure the participation of more youth through youth organizations.
 
The LYDC will be composed of representatives from the different youth organizations in the community – student councils, church and youth faith groups, youth-serving organizations, and community-based youth groups.
 
“Nakakapanghinayang naman ang mga pagbabagong ito sa ating SK kung kaunti lang ang lalahok dito,” said Sen. Bam.

Senate Bill No. 169: Small Business Tax Reform Act

The key to achieving prosperity for impoverished Filipino families is a strong micro, small and medium enterprise sector. A strong MSME sector also, in turn, strengthens a country’s economy and guards against foreign financial crises.

Currently, MSMEs already account for roughly 32-35% of the country’s GDP. Sadly, despite the growth in number of small enterprises in the Philippines, few are able to sustain their operation and create long-term success.

For this reason, our office has pushed for a number of policies to improve the support system for this vital sector and we will continue to do so until our country’s business environment is ripe for local entrepreneurs to succeed.

This particular legislation deals with the tricky subject of taxation.

According to a joint study by PwC and the World Bank, Paying Taxes 2016, the Philippines is on the 126th spot out of 189 economies in Ease of Paying Taxes.

This must change, which is why we are asserting the Small Business Tax Reform Act as a measure to simplify tax procedures and unburden our small businesses of the complex tax process.

Proposed measures include a simpler bookkeeping, a special lane and assistance desk for small businesses, exemption from tax audit, annual filing of returns, and payment in installment.

This bill also proposes the lowering of the income tax rate for small businesses and an exemption from VAT, among other methods of stimulating growth in small businesses as opposed to hindering it.

Let’s streamline our tax system and boost the chances of our local enterprises to succeed and, in turn, generate prosperity and livelihood for more and more Filipinos.

 

 PDFicon DOWNLOAD SBN 169

Senate Bill No. 174: End ENDO Act

Over the past decade, the Philippines has been experiencing GDP gains and exponential economic growth. However, the unemployment and underemployment rates remain high.

There are almost a million new jobseekers that enter the labor force each year and, sadly, employment opportunities are simply not enough to absorb them. Worse, with many skilled and experienced employees agreeing to entry-level jobs just to have a steady source of income, first-time jobseekers with limited or low-level skills are left with no job opportunities.

 This is where contractors and subcontractors help job seekers in skills-building, particularly in developing occupational skills that match industry demand. Contractors and subcontractors also help employees in upgrading existing skills, learning new skills and opening up more opportunities for them.

 On the other end, contractors and subcontractors also help employers and companies expand their businesses with minimal costs and freedom to focus on their core business. Consequently, when these businesses expand, more jobs are created.

 Seeing the impact of this flexibility, the government and contractors/subcontractors must work together to establish a framework, filling the gaps in current industry practices and protecting both employers and employees.

 

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BIDA KA!: Unang SONA

Mga bida, noong Lunes napakinggan natin ang kauna-unahang State of the Nation Address (SONA) ni Pangulong Rody Duterte, 26 na araw matapos maupo bilang ika-16 na pinuno ng bansa.

Isa’t kalahating oras ang haba ng talumpati ni Pangulong Duterte, na sumentro sa iba’t ibang isyung mahalaga sa bansa at inaantaba­yanan ng taumbayan.

Mula sa iligal na droga, pagnenegosyo, kalikasan, katiwalian, mabilis na serbisyo sa pamahalaan, isyu sa China, problema sa Internet, kapayapaan at kagutuman, natalakay ni Pangulong Duterte sa kanyang SONA.

Malinaw ring nailatag ng Pangulo ang mga direktiba sa mga ahensiya ng pamahalaan at ang direksiyon ng mga plano na nangangailangan ng tulong ng mga mambabatas.

Kasama rito ang pagbuo ng isang pederal na sistema ng pamahalaan at pagbababa ng buwis ng mamamayan.

***

Sinabayan ng Pangulong Duterte ang talumpati ng kanyang trademark na mga biro at punchline na nagbigay-tuwa sa mga mambabatas at iba pang mga panauhin na nagtipon sa plenaryo ng Kamara.

Sa kabila ng mga birong ito, ramdam natin na seryoso si Pangulong Duterte sa kanyang mga binitiwang kataga, lalo na nang ikuwento niya ang mga taong natutulog sa kalsada habang naghihintay na magbukas ang ahensiya ng gobyerno na nasa isang mall.

Maaalala ang speech ng Pangulo sa pagbabahagi niya ng personal na karanasan at ‘di pagsunod sa script na nasa teleprompter.

***

Nagpapasalamat din tayo kay Pangulong Duterte sa pagbanggit niya sa ilang mga adbokasiya na isinusulong natin sa Senado.

Kabilang na rito ang pagpapabilis ng proseso sa pagkuha ng mga papeles sa pamahalaan, pagpapaganda sa serbisyo ng Internet, pagpapababa ng buwis, pagtulong sa entrepreneurs at pagpapaganda ng sistema ng edukasyon sa bansa.

Mga bida, hindi naman lingid sa inyo na isinusulong na natin ang mabilis at abot-kayang Internet sa bansa noon pang 16th Congress.

Sa direktiba ni Duterte sa bagong tatag na Department of Information and Communication Technology na bumuo ng isang National Broadband Plan, inaasahan nating gaganda ang serbisyo ng Internet sa bansa.

Marami rin tayong naipasang batas na sumusuporta sa micro, small and medium enterprises at nagtataguyod ng ease of doing business sa 16th Congress, tulad ng Philippine Competition Act, Go Negosyo Act ar Youth Entrepreneurship Act.

Ang mga batas na ito ay makatutulong sa hangarin ni Pangulong Duterte na pabilisin ang proseso ng pagnenegosyo at paigtingin pa ang serbisyo sa ating micro, small at medium enterprises, na siyang haligi ng ating ekonomiya.

Ngayong 17th Congress, naghain tayo ng 100 panukalang batas at resolusyon ukol sa iba’t ibang isyu, kabilang ang pagpapaganda ng sistema ng edukasyon at reporma sa pagbubuwis sa pamamagitan ng Personal Tax Reform at Corporate Tax Reform bills.

Ngayong malinaw na ang direksiyon na nais tahakin ng Duterte administration, tiwala tayo na maisasabatas ang mga panukalang ito, para na rin sa kapakanan ng publiko.

Nagpalit man ng liderato ang Senado, tuluy-tuloy pa rin tayo sa pagtatrabaho para sa ating mga bida.

Palagi kong sinasabi na magkakaiba man ang aming mga partido, pagbubuklurin pa rin kami ng aming pagnanais na pagsilbihan ang taumbayan.

Article first published on Abante Online

Bam eyes to ‘reduce requirements & processing time’ in gov’t agencies

A senator has filed a measure that aims to reduce regulatory requirements that burden the public and businesses.
 
“Lengthy, complicated and overlapping regulations from various government agencies result in costly and time consuming processes that have inconvenienced far too many Filipinos for too long,” said Sen. Bam Aquino as he filed Senate Bill No. 348 or the Government Efficiency Office (GEO) Act of 2016.
 
 “Obtaining government I.D.s, paying taxes, requesting for necessary permits and other dealings with government leaves citizens frustrated, often pushing them to find extrajudicial avenues to fulfill requirements,” he added.
 
In case of businessmen, Sen. Bam pointed out that obtaining each necessary permit involves up to 30 steps aside from 47 tax payments to make each year, which consume an average of 193 business hours.
 
“These bureaucratic inefficiencies can lead to the failure of a fledgling business. It is no wonder the Philippines ranks 103rd out 189 countries in the Doing Business rankings by the World Bank,” the senator stressed.
 
To do away with regulatory barriers that hamper the nation’s growth and oppress Filipinos, the Government Efficiency Office Act seeks the creation of a special arm under the Office of the President that will be tasked to ensure efficiency in the existing and proposed regulations across government agencies.
 
This measure seeks to create a National Policy on the Development and Implementation of Regulations (NPDIR) to set policy­making principles and guidelines to be followed by all government agencies.
 
Under the measure, a Government Efficiency Office is mandated to implement the NPDIR. It will be tasked to review existing regulations and recommend their repeal, amendment or consolidation to relieve the public of the heavy burden of compliance.
 
With a streamlined regulatory procedure, Sen. Bam said individuals will be encouraged to comply with the law and make the market more accessible for businesses and MSMEs.
 
If enacted into law, Sen. Bam believes the Government Efficiency Office Act will contribute to President Rodrigo Duterte’s commitment to spare the public from hassles and delays in government transactions.

Bam ready for challenges as he takes helm of education committee

Sen. Bam Aquino expressed readiness to take on the challenge of improving the Philippine education system after he was appointed chairman of the Committee on Education in the 17th Congress.
 
“I am looking forward to heading the committee on education and concentrating our efforts on ensured access to quality education for all Filipinos,” said Sen. Bam.
 
“Alam naman natin na ang edukasyon ang isang tiyak na solusyon sa pag-unlad ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino kaya lubos namin itong sineseryoso,” he added.
 
Even before officially taking the helm of the education committee, Sen. Bam has already filed sixteen education related measures in the 17th Congress, including a resolution to oversee the implementation of major reforms under the K to 12 program.
 
One of his boldest policies, Senate Bill No. 177, seeks to make tertiary education free in all State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).
 
He also hopes to ensure that graduates are given access to available job opportunities by creating an employment office in every senior high school through the passage of the Trabaho Center in Schools Bill (Senate Bill No. 170).
 
Another promising measure endeavors to further reduce the number of out of school youth (OSY) in the country through the Abot Alam Bill (Senate Bill No. 171).
 
Through this bill, Sen. Bam wishes to institutionalize the successful Abot Alam program headed by the Department of Education and the National Youth Commission that has already cut the number of OSYs in half.
 
Other measures focus on the welfare and benefits of Filipino students and teachers.
 
“Marami pa tayong isusulong na mga panukala na tutulong sa pagpapaangat ng kalidad at abot-kayang edukasyon sa bansa,” Sen. Bam promised.
 
“This is a big challenge but with hard work and team work, I believe we can create lasting reforms that will uplift the lives of our young countrymen and their families,” he added.
 
Overall, Sen. Bam has 15 laws to his credit and has already filed over 100 bills and resolutions for the 17th Congress.

 

Bam: President Duterte’s SONA very refreshing, sincere

Senate Bill No. 357: Zero Food Waste

Around one third of the food produced globally, equivalent to 1.3 billion tons or worth US$1 trillion (around P46 trillion), is wasted annually according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). There are both economic and environmental costs to this wastage. The forests and biodiversity cleared to create farmlands, along with the soils, energy, water, fertilizer, and labor utilized to produce food that is never eaten are also put to waste. A total of 28% of the global agricultural region is used to produce food that will eventually go to waste, according to the World Resources Institute. Furthermore, most of the greenhouse gas emissions are generated by food disposed of in landfills. With around 1 in 4 calories yielded remaining unconsumed, and a population of around 870 million without equitable access to food resources daily, this absurd disjuncture deems moral implications to this profound amount of discarded food.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defines food loss as the decrease in the amount or nutritional quality of food that was intended for human consumption. FAO says that more than 40% of food loss in developing countries such as the Philippines happens before consumption—during production, postharvest, and processing.

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) reports that rice losses reach around 15% in the postharvest stage. In addition, an estimated 296,869 metric tons of rice, equivalent to P7.3 billion, is wasted in the country according to the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PRRI). The discarded amount could have fed more than 2 million Filipinos.

The food waste reduction hierarchy set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) shows, through an inverted triangular diagram, the most preferred to the least preferred actions that can be done with food waste. Topmost is source reduction, followed by donation to the hungry, diversion to animal feed, recovering energy, creating compost, and at the bottom is disposal of food in landfills. The provision of this bill on the National Anti-Food Waste Campaign addresses the proper information dissemination on the ways by which Filipinos can follow the food waste reduction hierarchy.

All this information point towards a conclusion that there is more than enough food in the world for everyone. And as a member-state to the United Nations and a country bound to the Sustainable Development Goals that forward human rights and social justice, it is highly essential for the Government to facilitate in redirecting surplus to those who do not have food on their plates.

By getting food-related businesses to donate their surplus food to food distribution charities thus providing food security to those without access to their next meal, this bill seeks to ultimately end the cycle of having food end up in the trash instead of stomachs.

The bill also demands the involvement of private individuals and their local governments in efficiently arriving at a segregation campaign to have household food waste readily available for recycling into fertilizer or compost.

 

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