Month: July 2016

BIDA KA!: Kuwento ni Rustie

Mga bida, sa ilang taon kong pagsasagawa ng Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) Awards, isa sa mga kahanga-ha­ngang tao na nakilala ko ay si Rustie Quintana.

Napakaganda ng istorya ni Rustie. Katunayan, ang kuwento niya ay naitampok pa sa isang episode ng drama series sa telebisyon.

Si Rustie ay dating batang kalye, rugby boy at nagpagamit pa bilang “courier” ng mga nagbebenta ng droga sa kanilang lugar sa Cagayan de Oro.

Dahil sa kanyang kalokohan, ilang beses naglabas-masok si Rustie sa programa ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) para sa mga juvenile delinquent.

Sandali ring nakulong si Rustie sa Lumbia City Jail at pinaamin sa kasalanang hindi niya ginawa para lang mailipat sa Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth (RRCY) sa Gingoog City.

Sa nasabing center, dalawang taong nanatili si Rustie at sumailalim sa rehabilitasyon. Nang makalabas, inalis lahat ang anumang record niya.

Kung nahatulan sana si Rustie sa pagiging drug courier, ang parusa sanang ipinataw sa kanya ay labin­dalawa hanggang dalawampung taong pagkabilanggo at multang P12,000 hanggang P20,000.

Paglabas ni Rustie ng center, nagsimula ang tuluy-tuloy na pagbabago ng kanyang buhay. Nakatulong din sa pagbabago ni Rustie ang isang youth organization sa Cagayan de Oro na may pangalang ‘Dire Husi’.

Tinitipon ng ‘Dire Husi’ ang mga batang kalye at tinuturuan sila ng sining upang mailayo sila sa bisyo at kriminalidad patungo sa kanilang pagbabago.

Sa tulong nito, nabago ang takbo ng buhay ni Rustie. Nakatuntong pa nga siya sa Malacañang nang igawad ni Pangulong Noynoy Aquino ang parangal sa ‘Dire Husi’ bilang isa sa Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) noong 2012.

Kamakailan lang, na­balitaan kong natapos na ni Rustie ang kursong Development Communications sa Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan.

Kung hindi nabigyan si Rustie ng pagkakataong makapagbagong buhay, siguradong dalawang lugar lang ang kanyang kina­hantungan – bilangguan o libingan.

***

Muling bumalik sa akin ang kuwento ni Rustie ngayong umiinit na naman ang isyu ng pag-amyenda sa Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act o Republic Act 9344 as amended.

Ngayon, may mga panukalang ibaba ang age of criminal liability mula 15-anyos patungong siyam na taong gulang.

Katwiran ng mga nagsusulong na ibaba ang age of criminal liability, nagagamit ang mga batang may edad 15 taong gulang pababa sa paggawa ng krimen at nakakalusot dahil hindi maaaring kasuhan. Hindi ko mailarawan sa aking isipan ang nasabing sitwasyon.

Hindi katanggap-tanggap na ang isang siyam na taong gulang na bata ay papatawan ng parusa na para sa isang matanda.

Baka sa halip na magbagong buhay ay posibleng humantong din sa pagiging kriminal ang mga batang ikukulong kasama ng iba pang masasamang loob.

Isa pa, sa kalunus-lunos na kondisyon ng ating mga bilangguan at detention centers, baka lalo lang mapariwara ang mga batang bilanggo sa halip na magbagong-buhay.

Lalala pa ang sitwasyon kapag nagtagumpay ang mga nagsusulong na ibaba ang age of criminal liability at death penalty.

Kapag nangyari ang dalawang senaryo, posibleng kabilang sa mga bibitayin ay batang siyam na taong gulang na gagawa ng karumal-dumal na krimen kapag sila’y nilitis bilang nasa wastong gulang at hindi menor-de-edad.

***

Naniniwala tayong napakaganda ng layunin ng Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, basta’t naipa tutupad lang nang tama.

Sa halip na ikulong, ang mga batang 15 taong gulang pababa na may problema sa batas ay ilala gak sa kustodiya ng mga magulang o ipasok sa isang youth care facility o ‘Bahay Pag-asa’.

Sa ‘Bahay Pag-asa’, mabibigyan sila ng panibagong pagkakataon upang makapagbagong buhay nang walang takot at trauma na dulot ng pagkabilanggo.

Pinapatawan din ng mabigat na parusa ng Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act ang mga taong gumagamit ng mga bata sa paggawa ng krimen at ilegal na aktibidad.

Sa halip na pagtuunan ng pansin ang pagpapababa ng tinatawag na age of criminal liability, mas maiging bigyang pansin ang pagpapaganda ng pasilidad ng ating juvenile centers.

Kung mahuhubog sila at magagabayan sa tamang landas, muli silang makakabalik sa lipunan na may positibong pananaw sa buhay at malaki ang maitutulong upang maging produktibong mamamayan ng bansa.

Ganito ang eksaktong nangyari kay Rustie.

Tuwing naaalala ko ang kuwento ni Rustie, nananatiling buo ang aking pag-asa na kayang magbago ng mga kabataang naliligaw ng landas, basta’t panatilihin lang na bukas ang pinto ng pagkakataon para sa kanila.

Kung mayroon mang butas ang batas, puwedeng pag-usapan, pag-aralan at hanapan ng akmang solusyon.

Huwag tayong magpadalus-dalos sa pagkilos dahil baka sa halip na makabuti, lalala pa ang problema.

Article first published on Abante Online

Bam on appointment of VP Leni Robredo as HUDCC chairperson

We welcome President Duterte’s appointment of Vice President Leni Robredo as HUDCC chairperson.

 Ang posisyong ito ay akma sa malawak na karanasan ni VP Robredo sa pagtatrabaho kasama ang mahihirap, lalo na iyong walang masisilungan.

 Umaasa tayo na ang pagtalaga kay VP Robredo sa isang mahalagang posisyon sa pamahalaan ay hudyat ng umpisa ng matibay na ugnayan at pagtutulungan ng dalawang pinakamataas na lider ng bansa para sa kapakanan ng mahihirap.

 It is our honest desire to serve fellow Filipinos, specially the poorest of our countrymen, that will drive the Philippines forward and allow us to shed our personal alliances and interests.

 
Sen. Bam was VP Leni Robredo’s campaign manager in the 2016 elections

Bam on bills lowering age of criminal liability and revival of death penalty

Kapag hinayaan nating makalusot ang dalawang panukalang ito, pati mga batang siyam na taong gulang ay kandidato na rin sa bitay.  Ito ba ang Pilipinas na ating ninanais?

 Excerpts from Sen. Bam’s television interview re: two bills

 To give full criminal liability to nine years old, masyadong marahas po iyon at baka hindi rin po iyon akma sa development ng isang tao. 

If you put the two bills that Davao del Norte First District Representative Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez  filed together, iyong pagbalik ng death penalty tsaka pagbaba ng age to nine years old, mayroon tayong sitwasyon na baka nine years old, binibigyan mo ng life imprisonment o binibigyan mo ng death penalty.

 I don’t know kung na-realize iyan ng mga proponents ng batas na ito but there could be a case, ginawang courier ng isang drug lord o drug pusher ang isang bata tapos nahuli.

 Ang batang iyan can actually get life imprisonment or death penalty. Handa ba ang Pilipinas na pumatay ng nine years old na nasangkot sa ganoong klaseng pangyayari?  I don’t think that’s what we want to do, na pumatay tayo ng mga bata.

Bam wants lower income tax, VAT exemption for small businesses

To further stimulate the growth of small businesses in the country, Sen. Bam Aquino is pushing for a measure that provides them with lower income tax rate, VAT exemption and other privileges.

Under Sen. Bam’s Senate Bill No. 169 or the Small Business Tax Reform Act, all small businesses shall be exempt from payment of income tax for the first three years of its operation from date of establishment and will be subjected to lower income tax rates thereafter.

 As defined in the bill, small businesses are micro and small enterprises whose annual gross revenue does not exceed P50,000,000.

“This bill also proposes the lowering of the income tax rate for MSEs and an exemption from VAT, among other methods of stimulating growth in MSEs as opposed to hindering it,” said Sen. Bam.

 The measure also pushes for simpler bookkeeping, a special lane and assistance desk for MSEs, exemption from tax audit, annual filing of returns, and payment in installment.

 Sen. Bam stressed the need for a simpler taxation, saying a joint study by PWC and the World Bank, Paying Taxes 2016, placed the Philippines 126th 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,” said Sen. Bam.

 By streamlining the country’s tax system, it will boost the chances of our local enterprises to succeed and, in turn, generate prosperity and livelihood for more and more Filipino families.

Bam: Over 250 Negosyo Centers, Youth Entrepreneurship Act to help solve unemployment

Sen. Bam Aquino believes two of his laws in the 16th Congress — the Go Negosyo Act and the Youth Entrepreneurship Act – will help address the unemployment problem in the country through the development of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

 “These two laws are aimed at generating fresh jobs and other livelihood opportunities by providing MSMEs with the right support to help them grow,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

 “By giving MSMEs a conducive environment where they can succeed, confident that they can help generate fresh jobs and other livelihood opportunities for Filipinos,” he added.

 Trade Secretary Mon Lopez, for his part, said the agency will be giving an extra push in creating more entrepreneurs and registering more enterprises that will employ more Filipinos.

 The DTI will also focus on helping MSMEs on many aspects, in terms of money and market access, according to Lopez.

 Sen. Bam was the author and principal sponsor of the Go Negosyo Act (Republic Act 10667), his first law in the 16th Congress, and the co-author and principal sponsor of the Youth Entrepreneurship Act (Republic Act No. 10679).

 Sen. Bam’s pronouncement came after a Social Weather Stations (SWS) revealed that some 11 million adults were without work in the first quarter of 2016, about two million more than the previous quarter.

 The SWS first quarter poll pegged the joblessness rate at 23.9 percent, compared to 2015’s fourth quarter rate of 21.4 percent or equivalent to 9.1 million adults unemployed. It was also the highest since 2014’s fourth quarter rate of 27 percent.

 At present, Sen. Bam said 252 Negosyo Centers are already up and running, catering to the needs of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in different parts of the country.

 The Youth Entrepreneurship Act, for its part, encourages young would-be entrepreneurs to establish their own business by providing them access to capital and other support.

 The law creates financial literacy modules in all levels of Philippine education, to inculcate a culture of enterprise development among the Filipino youth.

 Aside from the Go Negosyo Act and the Youth Entrepreneurship Act, Sen. Bam also worked for the passage of other MSME-related laws such as Philippine Competition Act, Microfinance NGOs Act, Credit Surety Act and the Foreign Ships Co-Loading Act or Amendments to the Cabotage Policy.

 In the 17th Congress, Sen. Bam has already filed the Senate Bill No. 169 or Small Business Tax Reform Act, which provides small businesses with lower income tax rate, VAT exemption and other privileges.

 Sen. Bam has also submitted Senate Bill No. 170 or Trabaho Center in Schools Bill to create a job placement office or Trabaho Center to assist Senior High School graduates who opt to find employment and help them find those opportunities.

Bam seeks to stop ‘Endo’

In a move to strengthen the rights of workers and promote security of tenure, a senator filed a measure that seeks to end the unjust “Endo” (end contract) practice in the country.

 On Thursday, Sen. Bam Aquino filed the End Endo Act, amending Sections 106 to 109 of the Presidential Decree No. 442 or the Labor Code of the Philippines.

 It will put a stop to fixed term employment or hiring of workers based on a limited and fixed period without regularization so more Filipinos are assured of job security and steady compensation.

 Employers are also limited from contracting or subcontracting more than 20 percent of their total workforce.

 The End Endo Act will further professionalize the service contracting industry by prohibiting labor-only contracting and establishing industry standards.

 It will also guarantee contracted workers of reasonable compensation even in between assignments through a Transition Support Program.

 “If approved, tapos na ang nakasanayang 50 o 100 percent ng workforce ay contracted o subcontracted,” said Sen. Bam.

 In addition, the measure requires the mandatory posting of bond that will serve as a safeguard for the employee’s claims in case of violation by the contractor or subcontractor.

Bam fulfills campaign promise to alleviate poverty through Entrepreneurship, Employment and Education

In 2013, Sen. Bam Aquino ran with a campaign promise of uplifting lives of Filipino families and fighting poverty through education, employment, and entrepreneurship or the 3Es.

 In his first three years, Sen. Bam Aquino laid the foundation for the growth of micro and small businesses, improved access to financing for entrepreneurs, lowered logistics costs for imported and exported goods, and ensured the financial literacy of generations to come.

 During the 16th Congress, he worked for the passage of 14 laws in line with his commitment to the Filipino people. Nine of these laws were aligned with his advocacy to build an effective support network for local business, particularly the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and promote ease of doing business.

 These are the landmark Philippine Competition Act, Go Negosyo Act, Foreign Ships Co-Loading Act or Amendments to the Cabotage Policy, Youth Entrepreneurship Act, Microfinance NGOs Act, Credit Surety Act, Lemon Law, the Customs Modernization and Tarrif Act, and the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) Act.

 After gathering dust for more than two decades, the Philippine Competition Act was finally enacted into law thanks to Sen. Bam Aquino’s efforts as co-author and principal sponsor in the Senate.

 Dubbed by Sen. Bam as a “historic, game-changing legislation for the economy”, the Philippine Competition Act or Republic Act 10667 provides a level-playing field for all businesses and penalizes bad market behavior and abuse of dominant positions.

 The law expected to improve the quality and lower the prices of goods and services by eliminating cartels, and penalizing anti-competitive agreements and abuses of dominant players in the market.

 The Go Negosyo Act, the first law passed by Sen. Bam in the 16th Congress, mandates the establishment of Negosyo Centers in all municipalities, cities and provinces that will assist micro, small and medium enterprises in the country.

 “This is a part of our pledge to work for the development of MSMEs to help create jobs and livelihood for many Filipinos and spur the country’s economy,” said Sen. Bam, the youngest senator in the 16th Congress.

 There are already 200 Negosyo Centers catering to the needs of struggling entrepreneurs in the country, from returning OFWs and carinderia owners to farmers and social entrepreneurs.

 As chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, he also initiated investigations into the slow and expensive Internet in the country and the congestion in the Port of Manila.

 The investigation produced several triumphs that will help improve the Internet service in the country, including the much-awaited IP Peering between Globe and PLDT.

 In the 17th Congress, he is expected to head the Committee on Education, hoping to elevate the quality of Philippine education, particularly in our public schools to global standards so that more young Filipinos can build a brighter future for themselves and their family.

 Sen. Bam has already filed four education-related measures such as the Free Education in State Colleges and Universities (SUCs), Free Education for Children of Public School Teachers’ Children, Abot Alam, and the Trabaho Center in Schools bills.

 Even with education on his mind, he continues to push for his social entrepreneurship advocacy and is still building a robust support system for small business with the filing of bills to support Small Business Tax Reform, Startups, and Social Enterprises, among others.

 Sen. Bam is relentless in his pursuit to fulfill his campaign promise of the 3Es to achieve inclusive growth and help Filipino families overcome poverty.

Bam: Free tuition in all state universities and colleges

In a bold move as chairman of the Committee on Education in the 17th Congress, Sen. Bam Aquino has filed a measure making tertiary education in all State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) free for all students.

 This is one in four bills he filed yesterday to improve access to quality education in the Philippines.

 “In line with the mandate of our Constitution, the State must uphold the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels. This bill seeks to make tertiary education in all State Universities and Colleges free of tuition for its students and fully subsidized by government,” said Sen. Bam in his Free Education in State Colleges and Universities (SUCs) Bill.

 He also filed Free Education for Children of Public School Teachers Bill to ensure that children of all public school teachers are given scholarships in all SUCs in the country.

 Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committees on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship and Youth in the 16th Congress, is expected to lead the Committee on Education when the 17th Congress opens on July 25.

 Based on data from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Sen. Bam said two out of five high school graduates, or 40 percent, do not pursue tertiary education due to high tuition fees and miscellaneous expenses.

 “Many of them face the choice between working to help their family or sacrificing the education of other siblings so that one may be sent to college,” the senator said.

 Sen. Bam believes that tertiary education is a valuable mechanism that can help Filipino families break out of the poverty cycle, as tertiary degree holders earn twice as much compared to those who do not have postsecondary education.

 By providing free college education to all, Sen. Bam believes that poor and low-income families stand to benefit the most, giving them a chance to be empowered economically and socially.

 Aside from pushing for free tertiary education, Sen. Bam also filed other measures in the 17th Congress that seek to improve the state of education in the country to world-class standards and living condition of public school teachers.

 The Abot Alam Bill seeks to effectively address the needs of Filipino youth aged 7 to 24 who are not attending school.

 It will create a comprehensive national framework designed to achieve the government’s aim to provide education for each and every Filipino, particularly out-of-school youth (OSY).

 In his Trabaho Center in Schools Bill, Sen. Bam wants to create a job placement office or Trabaho Center to assist Senior High School graduates who opt to find employment and help them find those opportunities.

 

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