Month: September 2016

Bam: Fast-track passage of coco levy bill

Sen. Bam Aquino urged fellow lawmakers to fast-track the passage of the Coco Levy Trust Fund Act so that three million farmers and their families can finally enjoy the fruits of their labor after decades of waiting.

“Marami sa atin, naghihintay na noong 16th Congress pa lang. We almost passed it, nabitin lang sa dulo,” said Sen. Bam during the hearing of the Committee on Agriculture and Food

 “Let’s pass it as fast as we can,” added Sen. Bam, author of Senate Bill No. 669 or the Coconut Farmers’ Trust Fund Act, which seeks to creation of a trust fund from the coco levy fund to develop the coconut industry and alleviate lives of coconut farmers and their families.

 In the 16th Congress, Sen. Bam filed Senate Bill No. 2467 but the Senate failed to pass it and other similar measures due to four contentious issues.

 “Marami po sa atin, naghihintay na noong 16th Congress pa lang,” said Sen. Bam.

 Sen. Bam suggested that lawmakers focus on four unsettled issues in the bill so that the measure will be passed at the soonest possible time.

 He pinpointed the four contentious issues to be the privatization of the 30 billion pesos, the composition of the trust fund members, where the fund should be invested, and how the budget should be spent.

 “More or less, iyong apat na iyon ang kailangan nilang pag-usapan. I personally feel this should have been passed already,” added Sen. Bam.

 Senate Bill No. 669 aims to create a Coconut Levy Trust Fund from the P75-billion Coco Levy Fund to spur the growth of the industry for the benefit of small coconut farmers and workers all over the country.

 The proposal includes the financing of programs for the increased productivity of coconut farms, capacity building of farmers, research and development of coconut-based enterprises, and implementation of poverty-alleviation programs.

 “The priority is our coconut farmers and their families. The goal is to give them sustainable livelihood by rehabilitating and revitalizing the industry,” said Sen. Bam.

 

Bam on Coco Levy Fund

Excerpts of Sen. Bam’s statement during the Committee on Agriculture hearing

 

Mr. Chairman, marami po sa atin, naghihintay na noong 16th Congress pa lang. Our chairperson was Sen. Villar. And we did go very far, nabitin lang po sa dulo.

 Many of us here really wanted this bill to pass. And if I’m not mistaken, aside from choices of words or phrasing, there are four main issues.

 First of all Mr. Chairman, is the composition of the Board of Trustees. Iyong iba po, mas kumikiling sa pribadong sektor, iyong iba mas kumikiling sa government. My version is more on the side of having more farmers on the board.

 Secondly Mr. Chairman, is where will we invest the money? I think was the stickiest point in the 16th Congress. Iyong iba po, mas konserbatibo – only in government securities. Iyong iba po, mas risky na ang kapalit po noon ay higher yield.

 Third is the provision of Sen. Villar, which is to mandate the budgets of ECA. I think her version is the only version with that provision.

 Maybe a fourth is about the privatization of the 30 billion. There are some provisions I think in Sen. Villar’s bill which details how that is to be privatized.

 Those are the only main points Mr. Chairman. Of course anyone can correct me if I’m wrong.

 Now I would like also to ask the body to weigh in on those four points because we’ve already agreed on 95 percent of the bill.

 Iyong apat po na iyon – iyong privatization of the 30 billion, iyong composition ng trust fund members, iyong kung saan puwedeng i-invest iyong pera and iyong some provisions that are on PCA – kung saan nila gagastusin ang budget.

 More or less, iyong apat na iyon ang kailangan nilang pag-usapan.

 But, I would really suggest Mr. Chairman na imadali natin ito. I personally feel this should have been passed already.

 Let’s not wait for the maturity of the bonds. Let’s not wait na may masayang pa po na opportunity cost with the interest. Let’s pass it as fast as we can.

 I’m hoping we can really fast-track this.

 

Sen. Bam is the author of Senate Bill No. 669 or the Coconut Farmers’ Trust Fund Act.

Bam: Target funding for rehab centers achievable

With government putting utmost priority in the fight against illegal drugs, Sen. Bam Aquino said the needed fund for the establishment of additional rehabilitation centers for thousands of drug dependents must be ensured in the national budget.

 “Now that everybody wants to support the war on drugs and the rehabilitation efforts, puwede kayong umasa sa Senado para sa budget item na ito,” said Sen. Bam during the hearing of the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs

 “Dapat nating matiyak na may pondo sa rehabilitasyon ng mga nag-surrender na drug dependents,” added Sen. Bam.

 Currently, the Department of Health plans to establish four regional drug rehabilitation centers of 500 beds each, or a total of 2,000.

 According to the Department of Health (DOH), the government is also looking to put up a drug rehabilitation center in Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija that can house 5,000 to 10,000 dependents.

 The government also plans to establish rehabilitation centers in military camps in Bohol and Capiz.

 During the hearing, it was discovered that less than 0.6 to 1 percent, or around 30,000 to 37,000, of 3.7 million drug dependents in the country need treatment in rehabilitation centers.

 For the remaining percentage, resource speakers mentioned that they should be provided with outpatient intervention in local communities.

 Sen. Bam brought up the effectiveness of peer counseling to address both rehabilitation and prevention in the country’s fight against illegal drugs.

 “We need more barangay-level interventions to address the rehabilitation of drug dependents,” the lawmaker added.

 “Makatutulong sa ating anti-drug drive kung hindi lang ang PNP ang mangunguna sa laban. It should be a multi-sectoral effort – may simbahan, local, may mga organizations – para lahat ay makatulong sa pag-kontra sa droga,” the lawmaker added.

 The senator also mentioned that the Sangguniang Kabataan can play a crucial part in combating the illegal drug problem among the young Filipinos.

 

BIDA KA!: Ipaglaban ang SK

Mga bida, isa sa mainit na pinag-uusapan ngayon ay ang pagpapaliban ng halalang pambarangay at Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) na nakatakda sa Oktubre.

Argumento ng iba, katatapos lang ng pambansang eleksiyon noong Mayo masyadong maikli ang panahon ng paghahanda ng Commission on Elections (COMELEC) para sa barangay at SK elections.

Nais naman ng ilang mambabatas na ipagpaliban ang halalan ng dalawang taon at gawin na lang sa 2018 upang mapaghandaan ito nang husto.

May lumitaw ring panukala na tuluyan nang i-abolish ang barangay council at SK dahil wala raw itong pakinabang at walang naitutulong sa mga komunidad.

***

Bilang isa sa mga nagsulong ng Republic Act No. 10742 o SK Reform Act bilang co-author at co-sponsor noong 16th Congress sa Senado, hindi ko matatanggap ang panukalang ipagpaliban ng dalawang taon ang halalan o buwagin nang tuluyan ang SK.

Kaya nga natin isinulong ang mga reporma sa SK upang mailayo ito sa dating sistema na puno ng katiwalian at walang nagawa para sa kapakanan ng mga kabataan.

Sayang naman ang mga ikinasang reporma kung hindi natin agad ito maipatutupad sa lalong madaling panahon o kung wala nang SK para magpatupad nito.

Huwag tayong magpadalus-dalos sa ating desisyon. Bakit hindi natin bigyan ng pagkakataong maikasatuparan ang mga repormang ito at tingnan kung ito’y magiging epektibo para sa kasalukuyang henerasyon.

***

Bilang kauna-unahang batas na mayroong anti-dynasty provision, malaking panghihinayang kung hindi natin makikitang naipatupad ang SK Reform Act.

Sa ilalim ng batas, bawal nang tumakbo bilang SK officials ang mga kamag-anak ng halal na opisyal, hanggang sa tinatawag na second level of consanguinity.

Itinaas na rin natin ang edad ng SK officials patungong 18 hanggang 24 taong gulang, upang magkaroon sila ng legal na pananagutan sa kanilang mga aksiyon.

Upang mahasa ang kanilang kaalaman sa pagganap ng tungkulin, obligado na ang mga SK official na dumaan sa leadership training programs.

Makatutulong na rin ang tinatawag na Local Youth Deve­lopment Council (LYDC) sa pagbalangkas ng mga programa’t proyekto para sa mga kabataan.

Sa pamamagitan ng LYDC, mabibigyan ang mas mara­ming grupo ng kabataan na lumahok, makialam at bantayan ang kanilang kapakanan.

Walang dapat ipangamba dahil sa mga repormang ipinasok natin sa bagong SK, ibang-iba na ito sa ating nakasanayan noon na madalas ay paliga ng basketball at beauty contest ang proyekto para sa mga kabataan.

***

Noong Martes, lumabas na ang committee report ng Senado na nagpapaliban sa SK elections sa Oktubre 2017.

Sa una, nanghihinayang tayo sa pagpapaliban na ito ngunit mas maganda na ito kaysa sa panukalang gawin ang halalan sa 2018.

Isa pa, tiniyak din sa atin ni Sen. Sonny Angara na tututulan ng Senado ang anumang pagkilos na buwagin ang SK.

Maaaring gamitin ng COMELEC ang dagdag na panahon upang mapaghandaan nang husto ang SK, gaya ng pagpapalawig ng registration at paghikayat sa ating mga kabataan na tumakbo.

Bigyan natin ng pagkakataon ang SK na humubog ng mga bagong bayani mula sa ating mga kabataan na tutulong sa pagpapalakas ng ating mga komunidad.

Article first published on Abante Online

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