Author: teambam

Mindanao Brownout Bad for Business, Development – Sen. Bam

Senator Bam Aquino calls on concerned government agencies to immediately address the rotating brownout in Mindanao, saying it impedes the development of the region.

“We cannot accept that businesses are losing millions of pesos everyday. Lost income will lead to loss of jobs and other livelihood opportunities for our people,” said Aquino, chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

Aquino, who hails from Davao, urged the government to open the electricity market to small independent power producers to help solve power shortage in the area.

“A more competitive and a level-playing market would provide better service to our people,” said Aquino, who recently visited Davao to check on businesses in the area.

Aquino said it is not acceptable that prospective investors would lose interest in the region because of the long power interruption.

“These power interruptions are putting Mindanao’s present and future economic development at risk so we must address this now,” the senator emphasized.

“How can Mindanao be the next big thing in business if electricity supply continues to be a problem,” he added.

Aquino made the reaction after the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CDOCCI) revealed that Mindanao businesses are losing an estimated P30 million per hour to power interruption.

“With an average of six hours of power interruption, Mindanao businesses are losing P180 million per day. This is really bad for business and bad for prospective investors,” Aquino said.

Ensure Quality of Education Before Any Tuition Fee Increase – Sen. Bam to CHED

Senator Bam Aquino has asked the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to consider quality of education in determining whether a tuition fee increase is justified.

Aquino made the pronouncement after the CHED revealed that a total of 353 private universities and colleges have filed petitions to increase their tuition and other fees this coming school year.

“Quality of education should be one of the criteria before allowing a school to increase tuition fees,” said Aquino, chairman of the Committee on Youth.

“How can a college explain to parents that they need to pay more when their children aren’t getting the quality education they deserve?” stressed Aquino.

Aquino called on CHED to add the passing rate of colleges in board exams, employability of the graduates and other criteria to measure quality of education in allowing the universities and colleges to raise their tuition fees.

“We must ensure the employability of graduates as way of addressing the country’s high unemployment rate,” the senator said.

Aquino also revealed that he plans to file a resolution to call on CHED and the representatives of the private universities and colleges to address the issue.

 

Photo source: Philstar.com

Tired of Graft, Corruption? Register! – Sen. Bam on Youth

Tired of graft, corruption and red tape? Register!

Senator Bam Aquino encourages the three million youth voters to register so they can exercise their constitutional right to suffrage and be an instrument of change in the country’s political system.

“Don’t waste your right to vote. This is one way you can effect positive change in the country’s political system,” said Aquino, chairman of the Committee on Youth.

Aquino said new registrants have 17 months or from May 6, 2014 to October 31, 2015 to register and be counted for the 2016 national and local elections.

“In 2016, you will play an important part in selecting next president and other leaders who will chart the country’s course. Don’t waste this opportunity,” the senator said.

At the same time, Aquino called on the 9.6 million registered voters who have no biometric data to update their records with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) during the registration period so they can vote in 2016.

According to Republic Act No. 10367, or the Mandatory Biometrics Registration Act, a voter without biometric record will be removed from the list and will not be able to vote in the next election.

The senator also encouraged local officials to assist the Comelec’s efforts in the registration of voters by providing transportation to their constituents living in far-flung areas.

However, Aquino said local officials should bring their constituents to the Comelec office early and not wait on the last day to avoid chaos.

Aquino reminded new registrants to bring one valid ID, like a driver’s license, and any government, company, school ID or passport.

He also reminded registrants that Comelec offices will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be closed only on either Friday or Saturday.

Let’s Just Work Together to Hasten Rehabilitation! – Sen. Bam to Gov’t Officials

Let’s just work together!

Senator Bam Aquino called on concerned government officials to set aside their differences and work in unison to speed up the government’s rehabilitation efforts in areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda.

Aquino made the pronouncement amid the reported rift between Yolanda rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson and two unidentified Cabinet members.

“It’s been six months since Typhoon Yolanda hit, and the rehabilitation should be moving smoothly already.  Let’s get our act together so that the survivors can get back to their normal lives,” said Aquino, Chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

“The world is watching. Let us show them how we can come together and help the victims get back on their feet,” he added.

Aquino’s reaction stemmed from Lacson’s claim that two Cabinet members have been ignoring his request for assistance, delaying important rehabilitation projects in Yolanda-devastated areas.

The senator said this should not be the case because Yolanda rehabilitation is one of the government’s priority programs in the next three years.

“We should not prolong the agony of the Yolanda survivors. They lost their loved ones, their property and livelihood so we should not make them suffer even more,” said Aquino.

Aquino also urged concerned government agencies to submit their respective formal plans for affected areas to hasten the finalization of a master plan that will set the timetable and direction of the rehabilitation.

The Senate has approved a P14.6-billion supplemental budget for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of areas hit by typhoon Yolanda.

Recently, Aquino called on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to closely monitor the prices of construction materials in Eastern Visayas after receiving reports of overpricing in areas devastated by Yolanda.

The DTI acted with haste, saying it will “double or triple” the frequency of monitoring and punish establishments selling overpriced construction materials.

 

Photo source: weather.com (http://tinyurl.com/pjzudru)

Stakeholders Should Work for Better Internet Service – Sen. Bam

We want to build, not blame.

With this, Senator Bam Aquino called on stakeholders to work together to make sure consumers get what they’re paying for and give them the best Internet service possible.

“It’s about getting all the groups together. In the Philippines, all of our major problems only get solved when everyone comes together to solve it,” said Aquino during a television interview.

“We need to really work together to make sure consumers get what they’re paying for and get to a place where their Internet is really functioning at a satisfactory level or the best level possible,” the senator added.

Aquino said the momentum of the country’s economic growth, which is the largest in the ASEAN region, would be for nothing because of the poor and expensive Internet service.

“We have the highest growth in the whole ASEAN. We’re going from developing to developed country in the next ten to fifteen years. We cannot do that with poor Internet service,” Aquino emphasized.

At the same time, Aquino called on the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to chart the roadmap that will lead to a faster, cheaper and more Internet availability for more Filipinos.

“The NTC should be empowered to create this roadmap for better services for Filipinos because there is a lot of public interest here. That’s where I think the collaboration can be better so we can see this roadmap forward,” Aquino stressed.

Aquino is also considering a department-level body that will oversee the state of Internet in the country.

Presently, Aquino said several government agencies — Department of Science and Technology (DOST), NTC and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – focused on the issue of Internet in the country.

“We should put all of these functions together to a department that corresponds to the information age that were in right now,” Aquino said.

Working 37th birthday for Sen. Bam

It will be a working birthday for Senator Bam Aquino, who is expected to submit three committee reports and file seven key bills as he turns 37 today (May 7).

“The welfare of the country and fellow Filipinos should be prioritized above anything else,” said Aquino, the youngest senator in the 16th Congress.

As chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship and the Committee on Youth, the senator will deliver a sponsorship speech for the Poverty Reduction through Social Enterprise (PRESENT), Youth Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy and Philippine Lemon Law on Motor Vehicles bills.

Seven other measures – the Community Disaster Warehouse Bill, Coastal Mangrove Planting Bill, BEI-Election Service Reform Bill, Philippine Big Data Center Bill and the Cooperatives Officer Bill, Credit Surety Fund Bill and Start Up Business Bill – are also expected to be filed today.

“We should work hard to get them out of poverty and find commonalities that will benefit most, if not all, Filipinos. This is one way of thanking them for their trust and confidence,” Aquino emphasized.

Transcript of Sen. Bam Aquino’s Interview on the Slow, Expensive Internet

Q. Kasama po ba ang mga text na pinapadala ng network na may promo sa resolusyon ninyo?

A: It’s not part of the resolution but we can add it.

QUESTION: Kung minsan matutulog ka na lang may magtetext, akala ko importante.

ANSWER: I can have that checked. Pag nandoon na ang NTC puwede nating patanong iyon. But primarily kasi, the question is more on the expensive Internet.

 Compared to other countries, medyo lumalayo na ang presyo. So we’re hoping kung ma-refer na siya sa aming committee today, we’re hoping to have the hearing next week.

QUESTION: Hindi magkakalayo ang mga rates nila, so puwede ba nating sabihin na maaaring may cartel rin sila?

ANSWER: Hard to say that that’s a crime.

But babalik din tayo diyan sa competition policy. That’s one of the bills we’re pushing for.  If you have better competition, you have more people in the market, mas competitive, mas bababa ang presyo.

 Primarily gusto naming tanungin sa NTC, ano ang roadmap natin. Technically, regulated industry iyan, NTC should have a roadmap in terms of the price and quality.

Unfortunately, napag-iwanan na tayo ng ibang mga bansa so we want to see. Antabayanan natin kung anong sasabihin nila.

 

QUESTION: Kailan iyon?

ANSWER: If it is referred today, we can have that (investigation) next week. Kung ma-refer siya today.

Electric Vehicles to Mitigate Climate Change – Sen. Bam

Electric, hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) will help the country mitigate the risks associated with climate change as they reduce air pollution as result of the country’s heavy dependence on petroleum.

Senator Bam Aquino underscored this as he filed Senate Bill Nos. 2150 and 2151, which grant two bills granting fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to manufacturers and buyers of electric and alternative fuel vehicles.

In his explanatory note, Aquino said the Philippines should mainstream programs that mitigate climate change risks and instill climate change adaptation among private sector, communities, and individuals.

“Early adaptation to and promotion of AFVs will help the country mitigate the risks associated with climate change, while opening up potential investment and job opportunities that will ultimately benefit more Filipinos,” Aquino stressed.

Based on studies, Aquino said 80 percent of particulates, or particles that cause pollution, come from gas and diesel powered vehicles.

“Electric and AFVs are pro-environment vehicles because they have zero emission,” Aquino said.

Aquino also hailed the government’s move to ensure the growth of the domestic electric vehicle manufacturing industry through transformation of public major transportation as this was showcased to US President Barack Obama last week.

Key milestones include the Department of Energy’s (DOE) goal of putting 100,000 electric tricycles on the road by 2017, and the Electric Vehicles Association of the Philippines’ (EVAP) goal of one million electric vehicles by 2020.

Aquino said his bills would provide a stronger policy support needed by the industry to encourage investment and remove key barriers that hinder its growth, such as high initial costs and lack of fiscal incentives.

Under the bill, qualified manufacturers, assemblers and importers of vehicles are exempted from the payment of excise taxes, duties and VAT for spare parts, raw materials, components and capital equipment for nine years.

Aside from that, they will also be exempted from paying Motor Vehicle User’s Charge (MVUC) for nine years.

Aquino also proposed several non-fiscal incentives to boost production and drive consumer demand for alternative fuel vehicles.

Among them are priority registration and plate number issuance; priority franchise application; exemption from Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) or Number-Coding Scheme; and the provision of free parking spaces in new establishments for AFV drivers.

“While the costs of electric and hybrid vehicles are higher compared to those of regular vehicles, these non-fiscal incentives will make the acquisition and conversion of vehicles more attractive to consumers and manufacturers alike,” Aquino said.

Aquino’s bills also aim to help the local electric vehicle industry become a major player in the Asian market.

Aquino said Asia is currently the largest market for hybrid and electric vehicles with 56 percent of shares, based on a study released by international consulting firm Grant Thornton in 2012.

The study added that global sales of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are projected to reach 5.4 million vehicles by 2021 or more than six percent of the automotive market.

Also, the integration of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 presents a key opportunity for the Philippines to emerge as a leader in this sector and cater to a regional market.

“This can very well pave the way for more investments, jobs, and livelihood opportunities to reach more Filipinos,” the senator said.

 

Photo source: Get Philippines Facebook page

Sen. Bam Lauds Kiko’s Appointment as Presidential Adviser on Agriculture

Senator Bam Aquino lauds the appointment of former senator Francis “Kiko” N. Pangilinan as Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization, saying his experience and competence fit the mandate and position.

“I am confident that he will be able to push through with the needed reforms and modernization plans to achieve inclusive growth in the agricultural sector,” said Aquino, chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

Aquino added that he and Pangilinan share the same view, believing in “inclusive supply chains” and “farmers are also entrepreneurs”.

“Senator Kiko and I have talked about programs that start at the farms and end with food at the table. His programs and mine are complementary,” the senator said, adding that Pangilinan’s experience in running his own farm is a plus for his new position.

“In our previous meetings, we have talked about future convergence points and partnerships that will enable farmers to grow their production, their market and their livelihood,” Aquino added.

Aquino committed to help Pangilinan work for innovative tools and technology that “will bring back the richness of our agricultural sector and for our own sustainability as a nation” through legislative measures.

Pangilinan served as senator for 12 years. He was also Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Food and the Committee on Social Justice and Rural Development.

 

Photo source: Malacanang Photo Bureau

Sen. Bam: Filipino Workers Should Have Lower Taxes

Good news for Filipino workers burdened by high taxes!

Filipinos burdened by high taxes can heave a sigh of relief once a bill filed by Senator Bam Aquino seeking to review and reform current tax system is enacted into law.

In explaining Senate Bill No. 1942, Aquino said there’s an urgent need to revise the current tax bracket set by the National Internal Revenue Code, which was passed in 1997.

“Now is the time to get this updated and be attuned to the present time,” Aquino stressed.  “We cannot continue using outdated tax brackets and a threshold which were approved fifteen years ago.”

“The salary of a management level employee fifteen years ago will probably be equivalent to the salary of an entry level call center agent today because of inflation and other economic factors,” he added.

Under Aquino’s bill, Section 24 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 will be amended by adjusting the levels of net taxable income and simplifying the nominal tax rates in computing individual income tax, based on current prices.

“The Tax Reform Act effectively lowers the taxes on the Filipino working class, allowing them to enjoy a higher net income and increasing their purchasing power,” Aquino said.

The senator also assured that the bill would not impose a burden on the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that comprise a majority of employers in the Philippines.

With a just tax system, Aquino believes that it will encourage citizens to declare their true income and pay their taxes.

“It also supports the government’s push for inclusive growth while ensuring that government is still able to raise funds for social programs that directly benefit the poor,” Aquino said.  “It is a win-win solution that offers the greatest benefit to the greatest number of Filipinos.”

Aquino added that the bill also adjusts the tax level of the upper one percent (1%) of taxpayers, making sure that the government is able to collect a larger share of income from those who can afford to pay more.

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