AN ACT DECLARING THE COCONUT LEVY ASSETS AS A TRUST FUND, PROVIDING FOR ITS MANAGEMENT AND UTILIZATION, AUTHORIZING THE PRIVATIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OFFICE TO DISPOSE THE COCONUT LEVY ASSETS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A STATE-OF-THE-ART AND HIGHLY SCIENTIFIC SPORTS COMPLEX TO BE KNOWN AS THE ‘NATIONAL AMATEUR SPORTS TRAINING CENTER,’ AND APPROPRIATING FUNDING THEREOF FOR THE ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY, CONSTRUCTION OF FACILITIES INCLUDING ADMINISTRATION, MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT OF THE SAME AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
AN ACT TO EFFECTIVELY INSTILL HEALTH CONSCIOUSNESS THROUGH GRAPHIC HEALTH WARNINGS ON TOBACCO PRODUCTS
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE MARITIME INDUSTRY AUTHORITY (MARINA) AS THE SINGLE MARITIME ADMINISTRATION RESPONSIBLE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE 1978 INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON STANDARDS OF TRAINING, CERTIFICATION AND WATCHKEEPING FOR SEAFARERS, AS AMENDED, AND INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS OR COVENANTS RELATED THERETO
The State shall promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all. The State shall provide social justice in all phases of national development and that the State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights.
The goals of the national economy are a more equitable distribution of opportunities, income, and wealth; a sustained increase in the amount of goods and services produced by the nation for the benefit of the people; and an expanding productivity as the key to raising the quality of life for all, especially the underprivileged. The State shall promote industrialization and full employment based on sound agricultural development and agrarian reform, through industries that make full and efficient use of human and natural resources, and which are competitive in both domestic and foreign markets.
The State also recognizes the important role of enterprises in the economy as the major agent of development, creating off-farm employment opportunities and providing transitional means for improving the livelihood of the people.
Towards this end, the State shall pursue an inclusive growth strategy that promotes an environment conducive to the development and growth of a vibrant social enterprise sector engaged in poverty reduction, economic and social development. It shall empower the poor as primary stakeholders in social enterprises, establish mechanisms essential to realizing their potential and achieving their full growth, and extend the assistance necessary for their advancement. The State shall likewise provide technical and financial assistance, incentives and other services to enable Social Enterprises to develop into viable and vital anti-poverty agents, and a strong social entrepreneurship movement that will be instrumental in reducing poverty in the country.
Article XIV, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution recognizes the role of the State to protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels, and to take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all. Further, Section 19 (1) of the same Article provides that the State shall promote physical education, sports programs and competitions alongside training for international competitions to foster self-discipline, teamwork and excellence for the attainment of a healthy and alert citizenry. Thus, the State shall recognize and uphold the rights of Student-Athletes to further hone their skills and abilities in their respective fields of amateur sports without neglecting their education and general well-being.
It is the intention of this law to protect and promote the rights of the Student- Athlete, who is, first and foremost, a student. To this end, the rights guaranteed by this law and the obligations imposed on schools and athletic associations and their officials, athletic directors, coaches, members of the coaching staff, administrators, alumni, and representatives shall seek to ensure that the Student-Athlete attains quality education while honing his skill and reaching his full potential as an athlete in an amateur sports setting.
[REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10645]
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE MANDATORY PHILHEALTH COVERAGE FOR ALL SENIOR CITIZENS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7432, AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9994, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “EXPANDED SENIOR CITIZENS ACT OF 2010”
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Section 5, sub-paragraph h(2) of Republic Act No. 7432, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:
“SEC. 5. Government Assistance. – The government shall provide the following:
“x x x
“(h) Additional Government Assistance
“(1) x x x
“(2) Mandatory PhilHealth Coverage
“All senior citizens shall be covered by the national health insurance program of PhilHealth. Funds necessary to ensure the enrollment $f all senior citizens not currently covered by any existing category shall be sourced from the National Health Insurance Fund of PhilHealth from proceeds of Republic Act No. 10351, in accordance with the pertinent laws and regulations.
“(3) x x x.”
SEC. 2. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations, or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
SEC. 3. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or ill at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
In all parts of the country, micro enterprises comprise the bulk of business enterprises in the country. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) estimates that, as of 2011, at least 99.6% of all businesses in the Philippines were classified as micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), while ” the remaining 0.4% were large enterprises. Of the total number of MSMEs, at least 91.0% were micro enterprises, with asset sizes not greater than Three Million Pesos (P3 million) and with up to 10 employees.
At their very core, micro enterprises enable poor families to undertake entrepreneurial activities to meet their minimum basic needs, including income generation. However, one major barrier for micro entrepreneurs is their lack of access to credit or capital. One way for them to access such funding is through micro finance.
“Micro finance”, as is defined in this bill, “refers to the provision of a broad range of financial services exclusively for the poor to improve the asset base of households and expand their access to savings and enable them to raise their income levels and living standards.” Therefore, micro finance is that much-needed first step between subsistence and sustainability, enabling the poor to startup businesses that can lift themselves out of poverty.
However, the micro finance sector has yet to be acknowledged by government as an integral partner in poverty alleviation. Moreover, the unique structure and purpose of micro finance institutions (MFls) have yet to be recognized as different from those of purely commercial enterprises.
Therefore, we are proposing a Microenterprise Development Strategy that is embodied in the Micro enterprise Institutions Development (“MicroDev”) Act. This measure seeks to provide an enabling policy environment and support for MicroDevs through appropriate tax reforms. It also aims to develop a social reform program that will empower the poor, aid them in managing financial risks, and, in doing so, expand access to micro finance services, such as: microcredit, microsavings, health care, and others. This Act also opens up access to a broad range of financial, business, and other human development services. The ultimate goal of the MicroDev Act is to lift people out of poverty and enable them to live more productive, self-sufficient lives.
“You cannot feed the mind on an empty stomach.” This is a truth that millions of Filipinos know and feel all too well. Every day, millions of Filipino children trek to school, underfed and undernourished, yet expected to fully absorb the lessons of the day.
In a study called “The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012”, conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a total of 16 million Filipinos were considered undernourished 2010 to 2012, even as the number of chronically undernourished people dropped in all other Southeast Asian countries. Despite our growing economy, there are more underfed people in the Philippines today than there were two decades ago.
Meanwhile, another recent study on “the role of early childhood nourishment and health in connection with human capital accumulation”, published by Dartmouth University in 2012, revealed that the long-term detrimental effects of childhood hunger have a greater impact on school children than the effects of substandard schooling, infrastructure, classrooms, and textbooks.
This is perhaps one of the main reasons why Filipino children continue to lag behind our Asian neighbors in standardized tests. How can we expect them to do well in school when we have not given their brains the proper nourishment and fuel for the tasks that lie ahead of them?
Thus, the proposed “Pagkaing Pinoy para sa Batang Pinoy” bill seeks to alleviate childhood malnutrition in the Philippines through a feeding program for public kindergarten and elementary school children. It will promote the health of children who are most in need, by providing regular and free access to nutritious food within a safe and clean school and community environment.
The benefits of the bill do not end there. To enhance the social value of this proposed measure, the feeding program will utilize, when possible and available, locally-sourced and locally-produced food products in order also support local farmers and farming communities, and thus provide direct support to local agricultural communities. By providing a regular market for the products of local farmers and small entrepreneurs, this feeding program will help address not only child malnutrition but also poverty in the countryside.
The bill will entail partnerships with the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Education (DepEd), and local government units.
A common practice in government procurement, guided by Philippine procurement laws, is to consider price as the major criterion for awarding government purchases and contracts. However, given the current social climate, there is now a need to consider other factors that enable a product or service to deliver adequate or even added value to both the purchaser and to the community at large.
Thus, we wish to introduce the concept of “social value” as an additional criterion governing Philippine government procurement.
“Social value,” as we define it in this measure, “refers to the additional benefit to, society of procuring a good or service, over and above the direct benefit and value of the good or service to the procuring entity. Additional benefits may include support for poor communities or marginalized groups, advancement of human rights and social justice” protection of the environment, and community development.”
At the root of this concept is the recognition that government funds should be allocated to products, services, and programs that offer the greatest good, at the best value. Therefore, when evaluating suppliers for government purchases, contracts, and projects, purchasers must look beyond price and also consider such factors as quality, production practices, and even the impact that these practices have on a larger community.
Legislature is thus urged to pass this proposed “Social Value Act”. By redefining the concept of “social value” and “value for money,” we can enable the State to maximize benefits for society and also drive up service quality and inclusive growth.
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