Issues

Bam to Christmas Negosyos: Visit Negosyo Center for advice, support

Sen. Bam Aquino encouraged traders to visit a Negosyo Center first to get proper advice, guidance and training as they embark on a business venture this Christmas season.

“Ngayong kapaskuhan, maraming magtatayo ng bazaar sa pamilihan at mall, kaya inaasahan natin na maraming negosyante ang sasali sa mga ito,” said Sen. Bam, principal author and sponsor of the Republic Act No. 10644 or the Go Negosyo Act in the Senate.

“Sa lahat ng gustong sumabak sa negosyo, maaasahan niyo ang tulong at suporta ng mga Negosyo Center,” added Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship in the 16th Congress.

 At present, over 300 Negosyo Centers are now established in different parts of the country to cater to the needs of micro, small and medium enterprises.  The number is expected to rise before the year ends.

 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.

 The Negosyo Center will provide access to bigger markets and financing for businesses, training programs, and a simplified business registration process thus helping ease of doing business and fast-track government processes in putting up a business.

Aside from the Go Negosyo Act, Sen. Bam has five other laws focused on the development of MSMEs in the country.

 These are the landmark Philippine Competition Act, Foreign Ships Co-Loading Act, Microfinance NGOs Act, Youth Entrepreneurship Act and Credit Surety Fund Cooperative Act.

To know the Negosyo Center near you, visit https://www.bamaquino.com/gonegosyoact/negosyo-center-tracker/.         

Bam urges stakeholders to join forces vs trolls, misinformation on social media

Sen. Bam Aquino called on different stakeholders, led by the Department of Education (DepEd), to join forces in combating rampant trolling and spread of misinformation on social media.

 “We need to address the volume and frequency issues with the same volume and frequency,” Sen. Bam pointed out during the Committee on Education hearing on the responsible use of social media in schools.

“Maybe we can work on something that can match that level of speed, exponential growth and energy that we see online,” added Sen. Bam, chairman of the said committee.

Sen. Bam filed Senate Resolution No. 173 to determine how schools are educating and developing students regarding the responsible social media use.

Sen. Bam said DepEd can lead the way by conducting a “media literacy week” or “responsible social media use week” to jumpstart the move.

“This is something we can explore further and I’m confident that everyone will be willing to volunteer,” said Sen. Bam.

Aside from DepEd, Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa and Carlo Ople of Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP) also attended the event.

Both Ressa and Ople expressed willingness to help the initiative against trolling and misinformation on social media.

“Trolling is a global phenomenon. Real victims are those who believe in misinformation. We need explosive and faster solutions,” said Ople.

Ressa stressed the need to integrate responsible use of social media in schools, reiterate moral obligations and strengthen constructive debates to fight the spread of hate on social media.

 The DepEd, for its part, has established mechanisms that would guide “digital learners’” to make them responsible social media users.

“Right now, the concern is there. Na-recognize na may problema at na-recognize rin na ang solusyon dito hindi lang magagawa ng isang grupo o ahensiya. Kailangan magtulong-tulong ang iba’t ibang sektor para masolusyonan ito,” said Sen. Bam.

Ultimately, Sen. Bam said the move “aims to create a society that is more humane and compassionate towards each other and a Philippines that is more tolerant of different ideas and beliefs”.

 

Bam to work for passage of free education in SUCs

Sen. Bam Aquino expressed confidence that the measure giving free education to all students in State Colleges and Universities (SUC) will be passed within a year.
 
“We’re quite hopeful that this will pass. Mahalaga na mabigyan ng tulong ang ating mahihirap na estudyante sa SUC. Marami sa amin ang talagang tinutulak ito,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Education, after hearing several proposals to give free tertiary education in all SUCs. 
 
Sen. Bam has filed Senate Bill No. 177 or the Free Higher Education for All Act giving free tuition fee to all students in SUCs.
 
The senator said the committee will hold several technical working groups to iron out and consolidate provisions of the different measures and come up with a version that will truly help poor students who want to finish college.
 
“I think we owe it to our students to go through a tedious process to refine the bill. But I’m confident that we can get this done within a year,” said Sen. Bam.
 
During the hearing, several sectors pushed different methods to implement the measure. Some groups want to focus on courses that student will take while others believe that it should be based on the student’s capacity to pay.
 
Different groups also raised the possibility of expanding the measure’s coverage by providing poor students with miscellaneous expenses, transportation expenses and living expenses, in addition to a free tuition fee.
 
Aside from improving access to tertiary education, Sen. Bam said he will also work to improve the quality of education in SUCs.
 
“Just because we’re working on this bill, hindi ibig sabihin kakalimutan na natin ang kalidad. We have to ensure quality as well as access,” said Sen. Bam.
 
“Kung itutulak mo ito (free tuition fee) plus magsabay ka ng intervention sa kalidad, mas gaganda ang quality ng SUCs,” he added.

 

Bam: Abolishing NIR may deprive Negrenses of economic development, poverty alleviation

A senator maintained that abolishing the Negros Island Region (NIR) may not be conducive to the economic development of the region.
 
Sen. Bam Aquino made the pronouncement as he filed a resolution calling for an inquiry that into the national government’s plans for the NIR and its people.
 
Sen. Bam submitted Senate Resolution No. 212 after the government revealed plan to repeal Executive Order 183 that established the NIR.
 
“Abolishing the NIR now would deprive the Negrense people of a critical pathway to economic development and poverty alleviation,” said Sen. Bam.
 
In his resolution, Sen. Bam stressed the need for the national government to consider and assess the broader potential and long term impact of having an administration center in the Negros Island.
 
“This will enable greater efficiency in the implementation of development projects, and better and faster delivery of government services to Negrenses,” said Sen. Bam.
 
Signed on May 29, 2015, Executive Order 183 mandated the creation of a unified Negros Island Region (NIR), bringing together Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, and all the cities, municipalities and barangays comprising the two adjacent provinces.
 
The NIR is aimed at further accelerating social and economic development of the cities and municipalities comprising the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental and improving delivery of public services in the two provinces.
 
“Let’s not rush into a decision abolishing the NIR. We should give it the same amount of care, effort and time that was put into its creation,” he added.

Sen. Bam supports building economic ties with China

Senator Bam Aquino welcomed President Duterte’s decision to engage in economic ties with China, saying the government “must choose only what’s best for our country”, especially in providing jobs and livelihood to Filipinos.

“Kung ano ang pinakamainam at pinakamaganda sa ating bansa, iyon po ang i-explore natin. That is why I’m supportive of the moves to get more investments from China,” Sen. Bam said during a radio interview.

 “I don’t think na ibig sabihin ng pagkuha ng investments sa China ay may aawayin tayo na ibang bansa o ibang rehiyon gaya ng European Union,” the senator stressed.

“Hindi naman ho ibig sabihin na kung kaibigan natin ang China, kaaway natin ang Amerika. Kahit naman po ang Amerika at China ay may trade deals at pakikitungo sa isa’t-isa,” added Sen. Bam.

While Duterte’s push for an independent foreign policy is constitutional, Sen. Bam believes that it should not lead to burning bridges with current allies, led by the United States and EU.

 “We cannot cut ties with them dahil maraming Pilipino ang nakatira at nagtatrabaho doon at marami rin silang mga investment dito,” said Sen. Bam.

Earlier, Sen. Bam filed Senate Resolution No. 158, urging the government to clarify the country’s stand on different foreign policy issue.

 Sen. Bam made the move due to contradicting statements given by President Duterte and other government officials on different foreign policy issues.

Sen. Bam has been working to provide jobs, livelihood and education to more Filipinos as chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship in the 16th Congress and head of the Committee on Education in the 17th Congress.

Bam: Boost RH education in schools to combat teen pregnancies

Sen. Bam Aquino stressed the need to further strengthen sex education in schools after it was revealed that the Philippines “is the gold medalist” in Southeast Asia in terms of teen pregnancy.

 “We all agree that having sex education in schools is important,” said Sen. Bam during the hearing of the Committee on Education on the status of the implementation of reproductive health education in schools. 

Sen. Bam made the pronouncement after National Youth Commission (NYC) commissioner Percival Cendana revealed that every day, 600 girls aged 19 years and below give birth in the Philippines.

During the hearing, the Department of Education acknowledged the problem, saying the rising rate in teen pregnancy motivated the agency to implement a comprehensive sexuality education across the country.

DepEd Undersecretary Alberto Muyot said the agency has a total of 179 learning competencies for reproductive health education in the K-12 curriculum.

These learning competencies are currently undergoing a review process by the Bureau of Curriculum Development to make it attuned to present times.

Sen. Bam encouraged other groups to help the DepEd by contributing ideas that can improve the agency’s reproductive health education initiative.

 Sen. Bam filed Senate Resolution No. 169 amid the alarming rise in number of teen pregnancies in the country.

 

Bam to lead probe on sex, drugs and trolls education in schools

The Senate Committee on Education will look into how public schools educate students about reproductive health, responsible use of social media and the dangers of illegal drugs.
 
Education committee chairman Sen. Bam Aquino will conduct a hearing together with the Committees on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs and Health and Demography on Tuesday (Oct. 18).
 
Sen. Bam has filed three separate resolutions calling for an investigation into drug prevention and education in schools, reproductive health education and responsible use of social media in schools — Senate Resolution Nos. 168, 169 and 173, respectively.
 
“These three issues are crucial to today’s students as they face the problems of illegal drugs, teenage pregnancies, and cyber-bullying and misinformation in social media,” said Sen. Bam.
 
In Senate Resolution No. 173, Sen. Bam wants to be enlightened on how schools are educating and developing students regarding the responsible social media use.
 
“Our schools can play a critical role in guiding students to become productive digital citizens and to communicate respectfully online,” said Sen. Bam.
 
The move is aimed at guiding and developing students on responsible and proper social media use, considering the prevalence of misinformation and use of abusive language in social media, especially by so-called “paid trolls”.
 
With the alarming rise in number of teen pregnancies in the country, Sen. Bam filed a resolution calling for an inquiry on the status of the implementation of reproductive health education in schools.
 
Senate Resolution No. 169 seeks to clarify the status of the implementation of reproductive health education in schools amid the alarming rise in number of teen pregnancies in the country.
 
Based on 2011 to 2014 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, teenage pregnancy in the country is on the rise, with one in every ten women of child-bearing age is a teenager and 24 babies are born every hour from teenage mothers.
 
In Senate Resolution No. 168, Sen. Bam aims to determine the status of drug education and prevention programs in schools and alternative learning systems (ALS) to help keep the youth away from the drug menace.

Bam wants to involve youth in government’s disaster preparedness efforts

A senator wants to tap the youth in disaster preparedness by giving them an active role in the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
 
In his Senate Bill No. 686 or the Youth Participation in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, Sen. Bam Aquino proposes to include the Filipino youth in the government’s disaster risk reduction body to recognize their role in DRRM.
 
The measure also seeks to empower the youth with information and skills to help communities in times of crisis.
 
“With impending disasters in the country’s future, it is important to move from post-disaster relief to proactive disaster preparedness. And as the nation moves in this direction, it is important to include young Filipinos in this evolving discussion,” said Sen. Bam.
 
In the measure, the National Youth Commission (NYC) chairman will be included in the NDRRMC to voice out the concerns and proposals of the Filipino youth on disaster prevention, promotion, education, rescue and rehabilitation, among others.
 
“There is nothing to lose but so much to gain from engaging the youth in responding to natural calamities,” said Sen. Bam.
 
Sen. Bam recognized several youth organizations that have served as volunteer firefighters, first responders and peacekeepers in their respective localities.
 
The Cebu-based Rescue Assistance Peacekeeping Intelligence Detail or RAPID was the one of the first responders in Tacloban City after the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda.
 
“The group also helped rescue passengers of a passenger vessel that collided with a cargo ship in Cebu last year,” Sen. Bam said.
 
The Ormoc City-based Hayag Youth Organization, for its part, has been teaching swimming, disaster preparedness, first aid and open water safety training to the youth.
 
Today (October 13), the country joins the international community in commemorating the International Day for Disaster Reduction.

Bam: Guard vs proliferation of substandard Christmas lights, other products

With the Christmas season fast approaching, Sen. Bam Aquino called on concerned government agencies to prevent the proliferation of substandard Christmas lights and other products that endanger the lives of consumers.

“Dahil malapit na naman ang panahon ng kapaskuhan, asahan na ang pagdagsa ng mga produktong depektibo na maaaring magdulot ng panganib sa ating mga mamimili, gaya na lang ng hindi sertipikadong Christmas lights,” said Sen. Bam.

“Ngayon pa lang, kailangan nang bantayan ng mga kaukulang ahensiya ng pamahalaan ang mga nasabing produkto upang hindi na makarating pa sa ating mga mamimili,” added Sen. Bam.

During his stint as chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship in the 16th Congress, Sen. Bam conducted spot inspection in several stores in Metro Manila to ensure the safety of Christmas lights being sold in the market.

Last year, Sen. Bam and a team from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) found boxes of substandard Christmas lights in Divisoria and Dapitan.

Sen. Bam also visited several supermarkets and stores to check if there was enough supply and if they were following the suggested retail price (SRP) issued by the DTI for Noche Buena goods.

Sen. Bam appealed to traders to be responsible in selling goods and to follow the SRP released by the DTI.

“Nananawagan din tayo sa ating mga mamimili na huwag tangkilikin ang mga produkto na mababa ang kalidad dahil sa halip na tayo’y makamura, nalalagay pa sa panganib ang ating mga buhay,” the senator stressed.

The lawmaker has been pushing to add more teeth to Republic Act (RA) 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines to empower and protect citizens more against substandard goods and services.

He is set to file amendments to the Consumer Act next week.

Bam pushes for ideal, effective feeding program in public schools

Senator Bam Aquino urged concerned government agencies and other stakeholders to help craft an ideal measure on the proposed feeding programs in all public schools to make it effective in addressing malnutrition and hunger among poor students.

“Let’s aim for the ideal and put together a bill with all of our collective knowledge, collective experiences, and best practices,” said Sen. Bam during the hearing of the Committee on Education on several measures pushing for feeding programs in public schools.

Different government agencies and private organizations, led by the Department of Education and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, all expressed support for the passage of Senate Bill Nos. 23, 123, 160, 694 and 548.

During the hearing, Sen. Bam also underscored the crucial role of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in the success of the proposed feeding program.

“We will make sure that DBM is there to help us compute how much this would cost. The government’s budget is indicative of its priority. If indeed this is our priority, we should be able to budget it better,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam has filed Senate Bill No. 694 or the “Pagkaing Pinoy para sa Batang Pinoy” bill, which seeks to alleviate childhood malnutrition in the country through a feeding program for infants, 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,” said Sen. Bam.

To enhance the social value of the measure, the proposal will utilize locally sourced and locally produced food products to support local farmers and farming communities, providing them with regular income and livelihood.

“This feeding program will help address not only child malnutrition but also poverty in the countryside,” said Sen. Bam.

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