Issues

Bam pushes for a more tourist-friendly Philippines

As the Philippines joins the celebration of the World Tourism Day (September 27), a senator hopes to improve the country’s tourist-friendliness through seminars and by penalizing the harassment of domestic and international visitors.

“This bill seeks to ensure a pleasant experience for tourists by discouraging aggressive solicitation and imposing fines for repeat offenders,” Sen. Bam Aquino said in Senate Bill No. 667.

 The measure also establishes tourism help desks in identified tourist havens, where regular patrols should be conducted to safeguard the proper implementation of the law.

 The Department of Tourism, in coordination with the barangay officials, shall promote responsible marketing and conduct regular seminars for the local vendors and residents to foster a tourist-friendly culture among communities located in tourist havens,

“We Filipinos take pride in our hospitality and ability to make guests feel welcome,” Sen. Bam said.

“Ngunit dahil sa paghihirap, naiisip ng iba na pagsamantalahan ang mga turista. We hope to address this with proper training and imposing penalties,” he added.

 Under the measure, the DOT will identify barangays which will be considered as tourist havens, or places that have high volume of tourists who stay for longer than one day.

 The bill punishes unlawful solicitation from tourists who have already expressed their desire not to be bothered by solicitations. First-time offenders will be issued warning while subsequent violations will be meted a P500 fine for each incursion.

Based on data from the DOT, around two million tourists visited the country from January to April of this year, earning the country a reputation of being one of the most sought after travel destinations in the world.

 “With more and more foreign and local travelers in our country, it’s time we develop that tourist-friendly mindset within our communities. Let’s give our tourists a wonderful, hassle-free experience so they come back for more,” Sen. Bam said.

Bam: Let’s address the drug menace in our schools

A senator has submitted a resolution to look for ways to address prevalence of illegal drugs in public elementary and high schools in the country.

In Senate Resolution No. 168, Sen. Bam Aquino plans to conduct an inquiry on drug education and prevention programs in schools and alternative learning systems (ALS) that will help keep the youth away from the drug menace.

“All schools and alternative learning systems have a significant role to play in addressing illegal drug use and abuse among children through drug education and other prevention programs,” said Sen. Bam.

 The senator stressed the need for schools and learning institutions to apply evidence-based approaches in the development and implementation of drug education and prevention programs for Filipino children and youth.

Sen. Bam emphasized that peer counseling, after-school programs and the adoption of a drug education framework that fosters trust rather than scare tactics, have proven to be effective tools in thwarting the drug menace.

 Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 mandates that instruction on drug abuse prevention and control shall be integrated in the elementary, secondary and tertiary curricula of all public and private schools.

The law also mandates all elementary, secondary and tertiary school student councils and campus organizations to include in their activities programs for the preventions of and deterrence of drug use and referral of treatment of students for drug dependence.

In addition, Sen. Bam said the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) has identified preventive education programs as a key component of its drug demand reduction strategy to discourage users and impending abusers from experimenting with illicit substances or continuing to abuse them. 

“As part of its mandate, the DDB must implement educational programs catering to every sector of society, including the youth and their educators,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam has also filed a resolution looking into the implementation of reproductive health education in our schools to address the rising number of teen pregnancy in the country.

Bam eyes probe on status of sex education in schools

Amid the alarming rise in number of teen pregnancies in the country, a senator has filed a resolution calling for an inquiry on the status of the implementation of reproductive health education in schools.

In Senate Resolution No. 169, Sen. Bam Aquino said the Department of Education (DepEd) is tasked by Republic Act 10354 or to develop a curriculum for reproductive health education that will be used by public schools and may be adopted by private schools.

In 2013, the DepEd released the K to 12 Curriculum Guide for Health, which incorporates lessons on Reproductive Health and Responsible Parenthood.

“Ngayong tumataas ang bilang ng mga kabataang nabubuntis, nais nating malaman kung ano nga ba ang estado ng nasabing curriculum at kung paano ito itinuturo sa ating mga paaralan,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Education.

Based on 2011 to 2014 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, Sen. Bam said 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.

 “The youth are faced with critical decisions involving sexual and reproductive health that could have a major impact on their lives,” said Sen. Bam.

The senator added that research by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) shows that majority of adolescents still lack the knowledge to make responsible decisions.

 “UNFPA Country Representative Klaus Beck highlighted the importance of including sexuality education in our Philippine education system to help ensure young girls and boys make responsible choices based on accurate information,” said Sen. Bam. 

Without adequate information, Sen. Bam said teenagers are left vulnerable to coercion, sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies.

Bam eyes protection for PH freelancers

With freelancing now a growing sector in the country’s labor force, Sen. Bam Aquino has filed a measure seeking to protect the rights and welfare of freelancers.

 “With more and more freelancers in the country, we are confronted with an urgent need to protect this new sector and empower them with ease of doing business,” Sen. Bam said in Senate Bill No 351.

 According to Sen. Bam, the bill gives freelancers the power to demand from their employer what they are rightfully due under their agreement.

 If an employer refuses to pay a freelancer for services rendered, the latter can file a complaint to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), which can impose a penalty of up to P250,000 on the non-compliant party if found liable.

 “Further civil penalties will also be imposed for every day that the employer refuses to compensate the freelancer. The aggrieved party has the option of filing a civil case against his or her employer,” said Sen. Bam.

 The measure also makes it easier for freelancers to register in the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and mandates that they be exempted from tax payments for the first three years.

 “Let us waste no time in ensuring that they are not inconvenienced by red tape and that they are protected from difficult, even fraudulent clients,” said Sen. Bam.

 The bill was referred to the Committees on Labor and Ways and Means.

Bam: Ingatan ang padala ng mga OFW, iwasan ang port congestion

Senator Bam Aquino called on concerned government agencies and private stakeholders to work together to prevent congestion in the Port of Manila to avoid delays in the arrival of products and packages, especially from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to their loved ones.

 “Maraming pamilya ang nag-aabang ng mga padala mula sa minamahal nilang OFWs ngayong panahon ng kapaskuhan. Sayang naman kung mabubulok lang ito sa ating mga pantalan kapag may congestion,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam made the call after an official of the Department of Transportation warned that port congestion may occur with the influx of goods and products from other countries as Christmas season approaches.

“If you remember, two years ago the port congestion was a big headache for Filipinos in Metro Manila – delivery of goods was delayed, cargo trucks caused traffic, and balikbayan boxes remained stranded in the port. We were able to solve the problem then, but we must guard against another port congestion,” the senator stressed.

During his term as chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship in the 16th Congress, Sen. Bam initiated a probe on the congestion that occurred at the Port ofManila two years ago.

 After bringing government agencies and private stakeholders in one table, the problem was ironed out after several months of investigation.

But Aquino said that the heavy volume of containers from September to December may revive the problem.

“Sa ngayon, maaaring normal ang operasyon at maluwag pa ang ating mga pantalan pero baka maulit ang port congestion sa pagdagsa ng mga kargamento sa huling bahagi ng taon. Kailangan na natin itong paghandaan ngayon pa lang,” added Sen. Bam.

Bam: Clear policy essential to country’s economic development

A senator urged the government to lay down a clear foreign policy direction, saying it is essential to the economy and the country’s development as a nation.

 Sen. Bam Aquino has filed Senate Resolution No. 158, urging the government to clarify the country’s stand on different foreign policy issues amid varying statements by President Duterte and other administration officials.

 ​​“Given recent statements coming from the President and senior government officials, there is a need to clarify government’s position and engagements with its neighbors and allies,” Sen. Bam emphasized.

 ​​“This is to assure the Filipino public and international community that we are pursuing a clear and coherent foreign policy that is most beneficial to the country,” he added.

 Sen. Bam saw the need for clarification after contrasting claims by several government officials on different foreign policy issues​, such as our joint maritime patrols and ​​the stationed American troops in Mindanao.​

 ​“I hope we can clear up these conflicting statements soon so that our strategies to protect our territory and develop our economy are aligned with the administration,” Sen. Bam stressed.

 As provided in Article 2, Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution, Sen. Bam said a clear strategic foreign policy is integral to the country’s development.

 ​“Our relations with members of the international community have bearing on our ability to protect our territory and environment, develop our economy, and promote the welfare and well-being of our citizens,” Sen. Bam stressed.

 

Bam: LGUs open to fast tracking permits for cell sites, IT infrastructure

Are you amenable to fast tracking permits for Internet infrastructure?

 Senator Bam Aquino threw this challenge to local government units (LGUs), which are being blamed for the slow and tedious issuing of permits to build the cell sites needed to improve internet quality in the country.

 “If we include provisions on fast tracking cell site construction, how would the LGUs feel about that?” Sen. Bam asked during the Senate hearing on proposal to grant President Duterte emergency powers to solve the worsening traffic problem in the country.

“If in the emergency powers bill, in an Executive Order, or in the Free Wi-Fi Bill, nakalagay doon na within one month, the cities must choose specific areas for cell site applications, would you be amenable?” Sen. Bam asked Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, Calamba City Mayor Justin Marc Chipeco and representatives from Manila and Pasay.

“Opo. In fact, we also want that dahil iyan ang hinihingi ng mga kababayan namin, magiging expeditious din ang mga proyekto at the same time, iyong access the communication mabilis din,” said Mayor Bautista.

 However, Bautista said they can only fast track the process for government-owned properties and not on private properties, such as subdivisions, which must go through the regular process of permit approval.

 “We fully support that proposal. Kaya po iyon,” said Manila City administrator Atty. Ericson Alcovendaz.

 “We support that initiative. Information Technology (IT) has a significant footprint on the solution [to traffic]. If we can make less people go out on the streets and work from home, so much the better,” stressed Pasay City administrator Dennis Acorda.

Chipeco, for his part, supports the proposal as he sees the need to improve Internet speed because it is a necessity, more than a luxury. 

In an earlier hearing conducted by Sen. Bam as chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and telecommunication companies complained about difficulty in acquiring permits from LGUS for their infrastructure development efforts.

Bam: ‘Historical revisionism’ of Martial Law slap in face of victims

Sen. Bam Aquino expressed alarm over the “historical revisionism” efforts to make it appear that the Martial Law era was the golden years in our country’s history saying, “it’s a slap in the face of the thousands who were unjustly tortured and killed during that period”.
 
“Hindi lang siya nakakalimutan, binabago na ang ating kasaysayan. Iyon iyong mas nakakabahala, na tila sinasabi na sa panahon ng Martial Law, walang namatay, walang kinulong, walang tinorture,” said Sen. Bam.
 
“It’s a disservice and a slap in the face for those victims na parang kinakalimutan natin ang masamang nangyari noong panahon na iyon,” added Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Education in the 17th Congress.
 
According to historical records, 3,257 were killed, around 35,000 were tortured while 70,000 were incarcerated during the Martial Law rule, which ran from 1972 to 1981.
 
In addition to the rampant human rights violation, an estimated $10 billion in government money was stolen, according to Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) records.
 
As part of his advocacy to educate today’s youth about the horrors of Martial Law, Sen. Bam recently conducted an investigation to determine how it is being taught in public elementary, high schools and colleges.
 
During the hearing, the Department of Education, through Sec. Leonor Briones, revealed that the agency would introduce a new curriculum and new textbooks in the next few months that will provide accurate details about the dark side of the Martial Law era.
 
“We’re happy that DepEd is undergoing the change in curriculum at sabi nga nila, ipapakita nila ang mas kumpletong larawan ng Martial Law. Palagay ko kasi, ang lumang textbook natin, ayaw ipakita iyong mga masamang nangyari sa ating bansa,” Sen. Bam said.
 
“Secretary Briones herself said na itong curriculum change, makikita ng mga kabataan natin iyong kasamaan ng Martial Law, which is, of course, the corruption and human rights abuses,” he added.
 
Sen. Bam is confident that if the youth are properly informed about what really occurred during the Martial Law era, they can scrutinize what they see online.
 
“Kung mayroon silang pundasyon kung ano ang tama at ano ang mali, ano iyong nangyari at ano iyong hindi nangyari, pag online na sila ay mas may kakayahan silang suriin kung ano talaga ang katotohanan,” Sen. Bam said.

Joint statement on Sen. De Lima’s removal as Committee on Justice chairperson

JOINT STATEMENT

Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin Drilon, Senator Francis Pangilinan, Senator Bam Aquino, and Senator Risa Hontiveros

 

We are deeply saddened by the events that transpired yesterday. Elementary courtesy dictates that we as members of the majority bloc of the Senate should have been consulted. The concerns of our colleagues could have been addressed if there was an opportunity for a dialogue.

No consultation or dialogue took place.

We recognize that the removal of Senator Leila De Lima as chair of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights as a political reality.

 Having said that, our alliance with the majority has always been based on the reforms that we believe will propel our nation to greater economic, political and social heights. We will continue to pursue these agenda.

As long as we believe that these reforms can be achieved, we will remain with the majority.

Coming from the events that transpired yesterday, we must remain vigilant and continue to assert the independence of the Senate.

Senate to probe Martial Law education in basic, tertiary education

One day before the country commemorates one of the darkest chapters in its history, the Senate is set to conduct an inquiry to determine the status of Martial Law education in basic and tertiary education.
 
Sen. Bam Aquino, chairman of the Committee on Education, will lead the probe jointly with the Committee on Youth on Tuesday (September 20) at 9 a.m..
 
The Senate set the inquiry after Sen. Aquino filed Senate Resolution No. 29 to look into how the Martial Law era is being taught in high school and colleges all over the country. 
 
Expected to attend the hearing are Department of Education (DepEd) Sec.  Leonor Briones,  National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) chairperson Maria Serena Diokno and Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chairman Chito Gascon.
 
Sen. Bam saw the need to look into the matter, especially with the propagation of erroneous information on the Internet regarding the Martial Law, declared by former President Ferdinand Marcos on Sept. 21, 1972.
 
“Kailangan nating malaman kung paano tinuturo ng Martial Law sa ating kabataan at siguraduhin na ang katotohanan ang nananaig sa ating mga paaralan,” said Sen. Bam.
 
“Napansin natin na mukhang nagkaroon na ng pagbabago sa kasaysayan. Nakakalungkot ang pangyayaring ito dahil tila kinalimutan na ang mga nagsakripisyo ng buhay noong panahon ng diktarudya,” he added.
 
According to historical records, 3,257 were killed, while an estimated 35,000 were tortured, and 70,000 incarcerated during the Martial Law rule, which ran from 1972 to 1981.
 
Aside from the rampant human rights violation during that time, an estimated $10 billion in government money was stolen, according to Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) records.
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