Issues

Bam seeks to stop ‘Endo’

In a move to strengthen the rights of workers and promote security of tenure, a senator filed a measure that seeks to end the unjust “Endo” (end contract) practice in the country.

 On Thursday, Sen. Bam Aquino filed the End Endo Act, amending Sections 106 to 109 of the Presidential Decree No. 442 or the Labor Code of the Philippines.

 It will put a stop to fixed term employment or hiring of workers based on a limited and fixed period without regularization so more Filipinos are assured of job security and steady compensation.

 Employers are also limited from contracting or subcontracting more than 20 percent of their total workforce.

 The End Endo Act will further professionalize the service contracting industry by prohibiting labor-only contracting and establishing industry standards.

 It will also guarantee contracted workers of reasonable compensation even in between assignments through a Transition Support Program.

 “If approved, tapos na ang nakasanayang 50 o 100 percent ng workforce ay contracted o subcontracted,” said Sen. Bam.

 In addition, the measure requires the mandatory posting of bond that will serve as a safeguard for the employee’s claims in case of violation by the contractor or subcontractor.

Bam fulfills campaign promise to alleviate poverty through Entrepreneurship, Employment and Education

In 2013, Sen. Bam Aquino ran with a campaign promise of uplifting lives of Filipino families and fighting poverty through education, employment, and entrepreneurship or the 3Es.

 In his first three years, Sen. Bam Aquino laid the foundation for the growth of micro and small businesses, improved access to financing for entrepreneurs, lowered logistics costs for imported and exported goods, and ensured the financial literacy of generations to come.

 During the 16th Congress, he worked for the passage of 14 laws in line with his commitment to the Filipino people. Nine of these laws were aligned with his advocacy to build an effective support network for local business, particularly the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and promote ease of doing business.

 These are the landmark Philippine Competition Act, Go Negosyo Act, Foreign Ships Co-Loading Act or Amendments to the Cabotage Policy, Youth Entrepreneurship Act, Microfinance NGOs Act, Credit Surety Act, Lemon Law, the Customs Modernization and Tarrif Act, and the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) Act.

 After gathering dust for more than two decades, the Philippine Competition Act was finally enacted into law thanks to Sen. Bam Aquino’s efforts as co-author and principal sponsor in the Senate.

 Dubbed by Sen. Bam as a “historic, game-changing legislation for the economy”, the Philippine Competition Act or Republic Act 10667 provides a level-playing field for all businesses and penalizes bad market behavior and abuse of dominant positions.

 The law expected to improve the quality and lower the prices of goods and services by eliminating cartels, and penalizing anti-competitive agreements and abuses of dominant players in the market.

 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.

 “This is a part of our pledge to work for the development of MSMEs to help create jobs and livelihood for many Filipinos and spur the country’s economy,” said Sen. Bam, the youngest senator in the 16th Congress.

 There are already 200 Negosyo Centers catering to the needs of struggling entrepreneurs in the country, from returning OFWs and carinderia owners to farmers and social entrepreneurs.

 As chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, he also initiated investigations into the slow and expensive Internet in the country and the congestion in the Port of Manila.

 The investigation produced several triumphs that will help improve the Internet service in the country, including the much-awaited IP Peering between Globe and PLDT.

 In the 17th Congress, he is expected to head the Committee on Education, hoping to elevate the quality of Philippine education, particularly in our public schools to global standards so that more young Filipinos can build a brighter future for themselves and their family.

 Sen. Bam has already filed four education-related measures such as the Free Education in State Colleges and Universities (SUCs), Free Education for Children of Public School Teachers’ Children, Abot Alam, and the Trabaho Center in Schools bills.

 Even with education on his mind, he continues to push for his social entrepreneurship advocacy and is still building a robust support system for small business with the filing of bills to support Small Business Tax Reform, Startups, and Social Enterprises, among others.

 Sen. Bam is relentless in his pursuit to fulfill his campaign promise of the 3Es to achieve inclusive growth and help Filipino families overcome poverty.

Bam: Free tuition in all state universities and colleges

In a bold move as chairman of the Committee on Education in the 17th Congress, Sen. Bam Aquino has filed a measure making tertiary education in all State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) free for all students.

 This is one in four bills he filed yesterday to improve access to quality education in the Philippines.

 “In line with the mandate of our Constitution, the State must uphold the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels. This bill seeks to make tertiary education in all State Universities and Colleges free of tuition for its students and fully subsidized by government,” said Sen. Bam in his Free Education in State Colleges and Universities (SUCs) Bill.

 He also filed Free Education for Children of Public School Teachers Bill to ensure that children of all public school teachers are given scholarships in all SUCs in the country.

 Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committees on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship and Youth in the 16th Congress, is expected to lead the Committee on Education when the 17th Congress opens on July 25.

 Based on data from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Sen. Bam said two out of five high school graduates, or 40 percent, do not pursue tertiary education due to high tuition fees and miscellaneous expenses.

 “Many of them face the choice between working to help their family or sacrificing the education of other siblings so that one may be sent to college,” the senator said.

 Sen. Bam believes that tertiary education is a valuable mechanism that can help Filipino families break out of the poverty cycle, as tertiary degree holders earn twice as much compared to those who do not have postsecondary education.

 By providing free college education to all, Sen. Bam believes that poor and low-income families stand to benefit the most, giving them a chance to be empowered economically and socially.

 Aside from pushing for free tertiary education, Sen. Bam also filed other measures in the 17th Congress that seek to improve the state of education in the country to world-class standards and living condition of public school teachers.

 The Abot Alam Bill seeks to effectively address the needs of Filipino youth aged 7 to 24 who are not attending school.

 It will create a comprehensive national framework designed to achieve the government’s aim to provide education for each and every Filipino, particularly out-of-school youth (OSY).

 In his Trabaho Center in Schools Bill, Sen. Bam wants to create a job placement office or Trabaho Center to assist Senior High School graduates who opt to find employment and help them find those opportunities.

 

Bam: Love for country and public service will unite Duterte, Robredo

Despite their political differences, Sen. Bam Aquino is convinced that President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo will eventually work together for the sake of the Filipino people.

“Everyone has a hangover from the campaign. Very soon, the burden of governance will sober everyone up,” said Sen. Bam after attending the oath-taking ceremony of Robredo in Quezon City.

 “Kapag kaharap mo na ang mga problema sa education, poverty, employment – really serious issues – that’s the time the divisions we saw during the elections should start to fade away. You get to realize that if you really want this country to move forward, you need to work with everyone,” he added.

Sen. Bam is hoping that when the burden of governance sets in, the issue of political partisanship will be put on the back burner and focus will shift on moving the country forward. 

 “The important thing is how to move the country forward and not on where we came from and who we supported in the last elections,” Sen. Bam said.

Sen. Bam said it is better to start concentrating on what’s important, and that is “fulfilling our mandate and fulfilling all of the promises to the people”.

Sen. Bam Aquino was Vice President Leni Robredo’s campaign manager and is expected to head the Senate Committee on Education in the 17th Congress of the Philippines.

 

Bam congratulates Filipino Dota 2 team for making it to ‘The International’

Congratulations to TNC for making it to the prestigious “The International’ Dota 2 Championships in Seattle, Washington.

 As the first Filipino team to qualify to the final stage of the four-leg event after five years, may you bring honor to the country as you battle top Dota squads from around the world

Best of luck to Marco “Raven” Fausto, Carlo “Kuku” Palad, Samson “Sam_H” Hidalgo, Nino “eyyou” Barcelon and Jimmy “DeMoN” Ho.

 Ipakita niyo ang husay na naglagay sa mga Pilipino sa hanay ng pinakamagagaling na eSports athletes sa mundo!

Bam: Gina will fight for our environment

A lawmaker welcomed the appointment of Regina “Gina” Lopez as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), saying she will do a good job owing to her background as a staunch environment advocate.

“She will do a good job because she has been fighting for the environment for decades,” said Sen. Bam Aquino, a member of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.

Aquino believes that Lopez’s decades-long advocacy will be an important asset to the Duterte’s administration drive to protect the environment.

“Akma si Gina sa posisyon dahil alam niya ang ugat ng mga problema at marami siyang solusyon na maaaring ipanukala at ipatupad para sa proteksiyon ng ating kalikasan,” the senator said.

 A strong advocate of children and education and protection of the environment, Lopez is the chairperson of the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc., the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission, and vice chairperson of the ABS-CBN Bayan Foundation.

Lopez also launched Bantay Kalikasan, which seeks to promote environmental protection and education and eco-tourism.

Sen. Bam is pushing for the development of the bamboo industry as means to protect the environment, saying it will help rehabilitate degraded watersheds, sequester carbon dioxide, assist in mitigation of climate change and provide livelihood to communities at the same time.

 

Bam​: Finally, IP Peering agreement between telcos inked

Sen. Bam Aquino ​welcomes the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for IP peering between PLDT and Globe, which was ironed out after months of talks between the two biggest telecommunication companies in the country.

 “I am very happy that it’s finally happening after months of ​talks. We started looking into this option more than a year ago in the Senate,” said Sen. Bam in his speech during the signing ceremony.

 Sen. Bam hopes that the MOA is “one of more milestones that we can put under our belts in terms of really increasing the speed, quality and access of Internet in the Philippines”.

The senator has been pushing for IP peering, among other solutions, during the Senate hearing on the country’s Internet conditions, which he initiated as chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

Sen. Bam said the benefit of this agreement will be felt by ​n​early all Internet users in the Philippines, especially mobile subscribers who use data, when the IP peering is completed after 30 days.

“The good thing is, bibilis ang internet dahil hindi na kailangan lumabas ng bansa ang data,” Sen. Bam stressed.

Sen. Bam says they will be closely monitoring the developments over the next 30 days and will continue to work on solutions to improve the quality of Internet services in the Philippines.

 

Bam on the Abu Sayyaf problem

Malaking perhuwisyo na ang idinulot ng paghahasik ng lagim ng Abu Sayyaf sa ating bansa. 

Naapektuhan na nito ang ating imahe na nagdulot ng malaking epekto sa turismo, ekonomiya at maging sa pamumuhay sa ilang bahagi ng Mindanao.

Panahon na upang gawin ang lahat ng nararapat na aksiyon upang mapulbos na ang bandidong grupo sa lalong madaling panahon.

Suportado natin ang anumang hakbang na gagawin ng kasalukuyang pamahalaan at ng papasok na administrasyon ni President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, basta’t ito’y naaayon sa batas.

Subalit sa pagkilos na ito, dapat unahing bantayan ang kapakanan ng sibilyan na posibleng maipit sa labanan. 

 

Bam: Lowering age of criminal liability may result in more criminals

Lowering the age of criminal liability may result in more criminals rather than reduce crime.

Sen. Bam Aquino, chairman of the Committee on Youth, issued this warning in reaction to the incoming government’s plan to lower the criminal liability to 12 years old. 

 “With the current state of our justice system and the poor condition of our prisons and detention centers, placing a child with incarcerated criminals will likely encourage criminal leanings instead of rehabilitation,” he said.

Sen. Bam stressed that this proposal must be studied carefully because it may lead to more problems, rather than prevent crime.

Under the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act or Republic Act 10630, children below 15 years old are exempted from criminal liability and can be released to the custody of his/her parents or may be referred to a youth care facility or “Bahay Pag-asa”.

“Rather than meting out full criminal liability to children, we can look at reforms improving our juvenile delinquency facilities or even adding penalties to their parents,” he added.

“These improvements and amendments are items the Committee can take up and study.”

 

Bam: PH ‘next big thing’ in eSports, Video Game Development

Bam Aquino at the Manila MajorSen. Bam Aquino, an avid supporter of the local eSports industry, believes the hosting of the Manila Major can help the Philippines boost its image as next eSports and video game development hotbed in the world.

 “I think this is just the beginning. The whole world is getting to see that the Philippines is a player in the eSports scene,” Aquino said in an interview at the Manila Major event held at the Mall of Asia Arena.

 The third event of Valve’s Dota Major Championships, the Manila Major features 16 international teams battling it out for a total pot of $3 million and spots in The International 2016, which will be held in Seattle, Washington in July.

  “There are only four of these events every year and we get to host it. I’m hoping that this will be a yearly event, leading up to the biggest competition in the United States. Hopefully, this will be a permanent stop,” said Sen. Bam.

Aside from the eSports industry, Sen. Bam said the Philippines is now a favorite destination for video game developers, creating employment for more Filipinos. 

Manila Major 2016

 “We’ve been helping the game development industry set up shop here in the Philippines. Big publisher is setting up a studio here in partnership with one of the biggest schools,” said Sen. Bam.

 “So many things are happening, especially with the number of jobs being created because of events like this (Manila Major) and because of the movements in the game development world,” he added.

 Sen. Bam also lauded the organizers, led by the Philippine eSports Organization (PEO), PGL and Valve, for the successful staging of the world-class event in the country.

 “This is just a start. A lot of people here worked really hard to put this up. It took years to put it up. The first time we spoke, it was just a dream, now it’s here,” said Sen. Bam, whose initiative led to the formation of PeSPA to strengthen the foundation of eSports in the country.

 Recently, the country hosted the ESL One Dota Tournament, which was held for the first time in Southeast Asia.

 

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