Issues

New Law to Help More Filipinos to Get out of Poverty

Non-government organizations (NGOs) that provide micro financing to the poor who want to start their own business stand to receive more assistance from the government after the Microfinance NGOs Act was signed into law by President Aquino.

Last Nov. 3, the Chief Executive signed Republic Act No. 10693 or “An Act strengthening Non-government Organizations (NGOs) engaged in Microfinance Operations for the Poor”.

“This new law will inspire and encourage more microfinance NGOs and institutions to contribute in the promotion of the development of micro businesses all over the country,” said Sen. Bam Aquino, co-author and principal sponsor of the measure in the Senate.

The new law provides microfinance NGOs needed support and incentives that includes access to government programs and projects, technical assistance and preferential tax treatment.

Aquino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, said the new law “is a victory for all microfinance NGOs, which have been helping the government’s poverty alleviation program for decades without getting anything in return”.

“This is a recognition of the crucial role they play in lifting our fellow Filipinos from poverty and enabling the poor to build their own businesses and create their own sustainable livelihood,” said Sen. Bam, who worked with poor communities before becoming a senator.

Microfinance NGOs provide no collateral financing to those who want to start their own small business, luring them away from loan sharks or more commonly known as “5-6”.

Aside from loans, microfinance NGOs also offer training programs and seminars to enhance the entrepreneurial skills and financial literacy of their borrowers.

“Nais pa nating paramihin ang mga tumutulong sa ating mahihirap nating kababayan,” he shared. 

The Microfinance NGOs Act is the 6th law of the neophyte senator in the 16th Congress.

Bam Files Measure to Eradicate ‘Tanim-Bala’ Scam

Amid the “Tanim Bala” controversy in the country’s main airport, a senator wants to decriminalize the acquisition, possession and carriage of three bullets or less in the country

Sen. Bam Aquino will file Iwas Tanim Bala Bill after several outbound passengers have been apprehended at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after they were victimized by the “Tanim-Bala” scam.

Among those arrested were a 65-year-old woman on her way to Singapore to watch her nephew play soccer, a 56-year-old domestic helper bound for Hong Kong and an 18-year-old choir member on her way to South Korean for a competition.

 “Activities that jeopardize the safety and security of the public are clearly unacceptable. We must build a secure, orderly, and just nation for our tourists, foreign and local investors, and most importantly, our own citizens,” said Sen. Bam.

“Clearly, a scam that is unsupported of our efforts to raise government service standards for the Filipino people should be stopped immediately. As investigations have been ordered, it is also imperative to look at policy proposals and interventions that fully address the issue,” the senator added.

Aside from eliminating the “Tanim-Bala” scam, Sen. Bam also said that the measure also aims to make security efforts more efficient and to enable security stakeholders to focus on real and grave threats.

“Let us continue refining our policies into those that will truly serve our people, especially the common Filipino, and effectively continue the fight to eradicate lawlessness in the country,” said Sen. Bam.

Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, vice presidential bet of the Liberal Party, has filed the counterpart measure in the House of Representatives. 

Bam: SK Reform with First Anti-Dynasty Provision Passed on Bicam

The country will soon have its first anti-dynasty law with the bicameral conference committee’s approval of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Reform Act.

According to Sen. Bam Aquino, chairman of the Committee on Youth, the bicameral conference committee has approved the inclusion of an anti-dynasty provision which bars relatives of local elected and appointed officials up to second level of consanguinity and relatives of national and appointed officials from sitting as SK officials.

“We’re now getting closer to making the country’s SK system into an effective way to shape the youth to become better and effective public servants in the future,” said Sen. Bam, a co-author and co-sponsor of the measure.

“With its anti-dynasty provision, the SK Reform Act aims to implement genuine reform in the country’s electoral system when it comes to youth representation,” added Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam headed the Senate contingent while South Cotabato Pedro Acharon led the House contingent in the bicameral conference committee.

Other lawmakers who joined the bicameral conference committee were Sens. JV Ejercito, Koko Pimentel, Nancy Binay; Dinagat Rep. Arlene Bag-ao, Cebu Rep. Raul del Mar, Akbayan Party-list Rep. Barry Gutierrez and Davao del Norte Rep. Anthony del Rosario.

Aside from the anti-dynasty provision, the bicameral conference committee also approved the adjustment of age limit of SK officials from 15-17 to 18-24 years old, making them legally capable of entering into contracts and be held accountable and liable for their actions.

If enacted into law, SK officials are required to undergo leadership training programs to expose them to the best practices in governance and guide their development as leaders.

The SK Reform Act also mandates the creation of the Local Youth Development Council (LYDC), a council that will support the Sangguniang Kabataan and ensure the participation of more youth through youth organizations.

The LYDC will be composed of representatives from the different youth organizations in the community – student councils, church and youth faith groups, youth-serving organizations, and community-based youth groups.

“The LYDC aims to harmonize, broaden and strengthen all programs and initiatives of the local government and non-governmental organizations for the youth sector,” said Sen. Bam, a former student council president and chair of the National Youth Commission.

Furthermore, the ratified version will allow the SK financial empowerment and accountability, where 10% of baranggay funds will be managed by the youth leaders for their projects and programs. They may enter contracts on their own, but will be accountable for all disbursements.

Once ratified by both Houses, the final version of the SK Reform Act will be transmitted to Malacanang for President Aquino’s approval.

Also, National Youth Commission Chairman Gio Tingson lauded the development.

“Legislators have long promised reforms for the youth. This is a concrete delivery of that promised and we thank our champion legislators for their untiring efforts for the Filipino youth,” he said.

101st Negosyo Center opens Today in Concepcion, Tarlac

The number of Negosyo Centers in the country has breached the century mark with the opening of its 101st branch in Concepcion, Tarlac today (Friday, Oct. 2).

“We are very happy to surpass our target of 100 for the year with three months left. With the rate we’re going, we are on track of reaching 120 before 2015 ends,” said Sen. Bam Aquino, chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

The Concepcion Negosyo Center, located at the ground floor of the Concepcion Municipal Hall, is the second in the province and sixth in Region III, next to Tarlac City, Balanga in Bataan, Olongapo City, Baler and Maria Aurora in Aurora and Malolos in Bulacan.

Sen. Bam, who hails from Concepcion, will attend the inauguration together with Tarlac local officials, led by Gov. Victor Yap, Vice Gov. Enrique “Kit” Conjuangco and Concepcion Mayor Andres Lacson.

Top Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) officials and representatives from private stakeholders, such as the Concepcion Business Club, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Tarlac and the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Council (SMEDC) are also expected to attend the event.

Sen. Bam is the main author of Republic Act 10644, or the Go Negosyo Act, which mandates the creation of Negosyo Centers in all provinces, cities and municipalities in the country.

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

The senator lauded the DTI for making sure that the Go Negosyo Law is being fully implemented for the welfare of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.

“I would like to thank the DTI for tirelessly working for the full implementation of the Law and for allowing my office to closely coordinate in the establishment of Negosyo Centers in different parts of the country,” Sen. Bam said.

Bam Welcomes PH’s Improvement in WEF Rankings

Sen. Bam Aquino welcomed the country’s climb to 52nd place in the latest WEF Global Competitiveness Report 2014-2015, saying it is a fruit of the administration’s “Tuwid na Daan” advocacy.

“This is a clear proof that the government’s fight against graft and corruption and push for good governance are working and moving the country forward in the right direction,” said Sen. Bam.

According to the report, the Philippines is the most improved country as it climbed 33 places since 2010, the largest over that period among all countries studied.

Sen. Bam said the country has made great strides in terms of the institutions pillar, particularly in the fight against graft and corruption.

“From 125th in 2010, we have climbed to 67th, a remarkable improvement that could be credited to the government’s intensified campaign against corruption,” Sen. Bam said.

Sen. Bam also noted the country’s improvement in terms of ethics and corruption, moving from 135th in 2010 to 81st this year.

This year, the country improved in 10 of the 12 categories of the index, with Macroeconomic Environment (up 14 from 40th to 26th); Business Sophistication (up 3 from 49th to 46th) and Innovation (up 17, from 69th to 52nd) as strongest areas.

“We need to allow more Filipinos to be able to do business easily and discover the next big innovative product and service out there,” said Sen. Bam, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

The country also improved in terms of Higher Education and Training (up 3 from 67th to 64th); Institutions (up 12, from 79th to 67th); and Technological Readiness (up 8, from 77th to 69th).

However, the report recommended that the Philippines work on Labor Market Efficiency, Infrastructure and Health and Primary Education, where it ranked in the low 90s.

“Sa gitna ng mga reporma, kailangan pang paigtingin ang ating mga kilos upang bigyan ng sapat na serbisyo ang mamamayang Pilipino sa edukasyon at kalusugan,” said Sen. Bam.

After recording the largest gain this year, the Philippines is now ranked 5th in ASEAN, behind Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.

“Investment in infrastructure will move us further and beyond,” added Sen. Bam, who recently spearheaded Senate hearings on the traffic woes in Metro Manila and the slow and expensive Internet connection in the country.

The Global Competitiveness Report is an annual publication that provides a comprehensive picture of the productivity and competitiveness of a country by gathering statistical and survey data on over 100 factors grouped into 12 pillars or categories.

Bam: Fight Twisting of Truth About Martial Law

Senator Bam Aquino urged Filipinos to continue retelling the stories of Martial Law, saying “the sacrifices, atrocities and heroism during the darkest years in our country’s history should not be forgotten and must be imparted to today’s generation”.

“Hindi dapat ibaon sa limot ang madilim na bahagi ng ating kasaysayan kung saan maraming buhay ang nasakripisyo at maraming karapatan ang niyurakan,” said Sen. Bam as the country commemorated the 43rd anniversary of Martial Law yesterday (Monday).

 During the Martial Law years from 1972 to 1981, thousands of people opposed to the Marcos government were either killed, tortured or went missing.

 Aside from that, Sen. Bam said the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) estimated that the country’s coffers lost around $10 billion during Marcos’ reign.

Sen. Bam expressed concern as there are efforts to distort the truth, especially in social media and on the Internet, to make it appear that the Philippines had its best years during the Marcos administration.

“For those who remember Martial Law, it is our responsibility to impart the truth to the next generation to create awareness among our youth on what really happened during that time,” said Sen. Bam, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth.

The senator also called on the youth to not be easily swayed and misled by stories being disseminated online, saying they must examine their veracity and truthfulness.

“Maging masinop sa pagsisinsin ng mga lumalabas sa Internet, halukayin ang mga kuwento at huwag basta maniwala,” Sen. Bam stressed.

Sen. Bam’s uncle, Ninoy Aquino, was among those arrested, imprisoned and tortured during the Martial Law. Ninoy was tagged as Prisoner No. 1 as he was arrested moments after Martial Law was declared.

Bam: Boost Employment, Enterprise Opportunities in Countryside

With the significant increase in population every half a decade, a senator stressed the need to employment and enterprise opportunities outside Metro Manila.

“We need to build more mega cities such as Cebu, CDO, and Davao for other regions to flourish and provide growth to Filipinos elsewhere aside from Metro Manila,” said Sen. Bam Aquino, chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

Aquino made the pronouncement after the country’s population hit 101.8 million or 10 percent higher than the 92.3 million in 2010.

“Currently, Metro Manila is tackling problems of heavy traffic, water shortages and others because its capacity is being maximized. Thus there is a need of better urban planning here and in other regions,” Sen. Bam said. 

“Developing other urban centers would be a win-win situation for us as we anticipate continued economic and rapid population growth,” the senator added.

According to Sen. Bam, the continued growth in population will affect the government’s capacity to provide quality basic services to the public.

“If we will provide employment and enterprise opportunities in the countryside, Filipinos who relocated to Metro Manila will be encouraged to return to their hometowns and earn a decent living,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam added that the passage of the Go Negosyo Act and the Youth Entrepreneurship Act, have aimed to provide more Filipinos chances in finding employment and livelihood in their hometowns.

Approved by President Aquino last August 27, 2015, the Youth Entrepreneurship Act or Republic Act No. 10679, will help strengthen the government’s push to address the growing number of unemployed young people in the country.

Republic Act No. 10644 or the Go Negosyo Act provides for the establishment of Negosyo Centers in all provinces, cities and municipalities in the country to help the government’s push for inclusive growth.

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

As of press time, 90 Negosyo Centers have been established all over the country.

Bam Expects NTC’s MC on Mobile Broadband to be Fair for Everyone

Senator Bam Aquino expects the National Telecommunications Commission’s memorandum circular (MC) on advertised speed of mobile broadband Internet to be fair for everyone.

“With 90 percent of our Internet users connect from mobile broadband, we need to ensure that this memorandum circular will be a win-win solution for everyone,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, referring to the MC that will be released in November.

“Inaasahan natin na makukuha ng taumbayan ang bilis na ibinibida sa mga patalastas at ads,” Sen. Bam, who has continued to spearhead the Senate investigation on the slow and expensive Internet connection in the country.

Earlier, the NTC released Memorandum Circular No. 07-08-2015 for fixed-line broadband internet, such as DSL, fiber, and cable.

The MC states that broadband must have data connection speed of at least 256 kilobits per second (kbps) – the standard of the International Telecommunications Union.

Based on the memorandum circular, Sen. Bam said consumers may file a complaint against a telco if it fails to deliver the promised advertised speed.

Also, Aquino said the government must put premium on improving the country’s Internet infrastructure, especially in far-flung areas to give more Filipinos access to the world wide web.

Bam: Improve Traffic before APEC, Christmas Season

Senator Bam Aquino urged the government’s task force on traffic to complete all the needed intervention to improve traffic condition before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in November and the onset of Christmas season.

“With the creation of the task force, they have started to exhaust all interventions to ease our traffic situation in the soonest possible time. Pa-isa-isang intervention para malaman nila if these are effective,” Sen. Bam said during an interview.

Among the planned intervention are staggered work hours, high-occupancy vehicle lane or car pooling, Christmas lanes and truck ban, which was re-implemented starting yesterday (Tuesday).

 The senator said the establishment of Mabuhay lanes are crucial because they will be used as alternate routes during the APEC Summit and the Christmas season.

“In the next few weeks, titingnan kung kailangan pa iyong ibang mga intervention para maihabol sa APEC at pasko,” added Aquino, who filed a resolution seeking to formulate strategies and solutions to address the worsening traffic conditions in Metro Manila.

Sen. Bam assured that the task force, headed by Secretary to the Cabinet Rene Almendras, will consult the public through hearings before implementing any move.

During the Senate hearing, Sen. Bam said the task force is now focused on moving people faster by improving the movement of high-occupancy vehicles like buses and train.

“Ang isang bus na may dalawang kotse ang haba, can fit up to sixty people. Mas sulit talaga na bigyang pansin iyong bus at tren. Iyon naman talaga ang pangangailangan,” said Sen. Bam. 

Sen. Bam also stressed that the government must put premium on improving the mass transport system to improve traffic in Metro Manila.

Bam: Genuine Electoral Reform within Reach with House Approval of SK Reform Bill

The first genuine electoral reform system in the country is now within reach with the House of Representatives’ approval of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Reform Bill on third and final reading.

“Equipped with an anti-dynasty provision, the SK Reform Bill will implement genuine reform in the country’s electoral system in terms of youth representation,” said Sen. Bam Aquino, chairman of the Committee on Youth.

“The measure will help turn the Sangguniang Kabataan as an effective platform for engaging and honing the youth to become better and more effective public servants in the future,” added. Sen. Bam, a co-author and co-sponsor of the measure.

With the approval of the House version, a bicameral conference committee will be held to consolidate the provisions of the two versions. The final version will then be transmitted to Malacanang for President Aquino’s signature.

Last Feb. 9, 2015, the Senate passed the SK Reform Bill with four major main reforms, including the anti-dynasty provision, adjustment of age of SK officers, mandatory leadership training and the creation of local youth development councils.

“The Senate version bars relatives within a second level of consanguinity to all elected and most appointed officials from sitting as SK officials,” Sen. Bam said.

In addition, the SK Reform Bill has adjusted the age limit of SK officials from 15-17 to 18-24 years old, making them legally capable of entering into contracts and be held accountable and liable for their actions.

If enacted into law, SK officials are required to undergo leadership training programs to expose them to the best practices in governance and guide their development as leaders.

Furthermore, the SK Reform Bill mandates the creation of Local Youth Development Council (LYDC), a council that will support the Sangguniang Kabataan and ensure the participation of more youth through youth organizations.

The LYDC will be composed of representatives from the different youth organizations in the community – student councils, church and youth faith groups, youth-serving organizations, and community-based youth groups.

“The LYDC aims to harmonize, broaden and strengthen all programs and initiatives of the local government and non-governmental organizations for the youth sector,” said Sen. Bam, a former student council president and chair of the National Youth Commission.

Meanwhile, the National Youth Commission also welcomed the approval of the SK Reform Bill, saying it will address the prevalence of traditional politics in the country. 

“We welcome this important development.  Through an SK Reform Law, we will have a more participatory, democratic and effective form of youth governance,” said NYC  chairperson Gio Tingson.

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