Abot Alam Bill

Senate Bill 0172: An Act Institutionalizing the Abot Alam Program

At the age of 78, Miguel Lajos is graduating with a degree in AB Political Science from the University of the Visayas‐Dalaguete.

“It is never too late,” he tells people.

Miguel Lajos is not alone in his aspiration to continue schooling and earn a degree but, like him, too many Filipinos are faced with challenges such as poverty that impede on their education.

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

This measure calls for the creation of a comprehensive national framework designed to achieve the government’s aim to provide education for each and every Filipino.

Targeting the out‐of‐school (OSY), including those who are at risk of dropping out and those who have never had any formal schooling, the Abot Alam program has the following directives:

1) Data banking to enable the government to know the total percentage of OSY in the country and where these OSY are through the Barangay Abot Alam Targeting System;

2) A program mapping system to ensure that the initiatives and resources of all government agencies, non‐government organizations and institutions, volunteer groups, and all other sectors mandated to solving the challenges of OSY in the country are cohesive and efficient;

3) A focus on reintegration and equal opportunity through the program matching system so that all OSY are given equal access to programs and services of partner agencies and institutions.

At the heart of this policy is every Filipino’s right to quality education and we are hopeful that this policy moves us forward to an era where all our countrymen are empowered by education.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this measure is earnestly sought.

 

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BIDA KA!: Edukasyon at agham

Mga bida, sa pagsisimula ng 17th Congress, naipagkatiwala sa atin ang dalawang kumite sa Senado — ang Education at Science and Technology.

Mula sa pagbabantay ng kapa­kanan ng ating micro, small and medium enterprises at kabataan noong 16th Congress, mga isyu tungkol sa edukasyon, agham at teknolohiya ang ating bibigyang pansin sa susunod na tatlong taon.

Bago pa man pormal na naibigay sa atin ang Committee on Education, nakapaghain na tayo ng apat na panukalang batas na may kinalaman sa edukasyon.

Pangunahin dito ang Senate Bill No. 177 o ang Free Higher Education for All Act, na layong gawing libre ang pag-aaral sa state universities at colleges sa buong bansa.

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Ang panukalang ito ay alinsunod sa itinatakda ng Saligang Batas na tungkulin ng pamahalaan na itaguyod ang karapatan ng mamamayan na mabigyan ng de-kalidad na edukasyon sa lahat ng antas.

Nakakaalarma ang nakuha nating datos mula sa Commission on Higher Education (CHED) na dalawa sa limang high school graduates, o 40 porsiyento, ang hindi nakakatungtong ng kolehiyo dahil sa mataas na tuition fee at iba pang gastusin.

Marami naman sa mga nakapagtapos ng high school ay kaila­ngang mamili kung magtatrabaho ba para makatulong sa pamilya o para makapag-aral ang ibang mga kapatid sa kolehiyo.

Nakakapanghinayang naman kung hindi makakatungtong sa kolehiyo ang isang estudyante dahil sa kahirapan.

Ito sana ang magbibigay ng pagkakataon sa kanila para maiahon sa kahirapan ang kanilang pamilya. Mas maganda ang tsansang umasenso at kumita ng malaki kapag mayroong natapos na kurso sa kolehiyo.

Kapag naisabatas na ang panukala, mas marami nang kabataang Pilipino, lalo na ang mahihirap, ang makakatuntong sa kolehiyo.

***

Inihain ko ang Free Education for Children of Public School Teachers Bill o ang Senate Bill No. 173. Layon nitong bigyan ng scholarship ang mga anak ng public school teachers sa lahat ng SUCs sa bansa.

Sa panukalang ito, bibigyan ng subsidy o tulong ang mga guro na sasagot sa 100 porsiyento ng tuition fee at iba pang bayarin sa miscellaneous kapag nag-enrol ang kanilang mga anak sa SUCs.

Kailangan lang makapasa sa mga kuwalipikasyon ng panukala ang mga anak ng public school teachers bago mabigyan ng libreng edukasyon sa SUCs.

Pakay ng panukalang ito na bawasan ang pasanin ng ating public school teachers, na malaki ang isinakripisyo, tulad ng malaking suweldo, para lang mabigyan ng edukasyon ang mahihirap nating mga kababayan.

***

May isinumite rin tayong Sente Bill No. 170 o ang Trabaho Center in Schools Bill, kung saan magtatayo ng Trabaho Center na tutulong sa Senior High School graduates na gusto nang magtrabaho para makahanap ng papasukan.

Sa ilalim nito, maglalagay ng Trabaho Centers sa mga paaralan upang tulungan ang Senior High School graduates sa ilalim ng K to 12 program na ayaw nang magtuloy ng kolehiyo at nais nang magtrabaho. Sa ibang bansa, ang Trabaho Centers ay tinatawag na Job Placement Office.

Tututok ang Trabaho Center sa tatlong pangunahing bagay — career counseling services, employment facilitation at industry matching – na mahahalagang elemento para makahanap ng trabaho.

Alalahanin natin na ang mga Senior High School ay mabibigyan na ng certification mula sa TESDA.

***

Inihain ko rin ang Senate Bill No. 172 o ang Abot Alam Bill na tutugon naman sa pangangailangan ng mga kabataang Pinoy na may edad pito hanggang 24 na hindi nag-aaral.
Ito’y lilikha ng isang programa na magbibigay ng edukasyon sa bawat Pilipino, lalo na ang out-of-school youth (OSY).

Sa tulong ng Abot Alam na ipinatupad ng nakaraang administrasyon, halos kalahati ang nabawas sa bilang ng mga kabataang hindi nag-aaral.

Kapag naisabatas natin ito, umaasa ako na mababawasan pa ang bilang ng OSY sa bansa.

***

Nagpalit man tayo ng kumite, hindi pa rin natin nakakalimutan ang iba pa nating adbokasiya, gaya ng pagsusulong ng kapakanan ng MSMEs at iba pang problema ng bansa.

Asahan niyo na hindi magbabago ang ating masigasig na pagtatrabaho para sa mga bidang Pilipino.

 

Article first published on Abante Online

 

Bam hopes Duterte’s SONA includes plans for employment, poverty reduction

Apart from his intensified campaign against illegal drugs, President Duterte can lay down a clear plan on how he will address the country’s other pressing problems, such as employment, education and poverty reduction, in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 25.

“President Duterte can discuss important topics that matter to the lives of Filipinos like education, employment and poverty reduction,” replied Sen. Bam when asked in a television interview about his wish list of issues that should be discussed by Duterte in his SONA.

“He can talk about the West Philippine Sea issue as well. These are things, I think that people will be very interested in,” added Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

“We need to ensure that prices are stable and more importantly, that Filipino families have the wherewithal to address their most basic needs.”

In the recent Pulse Asia’s Ulat ng Bayan survey conducted from July 2 to 8, Filipinos want the new Duterte administration to prioritize three economic issues.

These are increase in prices of goods (68 percent), creation of jobs (56 percent) and implementation of pro-poor initiatives (55 percent). Around 48 percent of Filipinos mentioned fighting criminality as the fourth most pressing concern.

In the 17th Congress, Sen. Bam has filed several measures that will help end contractualization in the labor sector, provide free college education, and boost the government’s poverty reduction program. 

Sen. Bam Aquino filed Senate Bill No. 174 or the End Endo Act that seeks to eliminate the unjust “Endo” (end contract) practice in the country.

The measure 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.

The senator also filed Senate Bill No. 177 that pushes for free tertiary education in all State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) for all students.

He also filed the Trabaho Center in Schools Bill (Senate Bill No. 170) and the Abot Alam Bill (Senate Bill No. 171).

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.

The Abot Alam Bill 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).

The bill seeks to institutionalize the highly successful Abot Alam convergence program led by the Department of Education and National Youth Commission.

BIDA KA!: Isang Simpleng Parangal sa ating Big Brother

Mga bida, isa sa mga hinahangaan at tinitingala kong personalidad ay si dating Education Sec. Bro. Armin Luistro, isa sa pinakamasipag na miyembro ng Gabinete sa nakaraang administrasyon.

Nagsimula si Bro. Armin bilang religion teacher sa De La Salle Lipa noong dekada otsenta. Mula noon, umangat siya sa posisyon at naging pinuno ng walong institusyon ng De La Salle bilang pangulo at CEO ng De La Salle Philippines (DLSP).

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Noong 2010, sa unang pagkakataon ay sumabak si Bro. Armin sa paglilingkod sa gobyerno nang italaga siyang kalihim ng Department of Education (DepEd).

Agad napasabak sa mga hamon si Bro. Armin. Sinalubong siya ng katakut-takot na problema, gaya ng kakulangan na 61.7 milyon sa libro, 2.5 milyon sa upuan, 66,800 silid aralan at 145,827 guro.

Maliban pa rito, si Bro. Armin din ang naatasan sa preparasyon at paglalatag ng kontrobersiyal na K to 12 Program.

***

Hindi naman nagpatinag si Bro. Armin sa mga gabundok na problema na sinalo ng Aquino government na kailangan niyang tugunan.

Hinarap niya ang mga problemang ito para na rin sa kapakanan ng milyun-milyong estudyante sa buong Pilipinas.

Sa gitna ng batikos sa kanyang bawat kilos at galaw, epektibo at tahimik na nagampanan ni Bro. Armin ang tungkulin.

Sa isang panayam kay Bro. Armin bago siya bumaba sa puwesto, sinabi niyang nabura ang backlog sa silid aralan nang makapagpatayo ang ahensiya ng 118,000 bagong classrooms mula 2010 hanggang 2016.

Maliban dito, may 66,000 pang classrooms ang kasalukuyan nang itinatayo kaya aakyat sa 185,000 ang silid aralan na naipatayo sa ilalim ng dating administrasyon.

Nasolusyunan din ang kakulangan sa guro sa pagkuha ng mahigit 258,000 guro mula 2010 hanggang 2016.

Isinulong din ni Luistro ang pagpapaganda ng pasilidad, paglalagay ng internet at ICT at makabagong modules para mapaganda ang kalidad ng edukasyon sa bansa.

Pinangunahan din ni Luistro ang maayos na pagpapatupad ng K to 12 Program, kabilang ang pagsisimula ng unang batch ng Grade 11 noong Hunyo.

Nabawasan din ng halos kalahati ang bilang ng out-of-school youth sa bansa sa pamamagitan ng Abot Alam Program.

Dahil nakita kong epektibo ang nasabing programa, isinumite ko ang Senate Bill No. 172 o ang Abot Alam Bill upang maipatupad ito sa buong bansa.

Kapag naisabatas, tutugon ito sa pangangailangan ng mga kabataang Pinoy na may edad pito hanggang 24 na hindi nag-aaral sa paglikha ng programa na magbibigay ng edukasyon sa bawat Pilipino, lalo na ang out-of-school youth (OSY).

***

Naisip ko na bakit hindi ipinagmamalaki ni Bro. Armin ang kanyang mga nagawa.

Pero naalala ko ang kanyang binanggit noon na ito’y tungkulin natin bilang lingkod-bayan at hindi dapat mag-antay ng anumang kapalit at mga papuri dahil ito’y para sa pangangailangan at kapakanan ng taumbayan.

Maliban pa rito, palagi ko ring naririnig na sinasabi ni Bro. Armin na kahit maraming batikos sa pagganap niya ng tungkulin na makapaglingkod sa kapwa, lalo siyang napapalapit sa Diyos.

Ang tagumpay ni Bro. Armin sa kabila ng mabigat na hamon ay nagbibigay sa akin ng inspirasyon upang pagbutihin pa ang paglilingkod sa taumbayan.

Umaasa tayong marami pang Bro. Armin ang lilitaw at magsisilbi sa pamahalaan.

Article first published on Abante Online

 

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.

 

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