Senate of the Philippines

Sponsorship Speech: Pagkaing Pinoy para sa Batang Pinoy Act

Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” A. Aquino IV
17th Congress, Senate of the Philippines
Sponsorship Speech as delivered, December 13, 2016

  

Magandang hapon po sa ating lahat! Mr. President and my distinguished colleagues, good afternoon!

 

I stand before you today as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education to sponsor Senate Bill No.1279 in substitution of Senate Bill Numbers 23, 123, 160, 220, 406, 416, and 694, Under Committee Report No. 21 entitled: An Act Creating a National School Feeding Program to Combat Hunger and Undernutrition for All Public Basic Education Students, and For Other Purposes, otherwise known as the “Pagkaing Pinoy Para Sa Batang Pinoy Act”.

Mr. President, yesterday, we lost an exemplary Filipino and a true advocate for prosperity – Mr. Manny Perlas of Lifebank – that’s him right there with the white hair. Manny Perlas was one of the first benefactors of GK’s Kusina ng Kalinga and the group credits his leadership in the establishment of this feeding program back in 2014.

 Mr. President, this is a photo of Mr. Manny Perlas during the opening of the first ever Kusina ng Kalinga in Alang-Alang Leyte. Manny’s Kusina ng Kalinga or KnK has always been a program that brings smiles to people’s faces – whether students, teachers or volunteers!

 Mr. President, nagsimula po ang KnK sa Leyte bilang relief effort para sa public school na apektado ng Typhoon Yolanda – ang Alang-Alang I Central School, kung saan po itinayo ang unang kusina.

 Mr. President, nalaman po nila na ang numero-unong dahilan kung bakit hindi pumapasok ang isang mag-aaral ay dahil sa gutom – gutom na madali namang pawiin sa simpleng feeding program. Noong nakita nila na dahil sa KnK ay mas masigla at mas bibo sa klase ang mga estudyante, itinuloy po nila ang proyekto!

 Kumuha ang KnK ng tatlong regular na kitchen staff at nakakakuha rin sila ng sampu hanggang labinlimang volunteer na magulang sa bawat araw ng pagpasok. Kinausap ho nila ang mga lokal na magsasaka upang mag-supply ng mga ingredients, tulad ng malunggay.

 And Mr. President, thanks to Kusina ng Kalinga in Alang-Alang, Leyte, thanks to parent volunteers, and thanks to local farmers, about 2,600 students are fed nutritious meals in 4 schools (in Leyte) – Alang-Alang I Central School, Binongtoan Elementary School, M Casaus Elementary School, and San Roque Day Care Center.

 Based on their data, the number of severely malnourished children in their schools dropped from 268 to 47, that’s 11% down to 2%, spanning one school year, 2015 to 2016 (Start of Year Report vs. End of Year Report, SY 2015-2016).

 Since they started the project in Leyte in 2014, Kusina ng Kalinga now covers 61 schools and feeds over 18,000 Filipino children around the country. And, Mr. President, I’m happy to learn that Kusina ng Kalinga is not the only successful feeding program in the country.

 There are smaller movements like our friends from Navotas High School with a current program that feeds 120 students. Advancement for Rural Kids or ARK also has a feeding and livelihood program that has helped 10 communities and over 2,400 kids. There are also larger movements like Jollibee Foundation’s Busog, Lusog, Talino School Feeding Program that has covered 1,500 schools, feeding over 140,000 students from 2007 to 2014. And Mr. President, there are even more feeding programs around the Philippines!

 But unfortunately, all of these efforts are still not enough. In The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012 study conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization or FAO, it was revealed that 16 million Filipino children are considered undernourished. Mr. President, labing-anim na milyong batang Pilipino ang undernourished. Iyan po ay isang numero na napakalaki at nakakabahala.

 Sa kabilang dako naman po, ang ating mga mangingisda at magsasaka ay patanda ng patanda at pabawas ng pabawas. The average age of the 11 million Filipino farmers and fishermen is 57 years old and the average annual income of a farmer is only 20,000 pesos.

 In fact, if you look at these 3 sectors – our fishermen, farmers, and children – you will find that these sectors have the highest poverty incidence. For fishermen it is at 39.2%, for farmers it is 38.3% and 35.2% for children, according to the Philippine Statistics Office. All of this is in 2012, Mr. President.

 Kailangan nating gawan ng paraan na matulungan ang mga batang Pilipinong nahihirapang mag-aral dahil sa kumukulong tiyan. Kailangan rin po natin bigyan ng sapat, regular, at pangmatagalang kabuhayan ang ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda.

 Mr. President and honored colleagues, aren’t these two problems pieces of the same puzzle that fit perfectly together?

 On one hand, we have children who need nutritious food and on the hand we have farmers and fishermen producing food without the means to sell. Today, we’re given the opportunity to bridge this gap and fulfill our duty to uplift the lives of our poorest countrymen. The Pagkaing Pinoy Para sa Batang Pinoy Act can be that link between hungry young Filipinos and anxious farmers and fishermen.

 The Pagkaing Pinoy Para sa Batang Pinoy Act will bring the progress we’ve seen in Alang-Alang, Leyte of Kusina ng Kalinga to more and more students and more and more communities across the country. The Pagkaing Pinoy Para sa Batang Pinoy Act will institutionalize an effective feeding program, sustained by local gardens, farmers and fishermen, and powered by community engagement and volunteerism.

 Through this policy, school children in the kindergarten and elementary levels will enjoy free access to nutritious food with the DepEd ensuring that students from kindergarten to grade 6 are provided with proper meals.

 In addition, this measure includes a Gulayan sa Paaralan program to promote gardening in schools and households, which will help augment the food needs of the program and instill a sense of appreciation for food production within the community. Sa programang Gulayan sa Paaralan, matututunan po ng mga mag-aaral na pangalagahan ang pagtatanim ng pagkain at ng pagsasaka. The goal of this measure is not just to feed our hungry Filipino children but to nourish them with healthy food sourced from the community, sourced local farmers, and fishermen.

 Mr. President, when our students are healthy and fed, they grow even hungrier for knowledge and learning! Thanks to the nutritious meals, they joyfully go to school and gladly participate in the classroom.

 Sa Pagkaing Pinoy para sa Batang Pinoy Act, lalaki ng malakas, matalino at malusog ang kabataang Pilipino habang umaasenso naman po ang buhay ng ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda!

 Suportahan po natin ang pagpasa ng Pagkaing Pinoy Para Pa Batang Pinoy Act para sa kabataang Pilipino, para sa ating mga mangingisda at magsasakam para sa ating komunidad, at para sa ating bayan! Maraming, maraming salamat po!

Aquino, Poe push for approval of feeding program in public schools

A senator urged colleagues to hasten passage of the proposal seeking to address hunger of students in public schools and provide additional livelihood for farmers and fisherfolk.

Sen. Bam Aquino made the call during his sponsorship speech for Senate Bill No. 1279 or the Pagkaing Pinoy Para sa Batang Pinoy Act, that institutionalizes an effective feeding program for students of basic education.

 ​​​Being a staunch advocate of addressing hunger, ​Sen. Grace Poe co-sponsored the measure​.

 According to Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Education, these feeding programs will be sustained by local gardens, farmers and fishermen, and powered by community engagement and volunteerism.

 “Through this policy, infants and school children in the basic education will enjoy free regular access to nutritious food,” said Sen. Bam, author of Senate Bill No. 694, which was consolidated in Senate Bill No. 1279 together with Senate Bill Nos. 23, 123, 160 and 548.

 If enacted into law, Sen. Bam said Department of Education will be mandated to ensure that students from basic education are provided with proper meals.

 “Through this policy, school children in the basic education will enjoy free regular access to nutritious food with the Department of Education ensuring that students are provided with proper meals,” he said.

 The proposal will utilize locally sourced and locally produced food products to support local farmers and fishermen, providing them with regular income and livelihood.

 “Sa Pagkaing Pinoy para sa Batang Pinoy Act, lalaki nang malakas, matalino at malusog ang kabataang Pilipino habang umaasenso ang buhay ng ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda,” said Sen. Bam.

 Based on 2012 data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 16 million Filipino children are considered undernourished.

 Studies also show that the average age of the 11 million Filipino farmers and fishermen is 57 years old while the average annual income of a farmer is only about 20,000 pesos.

 “The Pagkaing Pinoy Para sa Batang Pinoy Act can be that link between hungry young Filipinos and anxious farmers and fishermen,” said Sen. Bam.

 The measure also pushes for the “Gulayan sa Paaralan” program to promote gardening in schools and households, which will help augment the food needs of the program and instill a sense of appreciation for food production within the community.

 After sponsoring the measure, Sen. Poe thanked Sen. Bam for his speedy action on the bill and several other senators also lauded his efforts. In turn, Sen. Bam thanked his colleagues for their support behind the enactment of the measure into law.

 “With the full support of fellow lawmakers, we can definitely pass this measure quickly and, finally, feed our poor and hungry students across the country,” said Sen. Bam.

Bam: Microfinance NGOs Act to help eradicate “5-6”

The Microfinance NGOs Act will help the government’s plan to eliminate loan sharks or “5-6” as it will provide the poor with alternative low-interest, no-collateral financing, according to Sen. Bam Aquino.

 

“Sa Microfinance NGOs Act, may alternatibong malalapitan ang mahihirap at maliliit na negosyante para makakuha ng pautang sa mababang interes,” said Sen. Bam.

 

“Sa batas na ito, mailalayo ang mahihirap sa malaking interest na sinisingil ng loan sharks at masusuportahan ang pagnanais ng gobyerno na mabura ang 5-6,” the senator added.

 

During the 30th anniversary of 30th Anniversary of Center for Agriculture and Rural Development Mutually Reinforcing Institutions or CARD-MFI, one of the biggest MFI-NGO in the Philippines, Sen. Bam hailed the MFIs’ role in helping Filipino women entrepreneurs.

 

“When you look at the stories na lumalabas, apat na milyong kababaihan ang natutulungan na magnegosyo at makakuha ng tulong para sa kanilang, mas malaking income para sa kanilang mga anak,” said Sen. Bam.

 

“Maganda mapag-usapan ang kuwentong ito na nagdadala ng pag-asa sa kabila ng kuwentong patayan at tungkol sa drugs,” added Sen. Bam, who worked closely with MFIs as a social entrepreneur prior to being a senator.

 

Sen. Bam pushed for the passage of the Microfinance NGOs Act or Republic Act 10693 as co-author and principal sponsor in the Senate during his term as chairman of Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship in the 16th Congress.

 

In turn, MFI NGOs give Filipinos access to low-interest, no collateral loans to pay for housing, medical, and educational needs as well as loans for small businesses.

 

The law gives incentives to microfinance NGOs to continue helping Filipinos overcome poverty not just through financing but also through financial literacy, livelihood, and entrepreneurship training.

 

The law also provides microfinance NGOs needed support and incentives that includes access to government programs and projects, technical assistance and exemption from taxes.

 

“MFI NGOs aid our poor countrymen in times of inflation and price increases. They also provide financing and training for livelihood and small businesses so families can overcome poverty,” he said.

 

“Now that the MFI NGOs Act has been passed and the IRR signed, let’s push for its quick and effective implementation,” he added.

 

In 2013, MFI NGO members of the Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. (MCPI) had a gross loan portfolio of over 15.26 billion pesos catering to more than 2.7 million micro-entrepreneurs.

 

Bam: Strengthen justice system instead of death penalty

Instead of reviving the death penalty, shouldn’t we fix and strengthen the country’s justice system? This question was posed by Sen. Bam Aquino.

“Alam naman natin na may problema ang ating justice system at dehado dito ang mga mahihirap,” said Sen. Bam during a media interview in Naga City.

“Hindi ba dapat prioridad na ayusin ang ating sistemang panghustisya imbis na bigyan ng kapangyarihang magpataw ng death penalty,” he added.

Most of the time, Sen. Bam said poor people emerge as casualties of the weak justice system because they cannot afford the services of a lawyer who can defend them in court.

“Dahil sa kawalan ng kakayahang kumuha ng abogado, ang mga kababayan nating mahihirap ang nagiging biktima ng mahinang sistema ng hustisya sa bansa. Pero kung drug dealer ka gaya ni Espinosa, naka-life imprisonment ka, pero makakalabas dahil sa technicality,” Sen. Bam stressed.

With the gravity of the issue, Sen. Bam assured the public that the Senate will look into the death penalty proposal with due diligence.

“Buhay ang nakataya rito kaya hindi ito puwedeng madaliin. Kailangan talaga itong pag-usapan at pagdebatihan ang mga mahahalagang isyu rito,” said Sen. Bam.

“Isa ito sa mga bagay-bagay na dapat iniiwan na lang sa konsiyensiya ng bawat senador o bawat mambabatas. Hindi ho basta-basta ang pagbabalik ho ng death penalty sa ating bansa,” he added.

The lawmaker also wants to give the public – where for or against death penalty — a chance to speak on the matter, whether in schools, church and other venues.

“Kailangan nating makuha ang pulso at pananaw ng taumbayan ukol dito para magabayan tayo sa ating mga susunod na hakbang,” Sen. Bam pointed out.

Bam: Consumer Act amendments to give DTI more teeth, cover ICT

In a move to give the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) more teeth against erring businesses and enhance consumer protection, Sen. Bam Aquino has filed a measure amending the 24-year-old Consumer Act of the Philippines.
 
“In order to build stronger commercial systems and maintain thriving markets, there is a need to bolster the rights of consumers and we need to do this at the soonest possible time,” Sen. Bam said in Senate Bill No. 1241 or the Revised Consumer Act of the Philippines.
 
“The measure aims to amend the 1992 Act in order to address the current issues facing our consumers and markets,” added Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship in the 16th Congress.
 
If enacted into law, the measure gives the DTI authority to close down any establishment caught in the act of selling, distributing, manufacturing, producing, displaying or importing hazardous and defective products.
 
It also increases administrative fines against erring businesses from P50,000 up to P10 million. The current law imposes a fine of P500 to P300,000.
 
“The fines should amount to five percent of the gross value of sales of the consumer product or service subject to the consumer complaint,” he stressed.
 
The amendments include provision for new information and communications technologies (ICT), such as mobile phones and internet, which is crucial with the advent of the e-commerce industry.
 
In addition, the bill provides greater protection to consumers, particularly from false and deceptive advertising using mobile phones and the Internet.
 
“Proposed provisions in this measure also aim to better protect consumers from dangerous and unsafe products and abusive sales practice,” said Sen. Bam.
 
The proposal also reiterates the eight consumer rights (rights to basic needs, safety, basic information, choose, representation, redress, consumer education and healthy environment) and five consumer responsibilities (critical awareness, action, social concern, environmental awareness and solidarity).
 
Furthermore, the measure mandates manufacturers to maintain a consumer hotline or service center that consumers can easily reach for complaints and inquiries by phone, email or other effective means.
 
In addition, foreign products with labels written in foreign characters or language will be allowed entry into the country only if they have a corresponding English or Filipino translation.
 
The measure will place the National Consumer Affairs Council (NCAC) under the Office of the DTI Secretary to give it more independence and power.
 
It will also be expanded to include the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Energy, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Information and Communication Technology. 
  
Businesses offering price-discounted rates for single or bulk purchase of products or services will be exempted from the requirement to secure a sales promotion permit , alleviating them of the added burden. This move will help to facilitate e-commerce in the country.

 

Bam: Martial Law not about 2 names but thousands of families and the entire nation

The Martial Law issue is not about two political names but it involves thousands of families that are suffering until now, Sen. Bam Aquino insisted.

“Nahihiya ako kapag sinasabi na ito’y issue lang ng Aquino at Marcos. Nahihiya ako sa libu-libong namatay, sa libu-libong nawala, sa libu-libong na-torture,” said Sen. Bam.

 “Ang isyu po ng libing ni dating pangulong Marcos sa Libingan ng mga Bayani ay hindi lang isyu ng ilang pamilya. Hindi lang po ito isyu ng mga biktima ng Martial Law, kundi isyu ng ating bayan at ng ating kasaysayan,” he added.

 Sen. Bam made the manifestation during the Senate vote on the resolution expressing that the crimes of former President Ferdinand Marcos to the Republic render him unfit to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Eight senators, including Sen. Bam, voted in favor of the resolution but it was not adopted after it failed to garner 11 votes needed to reach a majority.

 The outcome did not deter Sen. Bam to reiterate his earlier call that the Senate speak out on the matter of national significance, like the Supreme Court decision on the Marcos burial in the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

 “Tama lang po na may sabihin tayo tungkol sa isyu na ito,” Sen. Bam emphasized.

Earlier, Sen. Bam expressed disappointment over the SC decision, saying it focused only on technicalities and did not give weight on historical facts about what happened during the Martial Law era.

“Technically correct, pero historically wrong ang nangyaring desisyon,” the senator said.

Sen. Bam’s manifestation during the Senate vote on Resolution No. 86

(A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the crimes of the former President Ferdinand Marcos to the Republic, and the human rights violation committed under his regime, render him unfit to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani)

 

Earlier we had the gentleman from Sorsogon talk about the Libingan issue as if it is  framed by just two families, and to be frank, Mr. President, nahihiya ako kapag sinasabi na ito’y issue lang ng Aquino at Marcos.

Nahihiya ako sa libu-libong namatay, sa libu-libong nawala, sa libu-libong na-torture.

Nahihiya po ako sa pamilya ng Senate President at sa tatay ng ating Senate President.

Nahihiya po ako sa PDP Laban na binuo para labanan ang diktadura.

This is not just an issue of two families.

This is a problem that has plagued thousands of families in our country – families that have been destroyed, families that have been broken apart until today.

Ang epekto po niyan ay nandiyan pa rin hindi lang po sa mga pamilyang biktima ng martial law, kundi sa ating kasaysayan.

 Gusto ko lang igiit muli:

Ang isyu po ng Libing ni Former President Marcos sa Libingan ng mga Bayani ay hindi lang isyu ng ilang pamilya. Hindi lang po ito isyu ng mga biktima ng Martial Law, kundi isyu ng ating bayan at ng ating kasaysayan.

At tama lang po na may sabihin tayo tungkol sa isyu na ito.

Maraming salamat po.

Sen. Bam on the Senate hearing on Espinosa killing

The evidence presented at the hearing by the Internal Affairs Service paints a different picture than originally presented by the CIDG, Region VIII.

 At the minimum, there were serious irregularities and at the maximum, it was a rubout of an alleged drug lord who knew too much.

 At risk here is the trust and confidence of our people in the PNP and the rule of law.

 Criminal elements may be taking advantage of these unsolved killings to perpetuate their activities and even silence those that can bring their organization down.

We call on the PNP and related authorities to clean their ranks and hold culprits liable.

 Thoroughly investigate and solve these murders and extrajudicial killings at the soonest possible time.

 

Bam: Truth about Martial Law must still be taught in schools

Sen. Bam Aquino’s push for truthful and objective Martial Law education in schools is one of the ways to move forward after the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the burial of former president Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

“It’s really disappointing but we will continue to work with DepEd on truthful and accurate Martial Law education. That’s how we can move forward,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Education.

The senator pointed out that the young people have to be informed about the human rights abuses committed during the Marcos’ reign.

 Sen. Bam stressed that only way the country can move on from this is if the Marcos family apologizes for their wrongdoings and return the money they have stolen from the country’s coffers during the late dictator’s rule.

“Moving on is fine pero kung titingnan mo, wala naman silang perang binalik. Wala namang pagpapapatawad na hiningi,” said Sen. Bam.

 Earlier, Sen. Bam denounced the SC decision, saying it focused only on technicalities and did not give weight on historical facts about what happened during the Martial Law era.

 “Technically correct, pero historically wrong ang nangyaring desisyon,” the senator said.

Senate Bill No. 1211: Philippine Space Act

Rocket ships, astronauts, and scenes from outer space are what often come to mind at the mention of Space Science, but there are much more practicai technologicai appiications to this discipiine that can benefit countries iike the Phiiippines.

In fact, both deveioped and developing countries alike, including our ASEAN neighbors, have respective aeronautics and space agencies to build their own spaceships and join the ranks of space-faring nations.

Little known to many Filipinos is that our country has a number of existing programs related to space scjpnce including PAGASA, which has astronomical science programs; the National Mapping & Resource Information Agency (NAMRIA), which requires gathering satellite information; and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), which handles disaster risk management. 

Other applications of space science and technology crucial to our country’s welfare are protection of national territory, natural resources accounting, and capacity building for telecommunications. 

This bill seeks the creation of a Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), which shall be responsible for creating and enacting our nation’s roadmap toward becoming fully participative in global space activity. 

The PhilSA would be responsible for developing space science technology policies, implementirig research and education programs, and establishing industry linkages between private and public sector stakeholders. Lastly, the PhilSA would be our country’s representation for international space agreements and arbitrations. 

A Philippine Space Agency, with its consolidated programs and strategies for space science and technology, will pave the way for future Filipino astronomers, space scientists, and astronauts by laying down a strong foundation in space science education and research.

In view of the foregoing, the passing of this bill is earnestly sought.

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