TRAIN Law

Sen. Bam Aquino’s Privilege Speech On rising prices and the suspension of TRAIN

Mr. President, mga kaibigan, karangalan ko po ngayon na pagusapan ang isang bagay na nakakabagabag sa maraming pamilyang Pilipino –  ang patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin.

Nalulunod na po ang mga mahihirap nating kababayan sa patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin.

Noong kami ay bumisita sa mahihirap na komunidad at kinausap ang ating mga kababayan tungkol sa kanilang mga hinaing, ang una po nilang lagging binabanggit ay ang presyo.

Ito ang ilan sa sinasabi nila:

Grabe na nga ang hirap at gutom dati, mas grabe pa ngayon. Saan na po kami pupulutin?

Mababa ang kita. Mataas ang presyo. Matindi ang aming pangamba.

Dalawang beses na lang po kami kumakain araw-araw.

Iyong mga may kaya, kakayanin ang pagtaas ng presyo. Pero kaming mahihirap, hindi po naming ito kaya.

Nahihirapan na po ang ating mga kababayan, lalo na ang mga nasa laylayan.

Kahapon lang po, tumaas na naman ang presyo ng petrolyo.

In the past months, makikita ho natin ang pagtaas ng presyo ng gasoline, diesel at kerosene.

Sa Robinson’s Supermarket, ang Ligo Sardines na 14 pesos noong Disyembre, 16 pesos at 25 centavos na ngayon.

Ang mga nanay na nakausap ko sa Bagong Silang, hindi na po nakapagta-Tang!… kundi napapamura na lang sa presyo ng Tang. Dati ay 9.10 pesos per sachet, pero ngayong Mayo ay malapit na po sa 17 pesos sa grocery.

Tumataas din ang presyo ng kuryente, ang presyo ng bigas, at humihingi na ng fare hike ang mga jeepney drivers at operators, pati na ang LRT.

Kaya naman po napakarami na ang umaalma.

Currently, inflation is on the rise and has surpassed the expected levels for 2018. Ngayon po ay 4.5% na tayo at ang yearly forecast ng BSP ginawa na pong 4.6% para sa buong taon.

Mr. President, marami ang nagsasabi na hindi lang naman TRAIN ang rason sa pagtaas na presyo, at tama po iyon.

Ngunit alin po ba sa mga rason ng pagtaas ng presyo ang kaya natin bigyan ng solusyon at alin po diyan ang hindi natin masosolusyunan?

Sa hearing ni Sen. Gatchalian dito sa Senado noong nakaraang mga linggo, binigay ng Department of Finance (DOF) ang breakdown of factors of inflation.

Sabi po nila, better tobacco compliance, global prices of crude oil, the devaluation of the peso, meron pong unwarranted increase of prices, and, syempre po binanggit din nila ang TRAIN Law.

Alin sa mga ito ang wala na sa ating kamay, at alin po dito ang mahahanapan natin ng solusyon?

Habang patuloy ang debate sa mga rason ng pagtaas ng presyo, ang hinahanap ng taumbayan solusyon, hindi po dahilan. Hindi po debate, solusyon po para sa ating mga problema.

Kaya mga kaibigan, kailangan natin itong aksyunan.

Una, siguraduhin nating ipinapatupad ang unconditional cash transfer program na nakasaad sa TRAIN Law.

Because of TRAIN’s effect on prices, the law mandated that 10 million Filipino households would receive financial assistance worth 200 pesos per month.

Tumaas na po ang presyo ng bilihin ngunit 2.6 million families pa lang ang nakakatanggap ng financial assistance. 2.6 million out of 10 million pa lang ang nabibigyan ng tulong at ngayon po ay Mayo na.

Noon pa man, hindi po mapangako ng DSWD na masasabay ang tulong pinansyal sa pagpataw ng excise taxes at ito ang naging pangunahing rason kung bakit ako tumutol ng TRAIN Law.

Now, with the rapid increase in prices, Sen. Gatchalian suggested to increase the amount of cash transfers – and I definitely agree and I think many of us will do so as well.

This is something we must seriously look at during our budget deliberations.

Ano po ang isang bagay na puwede nating maaksiyunan. The second thing government can do to help Filipino families is to address the high price of rice.

Dahil po sa kapalpakan ng NFA na mapanatili ang 15-day buffer stock, mula 27 pesos per kilo ng bigas noon, ngayon ay higit 42 pesos na.

Noong bumisita ako sa Barangay Holy Spirit sa Quezon City, may nagsabi na isang beses na lang sila nagkakain bawat araw, at kamote na lang ang sinasabay nila sa ulam tuwing gabi.

Thanks to Sen. Villar, we tackled this in the Senate, thanks to Sen. Villar. And we are hopeful that action points coming from the Committee on Agriculture to get the price of rice under control will be prioritized.

Ito pong rice tariffication na shunestiyon ng Committee on Agriculture, kailangan na pong mabigyan ng pansin because this is a reform that our countrymen desperately need.

Pangatlo, ano po ang isa pang puwede nating solusyon sa pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin? Kailangan natin ng mekanismo kung saan puwede nating i-roll-back ang pagtaas ng presyo ng petrolyo dahil sa excise taxes na pinapataw ng TRAIN Law.

The current version has a safeguard to suspend any additional imposition of excise tax, if the price of crude oil breaches 80 dollars per barrel.

Ang mekanismo pong ito ay mahahanap natin sa TRAIN Law ngayon. Ngunit mga kaibigan, ang crude oil ay may iba’t ibang klaseng depinisyon. Nandiyan ang BRENT crude oil na lumampas na po sa 80 dollars per barrel kahapon at nagsara po sa 79.11 dollars. BRENT is usually higher than the Dubai crude oil price based on Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS), which is what the TRAIN Law based their provisions on.

In short, mga kaibigan, doon sa tatlong depinisyon ng crude oil, iyong BRENT, iyong WTI at MOPS, iyong isa po lumampas na kagabi ng 80 dollars per barrel, iyong dalawa hindi pa lumalampas.

Ngunit kung matutupad po ang suspension ng TRAIN based on the current provision currently found in the law, ang suspension po na mangyayari ay magkakaepekto lang sa Enero ng 2019.

In short, with the current wording of the law, any suspension based on the current law will only affect the January 2019 and possibly the January 2020 price increase.

What we need is a safeguard, Mr. President, which is responsive to the surges in prices and the needs of our countrymen.

In the Senate, in our Senate version, we actually passed a safeguard to suspend excise tax on fuel based on inflation. Ito po iyong probisyon na pinagbotohan nating lahat. However, this provision was removed during TRAIN’s bicameral conference.

In short, Mr. President, iyong lumabas sa Senado na version ng TRAIN,  kasama po ang inflation rate bilang isa sa batayan kung bakit po dapat isuspinde ang excise taxes na napapasaloob sa TRAIN Law.

Unfortunately, nawala po ito pagkatapos ng bicameral conference at natira na lang ang probisyon na tumutukoy sa Dubai crude oil price.

Our office filed SBN 1798 to bring back this safeguard mechanism based on the inflation target range, so we can roll back TRAIN’s excise tax on fuel.

Under this bill, when inflation exceeds the target range for 3 consecutive months, the excise tax on fuel will be rolled back.

For example, kung titingnan natin iyong taon ngayon, the BSP set the target inflation range 2-4%.

In December, the month that we passed TRAIN, inflation was at 2.9. In January, after the TRAIN law was implemented, inflation shot up to 3.4 percent. On February, 3.8 percent, kasama pa rin po iyan sa target range ng Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas,

In March, we breached the 4-percent range, it grew to 4.3 percent. In April nagging 4.5 percent. Pangalawang buwan na po ito na lumampas sa inflation target range ang inflation ng ating bansa.

Pagkatapos na mangyari ito, ang BSP nag-recompute at nagsabi na ang bagong forecast nila para sa taong 2018 ay 4.6 percent. At alam naman natin na ang inflation ay ang tumutukoy sa pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin sa ating bansa.

Dahil napagbotohan na natin ang isang probisyon kung saan ginagamit ang inflation rate range bilang isang safeguard mechanism ditto sa pagpataw ng escise taxes sa ating bansa, umaasa ako na mabilis nating maipapasa sa ating Kamara.

This is a very reasonable amendment that can help alleviate the burden of high prices on our fellow countrymen.

Mr. President, mayroong pong mga nagsasabi na kung suspindihin ang excise taxes, wala nang pera para sa Build-Build-Build, wala na raw pera para sa libreng tuition sa ating mga SUCs. Wala na raw pera para sa mga programa ng gobyerno.

Sa totoo lang po, hindi ito totoo. Dahil kung tutuusin po, ang 2018 target collections ng excise tax on fuel base sa TRAIN ay 70 billion pesos lang po. Malayo naman ito sa kabuuan ng ating budget for 2019.

Sigurado po ako na mayroon tayong mahahanap na 70 billion pesos para pagtakpan kung may pagro- roll back na gagawin sa excise tax on fuel.

Una, mayroong underspending ang gobyerno mula sa 2017 na 390 billion pesos.

Pangalawa, kailangan lang na mas maging efficient ang collections ng BIR at BOC, at kakayanin natin iyan.

Pangatlo, I’m certain that under the leadership of Sen. Legarda in the Committee on Finance, and of course with the help of the sharpest eyes in the Senate, Sen. Ping Lacson, na kapag panahon po ng budget, may mahahanap na pera pong masi-save at pera pong magagamit sa ibang bagay, I’m sure may mahahanap tayong 70 billion pesos mula sa iba’t ibang departamento at iba’t ibang ahensiya na puwedeng makalap upang pagtakpan kung may mawawalang koleksiyon kung isuspinde natin ang excise tax on fuel.

Huwag na huwag po nating natin kakalimutan kung sino ang ating ipinaglalaban ditto sa Senado — ang pamilyang Pilipino na ngayon ay nahihirapan dahil sa patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo.

Kailangan ho nating umaksyon, hindi lang po magdebate.

Number one, siguraduhin natin na ang tulong pinansyal sa ating mga mahihirap na mga kababayan na nakasaad sa TRAIN Law ay mapatupad na. Kailangan po lahat ng ten million families na dapat mabigyan ng tulong, mabigyan ng tulong sa lalong madaling panahon. Hindi po katanggap-tanggap na sa September pa sila mabibigyan ng tulong o next year pa.

Pangalawa, suportahan natin ang mga gawain ng Committee on Agriculture pagdating sa reporma sa NFA at sa reporma patungkol sa ating bigas at kung paano ito mapapababa. Sana po maging priority measure natin ito dito sa ating Kamara.

Pangatlo, suportahan po sana natin itong naihain namin SBN 1798. Again, a very reasonable mechanism which we can use to roll back the price of excise tax on fuel only when the inflation target range is breached.

Isa po itong probisyon na sinang-ayunan na ng Kamara noong naipasa sa 3rd reading ang TRAIN dito sa Senado. Sinisikap lang namin ibalik ang safeguard na ito at gawing ganap sa ating bansa.

This is a reasonable mechanism that can alleviate the burden of our countrymen which can be responsive to the rise in prices.

Protektahan po natin ang pamilyang Pilipino mula sa pagtaas ng presyo.

Dahil sabi nga po, grabe na ang hirap at gutom dati, mas grabe pa ngayon.

Sabi nga po, matindi ang pangamba ng pamilyang Pilipino.

Sabi nga po, ang ating mga kababayan, ang ilan sa kanila ay hindi na nakakain ng tatlong beses isang araw.

Sabi nga po, hirap na hirap na ang taumbayan at tungkulin natin ang mapagaan ang kanilang buhay

Maraming maraming salamat po! And we hope we can all come together to support SBN 1798 very soon. Maraming salamat, Mr. President.

Sen. Bam on new Senate leadership

Matindi ang hamon na hinaharap ng ating bayan at ng Senado. 

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Sen. Bam: Severe price increases with no cash transfer to poor families, grounds for TRAIN suspension

Senator Bam Aquino insisted that the excessive price increases, unprecedented inflation rate and government’s failure to deliver on the unconditional cash transfer program are sufficient grounds to suspend the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.
 
“Hirap na hirap na ang mga Pilipino sa taas ng presyo ng bilihin. Mula tatlo, ngayon dalawang beses kada araw na lang kumain ang ilang pamilya. Masasabi pa ba nating magtiis na lang sila?” said Sen. Bam, one of four senators who voted against the ratification of the TRAIN Law.
 
Sen. Bam was alluding to Socio-Economic Planning Sec. Ernesto Pernia’s pronouncement that Filipinos should just tighten their belts and live with the effects of the tax reform law.
 
“Ang malala rito, hindi pa nabibigay ng gobyerno ang pinangakong financial assistance ng TRAIN sa higit 6 million na pamilya. Sapat na dapat ito para isuspindi ang TRAIN law,” said Sen. Bam, who is pushing to suspend the TRAIN Law, particularly the excise tax on fuel.
 
Under Sen. Bam’s Senate Bill No. 1798, the excise tax on fuel under TRAIN will automatically be suspended when the average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period.
 
Sen. Bam successfully included this safeguard during the TRAIN deliberations, but the provision was removed from the final draft of the law during the bicameral conference.
 
“Sagad na ang pagtitiis ng mga Pilipino sa pagtaas ng presyo. Gawin naman natin ang ating makakaya para bigyan sila ng kaunting ginhawa,” said Sen. Bam, adding that the targeted collections for excise tax on fuel in 2018 is only P70-billion, compared to government underspending last year amounting to P390 billion.
 
“Hindi lang TRAIN ang pinagkukunan ng budget. We can ‘Build, Build, Build’ and provide Filipinos free college tuition in SUCs even without collections from the excise tax on fuel,” Sen. Bam asserted.

Sen. Bam strengthens call to suspend TRAIN amid cries for fare increase

A senator stressed the need to suspend the excise tax on fuel under the government’s tax reform program, saying the transport sector is already crying out for support amid the increase in fuel prices.

“Para sa mga driver, operator at pasahero, i-ipreno na ang TRAIN para mapagaan naman ang kanilang sitwasyon,” said Sen. Bam Aquino, referring to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.

“Ibalik na ang mekanismo para masuspindi ang excise tax dahil sa inflation upang mabawasan na ang pasanin ng parehong driver, operators at mga commuter,” added Sen. Bam, one of four senators who voted against the ratification of the TRAIN Law.

Sen. Bam made the pronouncement after several jeepney operators filed a petition asking for a P2 fare increase and the possible surge pricing during rush hours due to the recent increase in prices of petroleum products.

Sen. Bam submitted Senate Bill No. 1798, seeking to stop the collection of excise tax on fuel under TRAIN once the inflation rate breaches “target range.”

In Sen. Bam’s measure, the collection of excise tax will be suspended once the average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period.

Sen. Bam introduced that specific provision during the TRAIN’s deliberation and was approved by fellow senators. However, the provision was not included in the bicameral conference committee and the approved version of the measure.

“Bigyan naman natin ng kaunting ginhawa ang ating mga kababayan sa pagtaas ng presyo ng petrolyo at iba pang mga bilihin,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam to gov’t: Use your power to limit price increases, ease Filipinos’ burden

While there are many elements contributing to the increase in prices of goods and services, Sen. Bam Aquino stressed the need to focus on factors under the government’s control, like the excise tax on fuel under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.

 

“Maaaring kontrolin ang TRAIN at pagpataw ng buwis sa petrolyo. Bigyan natin ng kaunting ginhawa ang mga pamilya, isuspindi natin ang excise tax,” said Sen. Bam, referring to his measure to stop the collection of excise tax on fuel under TRAIN once the inflation rate breaches “target range.”

 

Sen. Bam filed Senate Bill No. 1798, the excise tax on fuel under TRAIN will be suspended when the average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period. 

 

During the TRAIN’s deliberation, Sen. Bam introduced an amendment to include a safeguard where the implementation of TRAIN Law will be stopped once inflation rate breaches the “target range.”

 

Fellow senators approved Sen. Bam’s amendment but the provision was not included in the bicameral conference committee and the approved version of the measure.

 

“Kailagang aminin na nahihirapan na ang mga Pilipino sa pagtaas ng presyo. Gawin naman natin ang ating makakaya upang tulungan ang mga pamilya,” added Sen. Bam.

 

Sen. Bam expects his colleagues to support his measure since many of them approved it during the deliberation of the TRAIN Law.

Sen. Bam: Poor Filipinos are collateral damage of TRAIN and Build-Build-Build

Senator Bam Aquino urged the government to put the welfare of poor Filipinos first, instead of letting them become collateral damage of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.

”Hindi puwedeng collateral damage ang ating mga kababayan sa hangarin na magkaroon ng maraming tulay at kalsada sa bansa. Habang mahalaga ang infrastructure projects, huwag nating hayaang magdusa ang mahihirap na kababayan natin,” said Sen. Bam, one of four senators who voted against the ratification of the TRAIN Act.

Sen. Bam was reacting to Department of Finance’s claim that funds for free college education and salary hike of uniformed personnel will be affected if the TRAIN Act is suspended.

The senator said the government should balance statistics with the welfare of Filipino families carrying the burden of high prices of goods and services due to the TRAIN Law.

“Ang problema, kapag puro numero ang tinitingnan, nakakalimutan ang mamamayan. Pakinggan naman natin ang hinaing ng mga nasasagasaan ang TRAIN Law,” said Sen. Bam, also the principal sponsor of the free college law in the Senate.

“Napakatindi na ng pag-aray ng ating mga kababayan sa pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin,” he added.

Sen. Bam said the DOF’s pronouncement was baseless since the government has an unobligated appropriations amounting to P390 billion in the 2017 national budget.

“Malinaw na may pera ang pamahalaan kaya maling sabihin na hindi mapopondohan ang libreng kolehiyo. Huwag ipagkait sa mga estudyante ang libreng kolehiyo,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam recently filed a measure seeking to suspend the TRAIN Law, particularly the excise tax on fuel, once inflation rate breaches the prescribed “target range.”

In Sen. Bam’s Senate Bill No. 1798, the excise tax on fuel under TRAIN will be suspended when the average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period.

During the TRAIN’s deliberation, senators approved Sen. Bam’s amendment to include a safeguard where the implementation of TRAIN Law will be stopped once inflation rate breaches the “target range.”

However, the provision was not included in the bicameral conference committee and the approved version of the measure.

Sen. Bam to govt: Care for poor families, support TRAIN suspension

Senator Bam Aquino called on the government to prioritize poor Filipinos and support the suspension of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act, particularly the excise tax on fuel. 
 
Sen. Bam made this pronouncement as he filed Senate Bill No. 1798 that seeks to amend the controversial tax reform program that will suspend the collection of excise tax on fuel once inflation rate breaches the prescribed “target range.” 
 
“We must protect Filipinos from the rising prices of goods and services,” said Sen. Bam, one of four senators who voted against the TRAIN law’s ratification. 
 
“Milyon-milyon ang mga pamilyang nababalisa tuwing tumataas ang presyo ng bilihin tulad ng bigas, sardinas, kuryente at pamasahe,” said Sen. Bam, adding that the government needs to play an active role in managing inflation and ensure that our countrymen can survive the rise in prices. 
 
“Kakaunti na lang ang nabibili ng pera ng pamilyang Pilipino dahil sa taas ng presyo ng bilihin na dulot ng TRAIN,” added Sen. Bam. 
 
In his measure, the excise tax on fuel under TRAIN will be suspended when the average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period. 
 
“It is our responsibility to be flexible and responsive when the weight of inflation becomes too heavy for the poor Filipino families to bear,” said Sen. Bam. 
 
During the TRAIN’s deliberation, senators approved Sen. Bam’s amendment to include a safeguard where the implementation of TRAIN Law will be stopped once inflation rate breaches the “target range.” 
 
However, the provision was not included in the bicameral conference committee and the approved version of the measure.

Senate Bill 1798: Automatic Suspension of the Excise Tax on Fuel Under RA 10963 (TRAIN Law)

Philippine laws must protect, serve and empower the Filipino people.

One major threat we need to protect our countrymen from is inflation – rising prices of goods and services that put a strain on the average Filipino’s daily struggle.

By the end of  2017, over 10 million Filipino families still considered themselves poor. That is 10 million households struggling to provide food and shelter, striving to earn education and desperately searching  to find sufficient livelihood.

Higit sa sampung milyong pamilya ang nababalisa tuwing tumtaas ang presyo ng bilihin tulad ng bigas, sardinas, kuryente at pamasahe.

More than just tightening their budget, these families will have to scramble for higher pay, for odd jobs and ‘sidelines’, and even micro-loans just to cover basic household expenses.

With so many Filipinos living in the fringes, the government needs to play an active role in managing inflation and ensure that our countrymen can survive the rising prices.

As such, this measure seeks to protect underprivileged Filipino families from increasing fuel prices, and its effect on the prices of goods and services, by suspending the excise tax on fuel under TRAIN when the average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target range over a three-month period.

Should the average inflation rate stabilize and fall below the annual target for three consecutive months, then the Department of Finance (DOF) will have the prerogative to lift the suspension and re-impose the excise tax on fuel based on its rate at the time of suspension.

While we have little control over global fuel prices, the imposition of excise taxes in our hands.

It is our responsibility to be flexible and responsive when the weight of inflation becomes too heavy for the poor Filipino families to bear.

Progress cannot be built at the expense of hungry Filipinos with little opportunity to improve their day-to-day lives.

Our challenge is to strike a balance between our macroeconomic goals and providing relief and support to Filipinos with the least in our society; and with open minds, open hearts, creativity and innovation, I believe we can find that delicate balance and create a prosperous future for all.

 

DOWNLOAD SBN 1798

 

 

 

Sen. Bam to hit the brakes on TRAIN Law

Senator Bam Aquino will file a measure that will restore his earlier proposal to stop the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law once the inflation rate breaches “target range.”

“Importanteng may mga safeguards ang TRAIN para mai-preno ang pagpataw buwis kapag sumobra ang pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin,” said Sen. Bam during the hearing of the Committee on Economic Affairs on TRAIN Law. 

“We pushed for these safeguards even before the TRAIN Law was passed, but they were disregarded. Siguro ngayong nakikita nilang nahihirapan na ang taumbayan, susuportahan na nila ang amyenda kong ito,” said Sen. Bam, one of four senators who voted against the ratification of the TRAIN Law. 

During the TRAIN deliberations, the Senate approved Sen. Bam’s amendment to include a safeguard where the implementation of TRAIN Law will be stopped once it breached the “target range.” 

However, Sen. Bam said the provision was not included in the bicameral conference committee and the approved version of the measure. 

“Kung hindi inalis ang safeguard na ito, napatigil na sana natin ang TRAIN Law ngayong napakataas na ng presyo ng mga bilihin,” said Sen. Bam. 

Earlier, Sen. Bam warned the country’s economic managers, led by the Department of Finance (DOF), that will country’s inflation rate will surpass the four-percent mark due to the TRAIN Law. 

“Noon pa tayo nagbabala sa pamahalaan na ang mahihirap ang masasagasaan ng TRAIN, kaya tayo kumontra sa pagpasa nito. Kailangan nating banggain ang mga repormang lalong nagpapahirap sa taumbayan,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam to push for TRAIN suspension to ease price crisis

After months of calling for a review on the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN), Senator Bam Aquino expects tomorrow’s Senate probe on TRAIN and inflation to produce tangible results, even look into the suspension of excise taxes.

“Sa aking pag-iikot sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng bansa, umaalma na ang taumbayan sa taas ng presyo ng bilihin. Napakatindi ng epekto ng TRAIN sa presyo ng bilihin na nagpapahirap sa ating mga kababayan,” said Sen. Bam, one of the four senators who voted against the ratification of the TRAIN law.

“We owe it to the Filipino people, especially the poor, to ensure that TRAIN is not making lives more difficult. We must look for immediate solutions, like the suspension of excise taxes,” Sen. Bam added.

Sen. Bam was referring to the excise tax on petroleum products under the TRAIN Act, which imposes P7 and P2.50 additional levy on gasoline and diesel, respectively.

“Umaalma na ang taumbayan sa presyo ng bilihin. Baka panahon nang ipasuspinde ang excise tax para mabawasan ang pasanin ng mga Pilipino,” said Sen. Bam.

As early as January, Sen. Bam filed Senate Resolution No. 597, urging the appropriate Senate committee to scrutinize the implementation of the unconditional cash transfer to ensure that it is sufficient to cover the increase in prices of goods and other services.

More recently, Sen. Bam also filed Senate Resolution No. 704, urging the appropriate Senate Committees to conduct an inquiry on the TRAIN’s inflationary impact and effect on the economy, particularly the P7 and P2.50 excise tax increase on gasoline and diesel, respectively.

The Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, headed by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, will conduct the hearing on the effects of TRAIN on the prices of goods and services and in the inflation rate, which reached a five-year high in April at 4.5 percent.

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