KIKO TO JBC ON REFORMS AND RETOOLING: REVIEW PREVIOUS PERFORMANCE OF JBC UNDER CJ PANGANIBAN AND LEARN FROM IT

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, former chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and former ex-oficio member of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), says that a re-tooling of the process in filling up court vacancies by the JBC is hardly needed. "All that the JBC needs to do is to look at the process implemented by the council under the leadership of then-Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban."

"Under his leadership, the JBC was able to reduce the vacancy in the judiciary to 16 percent from a high of 32 percent," he explains.

According to Pangilinan, the JBC then was able to reduce court vacancies to half through an "aggressive recruitment effort and an even more aggressive interview process so that all vacancies will have the necessary list of nominees submitted to Malacanang and that there are no backlog of nominations pending in the JBC."

The current vacancy is now back to 25 percent. Pangilinan says that the process regressed under succeeding Chief Justices, causing the vacancy rate to balloon back to what he calls "unacceptable levels."

Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno has called for a workshop to review the JBC process.

"The workshop should review the minutes of previous JBC meetings held during CJ Panganiban's time," Pangilinan suggests. "Here they will discover that at one point the JBC interviewed up to 30 applicants daily for a period of four months, thereby speeding up the nomination process tremendously. If we in the JBC were able to reduce the vacancy rates from 32 percent to 16 percent then, there is no reason why the JBC cannot do it now. We slashed the vacancies in half. The JBC today should be able to accomplish this and more. The target should be to reduce the vacancy rate to single digits in a year's time. This will require an aggressive recruitment effort where the JBC goes to the provinces to urge lawyers to take on the challenge of public service."

"Chief Justice Sereno, who is young and energetic, should lead the charge and undertake an all encompassing search for the best and the brightest to join the judiciary and help in putting in place the reforms it so urgently needs," Pangilinan stresses.

Legarda Pushes for “World Interfaith Harmony Week”

MANILA, September 11, 2012-Senator Loren Legarda has filed a bill that aims to establish the first week of February as “World Interfaith Harmony Week” in the Philippines, following a 2010 United Nations resolution declaring the same.

“I filed Senate Bill 3276, or the World Interfaith Harmony Week Act, because I believe it will help ease any conflict or tension caused by differing religious beliefs in the country,” said Legarda.

“The rationale of the UN resolution is a need to find genuine understanding among people of different faiths and belief systems. This finds resonance in the Philippines, a country that will certainly benefit from dialogues among leaders and representatives of religious institutions. The harmony we are pushing for is democratic, and built on effective communication and mutual respect,” she explained.

The proposed measure will mandate all government agencies and instrumentalities to carry out the observance of activities designed to advance the message of harmony and goodwill in accordance with religious traditions and practices during the Interfaith Harmony Week.

“Gatherings and activities for World Interfaith Harmony Week have been held in various countries across the world with diverse backgrounds, including Pakistan, Indonesia, Italy, and Jordan. Even in our country, the National Ulama Conference of the Philippines (NUCP) staged a gathering in Zamboanga City in honor of inter-religious cooperation. Beginning in 2013, we can conduct nationwide immersion programs and educational discussions geared towards forging lasting friendships,” she remarked.

“Senate Bill 3276, as it concurs with the resolution of the UN General Assembly, will go a long way in promoting cooperation and understanding among all Filipinos, and will hopefully aid in establishing a country of empathy and a culture of peace,” Legarda concluded.

Ghosts roam in ARMM, says Drilon

MANILA, September 11, 2012-Following the revelation of Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Mujiv Hataman about the numerous irregularities they have unfolded, Senator Franklin M. Drilon has only one question in mind: do ghosts prefer to wander around a poor region like the ARMM?   

“In ARMM, there are a lot of ghosts: ghost employees, ghost teachers, ghost students, ghost internally displaced persons, ghost voters, ghost contractors, ghost gasoline stations, and many more,” said its chairman Senator Franklin M. Drilon, referring to fictitious and non-existing persons and transactions which were used to cover up for various anomalies in the region.

“All of these contributed to the corruptions in the past which continue to haunt people in the ARMM,” stressed Drilon, during the Senate Finance Committee's hearing on the P13.99 billion proposed budget of the ARMM in 2013 on Monday. 

Drilon, cited for instance, the P1.6 billion unpaid premium payments, including interests and penalties, to the different insurance agencies particularly to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). These payments were deducted from the salaries of the ARMM employees, which the GSIS claimed were not remitted to them from 2001 to 2010.     

"We must emphasize the deficiencies in premium contributions are the major source of continuing frustration and disappointment among government personnel including the thousands of teachers," added Drilon.

“Thousands of teachers sometime could not avail of their GSIS benefits like housing and salary loans because the premiums were collected, but per GSIS record, were not remitted to the agency,” explained Drilon.

In a move to help resolve the issue, Drilon said his committee and the Senate Blue Ribbon chaired by Senator Teofisto Guingona III will conduct an investigation on where these funds went.

“We will look into this to finally address the plight being faced by the thousands of government personnel in the ARMM,” he added.

Meanwhile, the efforts and the political will shown by the officer-in-charge governor to eliminate these anomalies earned praises among the Senators.   

“We have confidence in the leadership of Hataman. The OIC governor is our new ghost buster,” said Drilon.

“We are pleased that under the leadership of Governor Hataman, these ghosts are starting to vanish and the corruption is being firmly addressed,” ended Drilon.

ACCUSED EMPLOYERS SHOW UP

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada and National Bureau of Investigation Director Nonnatus Caesar Rojas listen to the statement of Analiza and Reynold Marzan who appeared Monday afternoon before the NBI. The couple was accused of physical abuse and illegal detention by their kasambahay Bonita Baran, whose case is also the subject of a Senate investigation. Due to the order of arrest issued by the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development for their non-appearance before the inquiries, Sen. Estrada requested the Department of Justice and NBI to turn over the couple to the Senate. The committee is set to conduct its last public hearing on the case on Wednesday. The couple through their legal counsel (not in photo) deny the accusation. 

INT'L FOOTBALL COACH TRAINS YOUNG PLAYERS FROM AURORA

Over 300 students from the different municipalities of Aurora province have participated in the first Aurora Plays Football (APF) program, a three-month workshop which was successfully concluded last Saturday.

Said workshop which began last July was headed by Coach Maor Rozen, a PRO-level National Football Coach from Spain who was invited by Senator Edgardo J. Angara to provide training to the youth of Aurora as part of his comprehensive grassroots sports development program. 

Coach Maor also holds a PRO license from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and has participated in several Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

Angara saw the potential of football to become the country’s leading sport as it gives emphasis on agility, strength, mental skills and strategy which our young athletes possess. He felt that we have better chances of excelling and succeeding in this kind of sport given our distinct advantage. 

“If there is one sport that we have to strengthen and refocus our energies on, it must be football. Filipino athletes possess the kind of talent – size, strength and speed – to compete internationally. Moreover, the physical attributes of internationally-renowned soccer stars compare favorably with the physical stature of the Filipino athlete of today.”

Field football and beach football were offered to participants aged 11 and below. An inter-municipality league for the 11-and-under category was also part of the program, with matches being held in the Baler Central School every Saturday of August.

One of the most important elements of the leagues, according to Coach Maor, was that every single player from each of the six competing teams was required to play for at least 15 minutes. This way, he says, they can familiarize themselves with the competitive atmosphere of the actual games which is quite different from the pressure during training sessions.

Angara, who had spearheaded the initiative together with Representative Edgardo "Sonny" Angara and Aurora Governor Bellaflor Angara-Castillo, encouraged the participants of the workshop to stay in school as model student athletes during the culminating program yesterday.

"I am very proud to see these young student athletes show such dedication to the sport, which is arguably one of the most popular in the world. The province of Aurora is also very lucky to have such an experienced international coach at the helm of this activity, and my hope is that they learn to apply the discipline they learned from this workshop to all their endeavors," he said. 

APEC Should Be More Relevant to Filipinos – Legarda

MANILA, September 10, 2012-In light of the conclusion of the Vladivostok APEC Summit 2012 and the upcoming Manila APEC Summit in 2015, Senator Loren Legarda today said that efforts should be made in order for APEC to be more relevant to all Filipinos, emphasizing that APEC is ultimately about people.

“We hosted the APEC Leaders’ meeting in 1996.  It was a time when many did not understand what trade and investment liberalization and facilitation meant.  Sixteen years, hence, can we say our people now understand how APEC was able to improve their lives?” she said.

APEC, or the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, accounts for approximately 40 percent of the world's population, 54 percent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product, and about 44 percent of world trade. This year’s priorities were trade and investment liberalization, regional economic integration, strengthening food security, establishing reliable supply chains, and intensive cooperation to foster innovative growth.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign relations, stressed that the value of APEC does not rest on trade and investment statistics, but on how much its benefits trickle down to the poor.

“APEC should strive to pursue its goal of trade and investment facilitation to generate more jobs, provide food on the table, enhance capacities, promote education, harness sustainable development, and promote inclusive growth in the region.  At the end of the day, APEC is not about business nor is it about trade; it is about its people,” she explained.

The Senator also said that there is a pressing need to make sure that Filipinos are able to develop competitive advantage in key economic sectors in order for the Philippines to make a substantial contribution to the level of trade between and across APEC economies.

“We need to capacitate our farmers, our industries, and other sectors.  We need to strengthen them, including our MSMEs so they can equally become competitive in meeting the region’s needs for goods and services,” she detailed.

“We need to take advantage of the vast opportunities that APEC’s economic and technical cooperation offers to prepare us for a more intense level of competition in an era of free trade,” Legarda stressed.

On the issues of environmental conservation and sustainable development, Legarda said that promotion of low-emission energy strategy needs to be enhanced and the Philippines can be a showcase in this area by fully developing its renewable energy resources of which it has abundant supply.

Furthermore, Legarda welcomed leaders’ initiatives to ensure sustainable management of marine ecosystems. She also lauded the relevant and timely cooperation toward improving disaster prevention, response and recovery, including support for people affected by disasters and emergencies.

5.3 million poor to get full health insurance premium, says Drilon

MANILA, September 7, 2012-For some 5.3 million poor families who cannot afford to seek even basic medical care, the proposed P2.006-trillion 2013 national budget has allocated P12.61 billion to give them access to a totally free medical treatment, according to Senate Finance Committee chairman Franklin M. Drilon.

Drilon explained the government will fully subsidize the health insurance premium of 5.3 million indigents identified in the National Household Targeting System being used to identify and reach indigent and informal sector households.

“The 2013 budget provides for P12.61 billion to secure the enrollment of about 5.3 million families in Philhealth at P2,400 per annum per family. The beneficiaries can reach up to 20 million or even more for the Philhealth card can be used by the principals’ spouse and their minor children,” said Drilon.

“The government will fully pay the health premiums of indigent patients to widen their access to proper medication. It is disturbing to know that, in this modern day, there are still a great number of Filipinos who do not have access to immediate health care,” said Drilon.

He added that indigent patients can be freed from the financial worries with the new Philhealth case rates payment scheme already in place which provides for a no-balance billing policy for 23 medical cases which include, among others, dengue, pneumonia, asthma, typhoid fever, and appendectomy.     

Drilon also explained that the Department of Justice opinion in March 2012 authorizing the use of P8.3 billion by the government to fully subsidize the Philhealth premiums of indigent patients for the current year will still be in effect in the 2013 budget.

Under the 2012 General Appropriations Act, the full release of national government full premium subsidy was subjected to the issuance of a DoJ opinion stating that the move to fully subsidize the health premiums of indigent patients will not violate the National Health Insurance Act, noted Drilon.

It can be recalled also that Senator Drilon moved last year to strike out a budgetary provision that sought the passage of an amendment in the said Act before this full NG premium subsidy could be implemented, saying “that Act does not hinder the government to provide full subsidy for premium contributions of indigents and the provision being proposed then was contrary to the primary intent of the law.”

“The provision of a health insurance to the poorest Filipinos is consistent with the government’s goal to implement the Universal Health Care. That is the very reason why I proposed the deletion of a budgetary provision in the 2012 budget saying an amendment to the National Health Insurance Act is necessary before the government can fully subsidize the health premiums of indigent families,” ended Drilon.

SENATE INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE ON SMUGGLING RELEASES RAMIREZ

MANILA, September 6, 2012-The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food today orders the release of Cesar Ramirez, a resource person in the investigation on smuggling cited for contempt and detained in the Senate.

The committee's Chairman, Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, says that the members of the investigating committee agreed that Ramirez's profuse apologies as well as his explanation of being rattled at the queries thrown at him during the investigation have caused him to be inconsistent with his statements, are enough for the Senate to grant Ramirez his freedom from detention.

"We considered his supplemental statements very carefully, and after conferring with the Senate President we agreed to grant the motion of Ramirez’s counsel to lift the Senate's citation of contempt. However, we issue a stern warning to Mr. Ramirez: We will not hesitate to cite him again for contempt and detain him should he fail to testify with straightforwardness and truth in the hearings. The penalties could be more severe the next time around."

‘THE PHILIPPINES SHOULD PREPARE FOR ASEAN 2015'

MANILA, September 6, 2012-Senator Edgardo J. Angara said that the recent jump of the Philippines in global competitiveness rankings should spur the country on to prepare for the regional economic integration of Southeast Asian nations by 2015.  

Angara, Chair of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture, added that while the country may not be entirely prepared for the integration, the improvement in rankings showed that it is headed in the right direction.

“The year 2015 is going to be a milestone because the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is going to become one community—not just an economic community where we trade, bargain and do commerce, but also as an employment and education community,"  Angara said. “I cannot truthfully say that we are completely prepared but I think we are taking steps to be more competitive."

  

The World Economic Forum’s 2012-2013 Global Competitiveness Report showed that the Philippines leaped 10 notches from 75^th to the 65^th spot out of 144 countries in the global competitiveness ranking for the year.

Angara stressed that global competitiveness is crucial for the Philippines since the integration of the ten-members countries of the ASEAN will increase competition for jobs, goods and services. 

He noted that in two years’ time, a Filipino can work without permit in any of the ASEAN countries as well as people of other ASEAN nations can also work and go to school here without restriction.

“There will be a free exchange of people and goods across boundaries of the ASEAN. That’s why we have to be competitive. Competition is no longer just national. Competition for jobs and education is now international, global.

“At present, if a Singaporean and a Filipino apply for the same position, believe me, the Singaporean will get the job because of their very high standards of education. We must be competitive with our peers anywhere in the ASEAN because Filipinos now are the most mobile and migratory people in the world,” said Angara, who is also chair of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology.

Despite the big jump in terms of ranking, the Philippines still fell behind its neighbors in the region, besting only Vietnam and Cambodia who ranked 75th and 85th respectively.  

Angara then urged the government, media and other stakeholders to wage an intensive information campaign to prepare the Filipinos for 2015 and to keep up in competitiveness not just with ASEAN nations but with the rest of world. 

‘THE PHILIPPINES SHOULD PREPARE FOR ASEAN 2015'

MANILA, September 6, 2012-Senator Edgardo J. Angara said that the recent jump of the Philippines in global competitiveness rankings should spur the country on to prepare for the regional economic integration of Southeast Asian nations by 2015.  

Angara, Chair of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture, added that while the country may not be entirely prepared for the integration, the improvement in rankings showed that it is headed in the right direction.

“The year 2015 is going to be a milestone because the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is going to become one community—not just an economic community where we trade, bargain and do commerce, but also as an employment and education community,"  Angara said. “I cannot truthfully say that we are completely prepared but I think we are taking steps to be more competitive."

  

The World Economic Forum’s 2012-2013 Global Competitiveness Report showed that the Philippines leaped 10 notches from 75^th to the 65^th spot out of 144 countries in the global competitiveness ranking for the year.

Angara stressed that global competitiveness is crucial for the Philippines since the integration of the ten-members countries of the ASEAN will increase competition for jobs, goods and services. 

He noted that in two years’ time, a Filipino can work without permit in any of the ASEAN countries as well as people of other ASEAN nations can also work and go to school here without restriction.

“There will be a free exchange of people and goods across boundaries of the ASEAN. That’s why we have to be competitive. Competition is no longer just national. Competition for jobs and education is now international, global.

“At present, if a Singaporean and a Filipino apply for the same position, believe me, the Singaporean will get the job because of their very high standards of education. We must be competitive with our peers anywhere in the ASEAN because Filipinos now are the most mobile and migratory people in the world,” said Angara, who is also chair of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology.

Despite the big jump in terms of ranking, the Philippines still fell behind its neighbors in the region, besting only Vietnam and Cambodia who ranked 75th and 85th respectively.  

Angara then urged the government, media and other stakeholders to wage an intensive information campaign to prepare the Filipinos for 2015 and to keep up in competitiveness not just with ASEAN nations but with the rest of world. 

5.3 million poor to get full health insurance premium, says Drilon

MANILA, September 7, 2012-For some 5.3 million poor families who cannot afford to seek even basic medical care, the proposed P2.006-trillion 2013 national budget has allocated P12.61 billion to give them access to a totally free medical treatment, according to Senate Finance Committee chairman Franklin M. Drilon.

Drilon explained the government will fully subsidize the health insurance premium of 5.3 million indigents identified in the National Household Targeting System being used to identify and reach indigent and informal sector households.

“The 2013 budget provides for P12.61 billion to secure the enrollment of about 5.3 million families in Philhealth at P2,400 per annum per family. The beneficiaries can reach up to 20 million or even more for the Philhealth card can be used by the principals’ spouse and their minor children,” said Drilon.

“The government will fully pay the health premiums of indigent patients to widen their access to proper medication. It is disturbing to know that, in this modern day, there are still a great number of Filipinos who do not have access to immediate health care,” said Drilon.

He added that indigent patients can be freed from the financial worries with the new Philhealth case rates payment scheme already in place which provides for a no-balance billing policy for 23 medical cases which include, among others, dengue, pneumonia, asthma, typhoid fever, and appendectomy.     

Drilon also explained that the Department of Justice opinion in March 2012 authorizing the use of P8.3 billion by the government to fully subsidize the Philhealth premiums of indigent patients for the current year will still be in effect in the 2013 budget.

Under the 2012 General Appropriations Act, the full release of national government full premium subsidy was subjected to the issuance of a DoJ opinion stating that the move to fully subsidize the health premiums of indigent patients will not violate the National Health Insurance Act, noted Drilon.

It can be recalled also that Senator Drilon moved last year to strike out a budgetary provision that sought the passage of an amendment in the said Act before this full NG premium subsidy could be implemented, saying “that Act does not hinder the government to provide full subsidy for premium contributions of indigents and the provision being proposed then was contrary to the primary intent of the law.”

“The provision of a health insurance to the poorest Filipinos is consistent with the government’s goal to implement the Universal Health Care. That is the very reason why I proposed the deletion of a budgetary provision in the 2012 budget saying an amendment to the National Health Insurance Act is necessary before the government can fully subsidize the health premiums of indigent families,” ended Drilon.

Villar pushes approval of bill allowing the poor to start their own business

MANILA, September 6, 2012-Sen. Manny Villar sponsored yesterday the committee report on the bill seeking to encourage microfinance institutions to provide access to credit and business opportunities to poor Filipinos.

 

Senate Bill 3255 or “An Act Governing the Creation and Accreditation of Microenterprise Development Institutions (MICRODEVs), ” endeavors to support and work in partnership with MICRODEVs, which will implement a microenterprise development strategy in order to provide general and other entrepreneurial services to the poor.

 

Villar, chairman of the Committee on Economic Affairs, said this bill seeks to benefit the more than 23 million poor Filipinos, by providing them seed money to start their own small businesses.

 

 “After years of hard work, microfinance institutions’ (MFI) mission of poverty alleviation has reached a level of maturity and acceptance in the Philippines, and has been shown to be an effective means to help alleviate poverty and spur microenterprise development,” Villar said.

 

It has always been Villar’s advocacy to help people start their own business. He said Filipinos should aspire to become their own bosses and shouldn’t be contented with being an employee.

 

Villar cited the case of Jocelyn de Guzman, who worked previously as a footwear factory worker. She availed of a loan and used it to start a slippers and sandals factory. Corazon Bautista, a former seamstress, borrowed a P5000-capital from Tulay sa Pag-Unlad, Inc. and was able to put up an RTW business in Taytay, Rizal.

 

“These women not only succeeded to cross over to the path of progress from poverty. They also provided employment to a number of people,” Villar added.

According to data collected by the Microfinance Information Exchange, as of 2010, microfinance NGOs have an estimated outreach of more than two million active clients and an approximate total gross loan portfolio of  more than Php 10 billion.

 

Villar said this measure will help the country achieve its Millennium Development Goal by providing the enabling environment that will allow the private sector to take a greater role in the provision of financial services and encourage the poor to engage in viable and sustainable microenterprises.

 

Under the bill, a MICRODEV Accreditation Center will be created to institutionalize a system of accreditation and registration of microfinance entities. The center will monitor the performance of MICRODEVs to ensure their compliance with the provisions of this measure and keep in check their commitment to help the poor and marginalized.

 

MICRODEVS will provide the poor access to reasonable and affordable credit and related services including microfinance, micro-insurance, health care and micro-housing. They will also provide business development opportunities such as leadership training and entrepreneurial skills training and human development services to help the poor achieve a level of sustainability and empowerment.

 

These MICRODEVS will be operated as non-stock and non-profit corporations, governed by Board of Trustees. In lieu of national and local taxes, MICRODEVs will only pay two percent of their gross income.

Legarda Hails House's Approval of Kasambahay Bill

MANILA, September 6, 2012-Senator Loren Legarda today hailed the House of Representatives’ approval of House Bill 6144, or their version of Senate Bill 78, otherwise known as the Kasambahay Bill, which was approved by the Senate last December 2010.

“The House of Representatives approved House Bill 6144 with 176 in favor and none against. This overwhelming support, coupled with the Senate’s recent ratification of the International Labour Organization Convention 189 or the Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers, heralds the dawn of better lives for the 1.9 million domestic workers in the country, and the 1.5 million more abroad,” she explained.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, noted that the Senate concurred in the ratification of ILO Convention 189 last August 6, and that it has been officially announced that the Philippines is the second country to ratify the convention after Uruguay in June 2012.

“As ILO 189 will come into force 12 months after two ILO member-states have ratified it, the Philippines should be justly proud of playing a significant role in improving the employment conditions of kasambahays worldwide. And now, with the Kasambahay Act approved by both Houses of Congress, we can begin guaranteeing that kasambahays in the Philippines are treated as workers, not servants,” she said.

“Under ILO Convention 189, contracts between the employer and the domestic worker will become a requirement. The contract will state the domestic worker's salary, work hours, day-offs, vacations, and, for those abroad, the duration of the employment. This Convention also ensures that domestic workers are able to keep in their possession their travel and identity documents,” she remarked.

Legarda, a staunch supporter of the establishment of the rights of domestic workers, added that these rights are the foundation of inclusive growth that the Philippines as a nation aspires for. Among the Senator’s first bills filed in the Fifteenth Congress was Senate Bill 7, which sought to increase the minimum wage of household helpers and require all household working arrangements between employers and helpers to be duly documented.

“I am truly glad that we have taken such major steps in according decent working conditions, just compensation, and sufficient benefits to our domestic workers, and with the approval of the proposed Kasambahay Act by both Houses of Congress, I am hopeful that its enactment into law will happen very soon,” Legarda concluded.

Legarda Hails House's Approval of Kasambahay Bill

MANILA, September 6, 2012-Senator Loren Legarda today hailed the House of Representatives’ approval of House Bill 6144, or their version of Senate Bill 78, otherwise known as the Kasambahay Bill, which was approved by the Senate last December 2010.

“The House of Representatives approved House Bill 6144 with 176 in favor and none against. This overwhelming support, coupled with the Senate’s recent ratification of the International Labour Organization Convention 189 or the Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers, heralds the dawn of better lives for the 1.9 million domestic workers in the country, and the 1.5 million more abroad,” she explained.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, noted that the Senate concurred in the ratification of ILO Convention 189 last August 6, and that it has been officially announced that the Philippines is the second country to ratify the convention after Uruguay in June 2012.

“As ILO 189 will come into force 12 months after two ILO member-states have ratified it, the Philippines should be justly proud of playing a significant role in improving the employment conditions of kasambahays worldwide. And now, with the Kasambahay Act approved by both Houses of Congress, we can begin guaranteeing that kasambahays in the Philippines are treated as workers, not servants,” she said.

“Under ILO Convention 189, contracts between the employer and the domestic worker will become a requirement. The contract will state the domestic worker's salary, work hours, day-offs, vacations, and, for those abroad, the duration of the employment. This Convention also ensures that domestic workers are able to keep in their possession their travel and identity documents,” she remarked.

Legarda, a staunch supporter of the establishment of the rights of domestic workers, added that these rights are the foundation of inclusive growth that the Philippines as a nation aspires for. Among the Senator’s first bills filed in the Fifteenth Congress was Senate Bill 7, which sought to increase the minimum wage of household helpers and require all household working arrangements between employers and helpers to be duly documented.

“I am truly glad that we have taken such major steps in according decent working conditions, just compensation, and sufficient benefits to our domestic workers, and with the approval of the proposed Kasambahay Act by both Houses of Congress, I am hopeful that its enactment into law will happen very soon,” Legarda concluded.

Trillanes, pinuri ang Smart-Gilas

MANILA, Setyembre 6, 2012-Pinuri ni Senador Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV ang pagkapanalo ng Smart-Gilas Pilipinas sa katatapos na 34th William Jones Cup sa Taiwan.

Sa inihain nitong Senate Resolution 8555 na inaprubahan ng Senado noong ika-4 ng Setyembre, tinawag ni Trillanes na "makabuluhan at makasaysayan" ang nangyari dahil ito ang unang kampeonato ng koponan ng Pilipinas matapos ang 14 na taon.

"Ang husay na ipinakita ng ating Philippine team upang makuha ang tagumpay ay isang makabuluhan at makasaysayang pagkapanalo dahil ibinalik nito ang Philippine basketball sa dati nitong estado – isang dominanteng pwersa sa Asian basketball,” ani Trillanes.

Natalo ng Smart-Gilas ang koponan ng Estados Unidos sa iskor na 76-75 sa William Jones Cup finals na idinaos noong Agosto 26 sa Tapei, Taiwan. Ito ay ika-apat na panalo ng bansa sa nasabing torneo matapos ang Northern Consolidated Cement team noong 1981, San Miguel team noong 1985 at Philippine Centennial team noong 1998.

Binati ni Trillanes ang coaching staff, opisyal at miyembro ng basketball team ng Smart-Gilas.

Ang 2012 Philippine team ay pinamunuan ni coach Chot Reyes at binubuo ng mga propesyunal na manlalarong sina Enrico Villanueva (Barangay Ginebra), Gabe Norwood (Rain or Shine), Gary David (Powerade), Jeff Chan (Rain or Shine), LA Tenorio (dating taga-Alaska na ngayon ay Ginebra na) Larry Fonacier (Talk N’ Text), Mac Baracael (Alaska), Ranidel De Ocampo (Talk N’ Text), Sol Mercado (Meralco), Sonny Thoss (Alaska), Marcus Douthit, Matt Rosser at Garvo Lanete ng San Beda.