7 men held in NE for theft of minerals

SAN JOSE CITY, Nueva Ecija, February 11, 2013-Combined operatives of the provincial public safety company (PPSC), the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the theft and illegall transport of copper concentrates from nearby Nueva Vizcaya province.

          Police Superintendent Pedro Soliba, San Jose City police chief, identified the seven as  Leonard Sanchez, 33, of Barangay Shellhouse, Calaocan City; Yulito Palces, 53, of Barangay Alfonso, Concepcion, Tarlac;  Martin Redera, 37, of B16L9 Area 3, Dagat-Dagatan, Malabon City: Lope Amurao, 43, of Barangay Talisay, Tiaong, Quezon; Jonny Abrego, 31, of Purok 2, Maag, San Isidro, Davao Oriental; and Jay Laceda, 29, of 043 Cupang, Pandi, Bulacan and broker representative Ryan Jayson, 27 of Imus, Cavite.

          Superintendent Ricardo Villanueva, PPSC company commander, said the suspects drove large container vans loaded with suspected copper concentrates. When confronted by police, they failed to show the original documents of the shipments.

          Villanueva said prior to the operation, they received information that  vehicles from Nueva Vizcaya allegedly loaded with copper concentrates and being escorted by heavily armed men will pass the city.

          Villanueva formed a team composed of Senior Inspector Romel dela Vega and DENR forest ranger Alexander Domingo and elements of the San Jose  City police to conduct checkpoint along the national highway in  Barangay Sto Niño 2nd.

Dominic Wood, a representative of the trucking company Neo Logic Logistics told police the shipment came from Ocean Gold Mining located at Brgy Didipo, Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya and was about to be delivered at Poro Point, San Fernando, La Union.

          The two Toyota Hi-lux escorting the vans were also inspected.

Cases for violations of Republic Act 7942 (Theft of Minerals) have been filed against against the suspects by the San Jose City police before the city prosecutor’s office, San Jose City. (Manny Galvez)

Team PNoy senatorial bets to push PNoy’s peace policy in Mindanao, says Drilon

MANILA, February 10, 2013-Team PNoy campaign manager, Senator Franklin M. Drilon on Sunday stressed that it is vital for the President Aquino to have a majority in Congress for the remainder of his term in order not to undermine his ongoing efforts to bring an enduring peace in Mindanao.

Drilon said the President needs his team in Congress to push, as a pillar of his peace-making initiative, the creation of a Bangsamoro Republic that would take the place of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.  The Bangsamoro Republic is one of the milestones in the framework agreement of the ongoing peace negotiation between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“If the electorate did not vote for the team of the President in the coming elections, the creation of a new basic law that will establish the Bangsamoro Republic may be put in peril because the President would have no allies to  fight for this in the next Congress,” said Drilon.

“Kaya kung hindi maniniwala ang tao sa kanya at hindi dadalin ang mga kandidato na kaniyang ineendorso, there’s a clear signal from the electorate na hindi payag ang taumbayan sa konsepto ng framework agreement,” he said.

That is why, Drilon said, it is important that the candidates the President has handpicked,for Team PNoy will make it to the Senate so they could help the President advance the necessary reforms, especially his policy in establishing peace and development in Mindanao.

Fighting ignited by Muslim sentiment for a homeland has rocked Mindanao for more than four decades, claiming thousands of lives and setting back economic and social development in the resource-rich island, the country's second largest.

Drilon said an enduring peace in Mindanao is so important to the President he is going to make an unprecedented visit to the Muslim stronghold in Sultan Kudarat.   

“That is also why the President is spending his political capital for his candidates," Drilon said,."Kaya ngayon, kung hindi mailuklok ang kaniyang mga inendorsosa Kongreso, hindi mabubuo yung bagong basic law.” 

RH backers fear ghost of RH inutility

MANILA, February 10, 2013-Having won the battle to dole out free condoms and other contraceptives is apparently not enough for the proponents and supporters of the Reproductive Health Law. Now they are peddling half-truths and outright lies to cover up for the duplicity of the new law.
 
Senate Majority Leader Vicente C. Sotto III yesterday took exception to the claim of Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman that the RH law will suffer if the lawmakers who pushed for it in the House of Representatives do not get a fresh term.
 
“There is a huge amount of money for reproductive, maternal and infant health even without the RH law. The fear of some RH supporters is misplaced, if not a non-sequitur.  Let us not simplify the elections as an issue between pro and anti-RH,” Sotto said.
 
On Tuesday, as pro-RH lawmakers celebrate the spoils of the war, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman pitched for the election of more pro-RH lawmakers to ensure sufficient yearly funding for its implementation.
 
“We must ensure in the coming May elections that the RH advocates get the people’s mandate so that adequate and responsive appropriations will be allocated for the RH law,” Lagman, who was the main sponsor of the measure in the Lower House, said.
 
He said one of the major challenges faced by the RH law is for Congress to provide budget for the new law.
 
On the contrary, Sotto said a cursory check in the 2013 General Appropriations Act for the Department of Health showed that more than P9.1-billion is already allocated for RH-related programs catering to maternal and infant health care.

 These are made up of the following items in the budget allocation of the Department of Health:
 
1.  Women’s Health And Safe Motherhood Project- 269,860,000.00
2.  Family Health and Responsible Parenthood- 2,539,420,000.00
3.  Health Family Planning Operations and Infrastructure Programs- 3. 268,902,000.00
4.  Health Human Resource Development- 2,952,832,000.00
5.  Implementation of Doctors to Barrios and Rural Health Practice Program- 2,799,383,000.00
6.  National Health Insurance Programs- 12,612,283,000.00
7.  Health Promotion- 162,479,000.00
8.  POPCOM -Coordination of the Population Policy and Programs- 187,822,000.00
 
“All in all, to include other items related to RH programs, there is a whopping P21-billion in the DOH budget that seeks to address maternal and infant health concerns,” Sotto said.
 
Sotto, who questioned the measure in the Senate, said RH proponents could be engaging a self-fulfilling prophecy that the law is actually useless and is bound to be a huge failure.
 
Even without the RH law, he pointed out that the government has been distributing condoms and pills for free in health clinics that only resulted to wastage of public funds since only a few avail of these artificial birth control methods.
 
“Our Filipino culture loves children. The Filipino culture is family-oriented. The RH law seeks to debase that culture,” he said.
 
Sotto said that RH proponents and supporters have no one else to blame, except themselves, if the law is found to be inutile in the end. “Are they conditioning the public for scapegoats to blame?” he asked.
 
The RH law seeks to propagate contraceptive use among the poor to arrest population growth, as well as improving health care for pregnant women. It also provides for age-appropriate sex education in public schools.

BENHAM RISE COULD BE AURORA’S RISE, TOO

UNDERWATER PLATEAU. Found near Aurora, the 13-million hectare Benham Rise is part of Philippine territory. Screen grab from a document the Philippines submitted to UN.

Aurora has languished too long in this unenviable list we call the 20 poorest provinces of the country. That dark chapter in the province’s history was long over and therefore, it is safe to say I am speaking in the past tense.  For Aurora has since made giant strides to development such that is has become the envy of other provinces.

         

But as people are won’t to say, when it rains, it pours. While it is progressing by leaps and bounds, Aurora’s potential for growth has not come or came close to a halt. The possibilities for this province named after former First Lady Dona Aurora Aragon Quezon seems endless just like unlimited call and text promoted by the country’s leading telecommunications companies.

What makes me salivate even more over Aurora’s growth potentials is the emergence of Benham Rise as a potential cash cow for the province. The 13-million-hectare continental shelf off the coast of Aurora and Isabela is a veritable gold mine which is unlike the Spratly Islands which is being claimed in whole or in part by China and other nations.

I have written an article about Benham Rise but what fuels the adrenaline rush about this is Congressman Sonny Angara’s expression of support for the government’s plan to explore Benham Rise which the United Nations has recently declared as part of Philippine territory.

Cong. Sonny said he would move for the immediate approval of Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ (BFAR) budget this year at the House appropriations committee, as this would hasten the move to study opportunities for Benham Rise.

“I believe in opportunities, in possibilities. These are the things that we must not fail to capitalize and to take advantage of. If there will be legislations that would be needed and required in the future, count me in, I will help,” he said.

The Benham Rise is not only home for deep-water fish such as blue fin tuna but is also believed to be rich in natural gas and minerals.

Angara said an in-depth study would allow the government to map out a comprehensive plan on how to effectively utilize the Benham Rise.

Never mind that there are reports foreign fishermen are allegedly poaching in waters off Benham Rise, which makes it important for the country to protect its territory and for the Philippine Navy to beef up its surveillance in the area so no foreign vessels, commercial or otherwise are trespassing within its legal territory.

If fully explored, Benham Rise could make Aurora rise, too. Weather weather lang yan. At suwerte suwerte.

Angara ng buhay sa Aurora pag nagkataon. ‘Di ba Cong Sonny?

Benham Rise is a 13-million hectare seismically active underwater region and extinct volcanic ridge located approximately 250 kilometers east of the northern coastline of Dinapigue, Isabela.

It is the first territory that the Philippines won under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), the same convention the Philippines invokes in its two-month standoff with China over Scarborough Shoal on the western side of the country.

The Philippines filed its claim for Benham Rise in 2008 and the UN has officially approved the claim in April 2012.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has previously said it has plans to also explore the potentially rich marine resources at the new territory, as well as the largely unexplored Pacific seaboard

The DOE has previously auctioned energy blocs in the western side of the Philippines under PECR-4.

However, investor interest has been dampened by the ongoing territorial dispute between the Philippines and China, which claims all of the South China Sea (or West Philippine Sea). (Jason de Asis)

NYC to Launch a Summit on Children’s Rights and Welfare

MANILA, February 9, 2013-The Rights and Welfare of Children Summit will be held on February 15, 2013 at the Dear Manang’s Events Place, Tetuan Highway, Zamboanga City. The summit is a joint initiative of the National Youth Commission, the Office of Deputy Speaker Ma. Isabelle G. Climaco, the Department of Education, the EDSA People Power Commission and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking.

Around two hundred (200) individuals ages 11-14 years old who are in-school, out of school, with special needs/ disabilities including those who belong to indigenous communities will convene to address the many problems, issues and challenges that compromise the welfare and the best interest of our children especially in the southernmost part of Mindanao where terrorism is still a societal problem and children are seen as victims of violence.

Commissioner Earl Saavedra, the Head of the Summit Organizing Committee, explained that the areas within the back-channel route towards the neighboring ASEAN states are locations where frequent child-trafficking activities happen. “The National Youth Commission prevented an incident, where fifty (50) children and youth (mostly women), were brought to Zamboanga City from Basilan and were promised with jobs and scholarship by a certain illegal recruiter. The condemning act was an eye-opener to agencies that work for the rights and welfare not only of the children and youth but including the other sectors of society. It was when we conceptualized the idea of organizing an activity to push for such important advocacy focusing on children” he further stated.

Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker Ma. Isabelle Climaco- Salazar commented that the activity will open many more opportunities where children’s importance and roles are highlighted as a significant part of the nation. “It will make all of us realize that as early as now, they are part of our nation building efforts and we need to protect, care and love them”, she added. 

The one-day activity on February 15, 2013 includes sessions/workshops on Self Discovery and Identity, Establishing Oneself in the Community through Artwork Exposures; a discussion on Child’s Rights and Welfare (Dual approach mechanism on peer and moderator counseling and hands-on activities); and a presentation of the Children’s Agenda and launching of the Local Children’s Council/ Organization as its culminating activity.

Undersecretary Alberto T. Muyot of the Department of Education and Commissioner Percival Cendaña of the National Youth Commission are also expected to grace the program.

Legarda Joins Filipino-Chinese Community in Celebrating 2013 Chinese New Year

MANILA, February 9, 2013-Senator Loren Legarda expressed solidarity with the Filipino-Chinese community as she enjoined all Filipinos to share in the celebration of the 2013 Chinese New Year.

“I wish to extend my warmest greetings to all Filipino-Chinese on the occasion of the 2013 Chinese New Year. The Filipino-Chinese community has played a key role in the economic and cultural development of the country. They are known not only for their acumen in entrepreneurship, but also for their deep sense of volunteerism and corporate social responsibility,” Legarda said.

“For centuries, Filipino and Chinese communities have had extensive ties. Our relationship then was primarily built on trade and commerce, but it has gradually evolved so as to encompass the economic, and socio-cultural history of the Philippines,” she added. “We must cultivate the good relationship that our two cultures have forged.”

Legarda is co-author of the bill declaring the Chinese New Year as a special working holiday in the Philippines. The proposed measure has been approved by both the Senate and the House.

“Under this bill, we aim to recognize the immense contribution of the Filipino-Chinese in the Philippines and further strengthen the ties that bind us,” she concluded.

Drilon: Team PNoy candidates overwhelmingly preferred to UNA

MANILA, February 8, 2013-The latest survey showing the Filipinos' high preference for Team PNoy senatorial candidates is an indication of their confidence in the President and his team, said Team PNoy campaign manager, Senator Franklin M. Drilon.

“We welcome the Pulse Asia’s survey in which seven of the top 12 spots were dominated by the Team PNoy, with the top three places also dominated by Team PNoy candidates,” he said.

In the Pulse Asia’s January 2013 survey, incumbent Senators Loren Legarda, Francis Escudero and Alan Peter Cayetano, all administration senatorial candidates, dominated the top three slots, noted Drilon.

“It is beyond doubt that President Aquino's endorsement of his senatorial team is very effective and has been taken positively by the people who clearly manifest  support for the team the President has chosen to help him carry out his reforms in the next three years,” stressed Drilon.

“The survey is a manifestation that majority of the people trust the candidates the President has chosen to be part of his reform team in the Senate,” he said. “Naiintindihan na ng taumbayan ang mensahe ng ating Pangulo: ito ang kasama ko sa tuwid na daan.”  

Drilon also said the survey signifies confidence in the five other candidates of Team PNoy who are within striking distance. "The campaign has not even started yet. I am confident that when they get the needed exposure, they will catch up," he said.

Marine soldier nabbed in NE for illegal gun possession

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija – Operatives of the provincial public safety company arrested a member of the Philippine Marines for illegal possession of firearms in Gen. Natividad, Nueva Ecija Wednesday night.

          Senior Superintendent Crizaldo Nieves, provincial police director, identified the suspect as Jerry Casallo, 30 of Barangay Platero, Gen. Natividad.

          Casallo is assigned at the K-9 Company of the Marines in Bagong Calarian, Zamboanga City.

          Police said Casallo was driving his blue Honda motorcycle with license plate JJ-2835 when flagged down by PPSC operatives led by Inspector Joey Cabatin in Platero at a checkpoint set up by the Commission on Elections. 

On plain view, the lawmen spotted a caliber 45 revolver tucked on his waist and when accosted, Casallo identified himself as a member of the Marines and his identification card.

However,  he failed to present his permit to carry and his license as well as his gun ban exemption, prompting the PSS operatives to arrest him.

Sei                               

                                                Seized from his possession, along with the gun are 14 pieces of live bullets. (Manny Galvez)

Legarda Reports Results of Senate Investigation on Glenn Defense

MANILA, January 6, 2013-Senator Loren Legarda today reported the results of the joint investigation of the Committees on Foreign Relations and Environment and Natural Resources on the alleged dumping of wastes in seawaters by MT Glenn Guardian, a vessel owned by Glenn Defense Marine Asia Pte Ltd.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said that the investigation by the Senate produced wide-ranging inputs from various stakeholders which showed that Glenn Defense clearly violated Philippine laws when it dumped sewage waste in seawaters covered by the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on October 15, 2012.

The Senate investigation also established that the dumping of sewage wastes it collected from US ships was an established practice of Glenn Defense over the past years.

“We are talking here of millions of liters of sewage wastes disposed at sea by Glenn Defense over a period of time, without the requisite permits from the government. They do not even have the necessary accreditation as waste collectors from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority,” Legarda said.

In October 2012, MT Glenn Guardian was found to have dumped in the Philippine EEZ, around 200,000 liters of sewage wastes it had collected from US ship Emory Land.  It was found that these wastes were in excess of the permitted effluent standards set by the DENR.  

The investigation also established, based on the analysis of the Philippine Coast Guard, that the sewage wastes were dumped by MT Glenn Guardian in areas outside of the designated dumping sites, again in violation of Philippine regulations.

The Senator also said that the mandate of the Presidential Commission on the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFACOM), which is to ensure “respect for Philippine laws, state policies, and strict compliance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the concerned departments and agencies” under Executive Order no. 199, needs to be strongly enforced.  The investigation established lapses in the enforcement of laws and regulations.

“The DENR and the Philippine Coast Guard should pro-actively carry out their mandated functions in relation to marine pollution control. It is lamentable that all these violations are happening under the noses of government officials; some of them looking the other way while disrespect for our laws is happening,” Legarda said.

Legarda said that among the recommendations in the report is the conduct of administrative proceedings and criminal proceedings against Glenn Defense and, if warranted, even its blacklisting. 

“This incident and the unfortunate grounding of a US minesweeper in Tubbataha Reef are two different incidents, grounded on the same issue – the need for better coordinative and implementing arrangements to ensure, as stated in the Executive Order creating the VFACOM, ‘respect for Philippine laws, state policies…and strict compliance with rules and regulations’ by our treaty partner and all entities performing services outside of the VFA,” she stressed.

“Our government agencies need to understand that in any Agreement or Treaty, national interest is first and second to none,” Legarda concluded.

Ecija mayor, 9 town execs charged before Ombudsman for graft

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, February 5, 2013–A municipal mayor in Nueva Ecija and eight municipal officials were slapped with criminal cases before the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged anomalous transactions and malversation of public funds.

          Charged with falsification of public documents, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to public interest before the Office of the Ombudsman were Mayor Richard Ramos of Lupao, Nueva Ecija and his subordinates engineer Bernardo Bascos, municipal planning and development coordinator, municipal treasurer Arthur Villar, municipal social welfare and development officer Danilo Jacang, and bids and awards committee (BAC) members Camilo Orofino Jr., Roger Nerizon, Benigno de Vera, Veritum Tolete and Charito Alambra.

          Also charged was businesswoman Shiela Marie Jacalan, owner of the SRS gas filling station, a first cousin of Ramos, and sister of Orofino.

          Ramos is running for reelection against councilor Marivic Bajet-Vendivil, wife of slain former mayor Alfredo Vendivil.

          The five-page complaint against the 10 were filed by Joselito Zarate,an employee of the treasurer’s office. It stemmed from the purchase by the municipal government of P767, 627.66 worth of gasoline and diesel from Jacalan who was accused of being favored for being a relative of Ramos.

          The complaint cited a Commission on Audit that the municipal government incurred gasoline and vehicle repair and maintenance expenses worth P3.1 million without official documents.

          In his complaint, Zarate said Ramos and the other officials allowed Jacalan to participate in the bidding even though she is his relative in violation of Rule 15, Section 47 of the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 9184, also known as the Government Procurement Reform Act).

          “Respondent Ramos knew but he just let her take part in the bidding and did not do his duty to protect the interest of the municipal government,” Zarate said in his complaint. 

         “Worst,” Zarate added,  “the respondent-members of the BAC had disqualified other bidders with respondent Jacalan emerging as the only remaining bidder is respondent Jacalan.”

              Batid aniya ni Ramos na disqualified si Jacalan na makilahok subalit hinayaan lamang nito.

        

            The other official were included in the complaint for allegedly conspiring to rig the bidding, with Orofino signing the purchase documents covering the gasoline supply from SRS, a company owned by his sister Jacalan.   

           

           “It indeed appears that respondents are in unison and conspiracy to rig the bidding to award the supply of the fuel and oil products to SRS Gas Filling Station for their own personal benefits and advantage  to the prejudice and damage of the Municipal government of Lupao, Nueva Ecija,” the complaint said.

        Zarate attached in his complaint-affidavit a supplemental complaint accusing Ramos, Villar at municipal accountant Marciano Panahon of  malversation of public funds, grave misconduct, dishonesty, gross negligence and conduct prejudicial to public interest.

           This is in connection with P730,000 reportedly deducted from municipal employees from December 2005 up to June 2007 as their share in the Pag-Ibig Funds. Due to the non-remittance of their Pag-Ibig contributions, the employees could not avail of loans.

        

      “This is a clear violation of Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code (malversation of public funds or property),” he said. 

       

           Zarate said Villar and Panahon advised him to talk to Ramos regarding the problem but the mayor did not do anything.

“Evidently, he must be an accomplice or accessory, if not conspirator, for malversation of these personal and government shares which are considered as public funds,” the supplemental complaint stated.

He said the problem worsened when the loan to Pag-ibig ballooned to P2 million in 2011. (Manny Galvez)

Trillanes: News reports on Senate spending incomplete, misleading

MANILA, February 4, 2013-Senator Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes IV challenged media practitioners to publish the full report of the Commission on Audit (COA) on the expenditure of the Senate in 2011.

Trillanes said the COA report, which was the basis of news reports, was “partial and misleading” because it only presented the office expenses and permanent committee expenses of each senator.

What the reports failed to include, he pointed out, were expenses of oversight committees of Senate members and their realigned budget for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) from their unfilled plantilla positions, as well as the additional budget given by the Office of the Senate President.

“I urge our responsible media practitioners to publish the full COA report, including the oversight committee expenses and the realignment of budget of each senator in the interest of transparency and fairness,” said Trillanes.

  

“If we are going to include the oversight committee expenses in the COA report, I am among those with the smallest expenditure. Unlike other senators handling multiple oversight committees, I handle only the Senate Select Oversight Committee on Government Procurement. This is not shown in the released COA report,” Trillanes protested.

He added that “based on the figures shown in the yearly COA reports, most of my expenditures are categorized under the office expenses, which is due to the fact that I have the most number of employees. It is based on the quota given to my office and I simply filled it up. ”

“Furthermore, the report did not reflect that most of the senators with unfilled plantilla positions realigned their budget to their MOOE. If we are going to factor this in, it will show that I am also among those with the smallest expenditure,” Trillanes said.

The senator also explained that his office expenses “are within the limit set by the law and are used to perform my functions as a legislator.

Since 2010, Trillanes has been the 4th most productive senator in terms of number of bills and resolutions filed with 729 bills and resolutions, 29 of which have been passed into law. He is 2nd both in terms of the most number of national bills sponsored and committee hearings conducted. 

Legarda Hopes for Passage of World Interfaith Harmony Week Bill

MANILA, February 3, 2013-Senator Loren Legarda, author of Senate Bill No. 3276 or the World Interfaith Harmony Week Bill, said that the measure has been approved on third reading in the Senate and now awaits the concurrence of the House of Representatives.

"I hope that the World Interfaith Harmony Week Bill will be passed by the House before the close of Fifteenth Congress next week. The rationale of the UN resolution is a need to find genuine understanding amongst people of different faiths and belief systems. This finds resonance in the Philippines, as we will certainly benefit from dialogues between 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 on the first week of February every year to carry out the observance of activities designed to advance the message of harmony and goodwill in accordance with religious traditions and practices.

"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 2014, we can conduct nationwide immersion programs and educational discussions geared towards forging lasting friendships," she added.

"I believe that this measure will greatly contribute to easing any conflict or tension caused by differing religious beliefs in the country," Legarda concluded.

Legarda Bats for Mandatory Healthcare Coverage for Indigent Filipinos

MANILA, February 2, 2013-Senator Loren Legarda today stressed the importance of the passage of a measure that would institutionalize mandatory healthcare coverage for poor families in the country.

Legarda, principal author and co-sponsor of Senate Bill 2849 which aims to amend the charter of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), said that even as the national government is doing its share to cover the health insurance needs of indigent Filipinos, a law that will institutionalize such arrangement is needed to ensure continuity of the program.

“It is encouraging that through the Department of Health’s Kalusugan Pangkalahatan, the poorest 20% of Filipinos identified in the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction have been automatically enrolled by the national government to PhilHealth. It is now the task of Congress to institutionalize this program through an amended National Health Insurance Act,” she explained.

The Senator pointed out that the bill, which was recently approved on Second Reading, mandates that an affordable and accessible healthcare coverage should be made available to all citizens and that the national government will subsidize the contributions for indigent enrollees and abandoned children.

“As we race to reach the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, the health of the public deserves to be on top in the scheme of priorities of the government. By institutionalizing this program through the Amended National Health Insurance Act, we can extend quality and cost-effective healthcare to families in need,” Legarda concluded.

Legarda Stresses Need for Better Regulation of Environmental Planning Profession

MANILA, February 1, 2013-Stressing the crucial role of environmental planners in the development of sustainable communities and ecosystems, Senator Loren Legarda said that there is a need for a more responsive and comprehensive regulation of environmental planning practice in the country.

Legarda, principal author of Senate Bill 3138, the Environmental Planning Act of 2012 recently approved on Second Reading, said that the law regulating the practice of Environmental Planning in the Philippines, Presidential Decree No. 1308, was enacted more than 30 years ago and many parts of the law have to be updated.

“Senate Bill 3138 provides a more responsive and comprehensive regulation for the registration, licensing and practice of the profession of Environmental Planning in light of local and international developments in the field, which encompasses a plethora of planning concerns such as climate change, natural and built environments, subdivision planning, disaster prevention/mitigation/response, among others,” she explained.

“With the need of the national government and local government units (LGUs) for various types of planning for the super-regions, regions, provinces, districts, cities, and municipalities, it is imperative that these environmental planners are proven competent to perform such sensitive tasks and to assume the attendant professional responsibilities and civil liabilities for their prepared, signed and sealed plans,” Legarda said.

The bill also proposes a clearer definition of the practice of Environmental Planning and the expansion of the types of academic degrees required to qualify for the licensure examination, likewise providing for continuing professional education to make Philippine Environmental Planners globally recognized and competitive.