COA has P2.2 billion to hire more auditors - Recto

MANILA-The Commission on Audit (COA) has P2.2 billion in the 2014 national budget that it can tap in hiring more auditors who can serve as  “tripwires against corruption,” Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said today.

With that amount, Recto said COA can recruit 6,485 more personnel, some of whom could be “frontline auditors,” to beef up its present workforce of 8,734.

Recto explained that the while the COA official plantilla has 15,219 authorized positions, only 8,734 are currently filled, “or a fill up rate of about 60 percent.”

A special provision in the proposed budget of the agency for 2014 states to the effect that portions of the P2.2 billion earmarked for the salaries of the 6,485 unfilled positions will only be released by the Department of Budget Management once the COA undertakes hiring.

“In short, it is some sort of a hiring fund the COA can withdraw from to pay for the salaries of new employees it has hired,” Recto said.  

The COA has a proposed budget of P8.4 billion for 2014.

In its budget submission to the Senate, COA reported that “19,081 agencies are subject to its financial, compliance and other audits,” prompting Recto to comment that “even if COA achieves full staff complement, that would still be below the 1:1 personnel to office ratio.”

In addition, COA stores 39 million spending vouchers, “which its auditors are supposed to examine,” he said.

In Thursday’s Senate hearing on the pork barrel mess, Recto urged the recruitment of more government auditors “so that these watchdogs embedded in public offices won’t have a hard time in auditing expenditures.”

Recto said “if the Ombudsman’s staff is being strengthened, if ‘integrity bodies’ in revenue agencies are being given additional funds, if internal affairs units in the police and the military are being beefed up, then all the more that COA, the public’s whistleblower, must have more personnel.”

He said if the commission is having a hard time getting accountants due to low pay, “then I think as a fiscally-independent body it can grant additional pay or it can ask the DBM to scrap many lower positions and consolidate them into fewer positions with higher pay.”

Legarda Calls for Inquiry on Rising Cost of Rice

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda has called for a Senate inquiry on the actual state of rice supply in the country following the alarming rise in the cost of rice.

Legarda filed Senate Resolution 233, which calls for the said inquiry, noting that the price of the lowest variety of commercial grade rice available in the market rose from P27 to P34 per kilo within just a few months.

“The rise in the cost of rice in the past few months can imply either an insufficient supply in the market or the presence of manipulative forces adversely affecting the price dynamics of our staple food,” she said.

“It is also important to note that the country’s rice self-sufficiency targets are even more threatened by the ever increasing number and intensity of typhoons and other extreme weather events. Thus, we must look into the cause of this increasing rice cost and also review existing policies and programs aimed at rice self-sufficiency,” she added.

Legarda explained that the current scenario of constant price increases due to repeated supply shortages at the retail level may even be ominous of an impending rice crisis.

The Senator also reminded the National Food Authority (NFA) that part of its mandate is to bring down and stabilize the price of rice to a level that is more affordable to the public.

On SC’s order to answer petition scrapping PDAF Drilon: We will submit to the discretion of the court

The Senate will submit to the discretion of the Supreme Court in deciding on the petition by the Social Justice Society seeking to permanently stop the appropriation of funds for the Priority Development Assistance Fund, said Senate President Franklin M. Drilon today.

“We will submit to the discretion of the court based on the allegations of the petition and prevailing jurisprudence,” said Drilon.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court asked Drilon and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte who were named respondents in the petition to comment within 10 days.

The petition seeks that Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte be restrained from enacting legislation appropriating funds for PDAF. The Senate chief clarifies however that “it is the Senate and the House acting as collegial bodies that actually decide on the matter of appropriating funds.” “In any case, we will submit to the discretion of the court,” he added.

 “We will ask the Supreme Court to make its ruling on the matter immediately before the budget is submitted to the floor for deliberation and approval,” Drilon said. “The Senate only hopes for what is best and that good sense will prevail.”

He reiterated that the Senate is supporting the abolition of the pork barrel, with 15 senators who already said they are willing to abolish PDAF.

Earlier, Drilon said the Senate will have to await the General Appropriations Bill as there are two options that may be adopted by the House with respect to the efforts to reform PDAF.

The House may opt to totally delete the appropriation for the pork barrel resulting in a reduced 2014 national budget or it may realign budget for PDAF to the implementing agencies, he said.

Making SAROs public will make nat'l budget FOI-compliant

MANILA-Pending the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill, its features can be implanted in the national budget, beginning with the requirement to upload scanned copies of the Special Allotment Release Orders (SAROs) on the Budget department website, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said today.

Recto said the insertion of “freedom of information” provisions in the national budget need not be dependent on the enactment of an FOI measure.

“We can frontload the letter and intent of the FOI bill in the General Appropriations Act. We can make the national budget FOI-compliant while waiting for an FOI law,” Recto said.

“There are provisions in the FOI bill that can be applied on the national budget,” he said. “So while we await the passage of the FOl bill, we can pilot its implementation in the GAA.”

Recto said one way of making the implementation of the national budget fully transparent is by posting true copies of SAROs on the official website of the Department of Budget and Management.

A SARO is the “fund release” document signed by the DBM secretary which authorizes an agency to incur obligations for a specified purpose and amount.

Making the SARO public, Recto said, will help citizens “track the progression of public funds, from their release by the DBM to their usage by the implementing agencies, and to their review by the Commission on Audit.”

“If we will bring the SARO out in the open right from the starting line, we will prevent its diversion to bogus non-government organizations,” Recto added.    

He said  ‘porktrepreneurs’ were able to corner projects because they were probably in possession of inside or advance information.

“But if we will publish the SARO in its entirety, then we are democratizing information and making the whole community own the SARO,” he said.

In making the actual copy of a SARO “viewable by mere click of a mouse, we are also preventing criminal elements from peddling fake SAROs,” Recto explained.

He recalled that since he entered Congress in 1992, “every DBM secretary since then had made it a point to take out regular newspaper ads warning the public against unscrupulous elements who misrepresent  themselves as DBM officials.”

The Commission on Audit, he said, will benefit from a publicly-available SARO “as they need not go to the DBM to verify information or double-check facts in the course of auditing an agency.” 

Recto said FOI provisions can debut in the General Provisions of the GAA for 2014. 

2 SOLDIERS PAID THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IN KALINGA

Camp Melchor F dela Cruz, Upi, Gamu, Isabela – Two (2) Army soldiers paid the ultimate sacrifice and three (3) others were hurt while performing security patrol at vicinity Sitio Tumiangan, Barangay Dupag, Tabuk City, Kalinga at about 1:40 pm this afternoon, August 30.

The fierce firefight happened when the troops of 17^th Infantry Battalion responded to the information given by the villagers about the presence of the NPA rebels in the area who were conducting extortion activities. Upon reaching at the area, star troopers were fired upon by an undetermined number of NPA remnants that resulted to the incurred casualties from the government forces.

The wounded soldiers were immediately evacuated to the nearest hospital for their immediate medical treatment.

The slain soldiers were identified as Corporal Dominador A Concordia and Private First Class Rey B Raagas while those wounded were 2^nd Lieutenant CZAR N CARSIDO, Private First Class Marnel L Langnga and Private First Class Kennedy D Sallaya.

The report disclosed that the withdrawing NPA rebels were seen by the villagers carrying with them their undetermined number of casualties. Hot pursuit operations are being conducted by the troops to ensure the protection and safety of the villagers who are the usual victims of the violent activities of the NPA rebels.

The leadership of the Army’s 5^th Infantry Division extended their deep sympathies and condolences to the bereaved families of our fallen soldiers who offered the supreme sacrifices to risk their lives in order to fulfill their mandate to protect and secure the lives of our countrymen. 

Legarda: Let’s Save More Filipino Infants Thru Educated Parenting

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today said that the country can continue to improve infant survival rate if parents, especially first-time mothers, are provided with right information and education on proper care for newborns and infants.

Legarda noted that statistics from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) showed the downward trend in the Philippines’ newborn and infant mortality rate.

In 1990, neonatal mortality rate is at 23 deaths per 1,000 live births. It decreased to 14 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2010. For the same period, infant mortality rate decreased from 42 deaths per 1,000 live births to 23 deaths per 1,000 live births.

A study from the National Statistics Office revealed that “neonatal deaths stem from poor maternal health, inadequate care during pregnancy, inappropriate management of complications during pregnancy and delivery, poor hygiene during delivery and the first critical hours after birth, and lack of newborn care.”

Legarda said that presented with these facts, there is a need to equip expectant parents with basic knowledge and skills that will foster effective parenting.

“An expectant mother’s knowledge about childbirth and skills on parenting has historically been obtained from other women, mainly from family members and through practical experience gained from caring for children from extended families. However, women’s increased participation in the workforce and attainment of higher education have made more expectant mothers likely to rely on formally-organized antenatal education as a means by which they develop their knowledge and skills on parenting,” said Legarda.

In line with this, the Senator filed Senate Bill 356, Literacy for Parenting Act, which requires all public and private hospitals, clinic, health centers and other similar establishment rendering maternity services to provide literacy programs to all expectant mothers.

The literacy programs shall focus on providing expectant parents with skills they can use to foster responsible parenting and empower them to make informed and educated choices with regard to the health and well-being of their child.

Legarda Hails Removal of PH from French Blacklist

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today hailed the removal of the Philippines from the French Blacklist of tax haven territories and said that this development is reflective of the government’s efforts to improve fiscal integrity through sound policies, including the Tax Treaty with the French Government.

Legarda said that the Senate adopted the Protocol Amending the Agreement between the Philippine Government and the French Republic for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income during the 15^th Congress when she was Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“The revised agreement broadens the scope of the exchange of information requests that may be made. It now allows the exchange of information related to tax administration, including bank information,” said Legarda.

The Senator explained that in the previous PH-France Treaty, which took effect on January 1, 1978, Article 26 was not yet aligned with the text of the Exchange of Information provisions of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Model Tax Convention, which is why the Philippines had been listed as one of the non-cooperative countries and territories (NCCTs).  French nationals are dissuaded from transacting with NCCTs because of the higher tax rates being imposed on them. 

“While globalization brought about an increase in international trade, it also posed greater challenges to the effective enforcement of tax laws. This is what we want to address when we adopted the new PH-France Tax Treaty,” she stressed.

“The benefits of tax treaties, especially to developing countries, cannot be gainsaid.  They are intended to permit the Contracting States to better enforce their domestic laws so as to reduce tax evasion and they likewise promote technology transfer, and international academic, cultural and sports exchanges between the Contracting States,” Legarda concluded.

Umali kin bags councilor’s league presidency

PALAYAN CITY – A relative of Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali won reelection as president of the provincial chapter of the Philippine Councilors’ League by beating a staunch ally of the governor’s former ally-turned-rival, Cabanatuan Mayor Julius Cesar Vergara.

          Sta. Rosa Councilor Peter Marcus Matias obtained 196 out of a possible 331 votes to win by landslide over veteran Cabanatuan Councilor Ariel Severino in elections held at the Nueva Ecija Convention Center here.

          The polls were conducted by the Department of the Interior and Local Governments, led by Central Luzon assistant regional director and Nueva Ecija director Dr. Abraham Pascua sitting as chairman of the three-man PCL Commission on Elections. Also sitting as members were Cabanatuan Councilor Angelito Saclolo Jr. and Sangguniang Panlalawigan secretary, lawyer Rainier Esguerra.   

          As PCL provincial federation president, Matias will sit as ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. He won a first term in 2010.

          Majority of Matias’ slate swept the available elective posts from vice president to the directors. Elected vice president was Councilor Ferdinand Dysico of San Jose City.

          The others were Talavera Councilor Amador Allan Reyes (secretary general), Jaen Councilor Claudia Gonzales (treasurer), Guimba Councilor Florante Agapito (auditor), Cabanatuan Councilor Christian Jan Cecilio (pro), Sto. Domingo Councilor Edgardo de Leon (business manager) and councilors Ofelia Manayao (Peñaranda), Ma. Kristine Regalado (Zaragoza), John Carlo Patiag (San Isidro), Romaric Capinpin (Palayan City), Cleofe felix (Llanera), Romulo Maglalang (Gapan City), Cesar Cajucom (Aliaga) and Benedicto Laurena (Science City of Muñoz).

          The new set of officers took their oaths before PCL national representative Ariel Arceo. – Manny Galvez      

Palace to NHCP : correct ‘historical flaws’ on “Unang Sigaw ng Nueva Ecija”

CABIAO, Nueva Ecija – Malacanang yesterday called on the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) to look into several “historical errors” about events involving the “Unang Sigaw ng Nueva Ecija” to set the heroism of Gen. Mariano Llanera and other revolutionaries in its proper perspective.

            Secretary Herminio Coloma of the Presidential Communications and Operations Office (PCOO) said the NHCP, led by its executive director Ludovico Badoy should conduct a thorough research on the historic event and make facts and figures “accurate” and “realistic” to give justice to its heroes.

            “We should correct historical errors because facts and figures are significant in such a historic event as the Unang Sigaw ng Nueva Ecija,” Coloma said at the sidelines of the 115th anniversary of the revolution at the municipal compound here yesterday noon. (Manny Galvez)

PhilRice wants probe on arsenic, cadmium and lead contents in rice

SCIENCE CITY OF MUNOZ, Nueva Ecija – The Philippine Rice Reseach Institute is seeking a full-blown investigation into the possible presence of heavy, carcinogenic metals such as arsenic, cadmium and lead in rice.

          

         Joy Bartolome Duldulao, PhilRice chemist and executive assistant, said the country should tap a specific agency to monitor the levels of heavy metals in rice which have alarmed rice eaters in some parts of the world. 

          Based on the results of a study, there have been an increase in the levels of arsenic, cadmium and lead in rice. The rice scare started in November 2012 amid reports that tons of rice had been contaminated with arsenic.

          A month later, the PhilRice website published a report of Duldulao on the arsenic content of Philippine rice wherein she reported that local rice stocks are arsenic-free.

          However, Duldulao admitted that the study covered rice samples from only 10 rice-producing sites in the country.

          “We cannot categorically say that it (Philippine rice) is safe (from arsenic). It might not be true in areas where there are mining and recent volcanic activities,” Duldulao said.

          The scare was  followed by reports of lead and cadmium contamination in April and May 2013, which was attributed to contamination from the environment. These three elements are known carcinogens, or can cause cancer.

          The lead scare was triggered by a study made by Dr. Tsanangurayi Tongesayi, associate professor at the Monmouth University. It showed that lead levels on US rice imports from Asian and European countries exceed between 20 and 40 times the "provisional total tolerable intake" for adults set by the US Food and Drug Administration.

          Duldulao said that in the course of  the study’s review, it was found that the measurements were made using an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, an instrument with low accuracy, and which tended to overestimate. Subsequently, the study was withdrawn by the researcher.

          After the study on lead levels in rice came out, the Philippine EcoWaste Coalition also did a study on rice sacks. It showed that lead in some rice sacks were exceedingly high, possibly due to the paint used on the labels.

          “Though the lead can rub off on the rice, we have to analyze the rice itself,” Duldulao said.

          Last May 17, an international global rice website, Oryza.com, published a report saying that the Food and Drug Administration of Guangzhou City in Southern China has found excessive levels of cadmium in about 44.44 percent of rice samples taken from different restaurants and food outlets in the city.

          The morning after, the South China Morning Post website posted the  the news about cadmium-contaminated rice samples from Guangzhuo. According to the news item, inspectors from Guangzhuo’s Food and Drug Administration found rice samples that had cadmium levels higher than specified in China’s food safety standards.

          On June 2, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the 25,000 metric tons of rice the country is set to import from China will be tested for cadmium content through the customs quarantine process.

          Duldulao said China rice cannot be generalized as cadmium-contaminated unless it is from Guangzhuo, which suffers from industrial pollution.

          He said that the Philippines has yet to set allowable levels of these heavy metals in food.

          To limit exposure to these toxins from eating rice, Duldulao said three measures can be done : wash rice thoroughly before cooking; pour off the water after boiling; and never restrict one’s diet to rice alone.

          He said Pinoys may feast on other crops that also provide carbohydrates such as corn, sweet potato, potato, squash and banana, among others. (Manny Galvez)

Recto defends Calamity Fund : “Scrapping it will be the real calamity.”

MANILA-Scrapping the P7.5 billion Calamity Fund in the 2014 national budget, on the false suspicion that it is a presidential pork barrel, will be the real calamity, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto warned today.

“In the Richter scale of budgeting disaster, I will rank it at Intensity 7,” Recto said when asked to comment on calls to scrap the traditional “standby aid and relief fund” in the national budget.

Recto also described suggestions that the Calamity Fund be itemized in advance as “impossible and impractical.”

 “Itemizing the budget is premised on the ability to accurately predict events or pinpoint occurrences with precision.  But in the case of the Calamity Fund, how can you predict when and where a typhoon will pass and the damage it will cause?”

“In the case of volcanic eruptions, we don’t have a machine that will tell us one year in advance that this volcano will erupt on this date, will cause this damage, and therefore, will need this amount to help this number of victims,” Recto said.  

“Line-item budgeting is putting specific funds, for a specific purpose, in a specific location. When it comes to the Calamity Fund, how can you allocate rehabilitation funds when you don’t know the damage yet?”

Fleshing out the Calamity Fund will only be possible “if we have a Pag-asa that can count in advance the number of typhoons that will hit us, the strength of each, and the damage each one will cause, including the loss of lives and property,” Recto said.

“But if we don’t have that crystal ball, then let us retain it as an unitemized emergency fund,” he said.

“But unitemized shouldn't be automatically equated with unaccountable,” Recto quickly added, saying that like any public money, the use of Calamity Fund must follow “procurement, accounting and auditing laws.”

Recto said scrapping the Calamity Fund will force Malacanang to go to Congress for relief funds every time a typhoon strikes.  “So if we are hit by 20 typhoons, then the Palace will go to Congress 20 times for money that will take months to approve for aid that is needed immediately.”

“The real disaster is that when there’s a calamity, Malacanang, which should be writing checks for the victims, will be reduced into writing a bill that will be sent to Congress,” he said.

While he defended the retention of the Calamity Fund, Recto said there is still room for improvement on how fast it is released to disaster areas. "Kung ang bilis ng bagyo ay 60 kilometers per hour, hindi naman pwede na ang tulong ay gagapang ng six kilometers per day."

Recto said the Calamity Fund for 2013 has been “forward deployed” to agencies identified as “first responders to crisis.”

He said that under the General Appropriations Act for 2013, funds have been advanced to six agencies with the instructions that this be used as a Quick Reaction Fund.

These agencies are the Department of Social Welfare and Development  (P662. 5 M), Office of Civil Defense (P530 M), Department of National Defense (P352.5 M), Department of Public Works and Highways (P600 M), Department of Education (P550 M), Department of Agriculture (P500 M), and the National Irrigation Administration (P500 M).

The same menu is proposed to be followed next year, Recto said.

SENATE PROBE ON SEX-FOR-FLIGHT SCHEME, SEXUAL ABUSE AGAINST DISTRESSED OFWS TO CONTINUE – JINGGOY

MANILA-Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada is pushing through with the Senate investigation on the sex-for-flight scheme and sexual abuses against distressed overseas Filipino workers allegedly perpetrated by erring embassy and labor officials, particularly those posted in the Middle East.

 

The inquiry is jointly being conducted by the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigation (Blue Ribbon) and Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development.

 

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced last August 23 that they will file administrative charges against three overseas labor officials, upon the conclusion of their fact-finding team’s own investigation on the sex-related controversies.

 

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said that she approved the team’s recommendations to charge Labor Attaché Adam Musa for gross negligence, OIC Labor Attaché Mario Antonio for grave misconduct, and Assistance Labor Attaché Antonio Villafuerte for simple negligence. Also, the complaints of sexual harassment against Mr. Villafuerte will be referred to the DOLE Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI). 

 

“We still have to find out, establish and institutionalize measures on how to strengthen the protection and further promote the welfare of the runaway OFWs in the custody of our Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), and prevent abuses against distressed OFWs from happening again right inside the Bahay Kalinga,” Jinggoy stressed.

 

The lawmaker also added that while the DOLE team has not found evidence on the involvement of its officials on the “sex-for-flight” scheme, the Senate probe uncovered “hints” possibly leading to the modus which preys on the female OFWs into prostitution or sexual favors in exchange for their repatriation.

 

Earlier, “Michelle” (not her real name) testified before the Senate that she was one of the victims of sexual advances of Asst. Labor Attache Villafuerte when she sought the assistance of the POLO after escaping ill treatment from her employer in Saudi Arabia. Michelle also said that she was advised, not just once, by Villafuerte to accompany an Egyptian national in his trip to the Philippines for her immediate repatriation.

 

Villafuerte vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

 

At least 3 other female OFWs – “Josie,” “Analiza,” and “Angel” (not their real names) – appeared and narrated their harrowing ordeal inside the POLO.

 

After the second public hearing last August 15, Sen. Estrada said that the Blue Ribbon Committee was requested to track and invite other witnesses who will corroborate the testimonies of the complainants regarding the sexual advances allegedly made by Mr. Villafuerte, and the counterclaim of the labor official.

 

Sen. Estrada, Labor Committee chairman, also stated that the legislative inquiry intends to define the functions and proper coordination between the labor and embassy officials under the “One Country Team” approach where the head of the post is the ambassador.

 

The third public hearing is scheduled on Thursday, August 29 at 2:30 pm.

Legarda Seeks Govt, SUCs Support to Conserve and Promote Phil. Culture and Indigenous Knowledge

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today said that she will pursue strengthened partnership with agencies of government and state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the country for the conservation and promotion of Philippine culture and traditional knowledge and indigenous systems.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities, said that through a memorandum of agreement (MOA) she will formalize a collaboration with SUCs on the documentation of cultural knowledge and indigenous traditions in all parts of the country with special focus on intangible culture, such as chants, dances, rituals, agricultural and environmental practices, that are in danger of being lost.

Moreover, she will urge the Department of Tourism to promote Philippine culture by institutionalizing small museums in public places like airports, seaports, and train stations.

“There are 110 indigenous peoples groups in the Philippines, with each community possessing its own traditional knowledge that had been passed on from one generation to the other. Our indigenous peoples are the epitome of the tradition, the skill and the creativity of the great Filipino mind, and recording this ingenuity will allow traditions to stay alive and flourish,” Legarda said.

“This is the reason why I supported the Cordillera SUCs’ documentation of indigenous knowledge and practices, particularly in the area of agriculture and environment protection, in the region. I hope that we can replicate this project in other regions through the help of our SUCs,” she added.

Legarda noted that cultural agencies of government, particularly the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA), are undertaking programs to preserve traditional knowledge and indigenous systems through the Schools of Living Traditions (SLTs), which she hopes will be continuously supported by the government through appropriate funding.

The Senator has supported the development of cultural villages of the Ata-Talaingod, Mandaya, Blaan, and Bagobo Tagabawa in various activities of their SLTs, which teach the young generation the traditional arts, crafts, music and practices of the village.

“The culture passed on to us by our ancestors should never be buried in oblivion. There is no other way for us but to preserve these treasures as they reveal the meaning of who we really are and help us move forward as one people,” Legarda concluded.

Jinggoy hails historic August 20, 2013 coming into force of international Maritime Labor Convention

MANILA-Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada hailed the coming into force this August 20, 2013 of the Maritime Labor Convention, regarded as the global “bill of rights of seafarers.”

 

Adopted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland in 2006, the Maritime Labor Convention, also called MLC 2006, is an international agreement through which countries and territories of the world, including respective employers and other stakeholders, commit to observe, protect and promote the standards of seafarers’ working condition.

 

As stipulated, MLC 2006 would come into force 12 months after the required registered ratifications by at least 30 countries with a total share in the world gross tonnage of ships of 33 percent. The Philippines ratified the Convention on 20 August 2012 through the adoption by Malacañang and the corresponding concurrence by the Senate. Estrada, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, co-sponsored the Senate resolution for the said concurrence and steered its approval by the chamber. The Philippines’ ratification signaled the meeting of the requirement.

 

“MLC 2006 ensures the protection and welfare of some 1.2 million seafarers of the world, including the more or less 400,000 Filipino workers in the international and domestic shipping industries,” Estrada underscored.

 

He said the Convention provides for, among others, the comprehensive rights and protection at work for seafarers, particularly: safe and secure workplace; fair terms of employment; decent working and living conditions on board ship; and health protection, medical care, welfare measures and other forms of social protection.

 

MLC 2006 complements the key Conventions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), such as the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended (SOLAS); the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping, 1978, as amended (STCW); and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).

 

The ILO had announced the official coming into force of MLC 2006 on the official time and date: 0700 GMT, 20 August, 2013. To mark the historic significance of the date, the ILO organized a high-level panel discussion on the occasion, held in Singapore and webcast worldwide.

 

To facilitate and strengthen the implementation of the provisions of the MLC 2006, Estrada authored Senate Bill 21 or the Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers.

 

“This proposed Magna Carta for Seafarers seeks to ensure protection of the rights and welfare of overseas Filipino seafarers and their families. Specifically, it seeks to recognize the rights of Filipino seafarers, institute mechanisms for the enforcement and protection thereof, provide compulsory benefits and implement the standards set by the MLC 2006," he said.

Senate leadership backs PNoy decision to scrap PDAF Drilon says PDAF abolition will prevent existence of political debt and patronage

MANILA-The Senate fully supports the unprecedented decision of President Aquino to abolish the priority development assistance fund (PDAF), a move which Senate President Franklin M. Drilon said will “free the poor Filipinos from the practice of political debt and patronage.”

“We laud the President for exercising political will over political patronage in handling the issue of PDAF. It only shows the government’s strong resolve in implementing ‘tuwid na daan’ or straight path and good governance,” said Drilon.

The Senate chief, who earlier called for the abolition of the PDAF, said that the decision to do away with the PDAF will not only address the issue on corruption, as it will also put an end to the longtime practice of political debt and patronage, where the poor and the marginalized had become the prey.       

“The decision to abolish the PDAF is a step that will free the poor from the shackles of political debt and patronage, which had been the practice of corrupt politicians who would do everything to perpetuate themselves in power,” he said.

But what is more laudable, according to Drilon, is the assurance given by the President himself that the public, especially the poor living in the far-flung areas, will not be affected by his decision to abolish the PDAF; and that they will continue to receive the much-needed services such as medical and scholarship assistance, which they used to avail in aid of the PDAF.

“The most important thing is even if we abolished the PDAF, the needs of the constituents of legislators will not be neglected and will still be attended to, by ensuring that the government resources will be given to them to address their needs in a more direct, substantial, and transparent way,” emphasized Drilon.

Drilon said he is particularly in favor of putting the desired projects or initiatives of lawmakers in the budget as line items because it createsa system where the public or the lawmakers’ constituents will have the chance to scrutinize them and guard their lawmakers’ process of identifying their projects.

“It is important that the new process will follow the ordinary budget process, wherein the proposal is submitted, and then the line agency will review whether or not the project should indeed be funded,” stressed Drilon. “What is also important is that these initiatives will follow other government regulations such as the projects identified by the lawmakers will undergo the usual government bidding process, thus enhancing transparency.”   

The Senate President also favors the exclusion of consumable projects – such as agricultural inputs, training materials, livelihood projects – as well as temporary infrastructures – such as dredging, desilting, asphalt overlaying – from among the projects that lawmakers can propose to be funded.

“These consumable soft projects and temporary infrastructure are susceptible to leakages and abuse like overpricing or ghost or incomplete deliveries like what happened in the previous administration who disbursed P750 million in six months for dredging rivers all over the country,” said Drilon.