Legarda: No Time, Water To Waste as PHL Expects El Niño

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today said that there is no time to waste in getting ready for the El Niño phenomenon that is expected to hit the country in June, adding that this means Filipinos should start conserving water.

According to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the El Niño may trigger drought and stronger storms.

“As the DOST has warned of an impending El Niño, we expect that government agencies have already set out programs to address the effects of this phenomenon. Foremost of our concerns is food security because prolonged drought would drastically cut down the production of local crops like rice, corn, sugar cane, vegetables and other agricultural products. It can also cause a decrease in fisheries yield,” said Legarda.

“Meanwhile, communities should also start water conservation programs. Households should avoid excessive water use and practice reusing water,” she added.

The Senator also urged local government units (LGUs) to put up rainwater harvesting facilities in all barangays as part of water conservation program. Such system would help address the country’s water shortage problem, particularly during the dry season, while making use of the excess water from rainfall.

“We are already experiencing hot temperatures, but rain showers occur every now and then. Manila was flooded yesterday due to heavy rain. A rainwater catchment system could have avoided or decreased the volume of flood,” she explained.

Legarda said that the creation of rainwater catchment basins is mandated by Republic Act 6716, a law enacted in 1989 that requires the construction of water wells, rainwater collectors, development of springs and rehabilitation of existing water wells in all barangays in the country.

“These catchment systems can be built using low-cost local materials. But while the system is not yet in place, the people can use drums to store rainwater especially in areas being frequented by rains. We just have to make sure that water is stored properly so it would not become a breeding place for mosquitoes,” she said.

Legarda also cited the proposal of environmental lawyer Antonio Oposa Jr. to create rainwater catchment ponds. Vacant land in low-lying areas can be excavated and turned into a pond or lake so that excess water from heavy rains or storms have a place to go. The proposal also includes growing fish to prevent the pond from becoming a breeding ground of mosquitoes and planting vegetables like kangkong and fruit-bearing trees like banana in the area surrounding the pond.

“We have to implement programs such as these water catchment basins that bring multiple benefits of water conservation, flood prevention and food production. Moreover, as we expect stronger storms due to El Niño, we have to strengthen disaster prevention programs and ensure that our early warning systems are in place and effective,” Legarda concluded.

JINGGOY URGES BLUE RIBBON TO OPEN PROBE ON MALAMPAYA SCAM

MANILA-Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada urged the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (Blue Ribbon) to begin the inquiry on the alleged misuse of the Malampaya Fund.

 

Jinggoy, a member of the committee, said that the body might also be interested in uncovering the truth behind what is described as “worse than the fertilizer scam” which involves “amounts bigger than the pork barrel.”

 

Sen. Estrada cited that the committee already released last April 1 its report following the nine hearings on the so-called Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam. Committee Chairman Sen. Teofisto Guingona III also earlier pronounced that it is ready to shift focus to the investigation of the Malampaya Fund scam as “all of its goals were already achieved.”

 

The lawmaker further noted the problematic state of our energy sector from persistent power supply deficit and rotating brownouts to high costs of electricity as possibly the strongest evidence in the misuse of Malampaya funds which is used for the financing of energy-related programs.

 

Sen. Estrada questioned why up to now the Blue Ribbon has not started its investigation on the so-called Malampaya scam. "Sen. Guingona has repeatedly said that he was about to start investigating the Malampaya scam but has not done so yet,” Jinggoy said.

 

In a television interview yesterday after the press conference of the Office of the Ombudsman announcing the grant of immunity to Mrs. Ruby Tuason, Sen. Estrada questioned how the authorities computed the amount of 40 million pesos which was turned over by Tuason in favor of the government.

 

Tuason is believed to have played a major role in the Malampaya scam. In his privilege speech last March, Sen. Estrada disclosed that Tuason owns a property called “Malampaya Mansion,” referring to a posh house and lot located in Dasmariñas Village, Makati City.

  

“Tinawag po itong ‘Malampaya mansion’ ng mga malalapit kay Mrs. Tuason sapagkat ito ay isa sa mga katas diumano ng kanyang Malampaya kickbacks na sinasabing umabot sa halagang 242 million pesos,” Jinggoy said then in his speech.

 

Apart from this, Jinggoy revealed that Mrs. Tuason also set up Rubysons Corp., an eighty-million peso capitalized corporation which is supposed to be engaged in micro-business activities, and put up a high-end jewelry store in a plush hotel. In the same speech, Estrada also exposed Tuason’s other real estate properties – one at Las Vegas Country Club (worth 6.3 million pesos), one in Oakland, California (worth 150,000 dollars), one in Henderson, Nevada, another in Kawayan Cove in Cavite, townhouses in Alabang and Valle Verde.

 

Tuason was charged along with 21 others with plunder by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) before the Office of the Ombudsman in relation to the Malampaya fund scam.

Ecija vice gov denies mayoral bid, says he may even quit politics

GAPAN CITY, Nueva Ecija – Vice Gov. Jose Gay Padiernos on Thursday denied eyeing the mayorship of this city and said he may even consider quitting politics altogether in 2016.

          Speaking to reporters during this city’s fiesta and his birthday celebration in Barangay Mangino here, Padiernos, more commonly known as GP, said he has not disclosed his political plans even as reports continue to circulate that he has been eyeing the position of governor, congressman or even mayor of his hometown.

          His supposed mayoral bid has spread like wildfire in the social media, and he was abandoning a third and last term to give way to the vice gubernatorial bid of outgoing second district Rep. Joseph Gilbert Violago, a close personal friend.

          Violago, earlier rumored running for governor, is reportedly contemplating on seeking the vice governorship to give way to former three-term fourth district congressman Rodolfo Antonino, father of incumbent Rep. Magnolia Antonino.

          Padiernos’ non-politician wife was also designated hermana mayor during this city’s fiesta, further fanning speculations about his mayoral bid. 

          Padiernos, a close ally of outgoing three-term Gov. Aurelio Umali, dismissed such reports as speculations, saying he has never mentioned anything about his purported plan to seek the governorship, the House or the mayorship.    

          “The elections are still too far away so let us work first,” he said. He said his supposed political ambitions have long been the subject of much speculations, dating back to 2010 when he was first elected vice governor as Umali’s running mate.

          The governor has declared that his wife, outgoing third district Rep. Czarina, will run for governor and is eyeing Padiernos as running mate.

          Padiernos said the governor’s camp has asked him to make known his political plans by next month.

          Padiernos said that he has several political options. “Of course, if I chose to, I may run for governor, vice governor, congressman or mayor. But I may also opt to quit politics. I can do that if only not to disappoint people who have been egging me to run for any of these posts,” he said.

          He said he has been talking with the governor and assured the latter he has not arrived at any political decision at this point. “I told the governor that if I will run for governor, I will come up to him, shake his hand and tell him I am running. It will come directly from me, not from anybody else,” he said.

          Padiernos said he has also talked with Gapan Mayor Maricel Natividad and assured her he was not eyeing her post. He said he thanked her for supporting his wife as hermana mayor.

          “I just told Mayor Natividad that I won’t eye her post for as long as she won’t seek my post also,” he said.

          He said he has been friends with political personalities in the province, from Umali, Antonino, who defeated him in the 2007 congressional polls and Violago .

          He admitted, however, that he is not close to Cabanatuan Mayor Julius Cesar Vergara, a former ally of Umali.

          Earlier, Vergara said his wife may also run for governor if this is the clamor of leaders from the political opposition in the province. (Manny Galvez)

Legarda: Culture and Heritage Must Be Part of Development Policies

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities, today renewed her call to preserve Filipino culture and heritage and make it part of the country’s development policy.

“The Philippines is a nation endowed with rich and diverse culture. Among our cultural heritage are the various age-old structures, ethnic traditions, indigenous songs and dances, weaving traditions and other forms of folk arts. While the preservation of our heritage is a continuing challenge especially in this era of rapid technological advancements, it is a fact that our heritage is a fundamental source of socio-economic empowerment,” Legarda said as the country celebrates National Heritage Month this May.

The Senator cited the Historic City of Vigan as one of the best examples in making heritage preservation part of development.

“The Historic City of Vigan in Ilocos Sur brings people back in time and gives a bittersweet feeling as it reminds us of the challenges our ancestors had to overcome during the colonial rule, but the magnificent structures carefully preserved bring awe to visitors. The preservation of the Vigan heritage has not only contributed to the development of the city through gains in tourism but also brought honor to our country when the UNESCO awarded it the Best Practice for World Heritage Site Management in 2012,” she said.

Meanwhile, Legarda also said that more jobs can be generated in sectors related to preserving the country’s heritage.

“The restoration and conservation of the age-old structures in various parts of the country—baroque churches, heritage houses, colonial buildings and bridges—is an area where we can generate jobs for Filipinos skilled in building methods,” she said, noting that in 2013, several heritage churches were damaged and destroyed by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol.

“When we have restored our colonial structures, we can further boost cultural tourism in our areas of heritage to produce more jobs and generate bigger income for our citizens and local governments,” said Legarda.

She added that a vocational school in Intramuros has been teaching skills related to building construction to disadvantaged but talented Filipino youth.

The Escuela Taller de Filipinas Foundation, Inc., an initiative of the Spanish Embassy in Manila, in partnership with its development agency AECID, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), TESDA and the Intramuros Administration, is a vocational school that specializes in masonry, carpentry, metal works, painting, plumbing woodcarving and stone carving, among others.

 

Students have been involved in revival projects for the historic quarter of Intramuros, establishment of Vigan Conservation Complex, rehabilitation of the Rice Terraces in Ifugao, restoration of colonial churches and bridges, and other related heritage restoration projects.

“The Escuela Taller can also contribute to a cultural revolution that we wish to advance through the establishment of folk art museums in provinces in the country. These folk art museums will be houses of heritage that will feature unique products of the provinces and their cultural music and performing arts,” Legarda said.

“I am certain that many citizens and groups in our country are also working towards cultural preservation. These may not be as big as the Historic City of Vigan, the Ifugao Rice Terraces or the Escuela Taller, but all our efforts when put together can usher a cultural renaissance and revitalize Filipinos’ love for our culture and heritage,” Legarda concluded.

Legarda: Use Technology in Building Resilience

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda urged the use of technology in building the country’s resilience, stressing that making critical information on disaster risks and vulnerabilities available in the Internet could significantly boost the campaign to educate and inform citizens about natural hazards and how best they can prepare and prevent disasters.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change, made the call during her keynote speech at the Google Crisis Response Summit held at the SMX Convention Center on April 30, 2014.

The Senator highlighted the importance of Google’s Crisis Response tools that were presented at the forum and suggested that a “risk finder” tool would help strengthen efforts towards disaster resilience.

“Google’s crisis response tools—Person Finder, Crisis Map and Public Alerts—offer improved efficiency in early warning and disaster information dissemination by early forecasting with the aid of the Internet. While we appreciate the importance of these tools, I hope that demand for their use is taken over instead by a growing demand for—if I may suggest an application—a ‘Google Risk Finder’ that informs and encourages proactive interventions by all sectors and early action by everyone,” Legarda said.

She also stressed the need for convergence, vital not only among government agencies but also among stakeholders across all sectors, citing that the Department of Science and Technology’s Project NOAH, or Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards, of which Google Crisis Response is part, has been greatly helpful in disaster risk reduction and management efforts.

Legarda said that there should also be stronger partnership in information dissemination to ensure that these tools are used effectively.


“We have to make use of geohazard maps in urban and rural planning, including the relocation of vulnerable communities to safer places. We recall the tragedy that happened in Barangay Andap, New Bataan, Compostela Valley. Residents could have escaped the danger had they been aware that their community was located in a purple area in the geohazard map, which means it is highly susceptible to flooding, and had community and local officials addressed such risks way ahead,” she said.


Barangay Andap suffered the most number of casualties when Typhoon Pablo made landfall in Mindanao in 2012.


“Building resilience requires a risk-informed population. We could help our government sustain our country’s socio-economic gains, make a difference in poverty reduction and eventually ensure the achievement of sustainable development goals when perennial disaster losses are substantially reduced,” she said.


“There will be more typhoons, earthquakes and other natural hazards that will come our way. But, let us not be content in just having these systems for disaster response and relief. The challenge at hand is to do more and to do better in prevention and risk reduction,” Legarda concluded.

Drilon to aspiring lawyers: Lawyers must be problem solvers, not gladiators

MANILA-Senate President Franklin M. Drilon proposed a paradigm shift among the country’s lawyers to help address issues confronting the legal profession and advised the aspiring lawyers to refrain from misusing legal procedures to advance their own interest, as they only hamper the swift administration of justice in the country.

The Senate leader made the statement as he received the degree of Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) from the University of the Philippines (UP) during the 2014 commencement exercises of the UP College of Law, where he was the guest of honor and keynote speaker.

Speaking before the graduating law students, Drilon encouraged the aspiring lawyers “to be problem solvers, rather than gladiators,” as there is a need to change the perspective of lawyers and judges as to the handling of legal disputes.

Drilon suggested that the time is ripe for lawyers to move away from being combatants: “Lawyers should be more result-oriented, rather than procedure-based.”

“Judges and lawyers should be more interested in attaining just results, rather than an overly strict compliance with rules. Legal disputes should be settled, not on the basis of who is more capable of using legal procedures to his advantage, but rather on the basis of who has a clear right in law,” he said.

He said that there is a need to recalibrate the process by which solutions to legal disputes are attained. 

“It is about time that we consider changing the way that our lawyers are trained. There may be merit to the proposition that law graduates should be required, or at the very least encouraged, to train in government positions that require the exercise of skills pertaining to alternative dispute resolution, such as conciliation and mediation,” he said.

“When lawyers face each other as gladiators, the result is always a winner-take-all situation. However, as officers of the court, the duty of lawyers is not merely to arrive at a determination of who wins and who loses. Rather, the duty of lawyers is to see to it that justice is done,” Drilon stressed.

The honorary title hailed Drilon for championing “good governance, the speedy administration of justice, and the protection of human rights,” throughout his years as a lawmaker in the Philippine Congress.

The honorary degree conferred by UP noted that the senator “complemented his legislative agenda with programs that enhanced the capacity of various sectors, as well as much-needed projects such as the construction of school buildings, repair and upgrading of public hospital facilities and the clean-up of the Iloilo River.”

The title lauded Drilon the most for “consistently upholding his principles and ideals, amidst hostile and forceful resistance, exemplifying integrity and competence in every facet of his professional and personal life.”

The conferment was led by UP President Alfredo Pascual and Chair Patricia Licuanan of the Commission on Higher Education.

The Senate chief expressed his “great sense of humility” as he accepted the honor bestowed upon him by the university: “To be honored in this grand manner -- conferment of Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa -- by my beloved alma mater was beyond my imagination when I graduated from this institution of learning four decades ago.”

“With immense pride and joy, I share this honor with my family and the people who have been with me in my journey. I dedicate this to my late father, Cesar Sr., who would have been 94 today,” he concluded.  

Drilon was a member of the class ‘69 of the UP College of Law, and was among the topnotchers of the 1969 Bar examinations. During his time a student, he was member of the editorial board of the Philippine Law Journal, associate editor of the Philippine Collegian, and councilor of the University Student Council.  

Drilon vows to steer passage of pro-labor laws

MANILA-Senate President Franklin M. Drilon vowed today that the Senate would work double time in enacting pro-worker legislation that will provide relief to the Philippine workforce and help improve their economic condition.

“As a gift to the millions of dedicated workers both from the public and private sectors, we commit to work on the immediate passage of various pending measures that will have a direct and significant impact to their lives,” said Drilon, a former labor secretary.

Drilon said that among the pending measures which will receive “urgent legislative attention” is the bill (Senate Bill No. 256) which seeks to raise the tax exemption limit on the 13th month pay and other work benefits of all workers in the public and private sector.

He added that the Senate is eyeing to pass the pro-labor bill within the year: “We will work double time in making sure that this piece of legislation will be enacted into law at the soonest in order to assist our workers in dealing with the effect of inflation, and to boost their morale and give them a renewed inspiration to excel in their works.” 

He thus urged the appropriate Senate committee to fast-track the hearing on Senate Bill No. 256, authored by Senate Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, so that it can immediately be discussed on the floor.

The Senate intends to raise the exclusion limit on an individual’s 13th month pay and other work benefits from income taxation from the current imposed limit of P30,000 to P75,000, according to Drilon.

“It has been 20 years ago since the enactment of Republic Act No. 7833 that imposed the P30,000 cap on bonuses such as the 13th month pay, and things have greatly change since then, making the figures no longer reflective of current economic realities,” Drilon stressed.

Drilon also pointed to two measures currently pending in the Senate which seek to raise the allowances of members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.

The Senate chief also said the Senate is open to proposals to increase the government workers’ salary to help them deal with the rising costs of living.

“Considering that the last tranche of salary increase under the Salary Standardization Law III took place two years ago, we recognize the government employees’ clamor to augment their wages, taking into account the increases in prices of basic commodities,” said Drilon.

In 2013, there were 1,205,375 government employees, he noted.

“We should study the proposal carefully and we should strike a reasonable balance between addressing the needs of our government employees and ensuring that we recover from budgetary deficit. If this would not be possible in the near term, we must explore other means and mechanisms which could bring our workers’ pay to equitable rates,” stressed Drilon.

“Our policy makers must ceaselessly look at parts of the National Budget which could permit and put into action sustainable salary augmentation, in a manner that would help our workers, yet would not result in budgetary deficit or decreases in other important sectors such as social and health services,” he emphasized. 

Drilon: Treaty or agreement? Let SC on decide on EDCA

MANILA-Senate President Franklin M. Drilon advised critics of the recently-signed Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States to bring their concerns to the Supreme Court.

“It would be wise to bring up to the Supreme Court the debate on the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, for it is only the high court that can resolve with finality if the EDCA is a treaty that requires the concurrence of the Senate, or an executive agreement which the executive has the power under the Constitution to execute and implement,” said Drilon.

The Senate leader’s recommendations came after several quarters including lawmakers have expressed apprehension over the lack of congressional involvement in the agreement, which was signed last April 28 during the two-day Philippine visit of US President Barack Obama.

Drilon, a former executive and justice secretary, acknowledged the concerns about the EDCA’s conformity to the 1987 Constitution as “legitimate and valid,” and suggested that the EDCA be lodged at the Supreme Court, who will have the power to determine if the agreement must be first ratified as a treaty in Senate before it can be implemented.

“I urge everyone who opposed EDCA to go the Supreme Court, which is the only body that could finally decide whether this is a treaty which would require ratification by the Senate, or an executive agreement which will be implemented by a mere signature of the executive branch,” he said, adding that the SC is the “ultimate arbiter” in this issue.

He said it depends on the executive branch if it thinks the Senate concurrence is needed before the agreement is implemented. But he said the Senate can only act on it officially if executive branch decides to submit the document to the upper chamber.

“If the document is not sent to us, then we have nothing to ratify officially. So I would go back to my suggestion: bring it to the Supreme Court, who is the ultimate arbiter whether this is a treaty or an executive agreement,” said Drilon.

Legarda: Thousands Can Be Employed Through Green Jobs

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today stressed on the importance of promoting green skills and green jobs, stating that it would provide employment opportunities and boost climate change adaptation efforts in the country.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committees on Environment and Natural Resources and on Climate Change, noted that there are already 3.5 million green jobs worldwide and the Philippines has the potential to generate thousands of green jobs, especially if there are more renewable energy investments in the country.

“We take note of the government’s continuing efforts to generate more jobs for our growing population. But despite the various programs to address unemployment, we still need to do more. We can encourage our citizens to train in green skills such as management in agriculture, forestry, horticulture, environmental information technology and other careers that contribute to environmental preservation,” she explained.

“We should also strengthen efforts to encourage more renewable energy investments in the country because this industry can provide thousands of jobs for our people. According to Greenpeace, a geothermal company in the country was able to employ 2,582 individuals for a 1,189-MW plant and that a 10-megawatt solar power plant can provide jobs for 1,000 people for six months during the period of construction and 100 permanent positions for its operation and maintenance,” she added.

The Senator, citing additional data from Greenpeace, said that the availability of green jobs in other nations and regions is rapidly increasing. In Europe, there are already about 650,000 green jobs created; more than 175,000 are employed in the United States’ wind and solar industries; and China has an estimated one million green jobs.[1]

“In generating green jobs, we also need to actively promote the importance of renewable energy projects and encourage Filipinos to consider employment in green industries which provide healthier working environment,” said Legarda.

“Our path should be towards sustainable and resilient development where progress is measured not only through material wealth, but also and more importantly, through the happiness, safety and well-being of our citizens,” Legarda concluded.

JINGGOY URGES GOV’T TO BE AGGRESSIVE IN CREATING JOBS

MANILA-On the occasion of the Labor Day, Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada urged today the Aquino administration to go all out and aggressive in creating jobs for the graduates, unemployed and new entrants to the country’s labor force.

 

Sen. Estrada, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, said that economic growth coupled with intensive job generation and livelihood creation could be the best legacy of the administration as it completes its term in 2016.

 

 “As the government has successfully posted remarkable economic growth in the past years, what needs to be done is to ensure that the growth trickles down to the people and the masses as real benefits such as jobs. This is again consistent with the administration’s pursuit of inclusive growth, one that leaves no one behind,” Jinggoy said.

 

According to the January 2014 Labor Force Survey, the national unemployment rate was recorded at 7.5%. The figure is higher compared to the national average unemployment rate recorded for 2013 at 7.1% and for 2012 at 7.0%.

 

Jinggoy further noted that in the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey for the Fourth Quarter of 2013, adult joblessness was at 27.5%, higher than that posted during the previous quarter at 21.7%. The adult joblessness rate is equivalent to 12.1 million unemployed Filipinos.

 

Sen. Estrada also called on the administration to recognize the optimism of the labor force with respect to future job availability and to actually realize this public expectation. Jinggoy cited the same SWS survey showing 40% of adults believe that the “number of available jobs in the next 12 months will increase.”

 

“Many of our people anticipate a continued economic expansion with more and better available jobs for all. But sadly, employment figures indicate that not much has changed in turning the state of joblessness around. I hope that the next years could be better,” Jinggoy said.

Pantabangan Dam dips due to searing heat, nears critical level

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija–Water level at the giant Pantabangan Dam, which irrigates over 100,000 hectares of agricultural lands in three provinces in Central Luzon, dropped to 181 meters yesterday amid the searing heat and is now nearing critical level.

          Engineer Josie Salazar, operations manager of the National Irrigations Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (UPRIIS) said the water level at the dam is now at 181.44 meters as of noon yesterday, which is lower compared to the 187.05 meters they recorded over the same period last year.

          Yesterday’s water level was way below the spilling level of 221 meters and is barely 9.44 meters above the critical level of 172 meters. It is projected to go down to 181.19 meters by the end of this month and to 178.3 meters by the end of June.

          Salazar attributed the dip in the dam’s water level to climate change, high temperature and additional area programmed for irrigation.

          She said that for this year, they have programmed for irrigation 114,026 hectares, up by 2,772 hectares from  last year’s 111, 254 hectares.

          Salazar stressed that in spite of the dwindling water supply, there is nothing to worry about since this is a normal occurrence during this time of the year.

          “The dam can manage all irrigated areas until the end of May and farmers are advised to maximize the use of water from the dam,”she said.  

        UPRIIS is the country’s largest national irrigation systems administratively supervised by NIA. It operates the World Bank-funded Pantabangan Dam which irrigates farmlands in Nueva Ecija, San Miguel and San Ildefonso in Bulacan and Arayat in Pampanga.

Water level at the Masiway, Rizal and Aulo Dams located at the downstream of Pantabangan Dam had also dwindled due to intense heat and lack of rains. (Manny Galvez)

PENRO chief calls on Aurorans to protect PH’s most forested province

BALER, Aurora-The chief of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) appealed to Aurorans to protect the country’s most forested province from denudation.

 

“Aurora is the most forested province in the Philippines at 65%. A record that might soon be gone if each one will not do his or her share to protect it,” Lucena Mercado told residents of barangay Buhangin in Baler town during the recent Kapihan ng Mamamayan of Philippine Information Agency.

 

Mercado cited the province’s five natural defenses against storm surges: coral reefs, tidal flats/shore areas, mangrove forests, beach forests, and tropical rain forests.

 

“We can no longer stop climate change but we can mitigate its ill effects if we work together as a community. Proper solid waste management and support to the National Greening Program (NGP) are among the keys to save our natural defenses here,” Mercado added.

 

NGP was created under Executive Order No. 26 of President Aquino to pursue sustainable development for poverty reduction, food security, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

 

It aims to plant 1.5 billion trees covering about 1.5 million hectares for a period of six years (2011-2016) in lands of public domain.

 

These lands include forestlands, mangrove and protected areas, ancestral domains, civil and military reservations and urban areas. (Jojo S. Libranda)

Jinggoy calls on Blue Ribbon to resolve sex-for-flight probe

MANILA-Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada called on the Blue Ribbon Committee to complete and resolve the investigation on the sex-for-flight issue, ultimately to introduce remedial measures to existing protection and welfare laws for the overseas Filipino workers.

 

The sex-for-flight scheme refers to the racket allegedly perpetrated by labor and embassy officials in the Middle East which victimized distressed OFWs in their custody into prostitution and sexual exploitation in exchange for repatriation ticket to the Philippines.

 

The Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, headed by Sen. Estrada, is jointly conducting the public hearings with the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations on the issue. The committees have already conducted three hearings on the issue, the last of which was on August 29, 2013.

 

The inquiry was caused by Sen. Estrada’s privilege speech entitled “Maginoo Pero Sobrang Bastos.” 

 

“I would like to call the attention of the Blue Ribbon Committee to continue the hearings on the sex-for-flight issue. Or if it does not have intention of pursuing the probe further, I believe we should wrap up the inquiries and release a report soon,” Jinggoy said.

 

It can be recalled that the victims surfaced and decried the double standard with respect to the preferential treatment of witnesses in the pork barrel scam in contrast to the attention given to the victims of sexual harassment and sex-for-flight modus who also exposed the illegal activities in the government.

 

Moreover, certain quarters expressed their disappointment with the decision issued by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) regarding the lenient penalties imposed against the implicated labor officials.

 

Riyadh Labor attaché Adam Musa was meted with suspension without pay for one month for simple neglect of duty. On the other hand, Acting Labor Attaché Mario Antonio was sanctioned with a four-month suspension without pay for simple misconduct.

 

Recently, it was reported that assistant labor attaché to Riyadh Antonio Villafuerte was found guilty of sexual harassment and meted with a penalty of reprimand.

 

“Did the DOLE consider the evidence and testimonies presented before the Senate hearings before coming up with its own findings and ruling?” Jinggoy asked, adding: “I believe that whatever had been disclosed in the Senate proceedings could have been helpful in ferreting out the truth with regard to the sex-for-flight scheme and the accountability of the officers mentioned.”