Recto : High PPP bids could lead to higher user charges

MANILA-Sen. Ralph Recto today called for a review of the government policy of awarding multi-billion Public-Private Partnership projects to highest bidders as this scheme could lead to higher fees paid by the public who will use them.

“If a public infrastructure or basic service is the one being auctioned off, logic dictates that the best lowest bid should win it as it would translate to lower fees to be paid by the public who will use it,” the Senate leader argued.

Recto said if the contract, for example, for a road goes to the highest bidder, then the winning group will recover their investment by imposing higher fees on the public who will use that road. 

“The higher the bid, the higher the fees that the public will eventually shoulder. It has a domino effect and the last tile will fall on the people,” he said.

He said if PPP projects are pay-per-use enterprises, then the operative principle that should drive government in awarding these is to keep “what the public will pay to the minimum.”  

“What drives up the cost is that the government gets an advance payment or a prepaid tax for a structure that has yet to be built,” Recto said.  “Government’s dividends are frontloaded.” 

“By adding what is basically a franchise fee on a service like the use of a road,  which ordinarily  is rendered free by a government, what the government is doing is collecting in advance its share from a  basic public service it has privatized,” he said.

  

“The rights paid is a kind of institutional add-on which ratchets up   the project cost which is then passed on to the people. The people pay not just the cost of the project but for the government share which has been advanced,” Recto said.

In filing Senate Resolution No. 810, Recto said government should see PPP concessions not only from the point of view of raising revenues but also the protection of the public from excessive charges and costs.

Awarding projects and concessions based on proposed concession payments, while providing additional revenues for the government, may shift burden of payment to the people through increased user charges and consumer costs, Recto said. 

He, however, admitted that there are “state grants” which should be awarded to the private sector based on the highest bid. 

“If it’s land, or a reclamation project, or any mineral extraction contract, then government should insist on the highest fee possible. If it sells a land, then the highest offer should win. But if it is a hospital or a train line, then it shouldn’t be assessed on what’s in it for the government.”

“Kapag highest bidder ang mananalo sa pag-imprenta ng isang dokumento o lisensya, e di syempre mas mas mataas ang isisingil sa dokumentong iyan,” Recto said.     

Last month, the PPP Center announced that it would roll out 18 major infrastructure projects worth P603 billion before June next year.

The projects are part of the inventory of 47 PPP projects.

Two of the biggest projects include the North-South commuter rail worth P265.3 billion to be launched in November and the proposed subway system Mass Transit loop worth P132 billion to be launched in December. 

Legarda Looks Forward to Philippine Participation in the 56th Venice Biennale

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda said she is looking forward to the Philippines’ participation in the 56th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale 2015 following a 50-year hiatus.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), in partnership with the Office of Senator Loren Legarda, recently announced the Philippine participation to the 2015 Venice Biennale through an open call for curatorial proposals.

“It has been 50 years since we last joined this prestigious contemporary art exhibition. We have many talented Filipino artists worthy to be given the chance to showcase their craft in this event and we should also use this as a platform to engage the international community on the cultural level. I am confident that our artistry and culture would leave other nations in awe,” said Legarda.

The Philippines’ first national pavilion was in the 32nd International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale 1964. Jose Joya and Napoleon Abueva were chosen to represent the country.

The NCCA said that the Philippines’ participation in the 56^th Venice Biennale, which will be held in Venice, Italy from May 9 to November 22, 2015, marks the country’s significant return to this kind of platform and further pursues an engagement in the dynamic process of defining and shaping contemporary art.

The Coordinating Committee is accepting curatorial proposals from Filipino curators and artists residing in the Philippines and abroad until August 28, 2014.

The curator must be a Filipino citizen, has curated international contemporary art exhibitions and has sufficient grasp of contemporary art discourse and practice; while the artists must be Filipino citizens and must have participated in one major national exhibition.

Submitted proposals will be reviewed by a distinguished panel in the field of contemporary art. Only one proposal will be selected and will be mounted at the Philippine pavilion in Venice.

The Artistic Director for the 56^th International Art Exhibition, Venice Biennale is Okwui Enwezor, a Nigerian-American who is the current Director of the Haus der Kunst in Munich. He will curate the main exhibition in the central pavilion.

Enwezor has served as Artistic Director for several major exhibitions including the 2nd Johannesburg Biennale in South Africa (1996-1998), documenta 11 in Kassel, Germany (1998-2002), the Bienal Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo de Sevilla in Spain (2005-2007), the 7th Gwangju Biennale in South Korea (2008), and the Triennal d’Art Contemporain of Paris at the Palais de Tokyo (2012).

Recto calls for immediate debate on bill raising tax exempt cap on worker bonuses

MANILA-. Ralph G. Recto today pressed for immediate debates on his measure raising the annual tax exemption ceiling on employee bonuses, 13th month pay and allowances to P75,000 from the current threshold of P30,000.

He said changing the current limit is long overdue “as it was pegged 20 years and three presidents ago and has been eroded by inflation.”

The P30,000 ceiling was first introduced in 1994 upon the effectivity of Republic Act No. 7833, Recto said.

“The   tax imposed on bonuses and allowances exceeding P30,000 is outdated. It was pegged when the basic salary scale of state employees was only P2,800 and the salary of the Philippine President was only P25,000,” Recto said.

Currently, the basic pay scale of government employees is P8,287 while the salary grade of the chief executive is P120,000.  

The 1997 National Internal Revenue Code Section 32(B) Chapter VI states that private and government employees having bonuses beyond P30,000 were automatically subjected to income tax.

Recto's bill seeks to shatter the threshold of P30,000 so that bonuses and allowances up to P75,000 would be exempt from income tax.

The senator said adjusted for inflation the P30,000 tax exemption ceiling is worth less than half today as computed by two government agencies.

“If adjustments for inflation were reckoned from 1994, the National Tax Research Center said that exemption ceiling should have been raised to P72,000 in 2011 while National Economic Development Authority computed it at P75,000,” Recto said.

“And that was three years ago and inflation has inched up again since,” Recto said.

In his bill, Recto also batted for the indexation of the tax-exempt bonus ceiling to inflation every three years “so that its adjustment is scheduled and not subjected to the whims of whoever is in power.”

The guide in computing the new rates shall be the Consumer Price Index as published by the National Statistics Office, Recto said.

Recto urged the government to at least start discussions on recalibrating tax rates which have been rendered obsolete by inflation.

He said the adjustment of the tax-free zone on bonuses partly solves the plight of government employees who staged simultaneous walkouts last week to protest renewed moves to tax their allowances.

Bongbong tells Pinoys ; don’t be duped by ‘Marcos scams’

JAEN, Nueva Ecija – The son and namesake of late former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. on Saturday called on Filipinos not to be deceived by people claiming to be caretakers of the socalled Marcoses’ wealth, promising to give huge amounts and money and vast tracts of land from the family fortune, dismissing  their gimmicks as scams.

          “These are all scams and don’t fall for it,” said Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at a press conference in Barangay Langla here.

          The younger Marcos was referring to the reported operations of groups of people who claimed to be caretakers of Marcos assets worth billions of pesos. He said the money racket has been practically operating in many provinces in the country, claiming to have ties with the Marcoses.

          “This has become all too-prevalent and we warn you, don’t let yourself be fooled by these people,” he said.      

          Marcos issued the warning after newsmen brought to his attention the activities of syndicates, including two suspects who claimed to be caretakers of the Marcos assets.

          Only recently, he said, they were able to apprehend someone posing as their relative who was engaged in fund-raising using the Marcoses’ name.

          Early this year, two suspects were also charged for milking money from individuals. The suspects, identified as Felicisima Cantos and Emmanuel Destura   demanded money from 81 individuals supposedly to have their share of the Marcos wealth.

The National Bureau of Investigation said that in January 2012, Destura and Cantos introduced themselves to complainants as caretakers of the Marcos assets and talked them into investing in their company called Bullion Buyers Limited with office address in China.

The two also persuaded them to recruit more members nationwide so that accordingly, by numbers, they have their strength as claimants of the Marcos’ wealth and could have more company shares.

          After investing P2,000 each, the suspects promised the victims a profit of P5 million to $5 million. But the suspects failed to deliver the promise, prompting the victims to seek NBI help.                        

In Southern Leyte, a massive tree planting project operating under the acronym FIRM for “Friends of Imelda Romualdez Marcos” has been attracting thousands of members in the province with the promise they would share the gold bullions of the former First Lady which is alleged stashed away in 177 foreign banks.

Under the scheme all that was needed to join FIRM was to buy and plant a mahogany tree, build a red fence around it, pay a P300 registration fee (which entitles the member to a red T-shirt) and the applicant would automatically qualify for a share of Imelda’s wealth at between P700,000 to P1 million per member.

According to Southern Leyte State University President Dr. Gloria Markines Reyes, she learned about the project from Bontoc Vice Mayor Pedro Fustanes who told her that some of his supporters had asked him if they could join FIRM since it was easy money.

Fustanes said he advised them not to since it had all the makings of a scam but that some had already planted the trees and had paid the membership fee.

One of the victims said many of his friends had even borrowed money to join FIRM because they believed the organization was legitimate and qualified them for riches beyond their imagination. He said they were also promised free education, employment and housing.

FIRM was organized in 2000, formerly composed of Marcos loyalists. Its critics claim its goal was to keep the groups supporting the former president intact and to serve as the nationwide organization for the senator’s presidential campaigns.

          The senator disowned the movement and said their family does not operate that way. – Manny Galvez

Bongbong endorses Antonino as Ecija gov bet

JAEN, Nueva Ecija – He says the elections are still too far away to talk about politics.

          But Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., gave himself away, endorsing a former congressman as his gubernatorial candidate in the 2016 elections.

          In a brief exchange with the media during an out-of-town sortie here Saturday, Marcos referred to former three-term Rep. Rodolfo Antonino as “governor” amid reports that the latter, father of fourth district Rep. Magnolia Antonino, is seeking the governorship.

          Antonino has not officially declared his gubernatorial bid although reports going around said his running mate is outgoing three-term second district Rep. Joseph Gilbert Violago.

          Antonino comes from a family of politicians. His father Gaudencio was sitting senator and was running for reelection when he died in a helicopter accident in 1969, a day before the elections. Gaudencio’s wife Magnolia ran as a substitute candidate and won.

          One of the former congressman’s brother Adelbert was twice elected representative of South Cotabato and twice mayor of General Santos City while Adelbert’s wife Lualhati was also once congresswoman.

Antonino’s niece is Darlene Antonino, a former three-term representative who was best remembered for defeating boxing icon Manny Pacquiao in their congressional duel in South Cotabato in his first run at local politics.  

          Antonino is hoping to dislodge the camp of outgoing three-term Gov. Aurelio Umali from the Capitol where the latter has ruled since unseating the Josons from their 48-year reign. He was best remembered for ending the decades-old reign of the Villareals in the fourth district.

          Antonino is not only counting on votes from his southern Nueva Ecija bailiwick but also from the support of the Josons and Cabanatuan Mayor Julius Cesar Vergara who is feuding with Umali, his former political ally.   

Umali’s wife, third district Rep. Czarina Umali, is already a declared gubernatorial bet.

          Marcos came here on the invitation of the elder Antonino who showed up with some of his mayoral allies, namely San Antonio Mayor Antonino Lustre, Cabiao Mayor Gloria Crespo-Congco and Jaen Mayor Santiago Austria.

          When Marcos posed for a photo-ops with newsmen, Antonino volunteered to take the shot himself, prompting the senator to tell the scribes, “See, you have a congressman for your photographer. And one who will become governor,” he said.

          Antonino took the compliment with a smile.

          Earlier, Marcos, when asked about his political plans, declined to make any specific response.

          He said he is  definitely not retiring in 2016 and will be a candidate for certain positions.    “There is too much to do. There’s little time to speak about politics. It’s not yet part of the discussions,” he said. (Manny Galvez)  

Bongbong renews call for Abad to resign to save P-Noy

JAEN, Nueva Ecija – Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. over the weekend called on Budget Secretary Florencio Abad to submit his irrevocable resignation to President Aquino to ease the pressure on the Chief Executive over the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

          Speaking to reporters in Barangay Langla Saturday, Marcos said Abad’s resignation would help lessen the pressure on the presidency caused by the DAP controversy.

          “He (Abad) should do it for the President. By quitting, it would relieve pressure on President Aquino and his entire administration,” he said.

          Abad resigned last month amid the brouhaha over the DAP. But the President did not accept the resignation, saying to accept the same is to assign to him (Abad)  a wrong. “I cannot accept the notion that doing right by our people is a wrong. Therefore, I have decided not to accept his resignation,” said Aquino.

          But Marcos said that the administration should move on from the DAP. He said that as far as the issue is concerned, it has already been decided so there should no longer be any more discussions about its merits.

          The honorable thing to do, he added, is for Abad to quit so the President would be relieved from the pressure being exerted by various groups. (Manny Galvez)  

RESPECT PNOY’S DECISION; STOP PUSHING FOR TERM EXTENSION – VP BINAY

MANILA-Vice President Jejomar C. Binay said the people behind the campaign to extend President Benigno Aquino III’s term should respect the President’s decision.

“President Aquino, through Secretary Coloma, has made known his sentiments on term extension. We must respect his decision and end this politically-divisive initiative,” Binay said.

Binay also questioned the motive of those behind the proposal after it caused undue criticism of the President.

“It was a selfish proposal to begin with, motivated more by personal rather than national interest.  It was also unfair to the President. The proposal put him on the spot and made him the object of criticisms which he doesn't deserve,” he added.

Binay said he is certain the President will not seriously consider running again because doing so would damage the legacy left by his mother former president Corazon Aquino.

“Those who made the proposal don't know the President.  He is a decent person and will not cling to power. He is a student of history, and he won't tarnish his mother's good name just to please some personalities,” he said.

“President Cory rejected a similar move to extend her term. As a private citizen, she opposed similar moves by succeeding administrations. I am certain President Noynoy will follow the sterling example of his mother,” Binay added.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. made it clear that the President has no plans to extend his term.

He also reminded the public of the provision in the 1987 Constitution that a Philippine president could only serve a six-year term.

Aquino could only be re-elected if Congress would amend the Constitution, but the President himself has repeatedly rejected proposals to amend the Charter.

STATEMENT OF VICE PRESIDENT JEJOMAR C. BINAY ON THE MOVE TO EXTEND THE TERM OF PRESIDENT AQUINO

MANILA-President Aquino, through Secretary Coloma, has made known his sentiments on term extension. We must respect his decision and end this politically-divisive initiative.

It was a selfish proposal to begin with, motivated more by personal rather than national interest.  It was also unfair to the President. The proposal put him on the spot and made him the object of criticisms, which he doesn't deserve.

Those who made the proposal don't know the President.  He is a decent person and will not cling to power. He is a student of history, and he won't tarnish his mother's good name just to please some personalities.

President Cory rejected a similar move to extend her term. As a private citizen, she opposed similar moves by succeeding administrations. I am certain President Noynoy will follow the sterling example of his mother.

HOUSING SECTOR UNDER VP BINAY: P200M TO ECONOMY, 3.5M JOBS GENERATED

MANILA-Since the assumption of Vice President Jejomar C. Binay as chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), the housing sector has injected some P200 million into the economy and generated more than 3.5 million jobs.

In its 2014 Mid-Year Report, the Office of the Vice President said the consolidated housing production of the key shelter agencies (KSAs) under HUDCC from July 2010 to June 2014, totaling 581,959 housing units, has generated 3,534,281 jobs.

The figure is computed based on the assumption that a complete house construction will require 8.3 persons working for three weeks, while the development of sites for resettlement or improvement of sites will require five persons working per lot.

With Binay as the chairman of the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) Board of Trustees, the agency earned P50.75 billion from 2010 to 2013, surpassing the P50.3 billion earned over five years in the past administration (2004-2009).

Despite retaining the minimum contribution, Pag-IBIG Fund also posted a record net income of P14.44 billion in 2013.

Staying true to the promise of increasing membership, Pag-IBIG, under Binay’s leadership, increased its membership to 14 million in May 2014 from 8.19 million in 2010, or a 5.82 million increase.

The housing sector under Binay’s helm also scored a major victory when Globe Asiatique owner Delfin Lee was finally apprehended by Task Force Tugis in March 2014.

The President earlier placed a P2-million bounty on Lee’s head.

Lee is currently detained at the Pampanga provincial jail on charges of syndicated estafa, with the Department of Justice also conducting preliminary investigations on two more batches of similar complaints against the developer.

“Members of Pag-IBIG, especially those defrauded in the Globe Asiatique scam, can rest assured that we will fight any and all efforts to release Lee. We will make sure that Lee and his cohorts will be punished for their crime, and the victims will be given the justice they deserve,” Binay said following Lee’s arrest.

The Vice President had previously ordered the filing of syndicated estafa charges against Lee and several others after an investigation, which Binay ordered, revealed that Lee had used fake documents and ghost borrowers to secure some P7 billion in loans from Pag-IBIG.

Pag-IBIG cancelled its contract with the Globe Asiatique following the housing agency’s discovery of the alleged ghost buyers.

As chairman of HUDCC, the coordinative body consisting of the government’s KSAs, Binay is responsible for the overall implementation of the government housing program, as distributed among the areas of responsibility under its KSAs in housing finance, production, and regulation.

Drilon: Sin Tax, Graphic Health Laws to help gov't win war vs. smoking

MANILA-The initial successes of the Sin Tax Reform Law in reducing the number of Filipino smokers could be greatly boosted by the implementation of the Graphic Health Warning Act, according to Senate President Franklin M. Drilon.

The Senate leader made the statement as the Graphic Health Warning Act formally takes effect today. 

“Once the two landmark laws – the Sin Tax Reform Law and the Graphic Health Warning Act – go into full implementation, I am very confident that we will see a significant number of Filipinos quitting smoking especially among the youth and poorer sector,” stressed Drilon.

“A year and a half after the Sin Tax Law was passed, we can see that it is a very potent law towards reducing the number of Filipinos smokers,” he said.

The Department of Health and the Social Weather Stations (SWS) reported that as an effect of the Sin Tax Reform Law, smokers of lower socio-economic standing (class E) are beginning to stop smoking. From December 2012 to March 2014, the number of smokers from class E dropped down by 13 percent, from 38 percent to 25 percent.

“By 2017 when a uniform tax rate on all types of cigarettes would have already been imposed making the price of cigarettes much higher and relatively unaffordable to the youth and the poor, more and more Filipinos will be encouraged to finally stop smoking,” he said.

“The numbers reflect the fact that slowly, the state’s aggressive anti-smoking policies can help convince people to stop their smoking habit for good and the implementation of the Graphic Health Warning Act will boost up our campaign against smoking,” Drilon said.

Moreover, additional revenues generated from the Sin Tax Reform Law will continue to benefit the health sector.

“For instance, in the proposed P2.606 trillion 2015 national budget, 15.4 indigent families will be enrolled in Philhealth, which will mostly be funded from sin tax collections,” he said.

Under the Sin Tax Reform Act, 80 percent of the remaining incremental revenues will be allocated for the universal health care under the NHIP and 20 percent will be allocated nationwide for medical assistance and health facilities enhancement program.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) also reported that the sin tax collections for the first half of the year are nearly twice that of collections made within the same time period in 2013.

“The government’s domestic cigarette tax collection has gone up by 44 percent, as the government was able to build up collections up to P28.1 billion from January to June of 2014, as compared to the P19.5 billion cigarette excise tax collections made from January to June of 2013,” said Drilon.

“In 2013, if we did not pass that Sin Tax Law, excise tax collection on tobacco products, would have amounted only to P28.5 billion. With the passage of the Sin Tax Law the excise tax on tobacco amounted to P70.392 billion, an increase of P41.8 billion,” pointed out Drilon.

Drilon said the additional revenue would help finance more programs and subsidize more medicine and medical services to many Filipinos including construction of health facilities. 

Stronger Links with Int’l Organizations, Vital to Combat Cybersex Trafficking—Legarda

MANILA-Alarmed with the proliferation of cyber sex trafficking, Senator Loren Legarda today stressed the importance of forging stronger partnerships with international police organizations to combat this form of human trafficking.

Legarda made the statement as she lamented that the crime has degraded family values as parents themselves sell their own children online.

“We need to find more ways to immediately combat cybersex because evidently, it is affecting the very core of our society, which is the family. Parents are supposed to teach their children good values, but why are there mothers and fathers who willingly sell their children online and make them perform lewd acts in exchange for money? Nothing, not even poverty, can justify such acts,” said Legarda.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), with assistance from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the International Justice Mission, recently raided a house in Taguig City and rescued two children from their own mother while caught in the act of prodding her children to perform lewd acts online.

  

Legarda has stood up in the Senate several times to speak about the issue saying that, “If children can no longer feel secure and protected in their own homes, then something is terribly wrong in our society. We need to put an end to these kinds of abuses.”

The Senator said that due to the complexity of the crime, it is important that links with international police organizations are strengthened. 

“Strengthened cooperation and improved coordination of the NBI with international police groups have led to previous successful operations against cyber pornography. We must sustain these gains and ensure the proper implementation of the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act to combat this crime,” she said.

Legarda, principal sponsor of the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, explained that under the law, harboring a child for purposes of prostitution or production of pornographic materials is considered trafficking. Furthermore, the crime is not plain trafficking but qualified trafficking when the offender is the parent, guardian or someone who exercises authority over the child. Any person found guilty of qualified trafficking shall serve life imprisonment.

In line with this, Legarda also pushed for the immediate passage of two proposed measures that will boost efforts against cyber pornography—the Anti-Computer Pornography Act (Senate Bill No. 532) and the NBI Reorganization and Modernization Act (Senate Bill No. 1902).

The Anti-Computer Pornography Act seeks to protect minors from indecent and immoral material transmitted through electronic mail and other electronic media. Acts such as transmitting or offering to transmit information that contains indecent materials to a minor and providing access to transmission of said materials to a minor shall be deemed punishable.

Meanwhile, the NBI Reorganization and Modernization Act aims to strengthen the powers and functions of the NBI through a reorganization of its offices to streamline activities. It likewise seeks to modernize the investigative program through acquisition of state-of-the-art intelligence and forensic equipment.

The measure also seeks to ensure the maintenance of elite and competent personnel through the provision of competitive compensation packages, including training, insurance benefits and scholarship grants for the bureau’s agents and employees.

Drilon: 2015 budget boosts social services

MANILA-The proposed 2015 national budget will pour nearly P1 trillion into social protection and services, said Senate President Franklin M. Drilon today as he hailed the government’s continuing focus on the need to make basic needs accessible to all.

For 2015, Drilon said the social service sector will corner 37 percent of the proposed P2.606 trillion budget, equivalent to P967.9 billion, in order to fund programs that will address the immediate needs of the poor. The figure is 15 percent higher than the present allocation of P841.8 billion. 

“The next year’s spending program reflects the priorities in the remaining years of the Aquino administration which are to alleviate poverty, provide efficient healthcare and improve the quality of education in the country,” said Drilon, vowing that the Senate will persistently support programs that will directly benefit the Filipinos.

Drilon said the increased spending for social service sector will go for programs and projects which aimed at improving the delivery of educational services in the country.

He said the Department of Education (DepEd) will get P365.1 billion, cornering the biggest chunk of the budget. The figure is 17.9 percent higher than its 2014 level of P309.5 billion.

The increase, explained Drilon, is being proposed to capacitate the government’s school building program which is budgeted with P52.9 billion in 2015, an increase of P8.248 billion from its 2014 budget.

“As part of the effort to address classrooms shortage, the government will construct 31,728 new classrooms in 2015 and repair 9,500 dilapidated ones, including those damaged by past calamities including super typhoon ‘Yolanda’,” the Senate leader said. Also, 13,586 water and sanitation facilities will be constructed next year.

On top of this, the Senate chief said the government plans to procure 1.3 million new desks and armchairs and 70.5 million textbooks and instructional materials. It will also boost its teaching force with the hiring of 39,066 teachers next year. 

“We should keep on investing in the education of our youth, because a quality education will lead the country to a better future. The people, most especially the youth, is the most important

asset our country has to nurture, and part of it is by giving education the highest priority in the budget,” stressed Drilon.

The Senate chief also lauded the continued increase in the budget of the Department of Health (DOH) which is proposed to get P102 billion in 2015 from its current level of P90.8 billion.

“For 2015, more money will go to public hospitals and clinics around the country. For instance, the government will allot P13.1 billion for the upgrading of 1,242 barangay health stations, 587 health centers from remote barangays, 128 hospitals in different provinces, 19 DOH-managed hospitals, and 11 treatment and rehabilitation centers,” said Drilon.

He said that it is only right that the government invest in health infrastructure as the condition of health facilities in the country leaves much to be desired: “The government should continue to improve its hospital facilities especially in secluded provinces so that our citizens will receive proper and efficient healthcare.” 

He emphasized that as part of its health program, the government will increase the premium subsidy for the National Health Insurance Program to P37.2 billion in 2015 from its present level of P35.3 billion, which will cover 15.4 million households, an increase of 700 beneficiaries from 2014.

Likewise, the Senate chief said the government will increase its budget for the hiring of health personnel by 43 percent, equivalent to P4.3 billion from P3.0 billion.

“For 2015, the government plans to hire additional 398 doctors, 12,540 midwives and 480 dentists to be deployed in different municipalities, cities and health facilities around the country to provide primary healthcare,” he said.  

Finally, the social protection package for the poor will continue to receive the priority in the budget. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will get P109 billion in 2015 from its current budget of P83.4 billion.

Drilon said that the increase will go to the continued expansion of the Conditional Cash Transfer program which will be allotted P64.7 billion next year – from P62.6 billion this year - to benefit 4,309,769 indigent families throughout the country, which include around 4,000 families with no permanent address, 7,000 homeless street families and 116,000 indigenous people.

9 pro-Joson mayors joining Umali?

CABANATUAN CITY – A city mayor and at least eight municipal mayors from the Josons’ Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija are reportedly shifting allegiance and planning to join the camp of Gov. Aurelio Umali at the Unang Sigaw Partido ng Pagbabago.

          Informed sources who declined to be identified because he was not authorized to speak on the issue, said the local chief executives have already sent feelers to the governor’s camp and their official transfer will just be a matter of time.

          The sources said those who are considering to transfer to Umali’s camp are mayors Francis Steven Dizon of Guimba, Amado Corpuz of Cuyapo, Froilan Nagaño Jr. of San Leonardo, Rafaelito Andres of Rizal, Lucio Uera of Pantabangan, Nerivi Santos-Martinez of Talavera, Areli Santos of Gen. Natividad and Allan Xystus Gamilla of Bongabon and Nestor Alvarez of the Science City of Muñoz.

          When sought for comment, Umali said a “vast majority” of the Balane mayors have signified interest to join his camp and that of his wife, third district Rep. Czarina, who is running for governor in 2016.

When asked to identify them, the governor cited the names of Alvarez, Dizon, Corpuz and Nagaño.

          Dizon and Corpuz are both on their third and last terms while the rest are on just their first terms.

          They were all known Joson die-hards who stuck with the clan at the height of their 48-year-old reign at the Capitol.

          Nagaño is the son and namesake of former two-term mayor Froilan Sr. who ran for congressman in last year’s polls but lost to incumbent fourth district Rep. Magnolia Antonino-Nadres.

          Uera, who previously served as mayor for two terms, has reportedly formed his local party, the Pantabangan People’s Party (PPP) in preparation for his breakaway from the Josons. He defeated old rival, former two-term mayor Romeo Borja Sr., a known Umali ally, in last year’s polls.

          Santos-Martinez is the daughter of former three-term mayor Nerito, also a known Joson loyalist. The neophyte mayor is at odds with first district Rep. Estrellita Suansing, an Umali ally.

          Santos is the wife of former mayor Levi Santos who is reportedly eyeing a comeback against incumbent Board Member Ruben Ilagan.

          Gamilla is the son of former three-term mayor Amelia Gamilla and the late ex-mayor Jimmy Gamilla who served for more than 20 years.

          

         Alvarez, a former three-term mayor is the younger brother of Efren Alvarez, also a former three-term mayor who served as provincial administrator during the Joson’s capitol reign. Efren is the father of incumbent Vice Mayor Tekila Grace Alvarez.

At present, Umali has 12 mayors as allies in the 27-man Nueva Ecija chapter of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, led by its president, Peñaranda Mayor Ferdinand Abesamis.

The others were Elizabeth Vargas of Aliaga, Mary Abad of Carranglan, Rolando Bue of Gabaldon, Santiago Austria of Jaen, Lorna Mae Vero of Llanera, Richard Ramos of Lupao, Cora Lacurom of Nampicuan, Antonino Lustre of San Antonio, Cesario Lopez of San Isidro, Quintino Caspillo of Talugtug and Louella Belmonte of Zaragoza.

Abesamis said that many of the mayors from Balane who he has talked to have voiced their support for the “continuance of the good programs of Governor Umali.”

“Anyway, the programs of Governor Umali are already institutionalized such as those pertaining to peace and order, infrastructure, investments, disaster management and agriculture modernization,” he said.

He added that the greatest legacy of the Umali administration is effective administration of service to the people of Nueva Ecija. “It’s an administration with a heart for the people,” he said. (Manny Galvez)

Bomb threat causes panic among Cabanatuan court employees

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija–A prank call warning of a forthcoming bomb explosion inside the Regional Trial Court (RTC) building here has left terrorized court employees storming out of their offices here Tuesday.

          Police Superintendent Pedro Soliba, Cabanatuan police chief, said the supposed bomb was reported to them by Cabanatuan RTC Branch 28 legal researcher Wilson Mangabat.

          Mangabat said the bomb threat was relayed to him by a certain Aneth Gonzales, an employee of a bonding company.

Gonzales claimed she received a text message from an unnamed person at around 9:50 pm Monday that the bomb will explode at around 9:15 am Tuesday at an unspecified place in the compound in Barangay Accfa.

          Aside from two RTC buildings, the compound also houses the Hall of Justice building.

Operatives of the Cabanatuan police immediately cordoned off the area which was examined by agents of the explosives and ordnance team from the Army’s 7^th Infantry Division of the Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation.

The bomb disposal team cleared the area of any explosive devices shortly before noon. (Manny Galvez)