Education sector gets biggest share in Senate approved P2.606 trillion 2015 national budget

MANILA-Voting 13-0 with zero abstention, the Senate today approved the P2.606 trillion proposed national budget for 2015.

          The Department of Education (DepEd) got the largest share of the budget pie with P323.56 billion followed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with 292.57 billion, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) with P109.34 billion, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) with P104.57 billion and the Department of National Defense (DND) with P99.92  billion.

          Senator Chiz Escudero, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, said the Senate increased DepEd’s budget by P3.636 billion, representing allocations for feeding programs, the Quick Response Fund and chalk allowance.

          Senate President Franklin M. Drilon explained that the hike in the funds for the education sector is part of the Senate’s on third reading goal to improve the delivery of educational services in the country. “The youth are the most important asset our country has to nurture, and part of it is by giving education the highest priority in the budget," he said.

In September, the upper chamber had passed a package of inclusive education bills geared towards the poor, including bills on open and distance learning, and the “Iskolar ng Bayan Act.” In turn, Drilon said that the greater budget in 2015 will help government address pressing challenges to the educational sector, the need for new classrooms, including the repair of facilities damaged by previous calamities.

For his part, Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto introduced the amendment for the chalk allowance, increasing it to P1,500 next from the present P1,000. “Chalk allowance” is the popular term for the amount given to teachers at the start of the school year for the purchase of “chalk, pens, erasers, cartolinas and other school supplies” they use in teaching.

          Escudero said the Senate’s version of the 2015 national budget had also addressed the concerns raised by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago in her privilege speech last November 24.

          “The concerns she (Santiago) had, we addressed them in the Senate version. We had improved the other points she raised,” Escudero said in an interview.

          He said the Senate’s version of the 2015 national budget had followed the Supreme Court’s decision on what was allowed or disallowed in the national budget to a dot.

To ensure transparency, Escudero said, the Senate had included a provision in the 2015 General Appropriation Act (GAA) that would prohibit government agencies to use “lump sum funds” without submitting a report or itemized listing to Congress and the Commission on Audit.

He said heads of government agencies will be penalized if they violated the provisions.

“We provided a penalty of six months suspension or imprisonment of one year or a fine equivalent to six-month salary if they fail to submit the report,” Escudero said during an interview.

          While the Senate had realigned P96.58 billion of the proposed 2015 national budget, Escudero said, senators were very transparent on where the money was reallocated.

For instance, he said, the Senate allocated P19 billion for the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program to cover past disasters, including Super Typhoons Yolanda, Glenda and Mario.

          He said the Senate had also realigned P2.67 billion under the Information and Communications Technology Office for the implementation of free wi-fi internet in public places. The budget will be sourced from the Digitization Empowerment Program.

          The Department of Science and Technology will set up 50,872 wi-fi hotspots next year, including 7,910 public high schools, 38,694 public elementary schools, 113 state colleges and 1,118 public libraries and public areas in 1,490 towns.

          “We have restored the House cut on the DPWH amounting to P242.6 million under the MFO3 or the “Maintenance and Construction Services of Other Infrastructures” and P1.318 billion under MFO1 under the “National Road Network Services.” In addition, an increase of P1.130 billion will be provided for the Quick Response Fund of the DPWH to bring it to P2 billion,” Escudero said.

          Likewise, he said, the Senate had also increased the Quick Response Fund of the Department of Health by P500 million.

At the same time, he said the Senate had increased the Supreme Court’s budget by P715.36 million for the Enterprise Information System Plan or the IT for e-courts and reallocated and restored P1 billion of the Philippine Children’s Medical Center, particularly for hospital modernization, to be sourced from their budget for Land Acquisition pending the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) opinion on the land swap transaction between the DOJ and the National Housing Authority (NHA).

          Other highlights of the Senate version of the 2015 national budget include:

●    Increase of P421.5 million for the Bureau of Customs for Workplace Modernization and various equipment to counter the perennial problem of smuggling;

●    Additional budget of P362.472 million for the Department of National Defense as buildings outlay for the National Defense College of the Philippines as well as for Force Sustainment or Enhancement of the various Engineering Brigades of the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Navy;

●    Increase of P300 million for the modernization program and faculty development of the Philippine Normal University;

●    Increase of P108.907 million for Jail Facilities under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology to be sourced from the cut in Monitoring and Evaluation Cost of PAMANA and the Grassroots Participatory Program of the DILG-OSEC;

●    Realignment of P2.915 billion in the budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, specifically from the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program and the KALAHI-CIDSS projects to Social Pension for Indigent Senior citizens which will benefit 460,647 senior citizens at a total cost of P2.770 billion in line with Republic Act No. 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010; additional funding of P50 million will also be provided for the Comprehensive Project for Street Children, Street Families and Indigenous Peoples-especially Badjaos, as well as an additional P95 billion for protective services for individual and families in difficult circumstances;

●    Increase of P15 million for the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos for the Hajj Travel Assistance and Endowment Administration Services.

Escudero said the Senate provided a special provision which would allow the fund for athletes shall be used solely for the benefit of the athletes and that it cannot be realigned for any other purposes.

He said the Senate had also provided for a special provision under the DPWH for the construction of projects that might impinged on heritage sites requiring consultations with all stakeholders concerned.

          “We also provided a provision in so far as the National Museum, National Historical Institute and National Commission for Culture and Arts, allowing such agencies to use its income to maintain the existing heritage sites and their facilities,” Escudero said, adding:

          “We also added a special provision mandating the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to pay its obligations in accordance with the contracts it entered into and a provision in so far as DOH, DPWH, Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and DepEd are concerned, providing for the utilization of their Quick Response Fund to procure insurance policies in accordance with the Government System Insurance Service (GSIS) laws as well as the procurement law to cover infrastructure facilities and other equipment in danger zones and other areas as they may deem feasible.”

Senate okays P82k hike for tax exemption of bonuses

MANILA- Employees from both the private and public sector can expect a bigger take home-pay soon, with the Senate’s approval of a bill seeking to raise the tax exemption ceiling of 13^th-month pay and other benefits from P30,000 to P82,000.

            Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, co-author and sponsor of Senate Bill 2437, says that once the bill is enacted into law, employees receiving 13^th-month pay and other benefits, including Christmas bonuses and productivity bonuses, not exceeding P82,000 will be exempted from tax.

The original bill pegged the ceiling for tax-exempt bonuses at P75,000 but was raised to P82,000 upon the proposal of Senator Ralph Recto during plenary deliberations. Angara, chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, said he accepted Recto’s amendments because his proposal was the “same figure given by internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Hernares during eone of the hearings on SB 2437.

            “She (Henares) said that P30,000 in 1994 would be worth around P82,000 today,” Angara said.

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon concurred with the hike, saying that the bill’s passage is necessary "to provide relief to state and private workers whose purchasing power has been shrinking for years due to inflation, but still have had to deal with the consequences of an outdated law."

            When the P30,000 tax ceiling was first legislated in 1994, Angara explained, the basic salary of a government employee in the lowest rung was P3,800 a month while that of the President was P25,000. The ceiling, he noted, had not been adjusted in 20 years although Congress had legislated other measures to soften the impact of inflation on the workers.

            More importantly, Angara said, SB 2437 had included a provision “that the adjustment be made mandatorily every three years to coincide with major surveys conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority such as the Family and Income Expenditure Survey.”

            Recto, principal author of the bill, said the peso had lost two-thirds of its value over the past 20 years. The equivalent of one peso in 1994, he said, was worth 36 centavos today. Recto was Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority in 2008.

“When the 17-year-old Bam Aquino sipped his first beer in 1994, Pale Pilsen cost P8.50 a bottle. Of course, Sen. Sonny Angara, on vacation from his London studies then – or I am told that he graduated in 1994 – and if he were to borrow one of his dad’s cars, he would have paid P8.50 for a liter of gasoline,” Recto said in his co-sponsorship speech.

While some experts estimated that government would lose around P42 billion in taxes with the enactment of SB 2437 into law, Recto argued that there was no basis for the computation.

A more reasonable computation of tax loss, he said, was estimated by the Philippine Institute for Development Students at P2.6 billion and Dr. Stella Quimbo of the University of the Philippine School of Economics at P5.6 billion.

“But whatever is the revenue loss for the government is actually income gained for the workingman. And even if his 13^th month pay is tax exempt upon receipt, it will be taxable when spent,” Recto said, adding that taxes not withheld at source will later be captured in the form of sales tax at points of sales.

In response to concerns about the speedy implementation of the law, Drilon had also introduced an amendment to the bill stating that “the failure of the Secretary of Finance to promulgate the necessary rules and regulations shall not prevent the effectivity of the law.”.

“This is because it is up to the Department of Finance and the Bureau of Internal Revenue to come up with the implementing rules and regulations when this law is passed, and they may not have enough time to accomplish that in time. But surely, the law will be fully implemented next year,” the Senate leader noted.

For his part, Senator Manuel “Lito” Lapid Jr. then said that “increasing the cap of exemption on the 13^th month pay and other benefits from income tax would increase the disposable income of the working class.”

This in turn, Lapid said in his co-sponsorship speech, would stimulate consumption.

“All reasons to increase the cap for the tax exemption on the 13^th month and other benefits points to one thing: to enhance the welfare of the working class,” Lapid said.   (Pilar S. Macrohon)

Legarda Promotes Use of Baybayin

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda renewed her call for the promotion of Baybayin by using it in government logos, public signage and even in local product labels.

Legarda made the call in her message at the 4^th Baybayin Festival Rizal, which was organized by Taklobo Baybayin Inc., Baybayin Buhayin, the Department of Education (DepEd) and Province of Rizal, last November 22, 2014 at the Ynares Center, Antipolo City.

“Marahil ngayon ay hindi na maunawaan ng karamihan ang kahalagahan ng Baybayin dahil sanay na tayo sa sistema ng pagsusulat na ating nakagisnan. Ngunit kapag binalikan natin ang ating kasaysayan, ang baybayin ang simbolo ng sibilisasyon ng mga sinaunang Pilipino, bago pa man tayo mapasailalim sa pamumuno ng mga dayuhan,” Legarda stated.

The event was attended by teachers and students from public and private elementary and high schools in the DepEd Division of Rizal and Antipolo.

Legarda also shared that she has filed measures in the Senate that aim to promote and preserve Baybayin.

Senate Bill No. 1899 mandates all government agencies, departments and offices to incorporate Baybayin in their official logos.

“All government agencies and offices must take the lead to further promote Filipino culture and traditions, strengthen Filipino identity, and instill the same in everyday life. The logos and seals of government agencies and offices should not only reflect the emblems of their functions and duties but also pride in Filipino heritage and traditions,” said Legarda.

Some of the government offices and agencies that have already incorporated Baybayin in their official logos include, the National Museum of the Philippines, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, the National Library, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Records Management and Archives Office, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

Meanwhile, Senate Bill No. 2440 aims to declare Baybayin as the National Writing Script of the Philippines and mandates the NCCA to lead the promotion, protection, preservation and conservation of the Baybayin.

The measure also mandates local food manufacturers to inscribe Baybayin scripts and their translation on containers or labels; local government units (LGUs) to use Baybayin scripts in their signage for street names, public facilities, among others; and, newspaper and magazine publishers to include Baybayin translation of their official name.

Moreover, reading materials about Baybayin will be distributed to all public and private educational institutions and all government and private agencies and offices to instill awareness of the declaration of Baybayin as the national writing system.

PMA back in Tarlac

CAMP AQUINO, Tarlac City- The Philippine Military Academy ”Sinaglahi” Class 2015 with composed of  173 graduating cadets show-off their talents in a Silent Drill performance at the Tarlakeiǹo in Plazuela as part of their 3 day Community Development practicum. They were welcomed by the Honorable Vice Mayor Anne Belmonte representing the Honorable City Mayor Ace Manalang and the City Council of Tarlac City on 21 November 2014. 

After years of absence, the PMA Cadets are once again in Tarlac for an important activity include is part of the curriculum of the graduating cadets. In the mid 80’s, PMA Cadets are frequently seen in Tarlac due to the presence of a training facility in Camp Aquino for the Plebes. The plebes have their initial training in Camp Aquino before they were brought to Baguio, while second year Cadets or the Yearlings spend their summer training here in Camp Aquino and in Fort Magsaysay. However; due to some training related incidents, the training here in Tarlac was suspended. Since then, Cadet activities where confined in PMA and in Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.

The PMA Practicum aims to develop the cadets in Community Development which is one of the primary focus of Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan. This security plan was crafted not by the AFP alone but rather by the different sectors of the society that aims to resolve the insurgency problem by addressing the root causes.

The Silent Drill Exhibition in Plazuela was the culmination of the Community Immersion in Tarlac City. This was preceded by a photo and static display of military and disaster response capabilities participated  by 3^RD Mechanized Battalion, Tactical Operations Group 3, Philippine Air Force, Naval Forces Northern Luzon, 1st Scout Ranger Regiment, Special Forces and Light Reaction Battalion. Prior to that, the cadets conducted a Youth Leadership Seminar to the students of Balete High School in Camp Aquino. Representatives coming from the different government agencies presented their lectures on anti-drugs, Anti-Juvenile Delinquency and Leadership Training which prove to be timely and relevant topics to youth.

Over-all the experience is an eye opener for both the students and the cadets, the experience and the awareness of the issues will form integral foundation to shape them become better community leaders and AFP Officers in the future. 

Teacher's 'chalk allowance' to increase to P1,500 next year

MANILA-The annual “chalk allowance” of public school teachers will go up from the present P1,000 to P1,500 next year, courtesy of a Senate amendment in the 2015 national budget, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said today.

“Chalk allowance “ is the popular term for the amount given to teachers at the start of the school year for the purchase of “chalk, pens, erasers, cartolinas and other school supplies” they use in teaching.

While the amount is far from the P3,000 chalk allowance per year that Recto is advocating in a bill he filed, “the P1,500 represents a 50% increase from the present level.”

“Let’s just view it as a down payment toward the ideal amount. I am sure there will be another increase next year.  Even if the increase is done by installments, it is better than no increase at all,” Recto said.

The senator praised Sen. Chiz Escudero, chair of the Senate Finance committee, “for heeding the clamor of public school teachers and for sponsoring the amendment.”

“Although this amendment has bipartisan support, credit for this initiative should go to him,” Recto said.

The Senate Finance committee, which Recto is a vice chair, has recommended a P1.021 billion 2015 budget for “Teaching Supplies Allowance,” which is chalk allowance’s official expenditure name in the national budget.

Per a Department of Education computation, some 681,024 public kindergarten, elementary and high school teachers will receive this allowance next year.

In Senate Bill 713 (Teaching Supplies Allowance Act of 2013), Recto said the chalk allowance should be increased periodically to reflect the rise in the prices of school supplies and to cope with the changing nature of the latter.

“School supplies no longer pertain to traditional ink, chalk and paper. In this age of Powerpoint, then there are computer-related supplies which the teacher uses, and these must be considered in computing the supplies  the teacher needs,” he said.

“Kung tutuusin, maliit talaga ang  P150 a month para sa chalk allowance  kaya dapat dagdagan. Importante din ito.  Kung ang sundalo ay binibigyan ng bala, ang sa teacher naman ay chalk allowance.”

“Teaching supplies are an important ammo in the war versus illiteracy.” 

PHL No. 1 in Asia in Gov’t Response vs. Human Trafficking Legarda Vows Continued Support to Anti-Trafficking Efforts

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today said she will continue to support efforts to fight human trafficking as she lauded improved government performance in curbing the crime.

Legarda made the statement in reaction to the result of the 2014 Global Slavery Index that showed the Philippines is no. 1 in Asia, no. 3 in Asia-Pacific, and no. 29 worldwide out of 166 countries in terms of government response against human trafficking.

The report was released by Walk Free Foundation, an Australia-based global human rights organization dedicated to ending modern day slavery.

“We are now seeing the benefits of an expanded anti-trafficking law and the strengthened efforts of law enforcement agencies to stop human trafficking. But we still have more work to do because the challenges are also getting tougher, especially with the emergence of cyber sex crimes,” said Legarda, principal sponsor of the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act (R.A. 10364).

The Senator said that the proliferation of cyber sex trafficking is alarming especially that there are cases wherein the perpetrators are the parents of the victims.

“These cases of cyber sex trafficking tell us that with advancements in the Internet, allowing communication to cross national borders in a matter of seconds, everything is now within reach. We need to strengthen cooperation and improve coordination with international police groups for continuous successful operations against cyber pornography,” Legarda said.

“I will continue to give my full support to the Department of Justice (DOJ), as head of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for the full and effective implementation of the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, as well as in carrying out a massive information and education campaign against all forms of human trafficking, including cyber pornography,” Legarda concluded.

On National Bicycle Day, Drilon urges bike lanes for roads

MANILA-As the country celebrates its first National Bicycle Day on November 23, Senate President Franklin M. Drilon reiterated his challenge for heads of local government units (LGUs) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to start making major roads friendlier to bikers and other travelers using environmentally-sound forms of transportation.  

The Senate leader made the statement as a coalition of private and public groups are spearheading the 1st National Bicycle Day, a nationwide event where cyclists from North and South Metro Manila, Pampanga, Iloilo and Davao will conduct simultaneous rides throughout major roads in their localities.

Expressing his solidarity with the Filipino biking community, Drilon said that the government must be more serious about promoting biking and non-motorized forms of mobility which he said “is a sound method of reducing traffic and air pollution.”

“I agree with every Filipino who has made biking their means of transport and hobby and that not only it promotes a healthier lifestyle, it can also provide some of the answers to our transportation and environmental woes,” he said. 

Drilon said that the government should not ignore biking as a potent way of bringing down the levels of air and noise pollution in metropolitan areas:  “Considering the benefits and rewards of biking, we should adopt it as part of our anti-pollution strategy.”

Drilon said that such a strategy is neither “impractical nor impossible,” noting that examples of bicycle-friendly road systems already exist in the country.

“This is the case for several road projects in Iloilo which I supported, such as the road-widening project along the 10-km Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue in Iloilo, which features a six-lane highway, a pedestrian lane and a 5-m paved bike lane that will extend from the Jaro District in Iloilo City to the Iloilo International Airport,” Drilon noted. 

Furthermore, the senator explained how a 14-km circumferential road connecting Arevalo District in Iloilo City and the coastal road in Dumangas town in Iloilo, "has been designed to include a 2-meter painted bike lane throughout its entire span." These initial bike lanes will  be looped and integrated into a comprehensive bike lane network system for the city in the near future.

“What is really necessary is the cooperation and commitment between local leaders and national agencies, along with strong grassroots support, to effect these type of environmental reforms,” Drilon said.

The Senate chief said he will support any legislation for integration of bike lanes into national roads “if legislative backing is really required for government to make such a system happen.”

Senate OKs funding for 60,000 free WiFi spots

MANILA-The Senate version of the 2015 national budget funds the setting up of at least 50,872 free Wi-Fi spots  all over the country so Internet access can aid learning, link farmers and traders to markets, and connect the public to information that will improve their lives.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said the Senate Finance committee has recommended to increase next year’s budget of the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Public Wi-Fi Program from P338 million to P3 billion.

Recto, who chairs the Finance subcommittee in charge of the DOST, said agency officials led by Secretary Mario Montejo “welcome, support and are pleased with the Senate initiative.”

Last Tuesday, Senate Finance committee chair Sen. Francis Escudero read the amendment on the floor.

If implemented the program will provide Wi-Fi service to 7,917 public high schools, 38,694 public elementary schools, 113 state colleges, 1,118 public libraries, public spaces in 1,490 towns.

In the blueprint drafted by the DOST, Wi-Fi connectivity will also be installed in 895 provincial, regional hospitals, and government-run medical centers in Metro Manila.

“The reason behind this is that if you’re a son of an OFW and you would like to Skype with your father who is in the Middle East because a member of the family has been stricken ill, then you can do it within the hospital premises,” Recto said.

“Or if the hospital staff would like to transmit patient data, then there’s a facility for that.”  

Recto said the rationale behind the program is to tap it for social good. “So it’s the reason why it will be set up in libraries and schools so it can aid in research and instruction, and promote reading.”

The senator said Wi-Fi will also be set up in Public Employment Service Offices to help the jobless search for employment.   

“It will also be set up in town halls.  Kaya kung, halimbawa, ang isa ay malapit sa Municipal Agriculture Office, pwedeng gamitin ito upang alamin ang presyo ng gulay sa Maynila. Ito naman ang layunin talaga : to help real farms and not just to play Farmville.”

“Or kung nasa Civil Registrar’s office ka at may problema ka sa birth certificate mo, doon mismo pwede kang tumawag sa sino mang makakatulong sa ‘yo.”

Free Wi-Fi will also be installed in 85 airports, 41 seaports and 69 LRT, MRT and PNR stations, Recto said.

“DOT has declared 2015 as Visit Philippines Year. Not only that, we are expecting visitors ranging from the Pope to Putin. If we’re expecting millions more travelers, then among the convenience we can offer them is free Wi-Fi,” Recto said.

Pope Francis will visit the Philippines on the third week of January while Russian leader Vladimir Putin will join 20 other Pacific Rim leaders for the APEC Leaders’ Summit in November.

“Alam natin kung gaano kahalaga ang komunikasyon sa byahe. Kung nasa NAIA ka at na-delay ang flight mo ng tatlong oras, may paraan ka para maabisuhan ang sundo mo.”

“Or kung sakay ka ng isang tumirik na MRT, at may kailangan kang ipadalang dokumento, pwede mong gawin iyon kung may Wi-Fi signal sa loob ng bagon.”

“If our vehicular highways are congested, then we should tap the information highway and we can telecommute if the infra is there,” he said.

Recto said the Wi-Fi funding was a result of the Senate’s decision to defer by one year the lease-purchase by the DBM of laptops which will later be issued to selected government employees. 

“I think it is the win-win situation. We set up the access points first. Kasi ngayon ang ang teachers, halimbawa, ay may mga smartphones na. Ang problema nila ay hindi sila maka-connect sa Internet. Then kung nakatayo na ito, we bring in the laptops.”

“Gusto rin kasi natin na palawakin ang laptop program ng DBM. Isang mungkahi dito sa Senado ay isama ang pulis para meron silang handheld device na kung may nahuli man na snatcher o pasaway na driver, pwedeng i-search na kaagad kung may previous record ang mga ito.” 

Legarda: T’boli Dreamweavers to Showcase their Craft at National Museum

MANILA-T’boli weavers from Lake Sebu, South Cotabato will showcase their famous dream-inspired weaving during a two-day demonstration at the National Museum, said Senator Loren Legarda.

Legarda, patron of the country’s first permanent textile gallery, Hibla ng Lahing Filipino, said that the T’bolis are the featured weavers at the gallery on November 22-23, from 1:30-4:30 p.m.

“For the T’bolis of Lake Sebu, weaving, embroidery, beadwork and belt-making are important skills in keeping traditions alive because every item they make is an important part of their life,” she said.

For instance, the t’nalak is a cloth made of abaca that is usually used by the T’bolis during milestones like birth, marriage and death; while the embroidery they use to accentuate their traditional blouses narrate the story of their relationship with nature and the spirits.

“T’boli weavers are often called dreamweavers because the patterns they use for weaving are usually inspired by their dreams. The weaving demonstration is a chance for citizens to interact with these weavers,” said Legarda as she encouraged Filipinos to visit the museum for the demonstration.

The weekly weaving demonstrations at the Hibla gallery are part of the Lecture Series on Philippine Traditional Textiles and Indigenous Knowledge, which Legarda, in partnership with the National Museum, initiated since 2012 to perpetuate weaving and indigenous knowledge.

Previous demonstrators include the Ifugao weavers from Kiangan; the Kalinga weavers from Mabilong Weaving Center of Buscalan; weavers from Samoki, Mountain Province;sinamay weavers from Arevalo, Iloilo; the Panay Bukidnons who showed their panubokembroidery; patadyong weavers from the Bagtason Loom Weavers Association in Bugasong, Antique; weavers from the Yakan Village in Zamboanga City; and Mandaya weavers from Caraga, Davao Oriental.

The weaving demonstrations can be viewed on Saturdays and Sundays, at the Hibla gallery, located at the 4th Floor of the Museum of the Filipino People, Finance Road, Manila.

Drilon: Malicious lies and accusations vs. ICC to blame for project snags

MANILA-Senate President Franklin M. Drilon today said that the baseless allegations weaved from Wikipedia articles and whispered rumors are to be blamed for the latest delays on the construction of the Iloilo Convention Center (ICC), which is gunning for completion in time for the 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Iloilo City.

Drilon underscored that the accusations made by a known political operator against the ICC, which is now the subject of a Senate probe, is “directly responsible for the failure of bidding for the second phase of the ICC’s construction.”

         

“Because of the malicious and baseless allegations against the construction of the ICC, contractors and other participants are getting afraid that their names and businesses will be the next target of lies being concocted, and that their names will be dragged into the issue,” said Drilon.

He cited the statements of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region VI Director Edilberto Tayao, who admitted that the ICC project is facing delays because contractors have apprehension participating in the bidding to complete the project.

“Contractors with the capability to complete a project as big as the ICC did not join anymore, and those who remained were hesitant to bid at lower than P200 million, which is above the project’s approved budget of contract of P187 million,” according to Tayao, adding that major contractors who had previously participated in the bidding for the ICC’s first phase did not do so anymore in the second bidding conducted last October 20.

Tayao also noted that due to the delay, the project’s completion is pushed back to May or June of 2015: “It will take another month to find a qualified contractor for the project’s Phase 2. If that second bidding also fails, we then have to go into a negotiated bidding, as permitted under law.”

“It is unfortunate that just because of lies, and of spiteful and baseless allegations hurled against the project and its proponents and implementers, Ilonggos could lose the opportunity of hosting the 2015 APEC meetings, along with all the tourism and economic developments prospects that this event brings,” Drilon stressed. 

Drilon said he agreed with the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Iloilo City that the ICC overpricing issue could “delay the edifice’s completion and jeopardize Iloilo City’s hosting of the APEC ministerial meetings.”

“If that happens, Ilonggos stand to lose the chance to make new jobs and sources of livelihoods in their communities. This is a very rare opportunity we fear we can never have again,” he emphasized.

The Senate chief said he will continue to answer questions regarding his participation in the ICC project. But he wished that the Iloilo and its developmental plans be spared from politically-motivated smear campaigns.

“I have nothing to hide, and I will hide nothing. But this sinister agenda of some should not spoil the progress of Ilonggos, who have been trying to achieve their dreams of progress in the past years, made possible by opportunities provided by the present administration,” Drilon concluded. 

DSWD to get P3.4 B for free meals for 2 M underweight kids

MANILA-Government’s massive feeding program for undernourished children next year will cover even those not yet in school, as two million 2 to 5 year old tots will be fed healthy meals by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said today.

Recto said this will be made possible through a P3.36 billion allocation in DSWD’s P109 billion budget for 2015.      

Recto said there will be “a division of labor” in government in erasing the nutritional deficiencies of millions of “wasted and severely wasted” children.

The DSWD will take care of those not yet in school while the Department of Education will undertake its own supplemental feeding program for 1.93 million gradeschoolers courtesy of a P3.8 billion allocation in the national budget.

The Senate, he said, has raised the Education department’s schoolfeeding budget by P2.49 billion.

“Combined, the budget for supplemental feeding is about  P7.2 billion while the total number of beneficiaries will reach almost four million,” Recto said.

DSWD's program involves serving one hot meal a day for 120 days to 2,053,383 2-5 year olds in daycare centers, or those under the care of neighborhood associations or community nurseries.

Bulk of the funds will be coursed through local governments, Recto said.  

“But the implementation will be handled by a local consortium which will include the parents of beneficiaries, barangay councils, and civic groups.”

“I think the program will operate under the motto ‘It takes a village to feed a hungry child,’” he said. 

Recto said the Senate Finance subcommittee he chairs has also recommended to increase the DSWD budget for care and nutritional needs of streetchildren by P50 million. 

Legarda Pushes for Provision on Heritage Sites Conservation under 2015 Budget

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda, Vice Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, is proposing to include in the 2015 National Budget a provision that will ensure the protection of heritage sites and structures all over the country.

Citing the destruction of many historical structures—among the most recent include the Art Deco Michel Apartments, the Army and Navy Club and the Admiral Hotel in Manila, the Bancal Bridge in Zambales Province, and the Dampol Bridge in Nueva Vizcaya—Legarda said that Congress must act now to protect the country’s built heritage.

“We wish to propose a special provision that would prevent the use of public funds for infrastructure projects that will destroy or alter built heritage, open spaces, and cultural landscapes regardless of whether or not these were previously declared by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), or the National Museum,” she stressed.

The Senator said that renovation of built heritage and infrastructure projects on heritage sites will only be allowed after due consultation with the public and stakeholders, which consultation shall be administered by the NCCA. She said that there might be instances when such infrastructure projects may be necessary especially if the heritage structure may put at risk public safety.

Moreover, Legarda also proposed a special provision for the preservation and restoration of existing Gabaldon school buildings as part of the preservation of the country’s cultural heritage.

Gabaldon school buildings were designed by American architect William Parsons and funded through Act No. 1801 authored by Philippine Assemblyman Isauro Gabaldon. They have high ceilings, spacious corridors and rooms that are divided by wooden collapsible partitions with wide windows made up of capiz shells.

“I am confident that our agencies tasked to protect our culture and heritage are committed to their duty. That is why we continue to empower them by providing them with sufficient budget and manpower. These special provisions aim to give further support to our cultural agencies to effectively carry out their mandate,” said Legarda.