Team PNoy hails appointment of 2 Comelec commissioners

MANILA, March 7, 2013-The administration coalition Team PNoy on Thursday/March 7 welcomed the appointment of two new commissioners of the Commission on Elections as a step forward in ensuring that the Comelec’s efforts towards having a clean and fair elections in May is more achievable.

“We welcome President Aquino’s appointment of former Ambassador Macabangkit Lanto and election lawyer Bernadette Sardillo as replacements for retired Commissioners Rene Sarmiento and Armando Velasco as this now completes the commission's membership during this very critical period. We hope that their addition will now afford the Comelec enough manpower to carry out pending reforms to make the elections orderly, peaceful and credible,” Team PNoy spokesman Rep. Miro Quimbo said. 

The Marikina representative likewise said the appointment will allow the Comelec to carry out steps “towards making the elections truly balanced.”

“We trust that the new appointees will serve as instruments, not obstacles, to the government's pursuit of transparency and accountability," Quimbo said.

Team PNoy senatorial candidate former Sen. Jamby Madrigal also welcomed the appointments, noting the two commissioners will bring to the poll body fresh perspectives on election reform consistent with the President’s “daang matuwid” program.

“I am glad that the vacancies in the Comelec have been filled with people of integrity and competence. I trust that the Commission will do its best to ensure a clean and honest election this May," Madrigal said.

Former Sen. Ramon “Jun” Magsaysay meanwhile congratulated  Lanto and Sardillo on their appointments, saying they are welcome additions to the poll body.

“We are filled with optimism that, like the rest of the men and women of the Comelec, they will ensure that the mid-term elections will be clean and honest.

He advised the new appointees to be meaningful agents of change and work with a fair sound mind.

“We’re confident that they will contribute significantly to the Comelec’s conduct of clean, fair, orderly and peaceful elections in May as well as in future political exercises,” he said. 

Rule of law must be upheld in Atimonan incident, says Magsaysay

MANILA, March 7, 2013-Team PNoy Senatorial candidate Ramon Magsaysay Jr. on Thursday/Mar. 7 hailed President Aquino’s directive to the Department of Justice to file appropriate criminal and administrative charges against those involved in the January 6 incident in Atimonan, Quezon.

“President Aquino did the right thing in asking the DOJ to prosecute those involved in the Atimonan incident,” Magsaysay said, noting it clearly demonstrates his commitment to the rule of law.

“The rule of law must be upheld at all times,” he said, in reference to the incident which the National Bureau of Investigation found to be a rubout not a shootout. 

“The Aquino administration’s ‘daang matuwid’ is not only a war against corruption; it is also fighting abuses and human rights violations by the police and other law enforcement agencies. If the police commit abuses, then they must be held accountable for their actions,” he pointed out.

Agreeing with investigators’ findings of a summary execution, President Aquino on Wednesday ordered the filing of multiple murder charges against 35 police officers and Army soldiers over the Atimonan incident that left 13 people dead.

“No one in the PNP is above the law. They must all abide by their duty to serve and protect,” Magsaysay added.

Legarda Urges Women to Lead with Confidence, Serve with Compassion

MANILA, March 7, 2013-In celebration of Women’s Month, Senator Loren Legarda urged Filipino women to take on a more active role as leaders in the society as they continue to perform the role of serving their communities.

Legarda, who will attend the Philippine Women Judges Association’s National Convention in Palo, Leyte and the Women’s Congress in Baybay, Leyte, said that this year’s theme for the Women’s Month celebration, “Kababaihan: Gabay sa Pagtahak sa Tuwid na Daan”, underscores the need for women to be at the forefront of efforts to improve Filipino communities and take initiatives that would contribute to the nation’s progress.

“In celebrating Women’s Month, we aim to empower women so that they will have the confidence to lead and still have the compassion to serve. We must always assert what we believe is right and good for our citizens and for our nation,” the Senator stressed.

“Our government should invest more in strengthening women's role as leaders in our society because women have proven their leadership capabilities especially in times of crisis. There is no question on the importance of investing in women, and in getting them involved in decision-making, especially on issues concerning environment and climate change,” she added.

Legarda said that women have been at the frontline of disaster prevention and climate change adaptation efforts, like a group of women farmers in Montalban, Rizal who are practicing agroforestry to adapt to the prolonged wet season. Meanwhile, a group of women fisherfolk in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur reforested over a hundred hectares of mangrove areas to protect their settlements from storm surges and secure an additional source of food for their families.

“Climate change adaptation is just one area where women can prove that they are powerful agents of change. We must create meaningful opportunities for women’s participation and leadership. We should recognize and empower women, who are agents of solutions, indispensable holders of valuable knowledge and skills, and able leaders from the grassroots level to the global stage,” Legarda concluded.

Legarda: We Must Exhaust All Possible Means for Resolution of Sabah Conflict Without Further Bloodshed

MANILA, March 7, 2013-Senator Loren Legarda today said that the government needs to do everything it can to prevent further bloodshed in the on-going conflict between the Malaysian forces and followers of the Sulu Sultanate in Sabah.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, noting that Sultan Jamalul Kiram III has asked to speak directly with the President, said that “if by acceding to this request, a window of opportunity will be opened to end the bloodshed and the stand-off, then, the President should seriously consider this request. We should not be speculating what Malaysia’s reactions will be on matters that will be discussed during the meeting.”

“The situation demands that we exhaust all possible means, including an opportunity for the President to meet with Sultan Kiram. If our government is not willing to listen to them without pre-conditions, I wonder who will,” she added.

The Senator also urged the Malaysian government to allow the Philippine government to help Filipinos in Sabah who wish to return to the Philippines.

“We are asking Malaysia to provide a corridor by which non-combatants may return to the Philippines. We should not relent in pursuing this, but we should not abandon the rest of the Filipinos who are involved in the situation. We need to pursue all avenues by which we can avoid further loss of lives,” Legarda concluded.

Loren Calls for Greater Support for Marikina Shoe Industry

MANILA, March 6, 2013-Senator Loren Legarda has called for greater promotion of the shoe industry in Marikina City, stressing that funding and technological support should be provided to give the industry the needed boost.

Legarda, great grand niece of Kapitan Moy Guevarra who started the shoe industry in Marikina, made the statement after her recent visit to Marikina City, known as the Shoe Capital of the Philippines.

“The shoes made in Marikina are of good quality but the lack of support, especially by way of patronizing and marketing the products, has decreased the demand for these locally-made footwear,” she said.

According to the Philippine Footwear Federation Inc. (PFFI), there are now only 130 shoe factories in Marikina, which is a sharp decline from the 7,000 factories operational in the 1970s.

“We need to have programs that would revive the industry. Support from both the national and local government is needed. We can invite more Filipinos and foreigners to visit the shoe museum in Marikina and have regular trade fairs to showcase their products,” she explained.

Legarda also said that shoe manufacturers in Marikina can make use of the Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) for funding support.

The MSME Law, which Legarda principally authored and sponsored, provides further assistance to entrepreneurs by requiring lending institutions to allocate at least eight percent (8%), an increase from the previous six percent (6%), of their total loan portfolio to micro and small businesses. It also provides access to new technologies and regular entrepreneurship training programs for workers as well as a comprehensive development plan that would ensure the viability and growth of MSMEs in the country.

“We might also need to review the Footwear, Leather Goods and Tannery Industries Development Act. We need to know if the law is being implemented properly and if there is a need to propose amendments to it,” the Senator said.

“Globalization and the competition in the market are some of the factors that have resulted in the dwindling demand of Filipino-made products, like shoes. We have to do something to boost our local industries, such as shoe-making and weaving, where many Filipinos are also good at. We can start by patronizing locally-made products. Marikina-made shoes are pretty, comfortable and reasonably-priced. Let us buy Pinoy,” Legarda concluded.

MADRIGAL WELCOMES SURVEY SHOWING INCREASED OPTIMISM BY PINOYS

MANILA, March 6, 2013-Team PNoy senatorial candidate former Sen. Jamby Madrigal on Wednesday/Mar. 6 welcomed the latest survey by the Social Weather Stations showing that two out of five  Filipinos see a better life this year.

“This could only mean that Filipinos are more optimistic than ever that their lives will change for the better under President Aquino’s administration,” Madrigal said.  

The SWS poll, conducted from Dec. 8 to 11 last year, found 37 percent of respondents expecting their lives to improve in 2013 against eight percent who said things would get worse, for a net score of 29, up by two points from August last year. The SWS said net personal optimism “has been “high” to “very high” since September 2009.

“The survey reflects our people’s overwhelming sentiment which they had earlier expressed in another SWS survey showing their preference for Team PNoy’s senatorial slate over that of the opposition,” Madrigal said.

Nine Team PNoy senatorial bets handpicked by President Aquino made it to the winning circle against UNA’s three in the SWS-BusinessWorld’s latest survey released last month.

More than three million families with more than six million children are currently benefiting from the program. A total of 3,742 households in the provinces of Lanao del Norte, Mountain province, Negros Occidental and Occidental Mindoro took part in the SWS survey.

From these families, 1,418 households eligible for the 4Ps were assessed in greater detail and provided the data on which the assessment was based.

The same survey showed that 33 percent of Filipinos expect the economy to get better this year compared to 14 percent who expressed a contrary view. The net economic optimism was 19 percent in December, also two points higher.

“One thing is clear. Our people are tired of old-style politics, tired of empty promises as what the opposition is offering. They want programs that would redound to their benefits,” Madrigal said.

The SWS poll also said that “net economic optimism ‘has been very high’ from 10 percent and above in eight out 11 surveys since June 2010.

It added that the number of Filipinos who claimed their lives had improved in the last 12 months rose to 25 percent from 21 percent.

“Our people will choose in May the Team PNoy candidates who can help the President continue with his reforms and economic agenda. The choice for them is clear. No amount of ‘Gangnam’ style dancing in rallies by old-style politicians can change that,” Madrigal said.

KIKO TELLS COMELEC, PNP TO INTENSIFY EFFORTS TO CURB ELECTORAL VIOLENCE

MANILA, March 5, 2013-Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan calls on the Philippine National Police and the Commission on Elections to intensify efforts to curb the rising number of election-related violence occurring around the country despite the enforcement of a gun ban.

"We have yet to hear of an election-related violence case that was investigated and that has led to the conviction of the perpetrators and masterminds. I am reminded of that brazen act of razing a school building in Taysan, Batangas during the 2007 elections that killed two innocent individuals and injured others. While it is clear that the case was election-related, no mastermind was pinpointed. Clearly, more needs to be done to curb electoral violence in the country. We urge the PNP and the COMELEC to do all they can to arrest those who, in trying to win at all costs, have murder on their minds."

Election-related violence has already been noted during the campaign for the 2013 midterm election, with the mayor of Isabela being one of the high-profile cases. Recently, two electoral candidates in Masbate were shot a day apart from each other. 

"The Maguindanao massacre where 58 people, including 32 media workers, were killed because of local politics should serve as a grim reminder to our police and election commissioners how deadly election season can be in the country. The COMELEC, the PNP, and even the NBI must work double-time and outsmart these perpetrators to pinpoint the masterminds behind election-related violence and electoral fraud. It is only when we bring these cases to justice will we begin to see genuine change in how political campaigns are being run in the country."

Legarda on Fire Prevention Month: Develop a Culture of Safety and Preparedness

As the country observes Fire Prevention Month, Senator Loren Legarda(Nationalist People’s Coalition) urged the public to develop a culture of safety and preparedness to help prevent the occurrence of fires and the disaster that might result from it.

Legarda said averting fires is no different from reducing and managing risks from natural hazards like typhoons and landslides since the key to both is awareness and being prepared.

She explained that families, aside from ensuring safety precautions that would prevent the occurrence of fires, should have their own “family disaster plan” to include fire alarms, fire escape routes and a regular fire drill for all household members, among other preventive measures.

“Prevention and awareness are our weapons that can avert man-made disasters and accidents. Gaya ng paghahanda natin sa bagyo, lindol at iba pang kalamidad, dapat maging mas handa tayo sa sunog dahil maaari itong mangyari sa araw-araw,” she pointed out.

This year’s Fire Prevention Month has the theme “Sunog at Sakuna Paghandaan; Kalikasan ay Pangalagaan nang Matamasa ang Pag-unlad ng Bayan.”

“I am glad that our fire officials have also recognized the importance of taking care of the environment in its fire prevention theme,” said Legarda as she also stressed the relevance of her nationwide disaster risk reduction (DRR) workshops, which aim to promote greater risk awareness in the communities and make the country more resilient to natural hazards.

Aside from conducting DRR worskshops, Legarda has been distributingDisaster Preparedness and First Aid Handbook, a manual that the Senate Committee on Climate Change, which she chairs,  created with the help of various agencies of governments.

The handbook includes basic information on the causes, possible risks,  what to do before, during, and after the occurrence of hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, tropical cyclones, flood, storm surges, thunderstorms, tornadoes, landslides, heat waves, structural collapses and fire.

Legarda Files 291 Bills and Resolutions in 15th Congress

MANILA, March 3, 2013-In the 15^th Congress, Senator Loren Legarda has filed a total of 291 bills and resolutions, first and foremost of which is the Universal Healthcare Coverage Act.

Legarda, who chairs the Senate Committee on Climate Change, Committee on Cultural Communities, and Committee on Foreign Relations, filed 149 bills and 87 resolutions as principal author, and 25 bills and 30 resolutions as co-author.

On the very first day of the 15^th Congress, the Senator filed seven bills—mandatory healthcare coverage, amended cheaper medicines, barangay greening and reforestation, additional benefits for kasambahays, establishing a migrant workers hospital, having barangay nutrition workers, and the magna carta for public school teachers.

“We aim to finish the Universal Healthcare bill before the 15^th Congress ends in June because this will ensure that the 25 million poorest Filipinos will have access to Philhealth benefits,” Legarda stressed.

Legarda also filed several bills on health, the environment, women and children, welfare of Filipino workers, good governance, and indigenous peoples, among other issues.

Among the most notable of the bills she authored which were signed into law include the People’s Survival Fund Act, which provides a special fund for the financing of activities of local governments for climate change adaptation programs; the Kasambahay Law, which provides additional social benefits, such as SSS and Philhealth, for kasambahays; and the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, which aims to improve the efforts against human trafficking by covering attempted trafficking and accessory or accomplice liability and providing protection to trafficked victims.

She has also ushered the passage of 16 treaties, including the International Labour Convention (ILO) 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers; and the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), for better protection and improved working conditions of seafarers.

“These are just among the measures that have been enacted into law, and in the next Congress, if reelected, I will not stop until we have accomplished the other measures, particularly on health and education, that would further protect and benefit Filipinos,” Legarda stressed.

Peaceful solution our highest priority--Tañada

MANILA, March 2, 2013-Team PNoy spokesman Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada said on Saturday/March 2 a "peaceful solution was the highest priority" of the Philippine government "following a bloody end to the Sabah standoff."

Tañada said the administration "sympathizes with the families of those killed" but stressed "this is not the proper way to push their claim."

Tañada added, “We had feared that this would be the outcome after they ignored President Aquino's call for them to return to Sulu. This is affecting the status of hundreds of thousands of Filipinos living in Sabah."

At least 12 armed followers of the Sultan of Sulu who were holed up in a village in Lahad Datu and two Malaysian security personnel were killed on Friday when fighting broke out in the area. 

The government expressed regrets that the Sabah standoff resulted in bloodshed, saying it should serve as a lesson that territorial disputes should be settled according to international law and not through the use of force.

Legarda: Find Culprit of Oil Spill as Cleanup Ongoing in La Union

Senator Loren Legarda today said that authorities should find out who is responsible for the oil spill that affected coastal areas in La Union, which prompted the declaration of state of calamity in the province.

“While cleanup operations are ongoing, authorities must determine who the culprits are in this oil spill because they cannot just get away after seriously affecting seawaters, marine life, and the local communities in La Union,” Legarda said.

Initial reports say that the oil sludge came from MV Harita Bauxite, a Myanmar vessel that sank off Bolinao town in Pangasinan.

Legarda said that the Philippine Coast Guard and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources should conduct an investigation to determine the origin and extent of the oil spill and carry out appropriate action against those responsible for the incident.

“The oil spill threatens the livelihood of fishermen in the area and could also affect tourism. There could also be possible health impacts to the local community. It is not enough that cleanup is ongoing because those responsible for this incident should own up, pay up and join the cleanup,” Legarda concluded.

First Gen, Singaporean firm in tug-of-war for giant Ecija dam project

CABANATUAN CITY – An energy company which owns and operates the Pantabangan-Masiway Hydroelectric Complex, is locked up in a tug-of-war with a Singaporean firm over the P13.6-billion Balintingon Reservoir Multi Purpose Project (BRMPP) that can potentially irrigate 63,000 hectares of agricultural lands in southern Nueva Ecija and portions of Central Luzon.

          National Irrigation Administration Administrator Antonio Nangel said that the First Gen Hydro Power Corp. (FGHPC) is also keen on constructing the BRMPP even as the NIA Board has approved the application of Kaltimex Energy (Singapore), Ltd. (KES) to undertake the dam project subject to certain conditions.

          “First Gen has indicated it also wants Balintingon,” Nangel said, even as a technical working group (TWG) has been created to evaluate the KES. The TWG is chaired by deputy administrator for engineering and operations Robert Suguitan and is composed of representatives from the engineering, operations and legal department of the agency.

          KES and FGHPC have figured prominently in the recent wave of power interruptions in Pantabangan town. KES was tapped last year by the municipal government to rehabilitate the local government-run Pantabangan Municipal Electric Services (Pames).

          FGHPC cut off power to Pames over its allaged failure to pay power bills from July to December 2012 worth P8.7 million.  

          Lawyer Genever Dionio, chief of the NIA’s legal department, said the approval of the KES’s application was on condition that it should submit documents showing its legal, technical and financial capability to undertake the BRMPP.

          He said the KES has already submitted  the required documents. “We have yet to go over the documents but we will do so soon,” he said.

          The feasibility study for the BRMPP was submitted to the NIA by Sunwest Water and Electric Company (Suweco) last October for its evaluation.

          However, Suweco president Jose Silvestre Natividad informed Nangel that his firm has assigned all its rights, title and interest to the feasibility as well as its investment and operation of the power plant to KES, its partner in the preparation of the feasibility study.

          A copy of the seven-page executive summary of Suweco’s  feasibility study for the BRMPP stated that the hydro-electric power project is proposed to be built at the catchment area of the Penaranda-Sumacbao-Chico river systems.

Its potential service area of 63,000 hectares will cover the towns of Cabiao, Gen. Tinio , Penaranda, San Isidro and Sta. Rosa and the cities of Cabanatuan and Gapan, all in Nueva Ecija; San Miguel, San Ildefonso and and San Rafael in Bulacan and Arayat in Pampanga.

          Among the BRMPP’s components are a 138-meter rockfill dam, a spillway designed to cope with flood, a 44-megawatt capacity powerhouse, a concrete weir located seven kilometers downstream of the main dam and new irrigation facilities.

          The study estimated the entire project, whose economic life is 50 years, to cost P13.6 million of which P10 million is the direct cost. It has an economic internal rate of return of 21.05%.

          In 1993, the project was estimated to cost only P5 billion then P8.3 billion in 1999.

          The project is expected to produce 119.59 gigawatt-hours of of power and P1.6 billion worth of electric benefits annually. Aside from irrigation and hydro-electric power generation, the project is also expected to generate fish production worth P280 million annually.

          The study also said that the BRMPP would ensure year-round irrigation to 41,500 hectares of land, resulting in annual incremental production of 65,761 tons of paddy rice and 18,035 tons of vegetables.

          The project was initially formulated in the Irrigation Development Plan for Central Luzon in 1976 which was based on a reconnaissance study conducted by NIA and Electroconsult of Italy. It was conceived to take over the role of the Aurora-Penaranda Irrigation Project which supplied southern Nueva Ecija with irrigation.

          Aside from the KES and the FGHPC, the long-delayed dam project is being eyed by several companies, including the California International Ltd. (CalEnergy), the same American firm which built the giant Casecnan Multipurpose Irrigation and Power Project (CMIPP). – Manny Galvez 

GOV’T ANTI-POVERTY PROGRAM PAYING OFF – TEAM PNOY

Team PNoy spokesman Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada on Saturday/March 2 welcomed a World Bank study indicating that the country’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program known as thePantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is on track to achieving its objectives.

“It is heartening to learn that government efforts are paying off… that what Team PNoy has been supporting all along is finally bearing fruit,” Tañada said, referring to the 4Ps that has benefitted more than three million poor families with over six million children.

The CCT provides cash grants to poor households to encourage them to keep their children up to age to 14 in school and have regular health check-ups.

“There’s more work to be done. This anti-poverty effort needs to be continued and supported. We, in the administration coalition are committed to support President Aquino in this endeavor,” Tañada said.

The World Bank study entitled, Philippines: Conditional Cash Transfer Program, Impact Evaluation 2012, confirmed that children of Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries are enrolling and attending schools, with improved health because of regular visits to health centers and pregnant mothers getting proper care.

Nazmul Chaudhury, World Bank country sector coordinator for human development and one of the authors of the report, said that poor households under the program spend 38 percent more in education per capita and 34 per cent more on medical expenses per capita than their non-Pantawid counterparts.

“This trend indicates a shift in the spending pattern among CCT beneficiaries toward greater investments in health and education of their children,” Chaudhury said in the report.

The WB report said that in Pantawid barangays, 76 percent of pre-schoolers are enrolled in day-care, compared to 65 percent in non-Pantawid barangays.

Among school children at age 6 to 11, 98 percent of children in Pantawid barangays are enrolled in school as against 93 per cent in non-Pantawid barangays.

The WB study is based on the analysis of 1,418 poor households eligible for the program from a survey covering 3,742 households in the provinces of Lanao del Norte, Mountain Province, Negros Occidental and Occidental Mindoro. 

Legarda: Prioritize Safety of Filipinos, Seek Peaceful Resolution to Sabah Crisis

Following reports of a clash between supporters of the Sultan of Sulu and Malaysian police, Senator Loren Legarda today said that there is an urgent need to ensure the safety of Filipinos in Sabah, stressing that the government should seek for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, also called on the Malaysian government to allow Philippine officials to help Filipinos affected in the situation.

“We call on the government of Malaysia to ensure the safe passage back to the Philippines of Filipinos who want to return following the stand-off in Sabah. The Philippine Embassy should be given access to Filipinos involved in the stand-off and those requiring medical attention should be provided one without fear of retribution or arrest,” she said.

Legarda made the statement in reaction to the reported clash between a group of Malaysian police and the supporters of the Sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram III, following a three-week stand-off in Lahad Datu town in Sabah.

The Senator said that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should ensure that collateral damage among Filipinos in Sabah is minimized.

“The incident is symptomatic of an issue that has remained unresolved.  It is important that the Philippines and Malaysia discuss the issues and work towards a durable and lasting solution to the problem. The Department of Foreign Affairs needs to bring this issue from the back burner into the negotiating table,” Legarda concluded.

Legarda Conducts Dialogue with OFWs

Senator Loren Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, conducted a dialogue with members of the Global Filipino Diaspora Council (GFDC), an overseas Filipinos group, and explained some of the legislation that will benefit them and address their concerns.

Among the concerns raised by GFDC members present during the dialogue conducted at the Senate are the trafficking of Filipinos, protection of domestic workers, and vulnerability to climate change of indigenous peoples.

“Two weeks ago President Aquino already signed into law the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, which is a stronger version as it covers attempted trafficking and accomplice liability. We are hopeful that this will effectively address the problem of human trafficking,” said Legarda, principal author and sponsor of the law.

“We also have an existing law which covers the protection of indigenous peoples especially in this era of climate change—the 2009 Climate Change Act, which created the Climate Change Commission. This commission is supposed to map out an action plan on climate change, which is important for our IPs who are among those vulnerable to extreme weather events because they usually live either in our forested areas, coastal areas, slopes or foothills,” she added.

The Senator also explained that the Senate has concurred in the ratification of at least 16 treaties that will be beneficial to Filipinos overseas, such as the ILO Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers; the Maritime Labour Convention for the protection of the rights of seafarers; the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT) with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and with China, which establish a legal framework that obligates the Contracting Parties to assist in the investigation, prosecution and suppression of criminal offenses and proceedings related to criminal matters; and the Convention on Social Security between the Philippines and the Kingdom of Spain, which ensures that Filipinos in Spain are secured upon retirement.

“The Philippine Senate’s concurrence in the ratification of ILO Convention 189 is historic as it paved the way for the treaty’s entry into force. My next campaign will be with the parliaments of the world and their foreign ministries so that all other nations, especially where there is a concentration of Filipino domestic workers, will also concur in the ratification of this Convention,” Legarda said.

“We have the laws in place and we are monitoring the implementation of these laws, but we cannot do it alone. We cannot solve this problem of climate change, indigenous peoples’ vulnerability, trafficked victims, etc. We need you, the very vigilant overseas Filipinos, who have the resources, the time, and the passion to help address the concerns of our citizens and confront the challenges that our nation is faced with,” Legarda concluded.

Magdalo to promote welfare of retired AFP soldiers, personnel

MANILA, March 2, 2013-Magdalo Para sa Pilipino (Magdalo) vowed to craft measures the will provide more protection to the welfare and benefits being received by retired soldiers and personnel of the armed forces and their families, once they win a congressional seat in the May midterm elections.

“Magdalo’s long-standing relationship with retired soldiers and their families has given it the comprehensive view of the often neglected and underrepresented sector of retired soldiers. We feel their pain and suffering, and it’s about time that we help them hear their voices,” said Gary Alejano, the party-list group’s first nominee.

He added: “We will waste no time once elected to office. We have identified priority measures, most of which seeks to ensure aid and guarantee benefits to retired soldiers and their families even after their term of service. We must let them feel that their government and its people appreciate all the blood and sweat they sacrificed for their country.”

Among the measures Magdalo plans to focus on if it clinches a seat in the House of Representatives are the upgrading of veteran’s pensions and benefits, the institutionalization of scholarship grants to dependents of soldiers, and the creation of the national military appreciation week.

Alejano heads the civilian volunteer organization Samahang Magdalo, which works hand-in-hand with the party-list group. Even before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has approved its application as a party-list organization, it has been engaged in various socio-civic activities through the efforts and initiatives of its members, comprised mostly of retired soldiers and personnel of the military.

Part of the group’s advocacy to reform the government is fight corruption and maintain peace and order in the country. 

“A representative for retired soldiers and their families is a necessary step toward a meaningful move to provide them with the necessary attention and resources from the government they rightfully deserve,” Alejano said.

Other Magdalo nominees are its national spokesman and secretary general Francisco Ashley Acedillo and former Navy Lieutenant Manuel Cabochan.

Magdalo is one of the 79 party-list groups which the Comelec has accredited to run in the national and local elections in May.

Two-time widower, 72, takes widow, 71 as bride in Aurora mass wedding

DIPACULAO, Aurora – A septuagenarian businessman, who was a widower twice over, took a septuagenarian businesswoman – herself a widow - as his wife, highlighting the mass wedding of 28 couples in this town Thursday afternoon.

          Marcelo Sebulboro Niegos, 72, and Estrella Palit-ang Gomez, 71, got lawfully wedded after 11 years in ceremonies officiated by Mayor Reynante Tolentino here.

          Niegos and Gomez, both of Barangay North Poblacion here, vowed that while the deaths of their previous partners led to their marital union, it is also only death that could make them part.

          “We want our union to be pure so we got married,” said Niegos, after sealing his union with Gomez with a kiss.

          Niegos, who was born on February 19,1941 – coincidentally the day the province celebrates Aurora Day-  has two children from as many previous marriages. His first wife Amparo Pimentel died in Lipa City in 1992. His second wife Juanita also died in 1999.

          Gomez has six kids from a previous marriage to her late husband  Felixberto Calderon who died in 1999.

          Niegos and Gomez met in North Poblacion where they happened to be neighbors.

          Gomez said it was love at first sight. But she clarified it was Niegos who feel for her on sight, not the other way around.

          Niegos said what is important is that they will now live together for better or for worse, in sickness or in health and yes, “till death do us part.”

          Asked jokingly if she had no misgivings that she would suffer the same fate as Niegos’ previous partners, Gomez said she has no such fear and that her love for Niegos overcomes all fears.

          Tolentino, in his speech during the mass wedding, emphasized respect among the couples as the foundation of their love for each other. “It’s important that you respect each other because if you have respect, it means you love each other,” he said before the 28 couples.

          Tolentino said since he became mayor in 2007, he already officiated in the mass wedding of at least 5,000 couples in the town. He said these couples were married without paying any single centavo to the municipal government, saving them expenses of at least P1,500 per couple.

Last year, Tolentino also officiated the wedding of 29 couples, including Ireneo Balangue Jr., 58, and Emelinda Bellong, 49, both of Barangay Dimabuno, who finally got married after living together like husband and wife for 27 long years and having two children sans marriage.

Candido Velasco, municipal civil registrar, said that aside from Niegos and Gomez, the others who got married were Juan Paolo Dolores and Mary Joy Rojo, Loderico Gamilla and Jocelyn Gonzales, Joel Bernardo and Virginia Evangelista, Leonard Agua and Jennalyn Tumala, Marcelino Mico and Teresita Terre, Judy Carbonel and Girlie Barte, Melchor Villamar and Mary Ann Hetosis, Dominador Garcia and Crisanta Ruiz, Eliseo Pascua and Desiree Arcega, Frederick de Guzman and Ronalyn Ramos, Allan Viernes and Geraldine Jose, Oscar Asuncion Jr. and Miriam Penaranda, Nestor Montero and Jessica Ogian;

Elmar dela Cruz and Maureen dela Cruz, Jovan Pacis and Melody Amin, Arnelio Marquez and Jenny Posidio, Eduardo Blanco and Jocelyn Posidio, Martian Cuaresma and Genelyn Alavar, Darwin Buenconsejo and Ma. Fatima Baroro, Edgardo Agustin and Emilyn Peralta, Melvin Orpiano and Charibel Pelantagaan, Aristotle Sarenas and Mary Jane Ocmer, Jesus Marzan Jr. and Yolanda Moreno, Virgilio Sevilla and Julieta Lagmay, Kristopher Fernandez and Rodelyn Calaunan, Jayson Drapeza and Dolores Canonigo and Orville Von Forbes and Ana Rose Acosta. – Manny Galvez