Agency promissory notes like 5-minute fire response time included in ‘14 nat’l budget

MANILA-Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto has praised Malacanang for the “makeover “ of the national budget, in which spending is linked to clear outcomes, “that even the five minute response time of firetrucks is now attached to the budget of the Bureau of Fire Protection as a performance guarantee.”

“They are now counting the beans,” Recto said in describing the proposed P2.268 trillion 2014 national budget which he said contains “the single most important budgeting innovation” in years, and that is matching funds with “countable outputs.”

In the past, the budget of an agency contained only the amount. The one for 2014 includes performance benchmarks, Recto said. “The peso sign now comes with a performance guarantee.”

“The 2014 national budget has gone micro and I would even say that it has gone overboard in detailing what an agency must deliver,“ he said.

He cited the example of the proposed budget for the Philippine National Police in which among its listed major outputs is “a minimum 629,258 crime investigations to be conducted next year and a vow to increase by 25 percent the number of foot and mobile patrols.”

In the case of the Bureau of Fire Protection, its budget says it will have a five- to seven- minute response time to 87 percent of the 5,185 distress calls it expects to get next year, Recto said.

Over at the Department of Health, the hospitals it directly operates have pegged a target of 106,000 surgeries. The DoH has a proposed budget of P80.8 billion for 2014, or almost a P30 billion jump from what it is getting this year.

Another government hospital, the Philippine Heart Center, has a promised a three percent mortality rate from cardiac surgeries.

Recto said even defense units are not exempted from revealing what is expected of them.

“The National Arsenal said it will churn out 30 million ammunition rounds. From the Army comes this assurance that 90 percent of its 176 tactical battalions can be made combat-ready within one hour upon receipt of orders from higher authorities,“ he said.

Even the National Intelligence and Coordinating Agency cannot invoke secrecy as it has made public its deliverables of 39,215 intelligence reports in 2014.

Recto explained that the beauty of requiring these“promissory notes” is that “big ticket items get unbundled.”

“In the case of the DPWH, its budget says 1,022 gravel roads will be paved while 605 kilometers of national roads will be built. The Department of Agriculture has also indicated that it will repair 1,500 kilometers of farm roads,“ Recto said.

Another major recipient of funds for 2014, the DSWD, has attached a menu of targets to its request. In addition to the beneficiaries of its “mega P62.6 billion” cash transfer program, it says it will be serving meals to 2,568,811 schoolchildren next year.

On the part of the Department of Education, it has pledged an 84 percent National Achievement Test passing rate for 12.56 million secondary school students.

“Wala talagang pinalampas ang panukalang budget na ito. Pati ang inaasahang bilang ng mga bisita sa ating museums kasama sa kwenta,” Recto said, referring to the nearly 900,000 expected visitors of national government-run museums next year.

“Yun nga isang college, ang Tarlac College of Agriculture may quota na 621 graduates sa susunod na taon. Ganun katindi ang pagbubutingting,“ Recto said.

“May isang target na medyo nakakaaliw nga. Yung Bureau of Corrections, citing historical records siguro, nagsabi na hindi lalampas ng 89 na preso ang makakatakas, pero 100 percent naman silang mahuhuli muli,” Recto said.

As to documents, the Land Registration Authority said it is capable of releasing 666,283 land titles next year while the Department of Foreign Affairs said it would be issuing about 3,418,000 pieces of passports and other consular documents.

Recto said that the outcome-based presentation in the 2014 National Expenditure Program and the adoption of what the Budget department has dubbed as the “Performance-Informed Budget structure”will not only promote transparency but ensure “higher rate of returns on public money” spent.

Legarda Pushes for Child Nutrition Program in Schools to Address Malnutrition

MANILA=Senator Loren Legarda has called for the establishment of a child nutrition program in all public schools nationwide to address malnutrition, which affects at least half a million elementary students.

Legarda noted that statistics from the Department of Education (DepEd) showed that 562,262 pupils in kindergarten and elementary levels (Grades 1 to 6) enrolled in public schools in the previous school year were assessed as “severely wasted”.

“We hope that there will be better results in the DepEd’s assessment of our schoolchildren for this school year. We urge parents to have their children bring nutritious snacks to school, but the government needs to establish an innovative complementary feeding program that would ensure access to food supplements which will improve nutritional status of schoolchildren,” she said.

In this regard, Legarda re-filed the proposed Child Nutrition Law.

The bill seeks to improve the health status of schoolchildren through a system-wide plan to implement a nutrition and health program in schools and barangay day care centers, consisting of a complementary feeding program and may also include other nutrition-related activities such as micronutrient supplementation, weighing and growth monitoring, deworming of children, and promotion of improved hygiene practices.

“This intervention is urgent, as undernourishment is largely preventable. We must prioritize the needs of children who are most affected because they are the most vulnerable components of society,” said Legarda.

Metro summit needed to unify gov’t plans on traffic and kickstart prep for APEC

MANILA-Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto today said that Manila’s bus ban should provide the impetus for the convening of a Metro Manila summit that will tackle the flood, traffic and “the region’s other interlocking problems” and “to kick-start the preparation for the country’s hosting of the APEC Leader’s Summit in 2015.”

“In every crisis, there is an opportunity, and the city order preventing buses from plying Manila’s streets should prod Metro Manila mayors and heads of national government agencies to sit down and discuss how to jointly solve the problems of this megapolis of12 million residents,” Recto said.

“There are management collaboration issues in an area where operations of 17 local governments sometimes overlap with the work and mandate of national government offices,” he said in backing calls by some Metro Manila mayors that such a summit be called.

“Sa kaso nga ng bus franchises, mismong ang MMDA ay hindi alam kung ilan ang prankisang naibigay na ng LTFRB para sa ruta sa EDSA,”he said.

“At sa pagbibigay naman ng mga prankisa, walang konsultasyon sa mga local na pamahalaan, kung ang carrying capacity ba ng mga lungsod ay kaya pang i-absorb ang mga buses,” Recto said, in citing “one symptom of the sometimes dysfunctional state of intra-government coordination.”

Recto said the convening of a Metro Manila summit also becomes urgent when seen in the light of the country’s plan to host the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in 2015.

While the host city, or cities, has yet to be chosen, Metro Manila, as the nation’s capital and gateway, will play a major role in it.

“Ang tanong handa na ba tayo? Sapat na rin ba ang 15 buwan para ayusin ang ating kalsada, airport, at mga pasilidad para tanggapin ang dagsa ng mga bisita,” he said. “Gawin natin ang mga issues na bumabalot sa NCR bilang opportunidad na maagang ayusin ang mga ito.”

“Or if you want to be specific about names, will we be ready by then to roll out the red carpet when the likes of Obama, Putin, Xi Jinping and 16 other heads of state, and their senior leaders, come visiting?” Recto said.

The APEC Leaders Summit is but one of four high profile events the country is hosting from 2014 to 2017. The other three are the World Economic Forum’s East Asia Summit in 2014, the 2016 ASEAN Tourism Forum and the 2017 ASEAN Summit.

On the APEC Summit alone, it will be preceded by 17 high-level meetings, each having attendees ranging from 250 to 4,000.

While hosting duties of the four summits might be shared among 10 cities, and it is even possible that the APEC Leaders meeting will be held outside Metro Manila, “it is a foregone conclusion that Metro Manila must still prepare for the influx of delegates and world media,” Recto said.

“For Metro Manila to prepare for these four summits, there must first be summit on Metro Manila,” Recto said.

“But that is a secondary motivation. Regardless of APEC and whether the 21 leaders are coming to town or not, we must still fix things for the sake of our people. They should be the number one reason, and not because some aliens are flying into town,” he said.

“We need to solve the traffic mess and the constant flooding, ensure the humane relocation of informal settlers, and the improve rail services, not because of some international commitments, but because that is what we owe our people,” Recto said.

He explained that the earlier the Metro Manila summit is called “the better so whatever needs to be done can be considered in the 2014 national budget, which both houses of Congress will start hearing next month.”

“Kung kailangan i-jumpstart ang preparations, e dapat ang gastusin ay kalakip na sa 2014 budget. Kasi kung sa 2015 na, sa tingin ng marami, medyo huli na, “ Recto said.

New city hospital eyed in Ecija capital

PALAYAN CITY – A brand-new hospital that will cater to the health and medical needs of poor patients in this city is being eyed by the city government here in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Chinese General Hospital (CGH).

          Mayor Adrianne Cuevas told a press briefing that the hospital project is proposed to be set up at the present site of the Palayan City Information Technology (PCIT) center which used to house the old city hall.

          Cuevas said she has held initial discussions with James Dy, owner of the CGH to look into the possibility of setting up a new hospital along with the DOH people.

          “Mr. Dy is sending people to see how we can set up the hospital,” she said. She added that the DOH is asking for the city investment plan on health for the purpose of helping improve health services to the city.

          At present, the city has an emergency hospital which actually serves as a lying-in clinic with emergency room. However, the facility is not enough to meet the growing demands for medical services of local residents.

          The PCIT center where the hospital project is being proposed will be transferred to the compound housing the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

          Cuevas said health is one of the development agenda of her administration which will also focus on job generation and the provision of basic social services to the people of the city. (Manny Galvez) 

Legarda Reiterates Call for Strict Enforcement of Solid Waste Management Law

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today reiterated her call for faithful compliance with Republic Act 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act), saying that the failure to do so will endanger not only the environment but also more lives and livelihood.

Legarda made the statement in support of the joint call of the environmental groups Greenpeace and the EcoWaste Coalition for the cleanup of the Manila Bay by 13 government agencies as ordered by the Supreme Court five years ago, and the closure of a dumpsite located at Pier 18 in Manila.

“Open and controlled dumpsites should have long been closed as mandated by RA 9003. We must implement the law at full speed, especially now that we are facing threats of extreme weather events that can trigger environmental disasters such as the Payatas tragedy in Manila and the Irisan trash slide in Baguio,” said Legarda.

“I will push for an environmental audit to see the rate of compliance with our environmental laws, including the Solid Waste Management Act, and examine together with our lead implementing agencies what impedes the strict enforcement of these laws,” she added.

The Senator also stressed the need for a concrete report on the clean-up plan for the restoration and preservation of the Manila Bay to reclaim its stunning beauty and proclaim its significance as one of the images of the State’s capital.

“The Manila Bay is one of Metro Manila’s crowning glories, boasting the best view of the sunset as it features prominently in both local and international tourism campaigns. And yet it continues to be neglected—the view of the otherwise beautiful sunset is marred by styrofoam containers, plastic bags, or discarded appliances, and the stench is unbearable at times. It is time that we take a stand against this pollution and degradation,” said Legarda.

Legarda: Utilize Science for a Better PHL

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today said that the nation should utilize science, technology, and innovation in transforming the Philippines into a country not just of potential but of actual success.

Legarda made the statement in time for the 2013 National Science and Technology Week (July 23-27, 2013).

“The science community is a vital sector that must be tapped to provide the needed innovations to address the pressing needs of various sectors like agriculture, transportation, industry and services as well as improve climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts,” said Legarda.

The Senator noted that the Philippines’ growth should be translated to better services for Filipinos. She said that programs based on scientific research and innovation can change lives by averting disasters, safeguarding jobs, incomes, and livelihoods, enhancing food supply, promoting environmental sustainability, and combating poverty.

“Through science, our cities will be planned better; our farmers and fisherfolk will be more adequately supported; our people will live in a healthier and safer environment; and our economic growth will finally start to benefit all,” Legarda said.

Meanwhile, Legarda also cited the improvements in the country’s climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction programs as announced by President Benigno Aquino III in his State of the Nation Address yesterday.

“We are making headway in improving our disaster preparedness. The Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards) has been helpful particularly in providing the needed equipment to provide accurate information and timely warnings to our communities,” she said.

“We also note the ongoing work for the completion of multi-hazard mapping and geohazard mapping. According to the President, geohazard mapping will be completed by the end of 2015, while the multi-hazard mapping of the Greater Metro Manila Area is expected to be done by 2014, following the completion of similar mapping in 28 hazardous areas. In all these efforts, science and technology has been our great weapon,” she added.

“The Department of Science and Technology has been tireless in providing solutions that address the country’s challenges in environmental sustainability, jobs and livelihoods, rural development, and disaster resilience. We hope that the path the DOST is treading on will lead to a better and smarter Philippines,” Legarda concluded.

Drilon assures on-time passage of 2014 budget

MANILA-Senate President Franklin M. Drilon today/July 23 expressed optimism that the 2014 national budget will pave the way for an inclusive and all-encompassing growth which President Aquino promised in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Drilon, who was chair of the Committee on Finance that hears the country's expenditure program, likewise, gave assurance that, with him at the helm, the P2.268-trillion 2014 budget will be passed before the year ends.

The expenditure program for 2014 – submitted today to Congress – is 13.1 percent or P262.1 billion higher than this year’s National Budget.

"I am particularly pleased with the sustained priority being given to health and education systems. I laud the highest budget increase of 45.5-percent budget given to the Department of Health making its 2014 budget P87.1 billion to provide a wider health coverage," said Drilon.

He stressed that the excise tax collections from the Sin Tax Reform Law - touted by Drilon as an anti-cancer law- will augment the budget for health insurance of indigent families next year.

Based on the submitted budget, P35.3 billion is being proposed for the Premium Health Subsidy of 14.7 million indigent families.

Drilon also said he hopes the highest budget yearly being allocated for the Department of Education amounting P336.9 billion for next year will finally enable the agency to put closure to the problems on classroom and school facilities, textbooks, and teachers.

Drilon, as Finance chair in the previous Congress, successfully led the passage of the budget before each fiscal year ends. He said it is vital to the economic growth to have the budget by January 1, so that infrastructure projects can jump-start during the summer season to take advantage of the good weather.

"I am confident that our fellow senators, whether from majority or minority blocks, will scrutinize the proposed outlay objectively, bearing in mind the greatest needs of our people, especially the poorest of the poor," said Drilon.

He added: “Ang sabi ng Pangulo: ‘Ang stratehiya: Sagarin ang oportunidad para sa lahat, lalo na para sa mga mas nangangailangan. Hindi natin pakay maghintay ng trickle down; hindi puwedeng baka sakali o tsamba lang silang daratnan ng mga biyaya ng kaunlaran. Ito pong tinatawag nating inclusive growth—itong malawakang kaunlaran—ang mismong prinsipyong bukal ng bawat inisyatiba, bawat kilos, bawat desisyon ng inyong gobyerno.”

“As legislators, it is our duty to ensure that indeed no Filipino, regardless of economic status, will be left behind and that every Filipino will experience a remarkable improvement in his or her life,” said Drilon.

Recto on SONA : ‘ A rising tide must raise all ships’

A rising tide must raise all ships. I think that is the core of the President’s message this afternoon.  He wants any economic improvement to be enjoyed by all.  And he has prescribed the ways by which wealth created can be dispersed.

Tama ang pinahiwatig ng Pangulo na ang mahirap ang siyang unang dapat makatikim ng biyaya at hindi binabalatuhan na lamang ng tira-tira. He is right in saying that the poor must be the priority of progress and not its postscript. 

It is now up to Congress to respond to his challenge of creating the mechanism by which economic gains will be immediately felt by those who need it most and not something that trickle down to the poor who usually enjoy it last.

It is for this reason that we are looking forward to the examination of the national budget for 2014 because that is one best tool in making growth inclusive.

We are confident that his vision of inclusive growth is translated into budget initiatives, in terms, for example, of jobs to be created by government spending and economic opportunities to be opened up by new infrastructure.

Through the CCT, we have placed a large number of the poor under welfare. But the way for relief to be permanent is to put them to work.  The SONA has given us insights on how it can be done.

In his SONA this year, the President has authored the comprehensive manual on how to achieve inclusive growth.

It is a manual brimming with details, from income-increasing inter-cropping schemes to refrigerating lapu-lapu, from the number of houses to be built to where flood control projects will be constructed, from entitlements to be reformed to laws to be passed. 

Legarda Honors Indigenous Filipinos in SONA Outfit

MANILA-Hoping that issues concerning culture and indigenous Filipinos will be included in the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), Senator Loren Legarda made a statement on preserving and promoting the Filipino heritage and literally walked her talk.

The Senator, who has been passionately advocating for a more active promotion of the traditions and cultural practices of the country’s 110 ethno-linguistic groups, wore indigenous garments at the opening of the 16^th Congress and during the President’s SONA.

“My outfit represents ‘fashionalism’—fashion and nationalism. I wanted to wear something relevant and meaningful,” said Legarda.

During the opening of the Senate’s session for the 16^th Congress, Legarda wore a red, beaded Gaddang outfit composed of an aken (skirt), a barawasi (blouse), and a bakwat (belt), which are all woven out of cotton “kapat” thread and accessorized with the traditional Gaddang intricate beadwork. A Bontoc necklace completed the outfit.

The Gaddangs are from the Mountain Province and other parts of the Cordillera and Nueva Vizcaya.

They are known for their unique traditional costumes accentuated with beads and precious stones. The Gaddang women weave these garments and apply the intricate beadwork to every piece of clothing. A belt alone is made in more than a week’s time.

 

For the President’s SONA at the Batasan Pambansa, Legarda wore a Nabal abaca cloth turned into a skirt. This was presented to her during the third lecture of the Senator Loren Legarda Lecture Series on Philippine Traditional Textiles and Indigenous Knowledge at the National Museum by Master Weaver Tia Ines Pandian of the Bagobo Tagabawa community in Tudaya, Sta. Cruz located at the foothills of Mt. Apo. The cloth was woven by Tia Ines’ mother who passed on the Bagobo weaving tradition to her.

“My SONA outfit represents the artistry of our Mindanao indigenous peoples. I am wearing a skirt calledginayan that was woven using the Bagobo abaca ikat weaving technique,” said Legarda.

The skirt was formed using dyed abaca fibers—red dye is from the bark of apatot tree, black dye is from the leaves of mabolo, and turmeric for the yellow color.

The Bagobo skirt was accentuated by a TBoli brass belt casted by Sbanay Lugan of the TBoli community of Lamlahat, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. The double row of brass bells is intended to attract more spirits to guide the wearer.

“In wearing these garments, I wish to recognize and honor our indigenous peoples for their great contribution to our rich heritage and unique culture. Many of their concerns have yet to be addressed but they remain faithful to the traditions passed on to them by their ancestors,” said Legarda.

“This is a statement of support to all efforts in preserving our culture and protecting the rights of IPs. This is a statement that we will continue to initiate programs that will promote our heritage. Through this, I also wish to invite everyone to visit the National Museum, especially the country's first permanent textile galleries known as the Hibla ng Lahing Filipino: The Artistry of Philippine Textiles, to be reunited with our past and discover how blessed and rich we are as a people,” she stressed.

1,300 hectares of ricelands destroyed by dry spell in NE; P88-M potential loss seen

CUYAPO, Nueva Ecija - Some 1,300 hectares of ricelands in this town were destroyed by prolonged drought, affecting some 800 farmers, the Department of Agriculture reported.

          

             Dr. Andrew Villacorta, DA regional executive director for Central Luzon, said the affected farmlands are  rain-fed areas which neither receive irrigation from the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Systems that operate the Pantabangan Dam or the Casecnan Multipurpose Irrigation and Power Project or the Casecnan Dam.

          Villacorta said they started receiving reports of the dry spell 10 days ago. He said the affected areas produce up to four metric tons of P17 per kilo rice.

          He added that the potential loss could reach P68,000 per hectare or P88 million for the 1,300 hectares.

          However, Villacorta said losses could be reduced substantially if the affected farmers will replant, adding his office has set aside P30 million worth of seeds as calamity buffer stock.

          Villacorta clarified that the drought cannot yet be considered as the effect of the El Nino phenomenon which necessitates a declaration from the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration for it to become official.

          The DA has allocated P20 million to mitigate El Nino in the region although it is still in the process of identifying the vulnerable areas. (Manny Galvez)

Legarda Hopes for Clear-Cut Agenda on Inclusive Growth, Climate Change in PNoy’s SONA

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today said that among the issues she hopes President Benigno Aquino III will mention in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) is a defined roadmap to address the effects of climate change and a clear path towards inclusive growth.

“President Aquino’s administration has already made headway in building a strong economy and we await more of his programs to ensure that these gains will be felt by every Filipino. We are also seeing significant improvement in areas covering our basic needs and rights such as education, healthcare, protection of workers’ rights, disaster preparedness, among others,” Legarda noted.

“I look forward to hearing how the 7.8 percent economic growth will translate to better support for the working middle class, more opportunities for the marginalized sectors, and better services for the poor,” she said.

 “Aside from these things, the administration must also address the threat of climate change. We are a nation greatly at risk to the effects of the warming climate and we need to address our vulnerability if we are to sustain recent economic gains,” she added.

Legarda noted that United States President Barack Obama has acknowledged the threats that climate change brings and will continue to bring if not addressed immediately. President Obama made it clear that he is determined to save the future of Americans by taking that needed push to cut down greenhouse gas emissions and increase investments on renewable energy.

The Senator said that she is aware of the various programs that the Aquino administration is undertaking to improve the state of the environment, but she stressed that President Aquino making a clear statement on what the government is planning to achieve and enjoining Filipinos to be environmental warriors will make a big difference.

“Our government has been working on improving air quality and has also been rehabilitating our forests through the National Greening Program. We also have programs on coastal and marine management as well as ecotourism development. These are among current programs that will help upgrade the state of our environment,” she said.

“We also need to engage in other initiatives that will mitigate climate change, such as generating green jobs and promoting green skills, building green and disaster-resilient infrastructure, and promoting a low carbon lifestyle,” she added.

Legarda will expound further on the state of the nation’s environment in a privilege speech she will deliver a day after the President’s SONA.

SME Roving Academy in Aurora to open on July 23

BALER, Aurora-Lectures on Skills Upgrading on Coconut & Pineapple-based food products, Skills Training on Bamboo Craft Making, Skills Training on Coco Coir-based Handicraft Making, and Skills Upgrading on Coffee Brewing & Packaging will highlight the opening of the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Roving Academy in Aurora on July 23.

“SME Roving Academy is a continuous breeding ground for start-up enterprises and an institutionalized provision of business development services to the identified enterprises which will make them competitive in the domestic and export markets,” said DTI Provincial Director Edna Dizon.

The program will serve as a forum to discuss the problems encountered by SMEs at the provincial level such as lack of access to financial assistance and access to market.

At the same time, it will focus more on integration as it seeks to inform the people of the different interventions of various government agencies, as well as trickle down policies from the upper offices.

The program is anchored on seven learning stages namely Start-Up & Capability Building, Market Awareness, Market Readiness, Export Readiness, Export Market Entry, Export Sustainability, and Export Expansion.

The first four is handled by the academy while the last three is available through Regional Interactive Platform for Philippine Exporters (RIPPLES). (Jojo S. Libranda)

Legarda Files FOI Bill Anew

MANILA-Acknowledging the importance of transparency and accountability in government service, Senator Loren Legarda has filed anew the proposed Freedom of Information (FOI) Act under Senate Bill No. 514.

Legarda said that the FOI Bill mandates all government agencies to disclose information on public interest transactions, documents or records, and provide other information as requested by the public.

Government agencies will be required to disclose, through posting in their respective bulletin boards and official websites, transactions such as contracts with the private sector, procurement contracts, loans, grants and other programs entered into by government agencies with other entities, private organizations or foreign institutions.

“Through this measure any person can access information concerning public interest from government agencies, provided that they make the appropriate request,” said Legarda.

“But there are certain information that must be kept confidential especially that which may compromise the nation’s security, jeopardize negotiations or diplomatic relations with other nations, and intrude on privacy or endanger the life and safety of an individual. Request for access or public disclosure of such information may be denied, but the agency concerned is required to make the appropriate explanation,” she added.

Legarda said that freedom of information is an essential prerequisite for a modern democracy.

“It is a key foundation to the effective exercise of cognate rights such as the freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of expression, as well as the right of the people and their organizations to effective and reasonable participation at all levels of social, political and economic decision-making,” she stressed.

“Transparency in the public sector enables our people to engage in meaningful participation, promotes accountability, and mitigates corruption, which has long been a major obstacle to our country’s development,” Legarda concluded.

Central Luzon PhilHealth soon to meet “Kalusugan Pangkalahatan” target

SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga-Ferdinand De Mesa, 34, from Betis in Guagua town, Pampanga works as a wood carver. Recently, his two-year old son Cyril was hospitalized due to bronchitis. But he didn’t have pay a single peso for medical fees as he is enrolled as a sponsored member of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

“Luckly, I was enrolled to PhilHealth as our family is among the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of Department of Social Welfare and Development," De Mesa said. "Without this, I would not be able to pay the P7,000 hospital bill of my son.

To promote government's universal health program, the Department of Health along with its partners including PhilHealth coined “Kalusugan Pangkalahatan (KP)” which envisions that all Filipino families, specifically the indigents, will be covered by PhilHealth by 2016.

“In Central Luzon, we are near in attaining the goal with 74 percent of our populace already enrolled,” said PhilHealth Vice President for Central Luzon Rodolfo Balog.

Pampanga has the biggest number of coverage with 86 percent of total residents followed by Bataan and Tarlac with 82 percent each, Zambales-78 percent, Bulacan-76 percent, Nueva Ecija-59 percent, and Aurora-55 percent.

PhilHealth is now targeting jeepney drivers, contractual employees, and vendors, where they could be enlisted under the organized group enrollment approach.

“Even students who are 21 years old could now be part of our insurance for at that age, they are not dependents of their parents who are members,” Balog added.

Data from PhilHealth reveal that there are now 490 facilities accredited by the agency in Central Luzon consisting of 193 hospitals, 136 rural health units, 115 maternity clinics, 19 TB-DOTS, 19 dialysis centers, and eight ambulatory hospitals.

There are also 4,115 accredited health care professionals composed of 2,500 doctors; 1,500 specialists; 34 dentists; and 81 midwives. (Joelyn G. Baluyut)

Legarda Wants Rainwater Catchment Facilities in Schools, Brgys

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today said that all schools and barangays in the country should have rainwater catchment facilities as part of efforts to reduce flooding and conserve water.

“These rainwater catchment systems can help address the country’s water shortage problem, particularly during the dry season, while making use of the excessive water brought by the rains during the wet season. These facilities can also contribute to reduce the occurrence of flooding,” said Legarda.

The Senator made the statement in support of the program of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to put up more rainwater collection systems in public schools and state facilities in the country.

The DPWH has allotted P78 million on rainwater catchment facilities in the past two years and for 2013, it is setting aside an additional P50 million. The agency has already built 513 rainwater collection systems nationwide.

The DPWH has also partnered with the Department of Education to include rainwater collection systems in the standard design of public schools.

“I urge private schools as well as local government units, particularly in the barangays, to also put up rainwater harvesting facilities to help conserve water and lessen our dependence on commercially available water,” said Legarda.

“We also continue to promote the building of green infrastructure such as green campuses that will have forest parks, vegetable gardens, and waste segregation system,” she added.

Probe to scrutinize govt’s traffic plan Senate called in to step into worsening traffic problem

MANILA-The Senate is being called to step into the worsening traffic mess and scrutinize the soundness of the government’s traffic panacea that would solve decongestion in major thoroughfares and intersections.

Sen. Ralph G. Recto today urged the Senate Committee on Public Services to inquire into the supposed comprehensive traffic program of the government aimed at loosening the traffic gridlocks in major urban centers.

Recto stressed the monstrous traffic jams have reached critical level that precious man-hours and resources are being wasted every minute that the metropolis stood still because of logjams.

“The Senate inquiry would determine if such traffic management plan would actually ease congestion in major urban centers and speed up the safe and efficient movement of people and goods,” Recto said in filing Senate Resolution No. 5.

He said he was alarmed to learn that the economy loses about $3.6 billion or P153 billion a year because of traffic congestion, particularly in Metro Manila.

It was noted that of the $3.6 billion, $1 billion is lost in wasted gasoline, electricity, man-hours and hiring of traffic aides, while the remaining $2.6 billion represents losses from reduced sales and investment disincentives.

Recto stressed the traffic solution should factor in the increase in numbers of vehicles on the road, the kilometers of new roads and bridges that were built and the burgeoning population.

“There is now one motor vehicle for every 14 Filipinos with 7 million roaring machines cramming our streets. And every hour, about one kilometer of road must be built or repaved to accommodate the 47 new vehicles, which are registered during the same hour,” he said.

He said the recurrence of traffic gridlocks in Metro Manila and even in other major cities are transforming “our streets into chaos, making the movement of people and goods constricted, inefficient and unsafe.”

“The traffic bottlenecks are becoming a travel bane that adversely impact on the economy and also on the general well-being of Filipinos,” the senator stressed.

Recto said traffic experts even differ on approaching the problem since some favor constructing more roads and flyovers while others recommend raising the prices of motor vehicles to stop their metal -kind from multiplying on the road.

He said the latest traffic solution being profounded is by tweaking the current number coding scheme where motor vehicles would be totally barred from plying EDSA at least once during the week.

“There is a need to draft a traffic decongestion roadmap that would outline a comprehensive solution to the traffic mess at least until 2016,” he said.

Recto said the inquiry should “focus on the capacity of concerned agencies to execute the roadmap and devise ways for its successful implementation and ensure the efficient, safe and fast transport of people and products from one destination to another.”

He stressed without a sound traffic management plan, major roads such as EDSA would become giant parking lot where not a single machine and flesh would move.

Recto filed the resolution after the rest of Metro Manila and other urban centers were plunged into total “zero-movement” because of daily logjams that have reached nightmarish level during the month of June.