ANGARA SEEKS TO AMEND PESO LAW TO CREATE MORE JOBS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

MANILA-Senator Sonny Angara has stressed the need to expand and strengthen the network of the Public Employment Services Office (PESO) to address the persistent issue of unemployment in the country, especially in the rural areas.

Angara, the acting chair of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources, on Tuesday delivered a sponsorship speech on Senate Bill No. 1386, which seeks to amend Republic Act 8759 or the Public Employment Service Act of 1999.

"The policies that govern our PESOs must be fine-tuned and improved—the very objective of the measure we are sponsoring today, as originally pushed and authored by Senator Jinggoy Estrada," he said.

The PESO law was enacted to create PESOs across strategic areas in the country to serve as a venue for Filipinos to explore employment opportunities and other labor market information. It also provides for training activities, certification tests, career guidance, and job referral services.

To date, there are PESOs in 75 provinces, 142 cities, and 1,374 municipalities in the country.

Collectively, PESOs may be credited for up to 4.45 million job placements between 2010 and 2013.

"We saw how these offices become instrumental in minimizing unemployment and underemployment. The success of select PESOs should be replicated in more areas of the country. We want each local government unit (LGU) to have its own PESO," Angara said.

SB 1386 seeks to create PESOs in all provinces, municipalities, cities and other strategic areas throughout the country, and to ensure their continued operation and sustainability through the support of the LGUs and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The proposed measure also mandates PESOs to form a national network for the generation of labor market information to allow for more efficient, effective, timely gathering, processing and dissemination down to the grass roots level.

"Sa madaling salita, pinapatibay ng panukalang batas ang PESO bilang katuwang ng DOLE sa lokal para sa paghahain ng employment facilitation services. Ang PESO rin ang magiging pangunahing opisina sa ilalim ng lahat ng LGU na tututok para intindihin at hanapan ng solusyon ang mga isyung may kinalaman sa labor market," he said.

Based on the April 2014 Labor Force Survey, 2.9 million Filipinos are unemployed while seven million are underemployed.

The survey further showed that 62 percent or around 1.8 million of the unemployed had a high school diploma, a post-secondary certificate or a bachelor’s degree.

"Ironically, even our graduates are hounded by joblessness. According to studies, it can take 18 months up to two years before new college graduates can land a job," the senator said.

In addition, according to DOLE, one out of every four job vacancies are considered hard-to-fill or openings that either have too few applicants or those that attract a large number of applicants but are unqualified for the job.

"The prevalence of jobs-skills mismatch in the country is very alarming. I can't stress enough the need for us to create more and better jobs not only for the 10 million Filipinos who are either unemployed or underemployed, but more so for the thousands of young Filipinos who enter our labor force every year," he added.

"Sa kabila ng ating malakas na ekonomiya, marami pa rin ang naiiwan sa kahirapan at kawalan ng trabaho. Kaya marapat na i-arangkada pa lalo ang mga proyekto’t polisiya ng gobyerno para tulungan ang bawat mamamayan upang makahanap ng trabaho. Malaki ang maitutulong ng pag-amyenda sa PESO law sa adhikaing ito," concluded Angara.

Ecija court unseats mayor, installs rival as winner in polls

ALIAGA, Nueva Ecija – A Regional Trial Court (RTC) unseated here on Monday incumbent Mayor Elizabeth Vargas and installed her rival, businessman Reynaldo Ordanes  as the duly elected winner in the May 2013 elections, ending the Vargas’ 22-year stranglehold in this town amid the former’s alleged refusal to vacate her post in the municipal hall.

          Ordanes,  an ally of the Joson’s Nationalist People’s Coalition,  was installed after Cabanatuan City RTC  Branch 30 deputy sheriff Victoria Roque served the writ of execution issued by Judge Virgilio  Caballero to Vargas at the town hall where she  holed herself since last week.

               Ordanes is the brother of Quezon City assessor Rodolfo Ordanes.

              Vargas, a four-term mayor and wife of former three-term mayor Marcial Vargas, was proclaimed winner by the municipal board of canvassers last year, garnering 11,477 votes to Ordanes’ 11,413, or a scant margin of 64 votes.

         

         However, Ordanes  filed an election protest before the RTC which examined the votes.

Last May 28, the court voided 72 of Vargas’ votes. It also ruled that three of Ordanes’ votes, which were rejected by the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines , were valid, bringing his vote total to 11,416 while Vargas’ votes were reduced to 11,405 votes after the 72 votes were deducted from her tally, prompting the court to declare Ordanes winner by a plurality of  11 votes.

On June 19, the court issued a writ of execution of its decision pending appeal but it was withheld on July 15 after the Commission on Elections issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) enjoining it to cease and desist from enforcing its order for a 60-day period.

The TRO expired last September 16, prompting the court to issue another order dated September 17 implementing the writ.

“To date, no restraining order is issued by the higher authority and therefore the writ of execution pending appeal to enforce the said decision on June 19, 2014  is now effective,” the court said.  

In its September 17 order, the court said Vargas has not produced any evidence to defend her position.

Ordanes, who took his oath last Friday before Quezon City RTC Judge Jose Paneda, said  he will temporarily hold office in his house near the town hall while Vargas is still occupying the mayor’s office to avert any untoward incident.  

He was accompanied by his running mate, Vice Mayor Alfredo Domingo and throngs of wildly cheering, loyal supporters.

“We don’t want any trouble. What we want is peace in Aliaga because I love our townmates,” Ordanes said as he appealed to Vargas to peacefully step down from her post to effect a smooth transition. 

          He said he believed in the rule of law and would await for the Department of the Interior and Local Governments to step in.

          Vargas has refused to come out of the mayor’s office. Reporters trying to gain entry in her office were barred from doing so.

            But municipal administrator Emmanuel San Juan said they will abide by the legal processes and will respect the DILG directive. (Manny Galvez)

Senate commends journalists, graduates, provincial government and design team

The Senate today approved four resolutions commending journalists, graduates, provincial government and a design team for their respective contributions to the country.

Senator Loren Legarda sponsored Senate Resolution No. 644, honoring and commending Angelo Castro, Jr. and Harry Gasser, veteran Filipino broadcast journalists, who have contributed in “elevating the standards of Philippine broadcast media.”

Castro and Gasser, who had both passed away, were known as news anchors of The World Tonight and RPN 9’s NewsWatch respectively.

“Throughout the lives of Angelo Castro, Jr. and Harry Gasser, they both stood for sincerity, impeccable work ethics, perseverance, balance and truth in broadcast media,” Legarda said.

Legarda also sponsored a resolution congratulating and commending the graduates of Escuela Taller de Intramuros for showcasing their skills in projects reviving the historic quarters of Intramuros, restoration of colonial churches and bridges and other heritage restoration projects.

Escuela Taller de Intramuros was founded in 2009 through the collaboration of the Spanish Embassy in Manila, Agencia Española de Cooperacion Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID), the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Intramuros Administration (IA), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the City of Manila to offer free training to indigent young men and women on 18^th century and 19^th century construction techniques.

“The graduates of Escuela Taller de Intramuros who have risen above poverty, domestic abuse, and a seemingly hopeless future have now become skilled individuals who not only restore and create items of value but are actually guardians of Philippine heritage,” Legarda said.

Another resolution sponsored by Legarda commended the provincial government of Davao Oriental, Protected Area Management Board and the local community in their collaborative efforts conserving Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary for being included in the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee’s World Heritage Sites list.

Located along the southeastern part of the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor, the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary showcases terrestrial and aquatic habitats which include the Philippine Eagle and Philippine Cockatoo. Specifically, it hosts five endangered species, 27 rare species, 44 endemic species and 59 economically important species.

“The high level of endemicity of its habitat is significant for putting the Philippines in 7^th place among the 17 biologically rich countries in the world. The Philippines commits to the international community its strong support for the conservation of its rich flora and fauna. This recognition highlights the need to safeguard the biodiversity and natural heritage of the wildlife sanctuary and its surrounding watershed areas and forests,” Legarda said.

Meanwhile, Senator Teofisto Guingona III sponsored Senate Resolution No. 879 commending the Butterfly House Project Team composed of businessman and inventor Rogelio Santos, Jr., designer Budji Layug and architect Royal Pineda for initiating a design-led approach to providing “affordable, habitable, durable and convenient emergency shelters for displaced families, in lieu of the traditional tents and bunk houses.”

Santos, Layug and Pineda teamed up to design a solution to the loss of homes caused by man-made and natural calamities such as Typhoon Yolanda through the Butterfly House which is an “innovative, steel-framed housing structure that can be folded for compact shipping and storage, and unfolded into an immediately livable structure.”

In the resolution, Guingona commended the team for “designing ultimately for social innovation, and proving once again the innate ingenuity and resourcefulness of Filipinos in addressing socio-economic problems.”

“The government, through a national design policy, should support good designs such as this Butterfly House Project, by creating an environment that values and utilizes design as a problem-solving mechanism and by considering Butterfly Houses as a better alternative to tents or bunk houses,” Guingona said. (Apple Buenaventura)

Senate approves creation of Quezon City Development Authority

The Senate today approved on third and final reading a bill creating the Quezon City Development Authority (QCDA) which will be mandated to promote investments and generate employment opportunities in the city.

Senate Bill No. 2161, introduced by Deputy Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, and sponsored by Sen. Joseph “JV” Ejercito, would address Quezon City’s housing and urban development concerns through the creation of the QCDA, a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC). The measure was co-sponsored by Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph G. Recto.  

According to Sotto, one of the tasks of QCDA will be “to provide adequate and affordable housing to marginalized and low-income families in Quezon City.”

To encourage the participation of the private sector, he said, the QCDA will promote and develop vacant, blighted and under-utilized lands owned by the local government of Quezon City; develop resettlement sites, and enter into joint ventures and partnerships to pursue QCDA’s primary objective of urban renewal.

“We must always look for ways to uplift the way of life of the people. The QCDA gives the local government the chance to provide projects aimed at improving the quality of life of the people of Quezon City, such as providing them affordable transportation, energy, access to telecommunications and information,” Sotto said.

The measure, which provides the QCDA with an authorized capital stock of P2 billion, also provides that all the powers and functions of the QCDA will be in accordance with established urban development and housing plans prepared by the QC government.

With the creation of the QCDA, the QC Housing and Urban Renewal Authority (HURA), a corporation owned by the city government mandated to provide low-cost dwelling units for the city’s informal settlers and low-income government employees will be dissolved, Sotto said. (Yvonne Almiranez)

Automatic insurance coverage for senior citizens hurdles Senate

The Senate today approved on third and final reading a bill providing mandatory insurance coverage to Filipinos 60 years and above regardless of their social or economic status.

Senate Bill 712, introduced by Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto and sponsored by Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, seeks to provide automatic Philippine Health Insurance coverage to all senior citizens.

Currently, only indigent senior citizens are entitled to PhilHealth coverage under Republic Act (RA) 7432, as amended by RA 9994, or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.

“As of June of this year, PhilHealth has covered 3.9 million senior citizens as lifetime members, dependents, sponsored or indigents,” Guingona said in this sponsorship speech.

However, Guingona said that around 2.16 million senior citizens have yet to get health insurance coverage.

“The government will need about P5.2 billion annually to provide the remaining 2.16 million citizens with insurance. But this amount is small when we compare to the hope we would give to our grandparents. This is a small price to pay for the promise of universal health care we have promise our citizens,” Guingona said.

“The way we treat our aging citizens, and how we spare them from the misery brought by lack of access to health services, is reflective of a nation’s collective character” he added.

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon said that the health-related measure “will advance the health of millions of Filipinos, and will uphold their right towards effective and easily attainable medical services.” 

"I share the belief that the country's elderly population must be provided with accessible and sufficient health care that will help them in their twilight years, and we can attain it by enrolling every senior citizen in Philhealth," Drilon said.

For his part, Recto said that PhilHealth coverage should be automatic and not optional for senior citizens.

According to Recto, PhilHealth, which has P116 billion in reserves and P62 billion in income as of December 31, 2013, can more than afford to provide insurance to the country’s elderly citizens.

“Only six in every 100 Filipinos today are 60 years old and above. Many of these six million “dual citizens” are already under the PhilHealth umbrella through various schemes. But there are many who fall between the cracks and this bill seeks to shut close the gaps,” Recto said.

Recto said the national government has been providing funds to PhilHealth to enroll sponsored members. He said the national government provided P12.6 billion for sponsored members in 2013, P35.34 billion for 2014 and an estimated P37.06 billion for 2015.

“Let me remind you that insuring our elderly should not be viewed as a revenue loss. Rather, it should be viewed as a productive expenditure and debt paid to those who gave the best years of their lives so ours will be better,” he said.

“”They are our senior citizens and it is time that we paid them back. They have invested in our future and they are entitled to dividends. This bill settles but a small portion of what we owe them. No obligation is more outstanding,” he added.

Once the measure is enacted into law, Recto said, senior citizens need not present a PhilHealth card to avail of its benefits. He said senior citizens need only to present a valid ID to be provided with health care. (Pilar Macrohon)

PIA, DENR hold first Eco-Art Olympics in Tarlac

TARLAC CITY-The provincial offices of Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources recently held its first Eco-Art Olympics in Tarlac in a bid to make the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation advocacy closer to the youth.

 

PIA Tarlac manager Lorie Gene Cruz said the competition was designed to incorporate creativity and innovation in the course of strengthening environmental awareness among youngsters.

 

“This initiative is a trendsetter in our campaign on climate change adaptation and mitigation. Through this, we are not just able to discover budding potentials of students, but we are able to recognize modern heroes as companions in nation building and environmental stewardship,” Cruz added.

 

The contest has two categories: poster making and photography with students from Tarlac State University (TSU) as the initial contestants.

 

Among those who made the final cut in the TSU leg of the poster making were Jemimah Keren Galeon, Angelica Querido, Jhon Martin Dangcinan, Jayreen Ronquillo, Carl Jhiron Salcedo, Lawrence Ahl Sembrano, Maricar del Rosario, Philip Ermitanio, Bryan Gelacio, and Jinky Castillo.

 

Moreover, winners in the photography category were Peter Paul Pamintuan, Christine Marielle Arcilla, Yvonne Krizel Español, Jhosua Soren dela Cruz, Joan Marie Lactao, Fatima Banafra, Daiserie Llaneza, Kevin Rey Santos, and Alexis Callao.

 

Their works are presently on display in an exhibit in the main campus of TSU.

Legarda Urges Filipinos to be Part of Biodiversity Conservation

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today renewed her call to Filipinos to get involved in efforts towards biodiversity conservation, noting that despite the abundance in natural resources, many Filipinos remain poor and hungry.

Legarda made the statement as the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) presented today the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP), which is the country’s roadmap to conserve its biodiversity.

“The Philippines is one of the megadiverse countries and has one of the highest rates of discovery of new species in the world. But in the midst of bountiful resources, millions of the world’s humanity remain hungry. There were 3.6 million hungry Filipino families in the second quarter of 2014 according to the SWS survey and many coastal residents, who should have access to marine resources, are among the poorest citizens,” she explained.

The Senator said that the PBSAP was crafted by Philippine government agencies led by the DENR and in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the aim of restoring and rehabilitating the country’s biodiversity by the year 2027.

Furthermore, the PBSAP is anchored on the Philippine Development Plan (PDP), which means that the pursuit of economic growth while protecting the environment is the way forward.

Legarda said that in order to be effective, the PBSAP should be supported by citizens through their active involvement in biodiversity conservation.

“We are all consumers and we contribute to the decline of the world’s resources because of our insatiable demand for new things. The rate of extraction and consumption is way faster than the rate at which the Earth can replenish its resources.The solution begins with us,” she stressed.

“The PBSAP highlights that people should be at the core of conservation, protection and rehabilitation, and developmental initiatives. The first step towards building a sustainable community, one that respects biodiversity, is to correct one of the biggest misconceptions about the environment—that natural resources are infinite. We all need to stop craving for and taking more than what we need,” said Legarda.

She added that local government units and their respective communities should work together towards the protection of natural resources, and green jobs and green skills should be further promoted to contribute to environmental protection.

“In the Senate we also have proposed measures aimed at strengthening climate adaptation mechanisms and conserving biodiversity, including the Integrated Coastal Management Act and the National Land Use Act. All these measures and programs are part of the solution, but the most important step is for every Filipino to renew their commitment to preserving what remains of our natural resources by taking action today,” Legarda concluded.

700 state workers in Aurora join tree-planting activity

BALER, Aurora-Around 700 state workers from national government agencies and local government units in Aurora took part Friday in a tree-planting activity that is in line with the 114^th anniversary of Philippine Civil Service.

 

This year’s celebration carries the theme “Tapat na Serbisyo Alay Ko, Dahil Lingkod Bayani Ako.”

 

“Participants braved the rains brought by the combined forces of Tropical Storm Mario and the southwest monsoon as they planted narra seedlings in Sitio Diguisit in Barangay Zabali in Baler,” Governor Gerardo Noveras said.

 

“The area were we planted was severely damaged during the forest fire last August 13-15 this year,” Noveras added. (Jojo S. Libranda)

ANGARA FILES BILL INSTITUTIONALIZING AGRI-ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM IN PH

MANILA-Senator Sonny Angara has filed a bill that aims to develop and strengthen the agricultural education and training in the country to encourage more Filipinos to become "agri-prenuers."

"Agriculture remains a sector most vital to the overall development of the country, not just as the main driver of food security but also as a source of livelihood. However, Philippine agriculture remains a burgeoning, rather than a flourishing sector, contributing immensely to chronic poverty and hunger," Angara said.

The senator cited data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics which showed that the average agricultural employment in the country has stayed only between 11 and 12 million from 2003 to 2013.

"Despite the significant number of Filipino graduates from agricultural-related courses, the field of agriculture is seen as less of a profession or business enterprise than a means to daily subsistence. 

“Agriculture needs to be infused with an entrepreneurial spirit," he stressed.

Angara's Senate Bill 2384 or the Entrepreneurial Agricultural Education Act aims to address the need for agricultural entrepreneurship training programs especially in the rural areas.

"With this measure, the country will train men and women as agriculture entrepreneurs or agri-preneurs," said the lawmaker, who is a known advocate of educational reform.

SB 2384 aims to institutionalize an Agricultural Manpower Education and Entrepreneurship System (AMEES), and create AMEES Development School or Farm Business School in each administrative region, excluding the National Capital Region, in the country.

Under the AMEES, educational institutions or training centers will tie up with agricultural, industrial or business establishments to come up with a relevant and effective dual training system, which is a combination of in-school and hands-on training.

Moreover, under the bill, the AMEES will be promoted among poor farming families and out-of-school youth in the rural areas and in agrarian reform communities. 

A trainee who has successfully completed a program in a particular agricultural, industrial or business establishment will be given priority of employment.

Agri-preneurship students will also be provided with funding as start-up capital for their farm business upon graduation.

"With the passage of this bill, we give due significance to farming as a way to eradicate hunger and poverty, provide food security and nutrition, improve livelihoods, and achieve sustainable development," Angara said.

Tap unspent P180-B Malampaya, energy royalties for emergency power needs

MANILA-Unspent royalty payments from Malampaya and other energy projects are expected to reach P180 billion by the end of year making it an abundant source of funds for projects government may undertake once Congress grants President Aquino emergency powers to tackle the looming energy crunch.

“If you read the 2015 budget documents, it says there that there is a balance of P148.8 billion as of December 2013 in government shares from Malampaya and other energy development projects,” Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto said.

“If you add the remittances for 2014, which is projected at P31.6 billion, and deduct about P757 million in withdrawals this year, then the end-year balance is about P179.7 billion,” the senator said.

“Those are not my figures. They’re the ones stated in the Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing,” Recto said, referring to a document more known in lawmaking circles by its acronym “BESF” which accompanies the proposed national budget.

With this hoard, Recto said ”theoretically, the government can fully subsidize the estimated P6 billion cost of contracting 600 megawatts of electricity next year in order to bridge supply gaps which are expected to worsen during the summer months when electricity use spikes up.”

“Kung tutuusin pwede ngang sagutin na ng gobyerno ‘yan. Pwede ngang libre, from the point of view of financial capacity,” Recto said.

“P6 billion is what we spend in 30 days for the CCT (Conditional Cash Transfer). That’s equivalent to the government’s payroll and pension expenses in three days. So ‘yung anim na bilyon, 72-hours lang ‘yan na pangsweldo at pang-pension ng ating gobyerno ngayon,” Recto said.   

The senator was referring to the P761 billion earmarked for personal cost or PS of the bureaucracy for 2015.  CCT’s proposed budget on the other hand is P64.7 billion but other financial aid projects of the DSWD has pushed the latter’s budget to P109 billion for next year.

After Energy officials warned of a 400-megawatt to 1,000-megawatt shortfall in the Luzon power supply in the first half of 2015, Malacanang is scrambling to secure emergency powers from Congress so it can contract private power providers to supply 600 megawatts.

The contracted power will be divided equally for reserves which can be kicked in during peak demands and to bolster baseload capacity.

Under current laws, government is barred from building power plants but the President may ask Congress for authority to contract additional generating capacity if there is an imminent electricity supply shortage.

Now that the President has asked for emergency powers, Recto said the debate will not center on the wordings of the joint resolution Congress may issue, but “on the costing, the pesos required.”

So that the authority “will be backed by legal tender,” Recto proposed that the amount needed be included in the Special Provision of the Department of Energy (DOE) budget in the General Appropriations Bill.

He explained that aside from the appropriations for DOE, which is P3.3 billion for 2015, the agency is given authority to use proceeds from energy development projects, like the Malampaya, in financing energy-related projects.

For 2015, that add-on is about P974 million, Recto said. “What we can perhaps do is raise this ceiling to accommodate the P6 billion, if that is what’s needed.”

“Mas maganda ang ganito kasi transparent, nasa budget, merong limit sa gagastusin,” he said.

Presidential Decree 910 pools “all government shares representing royalties, rentals, production share on service contracts and similar payments on the exploration, development and exploitation of energy resources” in an off-budget special fund.

For this year, Malampaya will contribute P28.3 billion; coal production, P1.6 billion; geothermal projects, P572 million; oil, P1.1 billion; for a total of P31.6 billion. 

Senate OKs bill granting PhilHealth insurance to all seniors

MANILA-The Senate on Wednesday has passed on second reading the measure providing mandatory PhilHealth coverage to all senior citizens regardless of their social or economic status.

Senate Bill 712, authored by Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, would automatically enroll all senior citizens of the country in the national health insurance program of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

Currently, only indigent senior citizens are entitled to PhilHealth coverage under Republic Act (RA) 7432 as amended by RA 9994, otherwise known as the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.

Recto said the target beneficiaries of the proposed measure are the senior citizens who are neither lifetime members of PhilHealth and dependents nor indigents.

“They’re in the grey area of not being too poor to be officially classified indigents but still cannot afford to enroll themselves in PhilHealth. The bill seeks to close this crack where many seniors fall,” he said.

Recto said health insurance can never be called universal if it does not cover all seniors.

“Enrolling them must be automatic, not optional. The ideal is that the minute they blow out the candles on their 60th birthday cake to the moment they breathe their last – they should be PhilHealth members,” he added.

There are approximately 6.1 million senior citizens -- 60years old and above -- in the country today but only 3.9 million are PhilHealth members as of June 05, 2014.

Recto said PhilHealth needs to cover 2.2 million more senior citizens, which would entail premium payments worth P5.2 billion a year, which could be sourced from the National Health Insurance Fund of PhilHealth.

PhilHealth, as of December 2013, has 31.27 million registered members and 45.63 million dependents totaling to 76.90 million Filipinos provided with Philhealth coverage.

In 2013, PhilHealth reported an income from premium contributions amounting to P62 billion, on top of the subsidy of P12.612 billion it received from the national government.

Correspondingly, for 2013, PhilHealth paid P55.559 billion in benefits payment.

The third reading approval of the measure is widely expected anytime soon or before Congress takes a break starting next week.

Recto thanked Sen. TG Guingona, Senate health committee chair, for shepherding the bill from public hearings to the plenary for debate.

"Sen. Pia Cayetano also put in a wide range of valuable inputs and amendments which further improved the measure," Recto added.

The senator said “supportive PhilHealth officers” led by its Chief Executive Officer, Atty. Alexander Padilla, were also on hand to answer queries and provide technical assistance.