Legarda Urges Gov’t to Shift to Low-Carbon Economy

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda urged the government to consider a long-term transition to a low-carbon economy, noting that investments in clean energy and low-carbon infrastructure will determine the future of our nation and the future generations.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change, stressed that the idea of a low-carbon economy may seem ideal at first but if we look at the worsening effects of conventional energy sources such as fossil fuels to our health and environment, it should not be hard to understand the need to adopt the said concept.

Citing a study from the World Health Organization, Legarda said air pollution has caused seven million premature deaths worldwide in 2012. Moreover, she stressed that the traffic congestion in Metro Manila alone is costing us an equivalent of four percent of our GDP.

“We can start with building our cities in a smart way. Better connected, more compact cities based on mass public transport are economically more dynamic, safer and healthier, and have lower emissions,” Legarda said, citing the study, Better Growth, Better Climate: New Climate Economy Report.

She added, “The concept of road-sharing among pedestrians, cyclists and motorists should be adopted. The Bayanihan sa Daan movement we are supporting promotes a paradigm shift from the motor vehicle-based transportation system to a multi-modal system, wherein people are not dependent on their own motorized vehicles every time they go out, instead, they can choose different modes of transportation depending on their needs—walking or biking for short distances, and safe, reliable, inexpensive and convenient public transportation system for long distance trips”.

As a concrete strategy, Legarda said our government must encourage investments on renewable energy and ensure the sustainable use and management of our land and other natural resources as studies reveal that restoring 12% of the world’s degraded lands can already feed another 200 million people, raise farmers’ incomes by US$40 billion a year, and also cut emissions from deforestation.

Legarda is the author of the National Land Use Bill which seeks to provide a unified legal framework that will ensure a rational, holistic and just allocation, use and management of the country’s land resources.

Last week, the Philippine Senate, the British Embassy and the Chevening Alumni Foundation organized a roundtable discussion on the topic, “Is low carbon economy our future?”

The highlight of the forum was a presentation by Mr. Matt Nottingham of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office about key findings of the study, Better Growth, Better Climate: New Climate Economy Report, which stresses the idea that there should be no tension between economic development and a low carbon economy. In fact, this paradigm shift could be the very answer to achieving high-quality, resilient and inclusive economic growth.

Recto : BBL has many shades of gray

MANILA-Sen. Ralph Recto said proposed changes to the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) are not meant “to mangle the bill but mend it” so the final version will be acceptable to the “country, the citizenry and the Constitution.”

“When we propose revisions, it is out of the desire to improve the bill and not to impair,” Recto said. 

The Senate President ProTempore said there are “many shades of gray” in the BBL. “In legislation, it must be black-and-white so there will be no room for multiple interpretations.” 

“If the law is vague, then conflicts will arise during implementation, the resolution of which may be left for the courts to settle,” Recto said.  

“Ayaw naman natin ng isang batas na puputaktihin ng mga kaso sa korte o namumuro ng TROs,” Recto said. 

Another reason why Congress should improve the law, Recto explained, “is to increase its chances of being approved by the people in the plebiscite to be called for its ratification.”

“Parang kotse ‘yan, kung may factory defect, ayusin na kaagad bago ibenta.  Kasi kung sa papalapit na sa plebisito nabisto ‘yan, di ka na pwede mag-issue ng recall, at sasabihin mo na time-out muna, postpone natin botohan kasi aayusin pa namin,” Recto said.

And should the Senate tinker with the BBL, the outcome, Recto said, “will still follow the general outline of the blueprint. Kotse pa rin, hindi bangka, ang kalalabasan. O kung ang BBL ay pantalon, ganun pa rin ang kalalabasan, hindi mini-skirt.”

Recto said Moro groups pushing for the BBL should welcome initiatives to improve the measure.  

“First thing they should do is to drop the ‘we-are-infallible’ stance. If you don’t want to change even a single sentence in the bill, then that policy of extremism won’t bring you anywhere. You must be open to other ideas.”

“Otherwise, your bill will be dead-on-arrival in either of the chambers of Congress,” he added.

Recto said some proposed changes are recalibrations the Bangsamoro can live with.

“Kailangan ba talaga 60 members ang Bangsamoro parliament? Bakit hindi i-trim down to 40, and let the savings be used to fund health? After all, the region needs more doctors, not lawmakers,” Recto said. 

“Why is there a need for the Bangsamoro to create, appoint its own Commission on Audit (COA)? Dapat isa lang ang COA, isa lang ang rules, for all government expenditures,” Recto said.

“Sa usapin ng intergovernmental relations, why the need for a superbody called the Philippine Congress-Bangsamoro Parliament Forum that will harmonize legislation affecting the region?  Does this mean any bill affecting the region will have to be cleared with this superbody?” Recto said.

Of the “many shades of gray” of the BBL, what needs to be cured of its ambivalence is the powers of the Bangsamoro Police, Recto said.  “Its authority should be sharply defined.” 

Recto said there are calls to raise the bar for non-contiguous barangays and towns who may want to join the Bangsamoro.  

“Kailangan ba 10 percent lang pwede ng umanib doon? Kung halimbawa isang barangay iyan sa Davao City, paano ang administration nila?”

Recto also raised the need to clarify the BBL’s “affirmative action and appointment quota provisions.” 

“Mandatory doon na dapat isa from Bangsamoro ang uupo sa Supreme Court. Pwede ba tayong mag-appoint on the sole yardstick of ethnographic representation? What if other groups would want the same?”

Another “contentious” issue, Recto said, is in the area of “financing the peace.”

“The BBL is basically an appropriations bill. It creates financial obligations in the tens of billions of pesos. It binds the national government, and ultimately taxpayers, to allocate large sums of money every year,” Recto said.

“On the first year alone of the Bangsamoro establishment, the projected minimum cost is P75 billion,” Recto said, citing official estimates on the fiscal impact of the creation of the Moro sub-state in Mindanao. 

A big chunk of this is in the form of a “block grant, “ which in 2016, according to testimonies of government officials, will be around P27 billion, Recto explained.

“Kailangan bang ang block grant is automatically appropriated?” Recto said. 

JINGGOY CITES ‘SUBSTANTIVE DUE PROCESS’ VIOLATION IN PDAF PROBE

MANILA-“HAS [SEN. ESTRADA] BEEN FUNDAMENTALLY DEPRIVED OF HIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD BEFORE BEING DETAINED?”

 

Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada raised this overarching question before the Supreme Court as the paramount issue behind the filing of a motion for reconsideration.

 

In a 24-page motion, Sen. Estrada’s camp questioned the January 21 decision of the Supreme Court which merely focused on the procedural prescription instead of the more important substantive aspect of the due process of law.

 

Jinggoy insisted that he was never given ample opportunity by the Ombudsman to be heard, as he was not given copies of the documents, much more the chance to answer and refute the allegations, which were used as bases to indict him before the Sandiganbayan.

 

At least 2 SC magistrates in their separate opinions stated that there was grave violation on the part of the Ombudsman for failing to observe due process during its preliminary investigation on the case.

 

It can be recalled that the SC earlier denied Estrada’s petition to nullify the Ombudsman order finding probable cause against him and the subsequent proceedings thereof as it cited rules which do not require the Ombudsman and the investigating officer from furnishing copies of counter-affidavits of other respondents of the case. (Ombudsman maintained that they are only required to furnish Estrada copies of the affidavits of the complainants.)

 

“The constitutional protection of due process is not at all limited to what the Rules on preliminary investigations provide nor to the interpretation of said Rules by the Honorable Court,” part of the petition read.

 

Estrada’s counsel further emphasized that “the right to due process is constitutional and cannot be limited to what the rules and statutes provide.”

 

Defense lawyers maintained that Estrada’s case is different from the previous cases relied on and cited in the court decision as the present case involves prosecution for plunder which is a non-bailable offense and instantly deprives one of his liberty.

 

Moreover, Estrada’s camp submitted that the issue of due process should not be defined in terms of purposes of preliminary investigation as its rules apply generally to cases which do not call for immediate incarceration.

 

“In determining the requirements of due process for plunder, the issue should be defined in terms of the purposes of the ‘due process’ clause of the Constitution, including the substantive aspect of the phrase which ‘embeds the social value of fairness…’ With regard to the substantive value of ‘fairness,’ or ‘the sporting idea of fair play,’ which is the central idea of the due process clause, this should be the method used to determine what process is due,” the motion stressed.

“Simula na ng election season in 25 weeks, bakit pa papalitan si PNoy?”

MANILA-The prospective 2016 election calendar of activities may just douse the calls for President Aquino to leave office as the official countdown to the day the nation will choose his replacement is just around the corner, Sen. Ralph Recto said today.  

Recto said if the timetable issued by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the May 2010 polls will be the same template for the May 9, 2016 general elections, “then election is in the air.” 

“For example, the last day for filing petitions for registration of political parties will be around August 20, which is about 26 weeks away,” Recto said.

“The holding of a party convention that would select its presidential candidate could start on October 21, which is 34 Sundays from now,” he said.  

And if the timetable used in the last presidential elections will guide the next, “then on November 20, a wannabe can already file his certificate of candidacy,” Recto said.

“So by December, we’ll be hearing more campaign jingles than ‘Jingle Bells,’” Recto said.

“So kung malapit na ang halalan, hindi na praktikal siguro ang panawagan na pababain ang nakaupo,” he said.

But proximity of the elections aside, Recto said “calls for the President’s resignation will not get traction.” 

“If there’s a clamor, it is not for him to step down, but to step up the delivery of projects and programs he had started, so these can be completed before he leaves office.”  

Another proof that the “election train has left the station” is that Congress had appropriated close to P17 billion as Comelec’s budget for this year, Recto said.

Of this, about “P12. 6 billion is earmarked for preparatory activities for the 2016 general elections,” Recto explained.

“Ganun kalaki. This is the price we have to pay for having a system which calls for elections every 1,000 days,” he said.

PHL to host international parliamentarian meet on human rights

MANILA-The Philippines will host an assembly of more than 100 parliamentarians, representatives of human rights institutes, and members of civil society groups from all over the Asia-Pacific region next week to discuss ways to increase regional involvement to the protection and promotion of human rights.

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon said that the Senate of the Philippines and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), will host the two-day regional seminar for Asia Pacific parliaments entitled, “Translating international human rights commitments into national realities: The contributions of parliaments to the work of United Nations Human Rights Council.”

89 representatives from at least 20 countries have confirmed to attend the two-day seminar which consists of seven sessions, to be held on February 26 to 27, 2015 at the Diamond Hotel, Manila City.

Drilon, who once served as President of the IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, will serve as the Lead Convenor of the international conference, while Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Chair of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, is Conference Chair. Other Filipino lawmakers and officials expected to join as resource persons are Senator Loren Legarda and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

“We welcome the chance to host this human rights event. The country still faces a lot of long-standing issues on protecting human rights amid social strife and security concerns. We will learn a lot from the seminar, and hopefully, they will translate into sound policies and programs here and across the region,” Drilon, who is currently a member of the IPU Executive Committee, said.

The Senate President further said that the seminar seeks to enhance awareness among members of parliaments of the existence of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) and its Universal Periodic Review (UPR), and the need for their full legislative involvement in the HRC’s work.

“The seminar is also looking to foster greater involvement of members of parliament in the three different reporting stages of the UPR,” Drilon added.

He noted that a recent IPU survey revealed that many parliaments around the globe are not yet familiar with the HRC’s duties, as well as the importance of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) as an instrument in ensuring that human rights are protected and promoted.

Pimentel, for his part, said that apart from inter-body cooperation, the seminar will also look at how parliaments in the region have promoted human rights at their respective national levels and how they can bring this down to local government councils.

“The event will also seek to foster better cooperation at the national level between parliaments, local government councils and other human rights stakeholders, in particular national human rights institutions and civil society actors. The attendees also intend to formulate practical steps on how the HRC can better engage parliaments and human rights institutions on their actual programs,” Pimentel said.

“The world, especially this region, is still confronted with many challenges and issues concerning human rights, and it is our duty as parliamentarians to identify the most pressing problems in our own backyards, and lead the way in providing relevant and effective solutions,” Pimentel said.

The Manila seminar is part of a series of regional events designed to enhance the contribution of parliaments to the HRC and the UPR, in response to panel discussions of the IPU, HRC and the OHCHR begun last May 2013 in Geneva, Switzerland which recognized the critical role of parliaments in ensuring domestic respect for human rights. Previous conferences have been held in Romania, Uruguay and Morocco.

Parts of Pampanga to experience nine-hour power interruption on Friday

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga -- Parts of Pampanga will experience up to nine hours of power interruption on Friday, February 20.

 

“Customers of PELCO I in certain areas of Mexico, Arayat, Candaba, San Luis, and Sta. Ana will have outage from 8:00AM to 5:00PM,” National Grid Corporation of the Philippines Central Luzon Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Officer Ernest Lorenz Vidal said.

 

“Reason of outage is to accommodate PELCO I’s request to facilitate annual preventive maintenance at Plaza Luman, Arayat Substation. Normal operations will immediately resume after work completion,” Vidal added. (Carlo Lorenzo J. Datu)

Senate, Philhealth partner to widen access to health services

MANILA-In order to assist Filipinos seeking help for medical services, the Senate has recently inked a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) to create its off-site office in the Senate.

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon said that under the agreement, the Senate will continue helping Filipinos, particularly the poor and the elderly population, get access to medical care through the establishment of a new Philhealth satellite office right inside the Senate compound in Pasay City.

“The Memorandum of Agreement between the Senate and Philhealth is part of our effort to provide our people, especially those who are less fortunate, with much needed health services and information,” he said.

“This partnership with the Philhealth will enhance our efforts to help our kababayans avail of government services, and as well as heighten their awareness of the National Health Insurance Program,” added Drilon.

Drilon underscored the need for more off-site Philhealth offices in view of the implementation of the mandatory Philhealth coverage for all senior citizens.

He said that with the Senate’s tie up with the Philhealth, the institution can already respond to common concerns of both the members and non-members, most especially the poor and the senior citizens, concerning their membership standing, status of claim refund, and other problematic cases.

“The Republic Act 10645 or the mandatory Philhealth coverage for senior citizens, which we passed last year, can be effectively implemented through the establishment of these satellite offices where the senior citizens and the members and non-members of Philhealth can make inquiries, file complaints and process their claim,” said Drilon.

“We are very happy that the Senate did not only pass the RA 10645, but it has also offered an avenue to make the law’s implementation more effective through the establishment of a Philhealth off-site office at the Senate,” said Drilon.

Under the agreement, which was signed last February 13, the Senate, through its Public Assistance Center (PAC), will serve as the venue for Philhealth off-site office to provide frontline services such as membership verification and status of claim refund.

The Senate will provide personnel that will assist walk-in clients with Philhealth concerns, and with close coordination with Philhealth’s Corporate Action Center, the Senate can act on their concerns.

The senator explained that the upper chamber has a long history of reaching out and helping Filipinos with their medical necessities, through the Senate Public Assistance Center (PAC): “The Senate PAC was the primary contact of the senators to the indigent citizens of this country. I am proud to say with the PAC, we have served and aided countless people in need of medical care assistance who came to the Senate looking for help.” 

ANGARA WANTS TO FAST-TRACK PORT INFRA DEVELOPMENT TO BOOST CRUISE TOURISM IN PH

MANILA-Senator Sonny Angara has urged port authorities to speed up the improvement of cruise ports and terminals in the country in view of becoming one of the top cruise destinations in Asia.

During a recent hearing of the Congressional Oversight Committee on Tourism (COCT), Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. cited poor port infrastructure as one of the major constraints for the development of cruise tourism in the country.

"While we are all pushing for the development of our airports, let us not forget that a number of tourists also arrive by boat. Our archipelagic geography beams with immense opportunities for a cruise tourism industry to grow and flourish," said Angara, vice chair of the Senate tourism committee.

Members of the joint tourism oversight committee present at the hearing were Sens. Angara, Nancy Binay, Bohol Rep. Rene Relampagos, Aklan Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr., Cebu Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia and Malabon Rep. Josephine Lacson-Noel. Senator Lito Lapid and Rep. Relampagos chair the Senate and House tourism committees, respectively. 

Based on the 2014 WEF Global Competitiveness Index, the Philippines' port infrastructure ranks 101st out of 144—the lowest among the ASEAN-6 with Singapore ranking 2nd, Malaysia 19th, Thailand 54th, Indonesia 77th, and Vietnam 88th.

"That our neighboring countries are way ahead of us only means that we need to double, quadruple even, our efforts. If we do not speed up infrastructure development, we'll be missing out on a lot of opportunities. Clearly, the strong demand is there. We need to step up. Sayang naman kung tayo mismo ang humahadlang sa sarili nating paglago o pag-unlad," the senator said.

Sea tourist arrivals, mostly via cruises, rose to 52,820 passengers in 2014 from 41,624 in 2013 and 23,857 in 2012, Department of Tourism (DOT) data showed.

Cruise tourism is one of the strategic tourism products identified under DOT's National Tourism Development Plan.

The Philippine Ports Authority and the DOT have listed eight ports as the country's top international hubs for cruise liners which include Davao, Bohol, Boracay, Cebu, Metro Manila, Puerto Princesa, Subic and Zamboanga.

Angara, who presided the said hearing, urged the DOT to prepare a cruise blueprint for the country that would include all areas of the Philippines so as to ensure benefits would redound to all regions.

Last year, luxury cruise ships that have called in some of our ports include Costa Victoria, with over a thousand passengers, which visited Puerto Princesa in January; M/S Europa 2, with almost 300 passengers, which explored Bohol in January and March; M/S Costa Atlantica, with 2,600 passengers, which had a stopover in waters off Boracay in March; and, Star Cruises' MV SuperStar Aquarius, with over a thousand passengers, which dropped anchor in Puerto Princesa in November, among others.

"As some of the world's leading cruise companies have already expressed interest to help develop the Philippines as a cruise ship destination, we must upgrade our ports, terminals and facilities to meet international cruise shipping standards," Angara said.

Meanwhile, in the same hearing, Angara called on stakeholders to help local communities by promoting local handicrafts and products after Aklan Rep. Teodorico Haresco lamented that the souvenirs available in Boracay's airport mostly come from Davao.

Angara further stressed that tourism is people's business and that its goal is not only to increase tourist arrivals but also to provide jobs and livelihood especially to the locals.

NAPOLCOM opens online scheduling of application for PNP Entrance Exam

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga -- National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) Central Luzon recently activated its enhanced On-Line Examination Application Scheduling System (OLEASS) for the Philippine National Police (PNP) Entrance Exam slated on April 26.

 

“It is open to all Filipino citizens aged 30 years old and below who are holders of a bachelor’s degree and has a height of at least 1.62 meters for males and 1.57 meters for females,” NAPOLCOM Regional Director Manuel Pontanal said

 

Moreover, those with the rank of Police Officer 1 (PO1) whose appointments are temporary for lack of appropriate eligibility are also required to take the entrance exam.

 

The OLEASS, www.napolcom.gov.ph or www.napolcom-oleass.com, was activated last February 16 and will continue to accept online request for application schedule until February 20.

 

“Only applicants with a confirmed scheduled appointment with reference number shall be entertained during the filing of application which is set from March 2-27, 2015,” Pontanal stressed.

 

The online examination scheduling system will be on a first come, first served basis and the regional office may stop it even ahead of the deadline once the slots are all filled in.

 

Accepted civilian applicants are required to bring the following during their scheduled appointment: printed letter-reply/corresponding reference number confirming the scheduled appointment; two recent, identical and colored 1x1 ID pictures with white background and complete name; one legal size window envelope with P15 worth of mailing stamp; transcript of scholastic record with Special Order issued by Commission on Higher Education or diploma; and birth certificate issued by the Local Civil Registrar or Philippine Statistics Authority.

 

Moreover, PO1 with temporary appointment must likewise carry with them the mentioned requirements along with a certified true copy of Attested Appointment, Plantilla Appointment or Special Order.

 

The coverage for the PNP Entrance Examination consists of general information, verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and logical reasoning.

 

Examination fee is P400. (Marie Joy L. Simpao)

City gov’t of San Fernando purchases 39 new vehicles

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO-The city government recently purchased 39 new vehicles in a bid to further enhance delivery of basic services as well as provide means of transportation to Fernandinos.

 

Just procured include two dump trucks, four mini dump trucks, two garbage compactors, one fire truck, one back hoe, one military truck, two military jeeps, eight motorcycles, one ambulance, carriers, vans and SUVs.

 

Mayor Edwin Santiago said these vehicles shall complement the city’s initiatives of providing faster and more efficient services in order to make their programs more effective.

 

“Through these vehicles, we will be able to further improve our programs especially when it comes to waste collection and segregation, response time during disasters and emergency situations, and cater to the other needs of our constituents,” Santiago explained.

 

The local chief executive likewise reported that they purchased a bus, which will provide free rides to registered senior citizens in the city.

 

In closing, he urged all public servants including city officials and employees to make their service extraordinary by “serving the public from the heart,”. (Marie Joy L. Simpao)

Senator Loren Legarda’s Statement on the US Government’s Compensation for Tubbataha Reef

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today welcomed the news that the US Government has already paid the Philippine Government the full amount of Php87,033,570.71 as compensation for the damage caused by the USS Guardian when it ran aground on Tubbataha Reef.

“It is great news that the US government has finally given full compensation for the damages to the Tubbataha Reef Natural Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I am also happy that they will be providing assistance to the Philippine Coast Guard in upgrading its substation in Tubbataha,” said Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.

“The greater challenge now is the successful rehabilitation of the damaged portions of the Tubbataha Reef. We know that it would take longer time for the Reef to fully recover and for the productive area to flourish again. Now that the fund is available, we are confident that the Tubbataha Protected Area Management Board (TPAMB) and the Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) would be able to carry out all the necessary actions to rehabilitate and further protect the Reef,” she added.

“We hope that the Tubbataha Reef incident would not happen again and that it would further highlight the need to ensure full protection of the Philippines’ marine resources by all vessels, foreign or domestic, within territorial waters amidst geo-political developments in the region,” Legarda stressed.

On January 17, 2013, after completing its port of call in Subic, Olongapo City, the mine countermeasures ship USS Guardian ran aground on Tubbataha Reef while en route to its next port of call in Indonesia. The tragedy damaged 2,345.67 square meters of the reef area.

Return SAF 44's personal effects too

MANILA-Sana maisauli din ang mga personal effects ng SAF 44 tulad ng cellphone, relo, wedding rings, pitaka na naglalaman ng mga litrato ng kanilang mga mahal sa buhay.

Iba kasi ang pag-aari ng gobyerno na na-issue sa kanila at ang kanilang personal na kagamitan. Para sa mga naulila, mas mahalagang maibalik ito sa kanila.

If the return of weapons will be done in many “gives,” I share the wish of our heroes’ loved ones that the next installment will include their personal effects.

Thus I hope that established protocols will result in the return or retrieval of more firearms because after the return of the 16 today, it leaves 47 – enough to arm two platoons – unaccounted for.

Nandyan pa rin ang napabalitang 139 body armors, GPS tracker units, hand grenades at night vision goggles na nawawala.

There was also the reported loss of close to 700 magazines.

If Mamasapano was a ‘misencounter’ between two supposed partners in peace, then the “killer keeper” principle does not apply. These can never be spoils of war nor trophies of battles.

Dapat maklaro din kung alin, ilan at anu-ano ang mga natangay ng BIFF.  

Hindi pwedeng i-charge sa mga sibilyan ang ibang nawawalang mga gamit.  

As MILF or BIFF fighters were the first to rush to the positions occupied by SAF, then it is very hard to believe the claim that ordinary civilians were the ones who carted off the guns and equipment of the slain commandos.

Mahirap paniwalaan na mas maraming  nakuha ang mga miron.

Recto : Hand straps lang di agad mabili, pa’no pa kung bagon, riles? Use fare hike income to fund repairs

MANILA-There’s no excuse for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) not to buy handrail straps – to prevent its riders from falling like dominoes as its aging coaches are becoming prone to sudden stops – as their P2.25 million cost is a drop in the bucket of its farebox income and government subsidy.

“Sabi ng isang MRT spokesman, i-pro-proseso pa nila ang pagbili ng handstraps. Pero last year, kasama na iyon sa kanilangprocurement program na sinubmit sa Senado,” Sen. Ralph Recto said.

Recto said if the MRT has ahard time buying hand straps – which in official documents will cost P2.25 million – then it speaks volumes about government’s capacity to improve service in the 17-km, 13-station line which ferries 600,000 passengers daily.

“Kung band-aid solusyon lang tulad ng hand straps ay mahirap mailagay, paano pa kaya kung mga bagon at riles na ang pag-uusapan?” Recto asked.

Recto said MRT should source the funds for hand straps and other repair materials from its farebox income as that is what is clearly stipulated in the 2015 national budget.

“It says in one of the provisions of RA 10751 that administrative costs, maintenance fees and special repairs shall be principally funded out of passenger fares,” he said.

He said MRT will earn P1.1 billion more a year from the fare hikes it imposed on January 4. MRT upped from P10 to P11 the base fare, plus an additional P1 per kilometer.

And one of the justifications for the increase is that it will improve its service, Recto said.

“In the official DOTC press release announcing the fare hike, the agency promised that with increased fares will come better MRT services,” Recto said.

Recto added that on top of fare revenues, part of the MRT revenue stream is the P7.23 billion in direct subsidy it will get from the national government this year.

Of this amount, P2.57 billion will be for “MRT-3 rehabilitation and capacity expansion” and P4.66 billion is for rider subsidy.

There is also P18.4 billion in the Unprogrammed Fund section of the 2015 national budget which can be tapped for MRT-3 rehabilitation and capacity expansion (P7.4 billion); payment of taxes of MRT-3 Build-Operate-Transfer contract (P6.5 billion); and P4.4 billion for the equity buy-out of the MRT Company.

“Because the release of these funds can only be triggered by excess revenues or new loans, then this is what is considered as contingent subsidy dependent on certain conditions,” Recto said.

“Just the same, we’re looking at P38.88 billion gross rail sector funding in the national budget covering LRT, MRT and PNR projects and operations for this year,” Recto said.

“Tapos hand straps lang hindi natin mailagay kaagad? Akala ko ba increased government spending na tayo? Akala ko ba budget-as-release document na tayo?  Akala ko ba anticipated bidding na tayo para start of the year roll out na?”

Recto said the DOTC submitted to the Senate a list of 18 MRT rehabilitation projects that will be implemented from 2014-2016 with a total cost of P6.8 billion.