Month: September 2016

Senate Bill No. 710: Minimum Monthly Take-Home Pay Bill

Government employees and teachers have taken on the challenge of serving the country and being an active part in the tedious process of improving our beloved nation.

But with the increasing cost of living, many of these employees tighten their belts to get by on modest salaries. They turn to loan agents, government and private, to make ends meet. They go into debt in order to provide for their families’ needs, even to the extent that the entirety of their salary end up going to loan payments.

How can these critical players in nation building put their full effort into their public service if they are bombarded with financial woes? It is thus imminent that the State curb unhealthy practices and provide clear policies in support of its government servant-leaders.

By setting a minimum net take-home pay for government employees, this bill seeks to ensure that public servants are able to meet their families’ basic needs and reduce their need to take on debts. Setting a minimum take-home amount allows an appropriate control for government employees to be able to properly budget for their households’ expenses.

Such measure contributes in the efforts to ensure that no one gets left behind, especially among our country’s public servants, in the progress and development of the country.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

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Senate Bill No. 709: Electric, Hybrid and Other Alternative Fuel Vehicles Promotions Act

In a country that ranks among the world’s Top 10 most vulnerable countries to climage change1, it is important to mainstream programs that mitigate climate change risks while incentivizing climate change adaptation among the private sector, communities, and individuals.

The use of electric, hybrid, and other alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) among individuals and organizations presents such an opportunity. At present, the Department of Energy (DOE) aims to put 100,000 electric tricycles on the road by 2017, while the Electric Vehicles Association of the Philippines (EVAP) hopes to mainstream 1 million electric vehicles by 2020.

In a study released by international consulting firm Grant Thornton in 2012, “Asia is

currently the largest market for hybirds/electrics (56%).”2 Further: “The trend toward

alternative fuels is visible in global sales of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and battery

electric vehicles (BEVs), projected to reach 5.4 million vehicles by 2021 (more than 6% of the

automotive market), up from 810,000 vehicles in 2010 (approximately 2% of market share).”3

The same report states that, “Around a quarter of global companies (24%) have introduced or are considering vehicles that run on alternative fuels for their businesses… Companies in the ASEAN region (31%) were most likely to use or consider alternative-fuel vehicles.”4

Among the top reasons cited for ASEAN users to consider switching to AFVs are the following: the “price of oil” (88%); “saving the planet” (88%), “cost management” (81%), and “tax relief” (77%).

The study summarizes its findings this way: Rising oil prices and increasing awareness of the environmental impact of traditional fuels make alternative-fuel vehicles attractive to owners of commercial/business fleets. Government incentives and regulations are also pushing executives to explore alternative fuels. Indeed, many countries and states/provinces already offer significant incentives for buying or converting to alternative -fuel vehicles; in some regions regulations will eventually force the use of alternative fuels.”

This representation proposes stronger policy support in order to promote adoption of an drive consumer demand for electric, hybrid, and other alternative fuel vehicles. In this regard, this Act provides non-fiscal incentives to drive consumer demand, including the following:

a. Priority in registration and issuance of plate number;
b. Priority in franchise application;
c. Exemption from Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) or Number-Coding Scheme; and
d. Provision for free parking spaces in new establishments.

It is recognized that while the costs of electric and hybrid vehicles are higher compared to those of regular vehicles, these non-fiscal incentives will make the acquisition and conversion of vehicles more attractive to consumers and manufacturers alike.

As the world braces itself for stronger impacts of climate change while adapting to swift changes in technology, it is imperative that Filipinos are not left behind in the waves of change. Early adaptation to and promotion of AFVs will help the country mitigate the risks associated with climate change, while opening up potential investment and job opportunities that will ultimately benefit more Filipinos.

In view of the foregoing, the passage and enactment of this bill is earnestly sought.

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Senate Bill No. 700: Support for Barangay Workers Act

The success of a government initiative is measured by its impact on communities and on the lives of our countrymen, especially the Filipinos who suffer from poverty and those that live in remote areas often forgotten.

It is when every Filipino, every family, and every barangay is healthy, educated, and financially independent that we can declare our country as a champion in development.

According to the Local Government Code of 1991: “As the basic political unit, the Barangay serves as the primary planning and implementing unit of government policies, plans, programs, projects and activities in the community, as a forum wherein the collective views of people may be expressed, crystallized and considered, and where disputes may be amicably settled.”

Apart from attending to the basic needs of the community and delivering various government services, barangay officials and volunteers also facilitate citizen empowerment and engagement so that leaders are responsive to the true needs of the citizens they serve.

Thus, this bill endeavors to strengthen barangay governance by providing barangay tanods and barangay health workers transformative capacity building, sufficient financial empowerment, and continuity of service.

Proposed reforms under this bill uphold the principle of local autonomy enshrined in the Constitution and advocate the operative principles of decentralization as declared in the Local Government Code of 1991.

To ensure an effective and inclusive government that promotes the active participation of its citizens, it is imperative that we strengthen barangay governance in our 42,036 barangays around the Philippines. The key to unlocking national progress lies in our ability to reach out to each individual in every barangay.

In view of the foregoing, the early approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 

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Senate Bill No. 708: The People’s Freedom of Information Act

The colorful relationship between the Filipino people and their government is often clouded by distrust owing to a perceived lack of transparency to the public. For a nation that is still building on the foundations of hard-earned democracy, it is essential for the public to have convenient access to ail publicly relevant information.

This bill seeks to lay down a framework for all government agencies to be able to provide all publicly relevant information to any citizen requesting for it. With this bill, each government agency will be mandated to provide a Freedom of Information manual that allows both citizens and government employees to be clearly informed on the process of obtaining and disseminating publicly relevant information.

With this legislation, all branches of government will be required to post information such as their monthly collections and disbursements, procurement contracts and agreements with local and foreign contractors for projects.

All Filipinos, whether individuals, businesses or community organizations, have the right to access information which is related to the governance of their nation and that informs national policy, except for information that is pertinent to national security.

An efficient and accessible process for the procurement of public information will serve to democratize all government functions by allowing ordinary citizens, civil society organizations, and businesses to be informed and have a greater understanding of policies.

Aside from this mandate serving as a watchdog against corruption and abuse of public funds, it will also allow ordinary citizens to educate themselves on how government agencies allocate funds, what information is used to inform policies, who are the key officials in government offices and this—amongst other information—they will be better able to help our officials in responsible and participative governance.

this bill will benefit both government servants and the public who will have an open and trusting relationship that is inclusive, bringing governance in the hands of each and every Filipino. 

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this measure is earnestly sought. 


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Senate Bill No. 707: National Quality Infrastructure Act

This bill seeks to facilitate the development of a culture of quality through providing a sound and effective National Quality Infrastructure that allows the development and compliance with increasing quality requirements and that can support the national authorities in their mandates for consumer protection, free trade, environmental protection and other societal objectives from a technical point of view.

With the imminent development of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2016, the capacity of the country to develop more competitive products, services and systems and to support industries to show compliance with both internal and external market requirements is a top priority to take full advantage of trade flows in terms of socioeconomic growth.

While the country is making great progress in many competitiveness and ease of doing business indicators, there is still substantial room for improvement, particularly when it comes to facilitating the access of Philippine MSMEs to foreign markets (the 12th edition of the Doing Business Reports shows the need for improvement in the trading across borders dimension).

A critical aspect of technical development and market access is the capacity of the country to implement and show compliance with mandatory and voluntary technical requirements. Technical compliance is supported by a number of interlinked activities, many of them of voluntary nature, which are usually collectively referred to as the National Quality Infrastructure. This includes standardization, accreditation, and metrology.

The need for a coordinated quality infrastructure has been already identified in the Philippines Development Plan 2011-2016: The government shall set up a National Quality Infrastructure to integrate and coordinate a series of activities involving metrology, standardization, testing, and accreditation and certification.

The reason for the existence of the National quality Infrastructure is to have the necessary institutions and practices that allow the different stakeholders to develop and show compliance with technical requirements and strive for increasingly higher levels of quality beyond the mandatory accepted level set out in technical regulations. Therefore it is not only a resource for more competitive products and services, but it is also used by government to support the definition of and compliance with safety, health, fair trade and consumer/environment protection and is used by Government in its dual roles of public purchaser and as overseer of service providers in both the public and private areas.

While the country has already a number of Republic Acts addressing the need for institutions and practices dealing with Consumer Protection, including the usage if National Quality Infrastructure that also address the need to support the Philippine economy in developing products, services and systems of quality levels beyond the mandatory requirements set out in technical regulations. 

Based on all existing institutions mandated to develop National Quality Infrastructure related activities, and on the need to increase coordination amongst them, the need for greater ownership by the private sector in contributing to the governance and strategy of those activities, and the need to promote increasing levels of quality for products, services and systems, there is an urgent need to create a national vision of the quality infrastructure for the country. 

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this measure is earnestly sought. 

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Senate Bill No. 355: Charter of the Philippine Trade Representative Office

The Center for Global Development in Washington D.C. ranked the Philippines as the most resilient economy among 21 countries studied. Our island nation ranked number one above South Korea and China, second and third respectively.fi]

The country is also considered among the most entrepreneurial countries in the world in a report produced by Approved Index.[2]

The Philippines is now considered a highly competitive player in the market of foreign direct investments thanks to our robust economy and the great potential of our workforce.

In 2014, our country’s net foreign direct investments reached a record-breaking 6.2 billion U.S. dollars – a stark improvement from our 2010 net FDI of 1.07 billion U.S. dollars.[4]

To maintain this competitiveness, we need to improve trade negotiation and facilitation and ensure that we have a cohesive and coherent trade policy that upholds the country’s national interest.

The Charter of the Philippine Trade Representative Office kick-starts this initiative by creating the Philippine Trade Representative Office or PTRO. The PTRO is tasked to consolidate and harmonize all existing functions from various government agencies such as the Bureau of International Trade Relations under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Attaches and Permanent Missions to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Association o f Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and United Nations International Organization (UNIO), and the trade negotiating and policy making functions of the Tariff and Related Matters Committee (TRMC). This is in order to enhance the formulation of domestic and national priorities that should drive our trade positions and negotiations.

The PTRO shall also form the Multi-Sectoral Advisory Committee (MSAC) that will compose members from both government and civil society, including representatives from the agriculture industry, labor sector, small business, service sectors, retailers and consumer groups, to advice the office on trade matters in relation to the country’s achievement of its economic goals.

Our country is now open for business. Let’s pass the Charter of the Philippine Trade Representative Office to bolster our positions and voice in the international trade community.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

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Senate Bill No. 354: Secured Transactions Act

Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are critical in the country’s drive to maintain strong economic growth and uplift millions who live in poverty considering that in 2014 they comprised 99.6% of all Philippine businesses, generated 62.8% of all jobs in the Philippines,1and contributed to around 35% to Philippine GDP.2

The challenge is to ensure that microenterprises grow into small business; and small businesses develop into medium-sized enterprises. We must provide these businesses with an enabling environment so they survive, grow, and expand to create better lives for their families and increase job opportunities for other Filipinos. Crucial to their growth is access to financing at reasonable rates.

While there is notable growth in the microfinance sector, there is still a major gap relative to financing small enterprises, whose loan requirements are beyond the scope of microfinance institutions. Despite being a growth area for banks, SME financing is still considered unattractive given the perceived risks, without traditional collateral such as land and other real property. However, MSMEs’ assets are mostly personal in nature (equipment, inventory, motor vehicle, accounts receivable,etc.), making it difficult for MSMEs to meet bank requirements to get loan approvals. 

As early as 1906, the Philippines has in place a secured transactions legal environment, the Chattel Mortgage Law, and a document-based movable collateral registry operated by the Register of Deeds. The current regime recognizes a diverse set of movable assets acceptable as collateral for loan purposes (e.g., motor vehicles, standing crops, like rice, sugarcane, and other agri-aqua commodities, equipment, etc.,); however, these assets are not being fully utilized nor preferred by banks as loan collateral, except motor vehicles, which leaves the law ineffective to increase trade or facilitate access to finance for MSMEs, and underscores the need to modernize these laws governing movable asset lending in the Philippines. 

The Secured Transactions bill seeks to enable financial institutions to rethink how they view collateral and reduce the perceived risks, by providing protection for framework to govern lending transactions that involve the use of personal property as collateral, as well as the design, establishment, and operation of a unified, centralized, online notice-basednational collateral registry to assure banks that the collateral being submitted has not already been utilized for another loan. These reforms have the potential to increase credit access for women and small businesses, reduce the risks of non-satisfaction of debt and thereby lower the cost of borrowing, and reduce the rate of non-performing loans of financial institutions. 

Jurisdictions like Mexico, Vietnam, and China have undertaken similar reforms and have seen their positive impacts. For example, in Mexico, similar reforms led to the creation of a national Accounts Receivable Finance Platform by the government’s development bank, which has supported at least 130,000 SMEs through accounts receivable financing. In Vietnam, the number of collateral registrations (each representing a loan) surpassed 6000,000 cumulatively over a period of four years. In China, loans with movable asset security are now disbursed at about USD 3.0 trillion per year. 

The bill can bring growth to both MSMEs and to our financial institutions, and enjoin our banks to take part in MSME development with less risk. This measure provides us an opportunity to create a win-win, balanced environment for financial institutions and small businesses, which will generate more employment and sustainable livelihood for Filipinos across the country. 

In view of the foregoing, immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 


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Senate Bill No. 353: Internet Shared Infra

As our island nation continues to build roads that connect communities and expand logistics, we also have an opportunity to improve our information and communications technology (ICT) and boost access to the information superhighway.

Imagine working CCTV cameras at every corner, roads designed with fiber optic cables and electrical networks beneath them, and stop signs that radiate mobile data signals.

No longer relegated to the pages of a sci-fi novel or the screening of a futuristic movie, this level of design and technology is in the here and now, readily available for our utilization. Why not take advantage of today’s technology and design infrastructure to deliver as many services as it can to our citizens?

The Shared Infrastructure for ICT Bill encourages us to rethink and maximize our infrastructure projects to include features that advance our ICT.

This measure pushes for the inclusion on shared utility corridors for fiber optic cables in road networks in the hopes of improving connectivity and increasing competition for Internet service providers while generating additional revenue for the government.

Let’s make the most of our infrastructure projects and endeavor to provide quick, quality access to ICT services to every Filipino.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

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Senate Bill No. 352: Open Door Policy

With the Philippines fast becoming the rising star of Asia and the rest of the world, it is our mandate to build an inclusive and prosperous country for all Filipinos.

We have made strides to build an improved society through policies that uplift and empower the marginalized sectors. However, we often overlook the seemingly trivial but unjust hurdles many Filipinos face on a daily basis, such as their inability to adhere to unnecessary government regulations.

Tragically, not every Filipino can afford to buy shoes and more formal clothing. But every Filipino should be permitted to participate in assemblies that affect them and their community, particularly legislative hearings and sessions. All Filipinos must be granted access to frontline services, especially from public offices.

Unfortunately, needless dress code policies serve as barriers to many of our marginalized Filipinos as they seek to become more participative and rightfully demand services.

How can they raise their voice when they’re standing in the heat and behind cold walls? These are the countrymen we are called to serve.

Thus, it is high time to open our government offices and be more considerate of our policies for all Filipinos, regardiess of our economic status.

The Philippine Government Agency Open Door Act aims to mandate all government offices to accept entry to all Filipinos and to eliminate the dress code that some government agencies and units are following.

We are called to open the doors to those that have the least in our society, those we have the most to learn from, and those that we desperately need to hear.

We have the opportunity and a duty to generate policies that contribute to a nation that is fair, just and inclusive. We have a responsibility to create a Philippines where all Filipinos, even minorities and marginalized sectors can live free from discrimination.

Senate Bill No. 351: Freelancers Protection Act

Freelancing is no longer just a temporary state while looking for your dream job. For many intelligent and skilled Filipinos with a strong network and marketable services, it is a long-term career choice.

For many people that value mobility, their own time, and freedom from a fixed employer, freelancing is a dream job and fundamental source of livelihood.

With more and more freelancers in the country, we are confronted with an urgent need to protect this new sector and empower them with ease of doing business.

One of the biggest challenges of a freelancer is non-payment, which is why the Freelancer Bill gives freelancers the power to demand from their employer what they are rightfully due as per their signed contract.

In the event that an employer refuses to pay a freelancer for services rendered, the aggrieved party can file a complaint to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and can expect the agency to investigate and, should the complaint be considered valid, a penalty of up to P250,000 shall be imposed on the non-compliant employer.

Further civil penalties will also be imposed for every day that the employer refuses to compensate the freelancer and, in addition, the aggrieved party has the option of filing a civil case against his or her employer.

This measure also takes into account ease of doing business for freelancers, making it easier for freelancers to register in the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and mandates that freelancers be exempted from tax payments for the first 3 years.

In our age of instantaneous global communication and interconnectivity, increased specialization, and a millennialism that values mobility, creativity, and entrepreneurship, we can only expect our pool of freelancers to grow.

Let us waste no time in ensuring that they are not inconvenienced by red tape and that they are protected from difficult, even fraudulent clients.

In view of the forgoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

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