Inclusive Growth

Go Negosyo Act Tutulong sa Pagbangon ng Eastern Visayas, Palawan

Senator Bam Aquino believes that the Go Negosyo Act will help rebuild lives and businesses destroyed by Typhoon Yolanda once it is enacted into law.

“The measure contains several provisions that can help Yolanda-stricken communities more quickly get back up on their feet,” said Aquino, the bill’s author and chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce, and Entrepreneurship.

The Go Negosyo Act seeks to support entrepreneurs who want to start or expand their micro,small, or medium enterprises (MSMEs), which is the main source of income and livelihood of many Filipinos.

The bill was approved Last Monday, the Senate approved the bill on the third and final reading.

The measure also aims to provide access to sources of financing, which is badly needed by entrepreneurs who have lost their livelihood to Yolanda.

“Without access to capital and other forms of support and assistance, I think it will take a very long time before communities get back on their feet,” Aquino said.

Aside from access to financing, the Go Negosyo Act mandates the creation of Negosyo Centers that will serve as hubs for business registration and processing, to facilitate easeof doing business.

The Negosyo Centers will also offer services on business conceptualization and feasibility,capability building, human resources, marketing and other support services.

“The Go Negosyo Act provides for everything that an entrepreneur will need to start or expand their business,” Aquino added.

A few months ago,Aquino visited several areas devastated by the super typhoon and personally witnessed its effects to businesses, especially in Tacloban, considered as the center of business in Leyte.

Sen. Aquino is also currently in Coron, Palawan to meet with local business leaders and fund managers.

“By jumpstarting business operations in devastated areas, we will be able to provide livelihood to residents, strengthen the local economy, and boost the recovery of devastated areas,” Aquino said.

Earlier, the senator called on the rehabilitation commission to provide financial help to entrepreneurs who lost their livelihood to the super typhoon.

Sen. Aquino also urged government financial institutions, such as Land Bank of the Philippines,to give loans to business owners at a low interest rate.

 

Photo source: http://www.tzuchi.org.ph

Stakeholders Laud Passage of Senator Bam’s Go Negosyo Bill

Stakeholders have lauded the Senate’s approval of the Go Negosyo Act on third reading, saying it will help create more employment and income opportunities for all Filipinos.

“The entrepreneur community fully supports the Go Negosyo Bill as this will provide sustained assistance and mentorship support to MSMEs in all the provinces,” said entrepreneur Joey Concepcion, referring to the measure authored by Sen. Bam Aquino and approved by the Senate on the eve of EDSA 28.

“This (measure) will also facilitate the ease of starting and growing a business and spur regional development to create progress and prosperity in the region,” added Concepcion, who is also known for his all-out support for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Rody Bioco, president of Bukidnon Kaamulan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., echoed Concepcion’s view, calling the passage of the Go Negosyo Act as a “welcome development” and a “measure whose time has come”.

“Like government, we really hope to attract more people to open up businesses in our communities, but the hassles of putting up and registering a business, filing documents, [and so on] have become too burdensome,” Bioco said.

“We look forward to the day when ease of doing business will become a reality, so that we can attract more local and foreign investors to our area,” he added.

 Aquino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce, and Entrepreneurship, emphasized during the EDSA 28 celebration that “economic empowerment should go side by side with political freedom.”

“We should come together again to level the playing field and provide jobs for millions of Filipinos. In this sense, tuloy pa rin ang laban,” the senator stressed.

Aquino said the Go Negosyo Act can help fulfill both as the measure is envisioned to boost job creation and cut unemployment.

“With the Go Negosyo Act, we can boost job creation in many parts of the country, by ensuring the success and growth of MSMEs,” said Aquino.

 According to figures cited by Aquino, at least 66 percent of jobs in the labor force are generated by the MSME sector, which in turn comprises 99 percent of all enterprises in the Philippines.

The bill calls for the creation of Negosyo Centers, under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in each city and municipality around the country.

These Negosyo centers are meant to make it easier for entrepreneurs to register and start up their businesses, as well as gain access to sources of financing.

The Negosyo Centers will also provide courses and development programs, training, give advice on business conceptualization and feasibility, financing, management, capability building, human resources, marketing and other support services.

“This way, we are helping micro enterprises ‘graduate’ into small enterprises, and small enterprises graduate to medium, and so on. For many Filipinos, MSMEs can be the vehicle on the road to prosperity, but government needs to do its share in providing much-needed support,” said Sen. Aquino.

Go Negosyo Act Passed on 3rd Reading: To Address Massive Unemployment – Sen. Bam

The Go Negosyo Act (SBN 2046), which was passed by the Senate on third and final reading on Monday afternoon, is envisioned boost job creation and cut unemployment.

This was shared by Go Negosyo Act author, Sen. Bam Aquino, as he thanked colleagues in the Upper Chamber for supporting the swift passage of the bill.

“With the Go Negosyo Act, we can boost job creation in many parts of the country, by ensuring the success and growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).”

“Kapag mas maraming negosyo ang nagbukas at lumago, mas marami silang mabibigyan ng kabuhayan at trabaho sa kani-kanilang mga komunidad,” the senator explained.

According to figures cited by Aquino, at least 66 percent of jobs in the labor force are generated by the MSME sector, which in turn comprises 99 percent of all enterprises in the Philippines.

“Sa bawat sari-sari store, bakery, o talyer na magbukas at lumago, halimbawa, kakailanganin nila ng mga empleyado, supplier, at mga partner na magkakaroon rin ng pagkakataong kumita at umasenso. Magkakaroon ng kita’t kabuhayan ang mas maraming pamilyang Pilipino.”

“Sa paglago ng mga maliliit na negosyo, lahat tayo panalo,” Aquino stressed.

The bill mandates the creation of Negosyo Centers, under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in each city and municipality around the country. These Negosyo centers are meant to make it easier for entrepreneurs to register and start up their businesses, as well as gain access to sources of financing.

The Negosyo Centers are also meant to provide courses and development programs, training, give advice on business conceptualization and feasibility, financing, management, capability building, human resources, marketing and other support services.

“With the support of our colleagues in government and the private sector, we can make the Go Negosyo Act a game-changing piece of legislation that can cut unemployment in the country by half–or even more,” Aquino said.

Sen. Bam: Youth Unemployment ‘Growing Epidemic’

Senator Bam Aquino called the huge number of unemployed youth in the country a “growing epidemic” that should be immediately addressed by the government.

 “Youth unemployment is a growing epidemic in the Philippines and all over the world,” the senator said during Tuesday’s first-ever hearing of the Senate Committee on Youth, which he chairs.

According to a data from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), of the 2.8 million jobless Filipinos, 1.42 million or more than half are from the youth sector.

The lawmaker stressed that the government’s push for inclusive growth will not take off unless the problems of youth unemployment and underemployment are not immediately addressed.

To help tackle this, the senator calls on different government agencies such as the DOLE, the Department of Education (DepEd), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), as well as the private sector, to develop programs that will create more jobs and solve the so-called “job mismatch”, which contributes to the high unemployment rate.

“We call on government agencies, educational institutions, and private companies to work more closely together in solving the problems of youth unemployment and underemployment,” said Sen. Bam.

Aquino stressed that there needs to be better linkages between the private sector and our educational system, “so that our graduates are better equipped for the demands of the industry”.

“We need to ensure that our graduates are equipped to find jobs that fit their skills and educational attainment, after they finish school,” the senator stressed.

If young Filipinos opt to start a new business, the senator said that they should be given access to financing, training, market linkages, and other means of support that will help them run and develop their own businesses.

“This is one of the advocacies of our office, but we need  support from different sectors to push for policies and programs that will open up opportunities for young Filipinos,” the lawmaker emphasized.

BIR Opposes Sen. Bam’s “People’s Fund Bill”

A proposed “People’s Fund Bill”, authored by Senator Bam Aquino, will give taxpayers the power to choose where to allocate five percent of their income tax.

Sen. Aquino reiterated this during Tuesday’s hearing of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, regarding Senate Bill No. 1356 or the “People’s Fund Bill”.

The People’s Fund Bill creates mechanisms for taxpayers to allocate part of their income taxes to an accredited charity or civil society organization, a priority national or local government project, or a legitimate political party.

According to Sen. Aquino, the “People’s Fund Bill” could very well complement the government’s P130-billion rehabilitation plan for provinces devastated by super-typhoon Yolanda.

“Through the People’s Fund Bill, the public can help survivors of Yolanda more quickly get back on their feet,” Aquino said.

The senator stressed that the government needs all the help it can get from different sectors in the aftermath of several calamities that hit the country this year.

During the hearing, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Kim Henares expressed apprehension over the passage of new tax reform bills.

In his response, Sen. Aquino said, “We disagree with the BIR on this issue. We understand their objective to collect more taxes for the country, but we also need space to support initiatives that will promote the development of our people and increase their participation in governance.”

Henares later on said that the government is ready to implement the “People’s Fund Bill” if it will be enacted into law.

Henares also called for a stringent accreditation process for charity or civil society organization, which stand to benefit from the bill.

 

First 100 Days: Sen. Bam Champions Inclusive Growth, Reforms

In his first 100 days in office, Sen. Bam Aquino has proven himself to be a champion of inclusive growth and reform through his bills and other initiatives.

Despite being the youngest senator in the 16th Congress, Aquino has been given the task of leading the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, and the Committee on Youth, owing to his vast experience as a globally awarded social entrepreneur and youth leader.

Inclusive growth push

As part of his commitment to push for inclusive growth, Sen. Aquino hit the ground running by filing a slew of priority measures that aim to empower the poor through jobs, livelihood, and access to market and opportunities.

Among them are the Social Value Bill, the Social Enterprise Bill, the Youth Entrepreneurship Bill, the Go Negosyo Bill, the Microfinance Development Institutions Bill, the Fair Competition Bill, and the “Pagkaing Pinoy para sa Batang Pinoy” Bill.

Aquino believes that these bills, once approved, will help solve poverty by generating more jobs and creating more livelihood opportunities through the promotion of micro, small, and medium-scale businesses.

“For me, inclusive growth needs to go through business. There is no way that we can achieve inclusive growth without engaging our countrymen in jobs or in enterprise building,” the entrepreneur-turned-lawmaker said.

“Para po sa akin, ‘yan ang isang pinakamalinaw na kailangang tahaking daan. Hindi po natin makukuha ang inclusive growth o malawakang kaunlaran kung hindi tayo tutulong sa mga kababayan natin na magnegosyo o magkatrabaho.”

Aquino also co-convened an Inter-Sectoral Committee on Business Empowerment (ISCBE), together with the Department of Finance (DOF), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Landbank, and private sector representatives such as Gawad Kalinga and CARD-MRI. The ISCBE meets regularly to promote greater convergence around government’s inclusive growth agenda and to develop synergistic solutions to unemployment and poverty.

As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, Sen. Aquino also brought together key government agencies and members of the private sector and the academe to push for ease of doing business and to assess the country’s readiness for the ASEAN integration in 2015.

Reforms in governance, youth empowerment

The young lawmaker was also the first legislator to suspend his own Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). He also pushed for its abolition when the so-called P10-billion pork barrel scam was uncovered.

In line with his call to abolish the PDAF, Aquino filed the People’s Fund Bill that will give the people greater control over public funds. Through this measure, taxpayers will be given greater control over where public funds should be allocated.

Sen. Aquino has also filed Senate Bill No. 1090, or the Liga ng Bayaning Kabataan Bill, which seeks to overhaul the current Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) to instill among Filipino youth the true spirit of volunteerism and “save them from the clutches of partisan politics.”

The young senator also convened stakeholders and groups pushing for SK reforms and anti-discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, to further empower these communities and give them a voice.

Aquino expressed confidence that some of his priority measures will be enacted into law, particularly his inclusive growth bills, to help the government in addressing the high unemployment and poverty incidences in the country.

“At the end of the day, if we were able to solve the problem of inclusive growth, we’ll be one step closer to the Philippines that we would want for ourselves,” Aquino said.

Convergence Needed for Inclusive Growth — Sen. Bam Aquino

At the 2nd Inclusive Business Forum organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), and the Asian Social Enterprise Incubator, Inc. (ASEI) on September 16, 2013, Sen. Bam Aquino challenged government, the private sector, and civil society to work together to promote inclusive growth through Inclusive Business.

Inclusive Business refers to private enterprises whose businesses were designed to address pressing social needs. It takes poor people out of poverty by linking them to larger value chains and giving them access to markets, financing, sustainable livelihood, mentoring and support systems, and other necessary ingredients for development.

According to Markus Dietrich and Armin Bauer of the ADB, “Inclusive Business in the Philippines can be adopted to realize the government’s inclusive growth goals, such as creating more employment for the poor… and providing better services, especially in housing, health, energy and education.”

“One problem in enabling inclusive businesses would be convergence. You have agencies supporting social enterprises and inclusive business practices on their own, but we still need to see these agencies working together,” Sen. Aquino pointed out.

Aquino, a globally awarded social entrepreneur before being elected into the Senate, talked about four major pillars of enabling inclusive growth.

“First, we need to push ease of doing business. It will help not only inclusive business, but also the whole private sector.”

“Second, support for MSMEs—whether it’s through better financing, shared services, and subsidies, to a certain extent.”

“We also need to start implementing laws better,” Sen. Aquino pointed out. “We already have a lot of laws that support MSMEs, but they are not being implemented.”

Aquino also talked about two priority pieces of legislation: the Social Enterprise Bill, and another bill that he will soon file, an Inclusive Business Bill.

“I think the best way to go about legislation is for the practitioners to tell us what the sector needs,” he added.

“We’re sure that our colleagues from the Senate and from Congress will support laws supporting inclusive businesses and social enterprises, but again, the convergence needs to happen.”

The senator likewise cited that “there is a lot of willingness from the private sector to collaborate… but government has to jumpstart the collaboration.”

“It’s best if different agencies are already working with the private sector on pilot programs and learning from that experience, then we institutionalize everything a necessary piece of legislation.”

“The challenge is to get all of the players in place to begin talking to each other and working together,” the lawmaker reiterated.

Bam Files “People’s Fund Bill”

In light of his earlier pronouncements regarding the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and the need to give taxpayers greater control over public funds, Senator Bam Aquino has filed the People’s Fund Bill.

The People’s Fund Bill creates mechanisms for an individual taxpayer to allocate five percent (5%) of his or her income tax for any of the following: (1) an accredited charity or civil society organization; (2) a priority national or local government project; or (3) a legitimate political party.

Under this bill, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) shall establish the mechanism that would enable individual taxpayers to select beneficiaries upon filing of their annual income tax returns.

Meanwhile, an inter-agency committee led by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) shall determine the eligibility of respective organizations, and shall likewise set the conditions, guidelines, and reporting requirements for the receipt and use of the funds by the benefitting organizations.

“The people’s clamor for transparency, accountability, and good governance is growing louder and stronger. Government must heed the call of the people and institutionalize mechanisms that will ensure greater citizen involvement on how public funds are being spent,” Aquino stresses.

“To be clear, hindi ito bagong buwis na ipapataw sa mga tao.  Ang People’s Fund ay manggagaling sa binabayad na ng mamamayan na tax kada taon.  Ang pinag-iba lang ay merong kapangyarihan ang mga taxpayer na piliin kung saan pupunta ang porsyento ng perang ito.  Ginagawa na ito sa ibang mga bansa; panahon na, na gawin ito sa Pilipinas.”

“After all,” Aquino continues, “our estimate of the People’s Fund is around ten billion pesos.  Mas maliit pa rin sa papalitan niyang PDAF natwenty-five billion pesos.  Sa kadulu-dulahan, nakatipid pa rin ang gobyerno ng malaking halaga na ngayo’y napupunta sa pork barrel.”

Photo source: Christina Mendez

Bam Lauds PNoy Call to Abolish Pork

 

Senator Bam Aquino lauds President Benigno Aquino III’s statement calling for the abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), otherwise known as the “pork barrel,” saying this is a necessary first-step to urgent reforms.

“Tayo po ay natutuwa dahil pinakinggan ni PNoy ang hiling ng taumbayan. Panahon na talaga upang buwagin ‘yang PDAF.”

Earlier on Friday, Sen. Aquino called for the abolition of the PDAF and proposed in its stead a “People’s Fund.”

The People’s Fund is meant to “give the Filipino people greater control over where and how public funds are spent.”

“We’ve already taken a lot of steps toward good governance, but now it’s time to overhaul system that’s been corrupted,” the younger Aquino says. “Abolishing the PDAF and instituting reforms is yet another step in transforming governance and keeping the path to tuwid na daan. There’s no better time for it than now.”

Bam Lauds Agri Investments in Davao del Sur

Senator Bam Aquino lauded the Department of Trade and Industry’s approval of six shared service facilities (SSF) worth P2 million in Davao del Sur, which are meant to boost the production of coco vinegar, kakanin, coco shellcraft, muscovado sugar, as well as cacao beans fermentation and coco coir processing.

“Our farmers and agri-entrepreneurs need a lot of support,” said Sen. Aquino, “and the SSFs can provide that much-needed push for them to boost production, improve their quality, and even create additional income through off-farm activities.”

“We congratulate the DTI for this project, and we hope that more SSFs can be built in more strategic locations throughout the Philippine countryside,” the senator added.

The DTI has a total of P700 million allocated for the SSF program, under which facilities may be shared by beneficiaries such as cooperatives, institutions, and communities. The DTI likewise hopes that more micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will avail themselves of this program.

Aside from the six SSFs in Davao del Sur, three more project proposals “are targeted to be approved before the 2013 ends,” according to the DTI.

According to DTI-DS officer-in-charge Eulogio Orevillo, “It is our hope that [entrepreneurs and agricultural cooperatives] will improve their business especially in terms of profit by increasing their production volume and enhancing product quality. These we can easily achieve with the help of the SSFs.”

“The SSFs are one concrete–and, we hope, effective–way of supporting our farmers and agri-entrepreneurs, but we really need to push for rural development and more investments in the Philippine countryside,” Sen. Aquino pointed out. “Poverty is most severe in the rural areas, and we need more government interventions and PPPs (public-private partnerships) here to generate jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities for our people.”

Photo source: Mindanews.com

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