Bills

Senate Bill No. 917: Filipino Identification System Act

A list of of valid IDs in the Philippines enumerates 33 different forms of identification that are obtained from various government agencies. Often, a different form of identification will be required of a Filipino citizen depending on the service or government agency involved. The bureaucracy, red tape, and wasted time involved in procuring and releasing each different form of identification is economically inefficient for both the government and its citizens. This also hinders the timely delivery of public services to ordinary Filipinos who bear the opportunity cost of applying and waiting for their IDs.

The proliferation of various forms of government identification obtained separately from different agencies also makes the government identification systems vulnerable to discrepancies and identity fraud.

If we are to continue our pursuit to provide high quality social services to all Filipinos in an effective and timely manner, we must take the necessary steps in unifying the identification system which will allow us to have better control and more efficient interaction between citizens and the government.

This bill seeks to establish a unified Filipino Identification System, to be implemented by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The PSA will manage the Filipino Citizen Registry – a master database of all registered Filipinos. Every Filipino citizen, including those born or residing overseas, will be assigned a unique Common Reference Number at birth and will only be required to renew this ID upon reaching the age of majority and again upon reaching the age of 60. This ID shall be used as the sole required identification in any government transaction and will be provided free of charge as part of the government’s social responsibility.

In pursuing a national identification system, Filipinos will have a more efficient experience with government transactions and the government will benefit from a thorough database of information on Filipino citizens. This will also pave the way to more effective ways of delivering government services such as anti-poverty programs and other social services to improve the quality of life for all.

In view of the foregoing and to ascertain our commitment to the Filipino people, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

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Senate Bill No. 691: Value-Added Tax on Non-Essential Goods

Whether young or old, ingrained in the Filipino psyche and in our daily hygiene is the use of baby cologne.

In a survey of Filipino consumers, baby colognes ranked second only to shampoo in regular usage, placing it above powder, lotion, and hand sanitizers.1

Further, 98% of the splash cologne consumers are from the economic classes C, D, and Ewith Class D taking up 54% of the market share.7

This Act aims to recognize splash cologne as an essential good, setting it apart from perfumes and other luxury fragrances by ascertaining the concentration of the essential oils or perfume in the product.

The proposed amendment is in line with the legal definition already set by Revenue Regulations No. 8 to 84.3

By aligning and streamlining the definition for baby cologne or “toilet water” and recognizing such as an essential good and taxing them accordingly, we will be able to protect our low-income households from unnecessary surges in prices of their inexpensive, but fragrant cologne, and at the same time, provide appropriate support to the baby cologne industry.

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

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Senate Bill No. 648: Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Assistance Act

From the malls of Hong Kong to the souqs of the Middle East and even on massive vessels navigating through borderless seas, you’ll find talented Filipinos diligently working to build a brighter future for their family.

They aren’t only keeping their loved ones above water financially; they are also keeping the Philippine economy afloat with remittances reaching $16.21 billion or P764 billion from January to August 2015.

Even with their contribution, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) remain vulnerable to poor working conditions and abusive employers.

In addition, their employment abroad is no guarantee of financial success.

In a survey conducted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas last September 2015, only 38.2% of the 563 household-respondents said that a portion of the money from OFWs are set aside for savings.

There are still too many OFWs that come home without a plan for retirement. Keeping in mind our duty to empower and uplift every Filipino, the OFW Protection Act bolsters our support for the OFW community and the families they leave back home.

This measure ensures our OFWs safety by strictly monitoring and assessing accredited partner agencies and mandating the Public Attorney’s Office to establish a help­ desk in every international port of exit in the Philippines to offer legal service, assistance and advice to departing migrant workers.

Acknowledging the immense power in access to credible information, this measure orders effective and efficient information dissemination on labor, employment, and migration data through various mediums, including social media.

Lastly, to truly achieve prosperity for every Filipino family, this measure integrates programs on livelihood, entrepreneurship, savings, investments and financial literacy to the existing efforts of embassies.

This is our opportunity show our gratitude and appreciation to our overseas Filipinos while fulfilling our duty as public servants.

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Senate Bill No. 647: Sustainable Transport Network Act

The development of transportation infrastructure is pivotal to the growth of the nation. Wealth and opportunities ply through roads connecting communities, on board vehicles that bear the riches of our land. But it’s not without its own consequences. The development derived from every road built also spurs the demand for more vehicles. And when road networks reach their carrying capacities, when they become congested, expedient and convenient transportation is stunted and the emission from motorized vehicles amplify health and environmental hazards.

The State must endeavor to reverse this trend by balancing the demand for transportation and for healthy and livable communities for all. Transportation must be made sustainable. The State must endeavor the reduction of emissions, and the maximization of alternate modes of transportation with little to no harmful impact on our health and the environment.

This measure seeks to develop a National Sustainable Mobility Network Plan through the Department of Transportation and Communication that shall guide LGUs in developing a local version of this plan in coordination with the Local Bikeways Office to be established in all LGUs, creating facilities and programs that shall prioritize and endorse the shift to the use of non-motorized vehicles, public transportation, and intermodal transportation involving both.

Further, programs contained herein are designed to set the tone of for immediate and long-term government support for users of non-motorized transporCation, and encourage private sector participation in the goals of this measure.

It is high that we revisit State policy towards transportation, and for us to champion the new paradigm in the movement of people and things: “Those that have less in wheels must have more in roads.”

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

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Senate Bill No. 684: Rural Employment Assistance (REAP) Act

It is our directive to ensure that as the Philippine economy grows and thrives, all Filipinos grow and thrive together. One of our mandates is to promote inclusive growth and spread wealth and opportunity across the country.

As such, we need to take a look at our rural communities and provide opportunities to those along the countryside and within our islands, beginning with our least fortunate countrymen.

Considering that almost 80% of Filipinos living in poverty reside in our rural areas1, we are in urgent need of measures to combat poverty and unemployment beyond our cities and urban hubs in the short and long term.

The Rural Employment Assistance Program (REAP) Act is one such policy for the short term, which aims to provide heads of poor families in rural areas fair wages for temporary unskilled work.

This bill not only addresses the issue of unemployment in rural areas, it also involves our less fortunate citizens in nation building as we provide other measures that will help them pursue permanent employment.

The REAP Act mandates the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to hire unemployed Filipinos to maintain, build, and rehabilitate shared, public facilities and livelihood assets within their community.

Let us bring opportunities, wealth, and capacity to the Philippine islands, especially in the countryside. Let every Filipino reap the fruits of our positive progress and development.

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

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Senate Bill No. 692: Corporation Code

The Philippines is enjoying the best economic growth it has seen in years and has deemed to be a rising star in the region. But the challenge remains to enhance the local markets and business environment in order for investments to continuously come in. Updating pertinent laws is needed to keep up with the fast-changing business landscape and sustain this unprecedented progress.

This measure seeks to introduce key amendments to Batas Pambansa Blg. 68 or the Corporation Code, which was passed in 1980 or more than three decades ago.

Two key provisions aim to address the needs of entrepreneurs in the country.

Firstly, a sole proprietor presently needs to have incorporators of five to fifteen individuals to be able to register with the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC). The policy has created cases for dummy incorporators.

In addition, sole proprietorship exposes all the properties of the entrepreneur for the business’ liabilities. Such exposure risks all of the assets of the proprietor, even his family’s properties.

To address these, this measure recommends the recognition of the one-person corporation to encourage entrepreneurs to declare truthful and transparent information about their businesses, limit liabilities and spare family assets, and further grow their businesses.

Secondly, the law currently provides for a limited corporate term of 50 years maximum. Many big firms forget to renew after 50 years and they end up dissolving the company, liquidating their assets and transferring their properties. This unfortunate event leads to loss of income and livelihood for families, and the loss of legacy and dreams for entrepreneurs and employees.

The bill seeks to allow corporations to have perpetual corporation existence but with renewal requirements every 25 years. Failure to comply with the requirements will not end corporate existence but penalties will be imposed. It allows a corporation to develop long-term plans and to look into more sustainable and far-reaching strategies for more economic growth.

 

Other related provisions have been proposed to make the policy relevant and attuned to present times, adopt global best practices, attract more investments and start-ups in the country and specifically address the needs of entrepreneurs.

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


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Senate Bill No. 687: Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Act

Despite country’s success in achieving moderate economic growth, the results of the 2015 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey still show that 50% of Filipinos consider themselves as poor. This result is a call for the national government to strengthen its effort in addressing problems of unemployment and alleviating poverty.  A study conducted by Asian Development Bank in 2006 suggests a strong link between poverty levels and educational attainment. Almost 50% of household heads who did not complete any formal schooling are poor while only 2% of college graduates have income below the poverty line. Despite Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reporting an increase in subsistence incidence among Filipino Families from 10% in 2012 to 9.2% in the first semester of 2015, it is still reported that incomes of poor families were short by 29% of the poverty threshold. Based on this, on the average, an additional monthly income of PHP 2649 is needed by a poor family with five members in order to move out of poverty in the first semester of 2015.

These data show that despite the decrease in in poverty levels, improvement to current poverty alleviation efforts is much needed.  It is in this line of reasoning that we push for the institutionalization of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is a human development measure of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to the poorest of the poor, to improve the health, nutrition, and the education of children aged 0-18. Other countries have been implementing similar programs like Argentina’s Universal Allowance for Children, Brazil’s Family Grant, and Chile’s Solidarity System which all have reduced their poverty levels significantly. All these have been made into laws. The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Act of 2016, with its enhancements on the existing program, hopes to ensure that all youth beneficiaries will have the assistance they need to finish high school and college and thus have a greater chance of landing a job. These include the expansion of age coverage from 0-14 to 0-18 years old and the increase in the amount received by students 12-18 years of age. This Act also strengthens implementation by penalizing actions which jeopardize the integrity of the program.

With the current implementation of the program in the country, high compliance rates were recorded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the months of March and April 2015, with 99.91% for the deworming of children aged 6-14; 98.99% for school attendance of children aged 6-14; 98.33% for school attendance of children in daycare aged 3-5; 97.05% for school attendance of children aged 15-18; 95.95% for health visits of pregnant women and children aged 0-5; and 94.84% for attendance in family development sessions. The program, designed to address short term needs for the long term goal of breaking the intergenerational poverty cycle, is only beginning to receive its return on investment, with year 2015’s 300,000 thousand high school graduates from household beneficiaries.  Given what the program has already accomplished and in consideration of what it could still achieve given the improvements to the program, it is the government’s responsibility to ensure sustainability regardless of transitions the Philippines may go through as it shifts from administration to administration.

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

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Senate Bill No. 689: Rationalizing the Taxes Imposed on Non-Life Insurance Policies

Water-logged vehicles, homes swallowed by the earth, valuables blown over and washed away – these are scenes from the various calamities experienced by Filipinos over the past years.

From Ondoy in Metro Manila to the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol and super­ typhoon Yolanda in Leyte, what Filipino families had spent decades working for was taken away and families without the protection of insurance had no recourse but to begin again from scratch.

Non-life insurance policies in the Philippines bear a value-added tax (VAT) of 12% amongst an array of other taxes, such as documentary stamps, fire service and local government taxes bringing the total tax burden to 27.2% per policy. In comparison, life insurance policies carry only 2% VAT after enjoying a 5% reduction thanks to RA 10001.

The prohibitively high taxation rates on non-life insurance have caused Filipino consumers and businesses alike to shy away from this key necessity, placing their hard- earned investments at risk in our disaster-prone nation.

In order to empower our citizens and local businesses to protect hard earned assets and encourage more Filipinos to think long-term, we must pursue the reduction of taxes for non-life insurance policies in the country.

What’s more, as the Philippines enters the ASEAN Integrated Economic Zone, we have a responsibility to strengthen local industries, including our insurance sector who will be contending with foreign competitors who offer non-life insurance policies at 0.4-7% VAT.

This measure will not only safeguard the valued possessions of our hardworking countrymen; it won’t Just shield businesses from the risk of failure after catastrophes beyond their control, but will also create a thriving non-life insurance sector in the Philippines as it competes on a larger stage in the ASEAN.

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


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Senate Bill No. 690: Magna Carta of the Poor

The country’s economic performance in recent years has been impressive and unprecedented. Its 7.2% GDP growth in 2013 was the highest in Asia earning the country improved investment grades. Its economic climate is now attractive, viable and profitable for investors to come in – doing business has become more fun in the Philippines.

Despite the accomplishments of the country, it still does face a myriad of challenges – around three million Filipinos do not have jobs and a fifth of the populace is poor.

The daunting task for the State is how to capitalize on its outstanding growth, the critically acclaimed reform efforts and the renewed global confidence, in order to make growth more inclusive and felt by all of the one hundred million Filipinos.

In the midst of this economic progress, it is essential for the State to craft policies so that every Filipino family is recognized regardless of the socio-economic status of its members, and to take care and provide for their needs.

The proposed measure thus seeks to ensure the protection and promotion of five basic rights of every Filipino: the right to food, employment, quality education, shelter and basic health care. It supports the creation of a just and dynamic environment where prosperity is shared through provision of adequate social services and enabling a rising standard of living and improved quality of life for everyone.

As the Philippines grows, no filipino should be left behind. 

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

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Senate Bill No. 688: Big Data Act

The world we live in is in constant change. With these changes, more data are being collected, stored, accessed, analyzed, re-analyzed and disseminated.

Big Data has risen as an alternative source of information. It refers to datasets whose volume is beyond the ability of typical database software tools to capture, store, manage and analyze within a tolerable elapsed period of time.

Today, Big Data from information-sensing smart phones, social media and the Internet, remote sensing and climate sensors is more available and accessible.

Thus, establishment of a technology center that facilitates Big Data is proposed in order for policy and services to be more relevant to the changing needs of the people.

With the help of the Philippine Big Data Center, disaster response teams will be armed by important information and other data needed during emergency situations and calamities.

The Bill proposes an infrastructure where Big Data is utilized for research and development, and invention and innovation.

The Center will develop a range of standards to use software and tools for analytics on massive amounts of data being generated from the use of the Internet and other technology.

The Center will also be responsible for disseminating and communicating the knowledge gained from its research activities to its stakeholders in both the public and private sectors. The analysis from Big Data will help policy makers to be more responsive to the needs of the public.

Furthermore, the Center will respect the right to privacy of the Filipinos, ensuring data anonymity, establish opt-in permissions and uphold transparency in its data analytics processes. 

The passage of this bill will pioneer and institutionalize a technological breakthrough that will support the public and private sectors. It boosts the efforts of the State for more advanced, sustained and inclusive developmental progress. 

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

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