DENR

Sen. Bam urges CA to revisit secret voting process

Sen. Bam Aquino described the Commission on Appointment’s secret voting system as “problematic” in the confirmation of Gina Lopez, who was rejected as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“Aside from the issue of accountability, there were also issues of honesty with regard to some of the members’ public pronouncements on their vote,” said Sen. Bam, a CA member for the minority together with Sens. Franklin Drilon and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.

The senator said he will raise the issue of secret voting to the CA minority bloc to determine if they will push to modify it.

Earlier, Liberal Party senators — including Aquino, Drilon, Pangilinan and Sen. Ralph Recto — manifested that they voted to approve Lopez’s appointment.

“Iyong LP senators nag-decide kami na suportahan si Sec. Lopez, kasama po sina Sens. Drilon, Recto at Pangilinan.  Unfortunately, natalo po kami sa boto at marami pong nag-decide na i-reject po siya,” Sen. Bam said in an earlier interview.

Sen. Bam expressed surprise over the result of the voting, saying it was unusual that members of the opposition supported the appointment of a presidential appointee.

The senator emphasized that the opposition is willing to support any presidential appointee as long as he or she can help the people and the country.

Senate Bill No. 652: Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Program Act

There is tremendous potential in the bamboo industry. Globally, the value of exports of bamboo and bamboo products is estimated to be US$12 billion. Locally the reported value of exports of bamboo and bamboo products in 2014 was US$ 10 million. Bamboo production and processing has provided direct and indirect employment to an estimated 190,000 people and these numbers can continue to climb, with the right support systems in place for the industry.

However, bamboo is officially classified as a minor forest product by virtue of PD No. 705 otherwise known as the Revised Forestry Code. As a consequence of this classification, the main considerations and attention of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has been focused on timber and timber products, which is understandable because of timber’s sizable economic contributions.

But with the destruction of our forests and the diminution of the supply of wood and wood products for construction, there are attempts to fill the void with suitable substitutes such as bamboo.

Bamboo has always been an important construction material in the rural areas. Because of its versatility it has found applications in many uses, from house construction, farm implements, kitchen utensils, furniture and handicrafts. Bamboo is also relatively cheap given its ubiquity and ready availability in the rural areas. However, its low price is also a result of low natural durability against agencies of deterioration and its poor reputation as a material for construction.

Fortunately, the research sector has been working on technologies to lengthen the service life of bamboo and has developed new bamboo products such as engineered bamboo, which can take the place of wood as panel products and for structural purposes. Today, furniture and handicraft manufacturers incorporate bamboo in the design of their products with amazing results, even attracting foreign buyers. Bamboo has also become a medium in carving and architects have designed structures entirely made of bamboo.

In the environmental front, bamboo has been found to excellently reduce erosion. It is also capable of absorbing heavy metals in mined-out areas. Studies have also shown that it can sequester carbon dioxide of about 45% of its dry weight.

An important advantage of bamboo to tree plantations is that there is a need to replant when trees in plantations are harvested. In contrast only mature culms are harvested from a clump of bamboo and if managed well a clump of bamboo can continuously provide raw materials indefinitely.

With these developments and benefits, bamboo has been gaining popularity both locally and in foreign countries. Unfortunately there is no national program on bamboo industry development.

It is recognized in the industry that there is a general insufficiency of raw materials for which reason many enterprises on bamboo processing have closed down because of lack of raw materials yet there is little initiative in bamboo plantation development. Support to research and development is sorely insufficient and product marketing is left generally to the private sector.

In order for the country to be more competitive in foreign markets, capture a sizeable portion of the global market, provide livelihood to rural communities, and take advantage of the environmental contributions of bamboo to rehabilitate degraded watersheds, sequester carbon dioxide, and assist in the mitigation of climate change, it is necessary to have an organized and well managed bamboo industry development program.

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


PDFicon DOWNLOAD SBN 652

BIDA KA!: Corrupt na Emission Testing Centers

Mga Bida, isinabatas ang Clean Air Act noong 1999 upang protektahan ang publiko sa panganib ng polusyon.

Nakapaloob sa nasabing batas ang mga hakbang para mapaganda ang kalidad ng hangin, para na rin sa kalusugan ng lahat.

Ngunit labinlimang taon na ang nakalilipas mula nang ito’y ipatupad, wala pa rin tayong nakikitang pagbabago sa kalagayan ng hangin.

Sa halip na gumanda, lumalala pa ang polusyon sa hangin sa bansa, lalo na sa Metro Manila.

Sa pagdinig ng Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship na aking pinamumunuan, nabatid na naglalaro sa 136 micrograms kada normal cubic meter (ug/Ncm) ang polus­yon sa hangin sa Metro Manila.

Ayon pa sa kinatawan ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), ang nasabing numero ay malayo sa normal na nibel na 90 ug/Ncm.

Subalit laking gulat ko nang sabihin ng DENR na walumpung porsiyento ng pinagmumulan ng polusyon sa hangin ay mga sasakyan.

Naitanong ko tuloy kung ano pa ang silbi ng mga private emission testing center (PETC) na siyang inatasan ng batas upang suriin kung ligtas ang ibinubugang hangin ng mga sasakyan.

Sa tagal nang mayroong mga PETCs, dapat ay mayroon nang magandang pagbabago sa kalagayan ng hangin at nibel ng polus­yon sa bansa. Hindi yata tama ito.

***

Ilang buwan na ang nakalipas, mga Bida, naghain ako ng reso­lusyon upang silipin ang kalagayan ng mga PETCs sa bansa.

Nais nating malaman kung sila ba’y nakasusunod sa kanilang tungkulin o kung epektibo pa ang sistemang ito sa pagsugpo sa polusyon.

Sa Senate Resolution 734 na aking ipinasa, hiniling ko sa kaukulang komite na imbestigahan ang mga ulat na ilang PETCs ang gumagawa ng ilegal na mga gawain.

Kabilang sa mga ilegal na gawain nila ay ang non-appearance scheme o ghost testing ng mga sasakyan kapalit ng mas mala­king bayad.

Dahil sa ginagawang kabalbalan ng mga tiwaling PETC, nawawalan tuloy ng saysay ang Clean Air Act. Sa halip na luminis ang hangin, lalo tuloy itong napapasama dahil nakakalabas sa lansangan ang mga sasakyang nagbubuga ng maruming hangin.

***

Sa pagdinig kamakailan, napatotohanan ang mga ulat na ipinaabot sa akin dahil ayon mismo sa Land Transportation Office (LTO), ilang PETCs na ang kanilang pinagmulta at sinuspinde dahil sa ilegal na gawain.

Binanggit mismo ng LTO na ilang emission centers ang nagpapadala ng mga pekeng fake emission result at larawan sa ahensiya para palitawing sumailalim na sa pagsusuri ang isang sasakyan.

Gamit ang makabagong teknolohiya sa photo editing gaya ng Photoshop, pinapalitan ng tiwaling emission centers ang plate number ng mga sasakyan para masabing dumaan na ito sa pagsusuri.

Ang masakit nito, napakagaan lang ng parusang itinatakda ng batas sa mga tiwaling center. Pinagmumulta lang sila ng P30,000 maliban pa sa 30 araw na suspensiyon.

Magaan lang ang parusang ito kung titimbangin ang bigat ng ginagawa nilang kabulastugan. Nilalagay na nila sa alanganin ang kalusugan ng maraming Pilipino, napapasama pa ang ating kalikasan.

Kaya hiniling natin sa LTO na patawan ng mabigat na parusa ang mga corrupt na emission center at sampahan pa ng kasong kri­minal gaya ng falsification of public document para sila’y madala.

Kailangan nating itama ang sistemang ito dahil lalo lang mapapariwara ang kalikasan kung hahayaan natin silang mamayagpag.

Sabi nga ng tauhan ng DENR, kung lahat ng sasakyan ay susunod lang sa itinatakdang pamantayan ng Clean Air Act, magi­ging normal sana ang hangin sa Metro Manila.

Maliban pa rito, malalayo pa ang publiko sa sakit na dulot ng polusyon. Sa ngayon kasi, mga Bida, nangunguna sa sakit na pumapatay sa maraming Pilipino ay may kinalaman sa respiratory system.

 

First Published on Abante Online

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