Latest news with #19thCongress
The Star
a day ago
- Business
- The Star
Philippine lawmaker seeks prioritisation of rice tariff law amendments
FILE PHOTO: A farmer walks along a paddy field on a rice terrace in Banaue, Ifugao province, the Philippines, on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. Rice prices have remained volatile, while the influx of cheap imported rice has displaced locally produced varieties. - Bloomberg MANILA: Las Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos has urged colleagues in the House of Representatives to prioritise deliberations on proposed amendments to Republic Act No. 11203, or the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), to ensure sustained availability of affordable rice in public markets. In a statement on Monday (July 21), Santos said the benefits promised under the RTL—such as lower rice prices and improved support for local farmers—have not materialised, highlighting the need for revisions to the law. Santos noted that rice prices have remained volatile, while the influx of cheap imported rice has displaced locally produced varieties. 'We have not felt the promised benefits of the Rice Tariffication Law. Rice prices failed to decrease significantly, and our farmers' lives became harder,' he said. According to Santos, amending the law would enable the government to prioritise local production, restore the National Food Authority's (NFA) authority to purchase unhusked rice from local farmers, and maintain a buffer stock that could be utilised beyond emergencies. During the 19th Congress, the House approved on third reading a proposal to amend the RTL, which seeks to restore some of the NFA's functions. House Bill No. 10381 was approved in May 2024, with 231 lawmakers voting in favour, three against, and one abstaining. House leaders, including 19th Congress Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, believe the amendments could lower rice prices by P10 (US$0.18) to 15 per kilogram. However, the bill faced opposition in the Senate due to concerns that restoring some of the NFA's mandates might lead to renewed corruption. Quezon 1st District Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga, former chair of the House committee on agriculture and food, assured that this would not happen since the NFA would play a limited role in importation. Enverga also said they intended to brief senators on the proposal, noting he understands the concerns raised by Villar and other senators. Villar, along with several senators in the 19th Congress, warned against amending RA 11203, noting that the law barred the NFA from importing and selling rice precisely due to rampant corruption within the agency. For the 20th Congress, Romualdez has proposed to 'strengthen the regulatory powers' of the NFA through House Bill (HB) No. 1, also known as the proposed Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act. According to a copy of the bill, the NFA's regulatory authority would be reinforced by amending Republic Act No. 8178, or the Agricultural Tariffication Act, which was later amended by the RTL. Romualdez said House Bill No. 1 and House Bill No. 14, the proposed Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation Act, will support the administration's food security programme and aid the Benteng Bigas Meron Na initiative, which is anchored on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s campaign promise to bring down rice prices to 20 per kilogram. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
GMA Network
09-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Dela Rosa to seek Senate vote on whether impeach trial of VP Sara should proceed
Senator Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa on Wednesday vowed to seek a Senate vote on whether the Senate should convene as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. 'Siguro ang pinakaunang motion ko (My first motion) is to determine whether or not the Senate of the 20th Congress is willing to be bound by the actions of the previous Senate. 'Yun lang ang tanungin ko para masettle natin 'yung issue on jurisdiction (That will be my only question to settle the issue on jurisdiction),' Dela Rosa said in a press conference. 'Since the impeachment court asked the House whether it is willing to be bound by the actions of their predecessors during the 19th Congress, you can expect me also to raise the same question on the Senate floor once the session of the 20th Congress is convened,' he added. The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, earlier ordered the return of the articles of impeachment to the House of Representatives pending the following actions: certify that the impeachment complaint did not violate the Constitution's one-year bar or a one impeachment complaint filed against an official per year and certify that the 20th Congress is willing to prosecute the Vice President based on an impeachment complaint filed during the 19th Congress. The House has already complied with the first requirement but has yet to comply on the second as the 20th Congress will only convene on July 28.. Dela Rosa then insisted that the jurisdiction of the Senate under 20th Congress on the impeachment complaint filed against the Vice President in the 19th Congress is still debatable, even with the Senate impeachment court already issuing orders on the prosecution and defense panel. 'The composition of the 20th Congress is different. Kaya tatanungin ko talaga para masettle 'yung issue of jurisdiction,' he said. The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on February 5, with over 200 lawmakers endorsing the complaint. The Vice President was accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes over alleged misuse of P612.5 million worth of confidential funds, and for threatening to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., his wife Liza, and Speaker Martin Romualdez of Leyte, among others. Dela Rosa has moved to dismiss the impeachment complaint against the Vice President before 19th Congress ended in June, but his motion did not get support from his Senate colleagues. The chamber instead voted to return the articles of impeachment to the House.—AOL, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Filipino Times
Tolentino calls China sanctions a ‘Badge of Honor' amid WPS advocacy
Former senator Francis Tolentino shrugged off sanctions imposed by China, calling them a 'badge of honor' and a reflection of his firm stance in defending Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, July 1, announced the former lawmaker would be barred from entering mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao due to his 'egregious conduct on China-related issues.' 'China decides to impose sanctions on former Philippines senator Francis Tolentino… and prohibit him from entering the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao,' the ministry said in a statement. The announcement came just days after Tolentino concluded his term in the 19th Congress, where he served as chairperson of the Senate Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones. 'I acknowledge the sanctions imposed on me by China for defending the rights, dignity, and sovereignty of the Filipino people in the West Philippine Sea,' Tolentino said in a statement. 'I have fought — and will continue to fight — for what rightfully belongs to our nation.' The former senator reaffirmed his support for Filipino fisherfolk and maritime forces. 'I stand firmly with the Philippine Navy, the Philippine Coast Guard, and our brave fishermen who depend on these waters for their livelihood,' he said. He added that no foreign government can silence his voice or deter him from asserting the country's territorial rights: 'I am, and will always be, proud to be a Filipino.' Before leaving office, Tolentino revealed in a Senate hearing that China had allegedly been funding troll farms in the Philippines through its embassy in Manila — a claim that stirred further controversy. He said the operation aimed to manipulate public opinion, attack national policies, and undermine Philippine sovereignty. Tolentino was also a key proponent of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, measures designed to bolster the country's legal and navigational control over its waters.
GMA Network
01-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Marcos to study if legislated wage hike will result in layoffs — Palace
President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. will study if a legislated wage hike would result in layoffs, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said Tuesday. ''Muli, pag-aaralan ito kung kakayanin ba talaga, kasi kung magdudulot naman ito ng lay-off dahil hindi kakayanin nung karamihan maliliit na mga negosyante, mas marami pong mahihirapang mga manggagawa dahil baka mawalan sila ng trabaho,'' Castro said at a briefing. (Again, he will study if this will result in layoffs if this can't be enforced by small businessmen, many workers might suffer as they may lose their jobs.) ''Kaya po itong lahat ng ito ay pag-aaralan, para sa ikabubuti po ng lahat,'' she added. (All of these will be studied for the benefit of all.) The proposed legislated minimum wage hike in the 19th Congress, which was pegged at P200 at the House and P100 in the Senate, did not pass into law because the two chambers of Congress failed to reconcile them on time. The bill then needs to be refiled in the 20th Congress. At least 1.2 million minimum wage earners in the National Capital Region (NCR) are set to receive higher salaries next month after the regional wage board approved a P50 increase in the daily minimum wage. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has announced that the NCR Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) issued Wage Order No. 26, which grants a P50 wage hike. The National Wages and Productivity Commission said the wage hike is equivalent to an increase of P1,100 per month for a five-day workweek, and P1,300 for a six-day workweek. Under the new rate, non-agriculture workers will have a monthly take-home pay of about P15,247 to P18,216 for a five-day and six-day workweek, respectively, inclusive of mandatory social welfare benefits such as 13th month pay, service incentive leave, SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
30-06-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Solon on P50 wage hike in NCR: Barya na naman
"Barya na naman," was how a lawmaker described the wage hike in the NCR. Kamanggagawa party-list Rep. Eli San Fernando said the P50 hike in the minimum wage in the National Capital Region (NCR) announced by the wage board was "small change" (barya). 'Barya na naman. Ang hinihingi ng mga mga manggagawa, legislated wage increase, P200 pesos. Ang binigay, P50. Iyan mismo 'yung binabanggit namin na 'yung mga regional wage courts, they are not responsive to the needs of the workers,' he said. Bills seeking to abolish regional wage rates, ban contractualization, and increase wages were among the measures filed during Day 1 of the 20th Congress at the House of Representatives. 'We want to repeal Republic Act (RA) 6727 (Wage Rationalization Act), which provides for the provincial rates because it is time for a uniform minimum wage in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. We can only do that if we repeal RA 6727,' San Fernando told reporters. Another bill he filed sought to amend Articles 106 and 107 of the Labor Code to ban contractualization. "Contractualization is already, in fact, illegal, but it remains rampant due to the presence of manpower agencies,' he added. The lawmaker said he also filed a bill mandating the provision of sick leave and vacation leave, which he said is not explicitly stated in the Labor Code and thus, is only implemented based on employers' prerogative. 'Those sick and vacation leaves are not under the Labor Code. What we have in the Labor Code now is Service Incentive Leave,' he said. Makabayan lawmakers Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers party-list and Renee Co of Kabataan, meanwhile, filed for a P1,200 national minimum wage. 'Ito ang kailangan ng ating mga kababayan: Nakakabuhay na sahod,' Tinio said in a separate interview. (This is what the Filipino workers need: A living wage.) Another bill filed by Makabayan bloc lawmakers is the Presyo Ibaba bill, which seeks to remove taxes on basic commodities. The proposed legislated minimum wage hike in the 19th Congress, which is pegged at P200 at the House and P100 in the Senate, did not pass into law because the two chambers of Congress failed to reconcile them in time. House spokesperson Princess Abante, however, maintained that House Speaker Martin Romualdez's support for the wage hike bills remains even though the Speaker is yet to file his bill seeking a wage hike. 'We saw the support of Speaker Romualdez when it comes to wage hike. Hindi naman 'yan nagbabago. Even during the 19th Congress, there were different versions of the wage hike bill, and it would need consultations with different labor groups and members of the House to ensure that the bill can be implemented,' Abante said. "We have a strong starting point with what happened with the 19th Congress when we passed it on third and final reading. We are looking forward to seeing that same support for the legislation proposed on the wage hike,' she added.—LDF, GMA Inregrated News
