Latest news with #Garbin
GMA Network
21-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Garbin: Cha-cha to allow foreign ownership of public utilities a 'moral duty'
Amending the 1987 Constitution to allow foreign ownership of public utilities, educational institutions and the media is a matter of moral duty, not a political move, Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin, Jr. said Monday. Garbin was referring to his proposed Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 1 which also amends the Constitution by explicitly including the West Philippine Sea as part of Philippine territory. 'I filed RBH 1 knowing fully well that it would spark criticism. But I proceeded, because when outdated laws hinder our nation's progress, it becomes not just a legal step—but a moral obligation,' Garbin said. Garbin then said that his proposal does not contain provisions changing the form of government, extend term limits, or alter political structures. 'The Resolution targets provisions that have long discouraged foreign investment, hindered global partnerships, and stifled national development,' Garbin said. 'This is not a political maneuver. It is a focused, calibrated move to lift legal barriers that have long stood in the way of economic prosperity,' Garbin added. The existing 1987 Constitution provides for three modes of amending the Charter:
GMA Network
15-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Cha-cha for inclusion of WPS as PH territory, foreign ownership of public utilities eyed
The crew of the F/B John fishing vessel wave a Philippine flag as they acknowledge the presence of the Philippine Coast Guard during the Atin Ito second civilian mission to Bajo de Masinloc in the West Philippine Sea in 2024. DANNY PATA A proposal amending the 1987 Constitution to include the West Philippine Sea as part of Philippine territory and lifting restrictions on foreign ownership has been filed anew in the House of Representatives. Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin made the proposal under Resolution of Both Houses 1 which amends Articles 1, 12, 14, and 16 of the Constitution. "The National Territory definition is silent on the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf na ipinanalo na natin sa arbitral tribunal. At ito ay dapat, kumbaga isaad natin. We should enshrine it in our Constitution," Garbin told reporters in an interview. (We have already won in the arbitral tribunal. This should be enshrined it in our Constitution.) Under Garbin's proposal, Article 1 on National Territory is amended to include the phrase 'the Philippines exercises sovereign rights over its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extending 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured, and its continental shelf as defined under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, in accordance with international law." "Though it also speaks of all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction, which might arguably include the exclusive economic zone, but in my humble view, it is much better that we should expressly incorporate the exclusive economic zone sa ating Saligang Batas," Garbin added. 'It is imperative and long overdue that these hard-won sovereign rights, embodying the Filipino people's unyielding resolve to defend their patrimony, be enshrined in the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, to unequivocally reflect the nation's unwavering commitment to its territorial integrity, maritime heritage, and national dignity in the West Philippine Sea, in full consonance with the principles of international law and the enduring aspirations of the Filipino nation,' Garbin's resolution read. Foreign investors In the same resolution, Garbin proposed that Article 12 Section 10 be amended to 'Congress shall, upon recommendation of the economic and planning agency and when the national interest dictates, reserve certain areas of investment to citizens of the Philippines or, unless otherwise provided by law, to corporations or associations at least 60% of whose capital is owned by such citizens, or such higher percentage as Congress may prescribe, certain areas of investments." Under the current Charter, the qualifiers 'certain' and 'unless otherwise provided by law' are not present. This means that as it is, all areas of investment are reserved for Filipino citizens or corporations or associations that are 60% owned by Filipino citizens. Garbin also wants the qualifying phrase 'unless provided for by law' inserted in Articles 12, 14, and 16 to allow foreign ownership of public utilities, educational institutions, mass media and advertising industry instead of the existing limitations such as: Public utilities and educational institutions should be at least 60% owned by Filipino citizens Mass media should be 100% owned by Filipino citizens Advertising company must be 70% owned by Filipino citizens and The state should encourage equity participation in public utilities by the general public. 'The burgeoning global interest in Asia continues to position the Philippines as a prime destination for foreign investments, bolstered by its robust economic growth... This underscores the urgent need to maximize economic opportunities through constitutional reforms to ensure inclusive and sustainable growth for all Filipinos,' Garbin added. There had been several attempts in previous Congresses to amend the 1987 Constitution, but all have failed. One factor is the public's opposition. Garbin, however, believes the public will be enlightened if the proposed amendments are fully explained. "Paano magiging against ang publiko sa RBH1 kung ito ay sumasang-ayon at inilalagay lang natin yung ipinanalo natin sa arbitral tribunal sa The Hague? Paano magiging against ang publiko kung papalawakin natin yung pagnenegosyo sa ating bansa by encouraging foreign direct investment to come in and giving Congress the flexibility to legislate those economic provisions whenever there's a need to amend the same," said Garbin. (How will the public be against RBH1 if it is agreed upon and we are just putting what we won in the arbitral tribunal in The Hague? How will the public be against it if we are trying to expand business in our country by encouraging foreign direct investment to come in and give Congress flexibility to legislate those economic provisions whenever there's a need to amend the same.) —VAL, GMA Integrated News
The Advertiser
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Diamonds star wants golden end to Vixens netball season
The tiny West Australian mining town of Kambalda has unearthed two gems with Diamonds and Vixens netball star Sophie Garbin still shining bright. Garbin is set to play her 100th Super Netball match on Sunday while her older sister Darcee turned out for the Opals before taking her basketball career overseas. Located 60 kilometres from Kalgoorlie and more than 600km from Perth, and with a population of less than 3000, Kambalda amazingly also produced three football players who made it into the AFLW. With sport pretty much all that was on offer and coached by her mum Kym, whom she credits for her athleticism, Garbin said she played both netball and basketball and almost followed her sister's path. "I always grew up wanting to be Lauren Jackson and going to the Olympics, and in a way I have kind of achieved that going to the World Cup with the Diamonds," Garbin told AAP. "I wasn't actually that tall when I was younger and I didn't have very good ball skills - my brother and sister used to watch me play and tease me how I used to do lay-up. "But I probably had more friends in netball and there was probably a little bit of me that didn't want to do the same thing as my sister." The 28-year-old goal shooter proved she made the right choice, winning two Super Netball titles with NSW before moving to Melbourne to join the now-defunct Collingwood. When the Magpies folded she signed with Melbourne Vixens with the team losing a grand final battle to Adelaide last year. Garbin also shone on the international stage and was rewarded with the Liz Ellis Diamond as Australia's best player. This season the Vixens have struggled to find their groove and sit second last with two wins from six matches. But a win in Brisbane over the sixth-ranked Queensland Firebirds could see them jump to fifth, with the top four playing finals. Looking to send departing coach Simone McKinnis out a winner, Garbin said she still felt positive about their 2025 season and had extra motivation with Melbourne hosting the grand final. "We're just not playing our best," she said. "It'd be a bit more disheartening if we felt like we were giving it our all and still losing, but I don't think we've had all 10 of us firing at the same time. "I still feel quite positive, like I've been at many different clubs and have had different seasons, and sometimes successes come later on in the season. "We're two and four, but that doesn't mean the season's over. "Our mindset going into this weekend is just focusing on beating the Firebirds rather than looking too far ahead and looking into finals, but I'm still very much thinking that we're playing finals and we're not out of the race just yet." The tiny West Australian mining town of Kambalda has unearthed two gems with Diamonds and Vixens netball star Sophie Garbin still shining bright. Garbin is set to play her 100th Super Netball match on Sunday while her older sister Darcee turned out for the Opals before taking her basketball career overseas. Located 60 kilometres from Kalgoorlie and more than 600km from Perth, and with a population of less than 3000, Kambalda amazingly also produced three football players who made it into the AFLW. With sport pretty much all that was on offer and coached by her mum Kym, whom she credits for her athleticism, Garbin said she played both netball and basketball and almost followed her sister's path. "I always grew up wanting to be Lauren Jackson and going to the Olympics, and in a way I have kind of achieved that going to the World Cup with the Diamonds," Garbin told AAP. "I wasn't actually that tall when I was younger and I didn't have very good ball skills - my brother and sister used to watch me play and tease me how I used to do lay-up. "But I probably had more friends in netball and there was probably a little bit of me that didn't want to do the same thing as my sister." The 28-year-old goal shooter proved she made the right choice, winning two Super Netball titles with NSW before moving to Melbourne to join the now-defunct Collingwood. When the Magpies folded she signed with Melbourne Vixens with the team losing a grand final battle to Adelaide last year. Garbin also shone on the international stage and was rewarded with the Liz Ellis Diamond as Australia's best player. This season the Vixens have struggled to find their groove and sit second last with two wins from six matches. But a win in Brisbane over the sixth-ranked Queensland Firebirds could see them jump to fifth, with the top four playing finals. Looking to send departing coach Simone McKinnis out a winner, Garbin said she still felt positive about their 2025 season and had extra motivation with Melbourne hosting the grand final. "We're just not playing our best," she said. "It'd be a bit more disheartening if we felt like we were giving it our all and still losing, but I don't think we've had all 10 of us firing at the same time. "I still feel quite positive, like I've been at many different clubs and have had different seasons, and sometimes successes come later on in the season. "We're two and four, but that doesn't mean the season's over. "Our mindset going into this weekend is just focusing on beating the Firebirds rather than looking too far ahead and looking into finals, but I'm still very much thinking that we're playing finals and we're not out of the race just yet." The tiny West Australian mining town of Kambalda has unearthed two gems with Diamonds and Vixens netball star Sophie Garbin still shining bright. Garbin is set to play her 100th Super Netball match on Sunday while her older sister Darcee turned out for the Opals before taking her basketball career overseas. Located 60 kilometres from Kalgoorlie and more than 600km from Perth, and with a population of less than 3000, Kambalda amazingly also produced three football players who made it into the AFLW. With sport pretty much all that was on offer and coached by her mum Kym, whom she credits for her athleticism, Garbin said she played both netball and basketball and almost followed her sister's path. "I always grew up wanting to be Lauren Jackson and going to the Olympics, and in a way I have kind of achieved that going to the World Cup with the Diamonds," Garbin told AAP. "I wasn't actually that tall when I was younger and I didn't have very good ball skills - my brother and sister used to watch me play and tease me how I used to do lay-up. "But I probably had more friends in netball and there was probably a little bit of me that didn't want to do the same thing as my sister." The 28-year-old goal shooter proved she made the right choice, winning two Super Netball titles with NSW before moving to Melbourne to join the now-defunct Collingwood. When the Magpies folded she signed with Melbourne Vixens with the team losing a grand final battle to Adelaide last year. Garbin also shone on the international stage and was rewarded with the Liz Ellis Diamond as Australia's best player. This season the Vixens have struggled to find their groove and sit second last with two wins from six matches. But a win in Brisbane over the sixth-ranked Queensland Firebirds could see them jump to fifth, with the top four playing finals. Looking to send departing coach Simone McKinnis out a winner, Garbin said she still felt positive about their 2025 season and had extra motivation with Melbourne hosting the grand final. "We're just not playing our best," she said. "It'd be a bit more disheartening if we felt like we were giving it our all and still losing, but I don't think we've had all 10 of us firing at the same time. "I still feel quite positive, like I've been at many different clubs and have had different seasons, and sometimes successes come later on in the season. "We're two and four, but that doesn't mean the season's over. "Our mindset going into this weekend is just focusing on beating the Firebirds rather than looking too far ahead and looking into finals, but I'm still very much thinking that we're playing finals and we're not out of the race just yet."
West Australian
24-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Diamonds star wants golden end to Vixens netball season
The tiny West Australian mining town of Kambalda has unearthed two gems with Diamonds and Vixens netball star Sophie Garbin still shining bright. Garbin is set to play her 100th Super Netball match on Sunday while her older sister Darcee turned out for the Opals before taking her basketball career overseas. Located 60 kilometres from Kalgoorlie and more than 600km from Perth, and with a population of less than 3000, Kambalda amazingly also produced three football players who made it into the AFLW. With sport pretty much all that was on offer and coached by her mum Kym, whom she credits for her athleticism, Garbin said she played both netball and basketball and almost followed her sister's path. "I always grew up wanting to be Lauren Jackson and going to the Olympics, and in a way I have kind of achieved that going to the World Cup with the Diamonds," Garbin told AAP. "I wasn't actually that tall when I was younger and I didn't have very good ball skills - my brother and sister used to watch me play and tease me how I used to do lay-up. "But I probably had more friends in netball and there was probably a little bit of me that didn't want to do the same thing as my sister." The 28-year-old goal shooter proved she made the right choice, winning two Super Netball titles with NSW before moving to Melbourne to join the now-defunct Collingwood. When the Magpies folded she signed with Melbourne Vixens with the team losing a grand final battle to Adelaide last year. Garbin also shone on the international stage and was rewarded with the Liz Ellis Diamond as Australia's best player. This season the Vixens have struggled to find their groove and sit second last with two wins from six matches. But a win in Brisbane over the sixth-ranked Queensland Firebirds could see them jump to fifth, with the top four playing finals. Looking to send departing coach Simone McKinnis out a winner, Garbin said she still felt positive about their 2025 season and had extra motivation with Melbourne hosting the grand final. "We're just not playing our best," she said. "It'd be a bit more disheartening if we felt like we were giving it our all and still losing, but I don't think we've had all 10 of us firing at the same time. "I still feel quite positive, like I've been at many different clubs and have had different seasons, and sometimes successes come later on in the season. "We're two and four, but that doesn't mean the season's over. "Our mindset going into this weekend is just focusing on beating the Firebirds rather than looking too far ahead and looking into finals, but I'm still very much thinking that we're playing finals and we're not out of the race just yet."
Perth Now
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Diamonds star wants golden end to Vixens netball season
The tiny West Australian mining town of Kambalda has unearthed two gems with Diamonds and Vixens netball star Sophie Garbin still shining bright. Garbin is set to play her 100th Super Netball match on Sunday while her older sister Darcee turned out for the Opals before taking her basketball career overseas. Located 60 kilometres from Kalgoorlie and more than 600km from Perth, and with a population of less than 3000, Kambalda amazingly also produced three football players who made it into the AFLW. With sport pretty much all that was on offer and coached by her mum Kym, whom she credits for her athleticism, Garbin said she played both netball and basketball and almost followed her sister's path. "I always grew up wanting to be Lauren Jackson and going to the Olympics, and in a way I have kind of achieved that going to the World Cup with the Diamonds," Garbin told AAP. "I wasn't actually that tall when I was younger and I didn't have very good ball skills - my brother and sister used to watch me play and tease me how I used to do lay-up. "But I probably had more friends in netball and there was probably a little bit of me that didn't want to do the same thing as my sister." The 28-year-old goal shooter proved she made the right choice, winning two Super Netball titles with NSW before moving to Melbourne to join the now-defunct Collingwood. When the Magpies folded she signed with Melbourne Vixens with the team losing a grand final battle to Adelaide last year. Garbin also shone on the international stage and was rewarded with the Liz Ellis Diamond as Australia's best player. This season the Vixens have struggled to find their groove and sit second last with two wins from six matches. But a win in Brisbane over the sixth-ranked Queensland Firebirds could see them jump to fifth, with the top four playing finals. Looking to send departing coach Simone McKinnis out a winner, Garbin said she still felt positive about their 2025 season and had extra motivation with Melbourne hosting the grand final. "We're just not playing our best," she said. "It'd be a bit more disheartening if we felt like we were giving it our all and still losing, but I don't think we've had all 10 of us firing at the same time. "I still feel quite positive, like I've been at many different clubs and have had different seasons, and sometimes successes come later on in the season. "We're two and four, but that doesn't mean the season's over. "Our mindset going into this weekend is just focusing on beating the Firebirds rather than looking too far ahead and looking into finals, but I'm still very much thinking that we're playing finals and we're not out of the race just yet."
