Latest news with #Tinio
GMA Network
15-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Lawmaker asks CA to junk Castro, Ocampo conviction over rescue of IP children
ACT Teachers Party-list Representative France Castro and former Bayan Muna representative Satur Ocampo tell reporters on July 15, 2024, that they will appeal their conviction by a court in Tagum, Davao del Norte. TINA PANGANIBAN-PEREZ/GMA Integrated News Returning ACT Teachers Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio has called on the Court of Appeals to reverse the child endangerment conviction of former ACT Teachers congresswoman France Castro, ex-Bayan Muna party-list congressman Satur Ocampo, and 11 others in connection with the 2018 humanitarian mission to rescue Lumad students from a paramilitary group. In 2024 the Tagum, Davao del Norte Regional Trial Court found the group, collectively known as Talaingod 13, guilty of violating Section 10(a) of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act. They were sentenced to be imprisoned from four years to six years. The case is under appeal. 'One year of injustice is one year too long. Former lawmakers France Castro, Satur Ocampo, and their companions are not criminals. They are heroes who risked their own safety to rescue Lumad children from the terror of state-backed paramilitary groups,' Tinio said. 'Their only 'crime' was to defend the right to education and life. Teacher France, Ka Satur, and the rest of the Talaingod 13 came to the aid of Lumad students and teachers whose lives and safety were threatened. For the court to rule that they endangered children while doing so is a gross miscarriage of justice. We demand that the Court of Appeals to immediately reverse the conviction,' he added. Tinio said that the case stemmed from a 2018 National Solidarity Mission which was held in response to the state-backed closure of Salugpungan school, a school for Lumad students, in Talaingod, Davao del Norte wherein the lives of students and children are being threatened. "Gawa-gawa at malisyoso ang kasong ito mula pa sa simula. Ito ay paraan ng nakaraang Duterte administration para takutin ang sinumang tumutulong sa mga Lumad na ipagtanggol ang kanilang lupang ninuno at karapatan sa edukasyon," Tinio stressed. (These are trumped up and malicious raps. It was a ploy of the Duterte administration to strike fear in those who were helping the Lumad communities in fighting for their right to education.) "Hindi dapat pinarurusahan ang pagiging makabayan at makatao,' he added. (We should not punish a person for being patriotic and humane.) Tinio said prosecutors should file charges against those who are threatening the Lumad community and forcing to shutdown the Salugpungan school, including former president Rodrigo Duterte himself, who threatened to bomb Lumad schools in July 2017 for supposedly teaching subversion and communism. "I will use the Armed Forces, the Philippine Air Force. Talagang bobombahan ko 'yung mga… lahat ng ano ninyo. Because you are operating illegally and you are teaching the children to rebel against government. May kalokohan kayo, eh di mas lalo na ako," Duterte said at the time. Four days after making the threat, he walked back his words and insisted he did not issue a kill order. 'Duterte deserves to stand before the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity not just for the thousands of killings he ordered in the name of his fake war on drugs, for which he is currently on trial, but also for war against the Lumad schools and communities that likewise led to gross human rights violations,' Tinio said. 'Justice for the Talaingod 13 is a step towards justice for all victims of state terror," he added. — BM, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
07-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Solons seek probe into high NAIA fees a year after privatization
Opposition lawmakers on Monday called for an investigation into the privatization of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), pointing out that the increased rates in airport services have become exorbitant in the aftermath of the takeover by the San Miguel Corporation (SMC)-led New NAIA Infra Corp. Party-list Reps. Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers and Renee Co of Kabataan made the call under their House Resolution 29, saying public services should not be made into a cash cow by private businesses. 'We are here to raise the alarm on privatization in what is supposed to be the gateway to our country. NAIA is the fifth busiest airport in Southeast Asia, and our intensified labor export policy has resulted in 7,000 Filipinos a day leaving to work abroad. Pero ang estado ng NAIA ngayon? Napakamahal ng operation nito. At sa mamamayang Pilipino ang pagpasan ng pagbabayad nito,' Co, a lawyer, told reporters after filing the resolution. (How much would you spend to use NAIA now? It is very expensive, and the burden is on the Filipino people.) Co cited that terminal fees will increase from P550 to P950, and even concessionaires or businesses that operate in NAIA now have to spend P3,200 per square meter for rental fees from P700 pesos per square meter. The parking fee, meanwhile, increased from P300 to P1,200 for 24 hours. 'Ganito na kamahal ang NAIA. Pero kung titignan natin, ang airports, bilang daluyan sila ng mga tao, ng mga kagamitan, vital for defense, for security, for economic development. Dapat, ang may hawak niyan, gobyerno. Hindi ito dapat ginagamit para patuloy na magkaltas ng kita sa mga mamamayang dumaraan dito,' Co said. (This is how expensive NAIA is. Come to think of it, airports provide access to people, equipment, all vital for defense, security, economic development. It should be the government who is in control of that. The airport should not be used as a way to reduce the income of people who use the airport.) 'Ang right to travel, hindi dapat 'yan mahal,' Co added. (The right to travel should not be expensive.) Tinio, for his part, said that the country has a long history of privatizing government services such as electricity and water, which did not necessarily result in high quality amenities. 'Just look at PrimeWater. Instead of water being more affordable, the rates even increased. This is what is happening to NAIA now. These increases in concessionaires, terminal will be charged to the airfare in the long run. As it is, we are already the third most expensive airport in Southeast Asia, and we don't see a corresponding quality of service with these increases,' Tinio said. 'That is why we really need an investigation here,' he added. GMA News Online has reached out to SMC for comment and will publish it as soon as it is made available. The New NAIA Infra Corp. took over NAIA operations in September 2024.—LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
06-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
GoTyme to hit 9M customers in 2025
Gokongwei-backed lender GoTyme Bank Corp., one of the six digital banks approved by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), is looking to hit 9 million customers this year, with the bank optimistic of reaching its goal of 10 million users ahead of its target. According to GoTyme co-chief executive officer (CEO) and chief commercial officer Albert Tinio, the bank continues to onboard an average of 250,000 users every month, and has hit 6.7 million users as of June 29, 2025, more than double the 3 million users as of April 2024. 'Definitely we will hit 10 million by next year, but this year, the target is about 9 (million),' he told GMA News Online during a chance interview in Taguig City. GoTyme CEO Nathaniel Clarke in 2022 said the bank targets to become the country's top bank in the next five years with 10 million users, building on the success of Tyme—its sister company—in Africa which onboarded 5.5 million customers in three years. Tinio noted the bank has continuously ramped up its onboarding, and has partnered with several retailers to be able to deploy more agents to enroll additional clients. Apart from Gokongwei establishments, GoTyme agents are also available in SM Department Stores. In the same interview, Tinio said GoTyme is 'getting there' in terms of its goal to hit profitability. The bank earlier said it targets to be profitable by 2025, but the focus remains on scaling up. 'We're growing much faster in terms of users, in terms of transactions, in terms of even revenue. If Tyme hit profitability in five years, we're projecting that we're going to hit profitability much faster than Tyme because all of our trends are faster than our sister company," he said in 2024. —RF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
10-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
ACT: PH's 'functional illiterate' student woes due to shortage in teachers, classrooms
The lack of teachers, classrooms, and textbooks are to blame for the 18.9 million functionally illiterate students in the country, according to the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Party-list. According to ACT Party-list, these systemic shortages continue to be the root of the country's deepening "learning crisis," as the following needs to be adressed: 150,000 additional teachers to bring down class sizes to the global standard of 35 students; 56,000 education support personnel to handle administrative work and provide essential services; 165,000 new classrooms, as only 30% of existing ones are in good condition; Adequate learning materials, as many schools continue to rely on improvised modules and activity sheets; Digital tools, as only 37% of teachers have laptops and just 17% of students have access to gadgets. The group also stressed that over 100,000 additional teachers are urgently needed to meet the demands of the K to 12 program and a ballooning student population. 'Shifting classes of up to three to four sessions a day are common in urban areas. May mga bata na pumapasok ng alas-5 ng umaga o kaya ay gabi na nakakauwi. Paano ka matututo sa ganitong sistema?' ACT Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio said in a press conference in Quezon City. (Some students go to school as early as 5 a.m. and return home late at night. How can one learn in such a system?) GMA News Online has reached out to the Department of Education for comment, but it has yet to reply as of posting time. Tinio urged the national government to significantly increase the education budget—not only to hire more teachers and build classrooms, but also to supply sufficient learning materials and improve teacher compensation. 'This crisis will only worsen unless Congress acts decisively. Kulang ang kasalukuyang budget para tugunan ang basic needs. We need to double it if we want to reverse the learning deficit,' Tinio added. (The current budget is not enough to address basic needs. We need to double it if we want to reverse the learning deficit.) The group is calling for immediate government action, which they hope will be discussed by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos in his upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA). 'Hamon natin sa ating pangulo na sa darating SONA, gusto natin magkaroon ng prioridad itong edukasyon. Lalo na't napakalala ng learning crisis,' said ACT NCR Union President Ruby Bernardo. (We challenge the President to make education a top priority in the coming SONA. The learning crisis has become severe.) Brigada Eskwela As schools gear up for the official opening of School Year 2025–2026, glaring infrastructure gaps are once again in the spotlight. From broken chairs to damaged ceilings, this year's Brigada Eskwela—the annual bayanihan-style cleanup and repair drive—has brought focus the persistent struggles of public schools across the country. In Mambaling National High School in Cebu City, the school combined Brigada Eskwela with student enrollment to maximize community participation. Teachers were joined by parents and students in cleaning the classrooms. However, the lack of cleaning materials slowed down efforts. 'Nanawagan kami sa mga magulang, para sa ating mga bata dito sa Mambaling National High School. Magdala ng mga gamit, walis, dustpan, garbage bag na kailangan natin para sa ating paglilinis,' said Kyla Ysabel Simpron, Brigada Eskwela Coordinator said in an Unang Balita interview. (We are calling on the parents, this is for our children here at Mambaling National High School. Please bring cleaning tools such as brooms, dustpans, garbage bags.) Meanwhile, in Pusok Elementary School in Lapu-Lapu City, the school reported progress in rebuilding facilities damaged by Typhoon Odette in December 2021. Repairs to ceilings and roofs were completed with ?2.9 million from the Special Education Fund in late 2024. A local cooperative also helped in renovating the school gate and other classrooms. Despite this progress, Assistant School Principal Randero Japitan revealed that about 30% of classroom chairs are either broken or missing. 'May mga upuan pa naman tayo na natitira na mga kahoy, temporary lang muna,' Japitan shared, noting that a request for additional chairs has already been filed with the DepEd Lapu-Lapu City Division. (We still have some wooden chairs left, it is temporary for now.) In Mandaue City, an inspiring partnership with the Bureau of Probation and Parole is contributing to Brigada Eskwela. Parolees and probationers are deployed in phases to assist with tasks such as gardening, drainage cleanup, and classroom repairs at Mandaue City Central School. Over in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Brigada Eskwela is also in full swing. At Cogon Elementary School, parents and students came together to clean up classrooms and prepare for the new school year. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
