Thursday, February 11, 2010

Loren to Noynoy, Mar: Solve Hunger Now, Not Tomorrow, Not in 5 Years

MANILA, PHILIPPINES--SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA TODAY CHALLENGED THE AQUINO-ROXAS TANDEM TO END POVERTY AND HUNGER BY INSTITUTING GENUINE AGRARIAN REFORM NOW INSTEAD OF THEIR FIVE-YEAR PLAN FOR LAND DISTRIBUTION.

“The hungry must be fed now. The landless must be given arable land now. Not tomorrow, not in five year’s time. If they’re saying that they’ll give out their lands in five years time, then they have no business running for national office now,” she said.

Loren dared contender for the vice presidency Mar Roxas and his running mate Noynoy Aquino that if they really care for the poor and understand agrarian reform, the lands under their ownership should have been redistributed a long time ago in accordance with the Agrarian Reform law enacted twenty years ago.

“How can you prove that you are pro-poor if you cannot even show transparency in the Hacienda Luisita and Araneta-Roxas records? How can you take care of the poor when you don’t know what they need? These herederos didn’t have to work a day in their life. They do know how it is to rise up from poverty in Tondo or Malabon. They do not understand the value of hard work and perseverance,” she said.

Loren further called on candidates vying for national leadership to provide institutionalized, long-term reforms instead of band aid solutions.

“They should not make promises for the purpose of campaigning. People are starving. The plight of farmers continues up to this day. Farmers are killed, hurt and harassed. The landless must be given land. This is what the law says,” she said.

“Manny and I come from the working class. I have been working since I was 15 years old. Manny sold shrimps as a young boy. We know how it is to work. Those who promise change in five years are those who obviously do not understand poverty. If you wait five more years, more people will die of hunger,” said Loren, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food.

Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_120_Loren_to_Noynoy.php

Loren Dares Critics: Fight on Level of Platform, Accomplishments

VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE LOREN LEGARDA TODAY DARED HER CRITICS AND THOSE OF RUNNING MATE MANNY VILLAR TO RUN A CAMPAIGN BASED ON PLATFORM AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS INSTEAD OF BLACK PROPAGANDA THRU SMS, ONLINE BLOGS AND WEBSITES.

“I will defend my presidential running mate. I know Manny Villar’s politics. Ours is an advocacy to end poverty and hunger. Other candidates could be shaking in their seats and spreading negative – and mostly false – remarks about Senator Villar. I challenge them to raise the level of political debate and demonstrate their platform for governance,” she said.

Loren, the only female vice-presidential candidate in the May 2010 elections, said her campaign will focus on humanitarian relief assistance and awareness, jobs fair, feeding programs and environmental protection projects.

“My campaign will deviate from traditional political campaigning. We will run a clean campaign because we know our biggest fight is not a fight among politicians. It is a fight against poverty and hopelessness,” she said.

Loren blames poor urban governance, vulnerable livelihood, and systems decline as the main reasons for poverty and increasing suffering among Filipinos.

“This deadly trio continues to stifle national progress and makes the lives of millions of Filipinos miserable,” she said.

She vowed to promote good governance and a pro-people agenda that focuses on the well-being of urban and rural poor, OFWs, teachers and indigenous peoples. She called on government to pour resources into housing, water and sanitation, healthcare, and education and skills training for the youth.

“No Filipino should die for lack of money or from the inability of government to provide the basics of life such as food and medical care,” she said.

She further pushed for improved maternal and child health, saying that “no mother or child should die during childbirth for lack of medical attention. It is our moral duty to ensure their health and safety.”

In the area of labor and welfare, Loren called for the protection of OFWs through adequate pre-departure information and empowerment, skills training, social protection and labor rights protection in their countries of destination, safe remittance channels, and psychological support towards re-integrating with home communities.

“We should provide OFWs with viable, practical uses for their hard-earned money. We must give them concrete incentives for insurance, child education/scholarships, housing, and investment opportunities. But first we must ensure that they are able to remit their earnings through assured safe and transparent channels,” she said.

Finally, she reiterated her call to fight climate change and its devastating consequences to people’s lives and livelihood.

“Climate change must be confronted and managed, and the people most vulnerable to adverse climate change effects, disasters and natural calamities must be protected and their resilience enhanced and strengthened. We must work towards sustainable development rooted in disaster risk reduction and enabling climate change adaptation capacities that help protect the environment and our people’s well-being,” said Loren, who chairs the Senate Committee on Climate Change.

Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_119_Loren_Dares_Critics.php

Loren: Include Text, Email in Sexual Harassment Law

MANILA, PHILIPPINES--SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA HAS CALLED FOR A BROADER SCOPE OF THE CURRENT SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAW TO INCLUDE MORE MEANS OF COMMUNICATION IN ITS MANDATE. IN A MEETING WITH WOMEN AND YOUTH GROUPS IN ILOILO THIS WEEK, SHE STRESSED THE NEED TO BE MORE CAREFUL AND VIGILANT OF DAILY INTERACTIONS THAT COULD CONSTITUTE SEXUAL HARASSMENT.

The Sexual Harassment Law (RA-7877), enacted in 1995, provides a comprehensive policy and legal framework that PENALIZES perpetrators of said crime. Since its enactment, there has been unprecedented expansion in electronic and telecommunications such as cellular phones, text messaging, internet and electronic mail.

“Over half of the population are mobile phone users and at the same time have access to the internet. Although such modern forms of communication are used today as medium of work-related and personal communication, these new forms of communication can also be used to convey messages that are vulgar, sexists and derogatory; and are also used for sexual advances or to sexually harass other people. We have to penalize these acts before we eventually breed culture of complacence to vulgarity,” Legarda warned.

Legarda seeks to expand the coverage of sexual harassment to include text messages, electronic mail, online content and similar means that constitute sexual harassment.

“Our children grow up in this generation of users and subscribers to such forms of communication. They can fall prey to these harassment acts, hence our calls to enact the expansion of the current Sexual Harassment to protect our youth from such indecency,” Legarda urged.

Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_116_Loren_Include_Text_Email_in_Sexual_Harassment_Law.php

Loren Defends Her Man, Lauds Villar's Vision for RP

MANILA, PHILIPPINES-- BEFORE MEMBERS OF THE MAKATI BUSINESS CLUB, SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA REAFFIRMED HER COMMITMENT TO THE COUNTRY’S TRADE, AGRICULTURE, HEALTH AND EDUCATION SECTORS, SAYING THAT THESE ADVOCACIES ARE CONSISTENT WITH RUNNING MATE MANNY VILLAR’S PLATFORM OF GOVERNANCE.

Loren said, “We both believe in the same solutions to the problems hounding our country, and we have the same commitment to poverty alleviation, improving health and education, creating more jobs, pushing for more trade and investment, and mitigating the threats of climate change.”

Loren, speaking to members of the press, lauded Villar for his speech to corporate leaders of the Makati Central Business District for the business club’s series of speeches for presidential candidates. She stressed the importance of a solid cooperation between running-mates both in the campaign and in office if elected “to deliver their programs to the people.”

She also emphasized Villar’s commitment to the business community in pushing for the reforms in the country’s trade and investment policies to strengthen the domestic economy; and to safeguard the interests of corporations and consumers.

Among Legarda’s initiatives to improve the country’s trade and commerce are her bills to institutionalize the Mindanao Economic Development Authority (MEDA), the enhancement of information technology, fortifying policies in agriculture and domestic production, the improvement of the education system to further build human capital, and REMEDIAL legislation in response to current demands and challenges.

“Our programs together offer Filipinos opportunities to improve their lives. The Philippines has a highly competent workforce, rich natural resources, and friendly policies of trade and commerce. We are all for giving Filipinos better access to these, because our programs are intended to alleviate people from poverty and improve their lives,” Legarda concluded.

Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_117_Loren_Defends_Her_Man.php

Loren Helps Farmers, Fisherfolk Amidst El Nino

MANILA, PHILIPPINES--SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA, CHAIRPERSON OF SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND FOOD, INSTRUCTS THE CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES ON AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES MODERNIZATION (COCAFM) TO CHECK THE PLIGHT OF FARMERS AND FISHERFOLK AMIDST EL NINO AND RISING PRICES OF COMMODITIES.

“These days people are very busy campaigning and I want to be sure whether the needs of the farmers and fisherfolk are attended to because we cannot allow the producers of our food to go hungry. What I want my COCAFM team to emphasize is that the local extension workers, with the help of state universities in the locality, assist them access fund, build their irrigation, market their products and create alternative sources of income.”, Loren said.

The COCAFM is a joint-congressional body mandated to monitor the implementation of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) of 1997. This twelve-year old law still needs to be implemented fully because even if many systems are already in place many coordination activities have to be pushed and creativity on the part of local chief executives needs to be harnessed.

For instance, local extension service delivery has to be improved particularly in skilling the local extension workers. “We have to ensure that the office of the municipal agriculture office (MAO) in all the municipalities have all the skills needed by our farmers and fisherfolk. One of these local extension workers in the MAO has to be an agricultural engineer to teach the farmers design and develop their own communal irrigation system (CIS), one should be an agribusiness expert to teach the farmers and fisherfolk prepare a business plan and access credit and market their products strategically.

These skills the MAOs need to have in addition to their expertise in technology dissemination. When the farmers have capital and have identified a profitable agribusiness venture, they would be able to use new technologies that will improve their yield.”, Loren said.

The management system being promoted by government for the farmers to achieve economies of scale, improve negotiating position, create their own credit system and access funds from government and other capital sources is cooperativism. The cooperatives can create their own credit system for the farmer-members to use and a collective mechanism to pool or integrate their landholdings to produce volume of output necessary to meet bulk requirement of big buyers.

However, impoverished farmers and fisherfolk have to be helped organize their cooperatives and meet the requirements of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) which in many cases are burdensome for them. “Hence I want to ask the farmers and fisherfolk to discuss with the COCAFM, the Department of Agriculture (DA), the provincial agriculturists and the state universities and colleges in the locality if there are organizational mechanisms that would be convenient for them so that we could study them or consider them for either legislative or executive action."

"One thing that I am toying about in regard to institutional concerns in agriculture is whether we could allow the farmers and fisherfolk to register their organizations in the municipal office only because they do not have to travel to the provincial or regional center to formalize recognition of their existence. Moreover, the office of the mayor would be in a better position to understand the problems of the farmers and fisherfolk because of its proximity and familiarity to them.”, Loren said.

Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_118_Loren_Helps_Farmers.php

Senior Citizens Pledge Support to Loren

MAKATI CITY - AT A RECENT FORUM OF CITY AND MUNICIPAL CHAPTERS OF SENIOR CITIZENS UNIONS, SENATOR AND VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE LOREN LEGARDA GARNERED THE APPROVAL AND SUPPORT OF THE COUNTRY’S ELDERLY.

Commissioner Elsie de Veyra of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women lauded Loren for her programs promoting best practices on solid waste management. "We know that environmental protection is very close to her heart, and this is very closely related to economic progress and social transformation.”

Another union leader in the forum explained, “In the 70s our country was among the richest in Asia because we had equally rich natural resources. and a robust agriculture sector. Judging from the present state of our natural resources and its effect on the economy, it is clear that we need the leadership of Senator Loren to turn the situation around. Environmental degradation is a challenge to governance.

Loren spoke to the national congregation of senior citizens unions to assure her commitment to senior citizens’ welfare. In the Senate, she authored Senate Bill 1394 which ALLOTS REPRESENTATION FOR THE ELDERLY IN THE SANGGUNIANS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS. SHE HAS ALSO ADVOCATED FOR THE exemptION OF senior citizens from paying real property tax, therefore relieving them of additional financial burdens in the latter years of their life. At the meeting Legarda also expressed her intent to urge Congress to mandate the representation of the elderly in LGUs.

Loren explained, “Senior citizens have vital role to play in society. We must lend full support to the improvement of their total well-being and encourage them to contribute to nation-building.”

Loren is the principal author of the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2009 which Grants the elderly a 20% discount on the purchase of goods and services. In effect, it addresses the discrepancy from the Expanded VAT by allowing senior citizens to enjoy the full 20% discount privilege instead of the current 8% practiced by service providers as a consequence of an apparent deficiency in the law which was amended.

Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_115_Senior_citizens_pledge_support_for_loren.php

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Loren Confronts Environmental Degradation with Determination

SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA SAID WE SHOULD LOOK FORWARD AND PLAN AHEAD FOR A LIVABLE PHILIPPINES THAT WOULD BE OUR SECURE HOME. THIS SHE SAID AS SHE KEYNOTED A FORUM YESTERDAY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES WITH A THEME THAT CONVEYS A TONE BOTH OF NECESSITY AND OF ANXIETY: MGA KANDIDATO NG KALIKASAN AT KAPALIGIRAN: MAY BOBOTO BA?

“Indeed, environmental degradation and the disaster risks that accompany it have shown that the government has time and again failed to anticipate and act decisively to reduce disaster risks. Maybe the reason is that the environment was never a foremost priority among the problems our government seeks to solve,” said Loren who chairs the Senate committee on Climate Change.

She added, “The environment takes center stage. I welcome this as it is about time to reframe the issues at stake in the coming elections. These issues are most important because our experiences last year, flashfloods, landslides and all, have unmasked the anxieties of our people, particularly the most vulnerable poor.”

Loren who has always advocated pro-environment agenda seeks to prepare and protect our communities against disasters, turbocharged by climate change, by building their resilience to substantially reduce disaster losses, whether in lives or properties.

She said that we need to mainstream climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in local government units through capacity building and development of best practices. Climate change must likewise be integrated in school curricula.

Further, strong implementation of environmental laws supplemented by envi projects will help us fight this crisis.

“UP professors and students, there is so much more in advocating for the environment. We face other major threats of our time – poverty, threats to peace and order, and a widening gap between rich and poor. Formidable challenges, indeed. Advocating green politics is not as simple as a walk in the park, what with other issues and advocacies that appeal more to the masses of voters. What I am certain, however, is that the time has come for environmental advocacy to be in the forefront of governance and platform of an administration now that we have another chance to choose our leaders,” said Loren.

Loren concluded and left with a challenge to engage Filipinos towards positive changes that would bring about a livable and secure home for us, our children, and future generations of Filipinos.

Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_113_Loren_confronts_environmental_degradation_with_determination.php

Loren Advocates Coco Flour for Pan De Sal

IN THE FACE OF IMPENDING INCREASES IN PAN DE SAL PRICES, SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA, TODAY PUSHED FOR THE USE OF COCO FLOUR AS AN ADDITIVE TO WHEAT FLOUR IN PAN DE SAL.

Bakers had warned that bread prices are expected to go up by as much as P2 as sugar costs continue to rise, bakers said. Other price increases may be due to an expected rise in flour prices. In order to soften the latter impact, Senator Legarda, chairperson of the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization (COCAFM) is advocating the use of coco flour as wheat flour extender.

Coconut flour is made from residues of coconut meat or kernel (desiccated or food-grade copra), locally known as sapal. After the kernel has dried and has under-gone oil extraction, it is grounded into fine powder to become coco flour.

According to PCA, substituting five percent of wheat flour with coco flour would increase the potential market demand of high-protein coco flour to 156,230 metric tons annually. Coco flour is rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals such as calcium, carbohydrates, iron, niacin, phosphorus, protein, riboflavin, and thiamine.

Studies show that the amino acids in coconut protein are well-balanced making it suitable for utilization by the human body. Coco protein is comparable to casein, the protein found in animal milk. Coco flour is gluten-free; gluten is the protein found in wheat flour and it can cause allergy in some people. Since coco flour is rich in fiber, it prevents constipation; helps maintain blood sugar levels; prevents the risk of certain cancers; and contributes to weight management.

The Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) promotes the use of coco flour as ingredient in functional or medicinal foods to help prevent hypercholesterolemia or high blood cholesterol among Filipinos. In a study, FNRI found that mixing 15 to 20 percent of coco flour with corn cereals reduces the levels of low-density lipoprotein or “bad cholesterol.”

Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_114_Loren_advocates_coco_flour_for_pan_de_sal.php

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Loren to go for ‘slow but sure ascent to victory’

WITH THE LATEST SOCIAL WEATHER STATIONS SURVEY SHOWING HER GARNERING 28 PERCENT AS AGAINST THE 49 PERCENT OF HER CLOSEST RIVAL IN THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL RACE, SEN. MAR ROXAS OF THE LIBERAL PARTY, SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA TODAY SAID SHE REMAINS CONFIDENT THAT SHE WOULD ULTIMATELY PREVAIL IN THE MAY ELECTIONS.

“The official campaign has not started and survey results vary. With the election several months away, it’s really too early to tell what the people want or to predict what would be the final outcome of the voting, Loren said.

“Surveys are good benchmarks of the public’s pulse and so these are expected to change from period to period. The real test is on Election Day itself,” Loren said.

“I am confident that the figures will change eventually as we near the finish line. I believe in a slow but sure ascent toward victory,” Loren said.

“When reckoning time comes, I am confident that the Filipino voters will give me a clear mandate,” Loren said.

“I am not worried at all despite the lead of my closest rival. I will work even harder in the coming weeks to reach out to more people and convince them that my green platform is what this country needs,” Loren said.

“I am focusing on a humanitarian campaign and I believe through this I will be able to communicate to the public the kind of governance I truly advocate,” Loren explained.

“What is more important, as I see it, is to be able to educate our people on the issues that really matter—good governance, environmental protection, sustainable development, peace, womens’ rights—so that they take their future in their own hands,” Loren said.

What she would be doing in the next three months, Loren said, is to go to the regions and listen to the people on how they view our problems as a nation and how they may help in solving these problems. “A good leader must be able to synthesize the views and opinions of the masses so that in the end, they feel they are an important part of the decision-making process. This is real people’s empowerment,” Loren said.

At the same time, Loren said she would pursue services delivery to the grassroots in the form of job fairs, medical and dental missions, tree planting and other activities, all of which should give her more public exposure and attract more supporters to her side in the weeks ahead.

Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_110_Loren_to_go_for_slow_but_sure_ascent_to_victory.php

NPC solid behind Loren

NATIONALIST PEOPLE’S COALITION SPOKESMAN REP. REX GATCHALIAN REITERATED TODAY THE PARTY’S “UNFLINCHING SUPPORT” FOR THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDACY OF SEN. LOREN B. LEGARDA AMID THE LATEST SOCIAL WEATHER STATIONS SURVEY RESULTS SHOWING HER TRAILING HER CLOSEST RIVAL.

“We stand solidly behind Senator Loren in her bid to capture the vice presidency in the May elections,” Gatchalian said.

“The NPC is working very hard and leaving nothing to chance in the coming elections. We support Sen. Legarda all the way and we have given instructions to party leaders from the national down to the local levels to extend all possible assistance to her nationwide campaign,” Gatchalian disclosed.

Gatchalian said the Filipino electorate recognizes the Nationalist People’s Coalition as a major player in Philippine politics and the party will strive to maintain and even surpass its good showing in previous elections.

“As our vice-presidential standard bearer, Sen. Loren enjoys the trust and confidence of the party leadership and rank-and-file. She has an excellent platform anchored on a green Philippines which the party resolutely believes in,” Gatchalian said.

“Sen. Loren is supremely qualified to be the next vice-president based on her track record as a senator and her proven leadership. We need someone like her to take pro-active steps towards good governance, environmental protection, womens’ and children’s rights and welfare, and a just and lasting peace, which she has tirelessly taken up as her main advocacies since her days as a broadcast journalist and now as a senator,” Gatchalian said.

Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_111_NPC_solid_behind_Loren.php

Loren calls for coordinated efforts to respond to impending crises in agriculture sector

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, 01 FEB 2010 - SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA CALLED ON THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (DA) TO STRENGTHEN ITS COORDINATION WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS AND PRIVATE SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS IN DEALING WITH AN IMPENDING WATER SHORTAGE ARISING FROM THE EL NINO PHENOMENON NOW AFFECTING THE COUNTRY.

Legarda, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization and the Senate Oversight Committee on Climate Change said the DA should make good use of the rehabilitation fund Congress allotted last year after Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng hit the Philippines and devastated irrigation facilities many of which were beyond repair.

Congress approved a P12-billion unprogrammed fund for rehabilitation of the damages of Ondoy and Pepeng, including damages in crops, livestock and fisheries. The DA proposed P4.9 billion out of the amount for damages in agriculture and realigned a total of P1.8 billion from its regular 2009 budget for the same purpose.

“These funds should be judiciously used. These funds will surely be useful this election season since these are rehab money but I hope the DA will ensure that every cent will be used to protect our farmers and fisherfolk in recovering losses from Ondoy and Pepeng and in preparing for El Niño,” Loren said.

The lady senator added we have to protect the agriculture sector from the ill effects of the El Nino phenomenon amid concerns that a severe drought might cause more than P10 billion in production losses.

The Department of Agriculture has recommended such measures as cloud seeding, improved water management in dams and reservoirs, and strengthening of shallow tube wells and communal irrigation programs complemented by a strong extension and credit programs that will enable farmers to buy production inputs such as high yielding seeds and fertilizers.

Legarda said that this highlights the need for better coordination among national government agencies like the DA, local government units, and private organizations, so that the interventions will have minimal leakages and really reach the target beneficiaries.

“Food security and farm productivity is a shared goal, therefore each sector has a stake in those goals. They should be mobilized to put up their counterpart contributions, pecuniary or otherwise.

Farmer organizations can contribute labor. Further, they should be active involved to increase transparency and accountability in all transactions, and to make sure resources are used according to the purpose for which they have been budgeted," Loren declared.

The current sugar situation is another case in point. Coordination is needed between government and the private sector. Production shortfalls primarily caused by heavy rains in India and Brazil have pushed world sugar prices to a 29-year high, nearly tripling in the past year.

This could have been a good profit opportunity, but the Philippines’ own supply of sugar has also been aggravated by climate change and land reform. Manuel Lamata, president of the United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines, says that the smaller sizes of sugar farms are no longer economical and efficient, leading sugar production to drop from three million tons per crop.

“Given the current situation, we have to provide strong public research and extension support to small producers. The Philippine system of research, development and extension for agriculture has a huge potential that is not being maximized because the network is outdated, and burdened with conflicting interests. We need to reconcile all those interests, and enable all to contribute to common goals: the Department of Agriculture, local government units and private organizations,” Loren said.

Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_112_Loren_calls_for_coordinated_efforts_to_respond.php

Loren alarmed by rising HIV/AIDS cases

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE AND DECISIVE STEPS TO CONTAIN THE SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS IN THE COUNTRY, ACCORDING TO SEN. LOREN LEGARDA.

Loren, chair of the Senate Committee on Health, made the call in the wake of recent findings that HIV/AIDS cases have risen in the country, particularly among those working in call centers.

“While call centers and the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry are big revenue earners for the country, I am alarmed over reports that incidence of HIV/AIDS among call center workers is on the rise. This should be looked into by health authorities,” Loren said.

Loren noted that while there is already legislation in place to address the problem—Republic Act 8504 or the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998—firm enforcement and a sustained information, education and communication campaign should be undertaken to stop the spread of the disease.

Loren cited the importance of heightening awareness of HIV/AIDS among various sectors, especially the youth who are likely to engage in risky unprotected sex.

While the preventive aspect is important, Loren said, health authorities should also intensify efforts to remove the social stigma of the disease and help those afflicted by the disease to live normal lives.

Loren pointed out that while the Philippines is a low-HIV-prevalence country, with less than 0.1 percent of the adult population estimated to be HIV-positive, the government should nevertheless invest enough resources in preventing the spread of the deadly disease and keeping it from reaching epidemic proportions.

The Health Department said that 322 people were newly infected from January to May in 2009, with 85 cases in May alone. Since 1984, the country has recorded 3,911 HIV cases.

In July last year, amid reports that the Philippines reported 85 new cases in one month, Renaud Meyer, director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Philippines, expressed concern over the increasing number of HIV/AIDS cases in the Philippines. “We are not doing good [in controlling HIV] because instead of reversing and halting it, we see increasing cases,” Meyer said.


Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_105_Loren_alarmed_by_rising_HIVAIDS_cases.php

Loren urges term extension for Ibrado

SEN. LOREN LEGARDA SUNDAY URGED PRESIDENT ARROYO TO EXTEND THE TERM AS ARMED FORCES CHIEF OF STAFF OF GEN. VICTOR IBRADO, WHO IS SCHEDULED TO RETIRE ON MARCH 10.

“President Arroyo should give the next President to be elected on May 10 the privilege and prerogative to designate the new chief of staff,” Loren said.

“General Ibrado’s extension as AFP chief of staff for a period up to and beyond the May 10 elections would also boost the Filipino people’s confidence in the integrity of the elections on May 10,” said Loren.

For Loren, the appointment of a new chief of staff at this point in time could be considered by the people as a “highly partisan move” intended to influence the results of the elections.

She recalled that many people lost their faith in the integrity of the 2004 presidential elections when it was revealed that the President had bypassed officers considered “uncooperative” to the administration and promoted others to strategic positions that enabled them to “influence” the results of the elections.

This was revealed during the investigation of the “Garci tape” that showed some officers allegedly participating in electoral frauds in Mindanao. Loren, who was running for vice president and her running mate for president, Fernando Poe Jr., lost in that election allegedly due to massive “dagdag-bawas” (add-collect) fraud.

Loren said that the appointment of a new chief of staff who is lower in seniority than other officers would “cause low morale and dissatisfaction among the officer corps and even the rank-and-file.”

Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_109_Loren_urges_term_extension_for_Ibrado.php

Vote on Villar set on Wednesday

SENATORS ARE LIKELY TO VOTE ON WEDNESDAY ON THE SENATE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE REPORT RECOMMENDING THE CENSURE OF NACIONALISTA PARTY PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANT SEN. MANUEL VILLAR JR. IN CONNECTION WITH THE C-5 ROAD CONTROVERSY.

Senate majority leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said that with less than a week before Congress adjourns, the Senate would tackle pending bills on Monday and Tuesday first before resuming deliberations on the report.

Zubiri said he expects heated debates to resume Wednesday after which senators could shake hands to start their electoral campaign.

Congress adjourns sine die on February 5. Campaign period for the May 11 elections starts on February 9.

Senators exchanged harsh words Monday and Tuesday last week after Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile sponsored the 84-page report to the plenary.

Enrile alleged that Villar used his influence to realign the C-5 road extension project for the benefit of his and his family’s real estate business. The report further asked Villar to return to government some P6.22 billion which was supposedly spent on the realignment of the project.

Villar denied the accusations and said he is proud of the project which he claimed benefited residents of Las Piñas and Parañaque.

At least 16 signatures are needed to carry the report.

Zubiri asked his colleagues to refrain from using "unparliamentary remarks" because such could cast a negative light on the Senate.

Senators were criticized last week for their remarks deemed personal and inappropriate.

Sen. Loren Legarda, Villar’s running mate in the May polls, said she would "vote according to my conscience" if the senators present would put the issue to a vote. "I am prepared to vote according to my conscience, according to the evidence presented, according to what I think is right. The others should not use the party stand to judge other people," she said.

Legarda said there should be closure to the C-5 controversy and senators should make their stand very clear. "We should be fair to Sen. Villar. I cannot speak for him on this issue or what he wants to do. In December, he already spoke on the Senate floor on the C-5 issue and he does not want to go around explaining his side on the same issue over and over again. But I fear that his political rivals will try to raise the issue again and again," she said.

"He does not want to quarrel with other people and I share that thinking. I want to wage a positive campaign. Our focus today should not only be the campaign but rendering service to our people," she said.

Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_108_Vote_on_Villar_set_on_Wednesday.php

Villar fears insults from peers, says Ocampo

MANILA, PHILIPPINES—SEN. MANUEL VILLAR JR. HAS REFUSED TO FACE HIS COLLEAGUES IN THE SENATE TO EXPLAIN HIS SIDE ON THE C-5 ROAD PROJECT CONTROVERSY FOR FEAR OF BEING DISRESPECTED ON THE FLOOR, ACCORDING TO BAYAN MUNA PARTY-LIST REP. SATUR OCAMPO.

“I advised him to show up during the hearings. However, Villar is not used to questioning, especially by his [political] rivals,” Ocampo, who is running as guest senatorial candidate of Villar’s Nacionalista Party (NP), said in Sta. Rita, Pampanga, on Sunday.

“Baka bastusin lang ako diyan. Ayokong mangyari ’yon (They might show me disrespect and I don’t want that to happen),” Ocampo quoted Villar as telling him when he brought up the idea with the senator.

He said Villar had resorted to submitting documents to the Senate to dismiss accusations of irregularities in the road extension project in the cities of Parañaque and Las Piñas.

A draft report by the Senate committee of the whole found Villar to have engaged in unethical conduct in connection with the C-5 project, which benefited his real estate companies. It seeks to censure Villar and demand the return of some P6 billion to the government.

“He submitted a thick documentation of the C-5 project to prove that there was no overpricing there,” Ocampo said. “I’m still convincing him to face and resolve the issue before the Senate adjourns for the campaign period.”

Voting on Wednesday
Senators are to vote on the committee report on Wednesday, the last session day of Congress before it goes on a three-month break.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who prepared Committee Report No. 780, wanted the vote to happen and had instructed him to set the date for the debate on the report and the voting, according to Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri.

“Senate President Enrile had also a blast text to majority members that this is a conscience vote and that he would not bind the members of the majority to vote either in favor or against. So it’s up to us,” Zubiri said on dzBB radio Sunday.

Villar’s running mate in the presidential election, Sen. Loren Legarda, said she would vote “according to her conscience” and the evidence.

“The others should not use the party stand to judge other people,” Legarda said in a statement.

Zubiri said he was proposing that the vote be held on Wednesday so that the Senate could be able to finish in the next two days all pending measures either for passage on third reading or ratification by the chamber.

He later said he may schedule on Tuesday night the Senate deliberations on the report. Debates could continue until Wednesday and would be concluded by holding a vote on the same day.

“I just spoke to Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and thankfully he agreed with me,” Zubiri said in a phone interview. Cayetano is a member of the minority bloc and a staunch ally of Villar.

Adverse affect
Ocampo said the controversy involving Villar could adversely affect the candidacies of other NP members and guest candidates like him.

While he was part of the NP ticket, he said he would not encourage Villar to run away from the controversies he was facing.

“Our political coalition Makabayan is independent. We are guest candidates [of NP] and we can issue comments on controversies involving Villar. This is our politics. We will not hesitate to tell the truth and stand by our beliefs,” Ocampo said.

He said he agreed to join the NP slate because he and Villar had the same platform on land reform.

Ocampo said the senator promised that he would implement programs to help farmers, workers and poor Filipinos should he win the presidential race.

Ceasefire extended
The scheduling of the vote for Wednesday effectively extended the “ceasefire” enforced by the senators since late last week when two groups of senators collided with each other over the committee report.

Sessions in the Senate had been tumultuous since two weeks ago when the chamber started to debate on the C-5 controversy, with some senators resorting to unparliamentary language in defending their positions.

Senators also were debating on Resolution No. 1472, which sought to clear Villar of any wrongdoing and dismiss the ethics case filed against him by Sen. Ana Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal.

In the radio interview, Zubiri said senators would only vote on the committee report and not on the resolution because the latter contained the same topic, which is the C-5 controversy.

“Let’s just hold one vote so that the outcome of this debate would not be that acrimonious,” he said.

Unparliamentary
language Zubiri said he would take the initiative to request that unparliamentary language be stricken out of the record “so that this kind of insults won’t be on the records of the 14th Congress when the next generation looks them up.”

Before they could even start voting to approve or reject the report, they would have to decide on whether the penalty of censure or a strong reprimand would need the votes of two-thirds of the senators or just a simple majority, Zubiri said.

Enrile and majority members said the penalty of censure required the vote of a simple majority of the 23-member Senate or 12 votes, while Villar’s camp said it would require a two-thirds vote or 16 senators.

Zubiri shrugged off speculations that the majority bloc was pushing for the vote on Wednesday because it did not have the votes to censure Villar due to the absence of Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada and Sen. Panfilo Lacson.

Estrada had to go to the United States last week because of an emergency involving his wife but he told the Inquirer last Friday that he would be home by Monday.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. pushed for a caucus of all senators on Monday so that they could come up with the ground rules on the debate and the vote.

Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_107_Villar_fears_insults_from_peers,_says_Ocampo.php

JPE calls for conscience vote on C-5 deal report

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - SENATE PRESIDENT JUAN PONCE ENRILE HAS CALLED FOR A “CONSCIENCE VOTE” BY SENATORS IN THE MAJORITY ON THE CONTROVERSIAL COMMITTEE REPORT 780 BEFORE THE THIRD REGULAR SESSION OF THE 14TH CONGRESS ADJOURNS THIS WEEK.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said he received instructions from Enrile over the weekend to schedule the voting for Committee Report 780.

The report recommends the censure of Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. and directs him to return P6.2 billion, which the government supposedly lost when roads were diverted to pass through his real estate properties in Las Piñas and Parañaque for the C-5 Road extension project. Villar has denied irregularities in the deal.

“First, (Enrile) instructed me to schedule the debates and final voting of the Committee Report by Wednesday. And second, he sent a blast text message to all majority members that this is a conscience vote and he will not bind the members of the majority to vote either in favor or against it. It’s up to us as to what we have seen in the evidence in the committee report,” Zubiri told dzBB radio yesterday.

Zubiri said that the Senate will also prioritize the passage of bills on second and third reading before it sets the debates on the committee report so as not to take so much time on arguments that border on personal insults as what happened last week after Enrile read out his report before the plenary.

The majority leader noted that the Committee Report is a very divisive issue, which is why he suggested that the Senate pass the pending local bills as well as those already in the bicameral level and second and third levels to avoid derailing the passage of important legislation.

Although minority leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. agrees with the need to prioritize legislative agendas, he reiterated the need for the senators to put the Committee Report under interpellation to scrutinize its details.

He said the Senate could again be divided if the majority immediately puts the issue to a vote.
But the minority leader admits that they cannot do anything because they are at the behest of the majority.

Pimentel also questioned why Sen. Jamby Madrigal, the complainant in the ethics case against Villar, was scheduled to be the first interpellator. The minority group finds this unfair, he said.
Aside from other contentious issues, the majority and the minority are also clashing over the number of votes needed to implement the recommendation of the Enrile-led Committee of the Whole, which tackled the ethics complaint against Villar.

Divergent legal opinions

Aside from other contentious issues, the majority and the minority are also clashing over the number of votes needed to implement the recommendation of the Enrile-led Committee of the Whole, which tackled the ethics complaint against Villar.

The majority believes that a simple majority of the 23 total senators or 12 votes are needed, according to Zubiri. But Pimentel and the other Villar allies, Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Miriam Defensor Santiago and Joker Arroyo, believe that the committee report should get two-thirds or 16 votes before it is implemented because the report deals with the disciplinary action against a fellow senator.

Both the majority and the minority senators saw a gray area in the Constitution, which only provided a provision of two-thirds vote needed before a senator is suspended or dismissed.
However, the Enrile report only recommended a censure or reprimand, which is not covered by the law.

A resolution initially signed by 12 senators is also pending for plenary debates, supposedly side by side with Committee Report 780.

Twelve senators, including Villar, signed the resolution, but two signatories, Jinggoy Estrada and Francis Pangilinan, decided to withdraw their signatures, tilting the balance to the majority.

“We have a fundamental question on how many votes are needed to censure. There is the group of Senators Pimentel and Santiago who said that 16 votes are needed. There is another group led by Enrile, and myself included, that believe 12 votes or a simple majority is needed. This is not suspension or removal from the office as senator. This is just a censure,” Zubiri said.
The majority leader, however, believes that the issue will have to be decided in the end through numbers.

Conscience vote

Sen. Loren Legarda, Villar’s running mate, vowed that she would “vote according to her conscience” once the senators present would put the issue to a vote.

In a clear indication that she would stand by her running mate, Legarda reiterated that the Senate as an institution should not be used as an instrument to judge a colleague.
“I am prepared to vote according to my conscience, according to the evidence presented, according to what I think is right. The others should not use the party stand to judge other people,” she said, adding that there should be a closure to the C-5 controversy and senators should make their stand very clear.

Legarda also echoed the statements of Zubiri and Pimentel that the Senate priority should be the passage of pending important bills, especially since there are only several days left in the current session.

She also warned against a possible failure of elections if the Comelec is unable to get its act together in preparation for the May political exercise.

Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_106_JPE%20calls_for_conscience%20_vote_on_C-5_deal_report.php

Loren backs Ibrado extension as AFP chief

SEN.LOREN LEGARDA YESTERDAY URGED PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO TO EXTEND THE TERM AS ARMED FORCES CHIEF OF STAFF OF GEN. VICTOR IBRADO, WHO IS SCHEDULED TO RETIRE ON MARCH 10.

“President Arroyo should give the next President to be elected on May 10 the privilege and prerogative to designate the new chief of staff,” Loren said.

“General Ibrado’s extension as AFP chief of staff for a period up to and beyond the May 10 elections would also boost the Filipino people’s confidence in the integrity of the elections on May 10,” said Loren.

She explained that the appointment of a new chief of staff at this point in time could be considered by the people as a “highly partisan move” intended to influence the results of the elections.

She recalled that many people lost their faith in the integrity of the 2004 presidential elections when it was revealed that the President had bypassed officers considered “uncooperative” to the administration and promoted others to strategic positions that enabled them to “influence” the results of the elections.

This was revealed during the investigation of the “Garci tape” that showed some officers allegedly participating in electoral frauds in Mindanao. Loren, who was running for vice president and her running mate for president, Fernando Poe Jr., lost in that election allegedly due to massive “dagdag-bawas” (add-collect) fraud.

According to Loren, the appointment of a new chief of staff who is lower in seniority than other officers would “cause low morale and dissatisfaction among the officer corps and even the rank-and-file.”
Press reports said that President Arroyo was considering the appointment of a new chief of staff who is of lower seniority than other officers still in active service.

Loren said that Ibrado has had a “long and distinguished record in the military as a highly professional soldier, noted for his integrity and loyalty to the service and to his country. He also has the respect of the rank-and-file.”

According to Loren, “It is crucial that our people should perceive that the May elections shall be held in an orderly and honest manner, and that the military should stay neutral, stay out of politics and take action only to maintain order and safeguard the ballot upon order of the duly constituted authorities, like the Commission on Elections.”

“This should not be repeated, because a second or third time around could lead to disastrous consequences for the stability and future of our Republic,” warned Loren, who topped her class in post-graduate studies at the National.

Top military officials, as well as retired officers and military men facing charges of coup d’etat, are backing Ibrado’s extension in the face of reports that President Arroyo is allegedly thinking of replacing him as AFP chief of staff with army chief Lieutenant General Delfin Bangit who is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA)’s class 1978.

She is expected to make an announcement on changes on the AFP leadership on March 1 during the PMA graduation in Baguio City. Bangit is a member of Class 78 while Arroyo is an adopted member of that class. If appointed as the next AFP chief, Bangit will bypass senior military officers of PMA class 1976 and 1977, critics said. They added Bangit’s appointment might create unrest in the military itself. He is believed to be “fiercely loyal” to the President.

The Magdalo Group which staged the short-lived mutiny in 2003 also opposed Bangit’s appointment. Extending Ibrado’s tour will ensure that the May elections will be credible, said the group’s spokesman, Lt. Ashley Acedillo.
He added that appointing Army chief Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit, perceived to be an Arroyo loyalist, as successor "will trigger suspicions."

Acedillo’s group is composed of around 300 junior officers and men accused of staging a coup d’etat in protesting alleged anomalies and corruption in the armed forces.

Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_103_Loren_backs_Ibrado_extension_as_AFP_chief.php

Monday, February 1, 2010

Loren on C5 row: I’ll vote according to my conscience

WITH THE SENATE POISED TO MEET IN PLENARY THIS COMING WEEK TO DISCUSS THE REPORT OF THE C5 ROAD EXTENSION CONTROVERSY, SEN. LOREN LEGARDA SAID TODAY THAT SHE WOULD “VOTE ACCORDING TO MY CONSCIENCE” IF THE SENATORS PRESENT WOULD PUT THE ISSUE TO A VOTE.

In a clear indication that she would stand by her running mate, Nacionalista Party standard bearer, Sen. Manny Villar, Loren said: “I am prepared to vote according to my conscience, according to the evidence presented, according to what I think is right. The others should not use the party stand to judge other people.”

Loren said that there should be a closure to the C5 controversy and senators should make their stand very clear. “We should be fair to Sen. Villar. I cannot speak for him on this issue or what he wants to do. In December, he already spoke on the Senate floor on the C5 issue and he does not want to go around explaining his side on the same issue over and over again. But I fear that his political rivals will try to raise the issue again and again,” she said.

Loren said Villar has helped many people and the electorate should consider his experience in the private sector and in public office rather than what his detractors are saying. “He does not want to quarrel with other people and I share that thinking. I want to wage a positive campaign. Our focus today should not only be the campaign but rendering service to our people,” she said.

Loren said the Senate priority should be the passage of pending important bills, especially since there are only several days left in the current session.

Loren also warned against a possible failure of elections if the Comelec is unable to get its act together in the preparation for the May political exercise.

“The Comelec should make it very clear whether they are really prepared for full automation, or only partial automation. Because if we revert to manual voting, we have to prepare our watchers at the precinct level. I was one of those who felt cheated in 2004 and I am really concerned that the same thing could happen in May,” Loren said.

“We should give the Comelec a deadline, and the deadline is now.

It should be now, it’s already running late,” Loren added.

As to the proposal to hold early elections in certain areas, Loren said that this would all depend on the capability of the poll body to explain the mechanics of poll automation to the electorate. “Are the people prepared? Are the machines ready? Have they taught the people how to operate the machines? Before we can have early voting, these questions must be answered, Loren said.

Source: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_098_Loren_on_C5_row.php

Loren on her 50th birthday: Service above all

SENATOR LOREN B. LEGARDA TURNED 50 LAST THURSDAY, BUT INSTEAD OF A GRAND BIRTHDAY BASH, SHE CHOSE INSTEAD TO CELEBRATE THE OCCASION WITH A FLURRY OF ACTIVITIES IN SAN PABLO CITY ON SATURDAY.

Among the activities held was a jobs fair, with local and even foreign employers on hand to entertain jobseekers and receive job applications.

“We are delivering services to the people and I’m happy because that’s what the people want. It’s not enough that you speak onstage and feed the people. There were many young people in attendance, even registered nurses and accounting graduates looking for jobs. They are graduates of good schools. They really need jobs. We’re doing job matching,” Loren said.

Apart from the jobs fair, Loren conducted an Eye Camp with free eye check-ups and free eyeglasses for senior citizens. Also on hand were doctors and dentists to render medical and dental services.

A staunch environmentalist, Loren also showed documentaries on climate change to San Pablo City residents.
“All this is part of Lingkod Loren. We will also do this in Iloilo next week,” Loren disclosed.
Interviewed on radio about the Expanded Senior Citizens Act which she authored, Loren said: “I hope the President signs it. We put in a lot of hard work here. I filed that in the Senate two years ago. We must be fair because the original discount for senior citizens is 20 percent. When we had E-VAT, this was reduced to 8 percent. We corrected this so senior citizens can enjoy the full 20% discount.”

As to Malacañang’s reported hesitance to sign the bill because it could reduce revenues, Loren replied: “If we have better tax collection they can easily offset the losses. My point here is, we’re just being fair to the senior citizens’ sector. It’s about time we give senior citizens who are in their twilight years all the benefits and privileges they deserve.”

On the anticipated prolonged dry spell caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon, Legarda urged government to immediately rehabilitate existing irrigation facilities and put up small water impounding dams.
“We must conserve and recycle water to avert a water crisis. Let us not wait for March or April. We must also plant more trees in various areas,” Loren said.

“We must have alternative livelihood for farmers who stand to be adversely affected by the drought. If our farmers have lower production, they will earn less income,” Loren added.

“The election campaign is a good opportunity to discuss environmental issues. The candidates will be asked: What have you done for the environment? How many trees have you planted? What laws have you passed for the environment? What have you done for the farmers? What livelihood programs have you put up? These are the questions our people will ask during the campaign, and we should answer them,” Loren said.

Source: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_097_Loren_on_her_50th_birthday.php

Loren: Emancipate education from corruption

FOR SEN. LOREN LEGARDA, ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES OF THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION SHOULD BE TO FREE EDUCATION FROM THE CONTAGION OF CORRUPTION.

This way, she said, education can be truly a social leveler and uplift Filipinos from poverty.
“It’s really unfortunate that even the education sector has not been spared by the unscrupulous and the greedy whose only intention is to make a fast buck at the expense of the people, particularly the poor,” Loren said.

Loren said the school feeding program of the Department of Education has been tainted by the fortified noodles scandal. “It’s good that the Department of Education cancelled the deal because obviously it was an overpriced project,” she said.
Loren also pointed to the case of textbooks for elementary and high school students that had apparently been approved by DepEd but found to have plenty of grammatical and factual errors.

The books in question were intended for social studies and science subjects, and approved for use by the DepEd.
“While the government gives the biggest allotment to education in the annual national budget—this is as it should be—there simply aren’t enough resources to meet the needs of all the children in both the urban and rural areas,” Loren said.
“Even if we have children who have the natural ability to do mental math, for instance, how can we expect them to get a good job and improve their quality of life if they cannot communicate well, or worse, they cannot even get their grammar right after many years in school,” Loren asked.

“We must focus on making basic education from elementary to high school solid by following high standards. As of now, our basic education leaves much to be desired, because that’s where the corruption is. I do not want that situation to continue, not if I can help it,” Loren said.

Source: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_096_Loren_Emancipate.php

Give rubber industry a boost — Loren

by Bernadette E. Tamayo
Friday, 29 January 2010 20:35

SEN. Loren Legarda yesterday pushed for the strengthening of the local rubber industry to promote economic development, more employment and higher income for its stakeholders.

She said House Bill 2435 creating the Philippine Rubber Research Institute, once enacted into law, would “institutionalize the research and development of rubber as a high-value commercial crop to position the country as a major player in the global billion-dollar rubber industry which, in the process, would benefit small-holder rubber producers and processors.”

Legarda noted that the global demand for rubber has skyrocketed at a tremendous pace over the years, just as the world supply for rubber from Asian countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, has also been climbing progressively.

“The products from natural rubber are premier export commodities exacting premium prices in the international trade. Little wonder then that just as the Arabs have their black gold in the form of oil, we in Asia have started referring to rubber as our white gold,” Legarda, chair of the committee on food and agriculture, said.

“However, the worldwide supply for rubber cannot keep up with the increasing demand. Study shows that worldwide rubber production of 6.59 million tons in 2006 will increase to about 264 percent or to 17.4 million tons by 2010, and to more than 426.4 percent or 28.1 million tons by 2020. Yet, the projected increase in rubber production this year will still fall short of the 31.8 million metric tons of projected global demand for latex, rubber plates and related rubber products,” she said.

Source: http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/national/2018-give-rubber-industry-a-boost--loren.html

Oscillating Loren says coup vs Enrile hatched mid January

Sen. Loren Legarda, the running mate of presidential candidate Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., denied being privy to what she called a “rumored” plot to oust Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile but in a slip of the tongue revealed that the coup was planned on Jan. 14 and 15, three days before it was unveiled on Jan. 18.

The coup was obviously hatched by Villar’s supporters to block deliberations on the floor of a committee report that finds Villar “guilty” of questionable funding on the C-5 road extension project.

Legarda, however, stood by Villar even going to the extent of saying that the matter, in which she actively participated in the past, is now turning out to be a political persecution by her peers.

Appearing as a guest in the weekly Kapihan sa Senado, Legarda, made a slip of the tongue when she said she was “out of town” on the crucial days of Jan. 14 and 15, when she said the alleged reorganization of the upper chamber was being plotted.

Reports on planned ouster of Enrile came out only on Tuesday, Jan. 18, and that Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri himself relayed to reporters that Enrile became aware of it on that same day only.

“I was in Cebu , I went to seven towns (at that time). I was everywhere. So whatever rumors there were, remain to be rumors because I was out of reach in my cell phone. We were everywhere so I’m not familiar with any such rumor,” she said.

Legarda, despite her alliance with Villar who is Nacionalista Party (NP) standard bearer and where she is a guest vice presidential candidate under her political party Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), said she is still with the majority bloc in the Senate. Villar is with the minority bloc.

“I’m with the majority. I’m still (with the) majority and there’s no reorganization,” she said even adding that she had talked to Enrile since the issue cropped up and that nothing has changed insofar as alliances in the upper chamber.

“I expect a conscience vote for everybody. I expect a vote based on truth and factual evidence, not based on politics and party stand,” she said.

Still Legarda claimed that Villar’s case is being used as a political tool by some of her colleagues but she refused to name them.

“I sympathize and I think we should not politically persecute Villar. It seems that it smacks of political persecution and the issues have been answered and duly addressed and I think there are proper institutions in government (that should deal with this kind of issue). It’s been answered already and clearly there was no factual evidence to point to any wrongdoing.

When asked about the call for Villar to appear in the Senate to face his accusers, Legarda cited a strong possibility next week, before they go into another round of recess.

“I think so. I think so but I cannot speak for my president,” he said.

Legarda maintained that despite the political tension in the Senate stirred by the C-5 road controversy, it is not affecting the campaign of Villar.

“I’m glad that there’s a temporary ceasefire. It’s not the first time that we have an acrimonious debate,” she said.

Legarda said she will continue to rally behind Villar regardless of what will become of the panel report on the latter.

Source: http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20100129hed3.html

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Loren: Smuggling, imports will kill local agriculture

SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA CALLED TODAY FOR DECISIVE GOVERNMENT MOVES TO STOP UNABATED SMUGGLING AND UNCONTROLLED IMPORTATION OF FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND OTHER FARM PRODUCTS THAT COULD EVENTUALLY KILL LOCAL AGRICULTURE AND EXACERBATE POVERTY IN THE COUNTRY.

Loren cited the sad experience of vegetable growers, such as those producing onion and garlic, who have been deprived of their source of livelihood because of unfair competition posed by cheap onions and garlic from other countries, mainly from neighboring countries.

Loren lamented that growers of local fruits, such as lanzones, are feeling the pinch brought about by the unrestricted entry of imported fruits.

In coconut-producing provinces as Laguna and Quezon, the senator pointed out, farmers are also facing economic difficulties because of dwindling demand for coconut and coconut-based products, such as macapuno, because of stiff competition from cheaper imported products.

Loren said that corruption in the bureaucracy is responsible for large-scale smuggling that deprives the government of much-needed revenues that in turn keeps poverty in the country at very high levels.

Apart from corruption, the other problem that stunts the growth of local agriculture and industry is the government’s “unthinking commitment to globalization, or borderless trade, which at first glance is beneficial to the economy but on closer inspection may actually work at cross-purposes to our economic advance.”

Loren pointed out that while farmers in the developed countries are subsidized, Filipinos farmers are simply left to their own devices and face unfair competition from cheap products abroad dumped into the country from abroad.

Loren said that while the Philippines should respect and uphold its international commitments, such as to the World Trade Organization, it also has the responsibility to protect its own citizenry from unfair competition from abroad.

In the end, Loren said, “it’s all a matter of protecting the national interest.”

Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_095_Loren_Smuggling_imports.php

We must revive economy - Loren

SEN. LOREN LEGARDA, NP-NPC VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, SAID YESTERDAY “IT IS THE JOB OF THE NEXT GOVERNMENT TO REVIVE THE ECONOMY WHICH HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS “ASIA’S LAGGARD”.

Loren was referring to the article in the February 1 issue of the international US magazine, Newsweek, titled “Asia’s Laggard,” which said, “The world has been passing the Philippines by, literally.”

According to the article by Ruchir Sharma, “After growing at an average pace of 6 percent in the 1950s and 1960s, the Philippines missed out on successive waves of investment-led booms in the region due to constant political instability and failure to liberalize the economy.”

Newsweek cited the failure of the government to operate the new Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminal III as an example of government incompetence due to in-fighting.

Loren said that the next administration must finally open and operate the new international airport in order to attract more tourists and investments to the country.

Loren lamented that whenever there is talk of impressive economic growth in Asia, the Philippines is not included because it has stagnated economically, making the Filipino poorer per capita as economic growth failed to keep pace with population growth.

Loren said that the opposition party headed by NP presidential candidate Manny Villar and herself is committed to “reviving our long-stagnant economy by increasing agricultural and industrial productivity, making the economy more competitive, providing more jobs for the people, enhancing the environment, improving education and health.”

Loren said that “ending corruption, which is considered a primary factor in our economic failure, is at the top of the priority list of our platform. We shall ensure the rule of law to assure local and foreign investors of security and success in their investments and provide more incentives to hard work and productivity for both the local and export markets.”

Loren that the billions of dollars in remittances by Overseas Filipino Workers “should not be wasted in luxury consumption by the rich, or derailed to the private pockets of the corrupt, but should be invested in productive enterprises that would provide employment and more food for the poor.”

According to Loren, “the talent, industry and productiveness of our people have been wasted in corruption, unrealistic economic policies and squandered natural and physical resources, like the newly-constructed international airport that lies unused because of legal squabbles and lack of political will on the part of the present administration.”

“We will supply that political will to keep our country moving again,” stressed Loren.

Via: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/news_094_We_must_revive_economy.php