Whitewash

Philippine Daily Inquirer
Close this In the Laundromat known as congressional investigations, influential individuals suspected of wrongdoing usually come up smelling like roses while their accusers end up stinking like filthy sewage water. The concurrent investigations being conducted by the Senate and the House of Representatives into the blacklisting of three Filipino construction firms by the World Bank are destined to end in the same way: with the contractors being cleared and the World Bank being dismissed as little more than a weaver of fanciful tales, playing loose with the facts and quick to malign some poor, innocent Filipino companies with sterling reputations for fair-dealing and integrity. In fact this appears to have already come to pass in the House edition of the probe, which Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago has fittingly labeled as “a comic opera.”

In 2007, the chief of the World Bank’s Integrity Vice Presidency uncovered evidence that a cartel, composed of several Filipino and Chinese firms, was trying to rig the bidding for contracts for the first phase of the National Road Improvement and Management Program (NRIMP 1), worth $33 million. The bank’s Sanctions Board, composed of senior officials and external legal experts, later determined that three Filipino firms — E.C. de Luna Construction Corp., Cavite Ideal International Co. Ltd. and CM Pancho Construction Inc. — and four Chinese construction companies colluded to set bid prices at “artificial, noncompetitive levels.” The bank then cancelled the funding for the project, and permanently barred E.C. de Luna from bidding in any World Bank projects and suspended the six other firms for varying lengths of time. Leonard McCarthy, World Bank Integrity vice president, said, “This is one of our most important and far-reaching cases, and it highlights the effectiveness of the World Bank’s investigative and sanctions process.”

Not so, the affected contractors protested. Ernesto de Luna told the senators he had been “interviewed” only once and no documents were sought from him by World Bank officials. Lamberto Lee of Cavite Ideal International told the congressmen that World Bank investigators merely relied on the testimony of one of the confidential witnesses to find his company guilty, while disregarding the testimony of 29 non-confidential witnesses who cleared his firm. What they were trying to say was that the World Bank didn’t do a fair and thorough investigation, a conclusion supported by a public works official.

“We cannot fathom the thinking of the bank in this process,” Undersecretary Manuel Bonoan said. “We have no reason to believe there was collusion.” He said the three Filipino firms banned by the World Bank were “the most reliable contractors in the country.” So reliable, in fact, that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has continued to award them contracts, regardless of the World Bank’s findings and sanctions. E.C. de Luna, for example, won a P100-million road building contract in Negros that was one of the components of NRIMP 1, but now funded by the Philippine government. And it is working on 25 other government projects worth a total of P3.7 billion.

So why would the World Bank single out these three companies? That logical question was never asked by the congressmen as they rushed to exonerate the contractors.

“There was no sufficient proof of collusion,” said the chairman of the House committee on public works and highways, Rep. Roger Mercado of Southern Leyte province.

“The DPWH based its findings on hard facts, the World Bank based its findings on the account of an anonymous person,” said Rep. Milagros Magsaysay of Zambales, who probably doesn’t read newspapers, because otherwise she would have known that the DPWH did absolutely nothing after the World Bank came up with its findings. Rep. Elpidio Barzaga of Cavite said it was the World Bank and other multilateral lending institutions that allowed bidders to go over the estimated budget for a project, unlike the DPWH, which stuck to its ceiling.

So now it is the World Bank that is guilty — of padding budgets and unjustly penalizing Filipino firms. But we are not surprised. First, because it seems to be the fate of whistle-blowers always to end up in the dock. And second, because lawmakers will never be interested in proving collusion among contractors or suppliers. That is how their favorites end up bagging contracts for their own pork barrel projects. And to expose them is to kill the golden goose that allows them to recover their election expenses, with interest that would be the envy of Ponzi scammers.

Gordon wants to amend AMLA

By: Marlon Purificacion - Journal online
SENATOR Richard Gordon yesterday said he wants to amend a provision in the 2001 Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) to allow not more than two years extension on freeze order against the accounts and properties suspected to have been illegally acquired by any public official or employee.

Gordon, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, is set to file a bill that specifically seeks to amend Section 10 of Republic Act 9160 as amended by RA 9194, otherwise known as the AMLA.

“We are introducing a measure to amend the anti-money laundering law, specifically on the section that provides for the implementing rules and regulations on freezing monetary instrument or property,” he said.

“Once the alleged offenders take hold of the accounts or property suspected to be related to money laundering, then the nation is immediately deprived of the possibility to recover unlawfully acquired assets and is prejudiced by the loss of property,” he added.

Under the current AMLA, the Court of Appeals (CA), upon request of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), may issue a freeze order on monetary instrument or property related to an unlawful activity for a period of 20 days and may be extended for a period not exceeding six months.

Under Gordon’s proposal, the CA may grant an extension of the freeze order every six months but, in no case, shall the total extension accumulate to more than two years.

“When the AMLC, the Ombudsman or the Solicitor General fails to file a forfeiture case and move for preliminary attachment, the freeze order may eventually lapse, giving the owners of the accounts free hand to dispose of the money or property as they wish,” Gordon said.

The AMLC, however, has to prove before the court that a “compelling reason” exists for the allowance of the extension.

Also, AMLC will have to justify why there is a failure on the part of the government to file for a preliminary attachment or forfeiture on any property found to have been unlawfully acquired by any public official or employee, thereby a need to further extend the freeze order period.

on Nuclear Plant at Bataan

Strategic Perspective - By Rene B. Azurin
Misrepresenting science
Know the difference between a scientist and a politician? Ask a scientist "what is 2 plus 2?" and the scientist unhesitatingly answers "4." Ask a politician "what is 2 plus 2?" and the politician furtively looks around, leans closer conspiratorially, then whispers out of the side of his mouth, "what do you want it to be?" OK, OK, that’s an old joke, but maybe we should keep it in mind when we hear a politician assuring one and all that the operation of the controversial Bataan Nuclear Power Plant is perfectly safe.

The proponent of House Bill 4631 ("Mandating the immediate re-commissioning and commercial operation of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant") in the House of Representatives, Rep. Mark Cojuangco, has been assuring all and sundry that the operation of the mothballed nuclear plant is completely safe, saying that he "would even take up residence in Morong (the town near where the plant is located) to prove that there was no danger in operating the facility." He did not say how this could constitute such proof.

Anyway, last week, Mr. Cojuangco was reported to have taken a group of his House colleagues on an inspection tour of the Westinghouse-built 619 MW plant "to show that it was still in good condition." Apparently, Mr. Cojuangco also served his colleagues some "scientific data" on the geology of the location plus a lecture on radiation levels and nuclear technology. Reportedly, 190 of his colleagues have already agreed to support his bill.

Let us set aside — for now — the fact that Mr. Cojuangco is the son of the chairman of San Miguel Corporation, a conglomerate that has expressed interest in taking over the BNPP as part of its strategic diversification into the power business. San Miguel, it will be recalled, has also recently acquired major shares in electric power distribution giant Meralco and oil refiner Petron. A big power generation firm fits nicely in the apparent strategic scheme.

For now, let’s focus on the science. Dr. Kelvin Rodolfo, professor emeritus of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences of the University of Illinois at Chicago and a balik-scientist who now teaches at the National Institute of Geological Sciences of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, says that those who are trying to justify the activation of the BNPP have been guilty of "abusing scientific data." In particular, he says that Mr. Cojuangco is "dangerously misrepresenting" the scientific data contained in a paper authored by Dr. Joan Cabato, Dr. Fernando Siringan, and himself and in another written by Dr. Ernesto Sonido and Mr. Jesse Umbal, both on the geology of the BNPP site.

Dr. Rodolfo says that they were "dismayed to find that the explanatory note to the bill cites our work as certifying the safety of the Bataan nuclear plant site." He quotes from said note: "Top geologists have evaluated Bataan and, with the exception of Mt. Natib which is a dormant volcano whose last eruption was estimated to have been between 11.3 [and] 18 thousand years ago (Cabato et al. 2005) and which is ten kilometers (10 km) from the BNPP, could find no anomalies in locating the plant there."

Dr. Rodolfo takes vigorous issue with Mr. Cojuangco’s statements and says, first, that "the BNPP is not 10 kilometers away from Natib, it is on Natib, which constitutes the entire northern half of the Bataan peninsula." Next, he says that they did not estimate the age of Mt. Natib’s last eruption in their paper. What he says they actually wrote was:

"A breach in the caldera of Mt. Natib is the most likely source of a presumed pyroclastic deposit in the eastern bay that is associated with sediments about 11,300 to 18,000 years ago, indicating that a Natib eruption occurred much more recently than previously documented for this volcano." Finally, further quoting from their paper, he says that ".the youngest [faults] show that movements occurred about every 2,000 years, most recently about 3,000 years ago." Thus, concludes Dr. Rodolfo, "judging from the geologic evidence, Subic Bay is well overdue for an episode of faulting and earthquakes."

As pointed out by Dr. Rodolfo, an exhaustive analysis of the geology and geohazards of the Subic Bay area was made by Dr. Ernesto Sonido, formerly geophysics professor of the National Institute of Geological Sciences at UP, and Mr. Jesse Umbal, who obtained his masters’ degree at the University of Illinois and worked with Dr. Rodolfo during the Mt. Pinatubo eruption. In their paper, Dr. Sonido and Mr. Umbal adjudged Natib as "potentially active." They found Mt. Natib, like Mt. Pinatubo, to be a "caldera-forming" volcano, a type which (Dr. Rodolfo says), "characteristically, have very powerful eruptions separated by long repose periods." The Sonido-Umbal study "documented two Natib eruptions that formed large calderas and estimated the recurrence period for earthquakes of Magnitude 6.4 to 7.0 at 22 years; of Magnitude 7.0 to 7.3 at 59 years; and of Magnitude 7.3 to 8.2 at 157 years."

Dr. Rodolfo further stresses that none of the "top geologists" with an intimate knowledge of Bataan has called Napot Point "safe." As an example, he cites Dr. Ronnie Torres, formerly with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and now at the University of Hawaii, who warned of volcanism and faulting at the site in 1992: "Natib volcano does not erupt very often but could still erupt." Says Dr. Rodolfo, "as a rough rule of thumb, the longer a volcano is in repose, the more time it has to store eruptive energy".

"In short," charges Dr. Rodolfo, "our science is being abused by a person in governmental authority, either deliberately or out of sheer geological ignorance." That’s heavy.

Beyond geological considerations, there are other issues related to nuclear power in general and the BNPP in particular. These include the risks of operational accidents, the high toxicity of materials handled, the stringent measures required to avoid radiation contamination of surrounding communities, the danger of radioactive material being stolen and used by terrorist elements, and the lack of a satisfactory solution for the final disposal of the tons of radioactive waste created. All these are compounded by the absence of a safety culture and the presence of a corruption culture in the country.

Obviously, serious questions on this matter need to be considered. But for us the public, the question we must first answer is, whose answers should we listen to? Those who represent science, or those who misrepresent it? Scientists or politicians? Well, what do we want the answer to 2 plus 2 to be? bworldonline.com

Palace eyes 3 million jobs

The government is ready to provide as many as three million jobs for the year as Malacañang raised to P330 billion the proposed multi-billion peso economic stimulus package to cushion the impact of the global economic crisis.

Secretary Domingo Panganiban, lead convenor of the National Anti-Poverty Commission, said the jobs will be created under the Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program component of the economic sustainability plan.

Panganiban said the three million will be a “best-effort” and based on a projection that at least one million will be needed by June 30. “We might be going beyond one million by June 30,” he said.

He said the government is allotting P1 billion for every one million jobs.

The economic stimulus plan, originally at P300 billion, is provided under the proposed P1.415 trillion national budget for 2009 which Congress has yet to approve.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto earlier said part of the proposed economic stimulus package will be used to hire more teachers and policemen, finance infrastructure spending and rehabilitate the state healthcare system. He said the government also plans to increase the number of poor families receiving direct cash assistance.

President Macapagal-Arroyo called the program an “Economic Resiliency Plan” to pump-prime the economy. “The plan aims to upgrade infrastructure, expand social protection and ensure sustainable growth in the midst of the global economic crisis,” she said.

Recto said the focus is on the repair and rehabilitation of roads, hospitals, bridges and irrigation facilities, schools and other government buildings.

Panganiban said “so much number of people” also want to be interviewed for jobs in the Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Transportation and Communication and Department of Education. He said there are also jobs in janitorial and utility services. “So we might go beyond the one million,” he said. By: Tess Bedico - Journal online

SBMA exec bares anomaly

A DIRECTOR of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority yesterday revealed that the SBMA has refused to enter into its books of accounts more than P850 million in disbursements which had been disallowed by the Commission on Audit.

Director Mario Garcia noted that as early as February 16, 2005, the Commission on Audit has been questioning the non-recording of P856,300,753 in disallowances and charges in the books of the SBMA.

Garcia said 99 percent or P854,677,167 was disbursed from 1992 to 1998 while the remaining one percent or P1,623,586 was released from 1998 to 2002.

Quoting the memo of State Auditor Teresita Gequinto, Garcia said the disallowances and charges have become final and executory due to the non-submission of an appeal within the prescribed period.

Garcia said according to Gequinto, the non-entry of the disallowances and charges into the SBMA books was in violation of COA Circular 94-001 dated Jan. 20, 1994.

“That circular prescribes the recording in the books of accounts of disallowances, including suspensions,” he said.

Due to the non-recording of the disallowances and charges into the books, receivables, affected expense accounts and retained earnings were either understated or overstated, Gequinto said in his memo.

Instead of entering the disallowances and charges into the books, Garcia said SBMA allowed the money to be liquidated over the years and is now down to only P37.032 million.

“Still, this amount has not been entered into the books and disallowances as per my initial inquiry. The question now is, what is the reason behind this? Or is anybody behind this?” Garcia asked. Journal online

US bases cleanup pinned on Obama

Officials of a Filipino group that has been pressing the United States since 1992 to clean up the toxic wastes left in its former military bases in Central Luzon said they are hoping that incoming American President Barack Obama would heed this clamor.

“We’re seeing there is more openness and more like us having an access to his office because there are a lot of allies [who] have supported him during his campaign and have gone to his conventions. [They are] Filipino-Americans who have been working on this issue to get the US to clean up,” Myrla Baldonado, executive director of the People’s Task Force for Bases Cleanup (PTFBC), said here on Monday.

These, as well as Obama’s background as a community organizer in Chicago and his social advocacies, including his receptive staff, make the campaign feasible now, she said.

“Also, I’m seeing more hope in the American people becoming allies especially in the peace movement so they can put pressure on the government for them to act in a way that’s very different from past administrations,” she said.

Obstacles

But the PTFBC, Baldonado said, still expected many obstacles in the campaign to repair the environment of the former Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base.

The Philippine government converted these into economic free ports starting 1991 without removing the contaminants left by almost a century of military use by the US.

A possible obstacle is Obama’s appointment of Sen. Hilary Clinton as state secretary, Baldonado said.

“This could be a repeat of the [Bill] Clinton administration where we have eight years of them denying responsibility then as if accepting responsibility, giving promises without doing anything substantial,” Baldonado said.

For another, Obama faces tough times, mainly the responsibility to stem, if not stop, the economic recession.

“It was easier to talk to him then but now he’s president of the… US, and he’s trying to deal with all sorts of people in making decisions, and there are pressures from the military industrial complex,” Baldonado said.

“It might be narrow, or very small, but there is a window of opportunity of reaching out,” she said.

“We don’t know if there’s going to be a cleanup within our lifetime or the lifetime of our organizational campaign but we know we’re leaving a legacy of keeping on, struggling, keeping on the pressures, empowering the people so they would continue,” she said.

No RP move

Baldonado said the Republicans, under outgoing US President George W. Bush, had adopted a resolution to clean up Clark and Subic.

Efforts by PTFBC’s partner, the Filipino-American Coalition for Environmental Solution, ran aground when the Republicans did not pursue the resolution and the Arroyo administration did not make demands, she said.

In 2004, the Dominican Order in the Philippines lobbied at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to press the US to end its “toxic legacy” in the Philippines.

It said the Philippine government “lacked the political will in negotiating with the US for the environmental cleanup and compensation for the victims.”

The Dominicans also told the UNCHR that as of 2004, at least 375 people, 282 of them children, had died around Subic of leukemia. Twelve more cases have been monitored around Clark.

At least 8,000 workers at the former Subic Ship Repair Yard had been exposed to asbestos, radioactivity and other toxic chemicals.

Around 43,000 more Subic workers had handled toxic chemicals and ammunition. Many suffer from various types of cancer, the group said. By Tonette Orejas - Inquirer Central Luzon Desk

SC: Dual citizens can’t run, hold elective posts

Affirms Comelec vs Fil-Am village chairman

By Tetch Torres
INQUIRER.net


MANILA, Philippines -- The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that only exclusively Filipino citizens can run and occupy elective public positions as it affirmed a Commission on Elections (Comelec) decision voiding the election of a barangay (village) captain in an Iloilo town who also holds American citizenship.

“A Filipino-American or any dual citizen cannot run for any elective public position in the Philippines unless he or she personally swears to a renunciation of all foreign citizenship at the time of filing the certificate of candidacy," the seven-page en banc resolution high court penned by Associate Justice Ruben T. Reyes said.

The decision rejected the petition of dual citizen Eugenio Lopez seeking to reverse the Comelec’s decision voiding his election as chairman of Barangay Bagacay, San Dionisio town, which he ran for and won last October 29.

Lopez’ qualifications to be barangay chairman were contested by Tessie Villanueva. He defended himself saying he holds dual citizenship under Republic Act. No. 9225, or the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003.

However, high court said that, while the law allows one to reacquire Filipino citizenship, it also provides that anyone seeking elective public office should first "make a personal and sworn renunciation of any and all foreign citizenship before any public officer."

Thus, even if Lopez won the elections, took his oath of office and began to discharge the functions of barangay chairman, "his victory can not cure the defect of his candidacy," the tribunal ruled.

"Garnering the most number of votes does not validate the election of a disqualified candidate because the application of the constitutional and statutory provisions on disqualification is not a matter of popularity," the high court said.

Magna Carta for Poor gets solons’ nod

By Maila Ager - INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines -- A bill proposing Magna Carta for the Poor has been approved by a joint panel at the House of Representatives.

The committees on poverty alleviation, and on people’s participation jointly passed the measure aimed at reducing the number of “extremely” poor Filipinos and help them become economically empowered.

The bill, a substitute for four bills, also seeks to strengthen several social service programs for the underprivileged in order to protect and promote their rights to a decent life.

“For one, it aims to enhance the poor's right to employment by giving them preferential access to employment openings in private enterprises as well as in government programs and projects,” a statement from the House said Monday.

“Further, it seeks to create an Office of Employment Opportunities,” it said.

The proposed legislation, likewise, seeks to enhance the poor's right to food by giving them food or of food assistance/subsidy to help them in their survival.

It also seeks to strengthen the right to free quality education of underprivileged Filipinos by providing them access to quality education at the college level, and expanding the study-now-pay-later plans in state colleges and universities.

In terms of shelter for the poor, the bill proposes the implementation of a housing scheme to provide decent facilities to the poor with the least financial burden.

The bill further seeks to strengthen health and medical services for the poor through a system of free delivery of health services and medicines.

Decline in Philippine unionism alarms labor leaders

By Margaux Ortiz Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines -- Pervasive contractualization and casualization of employment have weakened unionism among workers in the country and have left workers vulnerable to union-busting company owners.

This is according to an official of the National Union of Workers in the Hotel, Restaurant and Allied Industries (NUWHRAI), who said that the prevalence of labor contractualization has been contributing to the significant reduction of legitimate labor organizations.

“Workers' engagement in intermittent and short-term employment affects, not only their ability to earn livelihood, but also their productivity and quality of work,” Daniel Edralin, NUWHRAI secretary general, said.

Edralin added that less unionism "rendered workers' right to security of tenure meaningless.”

Edralin explained that with severely depleted memberships, unions have been finding it difficult to repel the union-busting actions and schemes of their employers.

“Consequently, the number of legitimate labor organizations continues to decline,” he said.

Edralin added that there has been a decrease in establishments with collective bargaining agreements (CBAs).

He said that based on government data, the number of legitimate labor organizations presently number to 17,021, with a membership of 1,918,000.

“This is insignificant when one considers that we have 783,065 establishments with a total workforce of 33,695,000 in the Philippines today,” Edralin pointed out.

He added that of the 17,021 establishments with legitimate labor organizations, only 1,542 legitimate labor organizations were able to secure CBAs in 2007.

Edralin pointed out that this decreased from 1,670 in 2006.

“This insignificant number of CBAs benefited only 218,000 workers, a reduction from the 236,000 workers in 2006—both far below our total 33 million workforce,” he said.

Edralin disclosed that in the 1990s, around 550,000 workers were covered by these agreements.

1-M trabaho para sa mahihirap

MILYUN-MILYONG mga unskilled workers, magsasaka at mga walang trabaho ang mabibiyayaan ng bagong trabaho at mas mabuting kabuhayan dahil sa karagdagan pang employment generation program sa taong na nilalayong maibsan ang kahirapan at gutom sa mga maralita, ayon sa National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC).

Ayon kay NAPC Secretary Domingo F. Panganiban, nilalayon ng Arroyo government na magkaloob ng mahigit 860,000 mga bagong trabaho para sa mga mahihirap sa pamamagitan ng microfinance services, skills training at coconut intercropping programs may may 50 lalawigan at National Capital Region (NCR).

“We will concentrate the bulk of our jobs and livelihood generation programs in areas that have the highest levels of hunger and poverty,” ayon kay Panganiban.

Nabatid sa National Nutrition Council (NNC), inaasahang aabot sa 430,000 ang mabibigyan ng trabaho bago matapos ang 2008 mula sa microfinance at Self-Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran (SEA-K) program nito.

“In addition, we will afford some 332,505 underprivileged folk better livelihood opportunities through the skills and vocational training programs of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and various other community-based training programs,” ayon sa kanya.

Mabibigay aniya ang pamahalaan ng karagdagang kabuhayan at pagkakakitaan sa 67,023 sa magsasaka ng niyog sa pamamagitan ng coconut intercropping program ng Department of Agriculture (DA) habang may 37,583 manggagawa ang kukunin para sa public irrigation at roadside maintenance projects.

Nabatid na prayoridad sa anti-hunger program ng pamahalaan ang Apayao, Mountain Province , Kalinga, Masbate, Camarines Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte, Lanao del Norte, Sarangani, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Maguindanao, Surigao del Sur, Tawi-tawi, Northern Samar at NCR. JOurnal online

Heads to roll in drive vs car smugglers

THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) will investigate the surprising increase in registration of motor vehicles in port cities which have been tagged as new car smuggling havens.

LTO chief Alberto Suansing said that his office will leave no stone unturned in the war against smuggling. “If heads are to roll, then so be it, “ he warned amid reports that LTO personnel are in cahoots with car smugglers.

Suansing also said he will instruct LTO personnel to coordinate with the Bureau of Customs-Intelligence and Enforcement Group (BOC-IEG) to find a solution to shut down the new car smuggling hotspots. He added that the new modus operandi of car smugglers -- that of shifting areas of operation -- does not guarantee these criminals are safe.

“Eventually, the long arm of the law will catch up with them and we shall not allow these criminals to make a mockery of the government’s efforts to curb smuggling,” he added.

Suansing was quick to note that the government is actually gaining in the fight against smuggling. He cited the fact that the LTO also has an existing interconnectivity agreement with the Bureau of Customs whereby imported vehicles will not be able to register with the LTO unless the proper duties and taxes have been paid.

With the interconnectivity system in place, certificates of payment from the BOC shall be electronically transmitted to the LTO, eliminating opportunities for fraudulent activities pertaining to the importation of vehicles. The system has undergone thorough testing and implementation and is expected to take effect next month.

The land transport chief stressed that the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (Amcham) has lauded governmen efforts to curb the illegal entry of used cars that resulted in the growth in sales of motor vehicles in the country. Amcham said that in the first four months of 2008, auto sales in the country reached nearly 40,000 units. Total industry sales in 2007 were 117,903 units compared with 99,541 units in 2006, an 18.4 percent growth in sales volume. Suansing also hinted that the LTO might actively participate in the RATS (Run After The Smugglers) program of the government.

“With a more coordinated thrust amongst all the concerned line agencies, the public can be assured that the government will win this fight,” Suansing said.

‘Flawed’ Customs system allows car smuggling--Escudero

By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines -- The Bureau of Customs system allowing the use of one certificate of payment (CP) for a batch of car importation has resulted the smuggling of between 8,000 to 13,000 vehicles into the country, Senator Francis Escudero said Wednesday.

Escudero, chairman of the Senate committee on ways and means, gave this estimate of the number of vehicles that may be running around the country with questionable papers outside an ongoing Senate hearing on smuggling.

At the hearing, Customs commissioner Napoleon Morales said that the single CP for a batch of car imports is given only to members of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi).

The rest of the importing public must follow the one car-one CP rule.

But Senator Juan Ponce-Enrile, chairman of the Senate finance committee, said the rule of issuing one CP for one vehicle should be followed because allowing exceptions would facilitate smuggling.

But Morales said the exemption from the rule for Campi members was initiated by his predecessor, Alexander Arevalo.

Escudero said one CP-one batch system has made the P3-billion computerization program of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), which compiles a database of all registered vehicles, useless.

"The P3-billion LTO computerization project is useless because, as they say, garbage in, garbage out…Right now, our traffic enforcers are taking their chances with the vehicles they apprehend when they see that the registration numbers do not seem to match the model of the vehicle," Escudero said.

"Both the check valves at the Customs and the LTO are not working," he added.

During the hearing, Roberto Valera of the LTO admitted the database does not reflect vehicles issued certificates of registration or official receipts (CR/OR).

OFW home

The OFWs arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 3 p.m. on board Etihad Airlines flight EY428 from Abu Dhabi.

Aside from Marcos, those who were repatriated were Annabel Cernal, 38, of Las Piñas; Zenaida Calanda, 34, of Davao City; Nomeria Gandingan, 34, Zamboanga, Sibugay Province; Cheryl Marie Cabuata, 28, Solano, Nueva Ecija; Ma. Magdalena Mendoza, 45, of Quezon City; Rose Ann Tagalog, 19, San Pablo City, Laguna; Almie Salcedo, 22, of Cotabato City; Maricel Hermosa, 26 and Michelle Operania, 26, both of Olongapo City; Maricel Triste, 26, of Tarlac; Marianne Sabado, 30, of Quezon City; Dolly Ortouste, 28, of Zamboanga City and Eulie Seterra, 31, of Makati City, Juna Arabes, 40, of Misamis Occidental; Wenna Bacasmot, 42, of Pasig City; Rowena Gonzales, 25, of Tarlac City; Edna Guintibano, 27, of Negros Occidental; Lucielyn Dizon, 34, of Quezon City and Noraima Abidin, 23, of Maguindanao.

Four of them were raped and forced into prostitution.

Naglipanang Bumbay sa bansa iimbestigahan ni Miriam

KAKALKALIN na rin ng Mataas na Kapulungan ng Kongreso ang paglipana ng mga turistang Bumbay sa bansa.

Ayon kay Senador Miriam Defensor Santiago, nais niyang paimbestigahan sa kinauukulang komite sa Senado ang ang ilegal na pagdagsa ng mga turistang Bumbay sa bansa na patuloy na dumarami ang bilang.

Nakasaad sa Senate Resolution 431 ni Santiago na iniulat ng Bureau of Immigration (BoI) na nasa 5,000 Indian tourist ang “unaccounted” na nakapasok sa bansa sa pagitan ng 2005 hanggang 2007.

May discrepancy umano sa bilang ng visas na ipina-labas ng Department of Foreign Affairs sa nasabing panahon at sa aktuwal na Indian tourist na pumasok sa bansa.

“There is a discrepancy between the number of visas issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) during the period and the number of Indian tourists who actually entered the country,” ani Santiago sa kanyang resolusyon.

Sinabi ni BoI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan, nasa 39,495 ang ipinalabas na tourist visas ng DFA sa mga Indian nationals sa pagitan ng 2005 hanggang 2007, pero base sa records, may 44,295 Indian tourists ang nakapasok sa Pilipinas.

Hindi malaman kung saan nanggaling ang visas ng nasa 4,800 Indians na nakapasok din sa bansa.

Aabot umano sa Pl2 million buwis para sa 2,500 per tourist visa ang nawala sa gobyerno dahil sa mga ilegal na turistang Bumbay.

Ayon kay Santiago, maliwanag na dapat pang pag-igtingin ng immigration ang kanilang rules and regulations upang maayos na ma-monitor ang mga du-magdang turista sa Pilipinas. By: Marlon Purificacion - Journal online

Holiday pay rules

LABOR Secretary Marianito Roque has advised all employers in the private sector to follow the holiday pay rules for tomorrow, June 9, a holiday.

President Macapagal-Arroyo, through Presidential Proclamation No. 1463 issued on Feb. 18 this year, moved the celebration of Independence Day to June 9 from June 12 to give employees a long weekend.

Under the pay rules, if the holiday falls on an employee’s regular workday and is unworked, he or she should be paid 100 percent of his or her regular salary for that day.

If the day is worked, 200 percent of the regular daily rate shall apply on the first eight hours plus 30% of the hourly rate if it is in excess of eight hours.

If the day falls on an employee’s rest day and is unworked, 100 percent of the regular daily rate shall apply.

If the day is worked, plus 30% of 200% shall apply on the first eight hours, and plus 30% of the hourly rate in excess of 8 hours. By: Efren Montano - Journal online

Magulang na papayag mamalimos, mag-prostitute ang anak, kulong

Magulang na papayag mamalimos, mag-prostitute ang anak, kulong ng 12 taon

INIHAIN sa Kamara ang isang panukalang batas na naglalayong ipakulong ng 12 taon ang mga magulang, foster parents o guardians na pumapa-yag na mamalimos at pumasok sa prostitusyon ang kanilang mga anak.

Sa ilalim ng House Bill (HB) No. 300 ni Manila Rep.Jaime Lopez ipinaliwanag nitong hindi layunin ng panukala na gawing labag sa batas ang pagi-ging mahirap kundi pakay lamang na mabawasan kung hindi man ganap na matigil ang pang-aabuso sa mga bata.

Papatawan ng anim na buwan hanggang anim na taong pagkakabilanggo ang sinomang mapapatunayang gagamit sa mga bata na 12 taong pataas habang 12 taong pagkakakulong naman kung 12 anyos pababa ang biktimang bata.

“Parents, adopters, guardians or persons exercising special or substitute parental authority over the child who shall use, coerce, intimidate, or force their children to beg or engage in prostitution shall suffer the penalty of prison correctional,” anang panukala.

Sa kasalukuyan, kabilang sa mga umiiral na batas ang International Declaration of the Rights of the Child na nagkakaloob ng espesyal na proteksiyon laban sa pang-aabuso sa mga bata, exploitation at diskriminasyon. Nanindigan naman si Lopez na ang mga magulang ang pa-ngunahing dahilan kung bakit hindi nagiging epektibo ang mga umiiral na batas dahil pinababayaan ng mga ito ang kanilang legal at moral na obligas-yon na ilayo ang mga bata sa kalsada upang mama-limos para tugunan ang pangangailangan ng pamilya.

Idinagdag nito ang pahayag na: “The pa-rents who defaults on his or her responsibility to the child by allowing the child to beg or engage in the sex trade or the illegal undertaking should not be condoned by society.” Ryan Ponce Pacpaco - Journal online

7 killed at height of 'Cosme'--gov’t reports

It was the so-called calm before the storm.

Northern and Central Luzon experienced moderate rains and wind on Saturday afternoon as tropical storm "Cosme" (international code name Halong) hovered over these regions. But by Saturday night through Sunday, Cosme's wrath was felt in Zambales, Pangasinan, Benguet, La Union and the Ilocos provinces.

Seven people reportedly died in Pangasinan, Dagupan City and La Union during Cosme's onslaught on Saturday night, while two other children swept away by floods in Dagupan City were still missing as of Sunday.

Power supply was cut off in several areas in Central and Northern Luzon on Saturday as trees fell on power lines in Pangasinan, Benguet and Zambales. Power supply had yet to be restored in most of these provinces as of Sunday afternoon.

Several roads in Benguet were closed as landslides hit these areas.

Thousands of families were left homeless in Pangasinan and Zambales as strong winds and waves battered coastal communities.

Reports reaching the provincial disaster coordinating council (PDCC) in Pangasinan said two persons died in Bugallon town, while another died in San Fabian town.

Lourdes Soriano, 72, was hit by a galvanized iron sheet blown off by strong winds in Bugallon town. The other victim, Cesario basi, died after a coconut tree fell on his house on Saturday night.

A 36-year-old man, identified only as Pascual, was pinned by a fallen mango tree in Barangay Bolasi in San Fabian town.

In Dagupan City, Supt. Dionicio Borromeo, police chief, said the body of two-year-old Miguel Poserio was found floating along Tanap River at Catacdang Bonuan on Sunday. However, his two brothers, three-year-old Randyl and four-year-old Rodyl, were still missing as of Sunday. Their mother said the three boys disappeared Saturday night.

Dr. Anthony Golez, deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), told reporters Sunday afternoon that the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) received field reports that three persons were killed in La Union. The NDCC, he said, was still confirming the La Union deaths.

The victims were said to have died of electrocution and trauma injuries sustained after being hit by flying GI sheets and fallen trees, said Golez who is concurrently a Malacañang deputy spokesperson.

"Zambales and Pangasinan were the hardest hit by the typhoon," Golez said.

In Central Luzon, strong winds accompanying Cosme damaged 7,000 houses in Sta. Cruz, Zambales, on Saturday night, Gov. Amor Deloso told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Sunday.

"The winds were strong. They were like ipo-ipo (tornado)," he said when reached by phone while inspecting the damage in the town at past 10 a.m.

The number of damaged houses accounted for 80 percent of total houses in Sta. Cruz, he said.

The Zambales provincial government opened three evacuation centers in public schools in villages Malabago and Gama, and at the Sta. Cruz Academy at the town proper.

More than 500 families or about 3,000 people living near the shores of the South China Sea in the town sought refuge there on Saturday afternoon, he said.

The rest of the affected families chose to stay in their damaged houses, he added.

Deloso said the municipal board in Sta. Cruz would meet in an emergency session on Sunday to declare the town under a state of calamity so the town and provincial governments can use portions of their calamity funds for the reconstruction of houses.

At least 23 houses in a resettlement site in Barangay Cawag in Subic town were damaged as heavy rains and strong winds pounded the area on Saturday. Reports said most of the houses had cracked walls and floors.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Luzon said floods hit villages in Botolan, San Antonio and Iba towns, all in Zambales.

Reports from the Bulacan PDCC on Sunday said there was no report of flooding or typhoon-related casualty in the province's 21 towns and three cities.

On Sunday, major roads in Pangasinan were littered with galvanized iron sheets from blown off rooftops, fallen trees and electric posts and other debris.

"We did not expect the typhoon was this strong," said Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino Jr.

"We can see the devastation but we cannot quantify yet the damage because our local officials are still in the process of assessing the damages in their own towns," he said.

Power went off early Saturday night as Cosme unleashed strong winds and dumped strong rains. Telephone lines also went down after trees fell on electric and telephone lines.

Several families were reported to have been evacuated in Lingayen, Calasiao and Manaoag towns, and San Carlos City.

Espino has ordered clearing operation in major roads in the province to ease the flow of traffic.

Espino said worst hit by 'Cosme' were western and central Pangasinan towns. He said he recommended to the provincial board the declaration of the province under a state of calamity.

In Dagupan City, city administrator Alvin Fernandez said the city took a heavy blow from "Cosme."

"Dagupan City was badly hit but at the moment we cannot assess yet the damage to property for the very reason that it's massive," Fernandez said.

"The truth is that we are prepared for a calamity but not for this type… which was unexpected," he said.

At the Dagupan City Jail, inmates took advantage of the typhoon and the power failure Saturday night and engaged in a riot at 7 p.m. Three inmates escaped during the melee.

But a report at the provincial disaster coordinating council here said one inmate was rearrested.

Fernandez said Dagupan City would be declared under a state of calamity.

"It is just formality. Everyone already sees that we are already in a state of calamity. The fish pens, the crops are all destroyed. Most of the houses, especially those made of light materials, have been damaged," he said.

Bangus (milkfish) pens and ponds in the city also overflowed, allowing bangus to escape to the Lingayen Gulf.

As result, bangus prices went down from a range of P75 to P80 a kilogram to P25 a kg.

Several hardware stores in Calasiao, Pangasinan, ran out of supplies, especially nails, as many residents started rebuilding their damaged houses on Sunday.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Sunday inspected the typhoon damage in Pangasinan.

In Benguet, landslides that hit the province's interior roads led provincial disaster relief officials scrambling for loaders to clear blocked roads.

Cosme's continuous rains closed several provincial roads but several private contractors sent their equipment to clear these roads.

As of 11 a.m. Sunday, the following areas were closed to traffic: Guiset-Ambuklao-Guirrel in Kabayan and Bokod towns, Dalupirip and Twin River in Itogon town, Kennon Road in Tuba and Palew in Tublay.

The Barangay Pakpakitan section of the Halsema Highway in Buguias town was closed but Gov. Nestor Fongwan immediately sent a loader there to clear the area.

Fongwan said more loaders would be needed to clear landslide-hit sections of the 84-km Halsema Highway. The province has only two loaders and a bulldozer.

The highway passes through the major vegetable producing towns of La Trinidad, Tublay, Atok, Buguias and Kibungan in Benguet and Bauko in Mt. Province.

Fongwan allayed fears of lack of vegetable supply since the Halsema Highway along Atok, Tublay and Kibungan towns were open. He said the typhoon struck on Saturday and Sunday when there was no trading.

Two families in Barangay Alno in La Trinidad town escaped death when their houses were destroyed as Cosme crossed the province on Saturday night.

Juanna Banawe, provincial social welfare officer, said Waldo Manuel's house was crushed by rolling boulders while Daniel Aquino's family was able to move out before a strong current swept their house.

At least 21 houses in Sitios Toll Gate, Kiangan, Mill Site, Power and Green Valley in Barangay Camp 6 along Kennon Road were damaged by landslides.

Atok Mayor Concepcion Balao provided comic relief at the provincial disaster coordinating council center at the provincial capitol when she declared that classes in her town would be suspended.

She retracted the announcement after she realized schools were still closed for the summer break.

Roads leading to Ifugao and Mt. Province were closed due to several landslides.

Only Kennon Road, however, was closed among the major routes to and from Baguio City, reports from the Office of Civil Defense in the Cordillera said.

The OCD said two minor landslides were reported along Kennon Road but the agency ordered the road's closure as a "preventive measure."

The Nueva Vizcaya–Ifugao–Mt. Province road, Banaue-Hungduan road and Banaue-Mayoyao road were closed to traffic. Clearing operations started on Sunday.

In Baguio City, the OCD reported only two typhoon-related injuries in the city. A car passing by Bakakeng Road was lucky to miss a tree falling although Harvey Sevilla, 23, was hurt as a branch hit him.

Roger Damaso, 28, was also hit by a fallen branch while walking along a road in Barangay Camp 8. Both are now at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center.

A house near the Dontogan Elementary School was covered by a landslide but the five family members living there were unhurt.

OCD reports showed that rainfall measured 206.86 millimeters on Sunday.

"The storm was not so strong but the rains were hard," an OCD official said.

The National Transmission Corp. (Transco) ordered half a meter opened in Ambuklao's gate valves to release excess water, but the firm had not been able to update OCD abut the water level at the dam on Sunday morning. Reports from Gabriel Cardinoza, Yolanda Sotelo-Fuertes, Delmar Cariño, Frank Cimatu and Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon; and Tonette Orejas, Carmela Reyes and Robert Gonzaga, Inquirer Central Luzon; Nikko Dizon, Inquirer in Manila

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Zambales, Pangasinan worst hit by 'Cosme' - NDCC

Zambales and Pangasinan are the provinces hit hardest by tropical storm "Cosme," according to the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC).

Anthony Golez Jr, NDCC deputy administrator said at least two people were reported injured in Baguio City, while several road networks were disrupted due to trees that felled by the storm, which is forecast to exit Philippine territory by Tuesday.

"So far, Zambales at Pangasinan ang may pinakamatinding pinsala (So far
Zambales and Pangasinan have been hit hardest)," Golez said in an interview on dzBB radio.

The Health department has ordered local medical teams to make sure epidemics do not break out in evacuation centers, according to Golez.

The health teams have instructions also to make sure children do not catch diseases while in evacuation centers.

Golez said Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr ordered the release of rice to families in areas affected by the storm.

As this developed, dzBB radio quoted a report from the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council saying that it might take a month before electric power in Pangasinan is restored.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said "Cosme" continues to weaken while traversing the mountainous terrain of Northern Luzon.

It said that as of 10 a.m., "Cosme" was 30 kilometers (km) east of Tuguegarao City, packing maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 100 kph.

"Cosme" was moving northeast at 19 kph and was expected to continue to cross Northern Luzon Sunday.

By Monday morning it was expected to be 370 km east-northeast of Aparri, Cagayan or at 330 km east-southeast of Basco, Batanes.

On Tuesday morning it is expected to be 1,030 km northeast of Basco, Batanes or at 440 kms east-southeast of Okinawa, Japan or outside the Philippine area of responsibility.

Under Storm Signal No. 2 are Batanes, Cagayan, Babuyan, and Isabela.

Under Storm Signal 1 are Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, Mountain Province, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao, Quirino, Benguet, Pangasinan and La Union.

"Cosme" will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring occasional rains over Southern Luzon and Western Visayas.

Residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes were advised to take all the necessary precautions against possible flash floods and landslides.

Residents along the coastal areas of Western Luzon and Western Visayas were also alerted by Pagasa against big waves. - GMANews.TV

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'Cosme' ravages Zambales town; 7,000 families homeless

Tropical storm "Cosme" has ravaged Sta. Cruz town in Zambales province, leaving about 7,000 families in the area homeless, according to Governor Ramon B. Lacbain

In an interview with radio dzBB on Sunday, Lacbain appealed for help for the residents of Sta. Cruz, after the storm wrecked an estimated 75 to 85 percent of the homes there.

As of posting time, there were only about 500 people who were evacuated to safer places, according to Lacbain. "Kagabi lang nag-evacuate kasi malalim ang tubig (We were able to evacuated them just last night because the water was deep)."

Santa Cruz, a second class municipality, has a population of 49,269 people in 9,754 households, based on the 2000 census. - GMANews.TV

How stolen vehicles are given new LTO papers

A FULL-BLAST investigation conducted by the Philippine National Police Traffic Management Group with the support of the Land Transportation Office enabled officials to find out how stolen motor vehicles are being sold in the local market complete with LTO registration papers.

“We have identified a number of LTO officials and men who appear to be liable in the anomalous registration schemes concerning stolen motor vehicles in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,” said Chief Inspector Joseph Q. Orsos, head of the PNP-TMG Legal Service.

Orsos furnished the Journal Group copies of their investigation report on some of the LTO officers and men. The investigation was conducted with the help of LTO chief Alberto Suansing and his Legal and Internal Affairs Task Force.

He cited the case of former Tagbilaran City LTO district head Gavino L. Paden and verifier/encoder A.G. Petarco. In a report to TMG director, Chief Superintendent Perfecto P. Palad, Orsos said the two appear to be liable for anomalous registration when they allowed the transfer of registration of two Mitsubishi Adventures with license plates AHB-423 and AHE-415 which are supposed to have originated in Cordillera Administrative Region-LTO wherein in fact no confirmation was made in any district office of the Cordillera LTO.

Orsos said their verification from the Cordillera LTO showed that the motor vehicle file numbers used as their basis for the transfer of registration were for jitney and motorcycle as pointed out by Cordillera LTO officials.

The Adventure with plate no. AHB-423 was found out to be truly owned by one Concepcion Ramos and with original plate no. TVV-747. he said. The vehicle was stolen on June 19, 2001.

On the other hand, the Adventure with plate no. AHE-415 turned out to be owned by one Lorenzo Sibayan with original plate no. WSX-464. The vehicle was stolen in Sikatuna Village, Q.C., on June 7, 2001.

Orsos said that on the case of former Tarlac City LTO district head Luciano L. Llanillo and verifier/encoder L.S. de Vera, they appear to be liable for anomalous registration when they allowed the original registration of two motor vehicles-a Honda CRV with plate no. CSP-216 and a Mitsubishi Pajero with plate no. CSN-898-wherein the registration papers were issued even before the supposed ‘owners’ acquired the same.

Orsos said it turned out that the Confirmation Certificates were issued ahead of the Sales Invoices in that particular case at the Tarlac City LTO office.

He said that the Honda CRV turned out to be owned by Jean Pierre Tuazon of Mandaluyong City who lost his car with original plate no. FES-559 to heavily-armed car thieves in Pasig City on May 15, 2002. On the other hand, the Pajero was found to be owned by one Manolito Natividad who reported that the SUV with plate no. YOU-888 was stolen by car thieves along Herrera St. in Makati City on April 27, 2002.

The case of LTO Bislig district head in Surigao del Sur, Bedula R. Lipoles also involved the anomalous registration of a Toyota Fortuner, said Orsos. The TMG lawyer said that Lipoles allowed the original registration of the Fortuner with plate no. LMG-164 under the name of one Edmundo Pang Sr., wherein the supporting documents made it appear that the subject vehicle was imported but without any certificate of payment or listing from the Bureau of Customs.

Orsos said they also doubted if the LTO district in Bislig was allowed to originally register an imported motor vehicle as this is allowed only in certain districts of LTO in Regions 3,7 and National Capital Region. The subject vehicle recovered from the possession of professional basketball player Lordy Tugade was found to be the real property of Jose Marcial Villanueva with original plate no. VDZ-615. The SUV was stolen while parked in Araneta Avenue, Q.C. on Dec. 6, 2006.

There was also the case of an Isuzu Crosswind Wagon with plate no. XEA-609 owned by one Edgardo Grafilo that was stolen while parked in front of a hotel in Quezon Avenue, Q.C. on Nov. 28, 2002.

Orsos said that on Sept. 3, 2007, the vehicle already sporting the plate no. JBM-685 was intercepted by TMG agents in Dumaguete City while being driven by one Sylvia Sy Uymatiao. He said that the Crosswind was established to be the very vehicle of Grafilo upon expert or macro-etching examination which revealed that the chassis and enginenumbers are already tampered and that the restored numbers corresponded to Grafilo’s vehicle.

Orsos said they discovered that the wagon was registered at the Cebu City LTO under the name of one John L. Cabanes using the spurious file number of the Danao City LTO. Orsos said the same Cebu City LTO under Ms. Anita Pulga is being investigated for the anomalous registration of motor vehicles with plate numbers UMJ-979, LMA-667 and YOK-182. By: Alfred P. Dalizon - Journal online

10% wage hike to gov’t workers

Arroyo signs order granting 10% wage hike to gov’t workers

By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has signed the executive order granting a 10 percent wage increase to all government workers, her spokesman said Thursday.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bune made the announcement Thursday, Labor Day.

The increase, expected to benefit 898,848 national government employees, will cost P9.216 billion, the budget department said.

Meanwhile the adjustment for the 297,905 soldiers, policemen, firemen, jail guards, and Coast Guard personnel will cost the government P2.84 billion, it said.

Senate OKs working students bill on second reading

By Veronica Uy - INQUIRER.net


MANILA, Philippines -- The Senate earlier this week passed on second reading a bill allowing, among others, more companies to hire working students and for working students to earn credits while working.

Senate Bill 2116, which seeks to amend the Special Program for the Employment of Students 16 years after its initial passage, was sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada, chairman of the labor committee.

In his sponsorship speech, Estrada said SPES was originally set up in 1992 by Republic Act 7323 to encourage poor students to pursue their education through employment -- during summer and Christmas vacations for high school students and throughout the year for those in college or vocational schools.

He said some 984,840 students have benefited under SPES since 1995.

Under the system, SPES-registered employers pay 60 percent of the salaries of SPES-certified poor students in cash, while the government issues education vouchers worth 40 percent of their salaries to pay for tuition and book expenses. It is open to Filipinos between 15 and 25 years old.

The bill is expected to pass third reading next Tuesday, as no senator introduced any changes.

The Senate approved the following amendments to the current law:
• Change the requirement for companies that seek to qualify under SPES from having 50 employees down to 16;
• Grant academic credits to students employed in activities related to their courses;
• Require employers to inform student-workers of their rights, benefits, and privileges under existing laws and company policies;
• Penalize persons or entities who refuse or dishonor educational vouchers by the government; and
• Remove threshold amount (formerly pegged at P36,000) for maximum family income requirement.

"They earn and learn system of SPES has been extremely helpful in assisting poor but deserving students finance their education and open opportunities for employment. It also develops the productive work ethic of our young working students," Estrada said in a statement.

Citing statistics provided by labor regional offices, SPES has benefited in 2006 alone more than 60,000 students who were employed in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, electronics, and other industries all over the country.