Drilon: Aquino’s speedy signing of 2014 budget means timely recovery for disaster-stricken areas

Press Release

20 December 2013

Refer to: Jeeno Arellano

(09322084767)

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon today welcomed the signing of the P2.265 trillion 2014 General Appropriations Act by President Benigno S. “Noynoy” Aquino III, saying that the budget’s approval “should translate to the timely activation of urgently needed services, particularly the rehabilitation of calamity-stricken areas.”      

The Senate leader expressed elation over the speedy approval of the national budget, explaining that the president’s go-signal means that the funding appropriated to agencies involved in the ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts “could be implemented and accessed in time by those who need them.”

Included in the 2014 budget are authorizations worth P100 billion intended for the completion of various relief and rehabilitation programs on regions of the country struck by natural and man-made disasters in the past, especially those in the Visayas region affected by the destruction left by super typhoon Yolanda, stressed Drilon.

It includes the P20 billion rehabilitation fund and another P80 billion under the unprogrammed fund, which shall serve as standby authority and ready authorization for spending for the foreign donations and grants for victims of typhoon Yolanda, he noted.

On top of the P100 billion, the Congress has allocated P13 billion in calamity fund and P4.8 billion in quick response fund. Earlier also, the Congress approved a P14.6 supplemental budget and extended the validity of the remaining P12 billion 2013 calamity funds by another fiscal year, Drilon added. All in all, there will be about P145 billion funds to made available in 2014 for the government's rehabilitation of areas damaged by the past calamities, he noted.

“In crafting the budget, the Congress took into consideration the need for urgent aid to our countrymen burdened by the damages of disasters. The sizeable amount of funding is absolutely necessary to equip the government in fulfilling its responsibilities to those left helpless by the calamities,” Drilon pointed out.    

With the budget’s approval, Drilon then expressed optimism that the line agencies in the executive would be able to “maximize the allocated funding in service of the Filipino people, to whom the budget is wholly intended for.”

“We will exercise our oversight functions to ensure that every single peso in the budget goes towards the benefit of our countrymen,” assured Drilon. ###

Speech of Senate President Drilon during the adjournment of session

MESSAGE OF SENATE PRESIDENT

FRANKLIN M. DRILON

My dear colleagues in this chamber,

       We adjourn today to join the Christian world in celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.  I wish each of you blessings of love, joy, peace and good health.

This festive season is an opportune time to express our profound appreciation and gratitude to our family, community, co-workers and friends for their unconditional love and unwavering support. And most of all, to thank our Lord Almighty for the wonderful blessings He bestowed on us.

       As we close our sessions this year, my heart swells with gratitude and pride as I thank the Honorable Senators, the staff and the Senate Secretariat,  for initiating  relief efforts for the victims of typhoon Yolanda, Bohol earthquake and the siege of Zamboanga City. These catastrophes were of epic proportions, killing hundreds of our people and displacing thousands more. I commend your activities to raise funds for livelihood projects that would help the victims rebuild their lives. Every good thing that you do for them would make a huge difference in their lives.

 On behalf of the Philippine Senate, I would like to assure our people that this democratic institution will continue to be responsive to their needs, institute meaningful reforms and work for the attainment of our development goals.

       May the spirit of Christmas remain with us even after the holidays are over. And may the coming year bring in more blessings to you and your family.

       Merry Christmas! God bless you all.

Senate introduces reforms to maritime industry to prevent blacklisting of Filipino seafarers

Press Release

17 December 2013

Refer to: Jeeno C. Arellano

(0927 228 6617)

 

Alarmed by the report of possible blacklisting of Filipino seafaring officers by the European Union, Senate President Franklin M. Drilon urged the swift passage of a bill which seeks to transfer all functions pertaining to training and certification of over 400,000 Filipino seafarers to one central agency, the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).

In his sponsorship speech, Drilon warned over possible repercussions of the country’s failure to comply with the 2010 Manila Amendments to the “1978 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW Convention).

At present, the STCW functions are lodged in various agencies such as the Philippine Regulatory Commission, Commission of Higher Education, Department of Science and Technology, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and National Telecommunication Commission.

The present practice, according to Drilon, is not consistent with the STCW Convention. “Our seafarers face an imminent threat that, if not addressed urgently, will in all likelihood capsize our maritime industry,” said Drilon.

It can be recalled that the European Union (EU) has recently expressed its inclination to blacklist Filipino seafarers from EU-flagged vessels, blaming the country’s unsatisfactory and incomplete observance of the STCW Convention. The STCW Convention sets the global minimum qualifications for masters, officers and watch personnel engaged in international shipping.

The Senate chief said that employment bans on Filipino seafarers would cause sizeable damage to the Philippine economy: “We have to remember that remittances from sea-based workers – which reached $5 billion in 2012 and for this year alone, is already worth $1.2 billion – keep our economy afloat by fueling domestic consumption, preventing foreign exchange instability, and serving as a buffer against inflation of the peso.”

He added that the blacklisting by the EU could “terribly upset” the country’s position in the global maritime professional industry, and “would negatively affect the estimated 400,000 Filipino sea-based workers employed worldwide.”

“There is a need to align our maritime regulatory system with the international standards and practices,” he added.   

To prevent such ban and its negative consequences from happening, the Senate Bill No. 2043 seeks to consolidate the functions relating to the country’s compliance with the SCTW Convention in one agency which is the MARINA.

“The Senate Bill No. 2043 will address the aforementioned concerns through the introduction of major structural changes to our maritime regulatory system that will address the inefficiencies in the current scheme and will therefore ensure our country’s complete compliance with the STCW Convention,” explained Drilon.

“By designating the MARINA as the sole maritime administrative agency empowered to enact uniform rules and regulations governing global maritime professionals and to regularly monitor our conformity with the STCW Convention, we can now meet standards and avert employment bans,” Drilon said. 

Drilon then called for the measure’s swift passage, explaining that the urgent implementation of SBN 2043 will “positively influence” the ongoing audit report being prepared by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), which will determine if the country is indeed in conformity to the STCW Convention. 

-end-

Drilon: Social preparation for informal settlers key to success of relocation programs

Press Release
13 December 2013
Refer to: Jeeno Arellano (0322084767)

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon said today that he has tapped multisectoral organizations to ensure the welfare of about 1,000 families relocated to a new housing project in Bgy. Lanit at Jaro, Iloilo, who were residing as informal settlers along the banks of the Iloilo River.

A coalition of government agencies, non-government organizations and corporate social responsibility groups were invited by Drilon to facilitate the planned “multisectoral social preparation” of the said housing units.

“We have tapped among others the City government of Iloilo, the National Housing Authority (NHA), the Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation (GK), and the Philippine Long Distance Company (PLDT) to spearhead a multisector group responsible for the different needs of this newly-organized community,” Drilon pointed out.

He explained that the multisectoral initiative set for the housing projects in Brgy.Lanit provides “a workable way where relocated settlers are given help to gradually adjust, adapt and assimilate to their new neighborhood, thus discouraging them from the practice of informal settling.”

Drilon said that the multisector group “could be expected to provide the necessary organizational and economic capital to stimulate community organization and economic opportunities, to help transform those living as informal settlers before to members of a truly productive community.”  

According to Drilon, the social preparation process properly addresses the need for relocation programs to “foster social empowerment and productivity.”

“The provision of housing units alone would not solve the problem of poverty and lack of support affecting every informal settler. Any effective plan then would need to strike at the socio-economic roots of the problem,” Drilon stressed, adding that the Gawad Kalinga would be a big help in this endeavor given its remarkable track record as a community mobilizer.

The Senate chief also emphasized that the country’s public housing and relocation programs should extend to the delivery of relevant social services, which enable self-sufficiency and economic normalcy among relocated informal settlers.

Drilon lastly said that the coordinated social preparation process they are currently undertaking could be studied and emulated as part of the country’s official housing and anti-poverty strategy.

###########

 

Drilon donates boats for Yolanda-affected Iloilo fishermen

Senate President Franklin Drilon poses with the first batch of motorized fishing bancas to be given to Iloilo’s fishing communities whose livelihood were affected by super typhoon Yolanda, during  the turnover ceremony held on Thursday, December 12, 2013 in the town of Concepcion, Iloilo. Drilon, who hails from the province, was joined by Iloilo local officials led by Gov. Arthur Defensor and Iloilo Rep. Neil Tupaz during the ceremony.

Drilon turns over donated fishing boats to Iloilo fishermen

Senate President Franklin Drilon (3rd right from top row) poses with Iloilo officials led by Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor and Iloilo Rep. Neil Tupaz in turning over the first batch of motorized fishing bancas to their recipient fishermen, during the turnover ceremony held on Thursday, December 12, 2013 in the town of Concepcion, Iloilo. With help from partner organizations, Drilon had donated a fleet of motorized boats to Iloilo’s fishing communities severely affected by the destruction left behind by super typhoon Yolanda.

Drilon inspects donated fishing boats for Iloilo fishermen

Senate President Franklin Drilon inspects a row of motorized fishing bancas before they are donated to fishermen affected by super typhoon Yolanda, during a ceremonial turnover held on Thursday, December 12, 2013 in the town of Concepcion, Iloilo. The Ilonggo senator had raised a P2 million fund for the purchase of 100 fishing boats to be given to the province’s affected fishing communities, whose boats and equipment were destroyed when Yolanda hit the province.