Rico supports K2+12 reform

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By MARLON BALMADRID  

QUEZON CITY – Rep. Erico Aumentado has strongly endorsed the bill authorizing K2+12 as a reform measure initiated by the Department of Education (DepEd) under the watch of its secretary, Bro. Armin Luistro.

However, Aumentado emphasized that the measure should focus more on building classrooms and hiring new teachers, especially for kindergarten teachers who are presently receiving the measly sum of P3,000 monthly as honorarium from the local government unit (LGU) of the barangay or the municipal government concerned.

The veteran legislator, member of the Committee on Basic Education, made the strong support during his interpellation on the bill sponsored by Rep. Sandy Ocampo (Manila) Tuesday evening.

Aumentado drew the attention of the chamber to the general pitiful condition of classrooms for kindergartens and the seeming lack of regular salaries for kinder teachers. He also cited instances of many teachers having to handle two to three classes in remote areas and in places where elementary schools have only three to four classrooms instead of six to accommodate Grades 1 to 6.

The solon further cited the lack of classrooms and science laboratory equipment, information communications technology (ICT) facilities such as computers and internet for public high schools – considered the weakest link in the educational system. However, he commended the Aquino administration and Luistro for focusing on constructing more classrooms and hiring more teachers under DepEd’s big outlay in the 2013 national budget.

For the sake of transparency and accountability, Aumentado drew the assurance from the bill sponsor that the bridging program of filling the gap in the 56,000-classroom backlog can be partly addressed by the government’s private-public partnership program for such construction where qualified participating contractors will advance the construction cost, payable yearly through the budget of DepEd under reasonable interest to answer the cost of money in the process.

Ocampo assured Aumentado and the members of the House that they will be provided with more details of the PPP program and the allocation of school buildings and teachers for every congressional district.

Ocampo also agreed to Aumentado’s position that the most ideal reform in the basic educational system is to provide a highly qualified teacher for every class in a classroom.

The House overwhelmingly approved the K2+12 measure also on 2nd reading.

Aumentado defends P2.006T budget

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By Marlon Balmadrid   

QUEZON CITY – Rep. Erico Aumentado (Bohol, 2nd District) defended the P2.006- trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2013 during the 3rd and final reading of the ,measure saying that the budget is the lifeblood of the Aquino Government and the engine to propel the Philippines to economic development and progress.

Aumentado, Committee on Appropriations member and co-author of the budget measure stood after six congressmen sharply attacked the legislation asserting that it does not address the poverty situation and basic needs of the Filipino people.

The 2nd district solon said that the P39 billion conditional cash transfer benefits the poorest of the poor identified by the national household targeting system for poverty   reduction. He also said the huge outlays for social services such as for education, health, livelihood, DSWD’s KALAHI-CIDDS, Pamana and the government’s job generating projects address the concerns raised by the budget critics specially those coming from the party-list.

Aumentado disclosed that the implementation of the public works infrastructure projects, the Department of Agriculture’s farm to market roads and the irrigation projects of the National Irrigation Administration can pump-prime the economy and generate job opportunities.

He further said the resultant effect of pump priming the economy is that it could drive the Philippines’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP) upwards which could improve its investment grade rating by Standard and Poor and the International Monetary Fund, the global raters for investment of all countries.

He concluded that with the looming peace in Mindanao and Pres. Aquino’s initiative to attain the elusive peace in the country, as well as his popularity for the right path of governance, the Philippines positions itself among the emerging economic tigers of Asia.

The House approved the GAA 2013, and sent it to the Senate upon orders of Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to ensure the passage of the landmark legislation before the year ends.

Aumentado bills endorsed to Senate

By JUNE S. BLANCO

BARRING any hitches, barangay officials will get “retirement” benefits while interconnected roads in the island town of Pres. Garcia town will soon be national roads.

Rep. Erico Aumentado (Bohol, 2nd District) said the Lower House has approved both bills and endorsed them to the Senate.

House Bill 6567 seeks to provide barangay officials including tanods, members of the lupon ng tagapamayapa, health and day care workers with a lump sum retirement pay equivalent to one year’s honorarium and to amend Section 393 of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991. Sec. 393 provides for the basic honorarium only.

The lump sum retirement pay, however, is up to P100,000 only, to be taken from the barangay retirement fund. A retiree qualifies to claim it when he or she reaches 60 years of age with a minimum of nine years in service at the time of retirement.

The bill also proposes to create the Barangay Retirement Fund, to be taken from one percent of the share from the national government under Section 284 of the Code and to amend that section. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is tasked to administer and ensure the appropriate disbursement of the fund.

On the other hand, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), in coordination with DILG, will issue the necessary rules and regulations to implement the law.

Co-authors of the bill are Reps. Suarez, Arnaiz, Evardone, Olivarez, Angara, Ejercityo, Syjuco, Lazatin, Teodoro, M. Sarmiento, M. Magsaysay, Del Mar, Dayanghirang, Enverga, Baguilat, Acop, Calixto-Rubiano, R. Rodriguez, M. Rodriguez, Daza, Quisumbing, Castelo, Salimbangon, Valencia, Benitez, Bonoan-David, Colmenares, Casiño, Herrera-Dy, A. Go, Maliksi, Loyola, Cabaluna, Duavit, Co, Batocabe, Garbin, Climaco, Avance-Fuentes, C.J. Lopez, Cruz-Gonzales, Tañada, Cerafica and Palmones.

Meanwhile, the Lower House also approved the bill seeking conversion of the Popoo-Tugas, Pitogo-Aguining and Villa Milagrosa-San Vicente-Pitogo roads into national roads, with corresponding funding.

When approved, House Bill 6569 tasks the public works and highways secretary to include in that department’s program the improvement, repair and maintenance for the Pres. Garcia roads and include the funding for the same in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Rep. Rico part of Getafe’s progress

By JUNE S. BLANCO

GETAFE town just celebrated its 138th foundation day with Rep. Erico Aumentado (Bohol, 2nd District) providing support all the way.

In his inspirational message on the celebration’s theme of Metro Getafe: Breakthrough to Progress, Aumentado enumerated his contributions to the town’s development components and support systems.

Getafe is developing industrial zones. The solon said he is now consolidating the Ouano, Camacho and Manuel Lim’s properties in barangays Tulang, San jose and Cangmundo into a special economic zone.

In tourism, he is contributing resources from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to develop and promote wakeboarding in Pandanon island as well as supporting eco-tourism in Banacon island, the biggest man-made mangrove forest in Asia.

For sufficient water, he provided a P500,000-counterpart from his PDAF for the expansion of the present waterworks system to serve more barangays by including Getafe in the 10 towns enrolled in the Water for Waterless Municipalities program of President Aquino.

For sufficient power and distribution, his office is an active player in the memorandum of agreement with the National Electrification Administration and the Bohol II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BOHECO 2) wherein they just inaugurated the Getafe-Pandanon Interconnection Project that is the jumping board for the interconnection with four more islands that will get power from Pandanon – Mahanay, Banacon, Jagoliao and Nasingin.

He is also contributing resources for his continuing sitio and public school electrification program with NEA and BOHECO 2.

On highways, he funded the completion of the Getafe-Danao road concreting project to include the bridges along this road under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) bridge program.

The Getafe fast craft terminal development is also another project – the Starcraft vessels now ply the Cebu-Getafe-Cebu route daily – support transport service for tourism and commerce in the town.

Getting closer to realization is the Bohol-Cebu Friendship Bridge, a 24-kilometer series of bridges and causeways that will link Getafe with Cordova in Cebu, with several exits along the way to several islands between the two provinces. He has done the leg work in requesting the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) fund the feasibility study for the bridge under an official development assistance (ODA) grant. He proposes the bridge itself to be constructed under Pres. Aquino’s public-private partnership program, or a build-operate-transfer scheme.

He said all these projects are included in the Getafe town and barangay master plans crafted by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) with the assistance of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). He finalized the details with NEDA Assistant Region 7 Director Efren Carreon and Rafael Tagalog Jr. prior to the weekend.

OIC Mayor Simen Torreon and Municipal Administrator Theresa P.M. Camacho led local officials in welcoming Aumentado and other guests that included Board Member Gerargo Garcia, Carmen Mayor and gubernatorial bet Conchita Toribio, former Board Member Ma Fe. Lejos and vice gubernatoriable Sharleen Lim.