Committees tackle Aumentado bills

hybrid rice sufficiency

 

By JUNE S. BLANCO

REP. Erico Aumentado (2nd District, Bohol) will meet the chairs of the Senate counterpart committees to the House committees where the bills he filed Monday have been referred.

The Bohol solon said he has asked for separate meetings with Senator Angara who chairs the committee on agriculture, as well as Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Francis “Chiz” Escudero of the committee on public works whom he has asked to sponsor the parallel bills. The meeting is set on November 14.

House Bill 6682 that seeks to provide subsidy for Filipino hybrid rice and corn planters in terms of seeds, fertilizers, insecticides and other post-harvest facilities has been referred to Rep. Mark Llandro Mendoza (4th District, Batangas) for deliberation.

Once the measure is approved, the solon said the Department of Agriculture will be tasked to prepare its implementing rules and regulations.

On the other hand, House Bill 6663 that seeks to establish the proper monument and mini-park at the President Garcia Avenue in Taguig City and appropriating funds for it is due for deliberation in the appropriate committee.  

He said he will ask the two senators to sponsor the parallel bill.

The measure is geared towards more rice self-sufficiency in terms of production. Bohol had been 113% rice self-sufficient during Aumentado’s incumbency as governor, but this dipped the following year and onwards because of the El Niño phenomenon.

With his subsidy proposal, he hopes to attain better figures and in the process, become an exporter of hybrid rice and cornto other countries

Rico proposes subsidy for hybrid rice, corn planters

sample photo only

 

By JUNE S. BLANCO

   

HYBRID rice and corn planters all over the country stand to get subsidies for seeds and fertilizers the the bill Rep. Erico Aumentado (Bohol, 2nd District) will file tomorrow passes into law.

Convinced that his pilot pet projects in his district have taken off, Aumentado is pushing the bill in order to attain rice and corn self sufficiency for the Philippines in support of the Aquino administration’s food security program – and in the process, become an exporter of the commodities.

Aumentado said he wants to replicate all over the country the success in his district which is anchored on the experience during the Marcos presidency when the Philippines, with then Executive Sec. Rafael Salas and Agriculture Sec. Arturo “Bong” Tangco as spearheads – succeeded to become rice and corn self sufficient and an exporter to neighboring countries.

The solon said the government succeeded because of its programs on Masagana 99 for rice and Masagana 55 for corn, and subsidy given to the farmers.

The subsidy he envisions consists of hybrid rice and corn seeds, fertilizer, insecticides and post harvest facilities. This way, the Filipino rice and corn farmers can compete globally.

In his explanatory note, he said the strategy is a paradigm shift from the present trend of importing rice and corn from producers abroad thereby indirectly subsidizing foreign farmers instead of the Filipinos engaged in the same rice and corn production.

Subsidizing and strengthening the Filipino farmers can rapidly increase the economic multiplier effects of the program, he explained, making the agriculture sector a major player in increasing the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country, and open more windows of opportunity for the Philippines to attain the coveted investment grade by Standard and Poor Fitch Rating Service and Moody’s Investors Service.

The amount needed for the purpose shall be charged against the current budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA), and thereafter, to the regular annual appropriations to ensure continuity.

The DA is tasked to promulgate the necessary guidelines within 60 days from approval of the legislation.

Rico bill pushes ‘proper’ monument at Pres. Garcia mini park in Taguig

Pres. Carlos P. Garcia

 By JUNE S, BLANCO

   

REP. Erico Aumentado (Bohol, 2nd District) is all set to file tomorrow a bill seeking to establish a “proper” monument and mini park at the Pres. Garcia Avenue in Taguig City.

Aumentado said the bill will give honor to President Carlos Polestico Garcia who celebrates his 116th birth anniversary today. The fourth president of the republic was among others, a statesman, patriot, nationalist, and Father of the Filipino First Policy.

The solon explained that under Republic Act 8224, the longest highway in Metro Manila popularly known as C-5 has been renamed as the President Garcia Avenue, this law has not been fully implemented by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) yet.

Then MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando installed a monument – in a “lonely spot” in Taguig City for the late president, but it looks more like a 25-meter tall beanpole, Aumentado observes. The monument needs reconstructing into one that is appropriate for a statesman and a patriot – one that is highly visible to passersby – and the mini park should be developed into one befitting to honor him.

For the purpose, the bill also seeks to appropriate P15 million for the monument and the mini park with lighting facilities.

Pres. Garcia Avenue links the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).

Rico bill to penalize pillage of Choco Hils

Chocolate Hills

 

By JUNE S. BLANCO

    QUEZON CITY – Persons who pillage any of Bohol’s 11,268 Chocolate Hills stand to face 12 years and one day to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of from P120,000 to P200,000.

This after Rep. Erico Aumentado’s (Bohol, 2nd District) House Bill 6137 passes into law.

The bill seeks to declare the Chocolate Hills as national patrimony, natural heritage park and geological monuments, penalize their pillage, destruction and defacement and for other purposes.

The solon based his bill on the Constitutional mandate where the state shall protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature.

The 1,268 hills in Carmen, Sagbayan and Batuan towns are considered the crown jewel of Bohol’s tourism, collectively one of the wonders of the world and of the Philippines’ major tourist attractions because of their grandeur, majesty and unique geological formation.

A German scientist’s study explains that the hills were created over three million years ago when Bohol was still under seawaters – by undersea currents and tidal action that shaped the hills into perfect cones and haycock formation.

The hills are verdant green on rainy days and chocolate brown during summer, hence the name. To preserve the hills’ brown color, maintenance pruning of trees is allowed to preserve their unique and distinctive landmark.

Then President Ramos had declared these hills are national geographical monuments because of their exceptional characteristics, scientific importance, uniqueness, relevance to Philippine history and heritage, culture and development, importance in the country’s tourism industry and high scenic value as recommended by the National Committee on Geological Sciences, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Tourism.

Aumentado and others led by Rep. Orlando Fua of Siquijor, then chair of the Committee on Natural Resources, first filed the bill in the 11th Congress.

Section 2 of the Aumentado bill defines pillage as the destruction of any of the hills without permit from the proper authorities and the required environmental clearance certificate (ECC) from the DENR through quarrying or hauling there from of limestone, rocks, soil and road surfacing materials or for backfilling in any construction.

Destruction, on the other hand, means to ruin or devastate completely any of the hills, with permit issued by the proper authorities and ECC from DENR also through quarrying or hauling there from.

Defacement means to mar the appearance or disfigure any of the hills through any other means or device – with permit.

The hills are found in 32 barangays – La Paz, Buenos Aires, Tamboan, Alegria, Villaflor, Matin-ao, Calatrava, Montevideo, Nueva Vida Sur, La Victoria, Montesunting, Nueva Vida Eeste, Nueva Vide Norte and Buenavista in Carmen; Santa Cruz, Aloja, Garcia and Behind the Clouds in Batuan and Sta. Cruz, Sagbayan Sur, Katipunan, Ubojan, Canmaya Diot, Libertad Sur, San Vicente Sur, Libertad Norte, Canmano, Sta. Catalina, Canmaya Centro, Kagawasan, Poblacion and San Agustin in Sagbayan.

Punishable are all natural or juridical persons. For destruction, violators can be imprisoned for eight years, four months and one day to 12 years and fine of from P85,000 to P120,000 while those who deface any hill can be imprisoned from six years and one day to eight years and four months and fine from P60,000 to P84,000.

In case of corporation, the president, chairman of the board, general manager and project manager while for sole proprietorship, the proprietor and manager are responsible for the violations.

The court may also order offenders to restore the hill or hills pillaged, destroyed or defaced. If the offender is a public official who directly committed any of the offenses or conspired with the offender in the commission of the same, the Court shall impose the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification to hold public office.

The DENR shall issue the implementing rules and regulation of the act within 60 days from its enactment into law. It shall take effect 15 days after its complete publication in two newspapers of general circulation.