InterviewwithRep. EduardoZialcita

Should RPfocus on ELITESPORTS?

March 2006Vol. 3, No. 1

Official Newsletter of theHouse of Representatives

Republic of the Philippines

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How to builda specialpublic school

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ISSN 1656-507XISSN 1656-507XISSN 1656-507XISSN 1656-507XISSN 1656-507X

SUPPORT FOR CHARTER CHANGE SURGES

Continued on page 2

Continued on page 2

Majority bloc pushes shift to parliamentary

NoHousebreak-in

A Red-letter dayfor charity

Two moreyears forSPAV

SPEAKER Jose de Veneciasought an immediate

review of the 1995 PhilippineMining Act to integrate thestrongest possible safeguardsfor the environment and safetystandards for miningcommunities.

His announcement cameafter he and President GloriaMacapagal-Arroyo and othertop Cabinet officials met for

Review MiningReview MiningReview MiningReview MiningReview MiningAct for greaterAct for greaterAct for greaterAct for greaterAct for greatersafety safety safety safety safety —————JDVJDVJDVJDVJDV

By Ronald M. Ytem

SPEAKER Jose De Venecia andMajority Leader Rep. Prospero

Nograles announcedorganizational changes in theHouse leadership, ref lecting aconsensus by the members of themajority coalition.

Rep. Eric D. Singson (2nd

Singson is new Deputy SpeakerCommittee chairs, CA members change

Dist., Ilocos Sur), a member of theLiberal Party, was installed as thenew Deputy Speaker for Centraland Northern Luzon, taking theplace of Rep. Benigno “Noynoy”S. Aquino III (2nd Dist., Tarlac).

Also, six new committeechairmen were named, led by Rep.Joey S. Salceda (3rd Dist., Albay)in Appropriations, replacing Rep.

Rolando G. Andaya Jr. (1st Dist.,Camarines Sur), recentlyappointed to the Budget Portfolio.

Other newly designatedcommittee heads were: Rep.Bienvenido M. Abante Jr. (6th Dist.,Manila) in Human Rights, replacingRep. Loretta Ann P. Rosales(Akbayan); Rep. Miles M. Roces (3rd

Dist., Manila) in Ecology, replacingRep. J.R. Nereus O. Acosta (1st Dist.-Bukidnon); Rep. Jose Carlos V.Lacson (3rd Dist., NegrosOccidental) in Basic Education,replacing Rep. Edmund O. Reyes Jr.(LD, Marinduque); Rep. GenerosoDC. Tulagan (3rd Dist., Pangasinan)in Public Works and Highways,replacing Rep. Singson, now Deputy

Continued on page 6

MAJORITY Leader ProsperoNograles confirmed that

165 House members have signedthe resolution asking Congress toamend the Constitution,consequently allowing a shift to aunicameral parliamentary andfederal type of government.

Speaker Jose de Venecia andNograles said more are expected tosign the Charter change resolutionin their move to gather 195

signatories, representing three-fourths of the combined seats inthe House and Senate, the numberrequired by the Constitution tointroduce amendments.

At the same time, Rep.Constantino Jaraula, chairman ofthe Committee on ConstitutionalAmendments, said he would besatisfied with 177 signatures affixedfor the purpose of filing, but thesignature-gathering campaign

should continue even after thefiling of the measure.

The resolution cited the flawsof the current presidential form ofgovernment, saying it is“frustratingly ineffective inaddressing the numerouseconomic and political problems ofthe country” while concentrating“too much” powers in the executivedepartment.

EMERGING GLOBAL SOLIDARITY. Speaker Jose de Venecia, President of the ruling Lakas-Christian-Muslim Democratsand unanimously elected first president of the Centrist Democrat International (CDI) Asia-Pacific, joins hands insymbolic unity with, among other world political leaders, (from left) former Spanish Prime Minister and outgoingCDI President Jose Maria Aznar, and incoming CDI president Ferdinando Casini, president of the Italian Chamber ofDeputies, and Wilfried Martens, president of the European People’s Party, the largest majority party in the EuropeanParliament, following the launching of the CDI Asia-Pacific and the Global Interfaith Dialogue which gathered therepresentatives of all major religions of the world during a three-day conference at the historic Manila Hotel inJanuary.

REP. SINGSON REP. TULAGANREP. ABANTE

THE HOUSE ofRepresentatives Thursday

morning approved on secondreading the country’s firsttrillion-peso GeneralAppropriations Act (GAA) thatSpeaker Jose de Venecia saidwould pump-prime theeconomy in 2006 and resumeinfrastructure developmentnecessary to sustain recovery.

The viva voce vote was takenat 5 a.m. on March 23, at theend of a grueling session. Theproposed budget will go intothird-reading approval by theHouse by the first week of April.

De Venecia, presentthroughout the deliberations,expressed confidence the SenateFinance Committee headed bySen. Manuel Villar “will be ableto act rapidly and judiciously onthe budget and have it approvedsooner than expected.”

The Speaker said this is alsothe first budget in the countryin years that has a solid financialbacking as a result of increasedgovernment revenues raisedfrom the two revenue measuresenacted last year—the ExpandedValue Added Tax and the so-called “sin” taxes--as well asintensified revenue collection.

Budgetgets OK

No jail termsNo jail termsNo jail termsNo jail termsNo jail termsfor kidsfor kidsfor kidsfor kidsfor kids

By Raymond G. Pasiliao

CONGRESSMEN and womencrossed party lines to stand up

for a comprehensive juvenile justicesystem bill which stands to dismisssome 70% of cases filed againstchildren.

House Bill 5065, or the“Child Protection Through AComprehensive Juvenile JusticeSystem Act of 2005,” earnedbicameral approval on March 21,after it was unanimously passed onthird reading in the House lastFebruary.

Continued on page 2

Solons agree

2 March 2006

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ISSN 1656-507X

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two hours with prominentarchbishops and bishops who havebeen calling for rigid miningstandards and environmentalprotection.

Briefing reporters after themeeting at the Traders Hotel, deVenecia said the archbishops “arenot against mining per se, but theyare against irresponsible mining.”

De Venecia said he wouldinstruct Rep. Leovigildo B. Banaag(1st Dist., Agusan del Norte),Natural Resources Committeechair, to study provisions in thePhilippine Mining Act that requireamendments.

“We shall incorporate thestrongest possible safety andenvironmental standards,” deVenecia said.

The Speaker said the review isaimed at giving the miningindustry the government’sstrongest support while observingthe strongest environmentalsafeguards and standards such asthose being implemented in Chile,the US, Canada, Australia and the

Scandinavian countries.De Venecia said the House of

Representatives would integraterecommendations expected in thenext 30 days from the Fact-FindingCommission President Arroyo hascreated to look into the effects ofthe mining operations of LafayettePhilippines Inc. on people’s healthand environmental safety in Rapu-Rapu, Albay and adjacent towns ofSorsogon.

“We will integrate theCommission’s recommendationsas part of our agreement toundertake an immediate review ofthe Mining Act,” de Venecia said.

The Commission headed byBishop Arturo M. Bastes is taskedwith investigating the reportedincidents of fish kill and damageto people’s health and marine andagricultural areas in Rapu-RapuIsland and the Sorsogon towns ofPrieto Diaz, Gubat, Barcelona,Bulusan and Bacon.

De Venecia said the Churchleaders, who have taken a toughstand against the Mining Act,agreed with President Arroyo thatthe government should protect theenvironment as well as develop the

industry as a major component infighting poverty and raising theliving standards of Filipinos.

He also proposed a standbyEnvironment Fund thegovernment could mobilize toprotect tribal communities andindigenous peoples in mining areasin the event of environmentaldamage or mining disaster.

During the meeting, deVenecia proposed the Chileanmodel that has the most stringentmeasures to ensure sustainabledevelopment and the highestenvironmental standards in miningareas. Chile was the first copper-exporting country in the world andhas tough laws on the extraction ofcopper and other mineral resources.

De Venecia said the country’smineral wealth is valued at $1trillion, while the Philippineexternal debt is roughly $58 billion.In his 12-point wealth-creatingproposal he released last year, deVenecia advocated the tapping ofthe country’s mineral resources tocreate new wealth because itsincumbent wealth falls short ofproviding for the requirements ofdevelopment.

Mining Act

Continued from page 1

LADIES OF THE HOUSE. Twelve women legislators opened the photo exhibit marking the Women’s Health andRights Festival in the House of Representatives on March 6 as part of the celebration of National Women’s Month.From left are Reps. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, Herminia Ramiro, Uliran Joaquin, Nanette Castelo-Daza, Liza Maza,Josefina Joson, Cynthia Villar, Faysah RPM Dumarpa, Reylina “Neneng” Nicolas, Carmen Cari, Remedios Petilla andEileen Ermita-Buhain.

M. Sy-Alvarado, Danton Q. Bueserand Leovigildo B. Banaag.

Meanwhile, a House-approvedconcurrent resolution to convert

Endorsed by solons ofdifferent party affiliations alliedwith the majority, the measurecited “recurring gridlocks andparalysis” in the bicameralpresidential type as the root causeof the country’s comparativelypoor economic performance.

Moreover, it charged thepresent unitary system with thefailure to address the varying andcompeting needs of Filipinos

scattered across the archipelago,“resulting in costly and destructivefragmentation and serious movesfor secession.”

All these, it concluded, pointto a need to immediately shift tothe unicameral parliamentaryform of government, andstructured federal system in 10 to15 years.

Aside from de Venecia,Nograles and Jaraula, those whosigned the yet-unnumbered

Continued from page 1 resolution are Reps. Arthur D.Defensor, Robert Ace S. Barbers,Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, Emilio R.Espinosa Jr., Gilberto C. TeodoroJr., Junie E. Cua, Rafael P. Nantes,Jesus Crispin C. Remulla, EduardoR. Gullas, Luis R. Villafuerte, Ma.Amelita C. Villarosa, Cecilia G.Jalosjos-Carreon, Rene M. Velarde,Ernesto C. Pablo, Antonino P.Roman, Miles M. Roces, MichaelJohn “Jack” R. Duavit, Manuel C.Ortega, Jose G. Solis, Wilhelmino

Continued from page 1

Jail no place for kidsIt is expected to become law

before Easter.HB 5065 aims to fully protect

the rights of children in conflictwith the law (CICL) and makedetention a last resort, recognizingthat children have special needsand must be treated differentlyfrom adult offenders.

It prohibits the detention ofchildren and raises the age ofcriminal responsibility to 15 from

12. The bill also exempts childrenaged 15 to 18 from criminalliability, unless proven to haveacted with discernment.

It champions restorativejustice by providing for thediversion or referral of cases of suchchildren from the barangay, police,prosecutor’s offices and the courts,to community-based rehabilitationprograms.

Members of the House panelin the bicameral talks were Reps.

Charter change gaining ground

Five congressmenstill under custody

Lawyer Romeo Capulong (center) is flanked by his clients Reps. Joel Virador,Rafael Mariano, Satur Ocampo, Liza Maza (hidden) and Teddy Casiño.

FIVE party-list congressmen arestill under House protectivecustody after they failed to attenda preliminary investigation in theHouse premises on March 13.

Reps. Satur C. Ocampo,Teodoro A. Casiño and Joel G.Virador of Bayan Muna, Rep.Rafael V. Mariano of Anakpawis,and Rep. Liza L. Maza of Gabrielahave been accused by witnesses inaff idavits submitted to theDepartment of Justice of takingpart in a rightist-communist plotto overthrow the government.

With their counsel RomeoCapulong, the party -listrepresentatives held a pressconference in the main lobby of theplenary hall to protest the changein the schedule of the preliminaryinvestigation from the afternoon to10 a.m., during which therepresentatives would be attendinga Mass inside the complex.

Senior State ProsecutorEmmanuel Velasco said the fiveHouse members have 10 days toanswer the charges.

On the evening of February27, they put themselves under theprotective custody of the House ofRepresentatives through SpeakerJose de Venecia as they faced animminent warrantless arrest by thegovernment for rebellion. Twodays before, Rep. Crispin B.Beltran of Anakpawis was arrestedby the Philippine National Police

in Bulacan.In the wake of Beltran’s

arrest, Speaker de Venecia said hewould seek assurance from theleadership of the Armed Forces ofthe Philippines and the PNP for a“dignif ied and humanetreatment” of any House memberarrested following PresidentArroyo’s declaration of a state ofnational emergency.

Meanwhile, the Houseunanimously approved ResolutionNo. 1169 expressing the sense ofthe chamber to “uphold the rightsof its members and extendingprotection to them.”

All members of the House co-authored the resolution, whichwas approved in three hours thenight of February 28 after it wasintroduced by Deputy MinorityLeader Rep. Rolex T. Suplico (5thDist., Iloilo) and Rep. Luis R.Villafuerte (2nd Dist., CamarinesSur) of the House majoritycoalition.

The one-page resolutionreiterated the House’s stand that“any of its members charged withany offense is entitled to andshould have a preliminar yinvestigation to determineprobable cause.” It further said anyHouse member shall “enjoy theprotective custody” of the chamberbefore the completion of thepreliminary investigation and theissuance of a warrant of arrest.

the joint Houses of Congress intoa constituent assembly to amendthe Constitution has not beenacted upon in the Senate.

Simeon Datumanong, MarcelinoLibanan, Douglas Cagas, AmadoEspino, Harlin Abayon, DantonBueser, Salacnib Baterina, EdcelLagman, Juan Edgardo Angara,Loretta Ann Rosales, DarleneAntonino-Custodio, ProsperoNograles, Liza Maza and JuanMiguel Zubiri.

At least 70 percent of criminalcases against children are expectedto be dismissed outright when HB5065 becomes law. The remainingCICL cases will be referred torehabilitation programs instead ofto jails.

3March 2006

Athletes’ benefitspushed

A N YF I L I P I N Oathlete who is50 years oldand above andhas anO l y m p i cmedal or aworld titlecould beentitled to a

lifetime monthly governmentpension under House Bill 449 filedby Rep. Manuel “Way Kurat” E.Zamora (1st Dist., CompostelaValley). He is proposing a monthlypension of P5,000 for gold, P4,000for silver and P3,000 for bronzewinners in the Olympic Games,and P7,000 for amateur athleteswho turned pro and won a worldtitle. Another (House Bill 4068),authored by Minority Leader Rep.Francis G. Escudero (1st Dist.,Sorsogon) and Rep. DarleneAntonino-Custodio (1st Dist.,South Cotabato), provides amonthly pension of P30,000 eachto former world boxing championsupon their retirement at age 55.“Boxers risk lives and limbs inorder to give honor and glory totheir country,” Escudero said.Antonino-Custodio cited currentboxing idol Manny Pacquiao, who“gave honor and prestige to ourcountry.” Both bills also seek toamend certain provisions of RA9064, which grants cash and non-monetary benefits and incentivesto national athletes, coaches andtrainers to include professionalathletes in different sportingcategories. HB 4068 also providesa monthly P30,000 pension toformer champions who becomeincapacitated. Isagani C. Yambot Jr.

Changing the schoolcalendar

A GROUP ofsolons wantsto change thecurrent schoolcalendar to aSeptember-to-June schoolyear, avoidingthe rainymonths from

June to August that usually disruptclass schedules. Among thoseseeking the change are Reps. JudyJ. Syjuco (2nd Dist., Iloilo),Remedios L. Petilla (1st Dist.,Leyte), Ma. Amelita C. Villarosa(Lone Dist., Occidental Mindoro),Mary Ann L. Susano (2nd Dist.,Quezon City) and Roger G.Mercado (Lone Dist., SouthernLeyte). However, some objectionshave been raised against theproposal embodied in House Bills705, 4370 and 4595. One isincreased electricity consumption

Coping with classroomshortage

A BILL is pending committeeapproval lowering the teacher-pupilratio in every classroom to 1 toevery 40 pupils. This bill addressesthe perennial public schools’problem of lack of teachers andovercrowded classrooms byproviding for the building of moreclassrooms and amending theRoxas Law (RA 7880), whichprovides for a ratio of one teacherfor every 45 students. Congresscould allocate as much as P15billion in the next five years for theSchool Building Program thatassigns priority areas in the Visayasand Mindanao where classroomshortage is most acute and theteacher-pupil ratio is as high as1:80. Under this bill, localgovernment units would provide acounterpart fund for the buildingof more school classrooms inpriority areas. RA 7160 empowersLGUs to collect residential taxes aportion of which goes to theSpecial Education Fund; at least 25percent could be allocated everyyear for five years from this Fundfor classroom program. The DepEdis tasked with making an annualinventory of school buildingsconstructed during the period.Isagani C. Yambot Jr.

Committee approvesMagna Carta forWomen

T H EM A G N ACarta forW o m e n ,approved ons e c o n dreading, looksbright afterRep. JosefinaJoson (1st

Dist., Nueva Ecija), WomenCommittee chair, reported out lastmonth HB 3766 that promotesgender equality and womenempowerment, and seeks to ensurethe full protection of women’srights enshrined in the Charter ofthe United Nations and otherinternational conventions. Plenaryamendments gave “more teeth” tothe proposed law to ensure thatgovernment agencies and LGUsallocate 5 percent of their totalappropriations to the annualmandatory Gender andDevelopment (GAD) Budget.Among other things, the bill wants

the NEDA to formulate a five-yearplan on globalization’s impactespecially on the marginalizedsectors (rural women, fishers,urban poor, laborers, indigenous,girl-child, older women anddisabled women) and greater publicawareness on women’s role infamily- and nation-building and thedignity of parenthood andmotherhood. The bill alsopromotes non-stereotyped,balanced and diverse images ofwomen in the media, and declaresit the State’s duty to ensurewomen’s economic, social, andcultural well-being withoutdiscrimination on account of age,gender, language, ethnicity, culture,religion and disability amongothers. Isagani C. Yambot Jr.

LPG—explosive sector?

AN LPG tank that almost explodedin his residence and could havecaused untold consequencesprompted Rep. Rodolfo “Ompong”G. Plaza (Lone Dist., Agusan delSur) to seek stricter guidelines in thesale, re-qualification, distributionand repair of LPG cylinders, and tocriminalize violations of theproposed law (HB 1831). Many LPGcylinders used by someunscrupulous traders are not leak-proof, he said, since these aresecond-hand imports, with their topand lower-half parts sawed off andwelded together, making themunsafe as liquid gas containers.From 1995 to 2000 the Bureau ofFire Protection reported a total of1,475 fire accidents caused byexploding LPG tanks, 451 of whichoccurred in Metro Manila. Anestimated 8-10 million LPG unitsare in the local market. Plaza hasincreased penalties to P100,000, butnot more than P1 million andimprisonment of at least six yearsand one day to 12 years for anyperson or corporation found guiltyof violating the law. Melissa M. Reyes

Urgent: A Pre-NeedCode

THE COLLEGE Assurance Planfiasco could have been averted—and thousands of its pre-need planholders spared the agony—had aPre-Need Code been enacted intolaw as early as 19 years ago, theBanks and FinancialIntermediaries Committee said.The proposed Code was firstintroduced and approved by theHouse of Representatives in 1987but failed to gain the Senate’s nodduring the 8th Congress. Since thenthe measure has been re-filed andapproved by the House from the9th Congress to the 12th Congress,only to be stalled in the Senate eachtime. Now, House Bill 4343, filedlast year, has again won Houseapproval and will go—for the sixthtime—to the Senate. The bill’sauthors including Reps. Jaime C.Lopez (2nd Dist., Manila), Ma.Amelita C. Villarosa (Lone Dist.,Occidental Mindoro), Antonino P.

Stricter liability for oilpolluters

THE HOUSE approved theproposed “Oil CompensationAct,” to protect from oil spillageand pollution the country’s marinewealth and exclusive economiczone. The bill incorporatesprovisions of the InternationalConvention on Civil Liability forOil Pollution Damage, and theInternational Convention on theEstablishment of an InternationalFund for Compensation for OilPollution Damage. It imposes strictliability on ship owners andoperators for oil damage andensures prompt and adequatecompensation for persons whosuffer damage. “Awareness of theimportance of protectinginternational and territorial watersof every country has becomeapparent because oil is beingsupplied to other parts of the worldby sea and in bulk,” said Rep.Antonino P. Roman (1st Dist.,Bataan). Aurora Rep. Juan EdgardoM. Angara said the law should bemade more stringent particularlywith penalties, and moreappropriate by increasing itscoverage. Michelle M. Sapnu

End of the road forMMDA?

SHOULD THE MMDA beabolished? Or should the powersof its chairman be re-defined and

INDIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES MEDAL. Speaker Jose de Venecia leadsmembers of the House of Representatives in presenting the special citationfor the Congressional Medal of Achievement to Indian President Abdul APJKalam who recently visited the country and addressed a joint session ofthe Philippine Congress to underline the socio-political and securityrelations between the two countries. At right is House Inter-ParliamentaryRelations Committee chair Rep. Lorna Silverio.

during the hot summer months,and another is a possible drop indomestic tourism. The proposalcould mean teachers would suffersalary losses in the interim months.To offset the effects of the newcalendar, solons are mulling atrimester calendar for all schools.Isagani C. Yambot Jr.

Rep. Joson

Roman (1st Dist., Bataan) andEduardo C. Zialcita (1st Dist.,Paranaque), are hopeful of Senateapproval following a string offinancial fiascos that hit leading pre-need companies. The committeedescribed as “vague and weak” theexisting rules and regulations in thepre-need industry. The SEC onlyhas one provision regulating theindustry. Among the penalties forviolations are a fine not less thanP50,000 but not more than P5million, or imprisonment of notless than one year nor more than14 years. Melissa M. Reyes

House ratifies extensionof SPAVs

THE HOUSE of Representativeshas ratified the conferencecommittee report on the reconciledamendatory bill extending by twoyears the “Special Purpose AssetVehicles Act of 2002” (SPAVs) tofree billions of pesos worth of non-performing assets (NPAs) in thebanking system.

Speaker Jose de Venecia, theoriginal principal author ofRepublic Act 9182, called theSPAVs’ extension an important stepin sustaining Philippine economicrecovery by freeing idle and non-performing assets to spur growthand create thousands of jobs.

Rep. Antonino-Custodio

Rep. Susano

the agency body left intact? Housemembers and local governmentsare still divided over the future ofthe Metro Manila DevelopmentAuthority. Rep. Teodoro L. LocsinJr. (1st Dist., Makati) has filedHouse Bill 4245 giving the agencya chance to explain why it shouldcontinue to exist after the SupremeCourt had ruled the MMDA hasadministrative functions butneither police nor legislativepowers. Locsin has argued thecommittee discussion would be achance to review the MMDA’smandate and role in theimprovement of the metropolis.Rep. Bienvenido M. Abante Jr. (6th

Dist., Manila) is for keeping theMMDA intact (HB 4362) butamending its charter “to betterdefine the powers of its chairman,”which he argued are at the “root ofthe confusion, irritation” betweenMMDA Chairman BayaniFernando and Metro Manila’smayors. Except for the Pasay Citygovernment, most of MetroManila’s local governmentexecutives are for keeping theMMDA and strengthening itscharter for a “more cohesive”implementation of its programs.The Makati City government seesthe agency’s role as a coordinatingbody essential to the NCR. AbigailM. Macabeo

Continued on page 6

5March 20064 March 2006

For us to succeed in global orinternational competitions, it

is essential and necessary thatwe only fund selected sportsbased on the following criteria:performance in national andinternational competit ions,measurable sports, preferably,taekwondo, boxing and, probably,archery, badminton, women’sweightlifting, swimming (longdistance) and diving.

There are about 40 NationalSports Associations in thePhilippines, and it seems that,based on internationalcompetitions, we only have basedon the Olympics and Asiangames performances.

We have very slim chancesin most events, except for thesports that I have mentioned.

This is because we have verylimited funds right now. We onlyhave about P600 million for thewhole year, and that includes“grassroots” sports, so with theinternational travel, exposure,nutrition and food, and sportsmedicine. Worse, it includes

The Philippine SportsCommission (PSC) is the

country’s sole sports policy-making body. Since its inception,it has continuously providedassistance, financial or otherwise,to various National SportsAssociations (NSAs) in thecountry.

As of this date, the PSC hasbeen extending assistance to, atleast, 48 out of the 51 NSAs in thecountry.

For 2005, PSC spent P60million to cover the travel requestsand other competition expenses ofthe 48 sports, and another P90million to cover the allowances ofathletes and coaches.

Assistance to NSAsrepresents 80 percent of thePSC’s total annual budget and itsallocation has been increasingyearly, while we have yet to win agold medal in the Olympics.

My observation is this: ThePSC has been spreading itsbudget too thinly to a number ofNSAs. This policy has beenproven to be less effective in termsof the country’s medal standing inthe previous Olympic games.

Although we have set arecord in regional sportscompetitions, our country has yetto produce a gold medal in theOlympics.

To be more effective as thecountry’s premier sports agency(and considering that the budgetof PSC has been diminishingyearly), I agree that it should startto concentrate funding on selectedsports where Filipino athletes canexcel.

Indeed, during the time of(former PSC) Chairman EricBuhain, my committee wasinstrumental in encouraging thePSC to prioritize certain sportswhere we can excel.

As of this date, I believe thePSC has already classified sevensports as “priority or focus sports,”to wit: boxing, taekwondo,athletics, swimming, shooting,billiards and bowling. They are stillin the process of identifying eightmore sports.

If our goal is to win the firstgold medal in the 2008 BeijingOlympics, I believe the PSCshould focus on the national eliteathletes so as to maximize itsmeager resources, and delegate

Yes, concentration of fundingis a must, especially in the

area of boxing. Boxing is the onlysport which produced twoOlympic silver medals for thecountry. The first came fromAnthony Villanueva in Tokyo in1964 and the second wascourtesy of Mansueto “Onyok”Velasco in Atlanta in 1996.

Filipino boxers won eightmedals in the recent SEA Games,including a 4-for-4 sweep by thePinay pugs. While the country isstill flushed with the success ofthe Filipino athletes in the 23rd

Southeast Asian Games, now isthe time to strike while the iron ishot and use their performance asa steppingstone to higher athleticexcellence in global sports.

The same winning formulathat gave the Philippines its firstSEA Games overal lchampionship, as a sportsanalyst said, should be retained:a sound training program andcooperation and unity amongsports leaders in looking after thewelfare of the athletes.

A sound training programcan only be achieved if there isprovision for solid funding. Fundsand resources should bechanneled to the overseas

Rep. MONICO O. PUENTEVELLA(Lone Dist., Bacolod City)

Rep. RENATO J. UNICO JR.Chairman, Committee onYouth and Sports Dev’t

(Lone Dist., Camarines Norte)

Rep. SUHARTO T. MANGUDADATU(Lone Dist., Sultan Kudarat)

Should wefocus onwhere wereally excel?

Yes, I’m in favor ofconcentrating funding on

selected sports because if wewant to win Olympic gold medals,then we should select. Forexample, Cuba is a very smallcountry but they win a lot of goldmedals because they concentrateon sports where they could reallyexcel at, like boxing and track andfield. In the case of Kenya andEthiopia, they have concentratedon long distance running, and theyhave been winning gold medals.

Our effort has been scatteredall over so many events, even inevents we cannot hope to wininternationally, like basketball forexample. You know one basketballvictory means only one medal. Inboxing, you could have one medalper boxer. Boxers are easier tomaintain and it’s very obvious thatwe have the talent. We haveManny Pacquiao, AnthonyVillanueva, Serrantes, Elordeamong others. We have shownthat we are world-class in thissport. Manny Pacquiao is verypopular in the United Statesbecause they like his fighting style.If we give more support, then wecould hope to win an Olympicboxing gold medal in eight years’time. I am a boxing enthusiast,that’s why I focus on boxing.

As for other sports l iketaekwondo and gymnastics, wecould develop a good trainingprogram for that. The Japanesehave excelled in gymnastics,especially its male gymnasts. Wecan see from the showing ofEastern European countries thateven a country with a smallpopulation but with a goodtradition could excel ingymnastics. Fencing is anothersport where we could hope to wina gold medal.

We could focus on badmintontoo, where we are starting todevelop a good base of players.Many years ago, we were verygood at badminton. Now we arerecovering these talents.

We should target not only theOlympic events but also [non-Olympic] sports like billiards,where it is now the Philippinesagainst the world. Filipino billiardsplayers are expected to be on topof their game. The mediacommentaries about Efren “Bata”Reyes—even Alex Pagulayan,even though he’s Canadian, buthe carries the Philippine Flag—

“Concentrationof funding is amust, especiallyin the area ofboxing.”

the grassroots and school sportsprograms to the DILG, DepEd andCHEd.

Lastly, to meet its fundingrequirements, the PSC shouldseriously tap corporate sponsorsto support its program, i.e.corporate sponsor for a particularsport (“godfather” system).Interview by Abigail M. Macabeo

“. . . the PSCshould focus onthe national eliteathletes tomaximize itsmeagerresources, anddelegate thegrassrootsprograms toother agencies.”

“grassroots” programs.We should actually have a

different budget for elite sportsand “grassroots” programs.

If you look at theperformances of Fil ipinos ininternational competitions, wehave succeeded in very few—boxing, taekwondo, archery andshooting and, probably,swimming. I think diving is themost preferable now andwomen’s weightlifting, whereThailand already has won twogold medals, and in women’sweightlifting. Thailand has alsowon two gold medals in boxing.

The Philippines and Thailandare almost in the same situationinsofar as population, althoughThailand, admittedly, has a biggerbudget. So if we are to excel inthe 2008 Olympics in Beijing andthis December in the DohaQuatar Asian games, we have tosend a lean and mean delegationbecause the Asian games is nota venue for exposure, rather, avenue for excellence.

Sadly, billiards and bowlingare not even recognized in theOlympics, and those are the onlytwo events where, I think, we canreally excel i f they werecalendared in the Olympics. Butthey are not, and I don’t see thembeing calendared in the nearfuture.

If you look at the Olympics’normal calendar now, there areabout six to seven events wherewe can excel. (However),whatever money we now haveshould be divided between“grassroots” and “elite” sports.

We talk of elite sports with 40associations al l asking forbudget. The PSC must use itsbudget wisely, in spite of possiblyneglecting other sports.

Our sports leaders have toput their foot down and give thebudget to no more than 10 eventsif we seriously want to win ininternational competitions.

The SEA games is different.We have sent about 700 to 800athletes and officials because itis merely 11 countries competing.The Asian games is not really forexposure.

We must use the SEA gamesas a take-off base for those whowill excel. It is a very strong field.There are more than 30 countriescompeting there. We thenproceed to the Asian games. Ifone cannot succeed (in the SEAgames), there is no reason to goto the Asian games or theOlympics.

In short, the SEA games is atryout for those who can go to ahigher level in internationalcompetit ions. Interview byIsagani C. Yambot Jr.

(Rep. Puentevella served formore than six years as PSCCommissioner, from 1994 to2001—a standing record. –Ed.)

Filipino athletes are known fortheir tenacity and, being

sturdy, they are tacticianswhenever they are on the playingfield, known to be globallycompetitive despite the odds,particularly, concerning financialassistance from the nationalgovernment.

It has been proven andshown that, despite the lack offacilities to train and the fundingto better enhance theirpreparation, they excel in theirfields of sports.

Fortunately for our athletes,there are NGOs and the FirstGentleman’s Foundation, whichhave consistently supported ourathletes.

It was clearly demonstratedduring the last SEA Games whenour athletes placed No. 1 over-all.

Given the circumstances, Iam divided in my opinion on thequestion: “Should we concentratefunding on selected sports?”

I personally believe that if thepurpose of concentrating fundingis to win in a particular event,especially in sports events, suchas the SEA Games, Asian Gamesor the Olympics, then we should.

However, if we want to exploitother potential athletes, there isalways the possibility that thereare untapped athletes waiting tobe discovered, unknown talentswho may, in the near future, bringus glory. Interview by Melissa M.Reyes

Rep. EILEEN ERMITA-BUHAIN(1st Dist., Batangas)

“. . . there isalways thepossibility thatthere areuntappedathletes waitingto be discovered,unknown talentswho may, in thenear future, bringus glory.”

are very complimentary.It does not have to be an

Olympic event as long as we canclaim a world championship. Wehave bowling. Take the case ofBong Coo and PaengNepomuceno. I know PaengNepomuceno very well. Iremember I was in Singapore,many years ago, I had a picturetaken with him and when I had thefilm developed in a photo shop,they recognized him. It made meproud.

Chess is another sport wecould develop because we havea lot of Chess Grandmasters andchess players. We should sponsormore tournaments so that ourplayers could be developed.

We should support thegrassroots program. Boxing andbilliards are grassroots. BataReyes and others have inspiredmore people to play billiards.Huwag lang nila pababayaan angpag-aaral nila. The point is we arewinning world championships.Interview by Ronald M. Ytem

training and exposure of thenational athletes. The opportunityto train and compete abroadwould give them the competitiveedge over internationalcompetitors. Interview byJacqueline R. Juliano

Rep. ROILO S. GOLEZ(2nd Dist., Parañaque)

For any nation to globallyprofess excellence in sports,

it must first lay down a frameworkfor ample preparation. Ourgovernment must initiate a movefor the creation of acomprehensive sportsdevelopment program whichshould begin at the grassrootslevel. It is only at the point in timethat we will be able to categoricallydecipher which sports we can, asa nation, potentially excel in. Onesuch example could be swimming.We are a country l iterallysurrounded by water; a greatportion of our population by thesea. Therefore, by adaptation, weshould be able to amply developour swimmers from across thenation.

To stress my point evenfurther, the development of sportswas removed under theDepartment of Education, Cultureand Sports, and later transferredto the Philippine SportsCommission, leaving us with whatwe have today, the Department ofEducation. The PSC, even by itsown admission, has stated in thepast that they do not have theresources nor the manpower to dothe same. Ultimately, it is thechildren, our potential athletes,that suffer.

Rep. ROBERT B. JAWORSKI JR.(Lone Dist., Pasig)

“Governmentmust initiate amove for thecreation of acomprehensivesportsdevelopmentprogram whichshould begin atthe grassrootslevel.”

For us to excel internationally,it wil l take more than aconcentration of our fundingresources. We have to invest inthe youth for us to harvest Olympicmedals. The answer to a betterglobal sports profile is aComprehensive GrassrootsSports Development Program.Interview by Isagani C. Yambot Jr.

For more than 75 years, the Olympicgold medal has eluded the Philippines.Once king in Asian basketball, football,boxing, and track and field, the Philippinestumbled from that pedestal—andreclaiming that long-ago prestige seemslike reaching for the stars.

A case in point is basketball. Awash withresources and a huge athletic base, China hastopped every conceivable competition in the regionsince coming off the blocks after Deng Xiaoping’smarket reforms in the late ‘70s. Its cagers, with theirheight, great team work and expert ball-handling, aresimply dominant: they are Asian champions; they arein the Olympics; and they put a behemoth in the NBA,altering the face of the world’s most famous league.

Filipino athletes of the ‘50s, left with scrapbookmemories of a golden age of Philippine sports, canonly shake their heads in disbelief at this horrible turnof fortune. The last great Olympic performance wasOnyok Velasco’s silver from Atlanta in 1996.

The country’s first-ever Southeast Asian Gamesoverall championship last December helped usrediscover that winning spirit. Filipinos now are lookingahead to other conquests.

Where to begin this road back to glory is themain question. Should we pour meager training fundsand resources on the elite sports where our medalchances rank high? Or widen our search for athletesdown to the grassroots level?

The Philippine Sports Commission has providedleadership, and set the policies and priorities of allnational sports development. The PSC also supportsgrassroots and sectoral sports developmentprograms. Is a review of the PSC’s performance inorder, this time to guide Congress in determining itsannual allocation?

These are but a few of the questions—and thenation is looking for answers. The Forum has asked sixcongressmen about their views on sportsdevelopment. Their replies may help determine theright policy and priorities in this hoped-for sportsrenaissance.

PHILIPPINE SPORTS

6 March 2006

Charity overflows on Manay Gina’s birthdayP R E S I D E N TGloria MacapagalArroyo led theguests at theb i r t h d a ycelebration of

Gina de Venecia, President andChairperson of the CongressionalSpouses Foundation Inc. (CSFI),on February 15 at The Haven inAlabang, the halfway house forwomen and children in crisis.

Stars from the political andentertainment worlds, withdiplomats and business leaders,greeted “Manay Gina” and joinedher in groundbreaking rites for anew facility—a multi-purposegymnasium for The Haven andnearby Marillac Hills, also atemporary shelter for women indistress.

President Arroyo presented theCSFI leader a check for P10 millionas contribution to Manay’s charityprojects, which includes The Haven

and INA Foundation. The Havenfor Women and The Haven forChildren in Alabang, both operatedand maintained by the Departmentof Social Welfare and Development,received two ambulances from thePhilippine Charity Sweepstakes

GROUNDBREAKING of the multi-purpose gym with Speaker Jose de Venecia,DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral (2nd from left), President Arroyo, ManayGina de Venecia (center, in white), Trina Biazon, Beth Nantes and Rep. RuffyBiazon (right).

AMBULANCES donated by PCSO with Secretary Cabral (left), Speaker deVenecia, Manay Gina, President Arroyo, Arlene de Castro (wife of Vice-PresidentNoli de Castro), Rep. Ruffy Biazon and wife Trina.

Call for Senate passageof Billion Trees Act

By Abigail M. Macabeo

IN THE WAKE of devastatingmudslides in Southern Philippines,Rep. Leovigildo B. Banaag (1st

Dist., Agusan del Norte) asked theSenate for an early concurrence onthe proposed Billion Trees Act, orHouse Bill 4081, and a host ofother bills affecting the country’snatural resources.

Banaag, who is NaturalResources committee chair,sounded off his appeal to theSenate through his counterpart,Sen. Pia Cayetano, for the earlybicameral agreement on HB 4081,intended to undertake massivecountrywide reforestation ofdegraded and denuded forestlands,including geo-hazard areas prone tolandslide and erosions.

Authored by Speaker Jose deVenecia and Rep. Robert “Dodot”B. Jaworski Jr. (Lone Dist., Pasig),HB 4081 is on top of the list ofapproved House bills awaiting

Senate action since it was receivedAugust last year.

Jaworski said the bill, whichrequires P2 billion to carry out, is“timely” in the light of recentflashflood-related calamities thatstruck the country. Reforestation ofdenuded forestlands is importantto ensure cleaner air and the safetyof future generations frommudslides and similar calamities,he added.

The Billion Trees Act has beenapproved in the previous Congressbut has never obtained Senateconcurrence. Supporting the billare the DENR’s Protected Areasand Wildlife Bureau and theForestry Development Center.

Aside from the Billion TreesAct, Banaag also calls for the earlySenate concurrence on a bill thatwill stop illegal proliferation ofsyndicated duplication of landtitles as well as 23 bills on protectedareas and land conversion.

Speaker; Rep. Hussin U. Amin (1st

Dist., Sulu) in Peace, Unity andReconciliation, taking over fromRep. Satur C. Ocampo (BayanMuna).

Appointed to the Housecontingent to the Commission onAppointment, were Reps. RodolfoC. Bacani (4th Dist., Manila),

Danton Q. Bueser (3rd Dist.,Laguna), Victor R. Sumulong (2nd

Dist., Antipolo City) and RodolfoG. Plaza (Lone Dist., Agusan delSur).

They replaced Reps. AntoninoP. Roman (1st Dist., Bataan), RafaelP. Nantes (1st Dist., Quezon), ClavelA. Martinez (4th Dist., Cebu) andImee R. Marcos (2nd Dist., IlocosNorte).

Dep. Speaker Singson

Continued from page 1

Office. Ten years ago, Manay Ginaand the CSFI founded The Havenfor Women to help in therehabilitation of women victims ofabuse.

In her response, Manay Ginathanked the President for her very

generous assistance and for theunwavering support of herhusband, Speaker Jose de Venecia,in her continuing work for theprotection of women and children.

A few days before herbirthday, the Nielsen Media

Research Survey announced thatthe No. 1 drama series in theairwaves was no other than ManayGina’s daily radio soap series,“Nagmamahal, Manay Gina,”aired on GMA’s DZBB. RonaldM. Ytem

Last year, Rep. Jose G. Solis(2nd Dist., Sorsogon) was namedNational Defense and SecurityCommittee chair, replacing Rep.Roilo S. Golez (2nd Dist.,Parañaque), who resigned his post,while Rep. Emmylou J. Taliño-Santos (1st Dist, North Cotabato)replaced Rep. Gilbert C. Remulla(2nd Dist., Cavite) as PublicInformation Committee chair.

The House Committee onBanks and FinancialIntermediaries, chaired by ManilaRep. Jaime C. Lopez steered thetimely approval of the amendatoryConference Committee Report.Rep. Jesli A. Lapus, chairman ofthe House Ways and Means

Committee, and Reps. Jose CarlosV. Lacson, Luis R. Villafuerte,Jesus Crispin C. Remulla, ImeeR. Marcos, Ronaldo B. Zamoraand Joseph A. Santiago led theHouse contingent in thebicameral conference. Sen. RalphRecto led the Senate team thatincluded Majority Leader FrancisPangilinan and Sen. JinggoyEstrada.

SPAVs

Continued from page 3

SECRETARY GENERALROBERTO NAZARENO beliednews reports that a break-inoccurred in the House ballot-boxstorage area. This is hisstatement:

A newspaper report quotinganonymous sources was publishedtoday about an alleged break-inbetween January and February2005 at the South Lobby storagearea where ballot boxes of electionreturns from the 2004 nationalelections are being kept.

I vehemently deny theallegations in the report.

This is totally an irresponsibleand a malicious fabrication from asource, who conveniently hidesbehind the cloak of anonymitywhile hurling accusations, the

nature of which demand fullidentification and authenticity ofnews sources. Without these time-honored checks on journalisticabuse, the report can be dismissedas a polluted work of fiction.

This matter is clearly a recycled

NO BREAK-IN issue; it is being revived during aperiod of unrest. The purported CDallegedly containing footage of thebreak-in is tainted with malice andfalsehood.

No break-in is possible in thestorage room of the said ballotboxes since the area—which issecured with padlocks—is on a 24-hour security watch by the Housesecurity backed up by a closed-circuit monitoring system.

Records from the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House ofRepresentatives contain no reportof the alleged break-in betweenJanuary and February 2005—or atany other day.

I affirm that the House hasguarded zealously—and to theutmost of our capacity—theintegrity of the subject ballot boxesand the election documents andparaphernalia contained therein.

SECRETARY GENERAL NAZARENO

HOLOCAUST KIDS.Speaker Jose de Venecia and IsraeliAmbassador Yehoshua Sagi (left)opened “No Child’s Play,” a photo-exhibit on the Holocaust brought tothe House by the Israeli Embassy, onFebruary 8. With them are (from left)Reps. Darlene Antonino-Custodio,Eduardo Firmalo, Edgar Chatto, andDel de Guzman. Yad Vashem Martyrsand Heroes Authority provided theimages exhibited, all reminders of thebrutal fact that 1.5 million childrenperished during the Holocaust ofWorld War II.

7March 2006

Republic Act 9262

Stopping violence against women and childrenBy Raymond G. Pasiliao

THE ANTI-V I O L E N C EAgainst Womenand Children Act(Anti VAW-C) orRA 9262 was

signed into law in March 2004,defining and penalizing acts ofviolence against women andchildren.

Sweeping in scope, itsprovisions carry an expandeddefinition of violence, includingstalking, harassment, publicridicule, reckless conduct andemotional blackmail. It recognizesthe ‘battered woman syndrome’ asa defense, exempting womendiagnosed as such from anycriminal or civil liability. The lawalso shields victims from furtherviolence with protection orderswithout having to file a case incourt.

Violence definedBesides physical and sexual

violence, the Act also recognizespsychological violence andeconomic abuse as acts of violence. ‘Psychological violence’ are acts oromissions causing or likely to causemental or emotional suffering ofthe victim. It includes

intimidation, harassment, stalking,damage to property, public ridiculeor humiliation, repeated verbalabuse and mental infidelity. Itencompasses causing or allowingthe victim to witness the physical,sexual or psychological abuse of amember of the family to which thevictim belongs, or to witnesspornography in any form. It furtherincludes witnessing abusive injuryto pets and the unlawful orunwanted deprivation of the rightto custody or visitation of commonchildren.

‘Economic abuse’ refers to actsthat make or attempt to make awoman financially dependent,including the withdrawal offinancial support or preventing thevictim from engaging in anylegitimate profession, occupation,business or activity; deprivation orthreat of deprivation of financialresources and the right to the useand enjoyment of the conjugalproperty or property owned incommon; destroying householdproperty, or; controlling thevictims’ own money or properties,or solely controlling the conjugalmoney or properties.

Acts of violenceActs of violence against

women and their children are: (a)

Causingp h y s i c a lharm to thewoman orher child, (b)Threateningto cause thewoman or her child physical harm,(c) Attempting to cause the womanor her child physical harm, (d)Placing the woman or her child infear of imminent physical harm, (e)Attempting to compel orcompelling the woman or her childto engage in conduct which thewoman or her child has the rightto desist from, or attempting tocompel or compelling the womanor her child to desist from conductwhich the woman or her child hasthe right to engage in, (f)Attempting to restrict or restrictingthe woman’s or her child’s freedomof movement or conduct by force

or threat of force, physical or otherharm or threat of physical or otherharm, or intimidation directedagainst the woman or child, (g)Inflicting or threatening to inflictphysical harm on oneself for thepurpose of controlling her actionsor decisions, (h) Causing orattempting to cause the woman orher child to engage in any sexualactivity which does not constituterape, by force or threat of force,physical harm, or throughintimidation directed against thewoman or her child or her/hisimmediate family, (i) Engaging inpurposeful, knowing, or recklessconduct that alarms or causessubstantial emotional orpsychological distress to the womanor her child, including stalking, (j)Causing mental or emotionalanguish, public ridicule orhumiliation to the woman or herchild, and (k) Denial of financialsupport or custody of minorchildren of access to the woman’schild/children.

Protection ordersOne of the Act’s most

important features is the protectionorder, to safeguard the victim fromfurther harm.

The Barangay ProtectionOrder (BPO) provides immediate

relief from threat and harmeffective for 15 days. TheTemporar y Protection Order(TPO) issued by the court lasts for30 days. Both are issued on thesame day an application is filed.The Permanent Protection Order(PPO) is enforced until it isrevoked by the court. The PPOshould be issued one day after thecourt receives an application forit.

A petition for protectionorder may be filed by a number ofpeople, namely: the offendedparty; parents or guardians of theoffended party; ascendants,descendants or collateral relativeswithin the fourth civil degree ofconsanguinity or affinity; officersor social workers of the DSWD orsocial workers of local governmentunits (LGUs); police officers,preferably those in charge ofwomen and children’s desks;Punong Barangay or BarangayKagawad; lawyer, counselor,therapist or healthcare provider ofthe petitioner; at least two (2)concerned responsible citizens ofthe city or municipality where theviolence against women and theirchildren occurred and who haspersonal knowledge of the offensecommitted.

By Melissa M. Reyes

IN THEHEART ofMandaluyongCity is as p e c i a l

building, the School for SpecialChildren Multi-Purpose Hall, thefirst LGU-initiated project of itskind in the Philippines.

“The school caters to thespecial children of families whocouldn’t afford the increasing costsof special education,” said Rep.Benjamin DC Abalos Jr.

Special children, in this case,look normal physically,differentiated only by theirextended hyperactive behavior.

The school in BarangayNamayan has a badminton andbasketball court, gazebos, gardenand parking. There is a park.Abalos said the play and leisureareas are important in theformation of good character andwell-being of children with specialneeds.

This idyllic setting was notaccomplished overnight. WhenAbalos conceived it—on his firstterm as representative—the oddsseemed great.

The DPWH wouldn’tapprove it; the DBM questionedit and wouldn’t provide funding.

Even the House AppropriationsCommittee wouldn’t approve itbecause such a project has neverbeen done on the district level, hewas told.

Only the nationalgovernment undertakes suchprojects, through a specialprogram of the DepEd, theyadded. “Hindi pa daw yan ginawasa local government.”

Undaunted, Abalos persisted.He took a subtle hint from theDPWH, which triggered thesolution. “The DPWH said if webuilt a multi-purpose hall with apark and other amenities, fundingand approval would be easy.”

He immediately started thebuilding in 2004, which wasinaugurated on July 19, 2005—hisbirthday.

Then, in a master stroke, heconverted the structure into aspecial school for special children.Afterwards, everything fell intoplace. The school tied-up with theDoña Basilisa Elementary School.Funding was no longer a problem.

“But we needed specialteachers, so we told the schoolsuperintendent we needed teacherswho specialize in special children.”

It happened that such teacherswere on a special program at DoñaBasilisa. “We got approval for sixteachers, plus the 2005 budget

from DepEd,” Abalos said. The school, now on dry run,

has 40 students from 4 to about 13years old and will hold regularclasses in 2007.

Built on a 1,000-plus sq. m.lot, the activity rooms are 75-80 sq.m. on the first and second floorsdesigned for games, writing, andothers. “Hindi pwede ang maliit narooms for special children,” Abalossaid.

The rooms don’t have desks,chairs and other furnishings—onlysoft plastic mats and special toys forthe kids’ motor skills. Each floorhas a different age bracket: the first,for ages 4 to 8—“yung mga maliliit,malilikot, delikado sa mataas nalugar”; the second, for 9 years oldand above; and the third, a mix oflibraries and offices. There are twoshifts: morning, from 7:30-11:30a.m. and afternoon, from 1:30-4:30p.m.

In the evenings, the residentsuse the park, sometimes forwedding receptions for those whocan’t afford restaurants. Otherspark their vehicles in the parkingarea—good for 20 units—at night.Maintenance and operation havebeen turned over to the localgovernment. At night, the parkbecomes a veritable promenadeand playground for the residentsand their kids.

Persistence built a unique school

Continued on page 8

COMPLETE WITH AMENITIES. The special school in Mandaluyong has a leisurepark to complement the education of the young, especially special children,noting that play and leisure are important in the formation of good characterand well-being of children with special needs.

SPECIAL CHILDREN IN CLASS. About 40 students are currently enrolled inMandaluyong City’s special school. The teachers are specialized in teachingand handling special children.

8 March 2006

Interview with Rep. Eduardo C. Zialcita

PENALTY FOR PRIVATEOR UNAUTHORIZED USEOF OFFICIAL MAIL P500

TO POSTMAN: PLS. DELIVER TO ADDRESSEE OR CURRENT OCCUPANTPUBLISHING AND DESIGN SERVICE, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

BATASANG PAMBANSA COMPLEX, CONSTITUTION HILLS, QUEZON CITYTEL. NOS. 9315335 and 9315001 LOCAL 7651 OR 7552

HON. JOSE C. DE VENECIA JR.OFFICE OF THE SPEAKERHOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESCONSTITUTION HILLS, QUEZON CITY

For updates, visit www.congress.gov.ph

Closing the housing gap

Republic Act 9262

Continued from page 7

‘Battered Woman Syndrome’‘Battered Woman Syndrome’

refers to a scientifically definedpattern of psychological andbehavioral symptoms found inwomen living in batteringrelationships as a result ofcumulative abuse. Victim-survivors

who are found by the courts to besuffering from battered womansyndrome do not incur anycriminal and civil liability.

In ‘battered woman syndrome’cases, the courts shall be assistedby expert psychiatrists orpsychologists.

Rights of victims of violenceIn addition, RA 9262

expressly recognizes the followingrights of women and children as:

1. To be treated with respectand dignity;

2. To avail of legal assistancefrom the PAO or the Departmentof Justice or any public legalassistance office;

3. To be entitled to supportservices from the DSWD andLGUs;

4. To be entitled to all legalremedies and support as providedfor under the Family Code;and

5. To be informed of theirrights and the services available tothem including their right to applyfor a protection order.

RA 9262 concretizes theState’s promotion of the dignity ofwomen and children and full

W H A Tshould bedone toaddress the3 .5 -mi l l i on

housing backlog?The country’s housing

problem is gargantuan. This isprecisely why we thought of—andwe have legislated in the House ofRepresentatives—the idea of aDepartment of Housing andUrban Development.

There has to be a departmentto address this backlog sogovernment can launch long-termprograms to fix the problem.

Right now, the Housing andUrban Development CoordinatingCouncil (HUDCC) is in charge ofhousing, but this one is just acoordinating council.

The proposed Departmentwill serve as the primary agency inthe preparation, integration,coordination, regulation,supervision and control of plans,programs, projects and activities ofthe government in housing, urbanplanning and development,regulation and finance, humansettlements, and others.

Some say this departmentmay just be another layer in thebureaucracy.

No, this is the right thing todo at the right time. Now!

On the contrary, it willstreamline shelter delivery andurban development.

We must take the task ofhousing and urban developmentseriously by elevating the currentcoordinative council into a full-f ledged cabinet-rankedinstitution.

With a one-step housingagency, home seekers, developers,and even LGUs don’t have to gofrom one agency to another fortheir housing and urbandevelopment concerns.

I share Speaker Jose deVenecia’s vision, who is also aprincipal author of the House-approved bill creating thedepartment. This long-overduemeasure is a product of years ofstudy and refinement throughdemocratic consultation.

Why is our housing backlogso huge today?

Because the governmentfailed to deliver enough houses.The 3.5-million backlog is a resultof many, many years ofgovernment neglect.

Maximum housingproduction is only about 100,000units. By the time you finish100,000 units and yourpopulation growth is more than 2percent of about 80 million,you’re not building enough units.

What about the prospects ofmiddle class families?

Walang problema masyado sasector na yan. Maganda anggovernment funding diyan. ThePag-IBIG Fund addresses itsmembers, who are middle class.

The real problem is thesocialized sector, which is beingaddressed by the National HousingAuthority. But NHA’s fund is onlyabout P500 million, which is notenough.

If we create the HousingDepartment, perhaps, we can putin billions to really start massiveproduction. The government lacksfunds for low-end, socializedhousing.

Only a few developers go intosocialized housing because theprofit margin is only about 10 to12 percent.

The Local Government Codeplaces housing as a keyresponsibility of LGUs. Howdoes your committee viewprogress in this area?

The problem of LGUs is thesame in the NationalGovernment: funding.

I filed a bill proposing tocreate a local housing board (LHB)in every city and municipality toinstitute a permanent bodyisolated from politics to handlepolicy issues and developmentconcerns in the local housingsector.

Co-authors ko sina Reps.Ruffy Biazon (Lone Dist.,Muntinlupa) and TranquilinoCarmona (1st Dist., NegrosOccidental).

The proposed LHB will beheaded by the city or municipalmayor as chairman; the city ormunicipal vice mayor as vice-chairman; and as members: theSangguniang Panglunsod or PambayanCommittee on Housing andUrban Development chair; the cityor municipal planning anddevelopment coordinator; aPeople’s Organizationrepresentative in the city ormunicipality; an NGOrepresentative operating in the cityor municipality; and a privatesector representative engaged insubdivision and housingdevelopment in the municipalityor city. The proposal alsomandates the appointment of aLocal Housing and DevelopmentOfficer.

The LHB shall be in charge ofall the ordinances relating tohousing, squatters’ relocation, andother housing concerns on thelocal level. The Department ofHousing is directional—macro. Thelocal boards will be on the locallevel—they would becomplementary.

What will the proposedMagna Carta for Homeownerscontribute?

In that single document, allthe duties and responsibilities ofhomeowners and of developers arespelled out. It will clear upconfusion and clarify their roles bydrawing the line of responsibilitiesfor each side.

How do you regard Senateaction on the housing bills?

Let me just cite that an appealwas sent to the Senate—signed byno less than the biggestorganizations of developers,realtors, and homeowners—pleading for the senators to act onnine housing reform bills, manyalready approved in the House. Ofprimary concern is the reform ofthe 19th century Torrens system ofland administration, the long-delayed creation of the Departmentof Housing and UrbanDevelopment, the elimination ofthe public bidding process in thesale of government properties, thenecessary restructuring of loans forsocial housing, and the need toprofessionalize the real estateservice industry.

respect for human rights, asguaranteed by the Constitutionand enshrined in internationalhuman rights instruments such asthe Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights, the Conventionon the Elimination of All Formsof Discrimination AgainstWomen, and the Convention onthe Rights of the Child.