Palace says Aquino government to work with sin
tax advocates to convince Senate to pass the Malacanang-endorsed bill
The
Aquino administration will continue to work with sin tax advocates to convince
the Senate to pass the Malacanang-endorsed sin tax bill in efforts to generate
revenues for the government and strengthen the country’s health care system, a
Palace official said on Friday.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigal Valte
issued the statement during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Friday
as the Senate Committee on Ways and Means' watered down version of the sin tax
bill is already set for plenary deliberation.
News reports said the Senate ways and means
committee chaired by Senator Ralph Recto bared a new version of the sin tax
that promises to fetch P15-billion to P20-billion revenues from tobacco and
alcohol products in its first year alone, lower than the projected P31 billion
under the House of Representatives version.
"The team from the Department of Finance
(DOF) or the team from the Department of Health (DOH) will continue to work
with other advocates to convince our legislators of how important the sin tax
measure will be to providing more coverage for the universal healthcare
program," Valte said.
"Marami naman pong mga advocates ng sin tax
reform measure in the Senate, so patuloy pa rin naman po ‘yan. We will continue
to provide the data that they need. We will continue to provide the resources
and the materials that they may need once the bill will be discussed in the
plenary," Valte said.
Last May, President Benigno S. Aquino III
certified as urgent House Bill 5727 or Sin Tax Reform Bill that seeks to
increase taxes on cigarettes and alcohol products.
The House Bill, authored by Cavite
Representative Joseph Emilio Abaya, will restructure alcohol and cigarette
taxes.
However, the Senate ways and means committee's
version opts to cut down the incremental taxes on lower-priced cigarettes to a
mere 121 percent hike compared to the 200 percent proposed by the House. The
House-proposed tax rate on alcohol, meanwhile, is maintained in the version
crafted by Recto’s committee. PND (js)
Foreign and civic leaders are expected to attend
Monday the signing of Framework Agreement between the government peace panel
and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
Foreign
and civil society leaders are expected to attend the historic signing between
the Philippine government peace panel and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF) of the framework agreement for the creation of the Bangsamoro on Monday
afternoon, a Palace official said.
Among those who are expected to attend the
signing include Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, MILF
chairman Al Hadj Murad and the MILF contingent.
"As you know, ang mga na-invite na po diyan
ay mga members of the International Contact Group, the International Monitoring
Team, some aid organizations as already mentioned by Secretary (Edwin)
Lacierda, and some CSOs or civil society organizations that are involved in the
peace process," Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said during
the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Friday.
Reacting to reports that the Moro National
Liberation Front (MNLF) felt betrayed by the Framework Agreement, Valte
appealed to the MNLF to give peace a chance to end the more than 40 decades of
armed conflict in Mindanao.
" I-reiterate na lang ‘yung ating apela at
‘yung apela ng mga miyembro ng peace panel natin: Let’s give peace a chance.
Nailabas po natin ‘yung Framework Agreement. Maglalabas po sila ng mga annexes
for public discussion kung ano po ang available, doon po natin simulan. Tingnan
po natin ‘yung agreement; tingnan po natin ‘yung mga susunod na annex at bigyan
po natin ng pagkakataon. Hindi naman po makakasama sa ating lahat," she
said.
The Framework Agreement laid down the ground
work for achieving the “final and enduring peace in Mindanao" by enjoining
all stakeholders to support the implementation of the needed 'structural
reforms'," the President said last week.
Under the Framework Agreement, a new political
entity will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and will be
named “Bangsamoro.”
After the
signing of the Framework Agreement, the President will issue an Executive Order
(EO) creating a Transition Commission that will recommend a draft bill to
Congress creating the Bangsamoro. Congress will then deliberate on the
Bangsamoro Basic law, government chief negotiator Dean Marvic Leonen said this
week.
The commission will hold all inclusive
consultations in the affected areas to know the pulse of the people in the
proposed Bangsamoro, he said.
Leonen said that the Autonomous Region in the
Muslim Mindanao will continue to exist until a new law is crafted by Congress.
PND (js)
Aquino leads launching of ‘Hardin ng Lunas’
project in Tarlac
MONCADA,
Tarlac: President Benigno S. Aquino III led the launching on Friday of the
Hardin ng Lunas program, a community-based cultivation, consumption and use of
herbal medicines and organically grown vegetable.
“Ang
pag-usbong naman po ng proyektong ito ay hindi lamang nagmula sa iilang kamay;
patak-patak po ang maraming indibidwal at grupo upang ito’y maging matagumpay.
Patunay ang inisyatibang ito sa pagbabagong nakakamit ng pagkakapit-bisig ng
pampubliko at pribadong sektor,” the President said in his message as he
thanked the organizations behind the initiative that partnered with the local governments
of Tarlac.
“Bawat
butil ng pawis na inyong idinidilig sa proyektong ito ay pihado kong magbubunga
ng mas mayabong na kinabukasan sa mas maraming Pilipino,” the President said
acknowledging the challenges that lie ahead with the project.
The chief
executive also encouraged the people to strive hard and prepare for future
challenges for them to reap the fruit of their labor.
Hardin ng
Lunas program is aimed at encouraging and supporting local Tarlac communities
to cultivate herbal plants and organic vegetables.
The
program provides training to target beneficiaries, especially in growing
organic vegetable, expose them to new technologies and crop varieties, and
provide them organic vegetable seedlings.
The
initiative also linked producers to buyers by giving vegetable growers
available outside markets.
Aside
from growing vegetables, the program could also provide alternative, affordable
herbal medicines to rural folks who have no access to physicians and western
medicine. The program will give a total of 250 medicinal plants consisting of
25 varieties for each town, that have been nurtured by the Tarlac College of
Agriculture.
The
program covers the towns of Moncada, Anao, Pura, Paniqui, San Manuel, Camiling,
Gerona and Tarlac City. Hardin ng Lunas was kick started last June 20 with
Moncada, Anao, Pura, Paniqui and San Manuel as the first five towns that
received seedlings from East West Seed Co., one of the leading partners in the
program. The remaining towns will be covered after Friday’s launch.
Moncada’s
project site is located at McArthur Highway, Bgy. Camangaan East. Town
officials said they are targetting farmers, teachers, households, government
personnel, students, police personnel, senior citizens, and interested
individuals to participate in the project.
Among
Hardin ng Lunas corporate partners include San Miguel Corp., East West Seed Co.
Inc. and Tarlac Heritage Foundation, Department of Health, St. Luke’s Medical
Center-Department of Dermatology, local governments and Tarlac College of
Agriculture.
Joining
the President during Friday’s event were Moncada Mayor Benito Aquino and Hardin
ng Lunas project leader Isabel Cojuangco Suntay. PND (as)
