Latest news with #19thCongress
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Marcos laments neglect of Philippine education sector
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. expressed dismay that the Philippine education sector has suffered from decades of neglect. During an episode of the BBM Podcast on Wednesday, Marcos said there seems to have been no effort to address the problems in education. He said the country lacks at least 160,000 classrooms, adding that most classrooms need to be rehabilitated. "Isipin mo 160,000 ang kulang natin na classroom? Paano nangyari 'yun? Basta pinabayaan na lang," Marcos said. (Come to think of it, we lack 160,000 classrooms. How did that happen? Action was not taken to address it.) "Mayroon ngang classroom kaming nakikita Marcos-type pa. Tinayo mga 1970. Eh dapat 'yung mga classroom na 'yun, 20 to 30 years lamang ang lifetime. Dapat ayusin na 'yan after. Pero hanggang ngayon ginagamit pa. Pinabayaan talaga ang education. That's what happened. There was no effort to help the education," he added. (We even saw classrooms that are Marcos-type structures. They were built in the 1970s. Those buildings only have a lifetime of 20 to 30 years. They should be rehabilitated after that. However, they are still being used until now. The education sector was neglected. That's what happened. There was no effort to help the education.) Read | The Cost of Miseducation: Lack of investment in PH education sector The President did not identify who were neglect with their duties. Marcos has called for the need to rehabilitate some school buildings in the country, noting that these were built decades ago. Meanwhile, Marcos said the failure to address education concerns is often reflected in the country's ratings. "Kaya 'yung mga grade–, 'yung mga rating natin, especially STEM subjects, pababa nang pababa. Tapos may hindi marunong magbasa," Marcos said, referring to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. (That's why the Philippines' grade—, our ratings, especially in STEM subjects, are low. Some students don't know how to read too.) Recently, the Senate and the House of Representatives jointly passed a concurrent resolution calling on Marcos to create a Cabinet Cluster for Education in order to address the country's education crisis, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) said. The EDCOM 2 said it passed the concurrent resolution on June 11, the last day of the 19th Congress, to resolve the prevailing issues of functional illiteracy, lack of access to quality early childhood education, the obvious mismatch between graduate skills and industry needs, and significant gaps in teacher development, as identified by the commission in its Year 1 and 2 reports. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
Dizon: 3 out of 5 major ROW issues hounding Subway project addressed
The Department of Transportation is making progress in securing right-of-way to keep the construction of the Metro Manila Subway Project, which has been delaying the project's ultimate completion. In his presentation during the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines Infrastructure Forum in Makati City, Transportation Secretary Vivencio 'Vince' Dizon expressed confidence that 'before PBBM (President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr.) steps down, I think we will be able to see at least two maybe three stations… we can seen the trains running.' In particular, the Transportation chief expressed optimism the MMSP will be partially operational at least from Valenzuela —where the depot will be located— to Quirino Highway stations. 'Hopefully [up to] North Avenue,' Dizon said. The Cabinet official's confidence stemmed from the progress in ROW acquisition the agency is making since he took over the helm of the DOTr in February. 'Right now, we've addressed three out of five for major right-of-way issues, [namely]— Barilla, Anonas, Ortigas,' Dizon said. 'Metrowalk na lang… BGC (Bonifacio Global City), it's almost there tingin ko malapit na 'yun. Hopefully in the next few months we will be able to address,' he said, adding that once ROW issues are resolved 'we can see the progress there.' READ: Metro Manila Subway: When Right of Way Gets in the Way 'One good development here is the amended Right-of-Way Act passed by both houses. The bicam report was signed last Wednesday, the last day of the 19th Congress. The President will sign this very soon,' Dizon said, 'That will be a game-changer, especially in the subterranean right-of-way,' he said. The Transportation chief said, once the measure becomes a law, the government can access privately owned land at 18 meters below ground for subterranean or underground infrastructure projects from the current 50 meters. Upon completion, the MMSP will have a total of 17 stations and a 30.34-hectare depot where the Philippine Railway Institute is located. The project involves the construction of a 33-kilometer railway line that will connect Valenzuela City to Pasay City, with a spur line to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3. The MMSP's 17 stations are: Valenzuela where the depot will be located, Quirino Highway, Tandang Sora, North Avenue, Quezon Avenue, East Avenue, Anonas, Katipunan (Camp Aguinaldo), Ortigas Avenue, Shaw Boulevard, Kalayaan Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Lawton East, Senate-DepEd, NAIA Terminal 3, FTI, and Bicutan. The MMSP is envisioned to be interconnected with other rail systems: the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1), the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3), and the Metro Rail Transit-Line 7 (MRT7) through the Common Station; the Light Rail Transit-Line 2 (LRT2) at the Anonas Station; and a physical run through into the North-South Commuter Railway Extension (NSCR-Ex) at the FTI and Bicutan Stations. The project currently has an estimated total cost of P488.5 billion, of which P370.7 billion will be financed through an official development assistance (ODA) loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Meanwhile, P117.7 billion will be covered by the Philippine government. The Philippine government and JICA have so far signed three tranches of loan agreements—the first tranche amounting to ¥104.53 billion, or P47.58 billion, was signed in March 2018; the second tranche, amounting to ¥253.31 billion, or P112.87 billion, was inked in February 2022; and the third ¥150-billion or P55.37 billion loan deal for the project was signed in March 2024. The previous DOTr leadership earlier projected that the MMSP will be partially operational by 2028 and will be fully operational a year after, but Dizon said full completion of the project was stretched further to 2032.—AOL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
7 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Marcos urged to create Cabinet cluster for Education
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives had jointly passed a concurrent resolution calling for President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. to create a Cabinet Cluster for Education in order to address the country's education crisis, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) said Saturday. In a statement, EDCOM 2 said it passed the concurrent resolution last June 11, the last day of the 19th Congress, to resolve the prevailing issues of functional illiteracy, lack of access to quality early childhood education, the obvious mismatch between graduate skills and industry needs, and significant gaps in teacher development, as identified by the commission in its Year 1 and 2 reports. EDCOM 2 co-chairpersons Senator Win Gatchalian and Pasig City Roman Romulo urged for the adoption of the resolution in both houses during the 19th Congress that led to a landmark consensus on the significance of the cluster to institutionalize coordination of education agencies amid the country's learning crisis. 'Most of the issues reported by EDCOM2 - functional literacy crisis, challenges in senior high school, job-skills mismatch, and gaps in teacher specialization - stem from a lack of coordination among the various education departments," Romulo said. "The Cabinet Cluster for Education will serve as a vital platform for these agencies to collaborate more closely, ensuring aligned efforts and unified direction under the leadership and guidance of the President,' he added. The call for a Cabinet-level cluster aligns with President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos's directive last August 2024 for education agencies to create a comprehensive 10-year education and workforce development strategy, an essential next step to assure the effective implementation of the strategy. 'With the persistent job-skills mismatch, underwhelming outcomes in senior high school, and the learning crisis revealed by EDCOM 2, a high-level, coordinated approach is crucial to help our students. This cluster will provide the strategic direction and coherence needed to ensure that every Filipino learner—whether bound for college or the workforce—is equipped with the right skills, knowledge, and opportunities to succeed,' said EDCOM 2 Commissioner Rep. Pablo John Garcia. According to EDCOM 2, the initiative had received endorsement from key government agencies, education stakeholders, and experts, who backed the call for increased alignment within the education sector and the strategic allocation of resources toward urgent national goals. Meanwhile, the Senate's version of the resolution was endorsed by EDCOM 2 commissioners, including senators Sherwin Gatchalian, Allan Peter Cayetano, Joel Villanueva, and Loren Legarda. Senators Pia Cayetano and Risa Hontiveros, meanwhile, highlighted its significance in improving education quality, saying that the establishment of such a body has been long overdue. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
12-06-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Senate OKs priority bills before adjourning sine die
Several legislative priorities of the Marcos administration were ratified by the Senate before the 19th Congress adjourned sine die on Wednesday night. These included the bicameral conference committee reports on the Enhanced Fiscal Regime for Large-Scale Metallic Mining Act and the Accelerated and Reformed Right-of-Way (ARROW) Act, which were both listed as 'top priority' measures of the Legislative-Executive Development Council (LEDAC). The ratified bicam report on the Enhanced Fiscal Regime for Large-Scale Metallic Mining Act came from Senate Bill No. 2826 and House Bill No. 8937. According to Senator JV Ejercito, the reconciled version allows a five percent royalty based on gross output on mines operating within mineral reservation and a 5-tier royalty rate ranging from one percent to five percent based on margin from metallic mining operations for those outside mineral reservations. With the reforms in large-scale mining, the senator believes the government would benefit from an additional P6 billion worth of revenues. Senator Risa Hontiveros, however, opposed the measure, saying that it rejected amendments on increasing royalties for indigenous communities affected by mining, and imposing an export tax to fund the National Industrialization Program. Meanwhile, the ARROW Act was ratified by the upper chamber through the bicam report on the disagreeing provisions of Senate Bill No. 2821 and House Bill No. 6571. Senator Mark Villar, sponsor of the bill in the Senate, said that the measure is important in addressing the right-of-way issues that delay government infrastructure projects. 'Many projects have failed to meet their target completion dates due to unresolved right-of-way delays. Given these challenges, we welcome the amendment of the existing right-of-way law. The ARROW Act introduces key reforms to make the law more responsive to the evolving infrastructure landscape,' Villar said. The Senate also ratified the bicam report seeking to extend the term of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials to four years. The report also postpones the 2025 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections from December 2025 to the first Monday of November 2026 Also ratified by the Senate on Wednesday night were bicam reports on the following: Judiciary Fiscal Autonomy Act (Senate Bill No. 2982 and House Bill No. 11358); An Act amending Sections 134 and 168 of Republic Act No. 8424, otherwise known as the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended (Senate Committee Report No. 581 and House Bill No. 10535); Philippine Nuclear Energy Safety Act (Senate Bill No. 2899 and House Bill No. 9293); and Career Progression System for Public School Teachers and School Leaders Act (Senate Bill No. 3000 and House Bill No. 10270) — BM, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
12-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Senate 'killed' wage hike bill, says House spokesperson
'Let's not sugarcoat it—the Senate killed the P200 wage hike bill. Last night was the final session of the 19th Congress. No bicam, no compromise, no wage hike,' Abante said. A spokesperson for the House of Representatives on Thursday blamed the Senate for the failure of the 19th Congress to pass a legislated wage hike despite passage of the measure in both houses. In a video message, House spokesperson Atty. Princess Abante claimed that the Senate 'killed' the House bill that would grant a P200 wage hike, which was approved by the lower chamber on third and final reading last Wednesday, June 4. The Senate passed a P100 wage hike law more than a year earlier in February 2024. 'Let's not sugarcoat it—the Senate killed the P200 wage hike bill. Last night was the final session of the 19th Congress. No bicam, no compromise, no wage hike,' Abante said. 'And the reason is simple—ayaw ng Senado makipag-usap. Ang gusto nila, tanggapin na lang ng tao ang P100 nila. Bakit? Bakit binabarya ng Senado ang mga manggagawa?' (And the reason is simple—the Senate does not want to talk about it. What they want is for the people to accept their P100 wage hike version. Why is the Senate being stingy to the workers?) The 19th Congress adjourned sine die on Wednesday night. The legislated increase in the minimum wage needs to be refiled and again go through the legislative process in the 20th Congress. Sen. Joel Villanueva, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, wrote the House a letter and asked that it adopt Senate Bill No. 2534, or the "P100 Daily Minimum Wage Increase Act of 2024," as approved by the Senate on third reading in February 2024, in substitution of House Bill No. 11376, as approved by the House on third reading on June 4. Rizal Rep. Fidel Nograles, the chairman of the House Committee on Labor on Employment, in a letter addressed to Villanueva, asked for the immediate convening of the bicameral conference committee on June 11 to reconcile both versions of the wage hike bill before the 19th Congress adjourns sine die. 'The House strongly prefers a transparent and deliberative bicameral process, rather than being bamboozled into accepting the Senate version wholesale, without discussion or compromise,' Nograles said. Abante said the bicam conferees from the House were 'ready to sit down, they were ready to defend the P200 proposal, and fight for labor, only to find out that the Senate had no intention of meeting at all.' 'We were ready to deliberate. We came in good faith. But what the Senate gave us was a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum. Wala silang balak makipag-usap. Ang gusto nila, susunod lang kami sa gusto nila. [The Senate had no intention to talk with us, what they wanted was for us to follow what they wanted]. That's not how democracy works,' the House spokesperson said. She also maintained that the House bill was not a reckless proposal, but a 'responsible, well-considered measure.' 'But instead of a dialogue, ang binalik sa amin ay tahimik na pagtanggi at pagmamadali. The people deserve accountability. Hindi ito pagkukulang ng Kamara. Ginawa namin ang aming trabaho namin, pero ang Senado, iniwan sa ere ang manggagawa,' Abante continued. (But instead of a dialogue, the Senate gave us silence and haste. The people deserve accountability. This is not a shortcoming of the House. We did our job, but the Senate left the workers hanging.) GMA News Online sought a comment from Villanueva and Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero regarding the matter, and will update this story once they respond. In an earlier interview, Escudero compared the House's wage hike bill to its transmittal of the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte. "'Yong impeachment pinadala niyo huling araw na lang ng sesyon namin, ito gan'on din huling mga araw ng mga sesyon naming tapos ayan na naman kayo, mamadaliin niyo na naman kami na parang kami ang may kasalanan," Escudero said. "Pinasa naming itong wage hike na one hundred pesos January o February 2024, mahigit isang taon nilang inupuan ito. Tapos bigla ngayon sila 'yong gigil na gigil at nagmamadali. May proseso kung gusto Talaga nilang i-adopt 'yong bersyon ng Senado. Simpleng mosyon 'yan sa Plenaryo ng Kamara," he added. (You sent the impeachment on the last day of the session. In this case, you sent the wage hike bill in the last few days of the session and again want us to hurry, making it appear that it is our fault. We passed the P100 wage hike in January or February 2024, and they sat on the measure for more than. a year. And now they are pressing us to move in a hurry. If they want to adopt the Senate version, all it takes is a motion in the House plenary.) Villanueva had expressed concern regarding the House's version of the bill as it might get vetoed by President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. if adopted by the Senate. Malacañang said President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will look into the economic implications of the proposed increase in the minimum wage. Escudero said on Monday that the measures seeking an increase in the daily minimum wage of workers is not a priority of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC). –NB, GMA Integrated News
