ISSUE NO. 21 MAY 24, 2006

Don’t underestimate the Filipinos, says Guv to ChaCha critics
Do not underestimate the Filipino people because they are capable of understanding the Constitution.

This was the point stressed by Governor George P. Arnaiz during the Traveling Forum on Charter Change held May 23, 2006 at St. Paul University, this city.

Arnaiz raised his point in view of the assertion of critics of Cha-Cha that the people were made to blindly sign the People’s Initiative petition without adequate knowledge of what the proposed constitutional amendments is all about.

“We should not underestimate our people…they are capable of understanding the constitution if we feed them with the right information,” says Arnaiz.

The governor, a staunch advocate of charter change, believes that legislation under a parliamentary form of government would be faster.

He argues that under the General Appropriations Act in the present system, the release of funds for the local government units have always been delayed. “This has affected local governance,” laments Arnaiz.

Arnaiz, together with Rev. Fr. Gamaliel Tulabing and Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce Negros Oriental Chapter President Alex Sy, composed the panel of reactors during the forum wherein Consultative Commission (ConCom) Chairman Dr. Jose Abueva and Concom member and former Senator Vicente T. Paterno presented the pro’s and con’s of the proposed constitutional reforms, respectively.

Arnaiz said that compared to a Constitutional Convention and Constitutional Assemble, the People’s Initiative is the most democratic procedure because “it’s the people themselves who are given a change to propose the changes directly.”

According to Dr. Abueva, as many as 9 million people across the country have already signed the petition for a People’s Initiative.

Majority of these signatures have already been verified, adds Abueva.

Both Abueva and Paterno are among representatives of national, regional and sectoral constituencies who make up the Consultative Commission created by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to conduct consultations with various sectors of society nationwide.

The forum in Dumaguete is the 8th stop for the AdCom which has been conducting sorties around the country to raise public awareness on the proposed amendments to the Constituton by way of intellectual debates and discussion with local sectors.

Arnaiz encouraged Negrenses to hold intelligent discussions on charter change in their households to better educate family members about ChaCha.

He also proposed that more fora also be conducted down to the sitio levels to raise people’s awareness and participation on the ongoing debate on ChaCha.

Country has a better chance under parliamentary gov’t
In the midst of what he calls is the most extensive discussion on Charter Change in Philippine history, Consultative Commission (ConCom) Chairman Dr. Jose Abueva said that the country has a better shot at effective governance, progress and realization of our goals as a nation with a parliamentary system compared to the current presidential form of government.

Abueva was speaking during the traveling forum on Charter Change held May 24, 2006 at St. Paul University-Dumaguete wherein he presented the proposed constitutional amendments.
With Abueva was former Sen. Vicente Paterno who in turn presented the argument against charter change.

Paterno, who sits as director of a slew of corporations including the First Philippine Holdings Corporation, said that he agrees “in principle” to a constitutional reform but he questioned why there’s a rush to change the charter when it can be done later at the proper time.

But Abueva, a social scientist who is the Founding President and Chairman of the Kalayaan College and also University Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Public Administration, disagrees.

He said there is an urgency to reform the charter because the country is in deep political and economic crisis, threatening the survival of the country’s constitutional democracy. “Largely because our leaders are unwilling and unable to raise taxes, our government has limited funding. It is now heavily in debt from too much borrowing with up to 40% of our national going to debt service,” says Abueva.

When asked during the open forum if he can assure that a shift to parlimantary government would assure an improvement in the economic status of the country, Abueva asks this in return: “Has the present presidential system of government done anything to uplift the living condition of the masses or put a stop to poverty?”

He also stressed that the current system of government has caused intense rivalry and competition of power among the President and the legislative power of the Senate and House of Representatives due to the separation of executive powers. “Constant conflict and gridlock between the President and the House and the Senate and too many congressional investigations delay and obstruct legislations and reforms,” said Abueva.

Aside from this, he said that candidates for President and Senate are increasingly being elected for their personal popularity or “win-ability” and wealth rather than political leadership.

He said that all these and other aberrances of the present form of government hindering the nation’s growth would be addressed and corrected should the shift to a parliamentary government push through.

It’s high time for Cha-Cha – SSC prexy
There is really a need for Charter change and the time is now, says Siquijor State College President Dr. Dominador Q. Cabanganan on the issue of whether to change or not to change the Constitution.

Dr. Cabanganan said the present structure of government is defective an vey that it has to be ironed out, realigned and strengthened according to the changing needs of our times. “There are people in the government who are not attuned to the changing needs, but for me constitutional change is as urgent as it is necessary,” stressed Cabanganan.

He likened the Cha-Cha issue to a house in need of repair. “Kumbaga sa bahay, it needs to be repaired although I prefer a new construction…but if we lack the resources, then the repair will suffice and new construction will follow,” Cabanganan said.

In reaction to some views that the government has to solve first the series of economic and political crisis plaguing the country, Cabanganan said that a problem cannot be solved by adding another problem.

Cabanganan’s view echoes that of the Administration as it hopes that the on-going dialogues between the Senate and House leaderships would yield positive results at the soonest possible time to proceed with the overhaul of the political system.

The Administration has earlier stressed the need to explore avenues for executive-legislative cooperation in the spirit of civic duty and statesmanship in order to cure what it calls is our “degenerated political system.”

Siquijor Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chair Engr. Judy Booc, for her part, said the Constitution may need to be changed but what is more pressing is the need to address the critical issues at hand and for the government to stabilize first.

Council member, businessman agree on ChaCha
It’s now or never, says a prominent businessman who favors changing the Constitution the soonest possible time in order to put a stop to the “agony of the masses.”

Local businessman and hotelier Roy Cang said that a change into a parliamentary government will give the country’s economy that much needed boost in the arm.

This is the advantage of a parliamentary system- lesser number of people equals reduced cost and faster action, says Cang.

Cang, who runs a major hotel and department stores in the city, pointed out the many deadlocks in the current government system, which are the stumbling blocks to the country’s growth and a change in the political system would address this.

But, he quickly adds that he is hoping that a change in government would also result to a change of hearts of the people governing it. “People in the government should set aside their political agendas which is destroying the country,” he said.

Another local public figure who believes that amending the constitution would do the country a lot of good is City Councilor Manuel Patrimonio who believes that it’s time for a change because the 1987 Constitution was not studied well.

Patrimonio said the 1987 Constitution was then amended “to legalize Cory’s revolutionary government” but now it needs to be changed.

The councilor adds that charter change would cut down the country’s expenses said that under the present government system, election is done almost yearly. He cited the elections which took place between 1992 to 1998 – the 1992 national election, 1993 ARMM and Cordilleras Autonomous Region, 1994 barangay elections, 1995 mid-year election, 1996 SK election, 1997 barangay election and 1998 national election.

He said the elections cost billions of pesos at the expense of government coffers as the funding comes from the public treasury.

Patrimonio said that the money poured into the conduct of elections could have been used to fund the implementation of more government projects and thus save public funds.

However, the issue on constitutional amendment is still being hotly debated and the Administration hopes that the on-going dialogues between the Senate and House leaderships would yield positive results soon.

The Administration is confident that in the end, the will of the people will prevail in tearing down the walls of resistance and opening the road to Constitutional reform.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP) Negros Oriental-Siquijor Council Executive Rosario Rosales here would like to inform the District Girl Scout commissioners, Headquarter Principals, District Field Advisors and PESS Coordinators that 54th Council Anniversary Raffle Draw has been reset to June 28, 2006 at 1:00 p.m. at the GSP Conference Hall, Dumaguete City.

Panlautan farm-to-market road inaugurated
Neither the scorching heat nor the steep mountain trails hampered the inauguration of the Panlautan farm-to-market road at barangay Panlautan, Siquijor, last May 16, 2006.

The residents’ long-time dream for an accessible farm-to-market road was answered in April 20 this year through the DSWD’s Kapit Bigis Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services: Kapangyarihan at Kaunlaran sa Barangay (KALAHI-CIDSS-KKB).

This KKB project aims to empower local communities or barangays and improve their governance by providing fund support for basic infrastructure, training programs and other capability-building activities.

Situated above barangay Candanay Sur, the Panlautan farm-to-market road which started in October 31, 2005 has been 100 percent completed at a total project cost of P2,103,939.00, the bulk of which came from the KALAHI-CIDSS, worth P1M, 935, 571.60. The rest of the fund came from the local government unit of Siquijor and the barangay itself, either in cash or in kind.
Youth encouraged to be entrepreneurs
Youth leaders in the Municipality of Valencia were taught to be entrepreneurs to help their families and improve their economic plight during one-day youth livelihood development seminar held May 23 at the municipal session hall in Valencia town.

Local Operations Officer Ruby Noblefranca said the seminar was aimed at enriching the youth’s knowledge and capabilities in practical livelihood undertakings and to be more competitive in their entrepreneurial skills.

The seminar also supports the thrusts of the Gonzalez administration to have a pool of skilled individuals that can be tapped for employment.

The 72 participants were trained on mushroom, culture, tilapia breeding, banana and papaya production, livestock raising, and banana tissue culture.

Noblefranca said it is high time the youth, through its Sangguniang Kabataan, organize into a strong and potent group that would focus on livelihood. “ Developing their attitude to have a sense of industry must be pushed to promote livelihood entrepreneur among the youth,” she said.

Valencia town gets P24-M SEDIP program


Students in Valencia town may enjoy better school facilities this school year with the local government sourcing money to counterpart the P24-million SEDIP (Secondary Education Development and Improvement Project) to implement constructions of new secondary school buildings.

Fredo Anqui, municipal planning officer, said P4-million savings of the town’s 1-centavo per kilowatt-hour from the Department of Energy may be used to fund part of the program.

The municipality already put up an initital amount of P1-million to counterpart the P3.5 two- storey four classrooms school building construction in Valencia National High School, undertaken by JOAN Constrruction.

Valencia Mayor Rodolfo Gonzalez Jr wants to avail of the entire amount of P24-million from SEDIP for Valencia by giving a counterpart of P8-million or 25 percent to the program, being funded by Japan Bank for International Cooperation and Asian Development Bank.

Barangay captains and various leaders from the civil society groups expressed full support to the effort of the Gonzalez administration during the municipal development council meeting held Wednesday, to approved the P6.4-million for various proposed projects. The amount comes from the 20 percent development fund surplus of the administration.

Local Council for Women to mark Int’l Women’s Health Day
The Valencia Local Council for Women will hold a health fair to celebrate the International Day for Women’s Health on Sunday, May 28.

The health fair, exclusively for women, will start from 8 o’clock in the morning to 5 o’clock in the afternoon at the Valencia Rural Health Center.

Screening test for cholesterol, ECG, papsmear, and fasting blood sugar will be conducted for free by volunteer doctors.

Rowena Giangan, municipal social welfare officer, encouraged women in Valencia town to avail of the opportunity as only first 50 clients will be accommodated for each screening test. Women above 40 years old will be priority for papsmear.