Senate resumes session, tackles rice, baselines bill

MANILA, Philippines – Senators are expected to buckle down to work as Congress resumes session today to help address the country’s needs in the economic, social and environmental fronts, Senate President Manuel Villar said yesterday.

“We are ready to work on proposals that will address our people’s most pressing needs... including the rising cost of basic commodities and unemployment. We intend to put in place new systems and remedy existing legislation to help shield the Filipino from economic hardship,” Villar said.

He said the Senate is expected to tackle priority measures that include amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA); the bill on special employment of students that will create employment opportunities for Filipinos aged 15 to 24; proposals to exempt minimum wage earners from paying income taxes; and the bill granting financial assistance and scholarships to children of fire fighters, policemen and soldiers killed in the line of duty.

Villar said proposals to extend the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program will be discussed, as well as measures to establish a socialized and low cost housing loan restructuring program, among others.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said the issues of rice and food sufficiency will be among the priority measures that will be tackled today.

He added the bills on cheaper medicine and archipelagic baselines will be included.

Pimentel said the Senate will look at various measures proposed to solve the rice crisis, including the upgrading and repair of irrigation systems.

Other proposals include providing more subsidy to rice farmers in terms of high yielding palay, hybrid seeds, fertilizer, pesticide and post-harvest facilities and expanding the land areas for palay planting.

The opposition lawmaker said he finds merit in Malacañang’s proposal to tap the Church and local government units to sell cheaper rice from the National Food Authority (NFA).

Pimentel said the state-subsidized NFA rice should mainly benefit poor families who cannot afford high-priced commercial rice.

On the P43.7-billion food security plan recently announced by President Arroyo, Pimentel said the Senate will have to look for sources of the funds and if there is a need for Congress to approve a supplemental budget.

Pimentel added that the Senate would also need to ensure the funds are spent fully on projects instead of being misused.

On the other hand, Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan urged fellow members of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory and Consultative Council (LEDAC) to put the rice crisis on top of the agenda as the body meets anew today.

“We need to put this issue on top of the agenda as this problem has been unforgiving especially to the poorest of the poor,” Pangilinan said.

“The true test for our national leaders is the ability to rise above their differences and work together to come up with relevant policies that will alleviate the problems our country faces, particularly the food shortage,” he said.