Month: November 2022

Inaprubahan na ng House Committee on Human Rights nitong Martes ang panukalang magbibigay proteksyon sa malayang pamamahayag ng relihiyon at pananampalataya.

Maaalalang ang Magna Carta on Religious Freedom Act ay naipasa na ng Mababang Kapulungan sa third and final reading sa nakaraang 18th Congress.

Ayon sa pangunahing may akda nito na si CIBAC Representative Bro. Eddie Villanueva, sa ilalim ng panukalang ito ay mas mahihikayat ang mga Pilipino na mas paunlarin at palakasin ang espirituwal na aspeto ng kanilang buhay sa pamamagitan ng pagprotekta sa karapatang magsagawa ng mga kasanayang pang-espirituwal nang hindi inaalala ang anumang pag-uusig, pagbabanta, o pagparusa.

Dagdag pa ni Rep. Villanueva na isinusulong din nito pagpapalaganap ng anumang paniniwala o relihiyon. Aniya, “This measure also aims to promote a free market of religious ideas in the country where no religion is suppressed or quelled over the other. By leveling the playing field for the propagation of different religions, Filipinos are afforded the full spectrum of varying faiths and the freedom to choose to which they will subscribe.”

Alinsunod sa panukala, ang mga probisyon ay mapapailalim din sa makatuwirang limitasyon. Ang malayang pamamahayag ng relihiyon ay maaaring tanggihan kung ito ay magreresulta sa anumang klase ng karahasan o panganib sa kaligtasan at kaayusan ng publiko.

Matapos ang pagpasa ng komite, dadaan ang panukala sa debate at botohan sa plenaryo ng Kamara bago maipasa ng Senado.

The House Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, headed by its Chairperson CIBAC Party-List Representative Bro. Eddie Villanueva, approves on Tuesday a bill promoting in government the culture of procuring “green” or environment-friendly goods and services in order to lead the country’s direction toward sustainable development.

House Bill 1272 – or the Green Public Procurement Bill, authored by Representatives LRay Villfuerte, Migz Villafuerte, Hori Horibata and Nicolas Enciso VIII – aims to institutionalize in government procurement the concept of sustainable development or green procuring wherein the government meet its needs by purchasing goods and services that benefit not only the organization but the entire society and economy as well while minimizing or causing no hazard or damage to the environment.

The bill will be consolidated with House Bill 5747 or the Sustainable Procurement Bill authored by Rep. Villanueva and with other similar bills before it will be reported to the plenary for deliberation.

“Sa gitna po ng mga naranasan nating bagyo, pagbaha, sakuna, kalamidad at kahirapan sa nakalipas na mga linggo o buwan, kailangan nating maging seryoso sa pagta-trabaho at pagpupunyagi upang makamit ang mga sustainable development goals na ito lalo na sa pangangalaga sa ating kapaligiran at paglaban sa kahirapan,” says Chairman Villanueva in a speech during the meeting.

“That is why for this Representation, equally urgent and crucial with our fight against corruption in the government is our quest for sustainable development – a kind of progress that does not destroy our natural resources and does not compromise the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs. If we want to save lives, we need to be sustainable,” adds the CIBAC solon.

Under the measure, the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) is mandated to establish a system of developing “green” criteria and including the same in the project requirements of procuring entities. The bill also directs the verification of goods or items being procured by government if the same comply with the green criteria established by the GPPB.

The bill envisions the government to be an environmentally-responsible consumer and a lead player in promoting sustainable development in the country. It also aims to stimulate the market and economic players to gear the trend towards producing ecologically-friendlier goods and services.