MANILA: Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Tuesday categorically denounced allegations of unethical practices in the ongoing gathering of signatures for a People’s Initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution, saying such actions erode democratic foundations.

In a statement, he said while the House respects and supports the People’s Initiative as an independent citizen-driven process, its role is limited only to facilitating and encouraging democratic participation without direct involvement in signature collection.

‘I vehemently denounce any allegations of bribery or unethical practices in persuading citizens to sign the petition for the People’s Initiative. Such actions, if true, would violate the initiative’s spirit of honest and voluntary participation and erode our democratic foundations,’ Romualdez said.

‘The House does not endorse or sanction direct participation by its members in signature gathering, ensuring the process’s integrity and independence remains intact,’ he added.

Romualdez issued the
statement in response to the discourse surrounding the People’s Initiative.

Some sectors have alleged payoffs and misrepresentations in the signature campaigns for charter change, including allegations that the House leadership is behind the People’s Initiative.

Romualdez said the House of Representatives remains committed to supporting the People’s Initiative, saying it is an ‘essential democratic process’ that stands as a direct expression of the people’s will, and provides a means for citizens to propose constitutional amendments.

He clarified, however, that the House’s commitment is ‘to ensuring that proposals are processed in accordance with legal and constitutional guidelines, maintaining the integrity of our Constitution in subsequent legislative actions.’

‘We are committed to ensuring that proposals are processed in accordance with legal and constitutional guidelines, maintaining the integrity of our constitution in subsequent legislative actions,’ Romualdez said.

Romualdez reiterated his call fo
r the entry of foreign capital and direct investments, which he said is crucial to the Philippine economy.

‘It necessitates a reexamination of the constitution, particularly its economic provisions, to remove growth barriers,’ he said.

The House leader said the recent collaboration with the Senate, led by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and the filing of Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6, reflects a ‘unified commitment to constitutional reform.’

Zubiri led the filing of RBH 6 on Jan. 15 to rewrite specific economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The government is eyeing to establish an additional 179 medical specialty centers by 2028, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Tuesday.

During the launching of the country’s first human lung transplant of the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) in Diliman, Quezon City, Marcos said seven of the 179 specialty centers that will be built are dedicated for lung care.

‘It is the same grand vision which prompted the establishment of the LCP, and the NKTI, and the Heart Center, during an era when great things were not only dreamed of but developed. ‘Build, Better More’ is of the same ethos which should animate us today, to march forward, instead of just running in place,’ he said.

Marcos stressed that through Republic Act 11959 or the Regional Specialty Centers Act, around 131 functional specialty centers have already been built nationwide, nine of which are designated as lung specialty centers to bring lung care closer to Filipinos, particular
ly in the rural areas.

He said the government also continues conducting training for doctors through the ‘Doctors to the Barrios Program,’ adding that their development is critical to the realization of universal healthcare.

He added the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Health (DOH) are also implementing an expanded nursing education program to address the shortage of healthcare workers while ensuring their future supply.

‘Let us remember that healthcare is our covenant with the people, a public commitment driven by neither political agenda nor personal legacy projects,’ Marcos said.

Marcos lauded the healthcare workers for their unwavering commitment to the healthcare system, to the Filipino people and the country, especially during the height of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

‘Nais naming ipaabot ang aming taus-pusong pasasalamat dahil sa inyong katapangan (We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your bravery). Your gallant acts do not fade with time, then gratitude
has no expiry date either,’ he said.

NKTI rehab

Marcos also vowed to exhaust all efforts to rehabilitate the NKTI Annex building following a fire that gutted the LCP in 1998.

A fire that broke out at the LCP in May 1998 affected the nearby NKTI Annex building housing the emergency room, wards, operating room and radiology complex.

‘We will be coming to you again so that we can complete, we can complete the rebuilding. I was a little sad to hear that the damage that was caused by the fire of 1998 has not yet been completely rehabilitated, and I think that’s the first thing that we have to look at,’ Marcos said.

‘And, it seems like it has been too long a delay to wait since 1998 to bring us back to the standards, or at least the capacity that we had in 1998 to now, which is already 2024. So, we are playing catch-up, but we will do all that we can,’ he added.

The five-year LCP-NKTI Lung Transplant Program, initiated in November 2022, aims to develop a lung transplant manual that addresses barriers such as
lack of infrastructure and organ donation and allocation system, limited access to trained personnel, and financial constraints.

As part of the program, the LCP has been improving its infrastructure capacity, including the renovation of its post-anesthesia care unit worth PHP4.2 million, and surgical intensive care unit amounting to PHP1.8 million which will be funded through the 2024 General Appropriations Act and private sector donations.

The LCP was created in 1981 by virtue of Presidential Decree (PD) 1823 as a tertiary level state-owned hospital that aims to address the respiratory health problems in the country.

On the other hand, the NKTI, formerly the National Kidney Foundation of the Philippines, is a tertiary medical specialty center created in 1981 through PD 1832. Its mission is to serve, train personnel, and conduct research for the benefit of Filipinos afflicted with kidney and similar diseases.

Source: Philippines News Agency

BACOLOD: Average residential power rates of all three distribution utilities in Negros Occidental increased in January, mainly due to higher generation and transmission charges.

The Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (Noneco), Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) and Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (Noceco) distribute electricity to the province through their respective franchise areas.

On Tuesday, Noneco said this month’s rate increased by PHP0.487 per kilowatt hour (kWh) to PHP12.38 from last month’s PHP11.89.

‘The increase is attributed to the net increase of the electricity due to the market price of Wholesale Electricity Spot Market and increase in the fuel fee of Palm Concepcion Power Corp.,’ it said in a statement.

Ceneco, which serves the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Talisay and Silay, as well as the municipalities of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto, reported an average residential rate of PHP10.83/kWh for January, higher by PHP0.066 from the previous month’s rate of PHP10.76.

In i
ts advisory, the Ceneco management attributed the rate hike to the increase in average transmission charges by 10.35 percent due to the increase in the ancillary service charge.

‘In monitoring the monthly electricity usage, consumers are advised to look at their kilowatt-hour consumption and not on the bill amount since it varies depending on the pass-through charges,’ it added.

Noceco, whose area coverage includes the cities and municipalities in the southern part of Negros, has a residential rate of PHP12.24/kWh in January, with an increase of PHP0.42 from PHP11.82 in December.

The hike in total generation and transmission charges pushed for the higher rate, it said.

According to the Noceco management, higher electricity rates are expected in the coming months or during the hot season ‘when total demand is high because more expensive generation sources are added to meet the increased demand in electricity.’

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: Police authorities arrested two Taiwanese nationals engaged in illegal activities in Makati City, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said on Tuesday.

In a report, NCRPO director Maj. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the suspects Yuan Bo-Chun and Lin Jyun-Ze, were nabbed in a joint operation of the NCRPO’s Regional Intelligence Division and the fugitive search unit of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) inside a condominium unit in Barangay Poblacion, Makati City at about 7 p.m. Monday.

Yuan is the subject of a BI mission order in connection with an arrest warrant issued by the Taiwan District Court against for human trafficking.

Seized from Yuan during the operation were high powered firearms including a 5.56-mm assault rifle, a 9-mm assault rifle, an M4A1 carbine, a-9mm ingram, assorted ammunition and handcuffs.

During the operation, Nartatez said Lin was caught in the act of “manning several workstations that apparently operate various scamming and illegal online gambling sites.”

Also seized were several computer system units with peripherals, SIM modems, thousands of pre-registered SIM cards, ATM cards, fictitious identification cards and high-grade marijuana.

The suspects were brought to the NCRPO RID office in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City for documentation and proper disposition.

Source: Philippines News Agency