LET'S GO METRO, METRO VIGAN!

I recently sponsored a Resolution inviting than towns of Bantay, San Vicente, Caoayan, Sta. Catalina, San Ildefonso and Santa to explore the possibilty of establishing the Metro Vigan Coordinating Council. The idea is to establish a coordinating body which will oversee the delivery of basic services and address issues common to all. Sharing of resources and sharing of responsibilities shall be one of the features of the metro council.

Article X, Section 13 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that, "Local government units may group themselves, consolidate or coordinate their efforts, services and resources for purposes commonly benificial to them, in accordance with law." This provides the legal basis in creating a Metro Vigan Coordinating Council. Aside from this, the local government units of Vigan, Bantay, Sta. Catalina, Caoayan, San Ildefonso, San Vicente and Santa are adjacent to each other forming a contiguous area which could be classified as Metro Vigan.

The present demands of government administration in these local government units, particularly the delivery of basic essential services is too tasking especially if resources are limited. Hence, the sharing of resources among these local government units for purposes commonly beneficial to all is most wanting. The need to forge unity, cooperation and coordination among these local governments for the efficient delivery of basic services for its peoples is of utmost urgency.

The Vigan City Council has already approved a "Resolution Inviting the Towns of Bantay, Sta. Catalina, Caoayan, San Vicente, San Ildefonso and Santa, Ilocos Sur to Explore the Possibility of Creating the Metro Vigan Coordinating Council." I just hope and pray that the neigboring towns of Vigan will accept this invitation. LET'S GO METRO!

Roxas Calls For ASEAN Leaders’ Summit On Food Security: A Global and Liberal Solution (adapted from the Official Website of Senator Mar Roxas)

Senator Mar Roxas, chairman of the Senate trade and commerce committee, called on the Philippine government to take the lead in calling for an ASEAN Leaders' Summit to address the rice crisis and ensure food security in the region.

In a press release, Roxas announced that he would file a resolution on Monday expressing the sense of the Senate that the Philippines should take the lead in calling for such a special Leaders' Summit, to ensure food and rice security in the coming months.

"ASEAN has in its membership the world's two biggest rice exporters and the world's biggest rice importer. The proposed ASEAN Leaders' Summit has the opportunity to ease the fear and crisis that is gripping both the producing farmers and consumer families across ASEAN and the region. This kind of crisis is exactly why ASEAN exists. ASEAN must address and intervene in this crisis to prove to the world that it can take the lead in the political and economic integration of its member-nations" the former trade secretary said.

The Filipino leader said the proposed ASEAN leaders' summit could even include non-ASEAN neighbors as such as Japan, South Korea and China for an ASEAN Plus Three Summit as well as multinational financial institutions, which have a critical interest on both the consumer and producer sides of the current crisis.

"At the ASEAN Summit in Singapore last year, an ASEAN Charter was adopted. This document would be meaningless if the leaders of ASEAN cannot get together to ensure solidarity against hunger made worse by soaring rice and food prices," the former trade and commerce secretary explained.

Roxas said the Philippines can invoke a provision in the ASEAN Charter on Summits that allows its leaders to hold a summit to "address emergency situations affecting ASEAN by taking appropriate actions."

The president of the Liberal Party also quoted from the ASEAN Charter's preamble that resolved "to ensure sustainable development for the benefit of present and future generations and to place the well-being, livelihood and welfare of the peoples at the centre of the ASEAN community building process."

Roxas cited the following precedents to back up his call for an emergency ASEAN Summit on the Rice, Food and Oil Crisis:

During the Special Leaders' Summit on SARS held in Bangkok, Thailand on April 29, 2003, ASEAN agreed to set up a regional information network and early warning system to help stop the spread of SARS, according to a joint declaration.

On January 6, 2005, it also held a Leaders' Special Meeting on the Aftermath of Earthquake and Tsunami disasters in Jakarta, Indonesia. This led to a joint declaration for the urgent mobilization of additional resources to meet the emergency relief needs of victims in the affected countries.

During that same Leaders' Special Meeting, the ASEAN leaders agreed to request the United Nations to appoint a Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to mobilize the international community to support the national relief emergency programs in the affected countries.

A LIBERAL SOLUTION TO THE PHILIPPINE FOOD CRISIS: SUSPEND THE 12% VAT ON OIL AND PETROLEUM PRODUCTS

The increase of the price of rice coupled with the price of gasoline is evident that a crisis looms in the Philippines. Since the prices of oil, rice and other food commodities are all inter-connected, Filipino families are adversely affected by this situation. According to Liberal Party President Senator Mar Roxas, prices of processed and canned meats would also go up due to several factors, such as tighter quantitative restrictions on imported meat, increasing prices of locally-produced meat and of tin cans as well as higher transport costs due to soaring oil prices. Prices of meat are also affected by the decreasing supply and increasing costs of feeds, such as wheat and corn.

The President of the Liberal Party said the government can heed the people's call for immediate relief by suspending the 12% VAT on oil and petroleum products. "Matagal na naming isinusulong ito, pero dahil ayaw ito ng administrasyon, hindi ito umuusad sa mababang kapulungan. Ngayong may krisis, mas kailangan ng taumbayan ang perang ipinahiram nila sa gobyerno (We've been advocating this for a long time already, but it has not progressed in the House because the administration does not want it. Now that there's a crisis, the people now need the money that they lent the government through taxes)," he said. "Hindi na puwedeng tingi-tingi ang mga solusyon ng gobyerno, dahil tali-tali ang ating mga problema (We can't live on the government's band-aid solutions because our problems are inter-related and affect each other)," he said.

Senator Mar Roxas' proposal to suspend the 12% VAT on oil and petroleum products is not only logical at this point in time in the Philippine setting but practical as well. It is a doable solution --- a LIBERAL one indeed!

SUBIC AUTHORITIES SHOULD ENGAGE THE SERVICES OF CONSERVATION ADVOCATES

The almost finished construction of two Korean condominium buildings in the middle of the protected rainforest of Subic is really out of tune! Subic authorities should have exercised diligence before it allowed the construction. The Subic rainforest is not only an environmental concern but it is somethimg which forms part of the country's natural heritage which deserves to be protected.

In conserving a natural heritage such as the Subic rainforest, it is not enough that the trees are protected from being cut. It's natural beauty and integrity must not be compromised. It's VISTA (view) must not be blocked or interfered. What happened in Subic is a great disrespect to the Philippines' rich legacy. Inviting investors to do business in our country is good but pleasing investors at the expense of our NATURAL HERITAGE is unforgivable. Subic authorities should engage the services of conservation advocates to have a better understanding of environmental protection.