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Fixed-salary rules for bus drivers, conductors to be in force by March 9

THE DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment (DoLE) gave bus companies until March 9 to incorporate a semi-fixed salary component in paying their drivers and conductors, a compensation structure that was sanctioned by the Supreme Court last year.
In a radio interview on Tuesday, Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said that bus companies should comply with the part-fixed, part performance based salary.
“Kailangan sundin na nila ‘yung minimum wage law at saka ‘yung provision on overtime and entitlement sa ibang benefits of a regular employee. Hindi na kagaya noong araw na on commission basis,” he said.
(They need to follow the minimum wage law and also the provision on overtime and the regular employee’s entitlement of other benefits. It shouldn’t be like back then when it was still a commission basis).
The elimination of purely performance-based compensation is expected to eliminate behavior that worsens road travel conditions or makes it more dangerous, including racing to the next stop in order to be first to load new passengers and lingering in pickup areas.
By March 9, Mr. Bello added, “Bus drivers will be considered regular employees, and the computation of daily wages should start.”
On Feb. 15, DoLE agency the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) released revised guidelines on bus employee compensation and required bus companies to submit their two-tier compensation schemes to the labor department.
The guidelines also call on bus operators to follow the “part fixed, part performance based” compensation scheme stated in DoLE Department Order No. 118-12. The performance-based component should be computed as the current average daily earnings minus the fixed wage. The fixed wage should follow the prescribed daily salary of each region.
Mr. Bello said that bus companies should welcome this because it assures the safety of the driver, conductor and passengers, adding “Accidents are often caused by drivers seeking to maximize their passengers and increasing their commissions. That’s risky.”
In September, the Supreme Court (SC) ruled that the part fixed, part performance-based compensation scheme to be legal, adding that the fixed income component “equalizes the playing field, so to speak, so that competition and racing among bus drivers are prevented.” — Gillian M. Cortez

Farmers question agencies’ capacity to disburse rice tariffication funds

THE Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) cast doubt on Tuesday on the capacity of small government agencies to effectively disburse the P10 billion-a-year Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), one of the features of the Rice Tariffication Law.
In a briefing in Quezon City, FFF National Manager Raul Q. Montemayor said that the agencies overseeing the fund, like the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) may not have the reach or the manpower, while the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) on the other hand is not an agriculture-focused training center.
Mr. Montemayor added that TESDA is in a partnership with the law’s principal author Senator Cynthia A. Villar’s farm school Villar Sipag, which means that a part of the budget will benefit Ms. Villar’s foundation.
Under the law, the rice tariffication will provide P10 billion in funding each year fro six years to assist rice farmers, with 50% for farm mechanization; 30% for development, propagation and promotion of inbred seed; 10% for low-cost farm credit facilitated by the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP); and 10% for extension services to upgrade farmers’ skills in crop production, seed production, modern rice farming techniques, farm mechanization, and facilitate technology transfer through farm schools.
“The fund seems to have an intended beneficiary, which is the foundation” Mr. Montemayor said.
“Agriculture training is not TESDA’s expertise,” Mr. Montemayor added.
Mr. Montemayor said that the government is in a hurry to implement the law without adequate study. He noted that while rice tariffication is part of the country’s commitment to the World Trade Organization (WTO) which should have been implemented more than two decades ago, the removal of the licensing authority of the National Food Authority (NFA) is not part of the agreement.
“I can’t understand why they removed that, not just among importers but all the way down to the retailers. How can you track the movement of the rice [and] the inventory of rice?” Mr. Montemayor said.
According to Mr. Montemayor, by removing NFA’s power to regulate the industry, the market is now more vulnerable to smuggling.
Among the requirements to import rice under the new law is to have access to a warehouse. The NFA will no longer license any importer, but importers have to go to the Bureau of Plant (BPI) industry to secure sanitary permits.
The FFF and other groups of rice farmers declared their opposition to the law, which took effect yesterday. The other groups include Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan, Centro Saka, Rights Watch, Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahan sa Kanayunan, Save Agrarian Reform Alliance, Integrated Rural Development Foundation, Pambansang Kilusan ng Magbubukid sa Pilipinas, the National Movement for Food Sovereignty, Kilusan para sa Repormang Agraryo at Kataturungan Panlipunan, and Rice Watch Action Network. — Reicelene Joy N. Ignacio

Family planning strategy targets 65% contraceptive takeup

MALACAÑANG on Tuesday said President Rodrigo R. Duterte has approved the “full and intensified” implementation plan for the government’s national program on family planning.
“The key strategy is the use of effective modern contraceptives where 11.3 million women would be given access to over the next four years. The aim is to increase the usage thereof from 40% to 65%,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said in a statement.
Mr. Panelo said the President approved the “the full and intensified Implementation Plan for the National Program on Family Planning” during the Cabinet meeting on Monday, March 4, after it was presented by the Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia, and Executive Director of the Commission on Population and Development, Juan Antonio A. Perez III.
He added: “The approval of the aforesaid plan is expected to reduce poverty incidence in the country, which currently has the highest fertility rate and fastest growing population in the ASEAN region,” Mr. Panelo said. Poverty is expected to drop “from the current 20% to 14% in 2022, the year PRRD (Mr. Duterte) steps down from office. Aside from poverty reduction, the plan equally aims to promote better health and socioeconomic development among Filipinos.”
Mr. Panelo also said the government understands that “a great majority of Filipinos favor family planning but not all of them have access to contraceptives for various reasons.”
“Accordingly, the government is here to respond and help those who wish to undergo family planning,” he said further.
Also during the Cabinet meeting, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Chairperson Eduardo D. Del Rosario, according to Mr. Panelo, “thanked the President for the creation of a housing department.”
“The President further approved the proposed construction of 31 Evacuation Centers in six provinces from Region V,” he said.
The President was also updated on the actions taken by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to streamline the land-use conversion process.
“After the issuance of an executive order, DAR will be able to process land conversion within 30 days compared to the previous 190 days,” Mr. Panelo said.
DAR, he added, was instructed to submit the complete staff work to the Office of the Executive Secretary. — Arjay L. Balinbin

UHC Act:The role of Health Technology

The Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, also known as Republic Act 11223, was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on February 20. Under this landmark legislation, all citizens, including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), will be automatically enrolled into the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP), either as direct or indirect contributors, who will be eligible and have access to preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative care for medical, dental, mental and emergency health services.
The NHIP is being administered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), a government corporation attached to the Department of Health (DoH).
One of the objectives of the UHC Act is to realize universal coverage through a systemic approach and clear delineation of roles of key agencies and stakeholders toward a better performance in the health system. This is actually aligned with the DoH’s flagship program and tagline of “Boosting Universal Health Care via FOURmula One Plus.” The Act is foreseen as the cornerstone that will lead all Filipinos to receive the needed health services without causing financial hardship.
The effective implementation of the Act will rely on building adequate infrastructure, such as access to screening, timely and accurate diagnostics, and the presence of a skilled health work force. Moreover, in order to realize a true universal coverage, the health system should reach populations who are less likely to seek or have access to quality health care, such as those who belong to the vulnerable and marginalized groups.
Amid these overwhelming demands for quality and effective health care, the law is also expected to prioritize and facilitate major reforms that will consolidate the existing yet fragmented financial flows, significantly improve the governance and performance of the devolved local health systems, and institutionalize support mechanisms, such as health promotion and health technology assessment.
Health technology, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), is the application of organized knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve the quality of lives. The term health technology assessment (HTA) was first quoted about 30 years ago and was considered as a way of strengthening the evidence-based selection and rational use of health technologies and increase efficiency when introducing and using the technologies in health care.
Under Section 34 of the UHC Act, the HTA process shall be institutionalized as a fair and transparent priority setting mechanism for the development of policies and programs, regulation, and the determination of a range of entitlements such as drugs, medicines, pharmaceutical products, and other devices, procedures and services, that is recommendatory to the DoH and PhilHealth. The HTA will also recommend the development of any benefit package.
In 2013, WHO publications and resolutions indicated that HTA is an important tool to further advance the implementation of UHC in terms of deciding who should be getting which intervention and at what cost. These concepts are linked to people-centered care, essential packages, resource allocation, and quality of health services delivery to get more cost-effective health care.
Commonly conducted by interdisciplinary groups, the HTA uses analytical frameworks, drawing on clinical, epidemiological, health economic and other information and methodologies. It may be applied to interventions, such as including a new medicine into a reimbursement scheme, rolling out public health programs (such as immunization), priority setting in health care, identifying health interventions that produce the greatest health gain and offer value for money, setting prices for medicines and other technologies based on their cost-effectiveness, and formulating clinical guidelines.
Prior to the passage of the UHC Act, the Philippine health sector lacked a formal national program for HTA, although there were efforts to apply its principles, for instance, when the HTA Committee was established by PhilHealth in the 2000s. The initial role then of the Committee was to conduct assessments of drugs, medical and surgical procedures, and other health interventions that became the basis for PhilHealth’s benefit packages, reimbursement policies and accreditation standards for health providers.
Based on the provisions stated in the newly signed UHC Act, a Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) will be formed and composed of health experts: namely: (1) public health epidemiologist; (2) health economist; (3) ethicist; (4) citizen’s representative; (5) sociologist or anthropologist; (6) clinical trial or research methods expert; (7) clinical epidemiologist or evidence-based medicine expert; (8) medico-legal expert; and (9) public health expert.
Once the HTAC positions are fully occupied, they are primarily expected to (1) facilitate provision of financing and/or coverage recommendations on health technologies to be financed, (2) oversee and coordinate the HTA process within DoH and PhilHealth and (3) review and assess existing benefit packages. The HTAC is also expected to conduct assessments in accordance with the principles, criteria and procedures that will ensure that its process is transparent, conducted with reasonable promptness, and the results of its deliberations are made public.
Furthermore, subcommittees will also be formed within the Council, mainly divided into: drugs, vaccines, clinical equipment and devices, medical and surgical procedure, preventive and promotive health services, and traditional medicine.
Earlier last month the DoH announced its call for HTAC nominations, ending on February 28. The nominees should have the track record and competencies that will emulate the expectations and objectives of the Act. Upon five years of the HTAC’s establishment and operation, the Council will transition into an independent entity, separate from the DoH, and will then be attached to the Department of Science Technology (DoST). As long as qualified members will still be appointed to be part of the Council, this should not be taken as a challenge but perhaps even as an advantage.
Nevertheless, the success of the law will not only be dependent on HTAs. Like other enacted policies, its proper implementation will surely depend on political support and leadership. The accountability for decision-making should be clearly established, together with the constant source of funding.
Lastly, the Joint Congressional oversight committee on universal health care should regularly exercise their powers to review the implementation of the law. This will entail a systematic evaluation of the performance of the various agencies with respect to their roles and functions with regards to the objectives of the UHC Act. The lead agencies should also take into consideration the various roles of stakeholders (e.g. patient groups and related industries) in achieving the ultimate goal of universal health coverage.
 
Alvin M. Manalansan is Health Fellow at Stratbase ADR Institute.

Inflation, Interest Rate, BSP Governor, and Travel Tax

“Many people want the government to protect the consumer. A much more urgent problem is to protect the consumer from the government.”

— Milton Friedman (1912-2006),
Nobel Prize economist

This paper will briefly cover four topics showing various degrees of “outlierness” in Philippines economic performance and policy compared to our neighbors in Asia.
(1) Inflation rate. The Philippines registered a 4.1% inflation rate average for the first two months of 2019. The good news is that it is a lot lower than the past four months average of 6.1%, but the bad news is that compared to our neighbors, it is the highest. In the ASEAN-6, Malaysia experienced a deflation, Singapore and Thailand have near-zero inflation while Indonesia and Vietnam have below 3% (see table).
Inflation Rate, selected Asia, in %
So we are the inflation outlier in the region. Since Dutertenomics’ TRAIN law has penalized the consumers with high inflation (1.3% in 2016, 2.9% in 2017, 5.2% in 2018), the administration should compensate this year by targeting a 1-2% inflation via tax cut somewhere, or suspension of tax hikes. Far out. Its mantra is spend-spend-spend, tax-tax-tax, borrow-borrow-borrow. Let the future taxpayers worry about current high borrowings.
(2) Interest rate. In particular, Bank lending rates, the numbers for March 2018 to January 2019, are:
Bank Lending Rate
So the Philippines is an outlier again, the only economy with ever-rising rates and surpassing the 7% mark.
(3) New BSP Governor. The third BSP Governor, Armando Tetangco, worked at BSP for two decades before he was appointed Governor in 2005. His successor, the late Nesting Espenilla, also worked at BSP for more than three decades before he was appointed as the fourth Governor. The new and fifth Governor, Ben Diokno, is somehow an outlier because he has zero BSP work experience, zero private banking experience. But he is a known economist, was a two-term DBM Secretary (under former President Erap Estrada, then President Rodrigo Duterte). Diokno was my teacher twice, in undergrad mid-80s then graduate studies late 90s in UPSE. I notice that he’s a fiscal hawk, practicing spend-spend-spend philosophy at DBM. I just hope that he will not be a monetary hawk, print-print-print money at BSP.
(4) Travel tax. In my work as a free market advocate in the Philippines, I get to travel abroad about 3x a year mostly in Asia, all expenses covered by my various sponsor-think tanks and fellow free market institutes. I see plane fares fluctuate depending on the season but one thing that does not fluctuate is the Philippines travel tax (P1,620 for economy, P2,700 first class passengers).
While my sponsors pay for my plane fare including the travel tax (makes my travel cost go higher), occasionally I would bring my family when the kids are on school break and plane fare is cheap (KL, HK, Bangkok) as they can stay in my hotel for free for few days. I have to pay extra for their travel tax.
The Philippines is an outlier again because we seem to be the only country in Asia that imposes a travel tax on its citizens. This is on top of airport terminal fee of P700 and there is not even free drinking fountain.
Travel tax abolition should be done. Senate Bill 1841 by Sen. Koko Pimentel aims to do this but it was not even passed at the Committee level. TIEZA and other bureaucracies that benefit from gouging more taxes from Filipinos oppose. They should be abolished too someday.
 
Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. is the president of Minimal Government Thinkers.
minimalgovernment@gmail.com

Colossal denials by the masters of bluster

Which of the two presidential denials would you consider more colossal or spectacular?
President Donald Trump’s insistence that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s inquiry into Trump’s possible violation of law is a hoax and a witch hunt?
Or President Rodrigo Duterte’s assertion that there is no proof that the Marcoses amassed ill-gotten wealth?
I would say it’s a toss-up. Both Trump and Duterte have proven themselves to be Masters of Bluster, although Trump can probably claim the crown as the Lying King.
With so many of his closest associates and confidants facing jail time and his former lawyer and enforcer, Michael Cohen, bluntly calling Trump “a racist, a con man and a cheat,” Trump still adamantly denies any wrong-doing by anyone, especially himself.
That clearly qualifies as a Mother of Denials. But Duterte’s recent declaration about the Marcoses could easily beat Trump’s fiction.
Duterte’s fantasy is that there is no proof that President Ferdinand Marcos and his family (the ones overthrown by the People Power Revolt, remember?) made billions in unexplained — a.k.a. ill-gotten — wealth.
A news item written by Alexis Romero quotes Duterte as follows: “Until now you have not proven anything except to sequester and sell — hindi mo nga sigurado kung talagang kay Marcos ba ‘yan?”
That brings to mind the joke about two morons, walking along the railroad tracks, who spot body parts on the rails.
“Those look like Joe’s arms and legs,” says one moron.
The second moron, upon seeing a decapitated head, picks it up and declares: “It is Joe’s head.”
And the first moron asks: “Joe…Joe, are you hurt?”
The swards in our neighborhood in Parañaque have an apt expression for that: “Obvious bah???”
In the case of Trump, the applicable joke is about the two morons who spot a pile of bullshit. The morons debate whether or not the filthy mound is b.s. So one of the morons decides to taste it. Only then do the morons agree that it is, in fact, b.s.
A different and more accurate punchline is that even if Trump tastes the bullshit, he will continue to deny it.
In his book, From Third World to First, the late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore recounts how he and his group of reformers cleaned up the corruption in their island nation.
They passed a law that presumed that wealth that could not be explained by a public official’s legitimate salary and assets was ill-gotten. In other words, stolen.
Of course, it would not be surprising if Duterte — in fact, nearly all Philippine politicians and public officials — would refuse to accept that premise. There would not be enough jail cells to accommodate those with unexplained cars, mansions, overseas homes, Swiss bank accounts, mistresses and cash-in-hand if the Unexplainables were required to be accounted for, under pain of imprisonment.
One politician who could provide a believable explanation for his millions is Sen Manny Pacquiao. He has the lumps to corroborate it.
Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV is still waiting for Duterte to explain his alleged millions — as well as those of members of his family — but it looks like Trillanes will wait in vain. His tenure as member of the Senate is running out and that will strip him of immunity if he makes “unfounded” accusations.
The remarkable parallels between Trump and Duterte extend beyond colossal assertions. There are, for instance, their respective obsessive campaign promises which they are desperately trying to fulfill while changing the terms of reference.
Trump vowed to build a border wall that the Mexicans would pay for. That promise has been adjusted several times to its current version which is a state of emergency to justify pulling funds from other sources to pay for the wall.
Duterte, on the other hand, vowed to get rid of the drug menace in three months, otherwise he would resign. The menace still exists and Duterte hasn’t resigned but he is still vowing to eradicate drugs — but not over his dead body. Over the dead bodies of thousands of others, some on mere suspicion.
Both Duterte and Trump have also been outdoing each other in their interpretation — or, rather, in their prostitution — of the law.
Duterte reportedly balked at going after illegal Chinese workers who have begun to proliferate in the Philippines because China might retaliate and go after illegal Filipino workers in that country.
That “tit for tat,” as alluded to by Duterte spokesman Salvador Panelo, is typical among crime lords. For the president of the Philippines to make that gangster-like statement should be cause for outrage among the citizenry. Why no outrage? Well. Because that’s the way Duterte talks and, in his own words, he should not always be taken seriously.
On the US side of the Pacific, Trump’s interpretation of right and wrong depends on whether it is right for him, never mind if it is wrong for others.
Trump’s acceptance of the denials concerning accusations of election tampering (denied by Russia’s Vladimir Putin) and the torture and death of a US citizen at the hands of the North Koreans (denied by Kim Jong Un) is a prostitution of the facts. But there is no outrage among the Republicans. Why no outrage? Well, because the Republicans who are holding elective office are terrified by Trump’s voter base which, he boasts, will stand by him even if he shoots someone in the middle of Manhattan.
Another example of the way Trump distorts facts to fit his purposes was his characterization of the neo-Nazi car ramming in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. Trump laid the blame as much on the victims as on the perpetrators, a clear case of speaking from both sides of his mouth.
Said Trump, “You had some very bad people in that group, but you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides.”
And speaking of Putin and the Chinese, that is another area where Duterte can be compared with Trump.
Duterte has his alleged Chinese connection (or weakness) while Trump has his alleged Russian connection (or collusion).
Whatever denials or explanations may be made by Duterte and Trump, what is undeniable is that the Chinese have muscled their way into areas in the West Philippine Sea over which our country claims sovereignty and Filipino fishermen are being deprived of their source of livelihood.
In the case of Trump, what is undeniable according to US intelligence agencies is that Russia tampered with the presidential elections and is still doing so, quite likely in preparation for 2020.
In a recent meeting between Duterte and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the Villamor Air Base, the latter reportedly said to Duterte, “You’re just like our president.” Pompeo meant Trump, of course.
What is debatable is whether he meant the comparison as a compliment. Or as an insult.
 
Greg B. Macabenta is an advertising and communications man shuttling between San Francisco and Manila and providing unique insights on issues from both perspectives.
gregmacabenta@hotmail.com

Can’t leave charter change to politicians

By Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco
THE 1987 CONSTITUTION is considered one of the most enduring constitutions in the world because it has stood for almost 32 years without any amendment. This is an odd quality considering that most constitutional scholars will agree that a constitution is never infallible or immortal even as they continue to debate among themselves the ideal lifespan of a nation-state’s charter.
But none of these experts will ever deny that pathologies in a constitution can emerge during its reign. These pertain to provisions in the constitutional text itself that may have been designed with good intentions but have eventually become debilitating to the political system it purports to govern. The Philippine constitution is no exception.
And yet, one of the respected polling firms in the Philippines, Pulse Asia Research, released in 2018 results of a survey showing that 64% of respondents are not in favor of amending the 1987 Constitution.
So what could be driving this resistance to charter reform? One reason could be that this move has always been viewed as an underhanded scheme to extend the term of a sitting president. According to Professor Dante Gatmaytan of the University of the Philippines College of Law, this “skepticism is rooted in the Marcos era where the dictator used constitutional change to duck term limits.”
Political opponents of President Rodrigo Duterte claim that he could not be trusted with his promise not to run again for president under a new charter. Senator Leila De Lima, a staunch critic of Duterte and currently detained on drug charges, adds that it is difficult to rely on an administration that has already shown its “susceptibility for abusing power, for allowing impunity to reign, and for lying repeatedly to the public.”
Yet another possible reason why Filipinos are wary of charter reform is the lack of clarity on how to go about it. The 1987 Constitution provides three modes of constitutional amendment: 1) by Congress as a constituent assembly; 2) by a constitutional convention; and 3) by people’s initiative. In all three instances, any revision to the national charter shall only be valid when approved by the electorate in a plebiscite.
Duterte and his allies in Congress favor the constituent assembly mode because they see it as the practical choice. However, his critics counter that given the gravity of this political exercise for all Filipinos, the tab for it should not matter at all.
Moreover, those who push for the constitutional convention mode do so on the belief that such a body will be less beholden to Duterte as the current Congress seems to be. The memory of then-president Ferdinand Marcos using his martial law powers to railroad the enactment of the 1973 Constitution, which then facilitated his 14-year dictatorship, is still very much fresh in their minds.
To make matters even more volatile, the 1987 Constitution provides that any “amendment to, or revision of, this Constitution may be proposed by: (1) The Congress, upon a vote of three-fourths of all its Members.” The phrase “of all its members” has raised the question of whether Congress acting as a constituent assembly, meaning the Senate and the House of Representatives, should vote separately or jointly.
The prevailing view is that these chambers of Congress should vote separately. The surviving members of the 1986 Constitutional Commission are unanimous in advocating this view. Former members of the Supreme Court, legal scholars, and, understandably, all incumbent senators insist that the voting must not be done jointly.
The possibility of charter reform via a constituent assembly brings forth another possible reason why Filipinos are still hesitant. And it is the palpable conflict of interest afflicting those pushing for this mode. Indeed, it is quite reasonable to ask how Filipinos can rely on lawmakers to institute the necessary reforms that could impact their hold on political power?
Ironically, a member of the House of Representatives said: “If the ones who will discuss Cha-cha are just the House and Senate leaders, then many would view this as suspect at the very least, even dangerous, and at worst, self-serving.”
However, there is an obstacle to charter change that is more fundamental than the views of those who oppose it: The fact that the same Pulse Asia survey revealed that 75% of respondents said they had little or “almost none or no knowledge at all” of the 1987 Constitution.
Therefore, an indispensable requirement of constitutional reform in the Philippines, if it eventually pushes through, must be a back-to-basics education on the 1987 Constitution.
For this particular approach, the President can commission law schools to assume the lead role. This is certainly a daunting imposition but warranted nonetheless under the Volunteer Act of 2007.
The education sessions can be undertaken via the barangay assembly apparatus. Note that by statutory mandate the barangay is also a “forum wherein the collective views of the people may be expressed, crystallized and considered.”
Ostensibly, the detailed mechanics of the education sessions themselves shall be the responsibility of each law school involved. But the core syllabus must cover two stages. The first one is a remedial class reviewing two basic components of the constitution: 1) Responsibilities of each branch of government and the constitutional offices; and 2) Rights and obligations of citizens.
The second stage is an open forum to be guided by these questions: “1) Is there a need to amend or revise the Constitution? Why or why not? 2) If so, what parts of the Constitution should be amended or revised? Why?”
At the end of the sessions, each barangay assembly must produce a position paper answering these questions which shall then be formally endorsed to Congress to be utilized as resource materials.
The fact is Filipinos cannot simply leave constitutional reform in the hands of politicians. Indeed, the infamous Resolution of Both Houses No. 15 passed recently by the House of Representatives is a warning that cannot be ignored. Dynastic politicians will not hesitate to hijack charter change to perpetuate themselves in their positions of power. And the only way to keep this mob in check is for Filipinos to be actively and intelligently engaged every step of the way.
 
Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco is a law lecturer, legislative and policy consultant, and Senior Research Fellow at the Ateneo Policy Center of the Ateneo School of Government.

PBA: Magnolia shoots for second straight win

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
FINALLY barged into the win column of the PBA Philippine Cup last time around, the Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok seek to take their tournament bid to further flight when they return to league action today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Won their first game in the season-opening Philippine Basketball Association tournament last weekend after four tries, the Hotshots (1-3) try to make it two wins in a row when they take on the league-leading Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters (7-1) in the 7 p.m. main game.
Magnolia defeated the Meralco Bolts, 92-86, in an out-of-town game in Cagayan de Oro City on March 2 to halt a streak of futility that had it pinned down at the bottom of the standings.
Found themselves in a very tight contest against the Bolts, the Hotshots cranked things up late in the game to pull off the much-needed victory.
Guard Jio Jalalon paced Magnolia in the win with 19 points, nine rebounds and four assists with Paul Lee adding 15 points.
Ian Sangalang had a double-double of 12 points and 16 rebounds for the Hotshots while Mark Barroca finished with 11 markers.
Out to stop Magnolia and send it crashing back on the ground is Phoenix, which is angling to finish a banner elimination round on a very high note.
The Fuel Masters have won their last two games, the last one a 94-80 stomping of the Alaska Aces on March 1.
Leading the way for Phoenix in the tournament is Matthew Wright, who is averaging 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists.
Calvin Abueva has been steady for the Fuel Masters with 15.6 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, a steal and a block while Jason Perkins is chipping in 14 points and 8.4 rebounds.
Incidentally, Mr. Abueva is the reigning PBA player of the week for the period of Feb. 27 to March 3.
Mr. Abueva edged teammates Wright and Justin Chua, Blackwater Elite’s Allein Maliksi and Mac Belo and Mr. Jalalon for the weekly plum.
Playing in the opening game at 4:30 p.m., meanwhile, are the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (7-2) and Columbian Dyip (3-5).
The Elasto Painters saw their five-game winning streak come to an end on March 3 with a 100-92 defeat at the hands of the TNT KaTropa while the Dyip fell to Blackwater, 106-101, on March 1.

Lady Spikers, Tigresses go for rebound victory

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
ABSORBED losses in their previous University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 81 matches, the De La Salle Lady Spikers and University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses look to bounce back in their league collision today at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
To take on one another at 4 p.m., the Lady Spikers (3-1) and Tigresses (2-2) try to get back their respective campaigns on the winning track and fortify their spot in the standings as the tournament nears the halfway point.
Playing in the first game at 2 p.m., meanwhile, are the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws (2-2) and University of the East Lady Warriors (1-3).
Defending champion La Salle enters today’s contest off a five-set loss to the University of the Philippines, 25-21, 20-25, 21-20, 25-20 and 12-15, on March 2.
The Lady Spikers opened well against the Lady Maroons but could not sustain it and played behind in the middle sets.
They had a chance to salvage a win in the fifth set only to find their efforts not enough to outlast UP to slump to their first defeat of the season.
Rookie Jolina Dela Cruz continued with her splendid play for La Salle, top-scoring with 19 points.
Aduke Ogunsanya finished with 13 for the Lady Spikers with captain Des Cheng and hurting May Luna adding 12 points each in their gallant push.
They now hope to redeem themselves against an undermanned UST crew.
The Tigresses are expected to play sans one of their “Big Three” in Filipino-Italian Milena Alessandrini.
Alessandrini suffered a knee injury (partial ACL tear) in their last game against FEU and is expected to be out at least two weeks.
The Fil-Italian had five points before hurting her knee, leaving UST in a bind as it lost to the Lady Tamaraws in four sets, 25-19, 20-25, 19-25 and 25-27.
Against La Salle today, the Tigresses are banking on team leading scorer Sisi Rondina (17.5 points per game) and top-class rookie Eya Laure (16.8 points) to lead them and help fill the void left by Alessandrini, the team’s third-leading scorer with 13 points a game.
Meanwhile, for helping her team to a share of the lead in the standings, Tots Carlos of UP (3-1) was named UAAP player of the week.
Finished with a team-high 19 points in their big win over La Salle last weekend, Carlos and the Lady Maroons moved to joint first place with the Lady Spikers and joined later by the Ateneo Lady Eagles.
The veteran wing spiker said she is taking it upon herself to deliver for her team when needed so as to help their cause in the ongoing season.
“I made it a mantra for myself to play at my best for my teammates and my team. As the captain as well I have to show the way,” said Carlos in Filipino.
In winning the award given by media covering the league, the UP pride beat out La Salle’s Dela Cruz, Ateneo’s Kat Tolentino, UE’s Judith Abil, FEU’s Celine Domingo and Adamson’s Bern Flora.

Tab Baldwin, top mentors headline NBTC Coaches Convention at MoA Arena

FOR the first time in eight years, the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) will hold its Coaches Convention in the midst of the National High School Basketball Finals. The two-day clinic will be held from March 22 to March 24 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
And the reason behind why NBTC founders Eric Altamirano and Alex Compton decided to move the convention from August to March is because of the provincial coaches wanting to witness the spectacle of the biggest juniors basketball tournament in the country.
“There were a lot of request from our provincial coaches asking if they could watch the national finals. Hopefully, they can get the vision that one day, they could make it here,” said Mr. Altamirano.
With that goal, the theme of this year’s convention is about helping build the future through coaching and mentoring. That is why the NBTC tapped coaches and specialists that will help teach how to make holistic players.
“The theme of this year’s convention is building the future. We really want to focus on the fundamentals,” added Mr. Compton.
Headlining the mentors is Tab Baldwin, who will talk about the importance of having peace in the midst of pressure. On the other hand, former Australia Boomers head coach Rob Beveridge will talk about the fundamentals of playing basketball.
Joining the stellar cast are Nash Racela (offensive concepts), Dr. George Canlas (injury prevention and hydration), and Singaporean youth coach Ardy Abello (coaching the next generation).
To make all of this possible, Altamirano and Compton looked for a partner that will glue things together. And it was Go for Gold who stepped up to the plate.
“We are happy to partner with the NBTC to bring proper basketball knowledge throughout the country,” said Go for Gold godfather Jeremy Go. “We in Go for Gold believe in grassroots development for athletes.
“We need to start them young so they can learn about responsibility at an early age. And the coaches are the key to their development,” he continued.
“Every time I see new sponsors and new people come in, I remember the time when coach Eric and I were talking in his living room. It’s so rewarding for me to see how this has grown. It’s so encouraging because grassroot development matters, building the future matters,” beamed Compton. Over 1,500 coaches are expected to attend the convention. Besides this, the convention will be open for walk-ins as well.

Shazwan, Roxas rule Prima Pasta badminton singles

MALAYSIAN Shahrul Shazwan and Maria Alyssa Roxas captured recently the open singles titles of the 12th Prima Pasta Badminton Championships at the Powersmash badminton courts in Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City.
Shazwan regained his title by beating national player Ross Leenard Pedrosa, 21-18, 21-17, in the finale to bag the men’s open singles crown of the tournament supported by the SMART Communications through MVP Sports Foundation and APACS Makati.
Shazwan of JC Badminton also avenged his last year’s lost in the semifinals by crushing Rabie Jason Oba-ob, 21-16, 21-18, in the final four to advance to the final round against Pedrosa.
Maria Alyssa Roxas bested Janelle Anne Andres, 21-14, 21-19, to capture the women’s open singles title. She defeated Kanna Baba, 21-16, 21-18, in the semifinals of the competition sanctioned by the Philippine Badminton Association.
Jewel Angelo Albo, meanwhile, copped two titles after ruling the boys’ singles under-19 and 17-under crowns. He outplayed Lyrden Laborte, 21-14, 21-8, in the boys’ Under-19 and Francis Sarmiento, 21-5, 21-13, in the boys’ U-17 championship rounds.
The tournament was backed by Boysen Paints, Morning Star Milling Corporation., Mabz Builders, ILO Construction, Monocrete Construction, Pioneer Insurance, Promax International, Regent Foods Corp., RFM Corp, Gardenia and Del Monte Phils.
In other results, Mikaela Joy Miranda De Guzman won over Jochelle Alvarez, 21-13, 21-17, for girls’ U-19 title, while Anthea Marie Gonzalez outclassed Viana Meryl Antonio, 21-14, 21-14, for girls’ U-17 crown, and Mark Anthony Bernal crushed John Herbert Peralta, 21-15, 21-8, for boys’ U-15 plum.
Niesha Mayce Matias De Guzman rallied past Kahrene Zapanta, 15-21, 21-12, 21-15, to bag the girls’ U-15 crown. Jamal Rahmat Pandi blasted Chris Lorenz Manuel, 21-11 21-6, to cop the boys’ U-13 division title and Mary Destiny Untal trounced Frente Macalib-og, 22-20, 21-16, to win the girls’ U-13 title.
Ryan Almario Bernal whipped Neil Angelo Yasa, 21-7, 21-11, to take home the boys’ U-11 diadem and Jhiane Cloe Sabarillo walloped Frances Gabrielle Ramirez, 21-14, 21-15 to win the girls’ U-11 crown.

Clippers take care of skidding Lakers

LOS ANGELES — Danilo Gallinari scored 23 points, and the visiting Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 113-105 on Monday night for their third consecutive victory.
Lou Williams scored 21 points off the bench, and Montrezl Harrell added 14 points and 11 rebounds in a reserve role for the Clippers, who moved back into sole possession of seventh place in the Western Conference, a half-game behind the Utah Jazz and a half-game ahead of the San Antonio Spurs.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also scored 14 points, and Patrick Beverley added 13 points, nine rebounds and five steals for the Clippers. Landry Shamet had 12 points.
Rajon Rondo scored a season-high 24 points to go with 10 rebounds and 12 assists for his first triple-double with the Lakers. LeBron James finished with 27 points, eight rebounds and six assists, Josh Hart scored 17 off the bench.
Brandon Ingram, third on the Lakers in scoring at 18.3 points, missed the game because of a sore right shoulder. Second-leading scorer Kyle Kuzma (18.9 points per game) scored 13 before leaving midway through the fourth quarter due to an injured right ankle.
The 10th-place Lakers, who have lost five of their past six, are 5 1/2 games behind the final Western Conference playoff spot.
The Lakers took an 82-79 lead on a three-point play by Hart with 2:55 left in the third quarter, but the Clippers came back with a 10-0 run to take their biggest lead to that point at 89-82 with 40.6 seconds left in the third.
Lakers guard Reggie Bullock sank a long step-back jumper at the buzzer to cut the deficit to 91-85 entering the fourth, but the Clippers scored the first four points of the fourth to take their first double-digit lead.
The Lakers got as close as five with 7:57 left, but the Clippers scored the next eight points during a run in which Kuzma was also injured.
The Lakers led by as many as 10 late in the first quarter. After the Clippers caught up, the Lakers retook the lead 42-41 on a dunk by Harrell with 6:49 left in the first half.
The Clippers stretched their second-quarter lead to as many as six points before scoring the final four points of the first half to take a 61-57 edge into the break. — Reuters

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