Bringing government services closer to ordinary Filipinos
Our people should be able to walk the streets safely, live peacefully and earn an honest living without fear.
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Our people should be able to walk the streets safely, live peacefully and earn an honest living without fear.
Driven by our steadfast commitment to public service, we continue to advance legislative priorities for our kababayans in need. On 15 July we filed a new batch of bills before the Senate, covering key areas in government modernization, infrastructure, education, health and food security.
To help modernize government services, we filed Senate Bill 2330, which establishes a comprehensive legal framework for the wider use of efficient and interoperable digital payment systems in government transactions and commercial activities. We also filed Senate Bill 2326, which proposes extending the validity of Professional Identification Cards to five years, reducing costs and inconvenience for professionals.
We likewise filed Senate Bill 2329, which seeks to amend Republic Act 11213 by extending the coverage of the Estate Tax Amnesty to estates of decedents who died on or before 31 December 2024, with or without assessments duly issued, whose estate taxes remain unpaid or have accrued as of the same date.
With family roots in Davao Oriental and as an adopted son of Mati City, we recognize the importance of strengthening our country’s aviation infrastructure, especially in the provinces. Thus, we also filed Senate Bill 2325, which seeks to designate Mati Airport in Davao Oriental as the official alternate airport to Davao International Airport.
In the same spirit of long-term development, we also pushed to institutionalize a long-term, coordinated approach to infrastructure planning for the future of our country by filing Senate Bill 2331, otherwise known as the Masterplan for Infrastructure and National Development (MIND) Bill.
As chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth, we remain committed to investing in our youth as we proposed converting the Cotabato Foundation College of Science and Technology in Arakan, Cotabato, into a state university to expand access to quality higher education in the province and nearby communities.
Moreover, we also seek to strengthen civic education by integrating the study of the Philippine Constitution into the basic education curriculum through Senate Bill 2332.
As vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, we are committed to improving healthcare services in our country. Thus, we filed Senate Bill 2324, which seeks to upgrade Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital in Barangay Lanot, Roxas City, into a Level III general hospital to be known as the Capiz Medical Center. Additionally, we filed Senate Bill 2333, or the Professionalization of the Practice of Sanitarians Act.
Lastly, we filed Senate Bill 2328, otherwise known as the Food Waste Reduction and Prevention Act, which seeks to establish a comprehensive national framework that prioritizes the prevention of food waste while promoting the responsible recycling and redistribution of surplus food.
This new batch of bills reflects a focused and responsive legislative agenda. We remain committed to serving the Filipino people, especially the poor, the needy and the oppressed.
Meanwhile, in the previous week, our Malasakit Team extended additional assistance to those in need by immediately aiding fire victims in Malabon City, Valenzuela City and Pasig City. We also assisted typhoon victims in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental.
Our Malasakit Team also extended assistance to the bereaved families of slain motorcycle taxi riders Fabio Norberte Jr. and Ren Ren De Laviga, offering support during this difficult time and expressing solidarity with their loved ones. I believe every Filipino deserves peace of mind. Our people should be able to walk the streets safely, live peacefully and earn an honest living without fear. We must continue working to protect the lives and well-being of ordinary Filipinos who simply want to provide for their families and live with dignity.
My office also extended financial assistance, grocery packs and other forms of support to the two bereaved families affected by the landslide in Barangay Poblacion, Malapatan, Sarangani Province. The tragedy claimed the lives of 10 individuals, including members of the Maladian and Yaton families, after two houses were buried by the landslide.
Our Malasakit Team also aided indigent fire victims in coordination with the local government of Davao City. Furthermore, it extended support to graduates of technical-vocational scholarship programs in Daet, Camarines Norte; Sariaya, Quezon; and San Fernando City, Pampanga.
As Mr. Malasakit, I am privileged by the trust given to me by the Filipino people, and I will do my best to push for more laws that will benefit not only the present generation but also future generations dahil bisyo ko ang magserbisyo at naniniwala ako na ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo sa Diyos.
