Committee Daily Bulletin
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CCoommmmiitttteeee DDaaiillyy BBuulllleettiinn th 18 Congress A publication of the Committee Affairs Department Vol. I No. 137 First Regular Session Department July 22, 2020 SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING ON HOUSE MEASURES MEASURES COMMITTEE PRINCIPAL SUBJECT MATTER ACTION TAKEN/DISCUSSION NO. AUTHOR Labor Draft Rep. Ong (R.), Protection of the health and welfare The Subcommittee, co-chaired by Rep. Raymond Standards Substitute Deputy of workers in the audio-visual and Democrito Mendoza (Party-List, TUCP) and Rep. (Labor and Bill to HBs Speaker entertainment industry Christopher de Venecia (4th District, Pangasinan), Employment) 81, 181, Romero, Rep. terminated its discussion on the draft substitute bill 1019, 1766, Castelo, and agreed to conduct a roundtable discussion with 4875, 5596, Deputy stakeholders from the performing arts sector prior to 6157 & 6549 Speaker the presentation of the draft substitute bill to the Villafuerte, mother Committee. Reps. Rodriguez, Rep. Ferdinand Gaite (Party-List, BAYAN MUNA), Nieto, De author of HB 6549, and Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (2nd Venecia, and District, Cagayan de Oro City), author of HB 4875, Gaite expressed their gratitude to the Subcommittee chairpersons, the Committee secretariat, and all others who helped craft the substitute bill, also referred to as the “Eddie Garcia Bill.” Resource persons from the performing arts sector commented that some of the provisions of the proposed law may not apply to the peculiar needs of the sector. They said that performing arts is different from the television and film industry particularly in the nature of work and the diverse working arrangements. Performing arts involves the conduct of live shows like theaters, operas, concerts, and circuses. Likewise, the representatives from ABS-CBN Corporation and the Philippine Motion Picture Producers Association (PMPPA) suggested that the minimum standards for occupational safety and health be based on the peculiar needs of the different sub-sectors under the audio-visual and entertainment industry. Rep. Mendoza pointed out the need to come up with a law that is encompassing and compliant with the labor standards set by the International Labor Organization (ILO). According to the ILO, the performing arts sector and the audio-visual and entertainment sector are under one umbrella considered as the media and culture sector which includes musicians, actors, dancers, journalists, screenwriters, technicians and creators of audio- visual and live performances, and visual artists. Department of Labor and Employment’s Bureau of Working Conditions Medical Officer Marco Antonio Valeros agreed that the proposed law should be inclusive of all other related sectors. Rep. Rodriguez suggested two options, one is to amend the draft substitute bill by including provisions that will cater to the peculiar needs of the performing arts sector, and two is to proceed with the passage of the substitute bill and come up with a separate bill for the performing arts sector. Continuation… Rep. Enrico Pineda (Party-List, 1-PACMAN), Chair of Labor Standards the Committee on Labor and Employment, said that (Labor and a roundtable discussion with stakeholders from the Employment) performing arts sector is necessary in order to thresh out their issues and concerns. DISCUSSION WITH AGENCIES/ENTITIES COMMITTEE SUBJECT MATTER DISCUSSIONS Economic Affairs jt. Discussion with concerned government The Joint Committee, chaired by Rep. Sharon Garin (Party-List, w/ Transportation agencies and transport groups on the topic AAMBIS-OWA), Chair of the Committee on Economic Affairs, and Rep. “Build Back Better: Economic Resilience After Edgar Mary Sarmiento (1st District, Western Samar), Chair of the COVID-19,” focusing on issues and concerns Committee on Transportation, held a meeting with concerned affecting the transportation sector amidst the government agencies and transport groups on the topic “Build Back COVID-19 pandemic Better: Economic Resilience After COVID-19,” particularly on issues and concerns affecting the transportation sector amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Saying that transportation is interconnected with all businesses, Rep. Garin said that today’s meeting will discuss the current problems being faced by the transportation sector in order to know what more can Congress do to help the sector. Rep. Garin said that at this time of pandemic, she finds that transportation has become a constraint to reopening the economy. She opined that even if businesses are allowed to operate fully, this will not be viable if workers cannot go to work due to the shortage of transportation, more so if jeepneys are not allowed to operate in Metro Manila. She added that if the airline industry’s operation is still limited, then the impact of the pandemic on tourism will worsen. Rep. Sarmiento mentioned the difficulties that millions of commuters throughout the country endure due to the inefficient transport system, which worsened due to the pandemic. To build back better post COVID- 19, he underscored the importance of having a reliable public transportation to help revive the economy. Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion agreed that the country’s economy is hit hard by the pandemic and that public transportation issues are hindering its recovery. He said that commuting is still a challenge in Metro Manila as only buses are allowed to operate in the area. Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade said that the Department adopts a gradual, calibrated, and partial approach that will strike a balance between reviving the economy and ensuring the health and safety of the public. He clarified that jeepneys are now allowed to operate in Metro Manila provided that they are roadworthy and have installed barriers in observance of the minimum health protocols set by the Department of Health and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID). Tugade suggested that aside from increasing the number of public utility vehicles (PUVs) on the road, the DOTr is also pushing for the adoption of alternative work schemes by the public and private sectors and provision of employees’ shuttle service by private companies, among others, to alleviate the problems of workers in commuting to and from work. Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr. (3rd District, Camarines Sur) acknowledges the fact that a clear-cut approach cannot be made while there still a pandemic, agreeing that the health and safety of the people should be of paramount concern. 2 of 5 Continuation… Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda (2nd District, Albay) asked about the status of Economic Affairs jt. w/ implementation of the government’s Build, Build, Build projects. Tugade Transportation said that a catch-up plan was recommended to the IATF-EID to enable the DOTr to continue the implementation of railway and airport projects. Tugade admitted that there will be a two to three months delay in implementation but the DOTr will try to undertake measures to enable them to catch-up with the projects’ deadline. On the aviation sector, Air Carriers Association of the Philippines (ACAP) Vice President and Executive Director Roberto Lim suggested that local airline carriers should be given preference in the allocation of international flights to help the industry recover its losses. He further said that the national government and the local government units should have a uniform policy in allowing domestic flights in the provinces. Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla explained that the quota for international flights is based on the air service agreements between countries. Such agreement provides the basis for the airlines of the countries involved to provide international air services for passengers, cargo, and mail. Nevertheless, he assured that local airline carriers are given just share in the allocation of flights. Tugade added that the number of arriving passengers that will be accommodated in airports will vary depending on the health situation in the area and the testing capacity at the airport. He believes that opening other primary gateways like Subic and Cebu will help accommodate the expected huge number of returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to the country. Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr. (2nd District, Aklan) requested to accelerate the opening up of domestic travel to help both the local tourist destinations and local airline carriers. Tugade said that there are efforts along this line but these are subject to certain conditions set by the Department of Tourism and the LGUs concerned. With regard to issues pertaining to crew change as raised by Rep. Macnell Lusotan (Party-List, MARINO), Tugade said that the DOTr together with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and other concerned government agencies signed a joint circular for the implementation of the Philippine Green Lane. The green lane provides safe and swift disembarkation of seafarers and crew change during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is in response to the call of the International Maritime Industry (IMO) to address the plight of thousands of seafarers who have been stranded at sea and have served at an extended period because they cannot be immediately replaced by new crew members due to the restrictions related to the pandemic. To facilitate the COVID-19 testing of disembarking crew, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) Vice Chair and General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago said that the PPA constructed a molecular laboratory which can test approximately 2,000 persons daily at the Port of Manila. The Port of Capinpin in Bataan will serve as a holding area for seafarers who disembarked from ships in the area. Santiago added that discussions with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) are underway to include Subic Port as crew change hub. DOTr Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs Mark Steven Pastor presented the Department’s proposed programs and projects which were included in the economic stimulus package initiated by the House of Representatives. Pastor said that the DOTr proposes an amount of P5.58 billion for the implementation of its service contracting scheme that will benefit drivers and operators in Metro Manila.