By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Forgetting the biblical adage that “judge not so that you shall not be judged,” House Deputy Majority Leader Joel Villanueva made a scathing statement that senators are superior to congressmen that compelled ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo to stand up for his colleagues at the lower chamber.

Tulfo expressed hope on Wednesday that Villanueva will retract his “insulting” statement considering his father, Bro. Eddie Villanueva is representing the Citizens Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) party-list in the Lower House.

“I was really surprised kay (Sen. Villanueva), yung tatay niya si Bro. Eddie Villanueva is with us sa party-list coalition kaya medyo nagulat lahat ng members ng party-list and nag usap-usap kami last week bakit daw nasabi ni Joel Villanueva yun e tatay niya nasa party-list din,” Tulfo quipped.

Last January 24, the younger Villanueva said in his privilege speech the millions of votes garnered by senators cannot be compared to district congressmen who receive only a few thousand votes, and even to party-list representatives, even if they were voted for nationally.

“Siguro nadala lang siya ng emotion niya pero hopefully i-retract naman niya sana yun kasi parang nakaka-insulto as being party-list representatives, we were not just put in the office by anybody, by some government official. We were also voted,” Tulfo noted.

He added that unlike senators, where only 12 will be elected, dozens of party-list groups win in an election.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Liza Soriano

MANILA — Senator Joel Villanueva said that he has proof that the House of Representatives leadership was behind the signature campaign of people’s initiative for Charter change.

Villanueva made the remarks after his office received complaints about the “fake people’s initiative.”

“May mga listahan na po ako, naggagawa na po ako ng listahan – Mayors, even governors, meron na pong mga voicemail na pinapadala, boses ng mga kongresista na tinuturo po ang liderato ng kamara,” Villanueva said.

“Ngayon kung meron po sa inyo na hindi congressman, dito sa balat ng lupa na magsasabing hindi galing sa kanila (House of Representative) o hindi sila ang nagpush nitong ‘people’s initiative’ kuno o nitong ‘pekeng initiative’ mahirap po,” he added.

“Even a congressman is pointing at his leader. May mga voicemail na kilala ko ‘yung boses eh.”

Senator Imee Marcos said that House Speaker Martin Romualdez was involved on the signature campaign.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Liza Soriano

MANILA — Senator Joel Villanueva has urged the public to report alleged bribery in exchange for the signature for Charter change.
“Kung meron pong nagoyo, nabudol, gustong magreklamo at bawiin ang kanilang pirma, huwag po kayong matakot magsumbong. Magpadala o magpost ng video, picture o screenshot ng mga text ng panunuhol,” Villanueva said.

“Ipagbigay alam niyo rin po sa amin ang inyong pangalan, tirahan at contact details para matulungan po namin kayo na maprotektahan at maipagtanggol ang inyong karapatan,” the senator added.

Villanueva reiterated that the signature of the people in for people’s initiative should not be bought.

“Kaya nakakabahala po ang ginagawang Peoples Initiative. Marami na po tayong narinig, nakita at nasaksihan…Hindi po dapat binibili, sinusuhulan, at sinasamantala ang ating mga kababayan. Importante po na ang tao ay mulat at nabibigyan ng tamang impormasyon. Hindi po pwede na bibigyan kayo ng ayuda o salapi para lamang pumirma,” he said.

Earlier, retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said that Cha-cha through people’s initiative could lead to a constitutional crisis.

“Because if you remove the Senate, you disregard the checks and balances in the present Constitution, and that’s a crisis, a constitutional crisis. Why did you set aside the Senate? You disregarded it when there is supposed to be a check and balance,” Carpio said.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Liza Soriano

MANILA — Senator Joel Villanueva has emphasized the need to guarantee back pay for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have been displaced in New Zealand.

He called upon the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to ensure the prompt disbursement of these payments.

“Being unemployed in a foreign country is a nightmare for our fellow OFWs. For them, it’s a matter of no work, no pay. Without a source of income, how can they survive?” questioned Villanueva.

He expressed the urgency to avoid a recurrence of the situation faced by OFWs laid off in Saudi Arabia, where many are still waiting for their overdue pay and other entitlements. Villanueva urged swift action, stating, “Let’s act now.”

The DMW announced this Friday that the agency will assist OFWs who have lost their jobs in New Zealand.

According to DMW officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac, 452 out of 700 OFWs have sought help from the Philippine government.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Liza Soriano

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva said the Senate has a list of agencies that should not be given confidential and intelligent funds.

He said that each senator submitted their list and it will be revealed in the budget plenary debate.

“Doon sa ilang mga ahensya na hindi kailangan ng CIF, I think may list na naibigay ang mga kasama natin. I don’t want to preempt anyone for pushing for their advocacies and priorities,” Villanueva said.

The lawmaker said it should be seen what agency should be given the CIF.

“Ang importante dito magamit ng tama, maging transparent tayo sa mga debate at makita natin sino talaga ang nangangailangan at hindi nangangailangan ng CIF,” he said.

Villanueva said the Senate will ensure a national budget that “we can all be proud of.”

(ai/mnm)

By Dang Samson Garcia

SENATE Majority Leader Joel Villanueva called on the Commission on Higher Education to balance the use of the Higher Education Development Fund between private and public higher educational institutions.

“96 percent ng HEDF ay nasa public, and only four percent ay nasa private HEIs, considering that 86 percent of HEIs in the country are private,” Villanueva said.

The 2nd Congressional Commission on Education said from 2018 to 2023, the share of the HEDF allocated to public HEIs increased from 77 percent to 96 percent, while that for private HEIs decreased from 23 percent to 4 percent in 2023.

The HEDF was established through RA 7722, which also created CHEd, in 1994.

CHEd Chairman Prospero de Vera III admitted that there was a problem that hinders the proportionate allocation of the HEDF.

“Mayroon po kasing practical problem sa private schools – 1,700 po kasi ang private schools. Kung sino ‘yung uunahin, at kung bakit. ‘Pag nagkonsulta po kami sa Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations at ang kaniyang member organizations, mahirap pong magkasundo, kung saan mapupunta ang pondo – may practical problem,” he said.

“Inuna po natin ‘yung SUCs because ‘yung assistance na binibigay natin sa SUCs ay for program compliance,” De Vera said.

“On behalf of the Commission, let me commit that we will start supporting private schools starting 2024,” he added.

By Dang Samson Garcia

KINUWESTYON ni Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva ang Commission on Higher Education sa kabiguang mapunan ang target scholars sa ilalim ng Doktor Para sa Bayan. 

Sa pagtalakay ng Senado sa proposed 2024 budget ng CHED, pinuna ni Villanueva ang datos na noong isang taon, sa 900 slots para sa medical scholarship, 425 lamang ang napunan at sa P250 milyon na alokasyon, P117 milyon lamang ang na-obligate o katumbas ng 47 percent habang P89 milyon o 35 percent ang na-disburse.

“Anong reasons why the actual number of scholars is only 50% ng target slots. Hindi ko alam, kaunti lang ba ang aplikante? Ang daming sumusulat at nagpapahingi ng endorsement,” pahayag ni Villanueva.

Ikinagulat ni Villanueva na sa proposed budget para sa susunod na taon ay doble ang target na scholars subalit pareho lamang ang alokasyon.

Nangangamba ang senador na dahil dito ay bababa ang per capita cost sa bawat scholar.

Ipinaliwanag naman ni CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera III na marami sa mga medical school na nagbukas ay limitado lamang sa isang section ang kanilang tinanggap.

Katunayan, pinakahuli ang Palawan State University na tumanggap lamang ng 30 medical scholars bunsod ng maliit na pasilidad at hindi pa sapat ang bilang ng kanilang faculty members.

Sinabi pa ni De Vera na may mga pribadong unibersidad na rin silang ka-partner para sa implementasyon ng Doktor Para sa Bayan Law subalit mababa rin ang intake dahil atubili ang iba sa return service requirement.

Nangako naman si De Vera na mas magiging agresibo ang ahensiya sa promosyon ng medical scholarship upang mapataas pa ang bilang ng scholars.

Nangako rin ang opisyal na pag-aaralan na ang mga nakabimbing aplikasyon ng mga unibersidad para magkaroon ng medical schools partikular sa Regions 3, Cordillera Administrative Region at CARAGA.

By Dang Samson Garcia

SENATOR Joel Villanueva filed a measure that seeks to provide a revised National Apprenticeship Program.

Senate Bill 2354 aims to clarify the standards for training and engagement of apprentices and accreditation of apprenticeship programs.

The bill will also repeal Chapters 1 and 2 of Presidential Decree 442 or the Labor Code of the Philippines.

“The importance of the youth in our country’s development has been further emphasized when the government integrated the Sustainable Development Goals in the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022,” he said in his explanatory note.

The senator explained that among the subgoals of the SDG Target 8 are the substantial reduction of the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training and the development and operationalization of a global strategy for youth employment.

“To assist the youth in workforce, the government has allocated a total of P1.401 billion for 2023 under the Department of Labor and Employment’s programs such as Government Internship Program, Special Program for Employment of Students and Job Search Assistance,” he added.

Despite this, youth unemployment is still rising.

The bill aims to close the gap between youth unemployment and entry-level jobs in the skills industry by strengthening the current apprenticeship program.

The bill provides guidelines for apprenticeable occupations, apprenticeship schemes, training, qualification of apprenticeship programs and remedial process in case of violation of apprenticeship contract.

By Dang Samson Garcia

SENATORS Sherwin Gatchalian and Joel Villanueva said that the government wasted an estimated P2.77 billion on community-based scholars of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority who did not undergo assessment.

“If you look at the data…community-based ay napakalaki ng total, eh,” Villanueva said, pointing out TESDA’s data that 36.21 percent of their graduates come from community-based programs.

Villanueva also noted that out of the 44,000 clients enrolled in community-based TESDA programs this year, only 17,995 were able to graduate.

Out of that number, only 4,086 obtained a Certificate of Competency, and, from that set, only 3,937 were awarded a National Certificate.

“What happened to the balance?”Villanueva asked.

“The government paid for the training, they went to our scholarship program, but in the end, they were not assessed, therefore the training becomes useless. Because without assessment and CoC, how can they get a job?” Gatchalian said.

TESDA Deputy Director General Aniceto Bertiz III pointed out that the agency is facing a challenge in scheduling assessments, as well as lacking in the number of assessors to conduct these assessments.

TESDA has 7,593 assessors.

Villanueva said that considering that there is an estimated 1.5 million clients in the entire TVET sector in the country, the number would amount to 197 clients per assessor.

“Ang point ko lang, kulang na kulang ‘yung assessors,” Villanueva said.