By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Acknowledging that workers with a monthly salary of P23,000 or less are considered near-poor, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez of Leyte and Ako Bicol party-list Representative Elizaldy Co are eyeing to grant them a one-time P5,000 financial aid each under the Ayuda sa Kapos sa Kita Program (AKAP) that has a P60 billion allocation benefitting around 12 million households.

Romualdez stressed the importance of the project as it would extend assistance beyond the marginalized sector, most of whom are covered by the conditional cash transfer program of the government.

“Some salient features of the 2024 budget have made sure, on the part of the House, that this budget will be one in fighting inflation because the prices of goods are increasing, and it will be very much pro-poor. We are very much focused on the social service and social welfare program for the poor,” Romualdez said.

For his part, Co has revealed that AKAP is likely to be fulfilled after the bicameral conference committee approved the final version of the proposed 2024 national budget.

The Ako Bicol lawmaker also bared last week that it would include a P60 billion allocation for AKAP, targeting around 12 million households.

Co, who chairs the House Committee on Appropriations, said that the AKAP, in its goal of fighting inflation, would like to equip near-poor workers with means to buy goods.

“Under AKAP the near poor who earn P23,000 or less would be given social aid. That’s the new program of our administration, of the House under Speaker Martin Romualdez,” Co said.

“More or less around 12 million households are target beneficiaries under this program, which includes construction workers, drivers, factory workers, and the like. More or less P5,000 would be given per person because this is part of our program against inflation.”

Diskarteng Pinoy, a budding regional party in Region 7, hailed the AKAP of Romualdez and Co.

Further clarification with Co’s office showed that funds for the AKAP would be part of the locally-funded projects of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

“And we actually expanded that definition… We’re trying to expand that to the near-poor, so to speak. We’ll be adding more families. We’ll be more inclusive in that sense. So all the social services will be provided for them,” he added.

Co said the proposed P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024 — which Marcos Jr. on Friday, December 15, said he would sign before Christmas Day — was attuned to the administration’s program for health, infrastructure, and food security.

“Pagkain, trabaho, kalusugan, edukasyon at pabahay – yan ang mga pamana ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. na bibigyang katuparan sa pamamagitan ng pambansang budget sa 2024 at mga susunod na taon,” Co said

“Food, jobs, health, education and housing – these are the President’s legacy projects to be delivered through the 2024 budget and beyond,” Co said.

(AI/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

FOLLOWING the withdrawal of some teachers as electoral board members for the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Sunday disclosed that around 3,000 personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP) nationwide are being trained as their substitute.

Comelec chairman George Garcia acknowledged that teachers are not required to serve as poll workers for the 2023 BSKE scheduled on October 30, considering that it is near Undas or All Saints’ Day on November 1.

“Therefore, talagang noon pa man, inaasahan natin na may mga teachers na hindi magsisilbi sa araw ng eleksyon. Hindi naman namin sila puwedeng i-obliga kung kaya’t naghanda rin kami ng mga PNP personnel na magsisilbi bilang kahalinlin o kapalit nu’ng mga electoral board members natin,” Garcia said in his interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB.

He noted that some teachers in Abra have withdrawn as poll workers because they are related to the candidates.

Earlier reports said some 2,000 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) teachers have indicated not to render barangay poll duties this coming October 30 citing security reasons.

To address this predicament, Commission on Elections (Comelec) -BARMM Director Ray Sumalipao on Thursday, October 19, bared that 2,100 police officers have trained for polling precinct duties in the upcoming BSKE.

(ai/mnm)

Filipino hospitality has exceeded expectations under the Department of Tourism (DOT), with over 100,000 frontline tourism workers trained in the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) program, according to Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco. This milestone was reached two months ahead of the year-end target.

Administered by the Office of Industry Manpower Development (OIMD), the FBSE program is a key initiative of the DOT aimed at perpetuating Filipino hospitality excellence. The DOT’s broader vision is to enhance and elevate the quality of tourism services in the country, with a focus on promoting the “7Ms” of Filipino values, including being Godly, Humane, Nature lover, Nationalistic, Cheerful, Helpful, and Hopeful.

As of October 13, there are now 100,407 trained tourism workers representing various sectors, including accommodation, travel and tour, transportation, academia, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions), farm tourism, tour guides, and tourist police.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco set the goal of training 100,000 Filipinos, recognizing the potential of the 10-year-old FBSE program to transform the Philippines into Asia’s center for hospitality excellence. The Filipino brand represents deep care, outstanding service, and diligent work, qualities that distinguish the Philippines as a top tourism destination.

“Exceeding our 100,000 target demonstrates the commitment of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to empower our country’s greatest asset—the Filipino people. Their unwavering dedication is the driving force that will propel the Philippines into a tourism powerhouse, radiating the love, warmth, and hospitality that define our nation,” Frasco stated in a press release.

She also expressed gratitude to stakeholders, trainers, participants, and partner institutions who contributed to this success in less than a year since the 100,000-goal for FBSE training was established.

Eddierose Salamero, operations manager of the Urban Boutique Hotel, shared her experience after completing the FBSE training program on Boracay Island in Aklan province, saying that it empowers those in the hospitality sector to embody the best of Filipino culture and treat every guest with care.

Orly Ballesteros, a MICE professional and FBSE Level 1 Regional Trainer for DOT NCR emphasized the importance of achieving 100,000 FBSE graduates to showcase the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence to the world and expressed hope that this culture of excellence would become the norm.

The DOT has also incorporated the “mabuhay” (long live) and “salamat” (thank you) gestures into local ordinances, further supporting the FBSE initiative. These gestures have been adopted by several provinces and municipalities. Numerous institutions, including the Manila International Airport Authority, Megaworld Corporation, Enchanted Kingdom, and others from various sectors, have embraced the FBSE culture.
(ai/mnm)