Ano ba problema nyo sa RH Bill?

The powerful Catholic Church ay nananawagan sa milyong-milyong nitong devotees to hold prayer vigils in the streets or in the privacy of their homes before Aug. 7, when the House of Representatives shall decide on the fate of the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill.

The RH bill aims to provide universal access to various birth control methods and modern contraceptives which will be funded by the government as stipulated in the said bill. The main objective of the RH Bill is to reduce the number of mothers and infants dying in childbirth and to minimize teenage girls from unwanted pregnancies.

However, the Catholic Church claims that the said bill is anti-life since it encourages the usage of modern contraceptives like condoms and pills which the Church believes is a tool to suppress life and will only encourage pre-marital sex amongst the youth.

Honestly, I really don't see the logic why the Catholic Church is so against this bill. Bakit? Ngayon ba na walang RH bill eh wala bang gumagamit ng condom at pills sa inyong mga devotees? Ngayon ba na wala pang RH bill eh wala bang cases ng teenage preganacies sa inyong mga devotees? Ngayon ba na wala pang RH bill eh walang pre-marital sex sa mga kabataan sa inyong bakuran? Papapugot ko ang ulo ko kung ang sagot nyo eh WALA!

Wala pang nakakaalam kung ano ang magiging epekto ng RH Bill kapag ito'y pumasa na sa congreso. Lahat ng arguments ng Simbahan about the said bill are just mere speculations at produkto lang ng makukulay na isip. Ilang taon nang ipinaubaya ng gobyerno sa Simbahan ang pag-tuturo ng responsible parenting sa kanilang mga devotees. At alam naman natin na hindi po sila naging epektibo. Now is the right time para makialam na ang gobyerno sa pamamagitan ng RH Bill.

Bato-bato sa langit. Opinyon lang po at wag magagalit.

2012 SONA ni Aquino, makatotohanan ba?

Kahapon ay hindi ordinaryong araw para kay PNOY, dahil ito ay araw ng kanyang ika-tatlong SONA. I took a day-off from my work para mapanood ang kanyang speech.  Maganda ang pagkakasulat ng SONA ni PNOY, I wan't to commend his writers. Pero, katulad ng nakaraang administration, ang SONA ni PNOY ay puro pagbubuhat lang ng bangko at puro pag-yayabang lamang. Ang SONA para sa akin ay isang pelikula lamang sa isang sinehan. Pagkatapos mong panoorin ng ilang oras, tapos na ang palabas.

Sabihin mo na ang lahat ng magagandang achievements ng administrasyon mo, pero Ginoong Presidente, hindi ko parin nararamdaman ang effects ng pagkalago ng ating economiya. Hirap parin ako sa pag-budget ng aking kakapiranggot na sweldo. Marami parin akong mga kaibigan at kamag-anak na gustong lumayas ng ating bansa upang makakita ng mas magandang opportunity sa labas ng ating bansa. Ayon kay PNOY, nabawasan ang ating unemployment rate. Oo, totoo nga ito, pero sapat ba ang kinikita ng mga mangagawang Pilipino dito sa Pinas? Sa taas ng mga bilihin at pamasahe, ano ba ang mararating ng kakapiranggot na sweldo na natatanggap ng isang ordinaryong manggagawa?

Hindi ko kailangan ang yabang mo Ginoong Aquino, hindi namin makakain yan! Ang hangin mo ay isang utot lamang. Maingay at mabaho.

Marami ka ngang nagawa, pero kulang pa. Ikaw na rin ang nagsabi, kami ang boss mo. Kaya, ang utos ng mga boss mo, magtrabaho ka pa kasama ang mga cabinete mo.

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Party-list groups entitled to 29 seats proclaimed

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MANILA, Philippines The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday proclaimed qualified party-list groups entitled to seats in the 14th Congress following the order of the Supreme Court to raise the number of said seats to 55.

However, instead of 55, the Comelec said seats could only be raised to 51 so far. This is because of the disqualification cases being faced by two party-list groups and the dissolution of a legislative district in Mindanao.

Bagong Alyansang Tagapagtaguyod ng Adhikain ng Sambayanan (BATAS) was supposed to have two seats, and Ang Laban ng Indiginong Filipino (ALIF) should have been entitled to one.

Shariff Kabunsuan is no longer a province having its own legislative district, thus it took away another seat bringing down the available seats to 51.

Currently, 22 seats are occupied by 17 groups in the 14th Congress, thus only 29 more seats are available to the winning groups.

The 29 seats are distributed to the following groups that will have one seat each:

• Bayan Muna
• Apec
• A Teacher
• Akbayan
• Alagad
• Coop-Natco
• Butil
• ARC
• Amin
• Abono
• Yacap
• Agap
• An Waray
• Uni-mad
• ABS
• Kakusa
• Kabataan
• Aba-ako
• Senior Citizens
• AT
• VFP
• Anad
• Banat
• Ang Kasangga
• Bantay
• Abakada
• 1-Utak
• TUCP

Among those joining the House of Representatives as a result of the Supreme Court ruling is retired Army general Jovito Palparan Jr, representing Bantay.

The ruling also ushers in a fourth Arroyo in Congress, Ma. Lourdes T. Arroyo, younger sister of First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, representing Ang Kasangga.

Ms. Arroyo will join three other relatives of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the House - Negros Occ. Rep. Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo, and presidential sons Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo and Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado "Dato" Arroyo.

The new party-list groups that will occupy seats in the House following the Supreme Court ruling are:

1. Aba-Ako
2. Abakada
3. ABS
4. ANAD
5. Ang Kasangga
6. AT
7. Bantay
8. Banat
9. 1-Utak
10. Kabataan
11. Kakusa
12. Senior Citizens
13. TUCP
14. Uni-Mad
15. VFP

The party-list groups that have already occupied their seats prior to the Supreme Court ruling are:

1. Buhay - 3 seats
2. Bayan Muna - 2 seats
2. Apec - 2 seats
3. Cibac - 2 seats
4. Gabriela - 2 seats
5. Butil - 1 seat
6. Coop Natco - 1 seat
7. A Teacher - 1 seat
8. Abono - 1 seat
9. Agap - 1 seat
10. Akbayan - 1 seat
11. Anak Mindanao or Amin - 1 seat
12. An Waray - 1 seat
13. Anakpawis - 1 seat
14. ARC - 1 seat
15. Yacap - 1 seat

Under the new setup, the following party-list groups will get one additional seat each:

1. Akbayan
2. Abono
3. Agap
4. Anak Mindanao or Amin
5. Anakpawis
6. An Waray
7. Alagad
8. A Teacher
9. ARC
10. Bayan Muna
11. Butil
12. Coop Natco

Other groups included in the Supreme Court's list of party-list groups entitled to representation in Congress, but not proclaimed by the Comelec on Friday, were the Filipinos for Peace Justice and Progress Movement (FPJPM) and the Philippine Coconut Producers Federation, Inc. (Cocofed).

A press statement by the Comelec said FPJPM's party-list registration was cancelled on July 1, 2008. Cocofed was excluded by the Comelec altogether as a result of changes in the distribution of seats.

"Although Cocofed was included in the decision of the Supreme Court as the party-list group entitled to the last 55th seat, the number of available party-list seats for distribution, which has now been reduced to 54, could no longer accommodate Cocofed," the Comelec statement explained. With Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV


BatoBato Replies: Ang dami nanaman ang papasweldohin namin! Kaming mga tax-payers ang kakayod para sweldohan kayo, hay naku! Kayong mga bagong proklamang party-list congressman, ciguraduhin nyo na may magagawa kayong bagong batas bago matapos ang termino ninyo ha, at kung hindi isa-isa kong kukurutin yang mga utong ninyo! Bato bato sa langit, bwiset na buhay to!

Free public education sought for household help

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MANILA, Philippines - Household helpers may continue to pursue their education at minimal costs if a House bill seeking education grants for them is passed into law.

In a statement on Friday, Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronald Singson said under his House Bill No. 5860, drivers, babysitters, gardeners, cooks, and the like will be granted free public school education while they will be given a 50 percent discount on tuition fees in private educational institutions.

Under the bill, public schools are required to provide scholarship grants - including free tuition fees, subsidies, and other inventives - to deserving household helpers who pass the screening process of the educational institutions, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Meanwhile, deserving household helpers will only be required to pay half the tuition fee in private schools. READ MORE

BatoBato Replies: Dyos ko po naman Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronald Singson, aanuhin mo ang edukasyo kung wala namang trabaho dito sa Pilipinas. Ako nga nakatapos nako ng kolehiyo pero hirap na hirap akong humanap ng trabaho non. Eto ngayon mey trabaho nga ako pero ang liit naman ng sweldo. Minsan nga naisip ko na sana hindi nalang ako nag college at namasukan na lang ako bilang katulong. Mas simple pa maging katulong, maglalaba, plancha, walis-walis, mamalengke, at libre pa ang food at lodging. Kung sumwesweldo ang katulong ng 2,500 - 3,000 a month, take home nya na yon. Congresman Ronald Singson, malamang magugulat ka kapag nalaman mo na marami sa ating mga kababayan na regular employee ay kulang na kulang ang sinusweldo nila. Buti pa ang mga katulong free food at lodging na sila, samantalang kaming mga empleyado, minsan 200 nalang ang natitira sa sweldo namin dahil halos napunta sa pamasahe, baon at pambayad ng tax na kinukurakot ng mga kung sino-sinong tao sa gobyerno. Pwede ba, ibang batas nalang ang gawin ninyo! Pag binigyan pa ninyo ng libreng edukasyon ang mga katulong baka dumagdag lang sila sa mga un-employed ng bayan. Atupagin ninyo nalang eh gumawa ng batas na pwedeng luminis ng korupsyon sa gobyerno! Bato-bato sa langit, ang tamaan wag magagalit... ang pikon, guilty!

House to fast-track bill increasing its membership

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MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives will seek to fast-track the approval of a bill increasing its ranks by 100 members when session resumes Monday.

House Bill 5943 seeks to increase the number of members in the House of Representatives from 250 to 350 in time for the 2010 national elections.

“It is clear that the 250 members of the House of Representatives no longer satisfy the necessity of popular representation as our population has already reached beyond 90 million, hence the need to increase the membership in the House of Representatives," author Rep. Raul Gonzalez Jr. (Iloilo City) said in an article... READ MORE

BatoBato Replies: Rep. Raul Gonzales Jr. ng Iloilo, pwede ba! Maawa ka naman sa mga ordinayong tax payers na katulad ko, dadagdagan mo nanaman ang palamunin sa buhay namin. Dadami nanaman ang kukupit, este, magnanakaw sa gobyerno! Okey ka lang! O, wag kang magagalit, don't tell me na wala kang bahid ng... alam mo na yon. Bato bato sa langit, ang tamaan wag magagalit!