OPENING STATEMENT

Committee on Foreign Relations Hearing on Various Treaties and Agreements Tuesday, 16 April 2024

Chairperson Marcos, my esteemed colleagues, our resource persons: Good afternoon.

We thank Chairperson Marcos for leading the Senate in ensuring that we perform our Constitutional mandate in the concurrence to the ratification of treaties and international agreements.

We acknowledge the importance of the following treaties and agreements that we are about to tackle and we give our full support for the concurrence to their ratification:

1. 1)  The Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, which will expand our exchange-of-information network, serve as a valuable tool for fighting tax evasion, and improve international tax compliance thereby increasing government revenues;
2. 2)  The Host Country Agreement between our government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, which shall allow the latter to establish an office in Manila, thereby improving the delivery and effectiveness of their services to Filipino farmers and paving the way for more opportunities through their various projects; and
3. 3)  The Treaty between the Philippine and Canada on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons and on Cooperation in the Enforcement of Penal Sentences, which shall return a foreign prisoner to his or her home country where he or she may serve the remainder of the sentence.

But this afternoon, of particular interest to this representation is the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 81 on Labor Inspection in Industry and Commerce. As the Principal Author and Sponsor of Republic Act No. 11058 or An Act Strengthening Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Standards, we could not be more happy that, finally, the Philippines is about to ratify ILO Convention No. 81 – the international standard for labor inspection in industrial and commercial establishments.

As I have mentioned during my sponsorship speech on the OSH Standards Act in 2017, much of my career has been devoted to our fight for humane conditions of work for all Filipinos. When we started the deliberations on the OSH bill, there were only 574 labor inspectors. Now, this figure has increased two-fold with 1,210 labor inspectors.1

From January to December 2023, our labor inspectors were able to cover 29,221 establishments with a total of 2.83 million workers. They observed that

1 DOLE. Submitted Inputs to OS Villanueva. 15 April 2024.

the top General Labor Standards violation was the non-maintenance of employment records, while the top Occupational Safety and Health Standard violation was the non-provision of occupational health personnel.

The current landscape of labor inspection in the country is governed by the Labor Code. Article 128 underscores the visitorial and enforcement power of the Secretary of Labor and Employment and his/her duly authorized representative to access the premises and records and establishments to ensure compliance with labor laws. Labor inspection, as emphasized by the ILO, is the primary mechanism to carry out the fundamental function of labor law enforcement and effective compliance. The Institute of Labor Studies says that since labor inspection is either enforcing or developing in nature, it is “the best tool for monitoring the realization of basic principles of decent work for all while also educating workers and employers on their duties towards sustainable compliance and maintaining harmonious employee-employer relations.”2

Madam Chairperson, it is this representation’s hope that the ratification of ILO C81 will resolve the existing gaps in our current policies, to ensure that we are compliant with international labor standards. The provisions of ILO C81 require member states to organize labor inspection as a system; provide strict qualifications of labor inspectors; ensure that the number of inspectors is sufficient to secure the effective discharge of their duties; and require specific set of actions and remedies in the conduct of inspections, among others. The stringent requirements of the Convention that we will adhere to will deepen and expand our efforts.

Once ratified, there may be a need to evaluate our existing laws and policies. When this happens, our office will be open to discuss how we can recalibrate our policies, harmonize it with ILO C81, and align it with the government’s obligation to providing just and human working conditions. Until then, we commit to support the Chairperson once the measure is discussed in plenary and until the Senate give its concurrence.

Thank you, Chairperson Marcos, and may God bless us all.

Get ready to be captivated! HORI7ON, the newest South Korean-based, Filipino boyband, sets sail on their comeback tour across the Philippines.

In collaboration with MLD Entertain PH, SM Malls Online presents an exclusive partnership with HORI7ON, offering fans the chance to treat themselves to special HORI7ON merchandise like never before.

In SM City Baliwag, HORI7ON’s Day Tour promises an electrifying lineup of events at 4PM on April 21, Sunday, at Mall Atrium.

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To know more about SM Supermalls’ exciting events, visit www.smsupermalls.com or follow @SMSupermalls on social media.

The Social Security System (SSS) welcomed Jesus P. Sale Jr.’s appointment as the newest member of the Social Security Commission (SSC), the SSS’ highest governing board.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Rolando Ledesma Macasaet said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. appointed Sale to the SSC last March 26, 2024 and he took his oath of office before Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma on April 11, 2024.

Macasaet said that Sale will represent the Workers’ Group in the policymaking body of the SSS.

“We welcome the newest member of the SSC as announced by Malacañang, Atty. Jesus “Jojo” Sale. We look forward to working closely with him in the Commission, especially for programs that will benefit the labor sector,” Macasaet said.

Sale will replace Anita Bumpus-Quitain, who has served in the SSC since October 2016. Quitain headed several committees involved in information technology, coverage, and collection.

 “We are indebted to Commissioner Quitain for lending her wisdom and expertise to the SSC in championing policies to serve SSS members and pensioners better. We wish her all success in her future endeavors,” Macasaet said.

As a member of the SSC, Sale will provide policy directions to the SSS and formulate, adopt, amend, and rescind rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of the Social Security Law.

Sale is a seasoned public servant who served in various capacities in the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), and the Central Bank Board of Liquidators from December 1985 until August 2003.

He obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of the Philippines Diliman. He also completed his Master’s degree in Development Economics from the Williams College in Massachusetts, USA, and his Bachelor’s degree in Economics, cum laude, from the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Currently, Sale also serves as the Vice President for Internal Affairs of the Associated Marine Officers and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP), a Filipino seafarer organization that promotes the welfare of Filipino maritime professionals.

Woke Coliving Inc 

Since we started Woke Coliving in 2018, we set our goals to play a role within the SDGs framework, to impact the environment and to help the local communities to improve their living standards. By managing coliving communities, we really have the opportunity to bring sustainability up from the building to the community level.

Almost 40% of the annual CO2 emissions comes from the building and construction world and, out of this, 70% comes from building operations.

As an architect, I worked for the past 18 years designing projects across the globe and very rarely I have encountered sustainable buildings that pursue sustainability beyond the building itself. I mean, you can have a theoretically net-zero building, but if the community that uses it doesn’t have a sustainable approach to living, part of your efforts as designer and builder will be wasted.

In 2007, in my early days as an architect, I visited the BedZed in the UK, one of the first and most successful sustainable communities ever developed. BedZed, acronym for Beddington – its location – and Zero Emission Development, is a residential project in the British countryside, not too far from London. I went there riding my Vespa with no GPS and surprisingly it took me quite some time to find it, as the site was not advertised despite its famous pioneeristic approach. Upon entering the development, I noticed how much the architecture of BedZed was inspired by its sustainable approach: wind chimneys to promote natural ventilation, PV panels, green roofs, big windows (that compromised privacy a bit), sustainable materials and appliances. While sneaking around the private development, I was lucky enough to be invited by James, one of the residents, to visit the inside of his unit. James was a BedZed enthusiast. He proudly showed me his planters full of vegetables that he cultivated together with his next door neighbors. James explained to me that the BedZed community had a direct and effective sustainable approach to its daily life. For example, the use of cars was highly discouraged among residents, and James was riding his bicycle to London. Each house displayed a clear metering system to help residents monitor their utilities. Residents could benchmark their own consumption against the rest of the community, and no one wanted to be the one consuming the most. James told me that this benchmarking approach was particularly effective as he really felt the pressure to be among the “good residents” and was also a good reason to compete and have fun in BedZed. When it came the time to leave BedZed and James saw me on my Vespa, he scolded me, saying that next time I should have used public transport, because the bus stop is just conveniently right next to BedZed.

Since we started Woke Coliving in 2018, we set our goals to play a role within the SDGs framework, to impact the environment and to help the local communities to improve their living standards. By managing coliving communities, we really have the opportunity to bring sustainability up from the building to the community level. Our locations and proximity to the CBDs (Central Business Districts) promote walk-to-office culture and reduce the dependency from vehicular transportation. This directly reduces the individual’s carbon footprint. Our newly built project in Mandaluyong was designed to maximize natural light and ventilation in all living areas, thus reducing dependency from the energy providers that, similarly to BedZed, are metered individually and are paid per use. Finally, moving from a sustainable approach to a design perspective, in the end I am still an architect, our building almost triples the occupancy of a traditional residential building, reducing the square meter per person from 24 to 8. Less buildings, more room for green and public spaces. 

Coliving delivers tangible benefits to the people and the way they live, work and play. As operators and community managers, we have the responsibility to create awareness about wellness and influence sustainable living. Stepping forward with simple choices and small sacrifices creates a positive impact on our lives and the world we live in. 

By Harvey Sapigao

Dr. Cristine Villagonzalo and Dr. Reynaldo Garcia from the UP Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) received the prestigious Achievement Award from the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) in the recently held Annual Scientific Conference and 91st General Membership Assembly last March 12, 2024.

Dr. Villagonzalo of the UPD-CS National Institute of Physics (UPD-CS NIP) was lauded for her contributions to Physics, and Dr. Garcia of the UPD-CS National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (UPD-CS NIMBB) for his contributions to the field of Medical Sciences.

Dr. Villagonzalo served as the President of the NRCP Governing board from 2022 to 2023. She is a Professor and the Deputy Director for Academic Affairs at NIP and the Project Leader of the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development (IYBSSD) Philippines. Dr. Villagonzalo received her doctorate of natural sciences at Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany. She is currently working on a research project to integrate a quantum mechanics principle called the perturbation theory in a quantum circuit.

Dr. Garcia founded the Disease Molecular Biology and Epigenetics Laboratory (DMBEL) at NIMBB in 2011. He and his team played a crucial role in detecting and preventing the spread of COVID-19 during the pandemic. Dr. Garcia received his doctorate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Australian National University and is currently a Professor at NIMBB. He is currently investigating how specific mutations in colon cancer cells affect their resistance to treatments, and how these mutated cells divide, migrate, and survive.

The NRCP started awarding the Achievement Award in 1979 to those who have significantly contributed to the research and development of natural sciences, health sciences, engineering, industry, social sciences, and humanities in the Philippines.

Aside from Dr. Villagonzalo and Dr. Garcia, three professors from UP Los Baños also received the Achievement Awards, namely Dr. Inocencio Buot Jr. for his contributions to Biological Sciences, Dr. Maria Ana Quimbo for Social Sciences, and Dr. Remil Galay for Veterinary Medicine.

The UPD Department of Chemical Engineering was awarded the 2023 NRCP Outstanding Institution Award. It joins the ranks of UPD-CS institutes that have received the award, namely NIP, Marine Science Institute (MSI), and Natural Sciences Research Institute DNA Analysis Laboratory (NSRI-DAL).