Sen. Robin holds hybrid public hearing on constitutional amendments in Davao City

Flood-affected families in Agusan, Davao provs. get aid from OVP

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) has sent food and relief goods for the families badly hit by the recent floods in the provinces of Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte and Davao de Oro.

“Thank you, Vice President Inday Sara (Duterte),” Agusan del Sur Gov. Santiago Cane Jr. said in a statement Thursday, adding that the food and relief goods will help the 1,000 families affected by the recent floods.

Cane received the assistance, consisting of 200 sacks of rice and 140 boxes of relief goods, through the staff of the OVP’s Disaster Operations Center (DOC) on Wednesday.

Cane said 170 sacks of rice will be appropriated to the municipality of Bunawan while 30 sacks will be sent to the affected families in San Francisco town.

He also asked the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office to facilitate the delivery and distribution of food and relief goods.

The OVP also sent 100 sacks of rice for the flood victims in Agusan del Norte province on Tuesday.

Governor Maria Angel- ica Rosedell Amante expressed gratitude to Vice President Sara Duterte for the food aid intended for the flood victims in the province.

OVP aid in Davao area

Meanwhile, some 331 families currently staying in different evacuation centers in Davao del Norte’s town of Carmen were also provided with relief boxes containing sleeping mats, blankets, mosquito nets, hygiene kits such as alcohol, face masks and other sanitary items.

A separate 103 flood-affected families from the same town who opted to remain in their homes also received 500 sacks of rice from the OVP-DOC.

In Davao City, the OVP also delivered essentials to families affected by the Feb. 25 fire that hit two villages in the area.

Earlier this week, the OVP-DOC responded to the needs of 963 families or 3,000 individuals displaced by the fire that razed at least 1,200 houses in Barangay 21-C and Barangay 22-C, both situated along Quezon Boulevard of the city.

The OVP-DOC said it FFLOOD, P8

By MAYA M. PADILLO

Senator Robinhood Padilla held a hybrid public hearing on constitutional amendments and revision of codes at The Royal Mandaya Hotel in Davao City on Thursday.

The public hearing was held in line with the Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 3 seeking to amend the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution via Constituent Assembly (ConAss).

Padilla, chairman of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes, wanted to amend Sections 2, 3, 7, 10, and 11 of Article XII of the 1987 Constitu- tion as well as Section 4(2) of Article XIV, and Section 11(1) and (2) of Article XVI.

“Sa kasalukuyan ang PIlipinas sa loob ng 83 economies sa buong mundo, pangatlo tayo sa pinaka mahigpit ang foreign direct investment. Base sa foreign investment attractiveness card noong 2020 ang Pilipinas ay nasa dulo, labing tatlo sa labing apat na ekonomiya sa Asia Pacific,” Padilla said.

He said the proposal has basis and not just a political grandstanding.

“Ito ay tunay na pangangailangan ng ating bansa at amendahan ang economic provision sa ating Saligang Batas. Magmula noong ‘90s sumisigaw na ang salitang globalization, ibig sabihin ang buong mundo ay nagkaroon na ng pag ne-negosyo. Trade investment.

Nakakalungkot tayong Pilipinas mahilig tayong sumama sa trade agreements. Binuksan natin ang bansa sa trade agreements pero ang nakakalungkot yung ating foreign investments, sarado pa rin. Binuksan natin ang ibang produkto sa ibang bansa pumasok sa atin pero yung investment na galing sa ibang bansa hindi natin pinayagang pumasok dito. Dapat sabay yan na pumasok, trade and investment,” he said.

Amendments to the constitution can be proposed by one of three methods: People’s Initiative, Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass), or Constitutional Convention (Con-Con).

Meanwhile, lawyer Eula Pertubos-Arias of the Jose Maria College of Law said in amending the constitution it is ideal to go through Con-Con.

“Basically, the People’s