Speaker Arroyo OKs Department of Disaster Resilience proposal

LEGAZPI CITY—The proposed draft for the creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) or House bill 6075 authored by Albay Second District Rep. Joey Salceda has been given the go-signal by House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Salceda announced on Friday that after Arroyo assumed her speakership post, she directed the House committees on Government Reorganization and Defense and Security to convene and unanimously draft the proposal and endorse it to the plenary.

“We responded to it because President Duterte has repeatedly underscored in his Sona [State of the Nation Address] the urgency for the creation of department level disaster management agency, a version of which he had approved in his recent regular cabinet meeting,” he said.

Salceda stressed that “with DDR, it will be accountable and responsible for overseeing, coordinating and implementing comprehensive disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and management programs and redirecting policy drifts among other agencies handling disaster response tasks.”

He said passing the bill would be easier with Arroyo, being the House Speaker, since she is familiar with such legislation, having approved during her presidency Republic Act 101221, the law which sought to “Strengthen the Philippine Disaster Risk Management System.” /jpv

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Transpacific to renew Congress franchise

Transpacific Broadband Group International Inc. said it will apply for the renewal of its Congressional franchise for another 25 years as it plans to become the country’s third player.

Transpacific said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange the company’s Congressional franchise under Republic Act 8657 was eligible for the renewal for another 25 years from 2023 to 2048.

The renewal of the franchise aims to support the government’s initiative for a third telecommunications player to serve the public interest.

Transpacific is headed by businessman Arsenio Ng, who also owns ATN Holdings Inc., formerly Jabpract Mining and Industrial Corp.

Earlier, Transpacific said its board approved the fundraising, equivalent to a 40-percent equity to foreign investors, through a private placement.

The company said it would use the proceeds from the private placement to participate in various opportunities in the telecommunication market brought about by the directive of the government to have a third telco in the Philippines.

http://thestandard.com.ph/business/corporate/271515/transpacific-to-renew-congress-franchise.html