Monday, July 15, 2019

First representative of lone district of Mandaue City to be elected in 2022

By Leslie Ann Aquino

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) said the election for the representative of the Lone District of Mandaue City shall be held in the next national and local elections which are in 2022.

“The first regular elections in the new 6th Legislative District of Cebu and the Lone Legislative District of Mandaue City shall be held in the next national and local elections which is in 2022,” the poll body said this in Resolution No. 10546 promulgated on July 3, 2019.

It was last April 5 when President Duterte approved Republic Act No. 11257, entitled, “An Act Separating the City of Mandaue from the Sixth Legislative District of the Province of Cebu, to constitute the Lone Legislative District of the City of Mandaue.”

Left with the 6th Legislative District of Cebu are the municipalities of Consolacion and Cordova.

In the same resolution, the Comelec said the incumbent Representative of the present 6th Legislative District of Cebu which includes Mandaue shall continue to represent the said district until the noon of June 30, 2022.

“There shall be District Representatives in the House of Representatives for the Sixth Legislative District of the Province of Cebu and the Lone Legislative District of the City of Mandaue,” read the resolution.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/07/15/first-representative-of-lone-district-of-mandaue-city-to-be-elected-in-2022/

Duterte OKs law creating social welfare attaché for OFWs

President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law creating the social welfare attaché for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Duterte signed Republic Act 11299, amending Republic Act no. 8042 or the “Migrant Workers Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995.”

The law, signed on April 17, was only released to the media on Monday.

Under the new law, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is mandated to deploy social welfare attachés “in countries with large concentration” of OFWs.

The law stated that the social welfare attaché would “manage cases of OFWs and other overseas Filipinos in distress needing psychosocial services.”

The attaché would also “undertake surveys and prepare official social welfare situationers on the OFWs in the area of assignment.”

It also mandated the attaché to “establish a network with overseas-based social welfare agencies and/pr individuals and groups which may be mobilized to assist in the provision of appropriate social services.”

The attaché, the new law added, should “respond to and monitor the resolution of problems and complaints or queries of OFWs and their families.”

The law also ordered the attaché to “establish and maintain a databank and documentation of OFWs and their families so that appropriate social welfare services can be more effectively provided.”

The DSWD is mandated to include in the agency’s programs the implementation of the new law, while the funding should be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Villanueva thankful

Sen. Joel Villanueva, principal author of the bill, thank the President for the signing of the law.

“We thank the President for enacting this bill which stands to benefit OFWs, whose contribution to our economy entails personal sacrifice. Umaasa po tayo na sa bisa ng batas na ito, regular na pong magkakaroon ng mga social welfare attache sa ating mga tanggapan sa ibang bansa,” Villanueva said in a statement.

“Now that the SWA has been institutionalized, we are confident that the psycho-social needs of our OFWs will be addressed better,” he added.

Citing data from the Department of Labor and Employment, the senator said there are four million OFWs worldwide.

He said “the government set aside P90 million in the 2019 national budget for the SWA office.”

Villanueva said seven SWAs are in Saudi Arabia (Riyadh and Jeddah), United Arab Emirates (Dubai), Qatar, Kuwait, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.

He added that five posts are expected to be opened this 2019 in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), Jordan, Lebanon, Italy, and South Korea. /je

https://globalnation.inquirer.net/177940/duterte-oks-law-creating-social-welfare-attache-for-ofws

BARMM starts drafting the Bangsamoro Local Government Code

The Bangsamoro Government’s Ministry of Interior and Local Government is spearheading the drafting of the Bangsamoro local government code, one of the priority legislations entrusted to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority.

Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim, BARMM chief minister noted that the Bangsamoro Local Government Code is one of the important codes to be passed by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) as it “will clearly define the relationship between the LGUs and the Bangsamoro government.”

“The only way to realize the aspiration of the decade-struggle of the Bangsamoro people is to be able to achieve the changes we want in the governance,” he added.

He also recognized the importance of LGUs as they are the real face of governance to which constituents can easily relay their concerns.

In his speech, Ebrahim said he had issued a memorandum directing the BARMM agencies to align their plans, projects, and programs to the 12-point agenda of the Bangsamoro government.

The 12-point agenda of the BARMM published by the Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority include the enactment of priority bills; integration of development plans; establishment of appropriate bureaucracy; continuity of existing government services; special programs for transitioning combatants; supporting the on-going Marawi rehabilitation; development of enabling policy environment; activation of job-generating industries; enhancement of security; maximizing synergistic partnerships; ensure environmental compliance; and exploration of Bangsamoro’s economic potentials.

Lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo, minister of interior and local government (MILG), emphasized the importance of the local government code as it will outline and define the mandate of the Bangsamoro government in its relations with the different local government units. He said that by 2022 the local government code will be enacted.

“Let us attempt to create a system that will allow us for the first time not just in the region but in the country to integrate service delivery and programming to the different LGUs,” he said, adding that the three-year opportunity given to the Bangsamoro should not be missed.

During the initial round of the drafting of the said code, participants did a comparative analysis of the Muslim Mindanao Act No. 25 Local Government Code of ARMM and Republic Act No. 7160 Local Government Code of the Philippines, as well as challenges and opportunities on local planning and service delivery, local revenue generation, and local autonomy and innovations.

https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/latest-news/barmm-starts-drafting-the-bangsamoro-local-government-code/

Campaign on finding lifetime partners launched

Piolo Pascual, Inigo Pascual, Enchong Dee, Matteo Guidicelli, and Charo Santos-Concio have revealed who their lifetime partners are in a deeply personal campaign, which they co-created with Sun Life Financial.

Dubbed “Kaakbay: Stories of Lifetime Partnerships,” the campaign is a set of videos which shows how their lives were made brighter with the help of their respective lifetime partners, who believed in them, supported them, and inspired them.

“It was a very emotional experience developing my video with Sun Life,” Enchong confessed. “When I saw the finished product, I couldn’t help but cry.”

Matteo had the same sentiment. “This is as real as it gets. The authenticity of emotions was clearly captured in the videos, and I look forward to sharing it with everyone,” he said.

Meanwhile, Charo marveled at the experience of sharing her own story. “Seeing an important part of my life immortalized through the video brought back so many memories that I share with my lifetime partner,” she said. “It was unnerving at first but in the end, it was a beautiful way to pay tribute to someone who impacted my life in so many ways.”

Embodying lifetime partnerships

Through the stories of lifetime partnerships shared by Piolo, Inigo, Enchong, Matteo, and Charo, Sun Life hopes to encourage Filipinos to find that partner who will help them shine to their full potential. “Their stories exemplify the kind of partner Sun Life aims to be for every Filipino pursuing his financial journey,” Sun Life Chief Marketing Officer Mylene Lopasaid. “We are committed to helping them make life brighter.”

Lopa emphasized that all the brand ambassadors are long-time Sun Life clients as well. “This brings truthfulness to their testimonies of having found a lifetime partner – a ‘kaakbay’ – in Sun Life in their financial journey. We’re thankful that they supported our vision and permitted us to share their stories to Filipinos,” she said.

The “Kaakbay” videos will be posted on Sun Life’s Youtube channel, @SunLifePH, with a new one premiering every week beginning July 13. Those who will watch the videos will get a chance to win a trip for two to Singapore by sharing their own stories of lifetime partnership on @SunLifePH on Youtube or Facebook. Consolation prizes will also be given away. The full mechanics are available on Facebook.

Meanwhile, the soundtrack for the campaign, also entitled “Kaakbay” which was written and performed by Inigo himself, will soon be hitting airwaves nationwide, while its music video will be shown on Myx. “It’s a song you can dedicate to an important person in your life,” he said. “We don’t always tell our loved ones how much we appreciate them, but I hope that this song and our own ‘Kaakbay’ videos will inspire everyone to express just how much their loved ones mean to them.”

Providing lifetime financial security

“Kaakbay” is Sun Life’s latest effort geared towards renewing its commitment to becoming the Filipinos’ lifetime financial partner and its purpose of providing its clients with lifetime financial security, which it has been championing since it introduced life insurance in the Philippines in 1895.

“Providing our clients with lifetime financial security is the core of our mission. In fact, Sun Life pioneered life insurance in the Philippines 124 years ago so that Filipinos can enjoy its benefits. This advocacy is complemented by our products and services, which we have diversified through the years to serve even their health and wealth needs,” Lopa said. “And we will not stop there. As our clients’ lifetime partner, Sun Life will continue to innovate and improve so we may serve our clients better.”

Piolo, a long-time client and brand ambassador of the company, highlighted that his own relationship with Sun Life is truly one that can be defined as a lifetime partnership. “Sun Life has been my lifetime partner in every step of my journey. A ‘kaakbay’ in every way. With their help, I’ve been able to secure a brighter future not just for myself, but for my family as well,” he said. “I hope that my story, as well as that of my fellow ambassadors, will encourage more Filipinos to pursue financial security and live healthier lives with Sun Life as their lifetime partner.”

http://manilastandard.net/showbitz/celebrity-profiles/299758/campaign-on-finding-lifetime-partners-launched.html