August 21, 2024
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Q: Ano po ang laman ng mensahe niyo sa mayors mamaya?
PSC: Well, on theme naman ako kasi ang theme nila is sustainable cities through creating smart cities. And naging Chairman ako ng Senate Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, Innovation, and Futures Thinking for 5 years.
So I will just be sharing some of my insights and practical advice on really how to create sustainable communities. Kasi gusto ko sana na maramdaman naman nila kung ano yung soul ng theme na yun, sustainable cities. It’s very fun, they can be very creative. Hindi naman one-size-fits-all. Ishe-share ko rin sa kanila para lalo silang ganahan to create sustainable cities and communities.
Q: Key insights from Taguig as being a smart city?
PSC: Well, sa Taguig, actually, ang dami. But one would be talagang mag-invest ka to create a network of safe pathways. What does that mean? Kasi Taguig is very urban, diba? Ang kilala ng tao ay yung urban side of Taguig. Pero actually, ang laki ng sakop ng Taguig, hanggang sa Laguna Lake. Ang ganda-ganda niya. Kailangan nade-develop din yun as a recreational destination because alam niyo naman ang kahalagahan ng mental health, bata, matanda, lahat may napupuntahan. Relax-relax. So we have pathways na pang walkway lang, tapos meron kaming hiwalay na pang-bike lang, saka pa yung kotse. So ganun ang klase ng investment doon na long-term, para yung mga gustong mamasyal, may stroller na dala, yung matatanda, hindi nila kailangan makipagsabayan sa bisikleta, at lalong hindi makipagsabayan sa kotse.
And one last example is also yung sustainable management ng basura. Meron tayong mga materials recovery facility (MRF), na hindi naman ganun kabago ang technology diyan. But kailangan matuto from every household to segregate trash. Kasi saan ba napupunta yan? Hindi naman nagdi-disappear. Nandyan lang yan. So we have to be mindful and have programs. Because kasama sa sustainable development, isa sa mga goals yung responsible consumption ng ating mga pang-araw-araw na ginagamit.
Philippine Natural Gas Development Act
Q: How will the proposed Philippine Natural Gas Development Act address energy security?
PSC: Yesterday, I was able to sponsor the Philippine Natural Gas Development Act. Ito ang long-term plan natin kung paano tayo magkakaroon ng energy security through what is called a transition fuel. Itong natural gas is a transition fuel because gusto natin eventually, sino ba naman ang may ayaw na doon tayo sa renewable? But until that happens, hindi naman tayo pwedeng tuloy-tuloy tayong ganito na puro brownout, puro blackout. Mataas na nga yung presyo ng kuryente, puro brownout pa. Sana man lang pag-discounted, oh sige discounted, blackout muna kayo ng tatlong oras pero mura. Eh hindi eh, parang double whammy. Blackout ka na, mahal pa rin.
So what is transition fuel? Itong transition fuel will pave the way over time na makadagdag pa rin tayo ng investments natin sa renewable, yung hindi masama sa tao, hindi masama sa environment. But guess what? Indigenous gas ang pino-promote natin, yung sariling atin.
Because currently, isa lang, Malampaya lang ang nagsu-supply ng indigenous gas. But we need to invest. And kahit ako nagulat ako, nung hindi pa ako Chairman ng Committee on Energy, hindi ko pa alam yung history. Would you believe nag-umpisa ang Philippines sa renewables? Hindi alam ng mga kabataan yan. I mean, nakikisama ako sa mga kabataan, nagra-rally tayo for renewables. But that’s how we started. We started with renewables. And then, nagkaroon siya ng transition to coal. So naging puro coal, and may mix din ng gas. And now, what we want to do is ibalik natin yung exploration so that we have energy security.
One last example. Aside from pandemic, nagkaroon pa ng giyera sa Ukraine na supplier ng gas. And so, masyado tayong vulnerable kasi ang nagsu-supply sa atin, taga-ibang bansa. Kapag may nangyaring giyera diyan, or for whatever reason, gusto nilang magbenta sa isang bansa na mas mataas ang presyo na babayaran, hindi natin makukuha, and affected ang energy security.
That’s why, if we have our own, if we can discover more, we will have more stability, pati sa presyo.
Transfer of Unused Subsidies by PhilHealth to the National Treasury
Q: With all the deliberations, reaction niyo po sa transfer of funds ng PhilHealth?
PSC: I have given my initial reaction when this first happened. And I will repeat my call now because I’m told na based doon sa timeline ng Department of Finance, they intend to have a second tranche transfer. Second tranche nila ng pag-transfer ng funds sa PhilHealth to the National Treasury.
I join the health advocates in asking DOF, Secretary Recto, nag-attend naman siya ng hearing namin, na sabi niya he will defer to the wishes of Congress.
I defended the budget of DOH and PhilHealth for four years na. And it is also our responsibility to really check kung may pera ba talaga or wala. Kasi sa akin, assuming napakaraming pera, bakit? Na-aasikaso ba lahat ng pangangailangan pangkalusugan ng mga tao? Maya’t maya may humihingi sa mga mayor natin. Ito yung purpose. And I will discuss it with them. Nakapila kasi kulang yung pang-treatment nila, whether it’s cancer, whether it’s heart surgery. Hindi naman nako-cover lahat yan ng PhilHealth. Bakit mo ngayon babawasan?
Yun lang naman ang panawagan ko as the Senior Vice Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance that has handled the budget of PhilHealth for four years. Ano ba naman na ipagpaliban mo man lang yung second tranche na yan na matapos din ang Senate hearing – and there is also now a pending Supreme Court case – for the sake of public health at sa ikabubuti ng ating mga kababayan.
Immunization
Q: Reaction that PH is no longer among the top 5 countries on ‘zero dose’ immunization?
PSC: I really wanted to discuss the topic in Pampanga kasi those of you who have covered me in Pampanga will remember na nag-bike ako dito sa Pampanga and topic ko with the barangay health officials is yung pagbabakuna.
Gumanda nga ang ranking natin. Hindi na tayo yung zero-zero. Pero, let’s just call it a step in the right direction. Mga nanay, mga health workers, please, pabakunahan ang mga anak. Ipagpatuloy niyo ang trabaho niyo, mga health officials and barangay health workers. Do the job because we need to vaccinate our children to protect them. #
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