The Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources has approved 11 local bills converting an island to a protected zone and reclassifying several parcels of lands to residential, agricultural or commercial areas.
In a hearing, the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, chaired by Sen. Chiz Escudero, approved House Bills Nos. 5116, 851, 3974, 4105, 951, 1719, 3973, 3975, 4657, 5409 and 336.
Escudero has ordered the committee secretary to prepare the corresponding com-mittee reports for plenary discussion of the approved legislation originating from the House.
The approval in the committee level of HB No. 5116 will pave the way for the conversion of Murcielos Islands in Labason, Zamboanga del Norte as protected landscape and seascape.
Portions of Roosevelt protected area in the municipalities of Dinalupihan and Hermosa, Bataan will be reclassified as alienable and disposable with the approval of HB No. 851, as well as part of Forbes Park Reservation in Baguio City as agricultural land open to disposition through HB No. 3974.
HB No. 4105, meanwhile, will convert a parcel of land in Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental into an agricultural land. HB No. 951, on the other hand, will make a portion of a plot in Barangay Simacolong in Lazi, Siquijor as alienable and disposable.
The approval of HB No. 1719 will make a land of public domain in Siargao, Surigao del Norte an agricultural area, as well as a parcel of land in Barangay Sto. Nino in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro under HB No. 3973.
Parcels of land of public domain in the municipalities of Bantayan, Daanbantayan, Madridejos and Sta. Fe in Cebu will also be disposed of for agricultural, commercial, residential and tourism purposes through HB No. 3975.
The approval of House Bill No. 4657 will declare certain parcels of land in Barangay Combado in Maasin City, Southern Leyte alienable and disposable. Same goes to a portion of land in Bais, Negros Oriental following the approval of HB No. 5409.
The approval of HB No. 336, meanwhile, will pave the way for the establishment of Bikol Botanical Garden in Camarines Sur.
Urgent Need For Comprehensive Review
of Oil Deregulation Law
Senator Chiz Escudero is pushing for a comprehensive review of the oil deregulation law in order to strengthen the powers of the Department of Finance and the Department of Justice in monitoring and addressing oil price hikes.
Escudero, chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, reiterated this call contained in Senate Resolution (SR) 217 he filed long time ago.
“The situation in 2008 when oil pump prices reached P60 per liter is looming to happen again now, with our Department of Energy (DOE) saying it so,” Escudero said.
“I am calling for an immediate review of the present oil deregulation law to balance the equilibrium between our government agencies concerned and the oil players in the country,” he added.
Escudero said that Republic Act (RA) 8479, or the oil deregulation law, was enacted to equip the DOE with enough powers to monitor the pump prices and ensure reasonable pricing on the basis of prevailing inventory and market price set by oil companies and dealers.
“But those seem to be just lip service for any oil price increase implemented is faster than lightning. Oil companies can easily raise oil prices without having to seek government’s consent. But the reverse is very glaring when decrease in oil (price) is implemented by oil companies and retailers,” the senator said.
Escudero said the transport sector, which bears the brunt of the price escalations, has to seek and plea for the government’s nod for any fare hike to cope with the escalating prices of petroleum products.
SR 217 seeks a permanent solution and not palliatives to the present oil price problem. Instead of an emergency power for the President, it grants him the standby powers to address the impact of any considerable hikes in oil prices and redefines the concepts of cartelization and predatory pricing as provided for in Section 11 of RA 8479.
“We have to give a tangible solution to the heavy loads of our people from economic realities. We need a solution so that our people can cope with the soaring commodity price increases,” he said.
Escudero urged his colleagues to prioritize the review of the oil deregulation law, citing Section 2 of the existing law which says that it is the policy of the state to liberalize and deregulate the oil industry to ensure a truly competitive market under a regime of fair prices, adequate and continuous supply of environmentally-clean and high petroleum products. /MP
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