|
By Jefferson Antiporda, Reporter
PRESIDENT Gloria Arroyo on Tuesday assured the
short-term measures being introduced by the government to soften the
impact of the global oil and food crisis, will be followed by
long-term measures to boost the Philippines’ food and energy
security.
This was the main focus of the Cabinet meeting
headed by the President, wherein she emphasized the need to come up
with long-term solutions to the current crisis, like tapping new
technologies for rice production and energy conservation.
During the meeting, Science and Technology
officer in charge Fortunato de la Peña, discussed tools to improve
rice production and energy supply, while Agriculture Secretary
Arthur Yap discussed plans to boost rice production in the coming
rainy season.
The President also instructed the Department of
Science and Technology to train energy auditors to help the Energy
department in conducting their energy audits, and roll out new
technologies that have been tested, like compressed natural gas and
liquefied petroleum gas, micro-hydro power and multi-commodity solar
drier.
Mrs. Arroyo also considered as equally important
the speedy implementation of vital infrastructure project such as
roads, ports, airports, irrigation and bridges, and the enhanced
delivery of basic services to the poor.
One of the short-term government measures being
implemented is the “Katas ng VAT,” where P4 billion from the
collection of the value-added tax, or VAT, on petroleum will be
allocated for anti-poverty programs.
The President has also allocated another P2
billion for the “Pantawid Kuryente” program that will benefit
some four million poor power consumers.
Last week, the program was piloted in Metro
Manila with some 1.4 million households consuming not more than 100
kilowatts per hour of electricity per month getting a one-time power
subsidy of P500.
Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya said the power
subsidy is legal and it is the Congress that gave permission for
it’s under the government’s “unprogrammed” funds.
The government will also allocate some P500
million for a program to replace incandescent bulbs with more
efficient fluorescent lamps. This program will start in July.
Bishops score ‘dole-outs’
A ranking Catholic Church official on Tuesday
scored the Arroyo government’s dole-out program for the poor,
saying it could only aggravate the worsening poverty situation in
the country.
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines president and Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said the
government’s dole-out program, although laudable, is not the real
solution to the country’s poverty problem.
“What’s really needed is for the government
to address the real cause of poverty in the country, and quit making
the poor dependent on dole outs,” Lagdameo said over the
Church-run Radio Veritas on Tuesday.
Lagdameo also said that getting rid of the
rampant corruption in the government would also help alleviate the
country’s poverty problem, especially in the countryside.
“This is a call to conscience, a call to
community conscience to sensitivity for the common good and
universal purpose of the destination of the good,” he said.
-- With Anthony Vargas
|
