City Council thanks Duterte for mentioning resolutions in Sona

MANILA. President Rodrigo Duterte. (Presidential Communications)
MANILA. President Rodrigo Duterte. (Presidential Communications)

THE 19th Davao City Council lauded and thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for including in his State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, July 27, some of the resolutions passed by the local body.

Councilor Pilar Braga, during her privilege speech on the regular session on Tuesday, July 28, said the President mentioned in his Sona some of the issues and concerns raised and passed by the City Council, through resolutions.

"I am delighted that some of the concerns and resolutions that we collectively passed in this Council had been addressed by our president," Braga said.

One of the resolutions passed by the council and became the subject in the President's Sona, Braga said, is the Presidential Proclamation (PD) 976, titled "Declaring the Year 2020 as the year of the Filipino Health Workers," which aims to give recognition for all the contributions made by medical workers in the country amid the ongoing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

The City Council, she said, had also passed a resolution supporting PD 976.

Braga also said the President also mentioned in his Sona the resolution amending Republic Act 10912 or the Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

"In this time of great pandemic and forthcoming reconstruction, requiring our professionals to undergo seminars is burdensome and not realistic. This must end," Duterte said in his Sona.

House Deputy Speaker Paolo Duterte had filed earlier this year a measure repealing CPD, calling it "uncalled for" and "anti-professional." The council had also passed a resolution supporting the deputy speaker's measure.

Braga also thanked the President and Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio for heeding to the council's call to allocate financial assistance to all elementary and high school students of both public and private schools.

Aside from that, Braga thanked the President for including in his Sona the enactment of an Internet Transactions Act (ITA), which will build trust and confidence in online transactions, stronger protection for online consumers and enabling measures for online businesses.

Braga said the council had previously called the attention of the Department of Trade and Industry on the proliferation of online business, which violated the Republic Act 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines.

The City Council also lauded Duterte for including in his Sona some of the proposed Covid-19 measures that the local body supported in preparing the country for a global pandemic crisis.

These include the call for the immediate passage of the Senate Bill 1451 of Medical Reserve Corps Act of 2020, passed by Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, which will compose of volunteer health professionals such as doctors, nurses, nurse assistance, and other health workers in the time of a health emergency.

The council, in June this year, also passed a resolution calling on Congress to review and enact the proposed Pandemic And All-Hazards Preparedness Act, filed by the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, which could have prepared the country from Covid-19 pandemic.

Braga passed on June 16 a resolution urging the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives to pass the pending Pandemic Act or Senate Bill 1573 "in the light of the global pandemic experienced today" due to the Covid-19.

The councilor said Duterte has also included in his Sona the need to implement a "home schooling" while there is still a pandemic.

Braga, who is the Council committee head on education, is opposing face-to-face learning while there is still no existing vaccine against the disease, of which the President himself also agrees.

"I was really happy hearing our President when he finally said, after many missteps, he made a categorical statement, and this has been the concern of our council," Braga said.

Likewise, the councilor thanked the President for calling out all telecommunication companies to improve their services in time for the opening of classes this August, which will see the implementation of an online distance learning.

The council had filed a resolution addressing the National Telecommunications Commission to enhance, upgrade, and improve the services of the telcos.

Duterte, in his Sona, gave an ultimatum to all telcos to improve their service by the end of December this year.

Duterte's Sona is the first under a state of health emergency, resulting in the limited number of attendees inside the Batasang Pambansa.

Duterte has only two years left until his term ends in 2022.

Prior to being a President, he also served as a presiding head of the City Council from July 2010 until June 2013, when he was elected as City Vice Mayor.

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