Senator MAR Roxas News Tracker

Roxas urged to Palace to 'come clean' on P600-M unliquidated funds

2007-10-22T07:59:00.000+08:00

The Arroyo administration should “come clean” on over P600 million in unliquidated and unaccounted funds last year amid the brouhaha over the source of cash gifts given to local government officials and congressmen in Malacañang, according to Senator Manuel Roxas II.

“The seeming cloak of secrecy raises suspicions of slush money being paid out in the guise of humanitarian spending. Until such things are explained, the public’s mistrust of the administration will remain,” Roxas said. (Inquirer)

Roxas on Palengke Tips and cheaper medicines

2007-10-22T07:28:00.000+08:00

Senator Mar Roxas was a guest in the television program Sis last October 10, 2007 where they discussed market weighing tips, why he is popularly referred to as Mr. Palengke, the impact of Cheaper Medicines Bill to the poor, his small and micro enterprises accessible loans bill, among others.

Mar Roxas speaks on the Affordable Medicines Bill

2007-08-28T12:16:00.000+08:00

This is a clip of Philippine Senator Mar Roxas, taken from cable news network ANC's 'The Big Picture' aired on August 17, 2007, where he talked to host Ricky Carandang his advocacy for more affordable quality medicines.

Mar Roxas speaks on the Opposition and the Presidency

2007-08-28T12:09:00.000+08:00

This is a clip of Philippine Senator Mar Roxas, taken from cable news network ANC's 'The Big Picture' aired on August 17, 2007, where he talked to host Ricky Carandang about being part of the political opposition. Mar also speaks candidly about bringing the country to a better place.

DECRIMINALIZING LIBEL, BETTER ACCESS TO OFFICIAL INFORMATION

2007-07-13T09:53:00.000+08:00

Senator Mar Roxas wants to strike off from the statute books all criminal liabilities attached to libel and guarantee public access to information to advance the freedom of the press and democratic governance, respectively.

He urged President GMA to certify his bills decriminalizing libel (SB 110) and his Free Information Act (SB 109) to substantiate her avowed commitment to human rights.

"The libel law has been used to inflict fear on journalists already saddled with the threat of physical harm when reporting events to the ire of the high and mighty."

Civil damages are enough penalty for, and deterrence of libel, he added, considering that it is difficult to prove malice because this issue goes straight to personal motives of the journalist.

He said it is ironic that the Philippines, while claiming to be a beacon of democracy in Asia, suffers from vicious shootings of reporters.

SB 110 also limits the venue for filing libel suits to the regional trial court where the media office or address of the charged journalist is located.

"Presently, one can file a libel suit virtually anywhere and leave a reporter without legal or financial means twisting in the wind, to the whim of the powerful and influential."

At the same time, Roxas said information on matters of public interest must be readily made available to the people under pain of sanctions against errant government officials and employees illegally hiding secrets from Juan dela Cruz.

He cited the present controversy surrounding the government's questionable $330-million broadband deal with China's ZTE Corp. as an example, tying this to the Constitutional guarantee of free access for the people to official information, except when the disclosure of such would harm the privacy of individuals, trade secrets, national security, public order and safety, and foreign diplomatic relations.

"As much as a broadband network is a matter of national security concern, I don't see how details of the ZTE deal or any contract on the matter can be withheld from public scrutiny under these Constitutional exceptions it does not impinge upon national security, high diplomacy or anyone's privacy," Roxas said.

"While I welcome the government's assurance that the broadband deal is under review, the people still have a right to see the actual or proposed contract and its conditions."

"Free access to information is not only a Constitutional right but a practical tool to improve the economy. The nation's development and progress must be founded on trust and dialogue between the people and the State fueled by the free flow of information."

SB 109 requires government agencies to respond to all written requests for information within two days, unless proper justification is given by the government body, subject only to the payment of reasonable fees for the viewing or reproduction of such information.

Penalties are levied against officials or employees who knowingly and unjustly refuse to provide access to information, or who consciously release false or misleading information.

It's no to higher government fees

2007-07-12T09:55:00.000+08:00

Senator Mar Roxas called on the President's economic managers to present a clear-cut plan to the public on how the administration intends to sustain its fiscal program despite shortfalls in tax and other revenue collections. He expressed alarm that revenue shortfalls are now driving fiscal policy rather than the other way around leading to potentially bigger burdens on the people. "There is this business principle that makes sense especially for government: Never give up the long-term." (Balita.ph)

Roxas warns against HSA sans implementing rules

2007-07-11T12:04:00.000+08:00

IMPLEMENTING the Human Security Act without a proper set of guidelines and its implementing rules and regulations poses a danger to the security and human rights of every Filipinos, Sen. Mar Roxas said on Tuesday, reacting to news that President Arroyo has announced that the Antiterror Law will take effect as scheduled on July 15.

“The government should not implement the Human Security Act without a set of implementing rules and regulations. Doing so would be like constructing a building without the architectural, electrical and mechanical plans being approved. Eventually, due to poor planning and a weak foundation, the building will collapse and affect innocent people,” Roxas said in a statement. (Manila Times)

On "fragmented opposition in the Senate"

2007-07-08T16:57:00.000+08:00

From Senator Mar Roxas:

"There is an attempt to pin on two other senators (Ping and Loren) and myself the blame for a fragmented opposition in the Senate. Yet, whoever wins the senate presidency by courting the administration senators is clearly the real purveyor of division within the opposition ranks. Whatever the outcome of the Senate Presidency race, the LP senators except for Sen. Kiko Pangilinan will remain with the minority bloc. The people's mandate in the last election is clear: an independent, fiscalizing Senate under the leadership and control of the opposition. I follow that mandate."

Mar Roxas disowns anti-PGMA and Corona e-mail

2007-06-21T23:13:00.000+08:00

Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas II disowned Wednesday an email accusing President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of corrupting the judiciary by appointing the wife of Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona to a juicy post. At the same time, Roxas asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to examine the email from roxas.mar@gmail.com, which his media relations officer Jennifer Bugarin branded as "fabricated." (GMANews.TV)

Roxas blasted the House for the non-ratification of the Cheaper Medicines Bill

2007-06-11T17:19:00.000+08:00

Sen. Manuel Roxas II, chairman of the Senate trade and industry committee, blasted the House for the non-ratification of the Cheaper Medicines Bill. President Arroyo turned down calls for a special session of Congress to enable lawmakers to pass the pending cheap medicines bill.

Interesting insight also from Ram Maxey.

Put people’s needs first

2007-06-10T08:01:00.001+08:00

STATEMENT OF SENATOR MAR ROXAS ON THE 14th CONGRESS

“For the next Congress to be more productive and cohesive, I strongly urge the administration not to equate politics with obstruction, or all opposing views with attempts to destabilize those in power. Rather, let us begin a national dialogue on how politics can scale up our modest economic gains, how we can spread out our still limited progress, how we can deepen and sustain our competitive advantages as a nation.”

“With so many problems confronting our country, there is certainly room for consensus and consultations, for critical thinking and constructive partnerships. Our goal in the 14th Congress should be to put people’s needs first; and to reflect this in how we approach the budget, draft legislation, and prioritize our work in the different committees. For this to succeed, the executive branch must also forego its own biases, and learn to reach out to the new Senate.”

Pay the teachers

2007-06-05T07:51:00.000+08:00

Senator Mar Roxas urged the Department of Finance to immediately order the release of payments to thousands of public school teachers who rendered poll duty in the May elections.

Roxas issued his call upon verifying that a huge number of teachers have yet to be fully compensated for their service. The Teachers’ Organization for the Philippine Public Sector, a member organization of the Public Services Labor Independent Confederation informed the senator that several of their members have yet to receive the P3,000 honorarium plus P300 transportation allowance promised them by the government. (Yehey! News)

Price relief for hypertensive Filipinos

2007-05-27T16:03:00.000+08:00

Nearly eight million Filipinos have hypertension. Stressfully high medicine prices worsen their ailment. But relief is probably in sight. The state-owned Philippine International Trading Corp. is seeking to void the local patent of the hot-selling hypertension drug Norvasc. And it has strong legal basis for it. Norvasc sells for P41.41 per 5-mg tablet in the Philippines. Senator MAR Roxas says the same Norvasc formulation retails in India for only P5.77. The PITC should be allowed to legally import from India, he adds, "to benefit 7.76 million hypertensive Filipinos." (ABS-CBN Interactive)

EVEN if Congress is on recess due to the elections, there is a sustained effort to hasten the approval of Senate Bill (SB) 2263 which seeks to lower the prices of medicines, said Senator Manuel "Mar" Roxas III. "Even if Congress is in recess for the national polls, we, together with fellow legislators across party lines, our staff and various stakeholders are engaged in constant consultations in order to build a consensus on the lower priced medicines bill," he said.
(Sun.Star Manila)

Voters Education by MAR Roxas

2007-05-09T18:13:00.000+08:00

Please feel free to disseminate these voter education videos. Filipinos must look into their hearts, analyze thoroughly, and vote for candidates that best represent the interest of the country. We pray for high voter turnout this Monday.

Long version

Short version

Roxas bewails low OAV turnout

2007-05-06T18:11:00.000+08:00

Senator Manuel Roxas said the "very low" voter turnout for the Filipino overseas absentee voting (OAV) for the 2007 midterm elections is disconcerting, GMANews.TV learned Saturday. Roxas told reporters that the 5% voter turnout on the 20th day of the 30-day OAV period is "very low" as against the 65% turnout on the last day of the 2004 national elections. OAV secretariat's 2004 national elections record showed 236,722 of the 364,187 registered Filipino overseas absentee voters cast their ballots. For this year's elections, the secretariat has recorded only over 25,000 of the total 504,000 voters, 20 days into the 30-day voting period. (GMANews.TV)

Roxas prods voters: reverse low-turnout trend

2007-05-06T18:08:00.000+08:00

Sen. Mar Roxas on Friday urged all 45.5 million registered voters—including 504,000 voting overseas—to exercise their sovereign right to vote. Roxas made the call in light of figures showing that the average turnout of voters in national polls in the last 21 years was a less-than-ideal 76.9 percent. (Manila Times)

Mar Roxas on State of Politics and Political Reportage

2007-04-26T00:49:00.000+08:00

Video taken by INQUIRER.net editor Joey Alarilla.

Mar Roxas Channel News Asia Interview

2007-04-21T18:16:00.000+08:00

Senator Mar Roxas was featured lately by Channel News Asia. Watch this interview.

Your feeback will be very much appreciated.

Roxas to discuss tariff issues with Negrense sugar leaders

2007-04-16T04:21:00.000+08:00

Senator Mar Roxas yesterday said the World Trade Organization negotiation process is gaining some momentum and a meeting set in India could disrupt the status quo on agricultural products' tariffs. (Visayan Daily Star)

Roxas say CARP needs review

2007-04-16T04:16:00.000+08:00

Senator Mar Roxas yesterday stressed the need to improve on the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, saying it has not been as successful as it was hoped to be since it has not alleviated poverty. (Visayan Daily Star)

Unfair to Senator Mar Roxas

2007-04-02T09:02:00.000+08:00

With all due respect to parties concerned, it appears that Senator Mar Roxas may have been unwittingly placed in an awkward situation when he lauded a move by the Supreme Court slapping a temporary restraining order on a preliminary injunction imposed by a lower court against the passport project of the Department of Foreign Affairs. (Alvin Capino's column in Manila Standard Today)

“Roxas Amendments” consistent with US Appellate Court Decision on Norvasc

2007-03-30T13:43:00.000+08:00

Senator Mar Roxas expressed victory over the recent decision of the United States’ highest appellate court invalidating the patent of Pfizer over amlodipine besylate, a hypertension drug under the brand name Norvasc.

He said the decision last week of the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is consistent with his proposed amendments to the Intellectual Property Code, or Senate Bill No. 2263, also known as the cheaper medicines bill. (Senate)

US hearings on killings 'not interference'

2007-03-18T22:26:00.000+08:00

Senator Manuel Roxas II said the US congressional hearings were important in highlighting the continued killings but added he found it "sad that other countries would show concern about these 800 deaths, valuing the lives of those who were killed, more than we ourselves do." (Asian Journal)

DFA to proceed with e-passports in July

2007-03-18T22:23:00.000+08:00

Senator Manuel Roxas II visited the DFA’s passport division the day after the Supreme Court allowed the production of the machine-readable passports and talked to the officials about the passport modernization project. “It is good that the DFA can now proceed with the implementation of the e-passport. With this modernization program, our passports will become more acceptable to other countries," said Roxas. (GMANews)

Passport crisis and on PERC’s survey: RP “most corrupt” in Asia

2007-03-15T10:05:00.000+08:00

Senator MAR Roxas was interviewed last March 14, 2007 by Joel Reyes of Saksi sa Dobol B about the passport crisis and on PERC’s survey: RP “most corrupt” in Asia.

Here's the transcript of that interview:

Joel: Ito pong TRO sa kontrata ng passport?

MAR: Everyday ang application for passport halos walong libo at kung ang imbentaryo na lamang ng passport ang siyang gagamitin dadating ang Hunyo sa loob ng tatlong buwan ay wala ng passport na ipamimigay dahil sa ubos na ang nasa imbentaryo ng DFA.

Joel: Maari bang gumawa muna kahit handwritten para lamang can we make do with what we have while there is a TRO?

MAR: Maari namang ipagpatuloy itong sulat kamay na pasaporte pero magpapahaba lamang ito ng panahon na problemado ang ating mga kababayan sa kanilang pagbiyahe kasi ang mga nagsusulat kamay na lang na pasaporte ay iyung mga bansang katulad ng Tunisia, Togo, Nepal sila na lang. Dito sa Asia, tayo na lang ang pinakahuling bansa na hindi machine-readable iyung passport.

Joel: Ano ba ang prinsipyo bakit sulat kamay lamang iyan, paano ang security codes?

MAR: Talagang iyun lamang ang sistema nuong nakaraan at hindi na naging moderno ito nitong mga dekadang ito. Ang problema rito ay sa anti-terrorism na mga ginagawang hakbang ang mga bawat bansa ay ang mas ninanais nila ay itong machine-readable na passport kasi mas sigurado ito.

Joel: Nagkakaroon pala ng problema Senador ng problema yung ating mga kababayan na lumalabas ng bansa kasi hindi pa machine readable ang ating passport.

MAR: Tama po iyun talagang sinasabi natin bagong bayani natin ang mga OFW. Hindi ba’t human reasource ang ating ipinagmamalaki na katangian ng bansa natin na siyang susulong sa ating ekonomiya, itong ating mga OFW, ay dapat gawin natin ang lahat para maging mas sigurado sila.

Eh iyung ating passport diyan lamang sa Recto ay nakakagawa na ng passport hindi ba? At kung ganun ang reputasyon ng ating passport na kahit sa Recto ay nakakagawa ng passport kaya naman pagdating ng ating mga kababayan sa ibat-ibang immigration counters sa ibang bansa ay talagang napapahirapan sila at mas matagal at kung minsan napapagkamalan pa sila kaya’t lalong ini-eksamin, lalong ini-interview at lalong pinapahirapan.

Joel: Reaksyon po ninyo sa survey na ginawa ng PERC, iyung Political and Economic Risk Consultancy na ginawa noong nakalipas na Enero at Febrero mukhang topnocher na naman tayo? Iyung ibang bansang napasama nuong nakalipas na panahon ay medyo naka-angat na at nag-gain pero tayo talagang dumausdos.

MAR: Finally, naging topnotcher tayo? I think that that report needs no further commentary. The report speaks for itself na talagang dapat ito ang dapat pagtuuanan ng pansin.

Joel: Pero ang sinasabi ho kasi ng palasyo ng Malacañang ay ano na naman yan ay ang ginamit na datus dito ay lumang datus pa at lipas na mga datus.

MAR: Ang pagka-alam ko diyan sa PERC na iyan ay iyung mga interview ng mga negosyante na lumilibot dito sa Asya. So, ito yung mga luma man o tama o kung ano man ang puntos dito ay iyan ang mga pananaw nitong mga negosyanteng ito na siyang inaasahan natin na pumasok at mag-invest, magtayo ng kanilang mga negosyo sa bansa natin.

Halimbawa, mamayang hapon mayroong debate sa mga tatakbong Senador dapat tanungin ito sa kanila lahat: Anong gagawin po ninyo dito sa bagay na ito? Kung talagang sinasabi ng lahat dapat isulong ang ekonomiya, dapat number one iyan ang dapat pagtutuunan ng pansin ay napakalaking dagok ito na ang pananaw, ang perception nitong mga mamumuhunan na siyang inaakit natin na pumasok rito ay masama.

Joel: So sa mga darating na debate para pagka-senador ay gawing paksa ito?.

MAR: Magandang gawing paksa iyan para naman hindi lamang kanta at sayaw ang ginagawa.

Ano ba talaga ang hinihintay ni Juan dela Cruz? Hindi ba iyung trabaho, iyung laman ng tiyan at laman ng kanilang bulsa. Iyan naman ay lahat ay ekonomiya at kung walang pumapasok dito na negosyante na magtatayo ng pabrika – hindi ibig sabihin ang stock market ha, kasi ang stock market na iyan larong mga mayayaman lamang iyan eh – iyun talagang nagtatayo ng pabrika, nagtatayo ng negosyo dito na siyang nagkakaroon ng employment, iyan talagang hinihintay natin.

Ngayon, kung napakasama ang pananaw nitong mga namumuhunan na ito ay anong pag-asa natin na pumasok nga sila rito? Kaya dapat ito talagang pagtuunan ng pansin kung anuman dapat na gawin ay iyun dapat nang sa ganun ay malutas itong problema na ito.

Kung totoo nga na lumang datus ito ay ang puntos ay iyan pa rin ang pananaw, in other words, the perception is the reality so kahit luma iyan o kahit ano man iyan, ang puntos dito ay iyan ang pananaw nila kaya’t dapat gumagawa na tayo ng mga hakbang nang sa ganun ay mabura itong pananaw na ito.

Roxas urges gov't to set up integrated plan for Pandacan oil depot

2007-03-10T20:59:00.000+08:00

Senator Mar Roxas on Friday urged the government to come up with an "integrated plan" that would ensure of smooth, fair and orderly execution of the Supreme Court's decision to close down the Pandacan Oil Depot. (Balita)

The 2010 Programme for the IT Outsourcing Sector

2007-03-07T14:45:00.000+08:00

This is the speech (pdf) delivered by Senator MAR Roxas during the E-Services Philippines: 7th Global Outsourcing and Exhibition held last February 15, 2007 at EDSA Shangri-la Hotel.

Your feedback will be very much appreciated. Thank you.

Pharmacists urged to back lowering prices of drugs

2007-02-26T19:29:00.000+08:00

SENATOR Mar Roxas on Sunday called on the Pharmaceutical HealthCare Association of the Philippines (Phap) to join hands with the Department of Health (DOH) in expanding public access to quality medicines at more affordable prices rather than block the passage of legislation to lower the cost of medicines. (Sun.Star)

Affordable medicines

2007-02-13T00:10:00.000+08:00

FOR a change, the Senate took the initiative on an important bill ahead of the House of Representatives, which now plays follow-the-leader on the issue of costly medicines. The Senate, voting 20-0, approved on third and final reading Senate Bill 2263, authored by Sen. Mar Roxas, which seeks to amend the Intellectual Property Code to make medicines more accessible to the poor and the middle-class. (Manila Times)

Cold weather no excuse to raise vegetable prices

2007-02-08T23:11:00.000+08:00

Senator Mar Roxas on Wednesday said vegetable supplies from Benguet province remains ample, thus traders should not use the cold weather as a basis to increase its prices."The cold weather is not an excuse for traders to raise the prices of vegetables," Roxas said after making rounds in public markets in La Trinidad and Atok, Benguet with its respective mayors Nestor Fongwan and Concepcion Balao. (Balita)

Liberal Party speech by Senator MAR Roxas

2007-02-07T23:30:00.000+08:00

From Senator MAR Roxas:

"On January 29, I delivered the keynote address at the 61st Anniversary celebration of the Liberal Party. To prepare for this speech, I took time out from a hectic schedule to seriously reflect on what needed to be said and how I should say it given the poisoned environment that we find ourselves in.

I would like to share a copy of this speech with you so that you’d know best my beliefs and concerns as a public leader and your humble representative in the Senate. In it, I said that our people are the country’s greatest strength. It also sets forth a clear platform for the Liberal Party.

Let me know if it strikes a chord or not and why. Certainly, any suggestions or comments you may have on how you and I can make our country better shall be deeply appreciated."

Read the full speech of Senator MAR Roxas.

Liberal Party bares platform

2007-01-31T15:26:00.000+08:00

AS LIBERAL Party (LP) executive vice president, Senator Mar Roxas on Monday unveiled the policy of the political group as he pointed out that most Filipinos view politicians as "unreliable, unrepentant, irresponsible, expensive, irrelevant, and thus unnecessary." Roxas said the challenge for the LP is to be relevant to the people and present bold ideas on how to improve their quality of life. He said political debate should be shifted from political personalities to political issues that show the way to improve the quality of life of Filipinos. (Sun.Star Manila)

Roxas urges legal community to back bill to lower cost of medicines

2007-01-29T14:15:00.000+08:00

Senator Mar Roxas, also known as `Mr. Palengke', called on the legal community to back a pending bill that seeks to lower the costs of medicines in the country through amendments to the Intellectual Property Code. In response, the PBA commended Roxas and expressed support to his bill, describing his efforts in promoting the Filipino nation's health and physical well-being as "noble". (PIA)

France & the 'health gap'

2007-01-28T18:12:00.000+08:00

As Philippe Douste-Blazy, the minister of foreign affairs, puts it: "Of the issues threatening the balance of power in our world, the ‘health gap’ between North and South is now undoubtedly the most worrying. Quite apart from the question of ethics or of moral obligation, leaders are now beginning to appreciate the eminently political impact of issues on poverty and public health. A country which has no healthcare system, no prevention policy and no access to medicines is a vulnerable and destabilized country."

Our own response to the "health gap" within is Sen. Mar Roxas’ campaign for the lower cost of medicines, for as we are wont to say that in our country, if you’re poor and you get sick, you die. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies are getting rich on the misery of the sick and poor. (Manila Bulletin)

Classroom shortage

2006-12-31T20:29:00.000+08:00

Saying that the classroom shortage controversy is symptomatic of the education sector’s dire lack of budgetary support, Sen. Mar Roxas said the first step towards having a permanent solution is recognizing the dimensions of the real problem. “The confusion and disagreement on the true state of the country’s classroom shortage bring to the fore the one thing we all need to recognize: that the education sector, particularly basic education requirements which include classrooms, lack not only money but also the political will to look for and devote money for education,” Roxas said. (Manila Times)

Christmas is slow for business

2006-12-10T16:19:00.000+08:00

PRICES of consumer goods have remained stable for the past three months, and are expected to be stable until Christmas. Despite this, Senator Mar Roxas sees that Christmas will be slow for businesses, both retailers and producers. (Sun.Star Iloilo)

Chacha distracted gov't from better economic performance, claims Sen. Roxas

2006-12-02T18:05:00.000+08:00

Commenting on the economic performance of the country during the 3rd quarter of the year as presented by National Economic and Development Authority Secretary General Romulo L. Neri yesterday, Senator Mar Roxas said that the economic figures for the period would have been different had the government not been distracted by political things such as the Cha-cha. (PIA)

Biofuel Act approved in Bicam

2006-11-25T15:35:00.000+08:00

The Biofuels Act of 2006 was approved by the Bicameral Conference Committee on Energy. Despite the transitory provisions removed, Sen. Mar Roxas (co-author of the proposed measure) noted that the cooperation was unprecedented in Philippine legislative history in that the sugar industry even took into consideration the protection of the interests of Filipino consumers.

The absent leader - Roxas replied

2006-11-12T14:36:00.000+08:00

Senator Mar Roxas replied to Isagani Cruz who referred to the Senator in one of his columns as "The absent leader".

Roxas vows to preserve LP independence

2006-11-11T13:18:00.000+08:00

"The Liberal Party will always fight for preserving its independence and shall resist outside influences and interference," said LP Executive Vice President Mar Roxas in a statement welcoming the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court stopping party elections set by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Nov. 13 at the Manila Hotel. (Balita)

Drop Plan B

2006-10-30T19:28:00.000+08:00

Senator Manuel Roxas III, an opponent of Charter Change, urged the House of Representatives to drop “Plan B”—to convene Congress as a constituent assembly to amend the Constitution—now that the people’s initiative had failed. (ManilaStandard Today)

plug: ituloy angsulong

Senator favors oil siphoning from sunken tanker

2006-10-08T09:57:00.000+08:00

FOR Senator Mar Roxas, siphoning the remaining bunker fuel from the sunken tanker is the best and safest option to contain the oil spill. (Sun.Star Bacolod)

Just last month, the Province of Guimaras headed by Governor JC Rahman Nava Wednesday formally received financial assistance amounting to P1.1 million from the officials of the Capiz Government as well as Senator Mar Roxas. (Sun.Star Iloilo)

Biofuels bill undergoing final amendments

2006-10-08T09:43:00.000+08:00

Senator Mar Roxas said that the proposed Biofuels Act, which requires the blending of bioethanol with gasoline, is undergoing final amendments in the Senate and he expects it to pass before its sessions end in October. (The Visayan Daily Star and Sun.Star Bacolod)

Roxas seeks inquiry on SME credit order, questions Malacañang decision on microfinance

2006-10-08T09:22:00.000+08:00

SENATOR Manuel Roxas II questioned Malacanang's repeal of Executive Order 138, which makes credit available to small and medium enterprises and solved problems in the government’s inefficient directed credit programs. (The Visayan Daily Star and Inq7)

Roxas says retake of nursing board exams right thing to do

2006-09-30T16:14:00.000+08:00

SEN. Mar Roxas lauds the President for requiring a retake of the June 2006 Nursing Licensure Examination. In a statement issued on Thursday, the senator said a retake is necessary to redeem the integrity and credibility of the nursing profession. He noted that the licensure and accreditation system administered by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) suffered a serious blow because of the reported leakage of the questions. “Never mind if the decision came late,” Roxas said of the President’s decision. “It’s still the right thing to do.” (Manila Times)

Roxas warns commission against CAP permit renewal

2006-09-18T21:33:00.000+08:00

Senator Manuel Roxas II yesterday cautioned the Securities and Exchange Commission against renewing the license of College Assurance Plan to sell preneed plans. Roxas issued the warning following reports that Makati Regional Trial Court Judge Cesar Untalan asked SEC to consider renewing CAP’s license, which has been suspended since 2004 after it ran into financial problems. (Manila Standard Today)

Senator pushes for Philippine Trade Representative Office

2006-09-08T13:01:00.000+08:00

SENATOR Manuel Roxas III on Thursday pushed for the creation of a Philippine Trade Representative Office, saying foreign service officers cannot properly negotiate in behalf of the country because of the "go-along to get-along" nature of their office. At the policy forum sponsored by the Fair Trade Alliance (FTA) and the Philippine Legislators' Committee on Population and Development Foundation Inc. (PLCPD), the former trade secretary said, "The battle I found is not necessarily so much trade [officials] versus agriculture [officials], it's really trade-agri-NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority), doing the work for services, versus the foreign service." (Inq7)

Spare no one from security check

2006-09-08T12:56:00.000+08:00

Senator Manuel “Mar” Roxas III yesterday prodded authorities to address security lapses in airports, stressing that the security checks should not exempt anybody, not even high-ranking government officials or influential people. “Anybody who tries to pull rank, flashes a badge, or drops important names to evade these security checks should be arrested and questioned on the spot by our airport security,” Roxas said. (Manila Standard Today)

Quality affordable medicines for all

2006-08-27T14:10:00.000+08:00

Excerpted from the sponsorship speech on Senate Bill No. 2263 to make the laws on patents, trade names and trade marks more responsive to the health needs of the Filipino people delivered at the Senate session hall on August 16, 2006.

Sen. Roxas urges team approach in evacuation

2006-07-29T14:46:00.000+08:00

SEN. Manuel Roxas said on Friday that the government’s contingency plan to evacuate thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) caught in the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon could be implemented smoothly if Philippine officials would hew closely to the “team one-country approach” that is mandated by law. (The Manila Times)

Roxas steps into abduction of students

2006-07-11T18:39:00.000+08:00

Senator Manuel “Mar” Roxas II yesterday vowed to help locate two students of the University of the Philippines who were abducted by unidentified armed men in Bulacan. (Manila Standard Today)

Palace pressured Maliksi

2006-07-11T18:36:00.000+08:00

SENATOR Mar Roxas accused Malacañang of pressuring Cavite Governor Ayong Maliksi for his sudden shift of support to Liberal Party-Atienza wing. (People's Tonight)

Mar denies blocking of biofuels bill

2006-07-11T18:12:00.000+08:00

Senator Mar Roxas Saturday vehemently denied that he is blocking the Biofuels Act and has adopted the Caltex-Chevron position against the mandatory blending of biofuels, which includes ethanol from sugarcane. (The Visayan Daily Star)

Smoke and mirrors

2006-06-09T14:42:00.000+08:00

Maya Baltazar Herrera wrote an interesting column piece after listening to Sen. Roxas speech addressed to AIM alumni association. (Manila Standard)

Roxas pushed budget increase for education

2006-06-04T08:58:00.000+08:00

Sen. Manuel Roxas II, for his part, called for an increase of P9.18 billion in the national budget to address the shortage of classrooms, teachers, chairs and books. Roxas reiterated that the only way to remedy the classroom lack and other basic education problems is for the government to exercise political will in redirecting resources to education. (Philstar)

P9.18-B additional budget for DepEd sought

2006-05-29T10:29:00.000+08:00

INSISTING that education and human resource development should take precedence over other state priorities, Sen. Mar Roxas yesterday sought an extra P9.8-billion budget for the Department of Education. (Journal)

Use int’l summit exposure to market Cebu’s potentials

2006-05-28T13:08:00.000+08:00

Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II said Cebu should market its investment potentials during the gathering of the heads of state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and their dialogue partners, including the United States and China. The Asean summit in December offers a huge economic opportunity for Cebu and the business sector must take advantage of this. (Sun.Star)

Rising human rights abuses alarm Roxas

2006-05-28T13:03:00.000+08:00

ADMINISTRATION Senator Mar Roxas yesterday expressed alarm over the rising tide of human rights abuses following the abduction of supporters of detained President Joseph Estrada by military agents. (Inq7)

Consumer spending bears brunt of tough times

2006-05-20T13:43:00.000+08:00

PRICES of basic commodities remain stable but people are buying less than before, forcing manufacturers, retailers, hog and poultry raisers, and market vendors to absorb higher costs to stay in business. This was the conclusion of Senator Manuel Roxas II after the hearing of the Senate committees on trade, industry and commerce to monitor the prices of food, fuel, and other basic items. (More at Inq7Money and Manila Standard Today)

ROXAS WARNS OF FUEL PRICE HIKES OF UP TO P3 PER LITER

2006-05-19T10:28:00.000+08:00

Sen. Manuel Roxas II warned yesterday of an additional total increase of P3.86 per liter hike in the pump prices of oil products and more than P1 for diesel over the next two weeks.
Quoting reports by the country managers of the three big oil players — Petron Corp., Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Co. and Caltex Philippines Inc. — during Senate hearing on prices of basic commodities and fuel, Roxas said the "regime of oil prices will continue to be a fact of life." (Newsflash)

Roxas sets meeting on prices

2006-05-18T10:14:00.000+08:00

According to Manila Standard, Senator Mar Roxas, chairman of the committees on economic affairs and trade and commerce, will convene a large joint meeting with government officials, oil company executives, manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, supermarket owners, meat and poultry producers, consumerists and market vendors, including food and beverage manufacturers and packaging company officials, to assess the movement of prices and obtain updates on the supply and demand of prime commodities in the wake of the successive oil price increases and devastation wrought by tropical storm Caloy.

Leave the soldiers alone!

2006-05-13T11:15:00.000+08:00

Sen. Roxas cautioned Malacañang against dragging the Armed Forces into partisan politics amid recent moves of the Palace-backed Charter change advocacy group seeking the military’s support to effect constitutional amendments. (Journal Online)

Sen. Roxas urges gov't to exempt power rates from E-VAT

2006-04-28T16:04:00.000+08:00

Sen. Mar Roxas has urged the government not only to defer the implementation of E-VAT on power rates but totally exempt it from the said tax. (Source: MindaNews)

Roxas asks gov’t to seek ways to find work for new grads

2006-04-15T11:43:00.000+08:00

According to the Manila Bulletin and PJI, Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas II asked the national government to seek ways of finding work for the estimated 450,000 new graduates "which is a unifying element of governance and a sound economic strategy" rather than continue pushing for the controversial "People’s Initiative" to amend the Constitution.

Roxas launches information campaign against the people's initiative

2006-04-13T13:07:00.000+08:00

In a statement, Senator Manuel Roxas III said his group, which is aligned with Senate President Franklin Drilon, would begin a grassroots information campaign after the Holy Week to present their arguments against the people’s initiative. (The Manila Times)

Signature drive for Charter change alarms bishops

2006-04-08T11:59:00.000+08:00

According to Sun.Star, Caloocan City Bishop Deogracias Iniguez said members of the Senate have sought the support of the bishops' group in opposing changes to the Charter. During the meeting, Iniguez said Roxas asked for the CBCP's support in opposing the proposed Charter change being pushed through a people's initiative.

RP must create central trade agency

2006-04-06T12:14:00.000+08:00

According to Inq7 Global Nation and The Mindanao Daily Mirror, the Philippines must create a central agency that will formulate international trade policies, handle trade negotiations, and make sense of all state functions related to global trade, Senator Manuel Roxas II said Wednesday. (Favorable feedback from The Manila Times)

Philippine lawmaker seeks broadband probe

2006-04-05T10:08:00.000+08:00

According to Telecom Asia Daily, Senator Manuel Roxas III filed Senate Resolution 474 to probe the consumer concerns on the quality of broadband wireless service in the country.

Bohol should be competitive

2006-03-20T12:48:00.000+08:00

The province should package her investment proposals in a way which is competitive to the global market. This point was stressed by Sen. Mar Roxas in his address during the general assembly of the Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (BCCI) at the Bohol Tropics last Friday.

For the full story, visit The Bohol Chronicle.

Marines' rebellion loosens Arroyo's grip on power

2006-02-28T15:07:00.000+08:00

"There's a disgruntlement, there is unhappiness but it hasn't reached critical mass yet," said Senator Mar Roxas. "The average person may be angry and disappointed but not yet enough to force the issue on the streets."
For the full story, read The Guardian.

Gov’t urged to rethink tax incentives for BPO

2006-02-18T16:53:00.000+08:00

Five years into making a mark in the global outsourcing arena, the Philippines needs to “reconfigure” tax incentives afforded to foreign investors and instead, channel these incentives into improving the country’s workforce. Senator and former Trade and Industry secretary Mar Roxas raised this point in a speech delivered during the annual E-services Conference before an audience composed of people from the local contact center and BPO sectors.

Read Computerworld and Inq7 for the full story.

Reduced medicine prices remain elusive

2006-02-18T16:43:00.000+08:00

"PEOPLE are dying because medicines are expensive."

Thus said Senate trade and commerce committee chairman Sen. Manuel Roxas II, explaining his support for a bill that proposes to overhaul the Intellectual Property Code to pave the way for cheaper pharmaceuticals.

Read Inq7 for the full story.

Use people power for good governance

2006-02-18T16:05:00.000+08:00

SEN. Mar Roxas on Thursday called on the government and young Filipinos to work toward the governance goals that were at the core of people power in order to lift the country from its political doldrums and redeem its full potential.

Read The Manila Times, The Mindanao Daily Mirror, and Manila Bulletin for the full story.

Strong peso should mean cheaper goods

2006-02-13T00:08:00.000+08:00

THE strong peso should mean cheaper goods, especially those that use imported products like fuel, tin, aluminum, glass, flour, milk, and other raw materials, Senator Manuel Roxas II said Saturday.

For the full story, read Inq7 and the Manila Times. Read Fritz's observation and Sassy Lawyer's column too.

VAT proceeds cannot drive economy

2006-02-01T00:21:00.000+08:00

Despite the touted economic gains from it, the increase in the VAT won’t translate to higher economic growth, said Sen. Manuel Roxas II, citing the government’s limited allocation for infrastructure spending.
Read the Manila Times for the full story.

Let ordinary people feel peso's rise

2006-01-08T22:27:00.000+08:00

THE positive gains in the Philippine financial markets have not been felt in the everyday lives of ordinary Filipinos, Senator Manuel Roxas II said Wednesday.
For the full story, read the Manila Bulletin, Inq7.net, and the Mindanao Daily Mirror.

Labor office favors 'holiday economics'

2005-12-28T13:02:00.000+08:00

THE Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) Tuesday welcomed the proposal of Senator Manuel Roxas II to permanently adopt the holiday economics introduced by the Arroyo administration.
Read Sun.Star for the full story.

Senator Roxas files Holiday Act of 2005

2005-12-24T20:30:00.000+08:00

SEN. Mar Roxas has introduced a bill that will set a standard schedule for observing nonworking holidays to address businessmen’s concern over the unpredictability of holiday observances in the country. “While the intent of holiday economics has yielded positive results, the business sector has expressed concern on the unpredictability of the dates set for the actual observance of legal holidays,” Roxas noted.

Read The Manila Times and Manila Standard Today for the full story.

Some pointers for Manila panel at WTO trade gab

2005-12-12T15:00:00.000+08:00

The Philippine government should assert in the forthcoming World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong next week the reclassification of rice as a “special product” to protect the interest of some 3.2 million Filipino rice farmers, Senator Mar Roxas said yesterday.

Roxas, chairman of the committee on trade and commerce, said the Philippine delegation should resolutely negotiate for export subsidies and agricultural price support that would be good for the country.

Read the Manila Standard Today for the full story.

$2.5-M HP center seen to boost RP outsourcing bid

2005-12-11T15:26:00.000+08:00

WITH the investment of Hewlett-Packard of 2.5 million US dollars in a new facility for its business process and application outsourcing arm in the Philippines, the country is expected to gain the expertise needed to tackle higher value-added offshore projects. "Definitely, it moves us higher up in the outsourcing food chain," Senator Manuel A. Roxas II said in response to a question from INQ7.net.

Read Inq7.net and Computerworld for the full story. Visit xieurx blog for a photo shot too.

Tax incentives for alternative fuel users sought

2005-12-11T15:23:00.000+08:00

WITH a pending world oil crisis and the continued damage brought by fossil fuels to the environment, the Philippine government must grant tax incentives to those who will use alternative fuels, Senator Manuel Roxas II said Saturday. Citing the oil crisis forecast by the Asian Development Bank, the senator said oil production is expected to rise to 90 dollars per barrel next year. He noted that the Philippines depends on oil as the primary fuel source for transportation, importing at least 126 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products worth five billion dollars in 2004.
For the full story, read Inq7.net.

Fertilizer fund audit sought

2005-12-09T07:55:00.000+08:00

Senator Mar Roxas II is asking for a special audit of the Department of Agriculture’s P728 million fertilizer project to detemine who are liable for the alleged misuse of funds. Roxas stressed the need to ensure that the intended recipients benefited from the funds and the officials involved are held accountable for any misuse.

Read the Manila Standard and the Philippine Star for the full story.

Mar wants probe on brain drain of health professionals

2005-12-09T07:49:00.000+08:00

Sen. Mar Roxas has called for a Senate inquiry into the decline in the quality of healthcare service due to the continuing migration of Filipino health professionals to rich countries.

Roxas, chairman of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, voiced concern over the damaging effects of the exodus of Filipino nurses and doctors on the country’s healthcare system.

“The government cannot afford to play deaf and blind to the problem of migrating health professionals. It must find ways to encourage Filipino doctors and nurses to remain in the country by giving skills training and work incentives,” he said.

Read the Philippine Information Agency for the full story.

Lack of business opportunities limits potential for OFWs' dollars

2005-12-05T00:15:00.000+08:00

Roxas said, even the improvement in the stock market would not trickle down to the poor, neither would the dollars from foreign portfolio investments plough into the real economy, "except if a few stock brokers buy a home. But that's about it."

The senator explained that given the absence of a strong regulatory regime that would guarantee the continuing viability of such investment ventures, OFWs would simply keep their funds in the bank, while rich Filipinos would invest theirs abroad, instead of engaging in a profitable business in the country
Read Balita.ph for the full story.

Roche okays local Tamiflu production

2005-11-25T12:09:00.000+08:00

THE Philippines is free to produce a generic version of Tamiflu, a known antibird flu drug, at its discretion and without paying compensation to Swiss-based Roche pharmaceuticals. In a Nov. 23 letter to Senator Mar Roxas, Roche Philippines general manager Warwick Bedwell said that Tamiflu, otherwise known as “oseltamivir,” is not patent-protected in the Philippines, “therefore, voluntary or compulsory licensing cannot be pursued where no patent protection exists.”

Read the Manila Standard Today for the full story.

OFWs to benefit from VoIP

2005-11-24T16:10:00.000+08:00

Iloilo City (23 November) -- The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration 6 (OWWA) expects that communication between Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families will become frequent and easier with the use of VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol which is being pushed by Senator Mar Roxas.

Visit the PIA site for the full story.

Do we have a future in offshoring?

2005-11-22T14:36:00.000+08:00

Here's an interesting column piece from Boo Chanco.

When Sen. Mar Roxas was still DTI Secretary, I asked him what he was doing to prepare us to meet the challenges of globalization. Why wasn’t he, I asked him, choosing the industries where we have competitive advantage and give them full support to be world class players. He told me he didn’t want to "play God" in the sense of deciding which industries lived and which ones died. He said he wanted the market to determine that.

Read the Philippine Star for the full story.

Roxas urges revision of telecom statutes

2005-11-21T11:59:00.000+08:00

Senator Mar Roxas, co-chairman of the Senate oversight committee on e-commerce, on Monday underscored the need to amend provisions of the country's telecom laws, stressing that these may have become obsolete because of the changing business models, consumer demands and technological innovations. "Using VoIP lowers communication cost. It enables our OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) to communicate with their loved ones as often as they want," Roxas said, adding that exporters may transact business at lower costs, making them more competitive.

Read ABS-CBN News and Inq7 for the full story.

DoH asks for antibird flu fund

2005-11-19T12:10:00.000+08:00

Senator Mar Roxas called for a Senate inquiry into the financial condition of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. after its officials admitted that it needs P150 billion in trust funds to settle the claims and availments of its members. Roxas said while the financial records of PhilHealth appeared to be “looking good,” these do not reflect the agency’s capability to fully pay all the claims and availments of the members.

Read The Manila Standard Today for the full story.

Philippines To Soon Lead In Global BPO Industry: Solon

2005-11-18T23:23:00.000+08:00

The Philippines ranks third in the world's top 14 destinations for BPO, behind India and Canada in the recent 2005 Mapping Offshore Markets Update conducted by neoIT. "Despite the problems the country is facing, this is an indication that nothing is impossible to the Filipino if he will only put his mind into it. With stronger English proficiency and professional experience in the field of BPO and IT, I am confident the country will take the top post sooner than expected. Well done!" Roxas said.

Visit Yahoo! Australia for the full story and some insights from the Project Management Digest.

Senators propose to transfer P16-B pork to DepEd

2005-11-18T12:40:00.000+08:00

Sen. Mar Roxas yesterday criticized the Department of Education’s (DepEd) 2006 budget proposal for "lack of focus," saying the department ought to present education programs that will directly benefit Filipino students. During Senate deliberations on the DepEd budget, Roxas instructed DepEd officer-in-charge, Undersecretary Fe Hidalgo to focus on certain aspects of education with direct benefits to the country’s educational system.
Read the Manila Bulletin for the full story.

The 2006 Budget (statement as of Nov. 14)

2005-11-16T17:59:00.000+08:00

Today we begin deliberations on the national budget, a tremendous responsibility for any given year. But this year, in these straitened circumstances, it is even more imperative for us to ensure that we craft a responsive and responsible budget document that will meet real needs.

When we passed the EVAT law, we made it clear that we were doing so for extraordinary reasons—to stave off a crippling shortfall in the resources we need for proper governance and development.

Now that the EVAT is in effect, we should remember what we passed it for, and make sure that its fruits are spent on equally extraordinary priorities.

Our people will be paying government an additional of about P80 billion in VAT for 2006. They want value for money for their sacrifice. Kailangan sulit ang paggastos nito. The best thing we can do to justify that burden is to prove that every extra peso we earn will be an extra peso spent on their most urgent needs.

Our people will have every right to ask: where is our money going? Who will stand to benefit from the government’s largest expenditures? At the end of another year, what can we claim to have achieved with a trillion pesos?

Will we see any appreciable impact in the areas that matter most to us—our children’s education, our food, our housing—or will this budget be frittered away on business as usual, on a little bit here and there, on political payback and on onerous contracts? Maybe, maybe not; I am saying that we should do everything to make sure that it will not.

I will work to pass a budget that will focus on and address real priorities. I expect the EVAT to be complemented by continuing efforts to improve collection efficiency, to ease the burden of the ordinary taxpayer.

Palace has spent P27B of FM loot

2005-11-15T16:54:00.000+08:00

MALACAÑANG has spent P27 billion of the P35-billion ($718 million) Swiss deposits of the late President Ferdinand Marcos recovered by the government, Budget Secretary Romulo Neri admitted Monday to the Senate committee of the whole. Sen. Mar Roxas asked the DBM to give a detailed report on how the government spent the P27 billion.

Read The Manila Times for the full story.

P175B lost yearly to technical smuggling

2005-11-15T10:40:00.000+08:00

SEN. Mar Roxas reiterated his appeal to the government to address the problem of smuggling, saying it would save the country a lot of revenues. “If you add up and collect all the government revenues lost to smuggling, there is no need to impose new taxes to fund the budget,” Roxas said.

Read the full story at Manila Times and The Daily Tribune.

Firm offers cable TV connection via power lines

2005-11-13T13:40:00.000+08:00

Earlier, Roxas was worried that because the technology proposed would use the same facilities used by Capelco in delivering electricity, all their officials must exercise greater diligence in evaluating the said business opportunity and always weigh benefits relative to the stability of its primary function, which is to provide electricity at affordable prices to all Capicenos. "There is a need to slowly evaluate this contract because any mistake will ultimately be shouldered by the consumers of Capelco," Roxas said.

Read Sun.Star Iloilo for the full story.

Palace will let 6 US marines leave RP

2005-11-12T11:16:00.000+08:00

Sen. Mar Roxas said that from his readings of the VFA debates in the Senate, the government could choose to keep custody of US Marines suspected of committing crimes during military exercises in the Philippines.

Read ABS-CBN Interactive and Inq7 for the full story.

Finance chief says govt open to deferral of VAT rate hike

2005-11-12T08:50:00.000+08:00

In a separate briefing, Sen. Mar Roxas told reporters that the expanded VAT should be implemented in its entirety, while a legislated wage hike should be dropped in favor of the existing system of regional wage setting.
Read the Manila Times for the full story.

Senator Roxas urges taxis to use LPG instead of gas

2005-11-11T02:58:00.000+08:00

Senator Mar Roxas, chair of the Committee on Trade and Commerce, said that operators of public utility vehicles (PUV) should consider using alternative gas like LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) instead of the usual diesel and gasoline to save on operation expenses and help bring down the cost of transportation in the country.

“PUV operators and commuters will stand to benefit should alternative gas be used instead of the expensive diesel and gasoline,” Roxas explained. “We should learn from the experience of Japan where 90% of its taxis run on LPG which is less expensive and environment-friendly.”
Other countries like United Kingdom where the number of LPG-fuelled cars is expected to rise to nearly 100,000 by 2006, a four-fold leap from present figures are also contemplating on alternative gas as a means to address the rising cost of crude oil in the world market. In Metro Manila , around 200 taxis have already been converted to LPG.

“Countries all over the globe have been using LPG as transport fuel for the past decade,” Roxas disclosed. “Some major car manufacturers have introduced car models than run on autogas. Some major gasoline companies also introduced LPG transport fuel products to help motorists cope with the rising prices of oil, gasoline and diesel,” he added.

For taxis with an average daily consumption of 50 liters the estimated fuel cost is about P1,650 at P33/liter of diesel. Roxas estimated that by using LPG, taxi operators could reduced their daily fuel cost by as much as P450 or about P13,500 a month.

“The savings generated from this can be used to augment the daily expenses like food and education, and in the long run will also benefit the commuting public because of lower transportation cost,” he added.

According to recent studies, one kilogram of LPG is equal to the running power of two liters of gasoline, while 24 kilogram tank of LPG is equal to 48 liters worth of equivalent gasoline. LPG practically lowers the cost of fuel by about 20% or roughly P6-7 per liter. In effect, the fuel expense per liter of taxis and jeepneys if they use LPG is only P24 to a liter equivalent LPG to diesel. In short, motorists get two-fold power for their money.

Roxas is supporting this conversion in light of the recent declaration of the Supreme Court on the legality of the VAT law, which would be implemented on November 1, 2005. The VAT law would include imposing tax measures on fuel and power, increasing the costs of fuel and electricity.

Roxas noted that the Land Transportation and Franchise Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Department of Energy are supporting the use of LPG as fuel for jeepneys and taxis.
As for conversion costs, the conversion kit from gasoline to LPG would run between P6,000 to P45,000 depending on the type and model of the taxi. The Department of Energy recommends spending around P20,000 on conversion to cover all quarters due to its strict safety regulations on gas-LPG conversions.

For jeepneys, conversion cost is about P120,000. Since conversion from diesel to LPG is expensive, jeepney associations have made a collective effort to produce jeepneys with LPG engine prototypes.

“I have consulted banks and I am appealing to them to give access to taxi and jeepney operators and offer affordable loan packages, preferably with lower interest rates and longer repayment terms,” Roxas said. “It’s a good way to beef up revenues while at the same time assist the commuting public.”

In addition to lower cost, LPG is also environment-friendly. Studies made by a major gasoline company have shown engines that run on LPG discharges 30% to 35% less carbon monoxide than those that run on conventional fuels. LPG engines emit 99% less ultra-fine particles and oxides of nitrogen, emissions that are known to wreak havoc on the environment.

Peso Recovery Should Balance Prices

2005-11-09T22:22:00.000+08:00

Philippine Senator Mar Roxas on Wednesday said the recent recovery of the peso against the dollar should balance the prices of commodities in the market.

"If softening of the peso to the dollar was part of the reason for price hikes, then the recovery of the peso should balance off prices of commodities and keep it steady for a time," he said.

Visit Yahoo Australia for the full story.

Blog Tracking Senator Roxas

2005-11-09T15:46:00.000+08:00

Here's an interesting blog post that mentioned Senator Roxas.

KMU opposes E-VAT
KMU Chairperson Elmer Labog said they are more alarmed with the disastrous effect of EVAT on the labor sector. “We share Senator Mar Roxas’ concern on the EVAT’s effect on the domestic employment. EVAT will be another cause of massive retrenchment and flexible labor.”