In a bid to free the people from poverty, President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law that seeks to adopt a community-based monitoring system designed to improve poverty analysis in the country, documents from the Palace revealed on Tuesday.
Under Republic Act No. 11315 or the Community-Based Monitoring System Act, each city and municipality shall have a statistician whose primary function is data collection, preservation, and safekeeping of the data retained at the city or municipal level.
The new law mandates that “regular and synchronized data collection shall be conducted by every city and municipality every three years.”
The new system will target beneficiaries, conduct more comprehensive poverty analysis, design appropriate policies and interventions, and monitor impact while ensuring the fundamental right of privacy and data protection for transparency.
Aside from this, President Duterte also signed a law mandating a recognition-based program for all local government units.
In RA 11292, known as “The Seal of Good Local Governance Act [SGLG] of 2019,” the good performance of LGUs in transparency and accountability in using public funds, preparedness for disaster-related challenges, sensitivity to the needs of vulnerable and marginalized sectors of society, implementation of health programs, investment and employment promotion, protection of constituency from threats to life and damage to property, and safeguarding the integrity of the environment.
The new law describes SGLG as an award, incentive, honor, and recognition-based program for all LGUs to “continually progress and improve their performance.”
The LGUs’ performance will be reviewed in the areas of good fiscal administration, disaster preparedness, social protection, and sensitivity programs, health compliance and responsiveness, education programs, business friendliness and competitiveness, public safety, environmental management, tourism, and heritage development, and youth development.
The Chief Executive also supported the need for Filipinos to have cultural development with the passage of RA 11333, which strengthens the National Museum.
RA 11333, or the National Museum of the Philippines Act, designates the National Museum as the country’s primary institution for the management and development of museums and collections of national importance in the areas of arts, cultural heritage, and natural history.
“It shall be a permanent institution in the service of the entire national community and its development, accessible to the public, and not intended for profit,” the new law mandated.
It also renames the “National Museum” to “National Museum of the Philippines,” or alternatively in Filipino, “Pambansang Museo ng Pilipinas,” continuously classifying the museum as a national government agency.
Aimed at “protecting, preserving, studying and promoting the national patrimony for the benefit of current and future generations,” the new law states that the National Museum shall be a permanent institution in the service of the entire national community and its development, accessible to the public and “not intended for profit.”
Meanwhile, the President has also signed a law strengthening the Magna Carta for scientists, engineers, researchers, and other science and technology (S&T) workers in the government.
R.A. 1312 provides no limit on additional honoraria sourced from externally funded grants that may be granted to S&T personnel.
The act also prohibits companies and agencies from putting limits on the compensation of S&T workers from funded grants, allowing for the extended employment of scientists due for compulsory retirement for a period of up to five years if they are involved in priority research and development programs of the DOST.
Additionally, the Duterte administration also seeks to drive inclusive development and promote the growth and national competitiveness of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises with the passage of RA 11293.
Duterte signed RA 11293, which seeks to create the National Innovation Council (NIC), chaired by the President, to develop the country’s innovation goals, priorities, and long-term national strategy.
The law mandates the establishment of an initial P1-billion Innovation Fund to strengthen entrepreneurship and enterprises engaged in developing innovative solutions benefiting the poorest of the poor.
Under the new law, several matters must be considered in identifying areas for innovation which include food security and sustainable agriculture, the ‘Blue Economy’ or ocean resources, education and the academe, health, clean and reliable energy, climate change and disaster resilience, resource efficiencies, and national and community-based comparative advantages in the context of global value chains, among others.
Last but not the least, Duterte also declared February 4 of every year as the Philippine-American War Memorial Day.
It aims to commemorate the “sacrifice and bravery the men and women who fought and died in defense of the Filipino nation during the Philippine-American war.”
The new law mandates the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education to ensure that appropriate activities are held in schools to commemorate the holiday.
These new laws shall take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.