Villar urges enactment of new salary standardization law,
Rehabilitation fund for typhoon Frank victims

As a measure that will provide relief to government workers amid the soaring prices of food and fuel, Senate President Manny Villar today said he will personally push for the review of the Salary Standardization Law.

"I urge our colleagues in the Senate and the House of Representatives to make it their priority to enact as soon as possible a salary scheme for our 1.4 million government employees that is reflective of present realities," Villar said.

The Nacionalista Party president added the amendment of Republic Act 6758 or Salary Standardization Law, which was enacted in 1989 and last updated in 1994, "is long overdue and should reflect inflation in the present year."

Villar said he will also push for the enactment of a law that will provide a P10 billion fund for the rehabilitation of areas affected by typhoon Frank.

He filed Proposed Resolution No. 511, which recommends to the executive department the inclusion and doubling of the present Calamity Assistance and Rehabilitation Effort Fund of affected local government units including Panay Island and the provinces of Southwestern Mindanao and the victims of typhoon Frank.

Villar added that measures that will revitalize the agriculture in the country are priority measures that he will push and support as session resumes today.

At the same time, the Senate will also tackle bills creating a special fund for the repatriation and financial assistance for distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and the establishment of an OFW hospital, Villar said.

The Senate President said he would press for the increase in the repatriation fund for overseas workers in distress to P1 billion.

"We are optimistic that the 2nd Regular Session of the 14th Congress will be very fruitful and will surpass the achievement of past sessions. We are prepared to pass measures that will provide long term solutions to the crisis faced by the people," he said.

The Senate expects to come up with more legislation that will address the current fuel and food crises in the country in the long term, aside from passing at least 25 priority bills, approval of which are pending on second and third reading.

Villar said the Senate would also prioritize bills on renewable energy, amendment to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, the delineation of the country's baselines, global warming, Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement, and measures to achieve food sufficiency.

Other measures in the pipeline are proposed amendments to the local Cooperative Code and Consumer Code, a proposed 10-year tax holiday package for overseas Filipino investors, the proposed Fishermen and Farmers Subsidies Act, the proposed Fiscal Incentives and Investments Act, and the proposed New Anti-Child Pornography Act.