Press Release
December 20, 2021

Pagkalagas ng trabaho, 'wag hayaan—Poe

Hindi basta-basta na lamang mawawalan ng trabaho ang ating mga kababayan kung hindi awtomatikong mapapasó ang mga prangkisang nakabinbin pa ang renewal sa Kongreso, ayon kay Sen. Grace Poe.

"Sa gitna ng bawat pagkawala ng prangkisa ay hindi lamang pagsasara ng negosyo kundi pati pinagkakakitaan ng maraming empleyadong may kani-kanilang pamilyang sa kanila umaasa," pahayag ni Poe.

"'Wag nating hayaang muling makaranas ang ating mga mamamayan ng hindi makatarungang pagkawala ng kanilang hanapbuhay," dagdag ni Poe.

Isa si Poe sa 21 senador na bumoto upang maipasa sa ikatlo at pinal na pagbasa ang Senate Bill No. 1530 na nagsusulong na masaklaw ang mga legislative franchise ng batas na nagbibigay pa rin ng bisa sa mga prangkisa hanggang makapaglabas ng pinal na desisyon sa aplikasyon ng renewal.

Sasaklawin nito ang lahat ng aplikasyon para sa renewal na naihain sa tamang oras.

Layunin ng panukalang amyendahan ang Section 18 ng Administrative Code of the Philippines at maisama ang probisyong nagsasaad na "existing license or franchise shall not expire until the application shall have been finally determined by the agency, department or branch of government authorized to grant or renew the license or franchise."

"Magkakaroon ng pinal na pagpapasya kapag ang isang aplikante ay nakatanggap na ng written notice of approval o denial ng kanilang aplikasyon para sa renewal," ayon sa panukala.

Ipinaliwanag ni Poe na napipilitan ang mga kumpanyang magsara kapag napasó na ang kanilang prangkisa kahit na nakabinbin pa ang kanilang aplikasyon.

Inihalimbawa ng senador ang kaso ng ABS-CBN Corp. na inisyuhan ng cease and desist order ng National Telecommunications Commission matapos magdesisyon ang Supreme Court na hindi na maaaring mag-operate ang mga walang prangkisa. Dahil dito, nawalan ng trabaho ang libu-libong empleyado ng network.

"Dapat manghikayat ng pagbubukas hindi pagsasara ng mga negosyo ang gobyerno," saad ni Poe.

Ang pangangalaga sa hanapbuhay ng ating mga kababayan ay lakas sa pagbalikwas ng ating bansa mula sa hagupit ng pandemya at mga kalamidad," dagdag ni Poe.

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Poe: Non-expiration of pending franchises to help keep jobs

Sen. Grace Poe said the non-expiration of legislative franchises with pending renewal application with Congress will avert the specter of job losses that could push Filipinos further into financial distress.

"At the heart of every franchise termination is not just business closure, but also loss of income source for hundreds of our people who have families and dependents," she said.

"We must spare our people from this unjust situation that is not of their own doing," she added.

Poe was one of the 21 senators who voted for the third reading approval of Senate Bill No. 1530 which proposes to cover legislative franchises in the current law that allows licenses to remain effective until a final determination by a granting agency.

This will apply to applications for renewal filed on time.

The bill seeks to amend Section 18 of the Administrative Code of the Philippines by stating that "existing license or franchise shall not expire until the application shall have been finally determined by the agency, department, or branch of government authorized to grant or renew the license or franchise."

"There is final determination when an applicant is given written notice of approval or denial of its application for renewal," the bill added.

Poe said companies have been forced to shut down with the expiration of their legislative franchise even when their application remains pending.

Citing the case of ABS-CBN Corp., the National Telecommunications Commission issued a cease and desist order to the network after the Supreme Court ruled that those without franchises are barred from operating.

This resulted in the displacement of thousands of employees of the network.

Poe said Congress must act on franchise renewal applications and not leave their fate hanging. She warned that expiration of franchises could effectively prohibit the continued operation of companies.

"The government must encourage not extinguish businesses," she said.

"Protecting our people's jobs is pivotal to an equitable economic recovery from the pandemic and recent calamities," Poe added.

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