Cong. Rene makes 130 laws

28. April 2013 · Comments Off · Categories: News · Tags:

Re-electionist First District Representative Rene L. Relampagos bared that during his first-term as a neophyte lawmaker, he has filed 32 laws as principal author, 19 of which has local significance, 13 of national significance. He has likewise co-authored 98 laws. Nine of these bills have already been signed into law. As Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights, he has enacted two laws: the “Anti-enforced Disappearance Act of 2012” and the “Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013” which Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III signed in time for the EDSA Celebration this year.

Rep. Relampagos has been known by his constituents in the first district for his varied projects such as his health programs, financial assistance for indigents, scholarship programs, livelihood programs, support for the health needs of the senior citizens, his road improvement projects and many others. He said that what may not be known to many are the laws he has authored and co-authored as lawmaker.

The following are just some of the laws he has filed as principal author: HB 4799 – An act penalizing persons driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages and/or drugs and for other purposes; HB 4849 – An Act to Institute Policies to Prohibit Commercial Dealings in Human Organs, Tissues and/or Parts, Providing Penalties Therefor for its Violations, and for other Purposes; HB 5921 – An Act Establishing an Eldercare Center for Unattended, Abandoned, Neglected and Homeless Senior Citizens in the First District of the Province of Bohol, Appropriating Funds Therefor and for Other Purposes and HB 3739 – An Act Mandating Private Schools, Colleges and Universities to Grant Free Bachelor’s or Undergraduate Degree Courses in Arts, Humanities, Natural and Social Sciences and Technology to Qualified Underprivileged College Students by Providing Incentives Thereof and for other Purposes; HB 6473 – An Act Increasing the Bed Capacity of Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH) in Tagbilaran City, Province of Bohol from Two Hundred Twenty Five (225) to Four Hundred Ten (410) Beds, Authorizing the Increase of its Medical Personnel, Upgrading its Services, Facilities and Professional Health Care, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act. No. 7277 and Appropriating Funds Therefor

The following are some of the laws Rep. Relampagos has filed as co-author: HB 00095 –  An Act Providing Incentives to All Barangay Officials, including Barangay Tanods and Members of the Lupong Tagapamayapa, and Barangay Employees and for other Purposes; HB 00515 – An Act Prohibiting Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Providing Penalties Therefor; HB 02142 – An Act Upgrading the Minimum Salary Grade of Public School Teachers from Salary Grade 11 to 15; HB 03537 – An Act to Promote a Comprehensive Program for Breastfeeding Practices in the Philippines; HB 03665 – An Act Providing for the Establishment of City and Municipal Rehabilitation Centers for Children and Young Adults with Disabilities; HB 03133 – An Act Mandating All Private Colleges and Universities to Grant Scholarships to at Least Twenty Percent (20%) of its Total Tertiary Level Student Publication Particularly the Poor but Deserving Graduates of Public High Schools and Dependents of the Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police; HB 04134 – An Act Providing for a Teaching Supplies Allowance for Public School Teachers and Appropriating Funds Therefor and HB 03528 – An Act Establishing the People’s Survival Fund to Provide Long-term Finance Streams to Enable the Government to Effectively Address the Problem of Climate Change, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act No. 9729, otherwise Known as ‘The Climate Change Act of 2009’, and for other Purposes.

The following are some of the bills Rep. Relampagos co-authored that have already been signed into law: RA10172– An Act Further Authorizing the City or Municipal Civil Registrar or the Consul General to Correct Clerical or Typographical Errors in the Day and Month in the Date of Birth or Sex of a Person Appearing in the Civil Register without the Need of a Judicial Order, Amending for this Purpose Republic Act Numbered Ninety Forty-eight; RA 10361 – An Act Instituting Policies for the Protection and Welfare of Domestic Workers and RA10174 – An Act Establishing the People’s Survival Fund to Provide Long-term Finance Streams to Enable the Government to Effectively Address the problem of Climate Change, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act No. 9729, otherwise Known as the ‘Climate Change Act of 2009’, and for other Purposes.

The laws Rep. Relampagos has filed both as principal author and co-author have been noted to reflect his platform of governance encapsulated in the acronym, ‘G O O D H E A L T H’ which means “Golden Opportunities Of the District in Health and Sanitation, Education and Environment, Agriculture, Livelihood, Tourism and Human Resources Development.”

Rep. Relampagos said that there are still more laws that he wants to file and expressed hope that he will be able to file them if given another term by his constituents during the upcoming elections.

Author: Jill Christianae R. Robinson

Rene guarantees more jobs through tourism

21. April 2013 · Comments Off · Categories: News · Tags: , , , ,

Re-electionist First District Representative, Cong. Rene L. Relampagos bared that his vision is strong and clear as regards the first district of Bohol becoming prosperous and progressive through its booming tourism industry. He added that even when he was seated as Governor of the Province of Bohol, he already saw the province’s potential to become the prime eco-cultural tourism destination in the country. It was during this time that he started developing this vision and exerted efforts to make the province walk in the path towards its bright future.

Political observers have indeed noted that he was one of the key players in making Bohol become what it is today so that many are now enjoying the fruit of his labors. “We have not arrived yet but looking back, we’ve certainly come so far. We ought to be expecting more progress and golden opportunities not only for the first district of Bohol but for the whole province in general.” he said.
It was Cong. Relampagos who improved, renovated and modernized the Capitol Commercial Complex in Tagbilaran City. He was also the one who constructed the Garcia Provincial Memorial Hospital in Talibon, and the Bohol Detention and Rehabilitation Center at Cabawan District in Tagbilaran City. As Governor, he also made the Provincial Capitol Annex Building, and completed the Provincial Health Office.

As incumbent first district representative, Cong. Relampagos exerted efforts with Gov. Edgar M. Chatto in making the new Bohol International Airport project become one of the priority projects to be implemented under the administration of Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III. Relevant to this is Cong. Relampagos’ allocation of funds for road widening projects, such as the Dauis-Panglao Central Road and the widening and concreting of the Panglao Island Circumferential Road. He has also been coordinating with Gov. Chatto and government agencies like the Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Customs, Department of Transportation and Communication, including the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) in making direct flights to Tagbilaran from countries like South Korea possible soon.

Relampagos added that the province of Bohol has been in good hands under the leadership of Gov. Edgar M. Chatto. “Way back when I was the Governor and incumbent Gov. Chatto the Vice Governor, he and I would often talk about our dreams for the province and we both knew we were going to materialize them as much as we could,” he said.

Cong. Relampagos said that he is personally satisfied with his performance as the first district representative of Bohol and specifically in the promotion of tourism. In fact, in the most recent survey done by the HNU Research Center, the first district of Bohol gained a performance rating of +62 in Tourism Promotion. He explained further that his vision will hit many birds with one stone. First of all, it would cultivate the rich cultural heritage that Bohol has because it will encourage the locals to showcase their talents. “If a culture is shared and appreciated, it becomes richer and more alive in the hearts of the natives,” he explained. It would also allow tourists to enjoy the tourist destinations in Bohol without compromising the environment. He emphasized that if given another term, he would continue to make sure that the environment is not compromised amidst the rise of the tourism industry in the first district. He also emphasized that one of the most important reasons why tourism has to be prioritized is its ability to generate more jobs and livelihood opportunities for the people. “It would therefore help the economy and alleviate poverty,” he said.

He added that he hopes to contribute to the President’s efforts at increasing the number of tourists coming to the Philippines in the future. He reiterated some statistical facts made public by the President regarding the economic advantage the tourism in the Philippines has brought. According to the said statistics, there were 40.7 million domestic travelers in 2012 and 4.2 million were foreign tourists. Almost P1 Trillion has been earned by the Philippines through tourism. Cong. Relampagos hopes to help the Philippines make 6 million tourists come to the Philippines in 2016.

He said that he is one with the President and one with the incumbent Governor Chatto in the realization of this vision. “The boom in the tourism industry in Bohol will not only benefit the Boholanos but the entire country. This vision has been coupled with strategic plans, some of which have already been implemented. If you pass by the roads of the first district, you will either experience a smooth ride because of the cemented roads or witness an on-going road improvement project. Just try to avoid the streets of Tagbilaran because you will be stressed out by the crazy roads,” he said with a laugh. “It is sad that our incumbent city mayor Dan Lim doesn’t probably prioritize tourism or even convenience for the people because he has obviously neglected the bad roads in Tagbilaran. It is unthinkable that the chief executive of the capital city of a developing province like Bohol would disregard such a thing as this. It makes eyebrows raise considering that Dan Lim was given almost a decade’s worth of chance to do it,” he said.

“But such is not the case for me. My vision for making the first district progressive by making it contribute to making Bohol become the prime eco-cultural tourism destination in the country has been consistent ever since I was given the chance to serve the Boholanos. This is why I have been banking on making the roads better and sustainable for tourism development to ultimately improve the economy in my district,” the congressman remarked.

When asked what the first district can expect from him besides tourism development if he is given another chance during the upcoming election, he said with a smile that they could expect G O O D H E A L T H for the first district which is actually an acronym of his platform which means Golden Opportunities Of the District in Health and Sanitation, Education and Environment, Agriculture, Livelihood and Jobs, Tourism, and Human Resources Development.

“I am confident that I could do even a greater job if given another term because my vision is clear and strong; I have developed strategic and workable plans and my actions are consistent,” the representative of the first district of Bohol stressed.

Author: Jill Christianae R. Robinson

Cong. Rene clears ‘Health Card ni Rene’ issues

14. April 2013 · Comments Off · Categories: News · Tags:

Bohol’s First District Representative, Rene L. Relampagos has bared answers to questions regarding his health program, “Health Card ni Rene”, specifically aired over DYTR AM radio station, Thursday.

“Health Card ni Rene” is a special program that will give a maximum benefit of P3,000.00 to all cardholders if ever the cardholder is confined as an in-patient in any of the government owned hospitals within the first district of Bohol such as the Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in Tagbilaran City, Natalio P. Castillo Hospital in Loon, Catigbian District Hospital and the Maribojoc Community Hospital. The said program was launched last February 13, 2013 as his love offering to the people of the first district.

He emphasized that the said health program is open to all registered voters of the first district of Bohol. When asked why only those in the first district can avail of the program, he said that those from the 2nd and 3rd also have their own congressmen who have their own health programs for their constituents. When asked why the program has an expiry date, Relampagos explained that much as he would like to lengthen the validity period of the card, the funds from Cong. Relampagos’ PDAF will only last until the end of the year, which explains the expiry date of the card which is December 31, 2013. He said that it is very clear that complaints aired on the radio were politically motivated because the comments were obviously based on lies. He said that it was funny how the questions went from: “Nganong first district ra man?” to “Dihay ninggamit sa health card nga wala honor-i sa ospital.” Cong. Relampagos said that he feels it’s ridiculous explaining why the beneficiaries should only come from the first district. The latter question, he said was even worse owing to the fact that no health card has been issued yet. “As of the moment, we are still processing the applications for registration to the Health Card ni Rene program,” he said. Relampagos emphasized that it is very clear what the intentions of the critics are, “they just want to discredit the program fearing that its implementation will earn us additional pogi points.”

When pressed to comment on why the program is being implemented during the election period, he explained that the program started way before the election ban, specifically during its launching on February 13, 2013 in the towns of Loon and Balilihan. “Dili angay i-question nganong gapadayon ang ingani nga mga programa timpong ting-eleksyon because this is a continuing program. Do we stop it because it’s election time?” Cong. Relampagos remarked. He added that before throwing him baseless attacks, his aggressors should review Comelec regulations first. He reiterated that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) issued Resolution 9660 stating that the “release, disbursement or expenditures of PDAF” is not covered by the prohibitions stipulated in Sec. 261 (v) of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC). This resolution exempts the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or “pork barrel,” from the ban on the disbursement of public funds during the 45-day election period to make sure the lawmakers’ constituents continue to receive the benefits of their projects. The Health Card ni Rene Program is funded by the PDAF of Cong. Relampagos for 2013.

Cong. Relampagos further stressed that “Health Card ni Rene” is just an additional service from him during his first term as first district representative and another way for him to reach out and help his constituents more. He said that registration to avail of the card is voluntary and is for those who will appreciate its benefits regardless if the amount seems little to others. He added that this is just on top of other various health programs he has been doing in his district for the past three years as first-term lawmaker.

Cong. Relampagos has been implementing medical and hospital financial assistance program for indigents and has distributed multivitamins to all senior citizens in eight towns including the City of Tagbilaran. He has also provided mini ambulances to some municipalities and barangays through his Project RENE (Responding to Emergency Needs Everyday) and has distributed medical kits to all the barangays in the first district including the city of Tagbilaran through his ‘Botika sa Barangay’ program. He has allocated funds from his PDAF for hospital/medical equipment for certain hospitals in the first district which is on top of the funds allocated for financial assistance to indigent patients of the first district availing of services from Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital, the Philippine Heart Center, National Kidney and Transplant Institute. He also filed a house bill seeking to amend Act No. 3114, as amended by Batas Pambansa Blg. 640 and Rep. Act No. 7266, to increase the bed capacity of Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH) in Tagbilaran City, from two hundred twenty five (225) to four hundred ten (410) beds. He has also joined efforts with NGO’s and private institutions such as the Holy Name University and the Rotary Club in medical missions.

In spite of the criticisms, Cong. Relampagos expressed elation that “Health Card ni Rene” will surely help his constituents in their medical needs. He also expressed gratitude to the volunteers who have been helping to make the program successful.

Author: Jill Christianae R. Robinson

P343M more for Panglao Roads

31. March 2013 · Comments Off · Categories: News · Tags: , ,
Cong. Relampagos sending the gratitude of the people of the first district of Bohol to President Benigno S. Aquino III for his big support to the development of the first district through Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa, Jr.

Cong. Relampagos sending the gratitude of the people of the first district of Bohol to President Benigno S. Aquino III for his big support to the development of the first district through Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa, Jr.

Cong. Rene L. Relampagos announced that an additional P343 million worth of road concreting work will be implemented in Panglao Island. Specifically, he said that this will be used for the widening and concreting of the Panglao Island Circumferential Road. He disclosed that a total of three road sections around Panglao Island Circumferential Road have been bid out by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Office to determine the best contractor who could undertake the  implementation of the project. The total project cost of the three road section is P343 million which is part of the P700 million that Cong. Relampagos has succeeded in including under the General Appropriations Act of 2013 for road improvement projects in his district under the DPWH budget. The bidding was conducted last March 22 at the DPWH Regional Office.

With the bidding of these projects, this would amount to a total of P616 million that have been provided for in the widening and concreting of the Panglao Island Circumferential Road. Earlier, an amount of P163 million was provided under the GAA 2012 and another P110 million from the Department of Tourism and DPWH Tourism Road Convergence Fund. Presently, the implementation of these two projects is on-going from Sitio Union Barangay Poblacion, to Totolan, Songculan, Tabalong, Bingag and Boundary of Tangnan, Panglao. Relampagos added that he looks forward to getting to provide the needed funds to complete the funding requirement for the road improvement work of the Panglao Island Circumferential Road within the next two to three years which still needs another P600 million more or less.

Relampagos emphasized that the improvement of this road will definitely improve a lot the tourism potential of Panglao Island which comprises the municipalities of Dauis and Panglao. This road network is very important because this will serve as an alternate road going to the new airport site which is also being prepared for bidding within the last quarter of this year by the Department of Transportation and Communication to be funded under the JICA ODA Step loan in the total amount of P7.2 billion.

To date, Relampagos has successfully secured the amount of P1.9 billion for the improvement of various national roads and bridges and priority local roads in his district. Some are already completed; others are on-going and some are yet to be implemented having been bid out only just recently.

Relampagos expressed for and in behalf of the people of the first district their sincere thanks and appreciation to President Benigno S. Aquino III and the DPWH thru Sec. Rogelio Singson for prioritizing and supporting the development initiatives in his district. Relampagos said that as Boholanos, we should show our gratitude and appreciation to the administration by supporting always the program and initiatives of the president.

Author: Jill Christianae R. Robinson

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