Congress tackles rice,
baseline bill
'There should be no politics in ensuring food for people'
BY JP LOPEZ and
WENDELL VIGILIA
CONGRESS resumes today with the
Senate tackling the issue of rice and food sufficiency
while the House of Representatives deliberates on
Malacañang's proposal to treat the Kalayaan Island Group
and Scarborough Shoal as "regime of islands" instead of
being part of the country's archipelagic baseline.
Senate minority leader Aquilino
Pimentel Jr. said the Senate will look at measures to
solve the rice crisis, such as more irrigation systems
and rehabilitation and repair of existing ones,
providing more subsidies to rice farmers in terms of
high yielding palay, hybrid seeds, fertilizer, pesticide
and post-harvest facilities, and expanding the land
areas for palay planting.
Palace to Senate: Stop
investigating, start helping
BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR
MALACAÑANG yesterday asked senators to
set aside inquiries and focus instead on helping the
administration address rising prices of rice and other
commodities.
Senate investigations, including its
planned probe on the alleged rice cartel, only create
trouble, said chief presidential legal counsel Sergio
Apostol.
"Tigilan na nila. Tumulong naman sila.
Stop investigating, start helping.Namemerwisyo na ang
Senado," Apostol said.
AN environmental group, Winner Foundation,
yesterday sought to raise ecological awareness by arming
children with crayons, paintbrushes and illustration boards in
an art competition held at the Arroceros Forest Park.
According to Regina Paterno, the Foundation's
president, involving the youth is crucial in sustaining the war
on the effects of climate change in the country.
"They (children) are the future. By
initiating creative and fun activities like this art contest, we
hope to instill among the young ones love for the environment
and awareness for the need to protect and preserve trees,
animals, water and other parts of our natural environment," she
said.
