Sen. Risa Hontiveros today commended the advancement of legislation and programs to uplift Filipino families in the Senate throughout 2020, despite the onslaught of the (COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
(Albert Calvelo / Senate PRIB / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
“Major progress was made in the Senate in relation to proposed measures not only to protect women and children but also helping the vulnerable sectors and Filipino families better deal with the ongoing health and economic crisis brought about by the pandemic,” Hontiveros, chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations. and Gender Equality, said.
One of these measures is the “Girls, Not Brides Act of 2019,” authored and sponsored by Hontiveros, which passed on third and final reading at the Senate. The bill aims to better protect minors, especially young girls, from rampant sexual abuse and exploitation by clamping down on child marriages.
The national budget that she once described as anemic has been boosted.
Hontiveros said the health purse is now at the top three agencies receiving the highest budget allocation, following her interventions in the 2021 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
Her proposals included P500 million for cancer council, P133 million for tuberculosis control, and P89 million for programs treating non-communicable diseases.
Following complaints of the cancellation of the free dialysis program of the Philippines Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Hontiveros said she stepped up for dialysis patients against the directive, leading to the resumption of the service, expanding free sessions from 90 to 144.
Aside from supporting health workers as they called for the timely release of their benefits, she also urged an investigation into the bottlenecks causing the delay in the release of their hazard pay.
Hontiveros also came to the aid of health workers and COVID-19 patients who struggled with discrimination and hostility due to the negative connotations around the virus, with the Mandatory Protection of Health Workers, Frontliners, and Patients Act.
Hontiveros capped off 2020 with a series of revealing hearings at the Senate, as she demanded accountability for the organized network behind the "pastillas scheme."
The year-long probe, led by Hontiveros, bared the illegal “business model” that facilitated the entry of thousands of Chinese into the country in exchange for hefty bribes. The findings eventually prompted government to file criminal and administrative charges against some 86 officials and employees of the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
“While there’s still more work to do to pin down the mastermind, we are thankful that we have made some significant progress towards dismantling the networks in and outside of government whose misdeeds put Filipina women and children in harm’s way,” Hontiveros said.