PAGBABAGO
In the second SONA, the President received over 60 applauses. Even before he could finish his sentence, the loyal allies in the Batasan Hall were already ready with their handclap.
Meanwhile, over 3,000 people patiently waited for hours at Commonwealth Avenue. They decried the administration’s silence over past and present human rights violations (which were not mentioned together with the International Criminal Court), the lack of attention to projects that had deprived them of their livelihood, as well as contractualization which had exploited thousands of laborers. The activist groups were also there and they set fire on an effigy of Marcos and another of a coin with the latter’s face.
There were other protest marches in other parts of the country like Cebu, Bacolod and Tacloban.
Of the legislative agenda which dealt with taxes (excise tax on plastics, digital services, road users tax), with another 15 more, I am most concerned with what the legislators will do when they introduce amendments to the Fisheries Code and the Cooperative Code.
These two codes – the 1998 Fisheries Code and the 1990 Cooperative Code were legislated from two provisions in the 1987 Constitution. They were particularly of interest to some of us who felt that we can do justice to the article on social justice, the “heart” of the Constitution, if we had more substantive laws that support it. The constitutional provision states that “the State shall protect the rights of subsistence fishermen, especially of local communities, to the preferential use of the communal marine and fishing resources, both inland and offshore.” This means that the local government may pass an ordinance reserving 15 kilometers of water from the shoreline exclusively for subsistence fisherfolk. Commercial vessels would therefore be prohibited to encroach in these reserved territories.
The fear expressed by an advocacy group, Oceana, is that the President’s order to open these places to commercial fishing vessels may deprive local fishermen of fishing in the areas reserved for them.
Then there is the order to amend the 1990 Cooperative Code, RA 9520 which was amended in 2008 by then President Gloria Arroyo. An amendment of the Code to enable the cooperative to become more responsive toward the twin objectives of economic development and social justice would be a positive step.
If it does, it should however work within the objectives of CDA Vision 2020, a road map prepared by the Cooperative Development Authority, an agency created by the 1987 Constitution. Among others the CDA Vision states that there is need to come up with a regulatory environment to ensure that the interests of members are protected and that the privileges and incentives given by law to cooperatives are not abused.
Among others, it must recognize the principle of subsidiarity which means that decision-making should be encouraged at the lowest level, that it must be an autonomous body of people bound by common interest, and that it is voluntary and guided by open membership.
Finally, it recognizes the need to work in coordination with other agencies, strengthen cooperative education and its training service providers, develop a National Cooperative Data and Information Repository, and focus on the development of micro and small cooperatives. it also hopes to initiate a cooperative college. ([email protected])