ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Kailangan pa rin': Economic Cha-cha proponents undeterred by Pulse Asia poll results 

'Kailangan pa rin': Economic Cha-cha proponents undeterred by Pulse Asia poll results 

Published Mar 31, 2024 12:13 pm

At A Glance

  • Senior Deputy Speaker Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker Quezon 2nd district Rep. David "Jayjay" Suarez, and Majority Leader Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Manuel Jose "Mannix" Dalipe remain convinced that the country needs Charter change (Cha-cha), if only to respond to societal needs and jumpstart economic development. 
  • The three are the main authors of Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No.7.
  • The latest Pulse Asia survey results indicated that 74 percent of Filipinos were opposed to constitutional revision. 

IMG-5225ea2368c7b5f2d10f18d2ac30ff96-V.jpgFrom left to right: Senior Deputy Speaker Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr., Majority Leader Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Manuel Jose "Mannix" Dalipe, Deputy Speaker Quezon 2nd district Rep. David "Jayjay" Suarez (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

The three main authors of Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No.7 remain convinced that the country needs Charter change (Cha-cha), if only to respond to societal needs and jumpstart economic development.

Senior Deputy Speaker Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker Quezon 2nd district Rep. David "Jayjay" Suarez, and Majority Leader Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Manuel Jose "Mannix" Dalipe maintained this stance in light of the latest Pulse Asia survey results, which indicated that 74 percent of Filipinos were opposed to constitutional revision.

"While we acknowledge the survey results, we cannot ignore the pressing issues that require legislative action,” Dalipe said in a joint statement Sunday, March 31.

“We need to focus on the economic provisions of the Constitution, which have long been identified as barriers to our progress,” added the majority leader.

This so-called economic Cha-cha is embodied in RBH No.7, which the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading last March 20.

Gonzales agreed with Dalipe, and said, “Amendments to the Constitution are vital for addressing these challenges and ensuring the welfare of all Filipinos."

He highlighted the relevance of constitutional amendments in addressing the current needs Filipinos.

“The 1987 Constitution was crafted in a different era. To effectively address the challenges of the present, we need a Constitution that reflects the realities of today,” Gonzales explained.

Gonzales trumpeted the potential benefits of targeted constitutional amendments, such as attracting more investments, creating jobs, and improving the overall quality of life for Filipinos.

Suarez, for his part, underscored the need to make the Philippines more primed for economic development though the economic Cha-cha.

“Amendments to the Constitution can create a conducive environment for investment and innovation, driving economic growth and prosperity for the nation...Ultimately, the intention behind economic Cha-cha is to empower Filipinos, strengthen our economy, and pave the way for a more prosperous future,” he said.

Suarez also said that its important to clarify misconceptions on the Cha-cha effort, as well as to focus on the economic aspects of the proposed amendments to garner broader support among the public.

Dalipe reiterated that the proposed economic Cha-cha is not aimed at consolidating power or extending the terms of public officials, but rather at creating a conducive environment for economic growth and development.

Related Tags

aurelio dong Gonzales jr. mannix dalipe Charter change david Jay-jay suarez pulse asia
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.