Latest news with #Brosas
GMA Network
6 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
House Bill making AICS 'permanent' approved on final reading
The House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill making the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) a permanent program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on third and final reading late Wednesday night. This happened as all 176 House members voted yes for the passage of House Bill 11395 on An Act Institutionalizing the AICS Program. House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas of Gabriela party-list, who voted yes with reservations on the measure, said making the AICS program permanent is "necessary" but should not be used by public officials to promote themselves. "We recognize that it is the mandate of the State to provide adequate assistance, social services, projects, and programs geared towards alleviating poverty and improving the quality of life of Filipinos. Sa harap ng hindi maampat-ampat na presyo ng mga bilihin at bayarin, mataas na inflation rate (In the face of unsustainable prices of goods and services, high inflation rate)... The need for an immediate economic relief will always be there," Brosas said. "Hindi natin kinukuwestiyon ang pangangailangan ng mga mamamayan para sa agarang tulong (We do not question the citizens' need for immediate assistance.)... Rather, we are particularly worried about those who are in the position to provide assistance, but takes it as an opportunity to forward their personal and political interests," Brosas added. Brosas said that government policies should not promote political patronage and mendicancy but instead emphasize that government assistance is funded by the taxpayers' money. "As legislators and as public servants, let us be true to our mandate to put forward measures that will alleviate poverty and address the deepening inequality in our country towards genuinely raising the quality of life of Filipinos," Brosas said. Latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed that 63% self-rated poverty among Filipinos, the highest in 21 years. The same poll showed that involuntary hunger among Filipino families, on the other hand, doubled to 7.5 million in March 2025 from 2.9 million from June 2022. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
6 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
House approves P200 increase in minimum wage
The House approved the measure with 171 yes votes, one no vote, and zero abstentions during Wednesday's plenary session. The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved the bill on its third and final reading, granting a P200 increase in the daily minimum wage for workers in the private sector. The House approved the measure with 171 yes votes, one no vote, and zero abstentions during Wednesday's plenary session. House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas of the Gabriela party-list said the increase, which would be the first in 36 years, was something that workers have long deserved. 'Now is the time to finally break the long years of legislative inaction. Bagama't kapos ang P200 na umento para abutin ang nakabubuhay na sahod, signipikanteng hakbang na ang pagpasa nito para iusad ang usapin ng sahod sa bulwagang ito,' Brosas, one of the authors of the measure," Brosas said. 'Kailangang ituloy-ituloy ang pagpasa dito hanggang pirmahan ito ng Pangulo,' she added. Cavite Rep. Jolo Revilla, also an author of the measure, said the increase will be followed by similar measures that will alleviate the plight of the workers. "This is just the beginning of uplifting the lives of our people," Revilla said. The House version of the legislated wage hike offers a higher increase than the P100 approved by the Senate. The House and the Senate will have to reconcile the differences in a bicameral conference committee before transmitting the enrolled bill to Malacañang for President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s signature to become a law. –NB, GMA Integrated News
