A Surprising Move from Duterte in Signing 4 Laws to Welcome 2021

Last updated on January 13th, 2021 at 09:17 am

The long wait is over as President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law initiatives aimed at supplying eligible students with medical scholarships, creating an alternate teaching framework for adults and out-of-school children, making certification of organic goods more available, and allowing the President to easily oversee the delivery of critical documents during a national emergency.

There were actually four laws that was signed last 23rd of December.

First is the most awaited Republic Act 11509 or the Doktor Para sa Bayan Act is to set up a medical scholarship and return service program to help eligible students pursue medical education and training and to allow them to serve public health offices or hospitals in their hometown or any underserved area.

Second, Duterte has also signed the Republic Act No. 11510 or the Alternative Learning System (ALS) Act, which aims to provide opportunities for out-of-school children and adults through a system of non-formal or indigenous education to enhance their preparation for higher education, jobs, or self-employment.

Third, The Republic Act No. 1511 amends the Organic Culture Act of 2010 to make the registration of organic produce by farmers and fishermen more available and inexpensive. It creates a Participatory Guarantee Scheme (PGS) or a process by which smallholder farmers or fishermen and their unions or cooperatives are accredited as being engaged in organic farming and as organ producers.

Lastly, Duterte has also signed Republic Act No. 11517, which authorizes the President, in times of national emergency, to speed up the registration and issuing of national and local permits, licenses and certifications. Both departments of the executive branch are governed by the statute.

Morever, in the side of the legislation, in periods of national emergency, the President can speed up and streamline the regulatory processes and procedures for new and pending applications and the renewal of authorisations, licences, clearances, certifications or permits; suspend or waive the retention of records. The streamlined systems and protocols and the suspension or waiver of conditions was prescribed to be permanent.