BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – Several senators have passed a measure to amend the “economic provisions” of the 1987 Constitution.
Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri, Loren Legarda, and Sonny Angara filed the resolution for both the Senate and House of Representatives proposing amendments to the economic provisions of the Constitution, particularly on Articles 12, 14, and 16.
“There is a need to institutionalize the reforms laid down in the Public Service Act to liberate industries, promote efficient service delivery, and foster competition as an enduring policy,” read the resolution.
What are the processes for introducing amendments to the Constitution?
Section 1, Article 15 of the Constitution provides that Congress shall hold a joint session and at least three-fourths of all the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives will vote separately to amend the Constitution.
Such amendments shall be valid and form part of the Constitution when approved by a majority of the votes cast at an election at which the amendments are submitted to the people for their ratification.
In Section 11 of Article 12 of the Constitution, the lawmakers want to prevent the issuance of franchise, certification, or any form of authorization of public utility vehicles to foreigners, but Filipino citizens shall own 70 percent of the capital.
They also proposed to introduce an amendment in Section 4 of Article 14 of the Constitution, the basic educational institution, other than the religious groups and mission boards, to be owned by Filipinos of capital of at least 60 percent.
“Our children deserve to have access to the best educational institution, both Filipino and foreign, to ensure that they receive the best training to become globally competitive citizens in the modern world,” the resolution read.
They said the advertising industry currently already has foreign players and liberalizing the same would be a logical and sound policy to attract foreign direct investment in the industry./PN
