New Philippine laws, RA 9993 to 9997

I got a copy of BWorld Files for November 2010. Below are the new laws and my brief comments about them.

1. Republic Act (RA) 9993, Establishing the Philippine Coast Guard under the DOTC, Repealing RA 5173

The PCG I think is previously under the Philippine Navy of the AFP. The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) perhaps wanted its own big armed force, like the DOJ having its own armed force, the NBI. This is more of a transfer of one bureaucracy from one mother bureaucracy to another.

2. RA 9994, Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010

The number of privileges, mandatory discounts and freebies to be given to senior citizens by private enterprises, were expanded. A drugstore, a pharma company, a jeepney, a busline, a domestic airline, a restaurant, a water utility, a moviehouse, an MRT, etc. should provide 20 percent discount. Exemption also from the 12 percent value added tax (VAT) on drugs, vaccines and medical equipment.

The government likes this way, always. Private enterprises should provide subsidies to certain sectors, but government will not provide tax credits to these enterprises.

New bureaucracies also created, like the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) in all cities and municipalities around the country. Also the National Coordinating and Monitoring Board (NCMB).

3. RA 9995, Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009

Prohibited acts were defined, along with the penalties for their violations. Good thing that they did not create a new bureaucracy to implement this new law.

4. RA 9996, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Act of 2010

As the title suggests, a new bureaucracy is created, the MinDA. It will have a Chairman, an Executive Director, and 17 Board of Directors including the Chairman.

This will be a super-bureaucracy for Mindanao, doing its own economic planning for the main Mindanao island and neighboring island provinces. So what if the proviincial governors, city/municipal mayors will have plans that are different if not opposite to the plan of this huge bureaucracy, who will prevail?

5. RA 9997, National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Act of 2009

Again, they created a new bureaucracy, the NCMF, out of the old and abolished bureaucracy, the Office for Muslim Affairs (OMA). The new Commission though will have an expanded sub-bureaucracies:

Secretary, nine Commissioners, Exec. Director, Deputy ED, seven Bureaus (7 Bureau Directors), Services, Regional field offices, sub-offices.

Those in government never run out of reasons how to expand and continue expanding existing and new bureaucracies.

And talk about transparency, these two new bureaucracues MinDA and NCMF, have no website yet until now. They cannot start even a wordpress or blogger account, but have multi-million pesos operating budget every year.