Amid Ballooning Agri Losses From El Niño, Lee Urges Gov’t To Bolster Mitigation Effort, Prepare For La Niña

April 25, 2024 Amid Ballooning Agri Losses From El Niño, Lee Urges Gov’t To Bolster Mitigation Effort, Prepare For La Niña With agricultural damage due to El Niño nearly at a staggering P4 billion, AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert “Wise” T. Lee urged the government to bolster efforts in mitigating impacts of El Niño, and prepare for the looming La Niña projected by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in June to August this year. “Napakalaki na po ng pinsalang dulot ng El Niño sa ating agrikultura, umaabot na sa halos P4 bilyon. Ikawalong El Niño na ito na dumaan sa ating bansa simula 1980, pero parang nabibigla pa rin tayo,” Lee lamented. “Pagkatapos ng delubyong ito, panibagong hamon na naman sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda ang inaasahang idudulot ng La Niña. Maging pro-active na tayo; balikan natin kung ano at saan ang mga naging kakulangan at simulan nang ipatupad ang epektibong tugon sa epekto ng mga kalamidad. Huwag na nating hintayin pa na dumating ang susunod na El Niño at manalanta ang La Niña bago tayo magpatupad ng mga polisiya na magbibigay ng proteksyon sa ating mga food security soldiers,” he added. Lee noted that the World Bank, in its 2019 study entitled “Striking a Balance: Managing El Niño and La Niña in Philippines’ Agriculture”, had already laid out policy recommendations for the government to follow in order to reduce El Niño and La Niña-related losses. These recommendations are divided into two groups: preparedness and resilience. Preparedness, according to the World Bank, are measures specifically geared toward El Niño and should, ideally, be in place before the next El Niño event occurs. These actions will significantly empower people to cope, respond, and recover from damaging El Niño events. Resilience, on the other hand, are measures that are not specifically tailored to El Niño, but that will build individuals’ and organizations’ ability to adapt to multiple forms of risks and shocks without compromising long-term development. According to the Bicolano lawmaker, the World Bank made several high priority recommendations for preparedness, including preparing response measures when El Niño-related events occur; correcting inefficiencies within the Roadmap to Address the Impact of El Niño (RAIN) and the El Niño Task Force; harnessing rebound from La Niña; assessing El Niño-related slow onset disasters and government responses; preparing detailed El Niño risk and vulnerability maps; improving El Niño-forecasting and dissemination; strengthening the early warning capacity of government agencies; strengthening Local Government Units’ (LGUs) capacity to deliver aid and services and prepare for El Niño events; and provide contingency and preparedness funding for El Niño events. “For resilience, the World Bank recommended that we sustain and scale up good practices, including identifying Philippine best practices on El Niño-related themes, and scaling up human and resource capacity,” Lee pointed out. “The path has been laid out for us by experts, all we need is to follow it,” he added. According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), damage to the agriculture sector due to El Niño has already reached P3.94 billion, covering more than 66,000 hectares and almost 74,000 farmers and fisherfolk. Citing reports from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Lee, who hails from Bicol, said a total of P267,390,512 in agricultural losses was reported in Albay on April 11, following the declaration of a state of calamity in the previous month. Albay is only one of the 103 areas in the country under state of calamity due to El Niño. “Winner Tayo Lahat kung mapapangalagaan ang buhay at hanapbuhay ng ating local food producers dahil nakasalalay sa kanila ang supply ng pagkain ng buong bansa at pagtiyak sa ating food security. Sa masagana nilang produksyon, hindi lang mapapataas ang kanilang kita, mapapababa din ang presyo ng produkto sa merkado, na siya namang ikatitipid ng consumers. Dagdag budget ito ng pamilyang Pilipino, at bawas alalahanin sa iba pang pangangailangan, lalo na sa panahon ng emergency o pagkakasakit!” Lee said. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Logged in as admin_wilbertleeagriadvocacy. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Latest Post 28 Nov 2024 Expanded Crop Insurance Key to Food Security, Says AGRI Party-list 26 Nov 2024 AGRI Party-list Urges Senate to Prioritize Crop Insurance Expansion 25 Nov 2024 AGRI Party-list Pushes for Expanded Crop Insurance Amid Calamities Categories Advocay Legislation Support Share on Social Media Advocacy April 25, 2024 Hot News Expanded Crop Insurance Key to Food Security, Says AGRI Party-list AGRI Party-list Urges Senate to Prioritize Crop Insurance Expansion AGRI Party-list Pushes for Expanded Crop Insurance Amid Calamities Amid calamities AGRI PL CALLS TO FAST-TRACK EXPANSION OF CROP INSURANCE COVERAGE Cong. Wilbert Lee Stresses Farmer Support as Inflation Solution at Kapihan sa QC Cong. Wilbert Lee: Supporting Farmers is Best Solution to Curb Inflation Cong. Wilbert Manoy “Wise” Lee Advocates for Stronger Support to Farmers Amid Inflation Cong. Wilbert Lee: “Ang pinakamabisang solusyon sa inflation ay pagtulong sa mga magsasaka” Cong. Wilbert Lee Champions Bigger Budget for Agriculture in 2025 Cong. Manoy Wilbert Lee Demands Action on Coconut Farmers’ Health Benefits Amid Delays

Pagamutan Hindi Piitan! Lee Seeks Probe To Stop Palit-Ulo In Hospitals

April 7, 2024 Pagamutan Hindi Piitan! Lee Seeks Probe To Stop Palit-Ulo In Hospitals AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert “Wise” T. Lee has filed a measure which seeks to probe the alleged hospital detention of relatives of the deceased patients as well as the refusal to release death certificates and other relevant medical documents due to unsettled bills of the patient, forcing those involved to find another person to replace them in the hospital before they are allowed to leave its premises—a scheme known as “palit-ulo”.  Lee filed House Resolution No. 1674 after the reported complaints against ACE (Allied Care Experts) Medical Center, which allegedly held in detention the relatives of deceased patients and refused to provide death certificate, unless replaced by another person or until their hospital dues were settled.  “Pinupuntahan ang mga hospital para ipagamot, hindi para ikulong, ang mga pasyente at mga kaanak nila. Demonyo ang gumagawa ng krimeng ito; sila na dumadagdag pa sa pasanin at pagdurusa ng mga pasyente at kanilang pamilya,” he asked.  “Eh kung sila kaya ang ikulong, habang nangangamba sa kalusugan ng kaanak, o habang nagluluksa sa pagkamatay ng kapamilya?”  “Pagamutan, hindi piitan. Pakikipagkapwa-tao, hindi negosyo. Malasakit at hindi pasakit sana ang pairalin ng ating mga ospital,” Lee stated.   In the said Resolution, Lee recounted the experiences of reported “palit-ulo” victims in the said hospital, such as Richel Mae Alvaro who was barred from leaving its premises due to her husband’s unsettled bill. Alvaro was still under illegal detention even after the remains of her husband were already taken out of the hospital.  Lovery Magtangob, on the other hand, was allegedly asked to stay at the Office of Safety Officer while waiting for her brother to settle the bill of their relative. Magtangob said she was released only after paying a partial payment of their unsettled bill.  According to the Bicolano lawmaker, hospitals that practice “palit-ulo” scheme are criminally liable for Serious Illegal Detention and Slight Illegal Detention under the Revised Penal Code.  “Acquiring unsettled hospital bills is not a criminal offense under our laws, and the same is also not an ailment requiring compulsory confinement of the patient in a hospital. Kaya tigilan na itong kawalanghiyaan, karumal-dumal, at ilegal na gawaing ito!” Lee said.  Through HR 1674, Lee underscored the importance of identifying any loopholes in the existing policies regarding the rights of patients, their relatives, and visitors, and the rights of hospitals and medical clinics over unsettled bills of patients, as well as exacting accountability to those who are involved in the illegal detention. The solon also pointed out that the “palit-ulo” scheme is proof that there is an alarming gap and perennial problems in our healthcare system that needs to be addressed with appropriate measures.  “Hindi na nga po nakapagtataka kung bakit pangunahin sa mga pangamba ng ating mga kababayan ang pagkakasakit, kung saan marami ang namamatay nang hindi man lang nakapagpapatingin sa doktor o ospital; o pinipili na lang maratay sa bahay sa kabila ng mabigat na karamdaman,” Lee said.  “Lahat tayo, may karapatang mabuhay. Mayaman man o mahirap, dapat pinagkakalooban ng estado ng de-kalidad, abot-kaya, at may pusong serbisyong pangkalusugan. Nasaan ang hustisya kung sa kagustuhan mong magpagamot at mabuhay, ikukulong ka pa o ang iyong mga kapamilya?” he lamented.  Lee, a staunch health advocate, persistently pushed for the 30% increase in Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) benefits which took effect on February 14. The solon also advocated for unlimited coverage for dialysis, cancer treatment, heart bypass surgery, and other diagnostic tests and preventive measures, as well as the effective implementation of the No Balance Billing policy so that patients and their families won’t be burdened by high medical expenses. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Logged in as admin_wilbertleeagriadvocacy. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Latest Post 28 Nov 2024 Expanded Crop Insurance Key to Food Security, Says AGRI Party-list 26 Nov 2024 AGRI Party-list Urges Senate to Prioritize Crop Insurance Expansion 25 Nov 2024 AGRI Party-list Pushes for Expanded Crop Insurance Amid Calamities Categories Advocay Legislation Support Share on Social Media Advocacy, Support April 7, 2024 Hot News Expanded Crop Insurance Key to Food Security, Says AGRI Party-list AGRI Party-list Urges Senate to Prioritize Crop Insurance Expansion AGRI Party-list Pushes for Expanded Crop Insurance Amid Calamities Amid calamities AGRI PL CALLS TO FAST-TRACK EXPANSION OF CROP INSURANCE COVERAGE Cong. Wilbert Lee Stresses Farmer Support as Inflation Solution at Kapihan sa QC Cong. Wilbert Lee: Supporting Farmers is Best Solution to Curb Inflation Cong. Wilbert Manoy “Wise” Lee Advocates for Stronger Support to Farmers Amid Inflation Cong. Wilbert Lee: “Ang pinakamabisang solusyon sa inflation ay pagtulong sa mga magsasaka” Cong. Wilbert Lee Champions Bigger Budget for Agriculture in 2025 Cong. Manoy Wilbert Lee Demands Action on Coconut Farmers’ Health Benefits Amid Delays