Davao City is one of the most livable cities in Asia. This is the city of durian, the King of Fruits. This is where the Philippine Eagle soars. Get your daily dose of news, features, and issues that matter straight from Davao City.
Showing posts with label Senate Bill 2402. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Senate Bill 2402. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Davao City's Support For Senator Gordon’s Text Tax Bill On
Davao City councilor Pilar Braga is supporting Senate Bill 2402 mandating telecommunication companies to remit fifty percent of their text revenues to the government for the development of the country’s education system and health programs.
The bill, which was introduced by Senator Richard Gordon, provides for the creation and funding of HEAP or the Health Education Acceleration Program which seeks to rehabilitate the country’s education and health programs.
The Philippines is known as the texting capital of the world with an estimated 65% of its population having access to a cellphone capable of sending SMS or text messages. With an estimated 400 million text messages sent per day at P1 per message, Braga said, roughly P200 million a day can be contributed to HEAP, a substantial amount that can address the backlogs in the country’s health and education infrastructures.
Braga said the country is faced with a deteriorating educational system with 267 barangays suffering from lack of public elementary schools and four municipalities without public high schools. Majority of the Filipino school children are also undernourished as per World Bank data.
The telecommunication companies are earning multi-billions of pesos a year from text messaging alone with combined earnings of P77 billion in 2007. If half of this can be used to finance the country’s education and health programs then it can go a long way in improving the country’s literacy rate and health programs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Araw ng Dabaw Tattoo Fest 2024 organizers eye tattoo industry as next tourist attraction
Tattoos have come a long way in the Philippines. From being frowned upon, tattoos are now considered art and a form of self-expression. Da...
-
Davao City's very own Sunstar Super Balita was given a few minutes nationwide exposure in ABS CBN's showbiz Sunday Show "The Bu...
-
The P1.5 million Solidarity Ring, the biggest gold ring in the Philippines, is now on display at the Museo Dabawenyo in time for the Kadaya...
-
PLDT phone booths that have been conveniently installed near the rest rooms of SM City Davao is making life easier for Dabawenyos especiall...