Policy – Polevu

Never-ending election protests and political reform proposals

The first post in my Twitter feed today is the stepping down of Jaen, Nueva Ecija Mayor Sylvia Austria after losing in a recount filed by her 2019 contender Antonio Prospero Esquivel. In a recount, Esquivel garnered 18,737 votes while Austria got 14,392 for the May 13, 2019 elections.

Jaen, Nueva Ecija mayor steps down; new mayor assumes post

The Philippine Covid-19 Response

One of the governments with the most interesting way of handling the Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic is the Philippines. While the world was already showing concern over the virus, the Philippines is still permitting flights from places like China noted to be the Ground Zero of the virus. When the number of cases started to multiply, it was only then that the government acted. By March 2020, travel bans were imposed and this was eventually followed by the lockdown couched as “community quarantine”.

So, what makes the Phillipine Covid response interesting? What are the characteristics of the Duterte Administration’s efforts in responding to the current pandemic?

Why the mandatory rapid testing for workers is a waste of time and money

There are proposals circulating that the Covid-19 rapid testing be made as a mandatory requirement for return to work clearance of our workers. But while the proposal has good intentions, it somehow misses the real objective of why we are opting for Covid-19 testing in the first place.

Why a population cap per barangay is insane

Assuming that House Bill (HB) No. 6686 authored by Surigao del Norte Representative Ace Barbers will be approved into law and limits the population to 15,000 per barangay, what will happen to the newly born child who happens to be the 15,001th? Will the baby be kicked out of the barangay to establish a new one?

House Bill (HB) No. 6686 seeks to amend Section 386 of Republic Act 7160 otherwise known as the Local Government Code by limiting the population of barangays in all urban areas of the country to 15,000 inhabitants. Those that exceeds the cap will be reapportioned to create additional barangays to achieve fast and efficient delivery of essential services and orderly governance.