NEWS AT A GLANCE 

Bayan Muna solon bats for debt servicing cut

Representative Liza Maza this week asked the national government to cut the budget allotted for debt servicing by 15 percent (or P64.3 billion) in order to address the shortage of resources and facilities for public education.

Maza of Bayan Muna warned that with the meager allotment for education in the proposed national budget for 2003, the education department will lack 49,212 teachers; 44, 716 classrooms; 4, 875, 413 armchairs and 24,218,437 textbooks.

To solve the shortage, the Department of Education (DepEd) only needs 15 percent of the amount allotted for debt servicing, amounting to P64.3 billion, the congresswoman said.

Debt servicing eats up 51 percent of the increase in the national budget.

***

122-152% hike in water rates seen

Effective January, Manila Water will increase charges by 152 percent from P6.75 to P17.00 per cubic meter while Maynilad will have a 122-percent hike from P15.46 to P34.37.

Residential consumers with an average monthly consumption of 30 cu.m serviced by Manila Water will be charged P398.12 while consumers of Maynilad will pay P616.98, based on computations by the Kilusang Mayo Uno.

The two water utility giants have filed petitions for water rate hikes before the Regulatory Office of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).

KMU Secretary for Federal Affairs Joel Maglunsod blamed the privatization of the MWSS for expensive water rates.

Manila Water Company is owned jointly by the Ayala Group and the British United Utilities Ltd. while Maynilad Water Services is owned by the Benpres Holding Corporation of the Lopez family and the French Lyonnais des Eaux.

***

Cabinet revamp gets flak from militants

Cosmetic reform.

This is how Bayan Muna described the recent sacking of several Cabinet members and the abolition of the Philippine Estates Authority.

Robert de Castro, deputy secretary general of Bayan Muna said, "The Macapagal-Arroyo government is undertaking cosmetic reforms in the hope of offsetting the administration's image of pervasive corruption and poor governance."

Meanwhile, the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan downplayed the appointment of new Cabinet members.

Anthony Ian Cruz, BAYAN's public information officer, said, "Cabinet officials come and go but the fundamental problems of the people have not been addressed by the Macapagal-Arroyo government."

Bulatlat.com

We want to know what you think of this article.