EVEN as there is a slim chance that Charter change will be approved in the Senate, the subcommittee of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments will resume public consultations this week on proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution contained in Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6
In an advisory, the Senate’s Public Relations and Information Bureau (PRIB) said the subcommittee hearing is scheduled on Thursday (May 9) and will highlight discussions on the proposed amendment to paragraph 2, Section 11 of Article XVI of the Constitution pertaining to the advertising sector.
Invited resource persons are expected to brief senators on the implications of distinguishing advertising agencies from mass media, and assess the “permissible level of foreign equity participation,” the pros and cons of limiting foreign ownership in the advertising sector, impact of restrictions on foreign ownership in advertising, conduct a comparative analysis on the foreign equity restrictions in neighboring countries, and tackle ways to attract foreign investments to the domestic advertising industry.
The last sub-committee hearing was held on March 5 before Congress went on a month-long summer break. Discussions centered on the education sector, particularly wherer to allow foreigners to control and administer higher education institutions (HEIs) in the country or not.
Commission on Higher Education chairman Prospero de Vera has said he support the move to allow foreign entities to control and administer HEIs, but said Congress should craft an enabling law to regulate the process and incentivize foreign universities to establish themselves in the Philippines.
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) likewise backed the proposed amendment to reinforce the educational and technological needs of higher level technical-vocational educational facilities.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri has said that the sub-committee will conduct out-of-town public hearings for RBH 6 in the cities of Baguio, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro before it wraps up its discussions.
Last month, Zubiri said there was a slim chance that RBH 6 will be approved in the Senate, noting that eight or nine senators are opposed to introducing amendments to the Constitution since “strict economic provisions” have already been eased through the passage of measures which have been signed into law by former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III said there is “no chance” that the economic Cha-cha will pass the Senate, especially since Zubiri cannot muster the needed “majority” or 18 votes to have RBH No. 6 approved.
