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LIVELIHOOD PROJECT SITE – Congressman Luis R. Villafuerte (center) is joined by Pili Mayor Alex San Luis (fourth from left) and Ocampo Mayor Leonilo Sarte (seventh from left) and other community leaders on the slopes of Mt. Isarog while inspecting suitable sites for his poultry and goat raising livelihood projects. The Camarines Sur Second District solon has allocated a sizeable amount from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) for livelihood projects including inland fisheries in the Calabanga, Bombon, Magarao, Canaman, Camaligan and Gainza area to augment family income. |
Congressman Luis R. Villafuerte has filed a total of seven bills and resolutions intended to address current health problems and needs indicating a new shift in his legislative thrusts.
Congressman Villafuerte who has filed a total of 119 bills and resolutions in the present 14th Congress, establishing an average of at least two bills and resolutions per session day, has numerous bills of national and local applications related to education, agriculture, environment, power and energy matters, arts and culture, taxation, banking and finance and infrastructure. The Camarines Sur Second District solon explained that there is an urgent need to address specific health problems because of hazards posed by certain products to consumers.
Some of the health-related measures introduced by Congressman Villafuerte include:
1. House Bill No. 1142 – An act prohibiting the importation, domestic sale or use of goods, the manufacture, sale or use of which is banned in the country of origin;
2. House Bill No. 615 – An act establishing trans fat labeling requirements on food product labels and banning harmful trans fats in food;
3. House Resolution No. 41 – A resolution directing the Committee on Health and the Committee on Trade and Industry to inquire into and investigate the alleged ill effects and hazards to health of phthalate esters and artificial or synthetic musks contained in perfumes sold in Philippine market today;
4. House Resolution No. 325 – A resolution mandating the review and in-depth analysis of coconut sugar as a natural and healthy sweetener and urging the Philippine Coconut Authority, Food and Nutrition Institute and the Bureau of Food and Drug (BFAD) to subject coconut sugar to international testing for low glycemic in-vivo human clinical study for diabetics and for non-diabetics to validate studies showing coconut sugar as a low glycemic natural sweetener;
5. House Resolution No. 326 – A resolution mandating the BFAD to review and analyze the various test results and testimonials on the multi-potential carcinogenic and toxic properties of several artificial and synthetic sweeteners in the markets such as aspartame, saccharin, sucralose and sugar alcohols that if proven toxic should lead to stricter regulation or restriction to protect public health;
6. House Resolution No. 89 – A resolution directing the DOH through the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC), BFAD, the Department of Agriculture through the PCARRD, the DOST, CITEM and DTI to formulate strategic national program to develop and promote priority medicinal plants;and,
7. House Resolution No. 160 – A resolution directing the DOH to strictly monitor compliance of businesses of the health and safety regulations on water safety standards to prevent occurrence of water-borne diseases.
On the resolution to analyze synthetic sweeteners, Congressman Villafuerte said that a 7-year study by Italian scientist Dr. Morando Soffritti indicated that aspartame, a synthetic chemical sweetener, is multi-potential carcinogen.
He also said that Greenpeace International has published a report that phthalate esters and synthetic musks used in perfumes are harmful to the body.
On trans fat labeling, Congressman Villafuerte explained that food manufacturers, fast food chain and all those in the food industry must reduce or even eliminate trans fat for the health of consumers.
House Resolution No. 160 addresses the need to regulate water supply facilities including vended water and bottled water.
