'Text-for-change' bill to create more jobs and livelihood

The proposed text revenue-sharing measure that would require telecommunication companies (telcos) to remit part of their net profits from local text messaging to fund the country's health and education requirements will pump prime the nation's economy by providing jobs and livelihood, Independent Senator Richard J. Gordon today said.

During Thursday's No Holds Barred forum at the National Press Club, Gordon said the 'text-for-change' measure would not only improve the educational and health care systems of the country but also pump prime the economy by generating more jobs and livelihood.

"If we start building all the schools our country lacks, we will be in need of more carpenters and masons, therefore generating more jobs for our people. We will hire more workers and boost the hardware business because they will be the suppliers of construction materials, and we could end up pump priming our economy overnight," he said.

The country currently needs 9,754 classrooms; 4,121,009 school seats; and 63,178,377 textbooks. The construction and purchase of these needed infrastructures is the priority of Senate Bill 2402, or the Health and Education Acceleration Program (HEAP).

Gordon said the measure would also provide employment for more professionals such as teachers and medical practitioners, which the country's educational system also lacks..

The public school system still needs 39,762 teachers; 8,499 principals; and more medical practitioners and health workers to improve the health personnel to pupil ratio currently at one medical officer is to 80,000 pupils; one school dentist is to 20,000 pupils; and one school nurse is to 5,000 pupils.

"Through HEAP we will be able to hire all the educators and health workers our schools need, at the same time providing for more employment, preventing more professionals from leaving the country to work overseas," Gordon said.

"We must realize the many benefits that we would gain once this bill is passed into law. It will benefit not only the youth of today but also the generations of the future," he added.

SB 2402 proposes to require telcos to share part of their net revenues from local text messaging to help fund the HEAP Corporation, which will spearhead the rehabilitation and acceleration of education and health infrastructures in the country.