IMINUNGKAHI ni Deputy Speaker at Buhay Partylist Rep. Lito Atienza na maisama ang media, telecommunications at local shipping industries sa mga sektor na papayagang maging pagmamay-ari ng mga dayuhang mamumuhunan sa ilalim ng Economic Cha-Cha na isinusulong ng Kamara.
Sa isang kalatas, binigyang-diin ng ranking House offical na hindi dapat maging malaking isyu kung pahihintulutan na magkaroon ng foreign majority ownership sa local media at telecommunications entities dahil ito naman ay nangangailangan pa rin ng Congressional franchise at nasa ilalim ng mahigpit na pagbabantay ng kinauukulang state regulators.
Sa ilalim ng 1987 Constitution, ang mass media at telecommunications industries ay nililimitahan sa 100 percent at 60 percent Filipino ownership, ayon sa pagkakasunod.
“These foreign ownership thresholds have become superfluous in the face of rapid technological advances. We are now living in a virtually borderless world when it comes to mass media and telecommunications,” ang tugon dito ni Atienza
“Whether we like it or not, because of the Internet and satellite TV, Filipinos are able to freely access programs or content produced by mass media entities wholly owned by foreigners,” dugtong niya.
Sa panig ng local shipping industry, sinabi ng Buhay partylist lawmaker na ang bansa ay kabilang sa “world’s largest archipelagic states” subalit nakalulungkot na itinuturing din ang Filipinas bilang “world’s least developed maritime industry”.
“We are supposed to rely heavily on highly efficient inter-island shipping to move people and goods. However, our shipping costs are very high while many of our passenger and cargo vessels are outdated,” sambit pa ng kongresista.
“We should allow foreign investors to come in, modernize our domestic shipping fleet and reduce transport costs to achieve greater economic productivity,” ang mariing pahayag ng former three-term mayor ng Manila.
Aniya, ngayong inaangalan ang sobrang taas ng presyo ng karneng baboy sa mga pamilihan, partikular sa Metro Manila dahil sa limitadong suplay na naibibigay ng hog growers sa Central Luzon at Calabarzon regions, kung may magandang sea transport service ay maaaring makatulong ito upang maibiyahe nang maayos ang food supplies na mula sa Visayas at Mindanao papasok sa National Capital Region (NCR).
“Lower shipping costs will encourage hog farmers from as far as Mindanao to increase production and establish new markets in Metro Manila, thus increasing supply and making pork products more affordable to Filipinos,” sabi ni Atienza.
Naniniwala rin ang kongresista na kung bubuksan sa foreign ownership ang maritime industry ng Filipinas, dadami ang shipping operators na magpapalakas sa domestic travels, maglilikha rin ito ng maraming trabaho at magpapasigla sa sektor ng turismo.
“At present, domestic shipping is lumped among the industries considered as public utilities or services and thus restricted to entities at least 60 percent owned by Filipinos. Very few Filipinos are willing to invest in a big way in new shipping operations anyway,” ang nababahalang pahayag pa ni Atienza. ROMER R. BUTUYAN
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