By Jason de Asis

SENATE OFFICE, Manila, November 6, 2010-Sen. Ralph G. Recto, chair of the Senate ways and means committee asked President Aquino (PNoy) to immediately convene the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) to prioritize legislative measures that particularly involve providing aid to affected areas of typhoon Juan.

Recto said that it is in the President’s best interest to convene the LEDAC in order to discuss how to extend help to those still reeling from the devastating effects of the recent super typhoon, adding that the government acts with a sense of urgency on this matter.

He added that now is the time for decisive action to those affected who find it hard to move on and turn to their government for much needed aid in crippling events like this the time is of the essence.

The agriculture sector suffered some P11.53 billion worth of damage due to typhoon Juan, which is one of the strongest typhoons that hit the country and the provinces in northern Luzon were badly hit by the storm.

It would be necessary to earmark other funds for the reconstruction and repair of damages brought by Juan since the Calamity Fund for this year is almost depleted.

“The Congress can help in many ways in allocating funds for those affected by the calamity. The members of the executive and legislative branches of government are the most important thing right now to put their heads together and find ways to ease the plight of those affected in the fastest way possible,” he said, adding that after PNoy successful debut on the world stage that took him from New York to Hanoi, may we have the honor of being in his company to tackle issues about Juan and the Filipino Boss people.

Republic Act 7640 aims to determine and to recommend, among others, socio-economic goals to the President. It is also a venue to integrate the legislative agenda with the national development plan and recommend to the President and Congress sources of revenues and measures to reduce unnecessary expenditures in government where LEDAC was created.

President Aquino can also use the LEDAC to prioritize measures that would boost revenues for the national government or encourage more public-private partnerships in infrastructure projects aside from money measures for the reconstruction of provinces devastated by the typhoon.

The LEDAC is chaired by the President and is mandated by law to meet at least once every quarter where the senator emphasized that it is imperative to convene the LEDAC as soon as possible to give life to the national development plan of President Aquino’s administration. (Jason de Asis)