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Politics

SENATE APPROVAL OF FIRST 1,000 DAYS BILL IS GOOD NEWS FOR WOMEN – HONTIVEROS

As the country celebrates the National Women’s Month, the Senate has approved on third and final reading a bill aimed at expanding the country’s nutrition and health programs for mothers and children during the child’s first 1000 days of life. Senate Bill No. 1537, or the “Healthy Nanay and Bulilit Act,” was sponsored by Senator […]

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TELCOS MUST BE TRANSPARENT IN CHARGING PREPAID MOBILE SUBSCRIBERS – AQUINO

Senator Bam Aquino emphasized that transparency on the part of telecommunications companies is the first step to solving consumer complaints about the disappearance of prepaid mobile loads or “nakaw load”. During the hearing of the Committee on Science and Technology on the issue, Aquino said that the immediate solution is for telcos to issue notifications […]

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Politics

ADDRESS BED OCCUPANCY MISMATCH IN ALL STATE HOSPITALS – ANGARA

Senator Sonny Angara has filed a bill that will give the Department of Health (DOH) the authority to increase the bed capacity of all public hospitals to address the mismatch in occupancy and improve the quality of government health services. Under the present set-up, the department can only increase the bed capacity of DOH hospitals […]

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Politics

FIRST 1,000 DAYS BILL NEARS SENATE PASSAGE – ANGARA

The Senate is set to approve on third and final reading a bill that seeks to improve the health and nutritional status of pregnant women and of children from 0 to 2 years old to ensure growth and development of young children. Senate Bill 1537 or the Healthy Nanay and Bulilit Act, also known as […]

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DECLARE BORACAY AN ENVIRONMENTALLY-CRITICAL AREA – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva pinpointed the lapses in the guidelines of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources- Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) in the processing and issuance of environmental compliance certificates (ECCs) to establishments in Boracay. The EMB is the bureau under the DENR that is tasked with ensuring establishments’ compliance with environmental laws in environmentally-critical […]

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Politics

OIL EXPLORATION OVER WPS CAN BE OPEN TO ALL COUNTRIES BUT GOVERNMENT MUST NOT GIVE UP SOVEREIGNTY – RECTO

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto backed plans for the Philippines to jointly prospect for oil in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) with “China and other countries” for as long as it is “between private parties and that we won’t be giving away the deed to the area.” Recto said energy exploration in the WPS […]

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Politics

WORKERS FACING LAYOFFS AMID PROPOSED BORACAY CLOSURE MUST BE PROTECTED – ANGARA

Senator Sonny Angara has called on the government to ensure that employment assistance will be provided to workers that would be affected should the planned closure of Boracay businesses push through. The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has recently announced that it would propose a declaration of a six-month state of calamity and […]

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GOVERNMENT MUST ENSURE JOB PLACEMENTS FOR K-12 GRADUATES – GATCHALIAN

Senator Win Gatchalian called on the Department of Education (DepEd) to work with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to strengthen job placement mechanisms for senior high school graduates who wish to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation. This month, an estimated 1.4 million students will become the first set of Grade 12 graduates […]

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Politics

RESERVISTS DON’T HAVE TO SACRIFICE JOBS TO PERFORM CALL OF DUTY – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva sought the protection and job security of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reservists who are called to fulfill their military service. In a co-sponsorship speech, Villanueva shared the sacrifices of the AFP reservists, who had to take a leave from their current jobs and be away from their families to perform […]

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Politics

NFA MUST SHAPE UP ITS RICE PROCUREMENT PROCESS – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva has expressed alarm over the reported lapses and irregularities of the National Food Authority (NFA) when it comes to its rice procurement process. “What happened to the NFA’s procurement process especially the NFA people who directly buy and sell from the farmers in the agricultural regions?” Villanueva asked NFA administrator Jason Aquino […]