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Politics

SENATE APPROVES FIRST-TIME JOBSEEKERS BILL ON SECOND READING – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva, chairperson of the Senate committee on labor, employment, and human resources development, welcomed the Senate approval on second reading of Senate Bill No. 1629 or the “First-time Jobseekers Assistance Act” which exempts fresh graduates and out-of-school youth from paying government fees and charges on documents needed for their job application. “We thank […]

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SMALL FARMERS SHOULD HAVE CHEAPER CERTIFICATION COST FOR ORGANIC PRODUCE – VILLAR

Saying more Filipinos should have access to healthy and safe farm products, Senator Cynthia Villar has pushed for a system of organic products certification which small farmers can also afford. During the hearing of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food on bills amending Republic Act 10068 or the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, Villar […]

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CREATE PHILIPPINE RISE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AS ONE STOP SHOP FOR BENHAM RISE CONCERNS – GATCHALIAN

Senator Win Gatchalian is championing the creation of the Philippine Rise Development Authority (PRDA), a coordinating, policymaking, and regulatory body which will serve as a “one stop shop” for everything concerning the resource-rich Philippine Rise. Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, sponsored recently Senate Bill No. 2024, otherwise known as the Philippine […]

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DUTERTE CERTIFIES SECURITY OF TENURE BILL AS URGENT – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva, chairperson of the Senate committee on labor, employment, and human resources development, welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte’s certification of the Security of Tenure Bill as urgent. Duterte wrote the letter to Senate President Tito Sotto dated September 21 requesting the “immediate enactment” of Senate Bill No. 1826. “We laud the move of the […]

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TRABAHO BILL SHOULD CREATE JOBS RATHER THAN KILL THEM – ANGARA

Senator Sonny Angara said the Senate committee would not proceed with its deliberation of the TRABAHO bill unless government can present definitive data on the impact on jobs. During a recent senate hearing, Finance Undersecretary Karl Chua insisted that more jobs will be created in the long run under the Tax Reform for Attracting Better […]

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RICE IS LIFE – NOGRALES

House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Rep. Karlo “Ang Probinsyano” Nograles on Wednesday welcomed moves by the National Food Authority (NFA) Council to improve its local palay procurement efforts, saying that its plans to provide incentives to rice farmers effectively raising the buying price of palay to P20 a kilo would allow it to purchase palay from […]

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AGRI PARTY-LIST: RICE IMPORTATION WELCOME, BUT LOCAL AGRI SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED TOO

The AGRI Party-list has welcomed Agriculture Secretary and new National Food Authority Council (NFA) Chairperson Emmanuel Piñol’s approval of the importation of a total of 1.75 million metric tons (MT) of rice for 2018 and 2019. The move, Piñol announced, was aimed at discouraging rice hoarders and taming rice prices, which remain high despite one […]

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IPs AND FARMERS MUST REGISTER FOR 2019 POLLS – PANGANIBAN

With the deadline for voter registration looming, House Agriculture Committee chair and ANAC-IP Rep. Jose T. Panganiban, Jr. reiterated his call for indigenous peoples and farmers to use the remaining days to register for the 2019 midterm elections. Voter registration will end on Saturday, September 29. “I urge all my fellow IPs and farmers to […]

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Politics

SENATE PASSES BILL CREATING THE PHILIPPINE ENERGY INSTITUTE – GATCHALIAN

The Senate has approved on third and final reading a bill creating a world-class think tank meant to bridge research and policy gaps in the Philippine energy sector, in hopes of fostering greater energy security, sustainability, and affordability in the country. Senate Bill No. 1574, also known as the Philippine Energy Research and Policy Institute […]

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LET US BE WARRIORS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT – VILLAR

Senator Cynthia Villar led coast lovers and environmental warriors in picking debris and garbage that litter the stretch of the 175-hectare Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA) in celebration of this year’s International Coastal Clean-Up Day. The seasoned lawmaker was quick to shed off her working clothes and put on her gloves as […]