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Politics

COME DOWN HARD ON PREDATORY MERCHANTS – PIMENTEL

With government set to impose suggested retail prices for rice and chicken soon, Senate Trade and Commerce Committee Chair Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III is urging authorities to come down hard on predatory merchants who will continue to sell overpriced goods. The National Food Authority (NFA) Council, along with the departments of agriculture, trade and industry, […]

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Politics

COCO LEVY FUND BILL ISSUES COULD BE RESOLVED SOON – PANGANIBAN

House Agriculture Committee Chair and ANAC-IP Rep. Jose Panganiban, Jr. expressed hope on Thursday that the issues found by the Executive Branch in the coco levy fund bill will be resolved soon, adding that he welcomes a “second chance” to further improve the measure. The bill is set to be signed by President Rodrigo Duterte […]

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Politics

SENATE EXPANDS SSS COVERAGE TO OFWS – GORDON

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) may soon avail of programs offered by the Social Security Systems (SSS), as part of reforms introduced in a Senate bill that overhauls the SSS charter. Senate Bill 1753, or the proposed “Social Security Act of 2018” was approved by the Senate on the third and final reading. The bill was […]

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Politics

GATCHALIAN TO CHED: EXTEND DEADLINE OF TERTIARY EDUCATION SUBSIDY TO FILL UP 300,00 SLOTS

Senator Win Gatchalian has urged the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to make sure all 300,000 slots for the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) under the Free Higher Education Law (Republic Act 10931) are filled up before closing applications. “Sana po ay siguruhin ng CHED na mapuno muna nila lahat ng 300,000 slots para sa TES […]

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Politics

ANGARA TO DOE, DOJ: FORM TASK FORCE TO PROBE UNREASONABLE OIL PRICE HIKES

Senator Sonny Angara has called on the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to assemble the task force tasked to investigate unreasonable oil price hikes in some provinces in the country, as inflation hits 6.7 percent due to high global oil prices. “The government should immediately take action if there are […]

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Politics

HOUSE APPROVES FREE TECHNICAL-VOCATIONAL EDUCATION BILL – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva, vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Education, welcomed the recent passage of free technical-vocational education bill on third and final reading in the House of Representatives. The counterpart version, Senate Bill No. 1431 or the proposed Tulong Trabaho Act, was approved on third and final reading in the Senate on May […]

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Politics

SENATE OKs NATIONAL VISION SCREENING ACT – ANGARA

The Senate has approved on third and final reading a bill establishing a program for the early detection of visual problems among kindergarten pupils and a funding facility for a continuing research for eye diseases and treatments. Senate Bill No. 1706, or the “National Vision Screening Act,” primarily institutionalizes a nationwide eye screening program for […]

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Politics

I WILL PUSH FOR THE RECLASSIFICATION OF BANTAYAN ISLAND AS ALIENABLE AND DISPOSABLE LAND – VILLAR

Senator Cynthia Villar vowed to help the residents of Bantayan Island in their quest for the island’s reclassification from a Protected Wilderness Area into an agricultural, commercial, industrial, and residential area. Bantayan is among the 51 islands declared as Protected Wilderness Areas by Presidential Decree No. 2151 signed by the late President Ferdinand Marcos in […]

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Politics

GIVE BARANGAY OFFICIALS P100,000 LUMP SUM RETIREMENT, CHRISTMAS BONUS INCREASE – GATCHALIAN

A lump sum retirement gratuity pay equivalent to one-year honorarium or P100,000 as well as grant of other benefits including a higher Christmas bonus for barangay officials are now being pushed anew in the Senate. In making the proposal, Senator Win Gatchalian said the existing amounts being provided under the Local Government Code of 1991 […]

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Politics

BILL DECLARING NOVEMBER 8 AS LEYTE RESILIENCE DAY APPROVED IN SENATE – ANGARA

The Senate passed on third and final reading a bill declaring November 8 as a special non-working holiday in the province of Leyte, in honor of the “extra-ordinary courage of the unsung heroes of Typhoon Yolanda.” House Bill No. 6591 was sponsored by Senator Sonny Angara, chair of the Senate Committee on Local Government, with […]