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Politics

GOVERNMENT SHOULD SCRAP SUPERMARKET NFA RICE PERMIT FEE – GATCHALIAN

Senator Win Gatchalian slammed the “uncoordinated and impractical” move of the National Food Authority (NFA) to charge retailers ₱115,000 to be able to sell rice, as he called on the agency to scrap the exorbitant fee. “This is an ill-conceived move of the NFA. Akala ko ba ang gusto nila ay dumami ang magbenta ng […]

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Politics

GORDON TO PNP, NBI: INTENSIFY MANHUNT VS SYNDICATE FINANCIER BEHIND P8.7B ROAD RIGHT OF WAY PAYMENT SCAM

Senator Dick Gordon has urged the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigations to intensify the manhunt for the alleged financier of the syndicate that has defrauded the government of P8.7 billion in road right of way (RROW) payments. During the recent hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Gordon, committee chairman, flashed […]

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Politics

SENATE APPROVES STUDENT FARE DISCOUNT BILL ON SECOND READING – ANGARA

The Senate bill that seeks to institutionalize the granting of a 20 percent fare discount to students is set to be approved on third and final reading. Senate Bill 1597, principally authored and sponsored by Senator Sonny Angara, aims to institutionalize and expand the coverage of the student fare discount to include land, air, water […]

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Politics

STEP UP PALAY PROCUREMENT TO PREVENT BLEAK CHRISTMAS – NOGRALES

If we want to keep rice prices low and make Christmas merry for the country’s 100 million-plus population, the National Food Authority (NFA) must continue to step up its rice procurement efforts to ensure there is a ready supply of cheap rice during the holiday season. These were the sentiments of House Appropriations Chair Rep. […]

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Politics

FEDERALISM IS KEY TO ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT OUTSIDE NCR – NOGRALES

With Metro Manila accounting for close to 40 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) while having 12 percent of the Philippine population, it is time for the country to consider a “different approach” to ensure that the 88 percent of Filipinos living outside the National Capital Region (NCR) could also reap the benefits […]

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Politics

LGUs DESERVE FULL AUTONOMY, MORE FUNDS – ANGARA

Senator Sonny Angara is backing moves that would give more power and funds to local government units (LGUs), whether under a federal form of government being pushed by President Rodrigo Duterte or through changes to the 27-year-old Local Government Code (LGC). Speaking before local officials of Siquijor province, Angara said that as chairman of the […]

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Politics

GATCHALIAN TO DEPED: PRIORITIZE REPAIRS OF SCHOOLS DAMAGED BY TYPHOON ‘OMPONG’

Senator Win Gatchalian is urging the Department of Education (DepEd) to prioritize the repair of schools damaged by Typhoon “Ompong” (international name: Mangkhut) and maximize the utilization of its Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEFF) for the repair and rehabilitation of school buildings. Gatchalian issued the call after the DepEd revealed that some 7,007 schools in […]

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Politics

GORDON TO BOC: FORTIFY YOUR ARSENAL AS YOU BATTLE A NEW LEVEL OF WAR AGAINST DRUG SMUGGLING

As the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee continues its probe into the P4.3 billion worth of shabu which were smuggled inside two magnetic lifters at the Manila International Container Port and the close to P9 billion worth of shabu also smuggled inside four similar magnetic lifters which were found in GMA, Cavite, Senator Dick Gordon called […]

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Politics

DELAY PASSAGE OF TRABAHO BILL IF IT WILL CAUSE WORKER LAYOFFS – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva Chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development said the passage of TRABAHO bill (Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-quality Opportunities) should be delayed if it would only cause worker layoffs as admitted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). During the Senate deliberation on the […]

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Politics

PIMENTEL TO DTI: EXPEDITE ISSUANCE OF IRR ON EASE OF DOING BUSINESS LAW

Senate Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship Committee Chairperson Koko Pimentel III on Thursday urged the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to expedite the issuance of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the ease of doing business (EODB) law so that the country could immediately benefit from the provisions of the law that seeks to […]