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Politics

P10M ADDITIONAL BUDGET FOR ALL SUCs, FOR EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES – LEGARDA

Senator Loren Legarda said that all state universities and colleges (SUCs) will each receive an additional Php10 Million in their capital outlay this year for the purchase of school equipment and improvement of facilities within their respective campuses. Legarda, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, also said that P327-million under the Department of Information […]

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Politics

INVESTIGATE PASSPORT APPOINTMENT SLOTS FOR SALE – CASTELO

Quezon City Rep. Winnie Castelo called on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to look into reports that some travel agencies are selling January appointment slots for as high as PhP4,000. The DFA has come under heavy fire from Filipinos renewing their passports because of difficulties getting appointment through the agency’s online facilities. The DFA’s […]

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Politics

2018 BUDGET PROVIDES FOR FREE COLLEGE EDUCATION – LEGARDA

Senator Loren Legarda said the 2018 General Appropriations Act (GAA) funds the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (RA 10931), which means that students who will enroll in state universities and colleges (SUCs), local state universities and colleges (LUCs), and state-run technical vocational institutions (TVIs) no longer need to pay for tuition and other […]

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Politics

CREATE ONLINE FAST LANE FOR OFWs RENEWING PASSPORTS – CASTELO

Quezon City Rep. Winnie Castelo appealed to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to create a special lane for overseas Filipino workers renewing their passports amid reports of clogging in the DFA online appointment system. “Please don’t make passport renewal difficult for OFWs, especially those who are in the country for a short vacation, and […]

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Politics

DON’T FORGET PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN FREE WIFI ROLLOUT – AQUINO

Senator Bam Aquino has reminded the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) not to leave public schools including state universities and colleges (SUCs) behind as it prepares to rollout Republic Act (RA) 10929, otherwise known as the Free Internet Access Program in Public Places Law. Aquino is the principal sponsor and co-author of the […]

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Politics

NO MORE UNSOLICITED CALLS AND SPAM TEXT MESSAGES – HOUSE

The House Committee on Information and Communications Technology, chaired by Rep. Victor Yap (2nd District, Tarlac) has approved a substitute bill, seeking the establishment of a “No Calls and No Text Registration” System to protect phone subscribers from solicited calls and spam text messages. Under the proposed measure, the National Privacy Commission (NPC) shall have […]

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Politics

MANDATORY SPECIALIZED TRAINING FOR TRUCK DRIVERS PUSHED – VILLARICA

Rep. Cesar Sarmiento (Lone District, Catanduanes), chairman of the House Committee on Transportation, has approved the creation of a technical working group (TWG) to fine tune and further deliberate on a measure seeking to require driver’s education for professional truck drivers as a means to promote road safety. The TWG is tasked to incorporate and […]

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Politics

PHILIPPINE EAR, NOSE, THROAT (ENT) CENTER COMING SOON – ALVAREZ

The House Committee on Health chaired by Rep. Angelina Tan (4th District, Quezon) is set to tackle a bill seeking to create a medical center that will provide affordable treatment for ear, nose, throat, head and neck (ENTHN) disorders. Alvarez said the PEC will focus on treating people suffering from ENTHN diseases who are unable […]

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Politics

PROFESSIONAL REGULATORY BOARD OF CRIMINOLOGISTS IN THE WORKS – HOUSE

The House Committee on Appropriations approved a substitute bill seeking to regulate the practice of criminology profession in the country through the creation of the Professional Regulatory Board of Criminologists (PRBC). The proposed legislation titled “The Philippine Criminology Profession Act” will repeal Republic Act 6506, otherwise known as “An Act Creating the Board of Examiners […]

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Politics

CONVERSION OF IRRIGATED AND IRRIGABLE LANDS FOR NON-AGRI PURPOSES TO BE OUTLAWED – HOUSE

The House Committee on Agrarian Reform chaired by Rep. Rene Relampagos (1st District, Bohol) has approved a substitute bill seeking to prohibit the conversion of irrigated and irrigable lands for non-agricultural purposes. The measure seeks to address threats to food security in the country by amending the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988 (CARP) or […]