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Politics

Wider Access to Mental Health Care Needed – ANGARA

Senator Sonny Angara has joined the calls for the immediate passage of a bill that aims to establish a national mental health policy in the country to ensure that mental health care is made available even to ordinary Filipinos. In his co-sponsorship speech of Senate Bill 1354, Angara stressed that the government should heed the […]

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Free Tuition Policy in SUCs Not Anti-Poor -GATCHALIAN

The implementation of a free tuition policy in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) would significantly improve the financial position of working-class households that are struggling to cope with the high cost of tertiary education, Senator Win Gatchalian said on Wednesday as he scored critics for attempting to brand the policy as “anti-poor”. In a statement, […]

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Protect Integrity, Dignity of the Senate as an Institution -GORDON

Senator Richard Gordon called for greater emphasis on protecting the dignity and integrity of institutions, such as the Senate, as it serves as the vanguard of democracy and a bastion of knowledge and information in which committees investigate issues in aid of legislation. This comes in light of retired SPO3 Arturo Lascanas’ retraction of his […]

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We Need a Modern, Relevant Citizen Service Act for the Filipino Youth – PIMENTEL

Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III filed a bill for mandatory training of Filipino college students for their possible mobilization in the service of the nation during times of emergencies and contingencies in the form of natural and man-made calamities and external and internal security threats. Senate Bill 1322, filed by Pimentel on February 9, […]

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Senate Initiates Long-Overdue Review of Local Government Code to Further Strengthen LGUs -ANGARA

The Senate committee on local government, chaired by Senator Sonny Angara, has called for a consultative meeting last week among key stakeholders and experts to conduct a comprehensive review of the Local Government Code. “More than 26 years have passed since Congress enacted the Code. Its review is long-overdue. It is now imperative to institute […]

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Politics

Allow Mobile Phone Number Retention to Spur Telco Competition – PIMENTEL

With the Senate now conducting hearings on Senate Bill No. 1302, which seeks to extend the legislative franchise of Smart, the wireless subsidiary of PLDT, Inc., Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III is urging the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to step in and direct the country’s telcos to adopt Mobile Number Portabilty (MNP) to spur […]

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Smart Communications to Improve and Upgrade Its Services – EJERCITO

Senator JV Ejercito said he will get the commitment of Smart Communications to improve and upgrade its services for the next five to ten years. The senator, as Vice Chairman of the Public Services Committee, said the extension of the telcos giant’s franchise could have been easily renewed for another 25 years had it refined […]

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Exhibit Showcasing Wetland Wonders of the Philippines – VILLAR

Sen. Cynthia Villar opened an exhibit featuring the seven Philippine sites which are declared Wetlands of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention. Villar said the exhibit, called Wetland Wonders of the Philippines, was mounted at the second floor of the Senate “to highlight the importance of wetlands and why we all advocate for its conservation.” […]

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Green Banking and Environment-Friendly Loans – LEGARDA

Senator Loren Legarda has filed a measure that would ensure that loans or related funding applications in both public and private lending institutions are in compliance with the country’s environment laws. In filing Senate Bill No. 436, Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committees on Finance and Climate Change, said that she proposes the establishment of […]

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Elderly, PWDs to Take Part in Local Absentee Voting – ALVAREZ

Aware of the difficulties senior citizens and persons with disabilities have to face during elections, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez wants to ease their woes by allowing them to vote under the local absentee voting system. Absentee voting is meant to increase participation by citizens who are in situations, which prevent them to vote, like government officials […]