Categories
Politics

Manage Forests for Present and Future Filipinos – LEGARDA

Senator Loren Legarda said that sustainability of the country’s forests is ensuring that both present and future generations would benefit from our natural resources. Legarda, a staunch environmentalist and Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change, said that the government should develop and adopt a sustainable forest management strategy based on rational allocation of […]

Categories
Politics

Higher Pay for BIR Employees – ANGARA

Senator Sonny Angara has expressed his support for higher pay for employees and officials of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and has filed a bill exempting the country’s largest tax-collection agency from the coverage of the Salary Standardization Law (SSL). “Better pay would allow the agency to hire the best and reward the honest […]

Categories
Politics

House Approves FOI Bill

The House committee on public information, in a move to uphold and strengthen the people’s right to information, unanimously approved this week the much-awaited Freedom of Information (FOI) bill. Rep. Antonio Tinio (Party-list, ACT Teachers), committee chairman, presented to the panel a substitute bill, which is a consolidation of 33 measures on the FOI proposal. […]

Categories
Politics

Estate Tax Reform Moves in the Senate to Alleviate Grieving Families’ Burden – ANGARA

Following the passage of estate tax reform in the House of Representatives, the Senate immediately acted on the various proposals that seek to lower, simplify and update estate tax rates to lighten the tax burden of bereaved families. The House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading two bills granting amnesty in […]

Categories
Politics

Free Tech-Voc Education – VILLANUEVA

The Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, chaired by Senator Joel Villanueva, tackled on Wednesday a proposed measure providing free access to programs and training of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Villanueva’s Senate Bill No. 1318 or the “Tulong Trabaho Act of 2017” is said to democratize the access […]

Categories
Politics

Millions of Filipinos to Benefit From Green Climate Fund – LEGARDA

Senator Loren Legarda has expressed optimism that the Green Climate Fund (GCF) would help the country overcome the threats of climate change and poverty by building sustainable and resilient environment through its financial aid and technical assistance. In a dinner reception for Ambassador Howard Bamsey (GCF Executive Director) and Mr. Javier Manzanares (GCF Chief Financial […]

Categories
Politics

Emergency Powers May Expedite MRT-LRT Common Station – POE

The proposed emergency powers sought by the Executive to solve traffic could clear roadblocks in completing the common station project that has been delayed for several years, Senator Grace Poe said today. In a television interview, Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public services and principal sponsor of Senate Bill No. 1284 or the […]

Categories
Politics

Minimum Wage Earners Must Get the Pay and Benefits They Deserve – ALVAREZ

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has filed a bill to ensure minimum wage earners get the pay as well as all the benefits that they deserve. Alvarez said he filed the bill to curb the illegal practice of private sector employers of non-compliance with the proper and appropriate payment of minimum wage to their workers. “Failure to […]

Categories
Politics

Green Jobs Law to Provide Opportunities for Displaced Miners – ANGARA

Senator Sonny Angara said the recently passed green jobs law will help create employment opportunities for displaced miners in the wake of the closure of 23 large-scale mining firms in the country. During the Senate labor committee hearing on the employment transition plan following the closures, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Gina […]

Categories
Politics

COA Performance Audit on 20 ODA-Funded Projects – GATCHALIAN

Sen. Win Gatchalian wants a comprehensive performance audit of at least 20 foreign-funded government projects to examine the financial and legal risks the government is exposed to in relation to these undertakings. Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, asked the Commission on Audit (CoA) to conduct a special review of the contracts, […]