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Politics

PANGILINAN TO SENATE: PROBE P25-B VACCINE BUDGET

Senator Kiko Pangilinan said additional spending on the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines needs to be subjected to a Senate hearing. Earlier, Budget Secretary Wendell Avisado said that the government needs an additional P5 billion on top of the P82.5 billion allocated for vaccine procurement under the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act or Bayanihan 2. […]

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Politics

P50B SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET EYED FOR PENSION FUND

The chair of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Appropriations said Tuesday he would file a P50-billion supplemental budget to augment the Pension and Gratuity Fund (PGF) for retired uniformed personnel in the 2021 national budget. ACT-CIS party list Representative Eric Yap made the statement after Anakalusugan party list Representative Mike Defensor, a known ally […]

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Politics

SENATE TO ASSIST IN AFP MODERNIZATION – ZUBIRI

Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri took to the Senate floor to raise the issue around the recent series of accidents involving dated military aircraft, resulting in numerous deaths and casualties. His speech comes at the heels of a recent helicopter crash in Impasug-ong, Bukidnon. A Philippine Air Force Huey helicopter crashed on a field, killing […]

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Government

SENATE OKS P85.6B DA BUDGET – DAR

The Philippine Senate has approved the proposed P85.58-billion budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA), including those of its bureaus, and attached agencies and corporations. Senator Cynthia Villar sponsored and defended virtually the proposed DA budget and that of the National Irrigation Administration (at P31.56B) before her colleagues, who were present physically and virtually at […]

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Government

NEA: RESTORE P9B BUDGET FOR RURAL ELECTRIFICATION

The National Electrification Administration (NEA) welcomes the resolution filed by the ‘power bloc’ of the House of Representatives that seeks to restore P9 billion in the agency’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2021. Power Bloc representatives filed on September 22 House Resolution No. 1245 urge the House Committee on Appropriations to restore the P9 billion […]

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Government

GOV’T NEEDS P152B BUDGET FOR CLIMATE CHANGE

The government is seeking a budget of P152.35 billion for the implementation of its convergence program on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction next year. This is according to the Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR), chaired by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The Cabinet cluster […]

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Politics

INCREASE BUDGET OF AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT FOR 2021 – PANGILINAN

Food security has been proven critical during the country’s six-month-long coronavirus disease (COVID-19) related lockdowns, necessitating a significant increase for agriculture in the national government’s 2021 budget, Senator Kiko Pangilinan said. “Naging malinaw nitong nakaraang mga quarantine na agrikultura pa rin ang magsasalba sa Pilipinas. Dahil sa mga quarantine, nakita ang pangangailangan sa isang maunlad […]

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Politics

RESTORE TESDA SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING TO HELP COVID-19 DISPLACED WORKERS – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva has urged the government to restore the funding of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) scholarship programs to help displaced workers become more employable despite the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Villanueva explained that the agency’s capacity to provide training for displaced workers and OFWs was […]

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Politics

DTI GETS INCREASE IN 2020 BUDGET – ANGARA

The government is stepping up efforts to improve the quality of products and services produced in the country in order to boost demand, not only domestically, but globally with an increase in the budget of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in 2020. To carry out initiatives intended to support this effort, Senator Sonny […]

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Politics

DOE MUST SHOW ELECTRIFICATION STRATEGY PROGRAM – GATCHALIAN

The Senate Committee on Finance Subcommittee E chaired by Senator Win Gatchalian has grilled the Department of Energy (DOE) on the status of electrification in the country as the committee scrutinized the agency’s budget for 2020. Gatchalian pointed out during the budget hearing that the DOE has yet to submit its comprehensive strategy and rollout […]