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Government

MMDA ‘MAKES HEADWAY’ IN METRO MANILA FLOOD CONTROL EFFORTS –PIALAGO

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said it has exceeded its 2017 and 2018 targets to slash the number of flood affected areas in Metro Manila. MMDA spokesperson, Celine Pialago said the agency has made a “huge headway” in its flood control efforts, which led to a decrease in flooded areas to 319 hectares, surpassing […]

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Politics

FAST-TRACK FORMATION OF NEW HOUSING DEPARTMENT – TOLENTINO

Senator Francis Tolentino urged government to fast-track the formation of the new Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD). Tolentino, chair of the Senate urban planning, housing and resettlement committee, made the call as he led the organizational meeting of key shelter agencies to discuss policies and strategies that will help address current housing […]

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Politics

DOWNTREND IN INFLATION TO GIVE DIOKNO MORE ELBOW ROOM – GATCHALIAN

Senator Win Gatchalian said the continuing downtrend in the headline inflation is a welcome development as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), under the leadership of newly-appointed Governor Benjamin Diokno, will have “more elbow room” to make adjustments in the country’s policy rates to spur economic growth. Gatchalian said the country pulled a “better-than-expected” inflation […]

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Politics

SENATE PROBE ON ‘PORK PARKING’ SCAM SET IN JANUARY – VILLAR

Senator Cynthia Villar said the Senate could also hold a parallel probe on the “pork parking” scam issue, which involved billions of alleged funds insertion in the proposed 2019 budget. Villar stressed, however, that Senate would not want to preempt the outcome of the investigation being initiated by the Lower House. “We still don’t know […]

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Politics

ALLOT P2.9B TO FOR PROMOTION OF TEACHERS IN STATE UNIVERSITIES, COLLEGES – ANGARA

Senator Sonny Angara is pushing for the allocation of P2.9 billion in the 2019 national spending package to fund the job promotion of faculty members in state universities and colleges (SUCs) nationwide. “After making tuition in SUCs free, the government should now aim at improving the quality of public higher education in the country, and […]

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Politics

SENATE PASSES UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE BILL ON THIRD AND FINAL READING – HONTIVEROS

The Senate passed on third and final reading the landmark Universal Health Care Bill (UHC) which seeks to grant all Filipinos equal access to quality and affordable health services. Senate Bill 1896, or the Universal Health care for all Filipinos Act, was approved with a 14-0 vote with no abstention. The proposed measure seeks to […]

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Politics

CREATE TASK FORCE AGAINST INFLATION – GATCHALIAN

Senator Win Gatchalian is pushing for the creation of a multi-agency task force that would be responsible for mitigating the effects of rising inflation in the country. “I think the Department of Finance (DOF) can probably create a task force to address inflation. It can be a multi-sectoral and multi-departmental task force so that we […]

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Politics

SUPPORT NOGRALES, DEFEND ‘PEOPLE’S BUDGET’ – ELECTRIC COOPS

With budget deliberations in the House of Representatives (HOR) on hold because of clashing views on the cash-based budgeting system being pushed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), electric cooperative groups on Thursday called on legislators to close ranks behind House Appropriations Committee Chair Karlo “Ang Probinsyano” Nograles. According to the electric cooperative […]

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Politics

HOUSE BUDGET HEARINGS TO RESUME WHEN DBM, DBCC PRESENT TRUE ‘PEOPLE’S BUDGET’ – NOGRALES

House Appropriations Chairperson Rep. Karlo “Ang Probinsyano” Nograles on Sunday assured the public that the per agency budget deliberations in the House of Representatives would resume after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) address the concerns of congressmen regarding the “extremely restrictive” cash-based P3.757 trillion national budget […]

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Politics

SLASHED BUDGETS FOR EDUCATION, HEALTH CAUSE FOR CONCERN – NOGRALES

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Davao City Rep. Karlo “Ang Probinsyano” Nograles on Tuesday expressed great concern over the slashed budgets of key agencies under the proposed P3.757 trillion national budget for 2019 presented to the panel by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC). Nograles noted that the proposed 2019 budget––which is cash-based––is P10 billion lower […]