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Politics

AKBAYAN’S CENDAÑA TAKES OATH AS NEW HOUSE MEMBER

Speaker Martin Romualdez led the House of Representatives in welcoming Percival Cendaña of the Akbayan Citizens Action Party as its newest member.  Romualdez administered the oath of office to Cendaña just before the House adjourned for a month-long break, following the approval of the proposed P6.352-trillion national budget for 2025.  Cendaña’s swearing-in occurred one day […]

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Politics

HOUSE ENDS MARAWI COMPENSATION BOARD BUDGET DEBATE

The Marawi Compensation Board (MCB) and the National Amnesty Commission (NAC) were the latest agencies to have their proposed 2025 budgets approved at the plenary deliberations of the General Appropriations Bill of the House of Representatives. Committee on appropriations vice chairperson Representative Zia Alonto Adiong said P1 billion out of the P1.154 billion budget of […]

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Politics

HOUSE PANEL PROBES SILANG, CAVITE PROCUREMENT

The House Committee on Public Accounts, chaired by Abang-Lingkod Party-list Representative Joseph Stephen Paduano, continued its investigation into the P1.5 billion financial transaction involving the Silang, Cavite municipal government in 2023 that lacked proper documentation in violation of government rules.  Paduano emphasized the committee’s role in ensuring transparency and accountability,  “In the interest of transparency, […]

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‘IMPROVED’ SOCIALIZED HOUSING BILL GETS HOUSE OK

The House of Representatives approved House Bill (HB) 10772, which would improve the delivery of socialized housing programs.  The bill, which garnered 178 affirmative votes and three negative votes without abstention, aims to make available at affordable cost decent housing and basic services to the underprivileged and homeless citizens in urban centers and resettlement areas.  […]

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HOUSE GREEN LIGHTS PHIVOLCS MODERNIZATION

The House of Representatives unanimously passed on third and final reading House Bill (HB) 10730, providing for the modernization of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).  The bill, which shall be known as the PHIVOLCS Modernization Act and principally authored by Aklan Representative Carlito Marquez received 183 affirmative votes.  Under the bill, the […]

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Politics

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR TEACHERS, STUDENTS GET HOUSE OK

The House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, chaired by Baguio City Representative Mark Go, approved six bills providing scholarships to students and teachers across various disciplines. The measures tackled were House Bill (HB) 9539 or the proposed “Scholarship ng Humanidades at Agham Panlipunan Act of 2023”, HB 6910 establishing a social work scholarship program, […]

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Politics

CHR TO GET HIKED BUDGET FOR ‘DISAPPEARED’ LAW

Despite the bad weather, the House Committee on Appropriations successfully held the briefing on the P1.2-billion proposed budget of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) for 2025, with a commitment from lawmakers to augment the agency’s funding to enable it to implement Republic Act 10353 or the “Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act of 2012”. Gabriela […]

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Politics

SUSPENSION OF ‘ZERO’ RFID BALANCE PENALTIES URGED

The House Committee on Transportation chaired by Antipolo City Representative Romeo Acop is set to file a resolution recommending to scrap or delay the implementation of the Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) which would penalize motorists with insufficient or zero load balance on radio frequency identification devices (RFID), as well as with dilapidated electronic identifier device […]

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Politics

BILL VS FAKE LAWYERS GETS HOUSE OK

The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill protecting the legal profession and the public from unscrupulous individuals who misrepresent themselves as lawyers by penalizing unauthorized practice of law. Voting 202-0, the chamber approved House Bill (HB) No. 10691. Section 1 of the bill proposes the penalty of prision mayor […]

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Politics

CABINET CLUSTER FOR EDUCATION GETS HOUSE NOD

The House of Representatives adopted House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 31, a measure supporting the proposal for the creation of a Cabinet Cluster for Education to ensure the cohesive and coherent implementation of education laws, policies, reforms and regulations among the departments, bureaus, commission and offices in the executive branch of government.  HCR 31 also urges […]