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Politics

MAKE PHILHEALTH PAY FOR VACCINE SIDE EFFECTS

The top official of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) assured Senator Joel Villanueva that the state insurer intends to foot the bill of any member who would develop adverse side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine. Villanueva, chair of the Senate labor committee, insisted on the PhilHealth coverage for those who would experience adverse side […]

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USE ‘3M RULE’ IN COVID VACCINE CHOICE – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva defended the Senate hearings on the national vaccine plan, saying their ongoing probe will “save lives and money” in a country that is among the hardest hit in the region but last in securing vaccines. “When we finetune the plan, then we are not competing but we are collaborating with the executive. […]

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VILLANUEVA : DRAW UP VACCINE PRIORITY LIST RULES

While negotiations are ongoing between the government and pharmaceutical firms who intend to supply COVID-19 vaccine for the country’s inoculation program, Senator Joel Villanueva called on the Inter-Agency Task Force to begin drawing up a clear-cut master list of beneficiaries to ensure no overlaps in the selection given the limited resources. Villanueva, chair of the […]

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GOV’T ADDS ESSENTIAL WORKERS IN VACCINE PROGRAM

The government has expanded its priority list in its COVID-19 vaccination program to include essential workers, heeding the call of Senator Joel Villanueva who sought their inclusion as early as December last year given their vital role in ensuring basic services are provided to the people. Villanueva likewise asked officials of the Inter-Agency Task Force […]

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ADD ESSENTIAL WORKERS IN VACCINE PLAN – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva reiterated the need to include workers in the government’s vaccination program, particularly those earning minimum wage, saying the ability to sustain the country’s economic recovery relies heavily on inoculating those providing essential services to the public. Villanueva, chair of the Senate labor committee, said he would scrutinize the government’s plan for the […]

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‘DOKTOR PARA SA BAYAN’ IS WELL FUNDED – VILLANUEVA

The 2021 national budget has sufficient funding to support the implementation of the Doktor para sa Bayan Act, which has been signed into law recently by President Duterte, according to Senator Joel Villanueva. Villanueva, principal sponsor and author of Republic Act No. 11509 or the Doktor para sa Bayan Act, explained that Congress allocated over […]

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Politics

DEFER SSS CONTRIBUTION HIKE – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva filed a bill seeking to defer the implementation of the Social Security System (SSS) one-percent hike on the members’ monthly contribution in January, citing the economic hardships already faced by both workers and employers because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Villanueva, chair of the Senate labor committee said he filed the bill recently […]

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PROBE MOTHER, SON MURDERS IN TARLAC – VILLANUEVA

The senseless killing of a woman and her son by a police officer highlights the prevailing culture of impunity among law enforcement agencies that should never be allowed to persist, senators said. Senator Joel Villanueva announced he and several lawmakers have sought a public inquiry into the spate of unresolved, unlawful killings of citizens, including […]

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Politics

VILLANUEVA: GIVE WORKERS VACCINATION PRIORITY

The implementation of the government’s National COVID-19 Vaccination Program should include a portion of the labor force who help sustain the economy, aside from those providing essential frontline services, according to Senator Joel Villanueva. In a resolution, Villanueva sought the Senate to look into the details of the government’s vaccination plan particularly “the readiness of […]

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Politics

SENATE OK TO TACKLE BILL ON OFW DEPT – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva expressed readiness to tackle the proposal to create the Department of Overseas Filipinos, as the Committee on Labor, Employment, Human Resources and Development is currently on standby amid the proposal to balance the bills creating new departments with the measure rightsizing the bureaucracy. “We’ve been meeting with our counterparts, and doing our […]