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Politics

SENATE OKS DIGITAL WORKFORCE COMPETITIVENESS ACT

The Senate approved on the third and final reading Senate Bill No. 1834, or the Philippine Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act, which aims to prepare the Filipino workforce for the jobs of the future through education and training on digital skills. Senator Joel Villanueva, principal author and principal sponsor of the measure, said that the law […]

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Politics

2 BILLS FOR BULACAN ECONOMY GET SENATE OK

The Senate unanimously approved two bills that could bring a huge impact on the local economy of Bulacan. Senator Joel Villanueva thanked his colleagues for passing House Bill No. 10444 or the Act Converting the Municipality of Baliwag in Bulacan into a component city. “On behalf of the people of Baliwag, we would like to […]

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Politics

STOP PHILHEALTH RATE HIKE IN JUNE – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to answer unresolved issues and controversies as the agency is set to increase contributions this June. “Ngayong magtataas sila ng singil, dapat rin nating singilin ang PhilHealth ng sagot sa mga isyu na natalakay natin noon sa mga hearing sa Senado. Ano ang mga hakbang […]

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Politics

REINFORCE PH TOURISM WORKFORCE – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva welcomed the positive forecasts for the Philippine tourism industry by the latest economic impact report from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), and said that the Filipino tourism workforce should be ready to address the resurgence of the sector. Villanueva urged the Department of Tourism (DOT) to develop a roadmap with […]

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Politics

RAISE PENSION OF SENIORS TO P1,000 – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva is pushing to increase the monthly social pension of senior citizens to P1,000, saying that it is the least the government can do for a sector that is one of the worst-hit by the pandemic, the rising cost of fuel, and inflation. “The current P500 monthly allowance is not enough for the […]

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Politics

NEXT ADMIN URGED TO BE READY FOR DIGITAL ECONOMY

Senator Joel Villanueva said that the next administration should pay particular attention to growing the country’s digital economy at this time when the economy is opening up as cases of COVID-19 decrease. “All sectors of the economy are expecting to bounce back from the pandemic. While the next administration will have its hands full protecting […]

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Politics

MODIFIED ‘CODING’ SHOULD NOT HINDER ECONOMY

The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) should ensure that the proposed modified Unified Vehicle Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) or number coding scheme could address the economic cost of congested Metro Manila traffic under Alert Level 1. This was the call from Senator Joel Villanueva after the MMDA posted its proposals to modify the traffic coding […]

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Politics

RESTORE FUEL SUBSIDY FOR PUV DRIVERS – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva backed calls that fuel subsidies to public utility vehicles be taken out of the election public spending ban list. “The call of the hour is to step on the gas in distributing this aid, and not to step on the brakes,” Villanueva said. The veteran legislator also said that the similar distribution […]

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Politics

GOV’T TO SAVE P40-B WITH SOLAR POWER – VILLANUEVA

The government will be “saving billions, educating millions, employing thousands” should it equip its buildings, including schools, with solar power systems, Senator Joel Villanueva said. Villanueva made the call as he noted the big jump in the government’s electricity bill, from P34.58 billion in 2017 to P40.06 billion in 2019. “To put this in perspective, […]

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Politics

STOP ‘AYUDA’ TEXT SCAMMERS – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva urged authorities to stop text scammers from taking advantage of the government’s roll out of “ayuda” to those hard-hit by the spike in prices of fuel and basic goods. “We’re seeing a new surge of text scams. Parang epidemic po ito, may panibagong wave. This time, scammers are riding on the government’s […]