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With further investigations needed to determine the real cause of death of some of the exhumed remains of children who were inoculated with Dengvaxia, Senator Dick Gordon underscored the need for the Philippines to build its own capability for disease control and research to safeguard public health. During the recent hearing of the Senate Committee […]
Senator Joel Villanueva filed a resolution calling for an inquiry regarding the disclosure of beneficial ownership of mining companies operating in the country. Under Senate Resolution No. 612, Villanueva urged the senate committee on public information and mass media to conduct an inquiry on the beneficial owners of extractive companies, which include mining, oil, and […]
Senator Cynthia Villar hailed the enactment into law of the bill providing free irrigation services to small hold farmers. President Rodrigo Duterte recently signed into law Republic Act 10969, which exempts the payment of irrigation service for up to eight hectares of land. “Now that free irrigation service has been institutionalized and made permanent, our […]
Senator Nancy Binay called on the Department of Agriculture (DA), National Food Authority (NFA), and the National Food Authority Council to settle their differences and come up with a plan to augment the dwindling supply of NFA rice. “Pakiusap ko sana mag-usap sina Secretary (Manny) Piñol, ‘yung NFA Council, pati na din ‘yung pamunuan ng […]
Senate President Koko Pimentel III said that the time was ripe to revisit the country’s sexual harassment laws and increase the penalties provided by statute “both as a deterrent, and as proof of government’s unwavering commitment to protecting and upholding gender rights.” “Republic Act 9262, the Violence Against Women and Children Law was passed in […]
Senator Grace Poe has commended the passage of her pet measure that institutionalizes the school feeding program, in a move that tackles malnutrition especially among schoolchildren. Speaking after the Senate voted 18-0 backing Senate Bill No. 1279, or the “Masustansiyang Pagkain Para Sa Batang Pilipino Act” on its third and final reading, Poe said the […]
Senator Win Gatchalian is pushing for the removal of barriers of entry for foreign firms in the retail trade sector that would boost foreign direct investment (FDI) and develop a more progressive investment climate in the country. Under his Senate Bill No.1639, the existing equity and capitalization requirements under the Retail Trade Liberalization Law (RA7042) […]
Senator Nancy Binay minced no words and called out the public sector for being guilty of perpetuating the culture of ‘endo.’ She insisted that the government should also address the issue of contractualization among its agencies. “Sabi ko nga paulit-ulit sa hearing, ang concern ko ‘yung biggest violator ng contractualization is government. ‘Di ba dapat […]
Senator Win Gatchalian encouraged his fellow legislators to consider increasing the salaries of public school teachers, saying this should be a top priority of the government, as it begins the process of crafting the 2019 budget. “For much too long now, the modest salaries of teachers have not been commensurate to their critical contributions to […]
The 2018 national budget sustains support to expand and enhance the capabilities and competency of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), according to Senator Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance. Legarda, who is also the principal sponsor and author of Republic Act No. 9501 or the Magna Carta for MSMEs, said that […]