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Politics

PANGILINAN: SIGN LANGUAGE IN COURTS AIDS JUSTICE

The Supreme Court’s (SC) decision to assign sign language interpreters in all courts is “a major step toward inclusive justice,” Senator Kiko Pangilinan said, as he welcomed this “long-overdue” step that will affirm every Filipino’s equal and dignified access to the judicial process.  “This is a historic and overdue step to ensure that access to […]

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SCHOOL MEALS, FARM DIRECT PURCHASES GET BICAM OK

The bicameral conference committee on the 2026 national budget has approved Senator Kiko Pangilinan’s push to expand the milk component of the Department of Education’s School-Based Feeding Program, and to source the food directly from Filipino farmers, fishers, and dairy producers under the Sagip Saka Act. Lawmakers from both Houses of Congress on Saturday evening […]

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BONG GO LAUDS PIKIT SUPER HEALTH CENTER TURNOVER

Senator Bong Go congratulated the Municipality of Pikit in North Cotabato and its local government officials as he welcomed the formal turnover of the newly completed Super Health Center in North Cotabato. Guided by his advocacy to strengthen healthcare access in every community, Go highlighted the importance of expanding public health services closer to the […]

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SMUGGLED FOOD ITEMS IN RESTOS ALARMS PANGILINAN

Senator Kiko Pangilinan expressed concern about the possible entry of smuggled, uninspected food products into the local food supply chain through restaurant establishments. This comes after alleged Chinese smuggler Chaoqun Shi, the lessee of a warehouse that was found with P100 million worth of smuggled frozen meat products, admitted during a Senate committee hearing that […]

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SC DECISION TO RETURN P60B TO PHILHEALTH LAUDED

Senator Bong Go expressed support to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s (PhilHealth) proposed P113 billion allocation for 2026.  This was after the Supreme Court ordered the restoration of the P60 billion to the state health insurer. The return of P60 billion, combined with the proposed P53.12 billion PhilHealth subsidy for 2026, raises the proposed budget […]

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PANGILINAN LAUDS DA FOR HIRING MORE AGRICULTURISTS

Senator Kiko Pangilinan welcomed the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) initiative to expand its workforce by hiring more agriculturists, calling the move a crucial step toward strengthening the country’s food security and supporting the long-term growth of the agriculture sector. Pangilinan, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, is reacting to the […]

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PANGILINAN WANTS BUDGET FOR SOIL TESTING PROGRAM

Senator Kiko Pangilinan plans to push for a larger agriculture budget to ensure funding for a nationwide soil-testing program that supports farmers in improving crop yields, reducing input costs, and strengthening the country’s long-term food security. Pangilinan delivered a keynote address at the World Soil Day Forum at the Gov. D.O. Plaza, Govt Center, in […]

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PANGILINAN PUSHES FOR INFRA TRANSPARENCY DASHBOARD

Affirming his commitment to strengthening accountability within the country’s agricultural and irrigation sectors, Senator Kiko Pangilinan introduced new transparency mechanisms and digital governance initiatives for the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA). In a manifestation, the veteran legislator underscored the importance of sustained transparency reforms to ensure that government programs deliver […]

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PANGILINAN BACKS DA 2026 BUDGET HIKE

Senator Kiko Pangilinan backs the Department of Agriculture-led amendments of its 2026 budget as he expressed support for the agency’s push for additional funding to boost the country’s agricultural sector. In his manifestations for the budget amendments for the fiscal year 2026, Pangilinan called for the need to consider the DA’s additional budget requests. “The […]

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ALAN CAYETANO TO DOTR: REVIVE MINDANAO RAILWAY

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to take a more proactive approach in moving the Mindanao Railway forward, saying even limited groundwork would show that long-term development is not confined to Metro Manila. During the senate plenary debates for the proposed 2026 budget of the department, Cayetano asked the […]