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Politics

AMENDMENTS TO PUBLIC SERVICE ACT WILL EASE ENTRY OF MORE PLAYERS IN THE TELCO INDUSTRY – POE

Senator Grace Poe believes that the much-awaited entry of a third telco player that will directly compete against the telco giants and break the virtual duopoly will go on full blast as she endorsed a measure that effectively liberalizes the sector. Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services and principal author and sponsor […]

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Politics

STATE ASSISTANCE FOR START-UPS SOUGHT – AQUINO

Senator Bam Aquino emphasized the need to strengthen support for entrepreneurs, especially start-up businesses, after a study ranked the Philippines as second most unfriendly country to start-ups among 12 major economies in the Asia-Pacific region. “Mahalagang mabigyan ng sapat na tulong ang mga Pinoy entrepreneur dahil sila ang haligi ng ekonomiya. They generate jobs and […]

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Politics

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS – ANGARA

The Senate education committee has reported out for plenary approval a bill that seeks to widen the access to quality education for children with special needs. Senate Bill 1732 or the Inclusive Education for Children and Youth with Special Needs bill aims to establish Inclusive Education Learning Resource Centers in every public school division in […]

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BETTER GRADUATES EXPECTED UNDER FREE COLLEGE LAW – GATCHALIAN

With the full implementation of Republic Act No 10931 or the Free Higher Education (FHE) Act set to begin, Senator Win Gatchalian is expecting an increase in the number of quality college graduates armed with the skills and knowledge needed to make a big impact on inclusive economic growth and nation-building. “At the end of […]

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Politics

CHOOSE THE LEADERS WHO WILL PROTECT YOU – AQUINO

With the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections slated to push through as scheduled, Senator Bam Aquino urged voters to choose the right leaders who will lead and protect their communities. “Tuloy na tuloy na ang barangay at Sangguniang Kabataan elections,” Aquino said recently in a radio interview, despite the passage of a House measure […]

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Politics

UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE IS “PEOPLE’S BILL” – EJERCITO

The universal health care (UHC) bills, bannered by the “Universal Health Care for All Filipinos Act,” or Senate Bill No. (SBN) 1458 filed by Senator JV Ejercito, will become a “People’s Bill.” This developed as Ejercito, chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, has assured to include in the consolidated version of the […]

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Politics

COCONUT INDUSTRY TRUST FUND CREATED – VILLAR

The Senate passed on third and final reading a bill that would create the coconut industry trust fund to finally allow farmers to directly benefit from coco levy funds collected by the government during the Marcos regime. Senate Bill No. (SBN) 1233, or the proposed Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Act, was approved with nineteen […]

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Politics

FREE COLLEGE OFFERS ALLOWANCES FOR POOR STUDENTS, TOO – ANGARA

Senator Sonny Angara has called on the government to ensure that poor students will benefit from the subsidy that will cover not only tuition but also other school expenses as mandated by the Free College law. Angara has lauded the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) Board for finally coming up with […]

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Politics

LOWER COSTLY COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION FEES – PIMENTEL

Senate President Koko Pimentel III on urged college and university administrators to consider lowering their entrance examination fees, saying parents of college-eligible students had approached him and complained about the “prohibitive” rates currently being charged by the major universities in the country. “It is understandable for these kids to want to have options when it […]

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Politics

ASSESS CYBER SECURITY POLICY VIS-A-VIS NATIONAL ID SYSTEM – PIMENTEL

Senate President Koko Pimentel III stressed the need for a “tight, effective and comprehensive cyber security policy” amid the upper house’s passage on second reading of the bill seeking to establish a national ID system. “It’s crucial for the effective implementation of a national ID system that we formulate a comprehensive cyber security policy that’s […]