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Politics

TUTOR BATS FOR AYUDA PROGRAMS IN FIGHT VS POVERTY

Bohol 3rd District Representative Kristine Alexie Tutor said direct cash transfer “ayuda” programs are “effective at keeping poor and low-income households from sinking deeper into poverty.” Tutor noted that the ayuda programs started with the 4Ps and the World Bank saw it was effective in poverty alleviation. “But the COVID pandemic was so intense that other programs, […]

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Politics

LIBANAN BATS FOR NEW INT’L PRISON TRANSFER PROGRAM

House of Representatives Minority Leader Nonoy Libanan is urging the government to establish a new International Prisoner Transfer Program that would allow Filipinos convicted of offenses abroad to serve their prison terms in the Philippines. Libanan called on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to […]

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Politics

ENCOURAGE NURSES TO PRACTICE IN PH – RILLO

The Philippines produced a total of 37,098 new registered nurses in 2024. However, there is no assurance that all of them will practice their profession, or that they will do so within the country, according to Quezon City Representative Marvin Rillo. “Largely due to the pressure to survive, some of them will likely try to […]

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Politics

2025 PH BUDGET SIGNING A MILESTONE – ROMUALDEZ

Speaker Martin Romualdez said the 2025 national budget embodies the shared commitment of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Congress to make life better for the Filipino people. The leader of the 307-strong House of Representatives lauded the President for signing the budget recently, calling it a “significant milestone.” Romualdez said the outlay for next year […]

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Politics

HOUSE EYES BETTER IRRIGATION TO LOWER RICE PRICES

The “Murang Pagkain” super committee conducted its fifth meeting to discuss the impact of irrigation in the rice supply chain. Super committee lead chairman and Albay Representative Joey Salceda said, “It was established that lowering of tariffs under EO (Executive Order) 62 did not translate – translated to only 50 centavos – to any significant […]

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Politics

6 MANILA SOLONS TO CHED, UNIFAST: REIMBURSE PLM

All six congressmen of the City of Manila jointly filed House Resolution 2126 asking the Commission on Higher Education and the Unified Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education to come to aid of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. The Manila representatives are asking CHED and UNIFAST to reimburse PLM using its new rates of […]

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Politics

ONLINE BOOKINGS SEEN TO DECONGEST TRANSPORT HUBS

Buying bus and ship tickets ahead of time is a practical solution to reducing congestion at transport hubs during seasonal vacation rush, according to a vice-chair of the House transportation committee. “Kailangang mahikayat po ang mga commuters na bumili ng tickets nang maaga, lalo na tuwing bakasyon, para makaiwas sa abala ng mahabang pila,” Quezon […]

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Politics

ONE-YEAR SUSPENSION OF PHILHEALTH PAYMENTS EYED

The House of Representatives is eyeing a one-year suspension of PhilHealth members’ monthly premium contributions, pending an inquiry to determine if the agency’s financial stability can support such a measure, Speaker Martin Romualdez said.  The announcement is part of the House leader’s wide-ranging remarks on the last day of the session of Congress before it […]

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Politics

SOLDIERS TO GET P10.5K MONTHLY ALLOWANCE IN 2025

The 2025 General Appropriations Bill passed by Congress includes an allocation of P17 billion to cover the P10,500 monthly subsistence allowance for soldiers, House of Representatives Minority Leader Nonoy Libanan said, ahead of the 89th founding anniversary of the 165,000-strong Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on December 21. “Both the House and the Senate, largely through […]

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Politics

LAWMAKERS BACK MEGA TASK FORCE VS RICE CARTELS

House leaders expressed support for the proposed creation of a mega task force to run after market manipulators and bring down the prices of rice in the country.  In a press briefing, Tingog Party-list Representative Jude Acidre, Zambales Representative Jefferson Khonghun and La Union Representative Paolo Ortega V agreed that the task force, which Speaker […]