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Politics

BILL AMENDING RETAIL TRADE LAW GETS SENATE OK

The Senate approved on third and final reading a measure that aims to further relax qualifications for foreign retailers to enter the Philippines. Voting 20-0-0, the chamber passed Senate Bill No. (SBN) 1840 seeking to amend Republic Act (RA) No. 8762, otherwise known as the Retail Trade Liberalization Act (RTLA) of 2000. “The proposed measure […]

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Politics

VILLANUEVA TO DOH: BOOST VACCINATION EDUCATION

Instead of enforcing a policy of not naming the brand of COVID-19 vaccine to give to the people, Senator Joel Villanueva encouraged the Department of Health to embark on an extensive education drive to inform the populace of the importance of getting vaccinated, no matter the brand. “Vaccine agnosticism will not work without vaccine advocacy. […]

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Politics

PRC EXCEEDS 3 MILLION COVID-19 TESTS – GORDON

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has exceeded 3 million swab and saliva RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) COVID-19 tests nationwide, only three months after it hit the 2-million milestone in February 2021. There were 3,010,432 tests done as of May 23 morning, according to PRC chair and CEO Senator Dick Gordon. “We at the Red […]

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Politics

BACOLOD CITY CHOSEN AS VISAYAS COVID STUDY SITE

Mayor Evelio Leonardia has welcomed the selection of Bacolod City as the lone site in the Visayas for a study on the impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. “In the midst of this health crisis, we are somehow placated that our city was chosen among the only four in the country for a case […]

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Politics

ANTI-CHILD MARRIAGE BILL GETS HOUSE PANEL NOD

A panel of the House of Representatives has approved in principle a proposal seeking to end child marriages in the country. During a virtual hearing recently, the House Committee on Women and Gender Equality approved in principle House Bills 1486, 3899, 5670 and 7922, all of which seek to protect children by prohibiting and declaring […]

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Politics

VILLAFUERTE: BALIK PROBINSYA 2 BILL TO CREATE JOBS

Amid reports that many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) remain unemployed, Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte has stressed the urgency for Congress to pass the proposed Balik Probinsya, Balik Pagasa (BP2) law to create jobs outside Metro Manila and help convince displaced OFWs to stay and work in their home provinces or cities. Villafuerte, author of House Bill […]

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Politics

KEEP PORK, RICE PRICES AFFORDABLE – POE

Senator Grace Poe urged the government’s economic team to “walk the talk” and ensure that prices of pork and rice are kept affordable for ordinary citizens after it recommended tariff cuts that could also spell lost revenue. “Our people expect the government’s economic team to live up to their avowed tenet of fiscal responsibility by […]

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INCLUDE TEENS IN COVID-19 VAX ROLLOUT – GATCHALIAN

Senator Win Gatchalian hailed the government’s plans to include teenagers in the COVID-19 vaccination program, a move that the veteran legislator says would boost the basic education sector’s return to normalcy and the safe reopening of schools. Considering the government’s plans to inoculate the younger population, Gatchalian said it is essential to study how other […]

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Politics

RED CROSS, MAKATI GOV’T OPEN 56-BED ISOLATION SITE

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), The Netherlands Red Cross, and the Makati City government converted unused dormitories at the Makati Science High School (MSHS) into a 56-bed capacity isolation facility that will serve asymptomatic patients from the city. A virtual memorandum […]

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Politics

6,000 BATAC FARMERS TO GET FARM INPUTS — CHUA

Around 6,000 farmers in Batac City, Ilocos Norte will be receiving additional farm inputs courtesy of the local government. From May 18 to 31, officials and employees of the city government make rounds in the different barangays to distribute free organic and inorganic fertilizers with micronutrients to boost farmers’ productivity amid the pandemic. Batac City […]