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Politics

FAST-TRACK RELEASE OF GUIDELINES FOR SK FUNDS – GO

Former Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Bong Go, together with National Youth Commission (NYC) Chairman Ronald Cardema, called on government agencies concerned with the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) funds to fast-track the release of its guidelines. Go said the release of the fund’s guidelines would enable the 400,000 SK leaders to finally use the budget […]

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BEST OPTION FOR HANJIN IS TO ATTRACT ESTABLISHED SHIPBUILDERS – GATCHALIAN

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian warned against a potential government takeover of the debt-ridden Korean company Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines (HHIC-Phil), stressing that the best option is to attract established shipbuilders to operate the firm. Gatchalian said it is “not prudent” for government to take over Hanjin, given its poor track record in taking over […]

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TARRIFICATION LAW TO BRING DOWN PRICES OF RICE – ANGARA

The proposed rice tariffication law is projected to temper inflation in the coming months as it will bring down the prices of the staple grain, Senator Sonny Angara said. Angara made the statement following the report of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) that year-on-year headline inflation moderated to an average of 5.9 percent in […]

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CELEBRATE NATIONHOOD ON PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC DAY – PIMENTEL

Senator Koko Pimentel III on Monday reminded Filipinos to “acknowledge nationhood and develop a deep sense of love for country” as he stressed on the importance of celebrating Philippine Republic Day every Jan. 23. “Too often we forget the richness of our history and the importance of national historical events. Filipinos won a hard-fought victory […]

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GO TO COMMUNIST GROUPS: RECIPROCATE DUTERTE’S GESTURE OF GOODWILL

Former Special Assistant to the President Bong Go backed President Rodrigo Duterte’s fresh initiative for peace talks with the communists, as he urged them to take advantage of the opportunity because they might not have another shot at peace. “Sino ba namang Pilipino ang gustong pumatay sa kapwa Pilipino? Ako naman kung may pagkakataon pa […]

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REQUIRE BI TO COORDINATE WITH DOLE BEFORE ISSUING SPECIAL WORK PERMITS – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva is pushing for the inclusion of a special provision requiring the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to first coordinate with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) before issuing special working permits to foreigners who intend to work in the Philippines for less than six months. According to Villanueva, this is consistent with […]

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GOV’T SHOULD PARTNER WITH LOCAL TAIPANS, KOREAN INVESTORS AND TAKE OVER HANJIN – GORDON

Senator Dick Gordon has proposed that government enter into a partnership with local taipans and Korean investors and take over debt-saddled Hanjin Philippines so that the country can build ships for use in defense and commercial purposes. Gordon stressed that the Hanjin shipyard is a very important natural resource, of human, logistical and engineering resource, […]

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BICAM APPROVES ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION ACT – GATCHALIAN

The Bicameral Conference Committee has approved the reconciled Senate and House versions of a measure institutionalizing a framework to advance energy efficiency and conservation practices in the country. Senator Win Gatchalian said the approval of the reconciled version of Senate Bill No. 1531 and House Bill No. 8629, more popularly known as the Energy Efficiency […]

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PASS GOLD BILL TO BOOST FOREIGN RESERVES – ANGARA

Senator Sonny Angara has called for the swift passage of his bill seeking to boost the country’s gross international reserves (GIR) by granting tax exemptions to small-scale miners who would sell their gold to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). “I strongly urge the honorable members of the Philippine Senate to approve the passage of […]

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Politics

ANGARA TO DOT: USE ‘STORYTELLING’ TO ATTRACT MORE TOURISTS

Senator Sonny Angara is urging the Department of Tourism (DOT) to use “storytelling” as a key marketing strategy to attract more tourists to the Philippines. Angara said the DOT should come up with a master plan using narratives that portray the “rich cultural heritage” of the country’s various tourist destinations. “Storytelling is a great way […]