Categories
Politics

LIFTING OF QR ON RICE IMPORTS SHOULD PROMPT DA, NFA TO BUY ONLY LOCAL FOR ITS BUFFER STOCKS – NOGRALES

House Appropriations Committee Chair Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles on Sunday said the decision of the Department of Agriculture(DA) to increase the buying price of clean and dry palay by P3 per kilo “is a welcome relief for farmers who are worried about the effects of the government’s decision lift the quantitative restriction (QR) for […]

Categories
Politics

GATCHALIAN TO SUCs, LUCs: DEVELOP MEANINGFUL RETURN SERVICE AGREEMENTS

Senator Win Gatchalian urged state universities and colleges (SUCs) and local universities and colleges (LUCs) to develop meaningful return service agreements (RSAs) that would instill discipline in students and help them contribute to nation-building. “The Free Higher Education Law allows our students to excel in whichever fields of study they wish to pursue by removing […]

Categories
Politics

GREATER COOPERATION AMONG COUNTRIES NEEDED FOR PROTECTION, CONSERVATION OF ENVIRONMENT – VILLAR

Senator Cynthia Villar has called for more discussions and greater cooperation among countries towards securing biodiversity and protection and conservation of the environment as she stressed the correlation between climate change and the global goal of food security. In a speech before participants attending a series of dialogues on biological diversity in the country, Villar […]

Categories
Politics

SENATE PASSES UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE BILL ON THIRD AND FINAL READING – HONTIVEROS

The Senate passed on third and final reading the landmark Universal Health Care Bill (UHC) which seeks to grant all Filipinos equal access to quality and affordable health services. Senate Bill 1896, or the Universal Health care for all Filipinos Act, was approved with a 14-0 vote with no abstention. The proposed measure seeks to […]

Categories
Politics

IT’S HIGH TIME FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO LAUNCH A DRILL, DRILL, DRILL PROGRAM – GATCHALIAN

Senator Win Gatchalian is urging the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to be more aggressive in its pursuit of energy self-sufficiency by launching a “Drill, Drill, Drill” program to explore and develop the country’s untapped oil and natural gas resources. Gatchalian, who serves as chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, made the call amid the […]

Categories
Politics

UNBURDEN SINS OF THE PAST WITH TAX AMNESTY BILL – ANGARA

Senator Sonny Angara has endorsed for plenary approval a bill seeking a general tax amnesty aimed at encouraging taxpayers to pay correct taxes and raising more revenues to finance crucial government projects. Under Senate Bill 2059, the proposed amnesty covers all unpaid internal revenue taxes–estate taxes, general taxes and delinquent accounts–due for taxable year 2017 […]

Categories
Politics

COME DOWN HARD ON PREDATORY MERCHANTS – PIMENTEL

With government set to impose suggested retail prices for rice and chicken soon, Senate Trade and Commerce Committee Chair Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III is urging authorities to come down hard on predatory merchants who will continue to sell overpriced goods. The National Food Authority (NFA) Council, along with the departments of agriculture, trade and industry, […]

Categories
Politics

SENATE EXPANDS SSS COVERAGE TO OFWS – GORDON

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) may soon avail of programs offered by the Social Security Systems (SSS), as part of reforms introduced in a Senate bill that overhauls the SSS charter. Senate Bill 1753, or the proposed “Social Security Act of 2018” was approved by the Senate on the third and final reading. The bill was […]

Categories
Politics

GATCHALIAN TO CHED: EXTEND DEADLINE OF TERTIARY EDUCATION SUBSIDY TO FILL UP 300,00 SLOTS

Senator Win Gatchalian has urged the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to make sure all 300,000 slots for the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) under the Free Higher Education Law (Republic Act 10931) are filled up before closing applications. “Sana po ay siguruhin ng CHED na mapuno muna nila lahat ng 300,000 slots para sa TES […]

Categories
Politics

ANGARA TO DOE, DOJ: FORM TASK FORCE TO PROBE UNREASONABLE OIL PRICE HIKES

Senator Sonny Angara has called on the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to assemble the task force tasked to investigate unreasonable oil price hikes in some provinces in the country, as inflation hits 6.7 percent due to high global oil prices. “The government should immediately take action if there are […]