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The House of Representatives has finalized its decision to cut the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) budget by P1.3 billion, reallocating the funds to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Health (DOH). House Appropriations Committee chairperson and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co confirmed last week that the small committee handling amendments to …

The Philippines, along with four neighboring Southeast Asian countries, has entered into a data-sharing agreement aimed at strengthening aviation safety, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) announced on Thursday. The pact was signed by aviation leaders from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand on October 17, during the 59th Directors General of Civil Aviation Conference held in Cebu. “Aviation …

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito recently called on the House of Representatives to expedite its version of the proposed amendments to the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act to facilitate its enactment into law. In a statement, Ejercito stressed the urgency of implementing reforms in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to ensure sustainable funding, efficient management, and timely delivery of …

The recent outburst by Vice President Sara Duterte, threatening to exhume the body of the late Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and dump it into the sea, offers a troubling glimpse into the deepening rift between two of the country’s most powerful political dynasties.  What was once a seemingly unshakable alliance between Duterte and President Marcos has now deteriorated into a public …

By Rose de la Cruz Chinese nationals, in the guise of business or investments, enter our shores and indulge in illegal operations for months, even years, before government regulators find out about their activities. Government’s actions and confirmations of their illegal operations come ever too late, to the point that they have entrenched themselves in resources-rich provinces and towns before …

By Rose de la Cruz The successful award and takeover of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to the New NAIA International Corp (NNIC) led by the San Miguel group has prompted the government to expedite the awarding of five more projects (including three airports) to the private sector under the Public Partnership Program (PPP) late this year and early 2025. …

By Rose de la Cruz Good, that 73 percent of Filipino voters won’t support or vote for pro-China candidates in the midterm polls, after seeing how China has been invading, encroaching and bullying our fishermen and government men over its claims in the West Philippines and the crimes (including espionage) of Chinese businessmen in the POGO operations. People now view …

By Rose de la Cruz The Department of Environment and Natural Resources was told to be more proactive on reclamation projects evaluation and improve its oversight on such undertakings to mitigate the risk of flooding. Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said the DENR should take the lead in reviewing such reclamations, particularly in the Manila Bay, which is being blamed from …

By Rose de la Cruz Because of the reduction in import tariff on rice and electric vehicles– all aimed at taming inflation to ensure that the country reaches its growth targets– have instead led to foregone revenues of P9 billion since the imposition on July 5.  These foregone revenues would grow even more once all items covered by zero tariff– …

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced Thursday that P253.378 billion has been allocated in the 2025 budget for cash assistance, or “ayuda,” for the vulnerable sectors of society. According to the DBM, this budget allocation aligns with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028, which emphasizes economic and social reforms, particularly reducing vulnerabilities and protecting the purchasing power of …