Bacolod lone district Rep. Albee Benitez said Monday, July 28, that he did not vote for Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez as House Speaker of the 20th Congress because the lower chamber needed a leader who can "stand firmly behind President Marcos ". In a Facebook post, Benitez clarified...
Pag-IBIG Fund announced Friday, July 25, that it is offering a special subsidized interest rate of 3 percent per annum for the first five years of housing loans under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (Expanded 4PH) Program. The special rate is available to eligible members from the...
Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero officially retained his post as Senate President as the 20th Congress formally opened on Monday, July 28, securing majority support from his colleagues in the Upper Chamber. Escudero was reelected by a comfortable margin during the Senate’s first plenary...
The Senate on Monday morning, July 28, formally opened the first regular session of the 20th Congress, hours before President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. delivers his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA). Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero pounded the gavel at around 10 a.m.,...
Progressive groups rallied along Philcoa in Quezon City on Monday, July 28, demanding higher wages, genuine land reform, and respect for human rights ahead of the fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. As part of their culminating activity for...
Raising quality of life is the average Filipino family’s primary concern, and it stands to reason that this would be the focal point of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) before the joint session of the 20th Congress at the Batasang Pambansa today....
PEACE BY PEACE Last Friday, I had the honor of taking part in the commemoration of the third anniversary of the declaration of Davao del Norte as “insurgency-free,” marking another shining moment for the people of the province. As I stood onstage, I was overwhelmed by a flood of emotions. I...
A five percent economic expansion could be more difficult to achieve this year as Nomura, Japan’s largest investment bank and brokerage group, believes the United States’ (US) higher-than-expected tariffs on Philippine exports could massively weigh on growth. “We think the tariff rates set by...
With a soon-to-be-finalized trade deal that benefits the United States (US) more than the Philippines, the latter’s exports and foreign direct investments (FDIs) would take a hit and lose out to its Southeast Asian neighbors, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). “The...
Despite the single-digit drop in domestic borrowings, the Marcos administration’s foreign debt rose by more than 50 percent in the first six months of the year, leading to a higher gross borrowing of ₱1.59 trillion from ₱1.57 trillion a year earlier. According to the Bureau of the Treasury...
Investors are closely watching President Marcos ' State of the Nation Address (SONA) and second-quarter earnings reports, while concerns about United States (US) tariffs and recent typhoon damage weigh on sentiment. “The local market made a comeback last week, regaining its ground above the...
A rare remittance from the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG)—reportedly proceeds from the sale of a Claude Monet painting considered as ill-gotten wealth by the family of strongman Ferdinand Marcos Sr.—has helped triple the Marcos Jr. administration’s privatization revenues in...
