BETTER DAYS Looking back at 2023, we could say that the Senate and Congress as a whole had a very productive year in terms of fulfilling its mandate of crafting meaningful laws for the benefit of our people and the country. Congress had a strong working relationship with the executive branch. We...
BETTER DAYS Every year priority is given to our education sector when it comes to the crafting of the national budget. There can be no argument as to the need to spend on education. It is a fundamental human right and the return on investments made here are significant and far-reaching. As in...
BETTER DAYS In the early days of our Republic, when the annual budget was barely P10 million, the coffers were downloaded by the retreating revolutionary government from trains in duffel bags. But today, in this era of trillions-peso expenditure plans, it is downloaded electronically....
BETTER DAYS When we came up with our Tatak Pinoy or Proudly Filipino advocacy in 2019, the overarching goal was to transform the Philippines into a progressive and vibrant economy, to help Filipino entrepreneurs and industries become more competitive, and to provide our people with more...
BETTER DAYS Reaching the age of 60 is a milestone that some of us are looking forward to but is also a reality dreaded by many. For people who worked for most of their lives, reaching the age of retirement means a life without stress or pressure and enjoying the fruits of their labor....
BETTER DAYS Five years have passed since Republic Act No. 11148 or the Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-nanay Act was enacted. Also known as the First 1,000 Days Act, the law is intended to address several issues related to the health of infants and their mothers, particularly those from poor...
BETTER DAYS The Senate has started its plenary debates on the 2024 national budget. The ₱5.768 trillion proposed budget is the first expenditure plan to be fully developed under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Similar to this year’s General Appropriations Act, the 2024...
BETTER DAYS We congratulate the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the successful holding of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE). As committed by our poll body, there was no failure of election in any of the 201,786 precincts across the country. We also extend our...
BETTER DAYS Over the past 23 years, the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) has been instrumental in helping Filipinos find and secure jobs in the Philippines and overseas. Enacted on Feb. 14, 2000, Republic Act 8759 paved the way for the establishment of PESOs in the capital towns of...
BETTER DAYS The Senate Committee on Finance is about to conclude its hearings on the individual budgets of the different departments, agencies and offices of the government. Over the next two weeks, we will be collating the recommendations made by our 15 subcommittee chairpersons for the crafting...
BETTER DAYS Over the past year, our lives have returned to normal with the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic restrictions are now a thing of the past – the economy has opened up and most people have returned to the workplace. It is encouraging to see people back out in public, children...
FINDING ANSWERS A lifetime of heartaches has finally led to a euphoric explosion of national pride as Gilas Pilipinas captured the gold in the Asian Games. It was an exhilarating display of tenacity, passion, on-court wizardry, and never-ending hope as our national team pursued a dream that was...