Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva said he expects the enrolled copy of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill to reach Malacañang this week for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s signature. Marcos had earlier certified the MIF bill, Senate Bill No. 2020 as urgent. ...
Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva on Tuesday, June 6 said he sees no urgency in passing the proposed Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) bill. The controversial SOGIESC bill, Villanueva said, is not part of the list of measures certified...
Congress is prepared to exercise its oversight role should state economic managers “deviate” from the original intention and “spirit” of the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) Act. Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva stressed this point in a press briefing at the Senate, saying...
Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada on Tuesday, June 6 said he is optimistic on the appointment of Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro as the secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND). National Security Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. attends the Senate Committee on Foreign...
The Executive Department is not allowed to alter the final version of the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said on Tuesday, June 6. Hontiveros pointed this out following Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno’s statement that the Government Service Insurance System...
Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda has emphasized the significance of maintaining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) Centrality in prioritizing the welfare of the regional bloc. Legarda emphasized this during the Special Session on Balancing Asia-Pacific Minilateralism...
Senator Cynthia A. Villar acknowledged the significant role of Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) in the country’s enhanced crop productivity and farmers’ income. Speaking during the 72nd founding anniversary of BSWM, Villar noted that the bureau has been engaged in the...
Senator Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla has promised to bring justice to the family of a girl who was brutally raped and murdered—reportedly by fellow minors—in Jose Panganiban town in Camarines Norte province. Padilla went to Jose Panganiban last weekend with Gov. Ricarte “Dong” Padilla,...
FINDING ANSWERS This just can’t be overemphasized: Getting good nutrition in the womb and through early life is very important for a child. While a time of vast potential, the 1,000 days from conception to birth and to the child’s second birthday can also be a time of immense vulnerability when...
Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva on Monday, June 5, believes there is no room for interpretation on the provisions in the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill, insisting that the Congress-approved final version strictly prohibits pension funds from being invested in the MIF. Villanueva said...
Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Monday, June 5 said he supports the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) bid for the government to take in a private sector partner that would maintain and operate the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). But the government should make sure that the...
Senator Manuel “Lito” Lapid has called for the passage of a bill seeking to further provide discounts to senior citizens, by giving them the five percent discount on water and electricity bills. Lapid, in filing Senate Bill No. 2169, also proposed that senior citizens be exempted from the 12...