Senators are upbeat that the signing into law of the country’s first maritime zones and archipelagic sea laws will give more teeth to the legal and territorial claim of the Philippines over the West Philippine Sea (WPS). “The two laws will further strengthen our sovereignty and sovereign...
Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla has filed a bill seeking to provide Indigenous Peoples (IPs) a bigger share of revenues generated from natural resources within the territories of indigenous cultural communities. Padilla, who chairs the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities and Muslim Affairs,...
The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Friday, Nov. 8, that it has successfully defended its budget in the Senate following deliberations at the plenary level. (Photo courtesy of DepEd) In a statement, DepEd confirmed the Senate’s approval of its P793.740-billion budget for next...
Senators hailed on Thursday, November 7, the signing into law of Republic Act (RA) No. 12063, the Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Framework Act, which is considered a significant milestone in the country's effort to address the perennial problem of job-skills mismatch. (Screenshot...
The bill seeking the full development of the Philippines’ natural gas industry was approved by the Senate on second reading on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Sen. Pia S. Cayetano stands firm to promote indigenous gas as she continues to defend Senate Bill No. 2793 or the Philippine Natural Gas Industry...
Senator Raffy Tulfo confirmed on Wednesday, Nov. 6, that a senator's relative was the passenger of the sports utility vehicle (SUV) bearing plate number “7” that was caught using the EDSA busway and tried to run over a Department of Transportation (DOTr) enforcer. In a press conference, Tulfo,...
OF TREES AND FORESTS In this column, I often write about the challenges faced by new entrepreneurs. I have advised young business owners to be prepared to make sacrifices, to deal with obstacles, and be prepared to fail. It is certainly not my intention to discourage anyone from taking that leap of...
The Senate has retained the proposed P733-million budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) that the House of Representatives earlier approved in its version of the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB). Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance,...
Two more senators on Tuesday, November 5, expressed opposition to the deferment of the 2025 parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero filed a bill to formalize his proposal seeking to defer the BARMM...
Senator Cynthia Villar has expressed concern over reclamation projects being pursued despite the lack of comprehensive study on their environmental impact. Villar, who chairs the Senate Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change, said a renewed push for the reclamation of an...
Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa said on Tuesday, Nov. 5, that he's keen on questioning the Senate leadership should it submit a certified copy of the transcript of the Senate's drug war probe to the International Criminal Court (ICC). This was after Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero stated...
Two senators have expressed differing views regarding the deferment of the 2025 parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri said on Monday, Nov. 4, that postponing BARMM polls through a bill would be a very difficult task...
