Senator Loren Legarda reiterated her stance that funds allocated for Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) should remain with PhilHealth. Legarda made the statement in light of the Supreme Court’s decision directing the government to return the ₱60-billion it earlier took from...
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday outlined the Senate’s revised timetable for the passage of the proposed 2026 national budget, saying the chamber is still aiming to have the measure signed into law by December 29 despite disruptions caused by a weekend fire. In an interview on Monday,...
Senator Loren Legarda has called for full transparency on the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation 's (PhilHealth) funding during the deliberations on the proposed 2026 national budget, stressing that mandated subsidies must be properly allocated and released. In her interpellation on the...
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said Saturday, Nov. 15 that former lawmaker Zaldy Co 's recent claims on social media will have to be properly authenticated--that is, made under oath or affirmed in the Philippine consulate of the country where he is now staying--for it to...
Senator Erwin Tulfo on Thursday, Nov. 13, called on the Senate to ensure that the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026 has no “pork barrel” or discretionary funds allocated to lawmakers. The vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance pointed this out during the first day of...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is urging lawmakers to refrain from cutting down its proposed budget of ₱176.7 billion next year and instead approve it in full, citing its significance in protecting the livelihood of farmers and fisherfolk. Speaking during his agency’s budget hearing at the...
The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Wednesday, September 2, that it is studying a historic policy shift that would allow local government units (LGUs) to directly participate in classroom construction—marking a potential departure from the long-standing reliance on the Department of...
Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson on Wednesday, Aug. 13, pushed anew to make public the proponents of all amendments - including insertions - in the budget process. Lacson, an eagle-eyed watchdog of the national budget, said this will make the proponents answerable for flood control and other...
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday, June 20 said the government should be ready to provide subsidy if the Dubai crude oil breaches the US$80 per barrel threshold. Gatchalian made the call as he expressed alarm over the increasing tension between Israel and Iran and which has pushed a global oil...
The plenary hall of the House of Representatives (Dexter Barro II/MANILA BULLETIN) Two House leaders have guaranteed the lower chamber's compliance with the Supreme Court's (SC) request for a copy of the enrolled bill containing the 2025...
A non-government organization (NGO), backed by Duterte allies, will file on Monday, Feb. 10 criminal charges against House Speaker Martin Romualdez and other congressmen over falsification of public documents after they allegedly inserted billions worth of funds into the 2025 budget. The Citizens...
Malacañang assured the public that the government would be transparent in using the country's coffers amid challenges to the constitutionality of the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA). Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin (Malacañang photo) In a statement, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin...
