Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan has proposed the inclusion of transparency and accountability mechanisms in the irrigation projects implemented by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in a bid to prevent the repeat of anomalous flood control projects. The senator, who heads the...
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...
Senator Rodante Marcoleta pressed anew Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla regarding statements suggesting that it was acceptable to “bend the law” so long as it was not broken. During the Senate’s plenary deliberations on the proposed 2026 budget of the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday, Nov....
Senator Erwin Tulfo on Thursday, Nov. 20, asked the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) whether it plans to build any new irrigation systems or dams in 2026, noting that the agency is still dealing with a long list of unfinished contracts. During his interpellation on NIA’s proposed...
Senator Raffy Tulfo grilled officials of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) on Thursday, Nov. 20, asking them to explain alleged defects in the Bulo Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (Bulo SRIP) in Bulacan despite the agency’s claim that the facility had already been rehabilitated. ...
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano has urged the Senate to increase the budget of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) for 2026, citing its critical role in supporting millions of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). During the Senate deliberation on the DMW’s proposed 2026 budget on...
A group of education workers on Wednesday, November 19, rejected the government’s claim of a “record-breaking” P1.28-trillion education budget for 2026, calling it misleading and insufficient to address the deepening crisis in the country’s public school system. In a statement, Alliance of...
BACOLOD CITY – The provincial government of Negros Occidental has proposed a P7.6-billion budget for 2026, reflecting a significant increase driven by a higher National Tax Allotment (NTA) and stronger local revenue collection. Vice Gov. Jose Benito Alonso said the proposal is P1.16 billion or...
DAVAO CITY – The 21st Davao City Council approved the P15.8-billion budget for 2026 on Thursday. Council members unanimously passed the spending plan after reviewing a 17-page committee report detailing fund sources and expenditure breakdowns, the City Information Office (CIO) said in a news...
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...
Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito has called on lawmakers to approve additional funding for mental health programs to strengthen the services, as more Filipinos continue to battle mental health challenges. Ejercito made the call after meeting today, Thursday, November...
The Senate on Thursday, November 13 kicked off its marathon plenary deliberations on the proposed P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for 2026. This, after Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, sponsored and endorsed House Bill No. 4058 that contains next...
