Senator Francis N. Tolentino (On February 8, 2021, Senator Francis N. Tolentino spoke on the Senate floor as he voted no to Senate Bill No. 1886.) I vote NO, not because I am against Senate Bill No. 1866, which seeks to further expand the jurisdiction of the first-level and second-level courts. I...
The proposed Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act or Coco Levy Act, which will pave the way for the release of the P100-billion coco levy fund, is just awaiting the signature of President Rodrigo Duterte. Business Bulletin learned that the copy of the Coco Levy Act has already been sent to...
Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go (OFFICE OF SEN. BONG GO / MANILA BULLETIN) Senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports Christopher “Bong” Go appealed to vaccine czar Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. to prioritize for COVID-19 vaccination the Filipino athletes and other delegates...
FINDING ANSWERS Former Senator Atty. Joey Lina Victor Ziga, John Osmeña, and Dante Jimenez were truly great men in their own right. When I learned last week that they had passed away one after the other, I knew our country had lost outstanding Filipinos whose legacy of public service was...
’TOL VIEWS Senator Francis N. Tolentino The Japanese government recently announced that the Tokyo Olympics will take place as scheduled from 23 July to 8 August this year, despite doubts from various quarters about pushing through with the event in the midst of a global pandemic. The Games were...
A pending legislative measure is seeking to refocus the investment mandate of state-run Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) into exploration and production (E&P) ventures in the oil and gas sector, and for it to transform itself as a global champion in that industry similar to the...
FINDING ANSWERS Former Senator Atty. Joey Lina While it comes as no surprise, given the economic stranglehold inflicted by stringent lockdowns last year as the pandemic started to rage, the news that the Philippine economy suffered its worst so far is still quite shocking. On Thursday last week,...
BETTER DAYS Senator Sonny Angara Now that vaccines against the COVID-19 virus will soon be available, some may think we can finally lower our guard and put the pandemic behind us. But it’s very possible that this mindset is what’s driving the recent uptake in new cases in the country. Just...
’TOL VIEWS Senator Francis N. Tolentino “We, the sovereign Filipino people” – the Preamble of 1987 Constitution starts with these five words. As a vision for the succeeding provisions of the fundamental law of our land, this phrase “we, the sovereign Filipino people” does not only put...
FINDING ANSWERS Former Senator Atty. Joey Lina I would like to share the insights of former Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor, chairman of the Federation of Free Farmers, about the predicament of the nation’s coconut farmers who remain poor despite the Coco Levy Fund worth billions of...
BETTER DAYS Senator Sonny Angara The future is digital. When the COVID-19 pandemic required strict quarantine guidelines, it was no surprise that business, financial, and even personal transactions went online. One needs only to look into how more Filipinos now regularly use their mobile phones and...
Amid low farm-gate prices, farmers are also suffering from the rising retail cost of farm commodities, a farmer-leader said. In a virtual briefing on Wednesday, Joseph Canlas, Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon, said farmers don't benefit from the rising retail cost of some food...