Senator Rodante Marcoleta has asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to place several officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and contractors involved in the anomalous flood control projects on the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO). In separate letters dated Aug. 27...
The government is considering seasonal tariffs on rice to shield local farmers during harvest, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said. Balisacan also emphasized on Tuesday, Sept. 2, that tariffs are used as a policy tool to address various...
Instead of exempting over 130 lines from the 12 percent value-added tax (VAT), Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto stated he would support the proposal to reduce the number of lines benefiting from exemption to narrow the fiscal deficit. “I’m one with you,” Recto told senators during the...
Revenue leakages from smuggling agricultural products are estimated at around ₱150 billion this year, according to the Department of Finance (DOF). “The estimate of the leakage for the year will roughly be ₱150 billion,” Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto told reporters on the sidelines of...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said prices of local commercial rice remain stable, while some imported rice slightly increased following the implementation of the 60-day import ban on the key staple. While still on the second day of the two-month suspension, Agriculture Assistant Secretary...
The Philippine economy could have grown by six percent if flood control projects had not been hijacked by corruption, resulting in a loss of as much as ₱119 billion in economic output, according to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s chief economic manager. While Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto...
Senator Erwin Tulfo on Tuesday called on the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to be proactive in flagging questionable items in the National Expenditures Program (NEP) to ensure that there were no insertions from politicians. “Lahat po naman kayo dito sa Executive, well wala pa nung...
Senator Erwin Tulfo on Tuesday, Sept. 2, revealed the strong possibility that contractors’ licenses are being rented out by dummy companies and even by officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). In an ANC interview, Tulfo, Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Vice Chairperson, said...
Senator Imee Marcos on Tuesday, Sept. 2, accused political rivals of hatching a “Plan C” to undermine Vice President Sara Duterte and her allies by influencing the Office of the Ombudsman, following failed attempts to oust Duterte through a people’s initiative and impeachment. In a press...
The Department of Energy (DOE) has proposed a 24.4 percent increase to its budget next year, seeking ₱3.839 billion from Congress. During the House of Representatives’ Committee on Appropriations meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 2, the DOE stated that the proposed budget, increased from this year’s...
The attempt to shorten the college curriculum through the proposed Senate Bill, known as the 3CE Act, is a perfect example of the dictum, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” In fact, there are strong arguments, as seen in the first two articles of this series, to deepen the liberal arts...
Nearly two years after China withdrew its funding for the Mindanao Railway Project (MRP) due to territorial disputes, India has stepped forward to negotiate a deal with the Philippine government for the project’s implementation. “For the Mindanao Railway Project, discussions are ongoing for...
