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Villar takes closer look at ACEF disbursement status
Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, said that she wanted to monitor the disbursement of the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) to see how it could help the farmers. Villar also urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to report out its status, similar to what is currently being done…
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Cops to do contact tracing, says Palace
By Fernan Angeles WITH no more funds to defray the cost of hiring more personnel for the government’s Covid-19 response, cops are set to be deployed to do contact tracing to strengthen its effort to the public health crisis. In an early morning interview aired over CNN Philippines, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and Philippine National…
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DILG to LGUs: Start planning local recovery
By Fernan Angeles EVEN under a continued global pandemic threat, local government units (LGUs) should start planning and budgeting for local recovery and rehabilitation now, says the Department of Interior Government. DILG Spokesperson and Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said that their agency, with technical support of the World Bank, has developed the “Ready to Recover (We…
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PHL now tops SEA in confirmed COVID-19 cases
By Fernan Angeles THE Philippines has overtaken Indonesia in the list of Southeast Asian countries with the highest number of coronavirus disease contamination, but Malacañang simply warded it off by saying it is also happening elsewhere in the world. Palace spokesperson Harry Roque, in an early morning interview with the CNN Philippines said that countries…
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Hospital health workers hit DOH
By Fernan Angeles HEALTH workers from a hospital in Manila criticized the Department of Health (DOH) for alleged lack of concern for health workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic as another fellow medical front liner succumbed to the deadly virus strain. “Noong una pa lang, ramdam na ramdam na natin na wala talaga silang malasakit sa…
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DSWD: P63.2B of SAP 2nd tranche already distributed
By Fernan Angeles THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) seemed to be taking more time in the distribution of the government cash subsidy supposedly intended to help alleviate the hardships of local folks for the month of May. To this date, the DSWD has only been able to distribute around P63.2 billion under…
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36 officials linked to PhilHealth anomalies
By John Clifford Lintao AT least 36 officials of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) may have something to do with the highly irregular overpayments allegedly made to hospitals, says the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission chief Greco Belgica. Belgica however declined to name the officials, whose names have already been forwarded to the Office of the…
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Legislative immunity, security for PhilHealth whistleblowers
By John Clifford Lintao FOR their courage to expose anomalies at the state insurance corporation, Senator Panfilo Lacson appears bent on recommending to the Senate Committee of the Whole the granting of legislative immunity and security to witnesses in the probe on alleged irregularities in the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). Lacson made the statement…
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Congress resumes debate on re-imposition of death penalty
By John Clifford Lintao MORE than a week after President Rodrigo Duterte implied the need for a congressional action that would see an end to the lucrative illegal drugs trade, the House of Representatives have resumed deliberation on the pending bill re-imposing death penalty as capital punishment. House Committee on Dangerous Drugs chair Robert Ace…
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Duterte extends CHED Commissioner’s term
By John Clifford Lintao FOUR years after being appointed to a government post, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner Ronald Adamat would still be around, at least for the next four years after President Rodrigo Duterte re-appointed him for the same position. CHED Chairperson Prospero De Vera III announced the reappointment of Adamat, who joined…