Recto-PCSO earnings is needed to augment SUCs' budget yearly
By Jason de Asis
 
SENATE OFFICE, Manila, December 4, 2010-Sen. Ralph G. Recto, chair of the Senate ways and means said yesterday that cash-strapped state universities and colleges (SUCs) may have to depend on state-run Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), which is posting record sales due to renewed public confidence on its lotto product, to augment its shrinking budget yearly.
 
The senator said that SUCs could be eligible to ...

Angara designated as Unión Latina representatives of Phl
By Jason de Asis

SENATE OFFICE, Manila, December 4, 2010-Senator Edgardo J. Angara was confirmed yesterday by Secretary General of Unión Latina Jose Luis Dicenta as the official representative of the organization in the country.

The organization is composed of 37 members from different countries of the “neolatina” languages wherein the Philippines entered in the Unión Latina in 1985 when Spanish was still the official language.
 ...

Senate approved P1.645-trillion budget for next year
By Jason de Asis
 
SEANATE OFFICE, Manila, December 2, 2010-The Philippine Senate passed the P1.645 trillion national budget for fiscal year 2011 Wednesday night after long days of debates particularly on the controversial cash grant to poor families which eventually saw the approval of the majority.
 
The Senate approved House Bill 3101 on a 12-2 vote, with Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Pia Cayetano voting against the admini...

Angara defended 2011 budget for the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone
By Jason de Asis

SENATE OFFICE, Manila, December 2, 2010-Despite the appeal and strong opposition of Senator Sergio Osmeña and the Catholic priest in the prelature of Infanta to suspend the budget for the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport, the Senate approved the budget for next year in the recent last day of the marathon budget deliberations at the Senate.

The 2011 allocation of the Department of Trade and Industry (D...

Funds for DRR measures next year
By Jason de Asis
 
SENATE OFFICE, Manila, December 3, 2010-During the recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) forum, Senator Loren Legarda said that a step in the right direction for combating the impacts of climate change is the inclusion of funds for disaster risk reduction measures in 2011 national budget.
 
Legarda, the United Nation’s Asia-Pacific Regional Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation stated that according ...

Kuligligs/pedicabs as possible parts of mainstream transport in Metro
By Jason de Asis
 
SENATE OFFICE, Manila, December 4, 2010-Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development disclosed yesterday that he is considering the probability of having the “kuligligs”/ motorized pedicabs of Metro Manila areas as parts of the mainstream transportation.

Instead of looking at kuligligs as so-called pests of the ...

Lacson should face the accusations against him
By Jason de Asis

SENATE OFFICE, Manila, December 4, 2010-Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on his calls to his colleague Senator Panfilo Lacson to face the accusations being implicated in the Dacer-
Corbito murder case made against him to prove that he is innocent.
 
Pangilinan said that if Lacson is innocent then he has nothing to fear at all and besides President Aquino is the new administration whose mandate is to serve the best interest of the p...