Senatorial candidate Harry Roque said he would push for the passage of a supplemental budget for the victims of Typhoon Odette to speed up house reconstruction and augment livelihood assistance in the affected areas. In a media statement on Friday, Roque pointed out that an additional budget would help the residents rebuild whatever they lost, including employment, from the typhoon. Roque said he would prioritize the legislation of the supplemental budget if elected to the Senate after the May 2022 national elections. On Thursday, Roque visited Barangay Bongtod in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur where he handed out some 700

Normalization of domestic liquidity after the Christmas holidays continues to drive demand for the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) 28-day Bills, which posted another interest rate decline on Friday. Data released by the central bank showed that weighted average accepted yield of the debt securities, which is among the BSP’s excess liquidity mopping tools, slipped to 1.7053 percent from 1.7298 percent during the auction last January 14. BSP offered the debt paper for PHP100 billion and the auction committee made a full award. Total tenders amounted to PHP174.223 billion while bid coverage ratio stood at 1.7422. BSP Deputy Governor Francisco

The provincial government of Misamis Oriental will pursue its construction of a PHP90-million worth track and field oval facility in Balingasag town of the province as part of its sports development program. In a statement Friday, the provincial government said the fund will be sourced from the Special Education Fund of the provincial Local School Board and built within the compound of the Balingasag Central School. Jerome Mundo, head of the provincial public employment service office, said the facility was Governor Yevgeny Vicente Emano’s plan so the youth may not only excel academically but also through sports. “That’s why he

The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) could use more financial backing to support its vision to achieve food security even as it defended the plan to import fish to address shortage. DA Undersecretary for Agri-Industrialization and Fisheries Cheryl Natividad-Caballero said in an interview Friday that BFAR received lower funds compared to other agricultural agencies. Thus, the goal to intensify fish production is limited and will depend on the given budget. “The Secretary (William Dar) has spoken and we cannot underestimate his wisdom. As head of the Department, his approval and or issuances and guidelines clearly set

A civic organization has expressed opposition to House Bill (HB) No. 10576, also known as the Human Rights Defenders Bill, saying it was drafted to protect human rights offenders like communist terrorist groups (CTGs). In a statement issued on Thursday, the group Hands Off Our Children (HOOC) said if the bill is approved, CTG front organizations such as Karapatan Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights and the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, which defends Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) officials, would “defend” their distorted version of human rights. “Every citizen of this country needs someone or a law

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has announced that its 21st Global Summit will take place from April 20 to 22 in Manila. The travel event, originally slated in March, is expected to draw more than 600 tourism executives from across the world. It will be hosted in-person, with a global audience joining virtually. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the summit would be a “significant opportunity” for the Philippines to showcase the preparations it has put in place for the country’s eventual reopening to international visitors. “Tourism has always provided us with endless opportunities. The reopening of our destinations