MANILA: Two bills have been filed in the Senate to increase the monthly pension and disability benefits of retirees of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda’s Senate Bill No. 829 and Senator Risa Hontiveros’ No. 1510, will cover DFA employees who have served continuously for at least 15 years and are eligible to receive a monthly pension from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). DFA officers and employees who retired prior to the effectiveness of the Acts and those who retired but have not met the requirements shall instead be covered by
BUTUAN CITY: On the second day of the new year, the city government of Butuan formally opened its Business One-Stop-Shop (BOSS), marking the formal start of the renewal of business registrations for this year. The 2023 BOSS, which was established at the Robinsons Place here, is in line with the implementation of Republic Act (RA) No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business Law. In a statement on Monday, the Butuan City Information Office (CIO) said the BOSS is being spearheaded by the City Business Permits and Licensing Office (CBPLO). The BOSS opening on Monday was led
BUENOS AIRES: Politician Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been sworn in for a third term as Brazil’s president in the capital Brasilia. Lula arrived at Sunday’s ceremony in a presidential Rolls Royce, closely flanked by security officers, alongside Vice President-elect Geraldo Alckmin. “I promise to maintain, defend and fulfill the Constitution, observe the laws, promote the general good of the Brazilian people, uphold the unity, integrity and independence of Brazil,” said Lula in a lengthy speech. He thanked the Brazilian people for the confidence that they had shown by voting him in for a third term.
MANILA: The massive flight delays that affected about 65,000 passengers on New Year’s Day Sunday are matters of national concern that should not happen again, according to Senator Grace Poe on Monday. The chair of the Committee on Public Services said they will launch an inquiry to determine liability and find ways to avoid a repeat of such. “Thousands of lives depend on the efficiency and competence of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). There needs to be transparency and accountability from CAAP,” Poe said in a statement. After the Manila Electric Company clarified in
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga: Minimum wage earners in Central Luzon will receive the second tranche of the daily wage increase effective Jan. 1, this year. The second tranche of the daily pay hike amounting to PHP10 was pursuant to Wage Order No. RBIII-23 issued by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) last June 2022. Wage Order No. RBIII-23 mandates a PHP40 increase in the daily minimum wage of workers in private establishments in the region. The first tranche of PHP30 daily pay increase took effect on June 20, 2022. Geraldine Panlilio, regional director
BUTUAN CITY: The Police Regional Office in the Caraga (PRO-13) on Monday reported the surrender of a supply officer of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) on Jan. 1. In a statement, PRO-13 director Brig. Gen. Pablo Labra II identified the surrenderer as alias “Oliver,” 36, allged supply officer of Squad 1, Platoon 1 of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee of the NPA. “Alias Oliver surrendered to the operatives of the Regional Intelligence Division of PRO-13 on Jan. 1,” Labra said. The surrender, he noted, is the result of the reinforced efforts and call of PRO-13
