Day: July 3, 2024

MANILA: The House of Representatives has expressed readiness to host the third State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on July 22. House Secretary General Reginald Velasco made the remark after the third SONA inter-agency meeting held at Heroes Hall, Malacañan Palace on Tuesday. ‘We are ready to adjust to accommodate our partners from the Office of the President (OP) and the Senate,” Velasco said in a news release on Wednesday. Senate Secretary Renato Bantug said the “lion’s share” of the event preparations was handled by the House. Officials from the OP did an initial

MANILA: The House of Representatives is targeting to approve the proposed PHP6.352-trillion 2025 national budget by the end of September this year, Speaker Martin Romualdez said on Wednesday. In a statement, Romualdez said the government’s spending plan for next year would be a top priority of the House in the next session of Congress, which convenes on July 22. ‘Aside from our commitment in approving the few remaining LEDAC (Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council) priority measures, the House will again work doubly hard to pass the proposed PHP6.352 trillion 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) before we go on break this end

LEGAZPI CITY: The Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO5) reported on Wednesday the seizure of PHP4 million worth of illegal drugs and the arrest of 94 drug personalities during 101 drug operations conducted by police units in the six provinces of the region in June this year. Lt. Col. Malu Calubaquib, PRO5 spokesperson, said in a report that the seized illegal drugs consisted of 91.98 grams of marijuana and 592.21 grams of shabu. Among all the provinces and independent component cities, Camarines Sur recorded the highest number of seized drugs at PHP1.79 million; followed by Albay with PHP1.43 million; Camarines

MANILA: The management and the labor unions of the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel in Pasay City have agreed to settle their labor dispute after the closure of the establishment amid safety concerns, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said on Wednesday. In a news release, the DOLE said the National Union of Workers in Hotel, Restaurant and Allied Industries (NUWHRAIN) – Philippine Plaza Chapter (rank-and-file Union), Philippine Plaza Supervisor’s Chapter (supervisory workers’ union) and the Philippine Plaza Holdings, Inc. (management) signed a two-page settlement agreement at the agency’s main office in Intramuros, Manila on Tuesday. Under the agreement, the