Day: July 31, 2024

MANILA: Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada is proposing to increase penalties for violators of Republic Act No. 9439, or the Anti-hospital Arrest Law, to prevent hospitals from detaining patients due to unpaid medical bills. ‘Despite the existence of the law for 17 years now, the same illegal practice persists and continues to plague our health care system. My office has received numerous complaints from hapless families victimized by unscrupulous medical institutions,’ Estrada said Wednesday in a news release. ‘No person shall be imprisoned for debt. That is a basic constitutional right. Anong batas ang pinanghahawakan ng ganitong walang

MANILA: Twenty-two senators on Wednesday filed a resolution expressing the sense of the Senate to temporarily suspend the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP) due to concerns about its unplanned and rushed implementation. Senate Resolution No. 1096 highlighted the fears of drivers and transport operators who will be directly affected by the program, particularly issues related to consolidation into cooperatives. ‘There is an urgent need to thoroughly review and reassess the impact of the program, to alleviate the fears of the drivers and transport operators who will be directly burdened by its implementation,’ the resolution read. The senators underscored the need

MANILA: The Civil Service Commission (CSC) is urging barangay health workers (BHWs) to apply for career service eligibility that can be used in applying for permanent positions in the government. CSC Chairperson Karlo Nograles said in accordance with Republic Act (RA) No. 7883, or the Barangay Health Workers’ Benefits and Incentives Act of 1995, the CSC promulgated Resolution No. 992845 which grants civil service eligibility to BHWs in recognition of their voluntary service to the community. ‘Our BHWs, although volunteers, are vital frontliners in our mission to provide accessible and reliable primary healthcare services at the local level. The Barangay

MALASIQUI: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has allocated PHP182.4 million for the 120-day supplementary feeding program of 101,374 children in the Ilocos Region starting September this year. The program will benefit learners aged three to five enrolled in the 125 local government units (LGUs) Child Development Centers or Day Care Centers or in supervised neighborhood play institutions in the region, DSWD-Ilocos Region social welfare officer Marjie Sab-it said in a phone interview on Wednesday. ‘This aims to improve the weight of the children especially the undernourished or maintain the weight of those who are at the normal

MANILA: The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) placed the Luzon grid on Wednesday under yellow alert amid the limited power supply. This, as the Sual Unit 2 and the GNPower Dinginin Unit 2 tripped due to a boiler tube lead, the NGCP said. The yellow alert over the Luzon grid will be between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. ‘Seven plants have been on forced outage since January to May 2024, and 10 power plants between June and July 2024; while five are running on derated capacities, for a total of 3,017.9MW unavailable