Day: November 20, 2025

Manila: House of Representatives Deputy Minority Leader, Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila De Lima, and fellow Liberal Party (LP) lawmakers have issued a call for a transparent and open bicameral conference committee. The lawmakers emphasized the importance of such transparency in implementing genuine budget reform and in restoring public trust. According to Philippines News Agency, the House LP bloc has insisted that all bicam meetings, including deliberations, should be livestreamed. The call for transparency is rooted in past concerns over corruption and the secretive nature of the Bicameral Conference Committee, where controversial budget insertions have allegedly been made. The LP

Manila: Sound macroeconomic fundamentals continue to back the resiliency of the Philippine economy amid the challenging environment both domestic and overseas, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said Thursday. Balisacan noted that domestic growth, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), remains on expansion mode amidst the slowdown in the third quarter to 4 percent. He emphasized that inflation remains low, the labor market remains healthy, fiscal deficit and public debt remain manageable, the peso and external position remain stable, and the banking system is still robust. According to Philippines News Agency, Balisacan highlighted that hard-won

Manila: Three of the seven luxury vehicles seized from controversial contractors Pacifico “Curlee” and Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” Discaya have been sold during a public auction held by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Thursday. According to Philippines News Agency, the auction of the three vehicles collected a total of PHP38,211,710 from two bidders, Simplex Industrial Corp. and Lestrell Jewelries. Simplex Industrial purchased the Mercedes-Benz G500 (2019) Brabus at PHP15,500,000 and the Mercedes Benz G63 AMG (2022) at PHP15,611,710. Meanwhile, Lestrell Jewelries acquired the Lincoln Navigator (2022) for a winning bid price of PHP7,100,000. Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno stated that the Bureau

Manila: The government is putting education front and center in the proposed 2026 national budget, aiming to strengthen investments that directly support learners, teachers, and school communities across the country, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said Thursday. According to Philippines News Agency, at the first-ever DepEd Classroom Summit in SMX Clark, DBM Officer-in-Charge Secretary Rolly Toledo called the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) a ‘true education budget.’ For the first time, 4 percent of the GDP is dedicated to education, which Toledo emphasized as proof of the government’s commitment under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to investing in

Malaca±ang: The Palace on Thursday distanced itself from recent reports of a possible plot to replace House Speaker Bojie Dy. Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro clarified that the choice of congressional leaders is beyond the President’s authority. According to Philippines News Agency, Castro emphasized that the President does not have control over the selection of congressional leadership. In a press briefing at the Palace, she stated, “Ang pagpili po kasi ng liderato ng Kongreso ay wala naman po sa kamay ng Pangulo. Kung ano po ang kanilang magiging desisyon diyan, kung ano ang kanilang magiging pagpapatakbo diyan hindi