Passing a law extending the validity period of a Philippine passport from 5 to 10 years is “one low-hanging fruit” Congress can pick, a move that will immediately benefit millions of Filipino travelers and migrant workers, Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto said today. And if

We should know by now that such theatrical bombast is part of the President’s oratorical repertoire. His bluster should be likened to a dog that always barks but seldom bites. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks during the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairmanship launch at

The Senate has included a provision in the 2017 national budget cancelling the need for patients seeking treatment in hospitals to present a PhilHealth card as a condition to avail of benefits from the state health insurer. Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto said the scrapping of

The Philippines would be better off pivoting to an independent foreign policy position than siding with any of the big powers. “Our motto should be : ‘Friend to all, but subservient to none.’ In other words, amity to all, hostility to no one,” Recto said. Recto said foreign

The Senate had added P1 billion to the children’s feeding budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, raising the amount to P4.427 billion, to enable the agency to serve one hot meal daily to 1.74 million 2 to 4 year olds for 120 days next year. Although he was

The senator who sponsored the free public college tuition clause in the 2017 national budget today assuaged fears of “unenlightened bureaucrats” that it will may be hard to spend the P8 billion allocation to cover basic matriculation of close to 1 million students of state

When the Senate first convened in a rented house near Malacañang 100 years ago, its 24 members were summoned by telegram or by post which took days to arrive. Communication was so bad that a Navy boat had to be dispatched from Zamboanga to inform and fetch Senator Buto from Jolo.

We are pleased to note that the General Appropriations Bill for 2017, which the Bicameral Conference Committee has approved for ratification by both chambers, carry the amendments initiated by the Senate minority leader. Foremost is the P8 billion Free College Tuition Fund that

Mr. President, my dear colleagues: The nominee is the perfect specimen which proves how true the saying “the present generation is always better than the previous one” is. He is more handsome than his father, brighter than his mom, and more generous than the two combined. He

Mr. President, my dear colleagues: It has been said that if the ship of state were an ancient balangay, then it is the president who steers; the Cabinet men, row; but it is the head of NEDA who charts the course. Or if you want an analogy millennials can understand, he is the