Senate OKs bill granting PhilHealth insurance to all seniors

18 September 2014, Comment are Off
The Senate on Wednesday has passed on second reading the measure providing mandatory PhilHealth coverage to all senior citizens regardless of their social or economic status. Senate Bill 712, authored by Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, would automatically enroll all...

Tap P3.6 B travel tax collection to build restrooms so tourists won’t ‘self pee’ anywhere – Recto

13 September 2014, Comment are Off
Government was told to earmark part of its P3.6 billion annual travel tax collection for the building of roadside rest rooms so that local and foreign tourists bound for the “sun, sea, sand, shopping” destinations will not “self pee” anywhere. Sen. Ralph Recto made the...

Gov’t to spend P92.3 B for new teachers, classrooms, books, labs

10 September 2014, Comment are Off
Government will be spending P92.3 billion next year to hire more teachers, build classrooms, close logistical gaps and meet the growing needs of 25 million public school students. Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto described the proposed outlay as “unprecedented” both in...

Gov’t asks for P4.6 B for APEC hosting needs

07 September 2014, Comment are Off
Is traffic-choked NCR ready for APEC summit 14 months from now? Are we ready for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit? With 14 months to go before 21 heads of government will converge in Metro Manila for the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting, Sen. Ralph Recto wants to...

Gov’t urged to take PNR funding challenge

04 September 2014, Comment are Off
What about the PNR? While its focus – and resources – seem to be concentrated on the breakdown-prone Metro Rail Transit, Sen. Ralph Recto said government should also turn its attention to MRT’s poor cousin – the Philippine National Railways, “an aging workhorse which still...

Congress should heed Sereno’s plea for higher budget

01 September 2014, Comment are Off
Sen. Ralph Recto said Congress should heed Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno’s appeal for a higher judiciary budget, but any increase, he said, can be attached to performance outcomes like faster disposal of cases. The plea to augment the budget of our courts has merit, Recto sai...

Convert seized shipping vans into police outposts, temp homes for disaster victims – Recto

30 August 2014, Comment are Off
What to do with the container vans clogging the port of Manila? Convert some of them into police stations, classrooms, rice storage, mobile clinics, libraries and housing for disaster victims, Sen. Ralph Recto proposed today. Recto said government should study the possibility of...

Recto : Pouring more funds into the health bucket is the real challenge

27 August 2014, Comment are Off
Government was challenged today to “pour more money into the health bucket” so it can improve health facilities, hire more doctors and reduce deaths from curable diseases like tuberculosis. The dare was aired by Senator Ralph Recto who said that while health spending of the...