Soaring food prices to increase number of GNP—Gutom na Pilipino

26 November 2020, Comment are Off
The next Cabinet meeting should map out plans on how to tame what seems to be runaway prices of food, placing them beyond the reach of households made poorer by the pandemic-caused economic slowdown, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said today. “I think this should be on...

“Barya na nga lang ang hinihingi, hindi pa masuklian ang sakripisyo ng PGH”

25 November 2020, Comment are Off
Dr. Gap Legaspi, PGH Director, is an expert neurosurgeon whose operating room virtuoso has saved many lives.  Juggling many duties, he treats and teaches, mentoring future doctors in the hospital he manages.  PGH performs hundreds of complex surgeries a week, on top of...

Prepaid vax is OK but don’t let PITC buy it

24 November 2020, Comment are Off
President Duterte’s order to the government to prepay the COVID-19 vaccines is correct.  Vaccines are not COD goods you can order from Lazada. They are not postpaid items, but prepaid. More so when there is a race among nations to acquire them, with the first batches already...

Govt’s New Year resolution is zero debt to health workers

23 November 2020, Comment are Off
Government should adopt as its “New Year’s resolution” the settlement of hazard pay and all outstanding payables to health care workers before the year ends, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said today. “On or before Christmas, bayad na. Or before the clock strikes...

Not all SUC students are funded equal but average is P80,000 per student a year

20 November 2020, Comment are Off
In my interpellation of the CHED budget, I cited last year’s annual per student cost. The rough calculation was on a per regional basis and I agree that data should be unbundled per school to have a clearer picture. I hope that my rudimentary presentation triggers a healthy...

2.3 M learners remain in the “dark ages”, in homes without electricity

20 November 2020, Comment are Off
Ten percent of country’s students remain in the “dark ages”, in communities unreached by electricity—effectively insulating them from distance learning dependent on gadgets that run on power. This plight of about 2.25 million Department of Education learners emerged in the course...

Jobless “Millennials, Miss” hardest hit by economic slump

19 November 2020, Comment are Off
Government has been urged to make its unemployment cash aid program “more granular”, focusing on women and youth workers who have been hardest hit by pandemic-triggered business closures. The call was made by Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, who said that both government...

Low budget for vaccines, to be bought by agency “auto-immune to efficiency”

19 November 2020, Comment are Off
Proposed funding in the 2021 national budget for the purchase and delivery of coronavirus vaccine will cover only 1 in 5 Filipinos, and that is based on the tentative price of the cheapest vaccine being developed, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said today. Compounding...