No Basis to Consider ML Declaration – Recto

16 January 2017, Comment are Off
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...

“No PhilHealth ID, No Benefits” policy scrapped – Recto

20 December 2016, Comment are Off
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...

Recto: Digong’s foreign policy motto should be “Friend to all, subservient to no one”

20 December 2016, Comment are Off
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...

Senate hikes by P1 B DSWD budget for free daycare meals

18 December 2016, Comment are Off
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...

Recto: CHED row won’t affect easy-to-implement 8B tuition fund

18 December 2016, Comment are Off
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...

On the Confirmation of the Appointment of NEDA Director General Ernesto M. Pernia

07 December 2016, Comment are Off
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...

Recto: Signing of IRR on PWD law “strongest indicator that Palace has abandoned tax plan to revoke PWD privileges”

02 December 2016, Comment are Off
Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto has hailed today’s signing of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 10754 “as a good gift to this sector this season.” Recto is the Senate principal author of the measure which grants tax breaks to persons with...

Problem hiring? Tap millennials to fill 6,000 COA vacancies—Recto

02 December 2016, Comment are Off
The Commission on Audit (COA), the taxpayer’s whistleblower, should be promoted as a “premier destination” for “talented and idealistic millennials” who would like “to do good by going into government service.“ Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto suggested this “recruitment tack”...