JUN
08
2020

‘No ride, no work; no back ride, no jeepney ride’ pushing up joblessness – Recto

You want to restart the economy? Then let PUVs restart their engines. There are three important T’s today: tests, trabaho, transportasyon. Screening for coronavirus is no longer a requisite for returning to work. But without a ride, there is no work. And no work, no pay. Allowing
JUN
07
2020

PNP must be a Malasakit Center that is kind to hungry protesters

Policemen, in general, have acted as officers and gentlemen who serve and protect the people during this pandemic. These frontliners deserve the nation’s thanks. It is, however, hard to find gallantry or valor in the acts of the few who arrested hungry drivers demanding work,
JUN
06
2020

Give OFWs red carpet, not sidewalk treatment; help OCWs—Out-of-job Construction Workers—too

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto today welcomed the government’s “gone in five days” policy for returning OFWs transiting through Manila on their way home “as one that is painfully overdue.” But as more airports reopen to receive flights from abroad, Recto said th
JUN
04
2020

Cash aid to health workers who got COVID-19 to be tax-free, released within 90 days

After it was revealed that not one of the hundreds of health workers who had fallen ill or died from COVID-19 had received a centavo of the compensation mandated by the Bayanihan Act, senators have amended the law to expedite the release of the cash aid and make it tax-exempt.
MAY
31
2020

Closing ‘digital deficit’ key to online classes, e-governance, telemedicine

As society shifts to electronic transactions, government should adequately fund projects that will close the huge “digital deficit”, make broadband “affordable and accessible”, and use “connectivity to promote inclusivity.”  This was the call of Senate President Pro Tempore
MAY
29
2020

Gov’t buildings, malls must provide free, safe parking for bikes

Aside from dedicated lanes for their use, secure parking spaces for bicycles will encourage more people to pedal their way to workplaces, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said.  “It is not enough that we set aside passageways for bicycles. We should also see to it
MAY
27
2020

SAP’s 2nd ‘give’ must not be held up by liquidation reports

The DSWD says that a condition for the release of the second installment of SAP is the local government’s liquidation report on the first wave of the cash distribution.  In ordinary times, this audit rule should be followed strictly. But in the midst of the pandemic, it
MAY
27
2020

Gov’t officials reminded: Avoid pronouncements that cause GCQ – general confusion and questions

Kung maaari po sana na anumang bagong alituntunin sa traffic, lalo na sa coding sa Metro Manila, ay maipahiwatig sa lengwaheng simple at madaling maintidihan.  Maiiwasan din ang pagkalito ng mga motorista kung ang isasapubliko ay ang mga
MAY
26
2020

Locked down schools should not lead to education being put in quarantine—Recto

Even though the President has expressed his views on the issue, this should not stop education stakeholders from fine-tuning the ways which will allow our young to learn amidst the pandemic without making them sick.  Finding alternatives to face-to-face instruction is like