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Bong Go assists indigent families in Minalin, Pampanga
Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, has reaffirmed his commitment to improving healthcare accessibility, especially for impoverished and underprivileged patients in need of government medical assistance. During the relief operations conducted by his team in Minalin, Pampanga on 11 and 12 May, Go shared how witnessing the challenges faced by financially struggling Filipinos in accessing medical support compelled him to spearhead the Malasakit Centers program in 2018. “Nagsimula ang Malasakit Center sa Cebu. Sinubukan namin ilagay ang apat na ahensya ng gobyerno sa iisang opisina para hindi na kailanganin pang pumila sa iba’t ibang opisina at masayang ang ilang araw ng ating mga kababayan na humingi ng tulong,” explained Go, who is the primary author and sponsor of the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019. “Pera naman ng taumbayan yan. Binabalik lang sa kanila sa pamamagitan ng mabilis at maayos na serbisyo. Kaya basta Pilipino ka, lalo na mga poor and indigent patients, qualified ka sa Malasakit Center. Lapitan niyo lang po ang Malasakit Center diyan po sa inyong lugar at tutulungan po kayo sa inyong billing,” he added. Across the country, there are currently 157 Malasakit Centers in operation, strategically established to facilitate more convenient access to medical assistance programs for the most financially vulnerable and indigent patients. They have now assisted over seven million Filipinos, according to the Department of Health. These centers serve as one-stop shops where individuals can easily avail of the various medical and financial assistance provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, DOH, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. In Pampanga, Malasakit Centers are located at the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital and at the Overseas Filipino Workers Hospital and Diagnostic Center, both in San Fernando City; and at the Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center in Angeles City. The relief activities were mounted at the Sta. Rita covered court where the senator's team provided snacks and shirts to 166 indigent residents. They also gave away shoes and balls for basketball and volleyball to select beneficiaries. A team from the DSWD also extended financial assistance. Meanwhile, Go mentioned that the government continues to bring health services closer to Filipino communities through the establishment of Super Health Centers nationwide. Through the collective efforts of fellow lawmakers, sufficient funds had been allocated for 307 Super Health Centers in 2022 and 322 in 2023. DOH, the lead implementing agency, identifies the strategic areas where they will be constructed. Under the 2022 national budget, Super Health Centers in Pampanga were funded in San Fernando City and in the towns of Lubao, Macabebe, Magalang, Porac, and San Agustin. In 2023, more centers were identified to be established in the towns of Magalang, Minalin, Porac, Sta. Rita, and Arayat. Go, as Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, likewise supported the funding of new equipment for hospitals in San Fernando City and in the towns of Arayat, Bacolor, Floridablanca, Guagua, Lubao, Mabalacat, Porac, and San Luis; and construction of multipurpose buildings in Arayat, Floridablanca, Santa Monica, Magalang and Masantol, among others. He was also instrumental in the construction of slope protection along Sapangbato River in Brgy. Margot in Angeles City. Last January 26, Go was honored by the provincial government of Pampanga for advancing the province's well-being and interests through its Resolution No. 7643-A. On that same day, former president Rodrigo Duterte was declared the province's "adopted son" by virtue of Resolution No. 7643 in recognition of his significant contributions to Pampanga's growth and prosperity during his presidency from 2016 to 2022. The post Bong Go assists indigent families in Minalin, Pampanga appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PPA remits P4.44-B revenues to govt
The Philippine Ports Authority on Wednesday reported that it remitted P4.44 billion in revenues to the government in 2022, nine percent higher than the P4.08 billion remittance in 2021. “The latest dividend contribution from PPA will greatly help our government’s recovery efforts from the pandemic especially now that we are gaining momentum towards economic recovery,” PPA Manager Jay Santiago said, adding that it is among the top 10 contributing government-owned and controlled corporations. In 2019, the agency turned over P5.05 billion in cash dividends to the National Treasury, the highest remittance since its creation in 1986. From 2016 to 2022, the PPA remitted P25.91 billion, the highest remittance in the past decade. PPA started the trend of increasing remittance in 2016, according to Santiago. The agency remitted P1.96 billion that year. It remitted P3 billion in 2017, P3.52 billion in 2018 and P5 billion in 2019. During the pandemic, PPA remittance decreased to P3.76 billion in 2020 but rebounded in 2021 to P4 billion. Under Republic Act No. 7656 or “An Act Requiring Government Owned or Controlled Corporations to Declare Dividends under Certain Conditions to the National Government, and for other purposes,” the PPA is required to declare and remit at least 50 percent of its net earnings, as cash, stock and/or property dividends to the national government for national development and building. Santiago attributed the success of PPA’s strong and steady financial performance to the authority’s sound fiscal management and the lifting of the Covid-19 restrictions. He added, “”This is a clear manifestation that honest and transparent public service go a long way. We are now reaping the benefits of management reforms over the past years. Malaking bagay po yung streamlining ng mga proseso natin sa pantalan at pati na rin syempre yung port modernization na sinimulan natin para hindi tayo napag-iiwanan when it comes to global standards and performance.” Meanwhile, Santiago said the PPA recorded an 83 percent budget utilization rate in 2022, the highest in the previous years despite the challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic. Santiago said it shows that PPA was able to maximize and implement responsible usage of its corporate budget compared to 71 percent in 2021 and 62 percent in 2020. “For 2023, we are aiming to surpass our 83 percent to 90 percent. We want to show the public that we are serious about getting the job done at wala pong budget na nasasayang sa PPA, lahat po ay ibinabalik natin sa taumbayan in forms of services and infrastructure projects,” Santiago said. The post PPA remits P4.44-B revenues to govt appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
On Earth Day: DBM pushes climate change planning
As the world observed Earth Day, the Department of Budget and Management on Saturday called on its fellow government agencies to intensify climate change planning and programming. “The serious implications that climate change pose are not just a problem for the next generation but also a present danger that is undeniably felt in our time,” DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said. “We need to act now by protecting our planet and its natural resources before it’s too late,” she added. The DBM chief said stakeholders must identify environment-related programs and projects in the preparation of the national budget in line with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028. “May we keep in mind that we are doing all these to ensure that our economic progress is moving towards a track that is truly inclusive and sustainable for all,” she pointed out. The DBM allocated P2.39 billion for the National Greening Program, which includes provisions for the Protected Areas Development and Management Program, Manila Bay Rehabilitation, and Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Management Program. It also increased the 2023 budget for climate change initiatives. Earth Day is observed every 22 April to mobilize policymakers and society to address the climate crisis. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlighted in 2018 the scale of the challenge required to keep warming to 1.5 degrees centigrade. This year, it stressed that global greenhouse gas emissions “have continued to increase, with unequal historical and ongoing contributions arising from unsustainable energy use, land use and land-use change, lifestyles, and patterns of consumption and production across regions, between and within countries, and among individuals.” In addition, it warned that the pace and scale of climate action are still insufficient to tackle climate change. The post On Earth Day: DBM pushes climate change planning appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Miss Q& A 2nd runner-up Lars Pacheco halos P1-M ang ginastos para maging ganap na babae: Sobrang worth it, grabe!
SA mga nais ding sumailalim sa sex reassignment surgery, alam n’yo ba kung magkano ang kailangan n’yong gastusin para maging ganap ang inyong pagiging babae? ibinandera ni Miss Q&A 2018 second runner-up Lars Pacheco kung magkano ang inilaan niyang budget matapos ang ginawang procedure sa kanya para magkaroon ng female sex organ. Ayon kay Lars, […] The post Miss Q&A 2nd runner-up Lars Pacheco halos P1-M ang ginastos para maging ganap na babae: Sobrang worth it, grabe! appeared first on Bandera......»»
House leaders bat for additional budget to fund pensions of uniformed personnel
House leaders led by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco are seeking a P54.6-billion supplemental budget to fund the unpaid pension of retired uniformed personnel dating back to 2018......»»
Coconut farmers are poorest agri people
Coconut farmers are now the poorest people in the agriculture sector, much poorer than when they were 30 years ago. This was the assessment of Danny Carranza, a coconut farmer and member the Kilusan Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo at Katarungang Panlipunan (Katarungan). (MB FILE, Keith Bacongco) Carranza blamed the coconut farmers’ poverty on the low copra prices, inability to intercrop and modernize, and now the COVID-19 pandemic, which isolates some of them who are living in far-flung areas. “If you’re going to compare, we are much poorer now than we were back in 1990,” said Carranza. Carranza said the “crisis in coconut” that started in the 1990s was never resolved, but even worsened especially when farmers failed to diversify and intercrop before copra prices, dictated by world prices, crashed in 2019 and in the previous years. “The price of copra is improving, reaching P16/kg from P8/kg last year, but that is still not enough,” Carranza said, adding that farmers’ income from a hectare of coconut plantation does not reach P10,000 anymore. At present, about 95 percent of the 3.5 million hectares of coconut farms in the Philippines are meant to produce copra, which is the material for coconut oil manufacturing. But with the collapse of the prices of coconut oil in the world market over the last two years, prices of copra have also dropped plunging farmers into deeper poverty. According to the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), prices of copra at farmgate as of October 15 stood at P21.86/kg, which is higher compared to P14.55/kg price level during the same day last year. But Carranza said that it normally takes three to four years for coconut farmers to recover when a typhoon hits their plantation because coconut trees don’t recover fast. Several typhoons have devastated coconut trees lately. “Farmers’ income is dictated by world prices, they don’t have enough funds to modernize their industry, and the government has failed to support them in the diversification of their coconut plantations,” Carranza said. “Then things got worse because of climate change. And then, because of lockdown, a lot of farmers who live in far-flung areas were isolated and couldn’t deliver their produce,” he added. In 2018, farmers working in coconut farms only received a daily nominal wage rate of P264, based on Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data. To alleviate the current situation of coconut farmers, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has announced that it will soon distribute a P5,000 worth of assistance to coconut farmers, which will be withdrawn from the agency’s P24-billion stimulus package granted under ‘Bayanihan 2’. The problem, according to Carranza, is that the assistance may only benefit farmers who own 1 hectare of coconut plantations or less. The PCA is also setting aside a portion of its budget to finance on-farm and off-farm livelihood projects for coconut farmers such as intercropping and livestock. Meanwhile, Pambansang Kilusan ng Magbubukid sa Pilipinas (PKMP) Chairman Eduardo Mora said the legal team of Senator Bong Go pledged to help coconut farmers push for provisions that they want to be included in the Coco Levy Act, the proposed law that will pave the way for the release of the P100-billion coco levy fund. “It was the office of Senator Bong Go that informed us that the senate version of Coco Levy Act was already passed in third and final reading. But his legal team also assured to help us in the congress version of the law, in bicameral, and in the drafting of the IRR [implementing rules and regulation] of the law,” Mora told Business Bulletin. Mora’s group, which represents more than a hundred thousand coconut farmers in the country, has been calling for increased farmers’ representation in the planned coconut trust fund management committee. Coconut farmers also don’t want the funds to be handled by PCA, Mora said. Business Bulletin already sought for Agriculture Secretary William Dar’s reaction regarding the farmers’ opposition of the Coco Levy Act, but he hasn’t responded yet. .....»»
House version of 2021 budget ready for Senate submission
"We don't want a reenactment of the 2018 budget. There is a huge penalty for that, and we need to fight the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic," a lawmaker said. .....»»
Inclusion of ESports in 2021 SEA Games gets boost
The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) found an ally in the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) which called on its member federations to lobby for the inclusion of esports as a medal sport in next year’s Vietnam 31st Southeast Asian Games. AESF Director General Sebastian Lau on Wednesday wrote National Electronic Sports Federation of the Philippines (NESFP) President Ramon Suzara about the continental federation’s intense bid for esports’ inclusion in the Vietnam 31st SEA Games set from November 21 to December 2 next year. “I am writing this letter to seek your support in driving our Olympic collaboration agenda for the upcoming 2021 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Hanoi,” Lau wrote. “We found out the news that Vietnam has not included esports as one of the official games, and currently it is in a process where the participating counties send an [appealing] letter to the hosting country Vietnam.” Vietnam organizers said they are hosting no more than 36 sports — from an initial of 46 — because their SEA Games budget were cut almost in half because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Esports didn’t survive the cut. The NESFP is the only e-sports association in the country that is recognized and certified by the AESF and the Global Esports Federation. “The AESF would like our federations in Southeast Asia to be united and support the Olympic collaboration agenda,” Lau said. “To further support our unification, we would like to encourage you to advocate the inclusion of e-sports as a medal event at the 2021 SEA Games in Hanoi.” “This lobby from the AESF is a welcome development for esports,” Suzara said. “All SEA Games countries have already adopted esports and they would want the sport to be played in Vietnam next year.” E-sports has risen by leaps and bounds that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) agreed for its inclusion as a demonstration sport in Paris 2024. Indonesia has included e-sports as a demonstration sport when it hosted the 18th Asian Games in 2018. The Philippines made esports a medal sport during the 30th SEA Games last December, winning three of the six gold medals at stake. Thailand clinched two golds and Malaysia one, while Vietnam settled for three bronze medals. AESF is recognized by the Olympic Council of Asia and lists 45 member countries, including all 11 countries in the SEA Games Federation. It is based in Hongkong. .....»»
WHO needs support in ongoing pandemic
THE United States informed the United Nations last week that it is leaving the World Health Organization (WHO) effective July 6, 2021, carrying out President Trump’s threat to leave the organization which he claimed to be too “China-centric.” With its withdrawal, the US will stop its contribution to WHO’s budget which, in 2018, amounted […].....»»
Belmonte, Binay call for climate action funding from development banks
The C40 coalition of cities, a network of nearly 100 mayors, asked MDBs to increase urban climate investment, integrate urban climate action into their strategies, and implement tailored programs to support city projects. .....»»
DMK criticises Election Commission for being biassed in allocating symbols to political parties
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 28 (ANI): The Deputy Secretary of the Student Wing of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Ka Amutharasan, has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of having a biassed attitude towards opposition parties by allocating election symbols as per their wishes. "ECI has allocated the symbols for the Tamil Manila Congress and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhgam that those parties wished for. Th.....»»
Infrastructure projects get better loan terms from Japan
The Philippines has secured better financing terms for two big-ticket infrastructure projects funded by the Japanese government aimed at improving public transport and road connectivity......»»
NBI nabs 8 bogus DBM officials
Eight people allegedly posing as officials of the Department of Budget and Management were apprehended by the National Bureau of Investigation in Mandaluyong on Tuesday......»»
P1.1 billion released to restore heritage school buildings
The Department of Budget and Management has released P1.1 billion to conserve and restore heritage school buildings in the country......»»
US lawmakers stand with Philippines vs Chinese sea aggression
Visiting US lawmakers expressed their concern over China’s continued aggression in Philippine waters during their meeting with President Marcos at Malacañang yesterday......»»
Guv still hopes for PBBM s nod of NIR despite bishop s opposition
Guv still hopes for PBBM s nod of NIR despite bishop s opposition.....»»
Shohei Ohtani says interpreter stole money, denies knowledge of gambling debts
Shohei Ohtani says he was unaware Ippei Mizuhara had gambling debts and that he had been lied to repeatedly by the interpreter who had been by his side since he joined Major League Baseball in 2018.....»»
Acciona advocates water conservation
Acciona, a global sustainable infrastructure company, recently launched its water conservation campaign to raise awareness among young children and empower them to become stewards of the vital resource......»»
Old habits die hard
In a 2018 article, I wrote about how I spent most of my weeknights playing video games and streaming random TV series, reality shows and movies......»»
Low subsidy forces LRTA to cut budget for train rehab
The Light Rail Transit Authority is cutting its budget for the restoration of trains to make the most of the lower subsidy given to the agency this year......»»