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Resumption of FTA talks seen to spur higher EU investments
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority expects investments from European companies to increase with the resumption of the Philippines – European Union free trade agreement negotiations......»»
‘DepEd acting on senior high school voucher discrepancies’
The Department of Education is acting on supposed discrepancies in the voucher program under the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education......»»
PBCom eyes P2 billion from new bond issue
The Philippine Bank of Communications is looking to raise at least P2 billion, with an option to oversubscribe, from the first tranche of its new peso bond program......»»
Better sports facilities pushed
As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Sports, I am saddened by the dilapidated state of the country’s iconic sports facilities. The Philippine Institute of Sports Multi-Purpose Arena, popularly known as PhilSports Arena, has come a long way from the time it was built in 1985 to house the Philippine Basketball Association until the league moved out in 1993 due to the lack of maintenance of the venue. The last time it was renovated was in 2019, when the country hosted the 30th Southeast Asian Games. Among PhilSports Arena’s main facilities are the Multi-purpose Arena, Swimming Center, and Football and Athletic Stadium. While the arena was greatly enjoyed as a sports facility, it also served as a temporary shelter for evacuees after Tropical Storm Ondoy and Typhoon Pepeng struck the Philippines in 2009, adding to the facility's wear and tear. A quick look at the PhilSports Arena and the other sports facilities nationwide should make us realize that we should invest more in rehabilitating our iconic sports facilities. As I have suggested during the budget deliberations in the Senate, prioritizing funding for sports facilities would have been better than putting flood control projects in areas with little to no population. This concern about the support we are providing our athletes has motivated me to author and co-sponsor Republic Act No. 11470, which established the National Academy of Sports at New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac. In collaboration with the Philippine Sports Commission and the Department of Education, NAS now offers a specialized secondary education program focused on sports where students can study and train simultaneously. I have also filed the Philippine National Games bill, which aims to provide a structure for a more comprehensive national sports program, linking grassroots sports promotion to national sports development by having a mini Olympics regularly. Providing opportunities to our youth will help develop their potential in sports but will also help keep them away from vices such as illegal drugs. I continue to support establishing sports-related programs and infrastructure to divert the youth from the lure of addiction and criminality. This is also part of my three-pronged approach to combat illegal drugs in the Philippines – law enforcement, rehabilitation, and prevention. Yesterday, I witnessed the Philippine ROTC Games 2023 Luzon Qualifying Leg opening ceremony held at Cavite State University – Indang Campus in Indang, Cavite. With Sen. Francis Tolentino, I encouraged our young cadets who participated in various competitions to get into sports and stay away from drugs. I have also remained faithful to my promise to visit and help our fellow Filipinos in most parts of the country. On 16 September, we attended the groundbreaking of a Super Health Center in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. We also visited the town of Damulog, where I inspected projects I have supported, such as a public market, road concreting project, evacuation center, solar street lights, and a multipurpose building. Later that day, we also attended the 25th Anniversary of Public Safety Basic Recruit Course Class 1998-Alpha at Acacia Hotel in Davao City. On 15 September, we attended a meeting of state universities and colleges leaders held in Davao City and hosted by Commission on Higher Education Chair Prospero de Vera. The night before, we also joined leaders from the CHEd, the University of the Philippines System, and various SUCs to honor the appointment of Atty. Angelo Jimenez, a fellow Mindanaoan, as the 22nd President of the University of the Philippines. We took the opportunity to voice our commitment to elevating the standard of education nationwide. This is also the reason why Republic Act No. 10931, or the Universal Access To Quality Tertiary Education Act, was enacted into law during the time of former president Rodrigo Duterte. Today, we continue to pursue this further as I co-authored and co-sponsored Senate Bill No. 1360, which aims to widen the reach of the law further. We visited Bislig City in Surigao del Sur to participate in its 23rd Charter Day festivities. We handed out grocery packages to 32 newlywed couples during a community wedding and inaugurated the country’s 159th Malasakit Center at the Bislig District Hospital. This is the seventh Malasakit Center in the Caraga region and the 40th in Mindanao. Our team also provided direct aid, including grocery packs, to 129 patients and 191 front liners, including security guards, utilities, and hospital staff. On 15 September, my office also attended the groundbreaking of Super Health Centers in New Washington and Malay in the province of Aklan. Meanwhile, we continue to support livelihood programs, especially those that can help people experiencing poverty overcome crises. Through our support, the Department of Trade and Industry provides livelihood kits to qualified beneficiaries affected by calamities and teaches them how to grow their businesses for the benefit of their families. Among those we have helped are 20 from Dipaculao, Aurora; 57 from Sanchez Mira and Abulog, Cagayan; 100 affected by the earthquake in Montevista and New Bataan, and 50 in Nabunturan in Davao de Oro; 196 in Malalag and Sulop, Davao del Sur; 20 in Mangatarem, Pangasinan; 21 victims of Typhoon Egay in Pigcawayan, North Cotabato; 132 shear line victims in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental; and 36 beneficiaries from Lutayan and Columbio, Sultan Kudarat, and General Santos City. We also continue to support the National Housing Authority’s distribution of emergency housing assistance to disaster victims so they can purchase roofing, nails, and other home repair materials. We assisted beneficiaries, including 85 fire victims in Imus City, Cavite. Meanwhile, my office helped the 65 fire victims in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. We also provided assistance to 75 TESDA graduates in Victorias City, Negros Occidental. We also distributed additional support to workers who lost their jobs, beneficiaries of the TUPAD program of the Department of Labor and Employment, including 413 in Talibon, Bohol, and 150 in Plaridel, Bulacan. We also aided 333 poor residents in Paluan, Occidental Mindoro; and 234 in Antipolo City, Rizal. Together, let us continue bringing government services closer to Filipinos in need – from better sports facilities more accessible healthcare services, and implementing various programs to help uplift communities affected by crises. The post Better sports facilities pushed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pandemic doubled attrition rate of college students — CHED data
CHED data shared during House budget deliberations on Wednesday show at least 41.16% of students who were sophomores when the pandemic first hit during SY 2020-2021 — and were supposed to graduate this year — paused or stopped their schooling. .....»»
NEDA urged to take lead in addressing shortage of healthcare professionals in Phl
Senator Pia Cayetano on Wednesday urged the National Economic and Development Authority to take the lead in sustaining the country's health sector, especially in addressing the shortage of healthcare professionals. During the Senate's deliberations on the proposed national government budget for 2024, Cayetano pressed the need to decisively resolve the problem as it has serious implications for the sustainability of the country's entire healthcare system. “We only talk about the nursing shortage, but we have a shortage of pharmacists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, everything that makes a health system sustainable, we have a shortage," she said. Cayetano lamented that the Philippines is also lacking a sufficient number of pharmacists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. “Everything that makes a health system sustainable, we have a shortage,” she said. "Who is taking the lead? CHED [Commission on Higher Education]? DoH [Department of Health]? I would like to recommend that it be NEDA-led. Like if we don't keep pushing CHED, they already have their hands full. If we don't keep pushing DOH, they also have their hands full with nursing. So we really, really need a leader in this area, dear colleagues, because we will also fall short. We will not be able to sustain a healthy country. ” Cayetano likewise pointed out the urgency of supporting the factors that make cities and communities sustainable, such as access to clean water, good health and nutrition, decent housing, education, and food security. The post NEDA urged to take lead in addressing shortage of healthcare professionals in Phl appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CHED seeks maintained subsidies in 2024 budget
The Commission on Higher Education on Friday said that they are hoping to sustain their scholarships and subsidies programs for students in next year’s national budget, ahead of the budget deliberations later this year. CHED commissioner Ronald Adamat said in a Radyo Pilipinas interview that they are yet to finalize the agency’s proposed budget for 2024. The agency’s budget under the 2023 General Appropriations Act is at P30.887 billion in new appropriations. “We haven’t finalized it yet and are still discussing whether some areas need additional funding or have problems, but higher education, and education per se, is a very important agency of the government,” Adamat said. Adamat assured that free education under Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education, which includes waived tuition fees and miscellaneous fees in state colleges and universities and subsidies in private schools through the Tertiary Education Subsidy program will still continue. Last month, CHED chairperson Prospero de Vera said in a House Committee hearing that the agency has been experiencing budget cuts in the implementation of UAQTEA. The post CHED seeks maintained subsidies in 2024 budget appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Daza to CHEd: Put funding to good use
The Commission on Higher Education could use its P10-billion funding if its heart really goes out to disadvantaged students, House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Paul Daza said Tuesday, reiterating his prior allegation that the funding was previously utilized for tertiary student scholarships. “If our hearts are in it, if we really wanted to help the poor, CHEd can use the P10 billion today without having to wait for the next GAA (General Appropriations Act) budget deliberations,” said the Northern Samar solon. “The list is with you. You have one million students. Please, put it to use.” The allegation that the CHEd used the P10 billion of its funding for other purposes resurfaced yesterday during the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education’s deliberation on House Resolution 767. The resolution, which Daza authored, calls for the government to improve access to tertiary education and reduce attrition rates among 4Ps beneficiaries and other deserving and financially challenged students by increasing the budget allocation for scholarships. It was Daza who alleged that the CHEd misused its P10-billion worth of scholarship funds during the panel’s first hearing on the resolution on 20 March, claiming it came out that essentially CHEd has not utilized as of 2021 report P10-billion. “The earmarked funds is what we call an off-budget. By law travel tax, PRC, and PCSO shares go to that fund. That’s supposed to be for higher education. If CHEd did its job and engaged DSWD and if they continue the 2012 grant-in-aid which was incorporated in the law, they could have helped a few hundred thousand students a year,” Daza pointed out during the previous hearing. Daza’s claim, however, was turned down by CHEd chairperson Popoy de Vera, who earlier said that he had “no idea” where the P10-billion scholarship fund came from. “The Higher Education Development Fund was put in the CHEd Charter (RA 7722) to fund projects to ‘strengthen higher education’. It is not a scholarship fund,” said De Vera in a statement on 22 March in response to Daza’s accusation. “CHEd has been giving grants to HEIs (higher educational institutions) over the past four administrations and the current CHEd Chairperson and Commissioners have continued this policy. What is new under the current CHEd leadership is a stronger focus on tourism,” the chairman maintained. Daza, however, took advantage of yesterday’s deliberation to advocate that the agency’s funds could also cater to students taking courses unrelated to tourism by providing them scholarships, citing The Tourism Act of 2019. Further, the minority lawmaker noted that the law’s revenue mandate did not exclusively cater to only students under tourism-related courses but prioritized them. To further prove his point that the CHEd could tap its HEDF for college students’ scholarships, Daza said: “P2 billion or more than half of the HEDF in 2016, was used for student-related support.” “Meaning there’s already precedent for HEDF to be utilized by CHEd for poor students, needy students.” In addition, Daza expressed concern that, in contrast to 2016, when P2 billion represented half of the HEDF, student aid had dropped to just P170 million, or less than a fourth of the HEDF. “By the time Chairman de Vera took over in 2019, the share for student assistance had dwindled down to P170 million, or 18.7 percent of the HEDF,” the lawmaker claimed. The post Daza to CHEd: Put funding to good use appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Marcos admin earmarks P138B for higher education — DBM
CEBU – The Marcos administration has allocated a total of P138.77 billion for Higher Education programs and initiatives under the 2023 General Appropriations Act to put a premium on the education of Filipino children. Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said on Tuesday that it reflects the Marcos administration’s commitment to empowering the youth. “President (Ferdinand) Marcos (Jr.) himself said that education is the only legacy we can leave our children that will never go to waste. Indeed, education is our best investment for the nation,” Pangandaman said. "This is likewise in consonance with the promise of Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte to help the sector produce graduates that are employable," Pangandaman added. The P138.77 billion budget for Higher Education will go to State Universities and Colleges or SUCs (P107.04 billion) and the Commission on Higher Education or CHED (P31.73 billion). Part of the budget will be used to fund the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Program (UAQTE) with P45.8 billion. Other educational programs are likewise allotted with necessary funding for 2023. These include Student Financial Assistance Programs (P1.52 billion) which aim to provide scholarships and grant-in-aid programs to 21,053 student beneficiaries. A total of P500 million was likewise allocated for Medical Scholarship and Return Service Program to assist deserving medical students to pursue education and training, in exchange for services rendered in public health offices or hospitals. Meanwhile, the amount of P167 million will subsidize the tuition fees of medical students in SUCs. The post Marcos admin earmarks P138B for higher education — DBM appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CHEd eyes free tuition funding
The Commission on Higher Education on Monday urged the Congress to back additional allocation for the country’s free tuition and subsidy program known as the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education or UAQTE. During the hearing of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, CHEd chairperson Prospero de Vera noted the decreasing budget cuts on free tuition and subsidies from 2021 to 2023, as well as the lower allocation as compared to CHEd’s proposal. “It is clear that we have always proposed a bigger UAQTE budget but we do not get it in the National Expenditures Program and the General Appropriations Act. The solution is we need increased and sustained funding for UAQTE in NEP and GAA,” De Vera said. In 2021 and 2022, despite CHEd’s budget proposal of more than P53.9 billion for UAQTE, the National Expenditures Program cuts the budget to between P44 billion to P46 billion. However, in last year’s General Appropriations Act, the funding for UAQTE was significantly stripped from P44 billion to P26 billion. For this year, while CHED has also lowered its proposal to P34 billion but the 2023 GAA only approved P25 billion. The post CHEd eyes free tuition funding appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CHED-7: Gov t scholarship, cash aid to continue
CEBU CITY, July 29 (PIA) -- Despite the cut in the budget of several government agencies this year due to COVID-19, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED-7) here assured that government scholars.....»»
Binance ban a boon to local crypto firms
Local crypto traders are now experiencing as much as four times higher transaction volumes as investors shift their tokens from Binance......»»
Baltimore bridge collapse could lead to delayed shipments, higher shipping costs
The closure of the Port of Baltimore in the US following the collapse of the Baltimore key bridge is expected to lead to shipment delays and higher shipping costs......»»
Catch-up Fridays eased for teachers
JENIELITO "Dodong" Atillo, spokesperson of the Department of Education (DepEd-Davao), clarified during the AFP-PNP press conference held on Wednesday morning, March 27, 2024, at the Royal Mandaya Hotel, that the implementation of “Catch-up Fridays” has been streamlined to alleviate any perceived burden on teachers......»»
DOH: Pertussis cases 20 times higher since January
The number of pertussis cases nationwide has increased 20-fold this year from 2023, according to the Department of Hea.....»»
House leaves Quiboloy’s fate to Senate
The House of Representatives will no longer pursue and implement the warrant of arrest it issued against pastor Apollo Quiboloy after it approved on final reading the bill revoking the franchise of the evangelist’s alleged TV network......»»
Go inspects Bacolod Super Health Center
Sen. Bong Go, chairperson of the Senate committee on health and demography, inspected a Super Health Center in Bacolod City on Sunday......»»
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......»»
Globe closed on an additional P1.16-B in tower sales
Globe Telecom, the Zobel Family’s telecommunications company, disclosed that it closed on the sale of another 91 cell towers to Frontier Towers to raise approximately P1.16 billion in cash......»»
Lalamove empowers aspiring women entrepreneurs to start their small businesses in PangNegosyo program
Lalamove, a leading on-demand delivery platform, has launched the Panalong PangNegosyo program for its thousands of women partner drivers to give out a business-starter package to three lady riders or drivers......»»