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NEW YORK (PRWEB) APRIL 20, 2020

Education Through Music, a nonprofit that provides music education to 36,000 New York City students, is teaming up with BronxNet, a community media and media education organization serving the Bronx, to provide students with access to music education in their own homes via their cable box.

BronxNet is partnering with Bronx educators and administrators on the distance learning initiative Bronx Edulution to broadcast remote learning content on BronxNet channels. The content, presented by Bronx educators, covers a range of subjects geared towards elementary, junior high, and high school students, as well as their families. Programming blocks will feature ETM's original distance learning music education resources and videos as a part of the broadcast. The two-hour, weekday block will reach those students who may not have access to the internet or reliable devices.

Education broadcasts begin on Monday, April 20th, from 9 – 11am and can be viewed on BronxNet channel 68-Optimum and 34-Fios as well as the BronxNet website: http://www.bronxnet.tv, starting April 20, 2020, Content will also be programmed on additional BronxNet channels in the near future.

"We're thrilled to partner with BronxNet." said ETM Executive Director Penny Swift. "We know that providing the opportunity for kids to sing and dance is more critical than ever, and we're so grateful for the opportunity to join the Bronx Edulution and pursue equity in access to high-quality music education."

"BronxNet is proud to partner with Education Through Music via the Bronx Edulution on BronxNet TV to bring important arts engagement programming to students through television as our communities endure the global crisis," said BronxNet Executive Director Michael Max Knobbe.

NYC's Department of Education will also be providing some guidance. "Partnering with BronxNet is a super special and unique opportunity to for us to get into the houses of our students," said Bronx Executive Superintendent Meisha Ross Porter in an interview on BronxNet.

About Education Through Music
Education Through Music was founded in 1991 to promote the integration of music into the curricula of under-resourced schools in order to enhance students' academic performance and general development. ETM forms long-term partnerships with elementary and middle schools to develop sustainable, long-term music programs. You can view some of ETM's distance learning resources on their website at http://www.etmonline.org/distancelearning.

The ETM model currently serves nearly 36,000 students in New York City, and our model reaches more than 15,000 children through the work of our licensed affiliate organization in Los Angeles and Denver. ETM's comprehensive, sustainable music education network has garnered the support of corporations, public policy makers and foundations, including The Music Man Foundation, CMA Foundation, Steinway & Sons, Booth Ferris Foundation, The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, and D'Addario Foundation. For more information, visit us at http://www.etmonline.org

About BronxNet
BronxNet is the independent nonprofit organization serving the people of the Bronx with media production training, access to technology, and television channels. BronxNet programs six channels - 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38 on the Verizon Fios system and six channels - 67, 68, 69, 70, 951 and 952 - on the Optimum system in the Bronx. BronxNet's ultra-local programming helps connect the Bronx with the world while our training programs and partnerships are a part of community development through media. For more information visit: http://www.bronxnet.org



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NEW YORK (PRWEB) APRIL 20, 2020

Education Through Music, a nonprofit that provides music education to 36,000 New York City students, is teaming up with BronxNet, a community media and media education organization serving the Bronx, to provide students with access to music education in their own homes via their cable box.

BronxNet is partnering with Bronx educators and administrators on the distance learning initiative Bronx Edulution to broadcast remote learning content on BronxNet channels. The content, presented by Bronx educators, covers a range of subjects geared towards elementary, junior high, and high school students, as well as their families. Programming blocks will feature ETM's original distance learning music education resources and videos as a part of the broadcast. The two-hour, weekday block will reach those students who may not have access to the internet or reliable devices.

Education broadcasts begin on Monday, April 20th, from 9 – 11am and can be viewed on BronxNet channel 68-Optimum and 34-Fios as well as the BronxNet website: http://www.bronxnet.tv, starting April 20, 2020, Content will also be programmed on additional BronxNet channels in the near future.

"We're thrilled to partner with BronxNet." said ETM Executive Director Penny Swift. "We know that providing the opportunity for kids to sing and dance is more critical than ever, and we're so grateful for the opportunity to join the Bronx Edulution and pursue equity in access to high-quality music education."

"BronxNet is proud to partner with Education Through Music via the Bronx Edulution on BronxNet TV to bring important arts engagement programming to students through television as our communities endure the global crisis," said BronxNet Executive Director Michael Max Knobbe.

NYC's Department of Education will also be providing some guidance. "Partnering with BronxNet is a super special and unique opportunity to for us to get into the houses of our students," said Bronx Executive Superintendent Meisha Ross Porter in an interview on BronxNet.

About Education Through Music
Education Through Music was founded in 1991 to promote the integration of music into the curricula of under-resourced schools in order to enhance students' academic performance and general development. ETM forms long-term partnerships with elementary and middle schools to develop sustainable, long-term music programs. You can view some of ETM's distance learning resources on their website at http://www.etmonline.org/distancelearning.

The ETM model currently serves nearly 36,000 students in New York City, and our model reaches more than 15,000 children through the work of our licensed affiliate organization in Los Angeles and Denver. ETM's comprehensive, sustainable music education network has garnered the support of corporations, public policy makers and foundations, including The Music Man Foundation, CMA Foundation, Steinway & Sons, Booth Ferris Foundation, The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, and D'Addario Foundation. For more information, visit us at http://www.etmonline.org

About BronxNet
BronxNet is the independent nonprofit organization serving the people of the Bronx with media production training, access to technology, and television channels. BronxNet programs six channels - 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38 on the Verizon Fios system and six channels - 67, 68, 69, 70, 951 and 952 - on the Optimum system in the Bronx. BronxNet's ultra-local programming helps connect the Bronx with the world while our training programs and partnerships are a part of community development through media. For more information visit: http://www.bronxnet.org



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NAPA, CALIF. (PRWEB) APRIL 20, 2020

Napa Valley Wine Academy, 2019 WSET Global Educator of the Year, announced a partnership with VingDirect, the award-winning leader in online Direct To Consumer sales and marketing courses for the wine industry.

In addition to cross-promotion of their respective online courses, Napa Valley Wine Academy has launched the first of two critical VingDirect courses for the DTC market on the Academy's online platform. The Advanced Wine Sales course empowers participants to identify and eliminate personal selling barriers and trains them to acknowledge and respond to objections, along with other critical DTC training, over five video lessons (totaling 60 minutes), quizzes, worksheets, training tips and a final exam leading to Certification. The Converting Guests to Wine Club Members course includes six video lessons totaling 95 minutes of training with quizzes, worksheets, a final exam, and Certification. Certificates are provided upon successful completion of either course, and each includes twelve (12) months of access.

"VingDirect is the leader in wine industry sales and marketing education, and we are proud to partner with VingDirect to offer our students access to expanded superior online business education," said Christian Oggenfuss, founder of Napa Valley Wine Academy. "Our students and clients expect exceptional-quality content and a seamless online learning experience; VingDirect's online courses deliver in both regards."

VingDirect Founder and President, Tammy Boatright, has 25+ years of direct marketing and general management experience and frequently speaks at industry conferences. The company is a past recipient of the North Bay Business Journal's Direct to Consumer award for the wine industry, and its customer list includes top winery clients. VingDirect will promote Napa Valley Wine Academy's internationally-recognized WSET courses to its clients, through the VingDirect online portal.

"This partnership will provide certification to students who seek to enter the wine industry and those who wish to advance their sales and marketing careers in the wine industry," explains Tammy Boatright. We are very excited to partner with Napa Valley Wine Academy and to offer their WSET courses to VingDirect winery clients."

ABOUT:
Napa Valley Wine Academy is America's Premier Wine School and the two-time winner of the WSET Global Wine Educator of the Year, having won in 2016 and 2019, making it the most awarded WSET wine school in the world. The Academy is based in Napa Valley, California, with ten locations across the United States and Online. The Academy is proud to be an approved program provider of the internationally recognized WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) series of wine, spirit, and sake courses (including WSET Levels 1 through 4 in Wine) as well as a full suite of online classes and a host of other specialty classes ideal for enthusiasts and critical for wine and beverage industry professionals.

For more information about the Napa Valley Wine Academy and its numerous courses and experiences, visit https://napavalleywineacademy.com.

VingDirect was founded in 2008 to help family wineries grow their direct to consumer sales. Working with wineries across the United States, VingDirect uses a collaborative approach to create customized solutions to increase direct to consumer sales. VingDirect believes in making education and information affordable and accessible to wine industry professionals. The VingDirect education portal is the largest wine industry repository of direct to consumer education, resources, and information.



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BUDAPEST, HUNGARY AND CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (PRWEB) APRIL 20, 2020

Global molecular diagnostics company Omixon, headquartered in Budapest with US offices in Cambridge, MA, announced today that Omixon's founder and chairman Dr. Attila Berces returns as CEO. Outgoing CEO Dr. Peter Meintjes led the early commercialisation of Omixon's flagship product Holotype HLA since 2014 before stepping into the CEO role in 2017.

In concert between the incoming and outgoing CEOs, as well as Omixon's Board of Directors, the company has restructured its executive team with Gregory Werner as VP Commercial Operations, Elmar Schilling as CTO, and Judit Kósa as CFO. Gregory Werner joined Omixon from Thermo Fisher where he was responsible for the entire One Lambda portfolio (Transplant Diagnostics) in Europe. Prior to the acquisition by One Lambda, Greg built the European operations for Linkage Biosciences, successfully introducing LinkSeq and dominating the market. Elmar Schilling has joined Omixon from Eurofins Genomics, where he led the NGS Manual Innovation Facility at its DNA Campus near Munich. Judit Kósa, joins Omixon after more than a decade in the pharmaceutical industry including Teva Pharmaceuticals and AMRI and more than a decade in CFO roles. "Together with Zoltán Simon (COO), who has been with the company for over 10 years, Omixon's executive team is ready to take Omixon to a new level," says Dr. Berces.

Omixon came to the market with the first HLA genotyping test using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) in 2014 and has grown revenues at a compounded annual rate of 100% for four consecutive years. "During the fast pace of market expansion we had failed to listen to some customer requirements. We are now addressing this and will provide laboratories with an improved customer experience. We recently released a software update that solved a serious software performance issue. We are committed to continue with our outstanding customer support. We have an ambitious vision to expand our product portfolio by developing new products in-house, as well as by licensing and acquiring new innovative technologies," says Dr. Berces.

Omixon's R&D lab continues to operate during the current lock-down. It is an excellent time to gather customer input, improve existing products and develop new ones. The Early Access Program of the 11-locus multiplex Omnitype product is already underway with feedback from 8 labs and while partly interrupted by COVID19, the product versions tested in the second phase of the EAP will incorporate the feedback from those first 8 labs with minimal impact to EAP. We aim to fulfil laboratory expectations and we strive to bring at least one new product on the market every year.



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ARLINGTON, VA. (PRWEB) APRIL 20, 2020

Hobsons, the education technology leader and the company behind Naviance, announced the 15-member Naviance Strategic Advisory Board (SAB) for 2020 that will support its efforts in providing the premier college, career and life readiness solutions to the K-12 market. Composed of district and school leaders, department heads, and school counselors from around the country, the advisory board will provide ongoing feedback and market insight that helps guide the product roadmap and other strategic initiatives that impact Naviance clients. With the rapidly-evolving impact of COVID-19, the SAB provides an important and timely link to understanding the immediate challenges affecting schools and districts across the nation.

Meeting regularly throughout the year, members of the SAB represent a cross-section of clients and will serve as strategic partners to validate product ideas, guide product launches, help define new service offerings, and shape marketing messages and client communications. The board will speak openly about their experience with Naviance and Hobsons, share market intelligence and have the opportunity to network and collaborate on best practices with their peers.

The Naviance Strategic Advisory Board consists of 15 members who serve a three-year term when appointed. They represent a diverse group of educators from public schools and private schools.

Returning members:

Becky Ballbach, Everett Public Schools (WA)

Jennifer Glaser, Fairfax County Public Schools (VA)

Pat Leonardo, Christian Brothers Academy (NJ)

Carol Lopez, Broward County Public Schools (FL)

Trevor Maggied, Hilliard City Schools (OH)

Katherine Pastor, Flagstaff High School (AZ)

Rudy Ruiz, FourPoint Education Partners (MD)

Cathey White, School District of Philadelphia (PA)

New members in 2020:

Rebecca Cooling, Dowling Catholic HS (IA)

Tommy Elder, Chehalis School District (WA)

Dave Ellefson, Hutchinson High School (MN)

Christopher Kolar, Palo Alto USD (CA)

Cathy Longstreet, Hastings High School (MI)

Terry Perkins, Humble ISD (TX)

Anjela Schwab, Adams 12 Five Star Schools (CO)

To learn more about the Naviance Strategic Advisory Board, visit https://inside.naviance.com/advisory-board/

About Naviance
Naviance provides information and resources that enable school counselors, teachers, students, and parents to engage in meaningful conversations about how to assess a student's options after high school. The platform arms students with the tools to explore, apply to, and enroll in a postsecondary path that is a best fit for the student, based on education and career goals, learning style, and personal preferences regarding where and how they would like to continue their education. For more information on Naviance, visit http://www.naviance.com.

About Hobsons
A leader in education technology, Hobsons helps more than 15 million students to identify their strengths, explore careers, match to best-fit educational opportunities, create academic plans, and reach their education and life goals. More than 13,000 K-12 and higher education institutions partner with Hobsons and leverage our expertise and our solutions -- Naviance, Intersect, and Starfish -- to improve college and career readiness, college recruiting and admissions, and higher education student success to support millions of students. Our leading college and career readiness platform Naviance was named the 2017 and 2018 SIIA CODiE Award winner in the Best College and Career Readiness Solution category.



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FAIRFAX, VA. (PRWEB) APRIL 20, 2020

Contact: Media Relations, info@copticorphans.org

Coptic Orphans, a nonprofit dedicated to helping fatherless children in Egypt, has jumped out well ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The virus has devastated the world on multiple fronts, hurting both the physical wellbeing and financial security of wide swaths of humanity. The children served by Coptic Orphans are especially vulnerable, as their departed fathers were the sole breadwinners for the family.

To continue serving these vulnerable children, the organization has altered its operation, utilizing innovative methods to stay in contact with the children they serve while protecting the health of everyone involved.

The Egypt field office remains in constant communication with a grassroots network of community-based volunteers who visit local children. The organization has scaled back house visits, though In-person advances in financial aid are made available to families in case of a lock-down of the local area. Most of the visits, however, are now conducted via telephone and communication apps, with volunteers focused on disseminating health and hygiene information provided by the Egyptian government.

While the children wait out the virus in their homes, Coptic Orphans has made plans to ensure they will be able to continue their education. Egyptian schools have been shuttered for the rest of the academic year, and students are expected to complete research projects from home in lieu of taking year-end exams. This places tremendous strain on poorer children who lack the resources to continue theirs studies in-house.

The organization has invested in purchasing internet service for households for remote learning, and trained volunteers have organized online tutoring sessions so that disadvantaged children are not left behind this school year.

"A good charity must always be able to adapt to conditions on the ground," said Coptic Orphans Executive Director Nermien Riad. "We recognized that COVID-19 posed a threat to our operations in Egypt, and we knew we had to act quickly and think outside the box in order to ensure the children continue to receive the type of care they've come to expect from Coptic Orphans. I would say that 95 percent of our operations in Egypt are continuing unaffected because we were so quick to adapt."

The organization has offices in four countries – Egypt, Australia, Canada and the USA – and was able to move each office to remote operation well in advance of any local lock-down ordinances.

Coptic Orphans is an award-winning international Christian development organization that has transformed the lives of over 55,000 children in Egypt since 1988. We believe that through long-term programs that focus on education, we can affect the vicious cycle of poverty.



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BURLINGTON, VT. (PRWEB) APRIL 20, 2020

As millions of college students abruptly returned home from campus this spring and moved into online learning environments the lack of appropriate support for students, especially students with ADHD, executive functioning challenges, those with learning disabilities or diverse learners, was illuminated. In addition, international students have also faced unique challenges in this transition, and many students of all kinds now have difficulty accessing support structures. In response, Dr. Perry LaRoque, author of Taking Flight: College for Students with Disabilities, Diverse Learners, and their Families and Founder of Mansfield Hall, an innovative residential college support program, and his team of educational experts have launched Virtual Hall. Virtual Hall is an online college support platform that brings educational specialists and coaches directly to college students, whether they are at home, in their dorm, or in the community.

"Great education has always been about meeting the needs of a student as they are, not as we want them to be. Virtual Hall is designed to address the individual needs of a student and provide holistic, personalized academic and college life coaching to support their goal completion," says Dr. LaRoque.

This first-of-its-kind college support program is able to provide academic and college life coaching and support to any college student with an internet connection, anywhere across the country. Unique to Virtual Hall, students are not only provided a dedicated team of academic and college life coaches, but they also have access to Virtual Hall's coaching platform via a secure online portal and access to a social network and social events, created exclusively for Virtual Hall students, just like they could expect on a traditional college campus.





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WASHINGTON AND MORRISTOWN, N.J. (PRWEB) APRIL 20, 2020

The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) and Schindler Elevator Corporation are proud to announce the launch of our newest design competition, Elevate 2.0. We have teamed up to create the next iteration of the previous Schindler student competition 'Elevate Your Pitch'. Elevate 2.0 presents university students with a new type of design challenge to elevate the elevator/escalator user experience.

"We have been so impressed by the creative business ideas coming out of this competition over the past three years," says Kristin Prudhomme, vice president, New Installations, Schindler Elevator Corporation. "We look forward to seeing how this year's new challenge ignites these creative minds to reimagine elevators, which is close to Schindler's heart."

In this unique opportunity, students of all design backgrounds will be forced to think creatively and out of the box as they begin to reimagine elevators/escalators and their existence. Design concepts can incorporate modularity, accessibility or other elevator/escalator design-related solutions.

AIAS is thrilled to be able to re-launch this refreshed competition with its partners at Schindler Elevator Corporation. According to the organization's Executive Director, Karma Israelsen, "we have an obligation to engage and support our members and provide outlets for creative expression and innovation. This competition provides an opportunity for us to highlight the skills of our members and showcase design thinking at its best."

This year's competition will run from now to July 15, 2020, at which point a jury of various backgrounds will select the top 3 entries. The finalists will be notified and asked to join us at the AIAS Grassroots Leadership Conference held in Washington, D.C. on July 30 - August 1, 2020, where they will introduce their sketch or rendering and compete in the finals.

Details are available at aias.org/elevate and submissions will be due by Wednesday, July 15, 2020. Winners will be announced in July at the AIAS Grassroots Leadership Conference.

ABOUT THE AIAS

The American Institute of Architecture Students is a non-profit, student-run organization dedicated to programs, information and resources on issues critical to architecture and the experience of education. For more information, visit aias.org or call (202)808-0075.

ABOUT SCHINDLER ELEVATOR CORPORATION

Schindler Elevator Corporation is the North American operation of the Switzerland-based Schindler Group, a leading global mobility provider of elevators, escalators and related services. Schindler supports sustainable urban development with safe, reliable and sustainable mobility solutions, moving more than one billion people every day all over the world. Behind the company's success are over 60,000 employees operating in more than 100 countries. For additional information about Schindler Elevator Corporation, visit the company's Web site at http://www.us.schindler.com.



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OKLAHOMA CITY (PRWEB) APRIL 20, 2020

Express Employment Professionals is hosting the 2020 ExpressTalks Celebrity Edition broadcast, a nationwide leadership event featuring best-selling author and leadership expert Simon Sinek and social psychologist and award-winning Harvard lecturer Dr. Amy Cuddy.

Express locations across the U.S. and Canada will host virtual events for businesses and community leaders. The event focuses on how leaders can reach the next level, inspire their people and become more effective in their roles.

The event will be broadcast on Wednesday, April 22. Participants can register online at ExpressPros.com/ExpressTalks.

Dr. Cuddy kicks off the event with a presentation based on her best-selling book, "Presence: Bring Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges." Through her years of research, she has unlocked the power of prejudice and stereotyping, nonverbal behavior, the delicate balance of trustworthiness and strength and the ways in which people can affect their own thoughts, feelings, performance and psychological and physical well-being. During her presentation, she will speak about how we can become more present, influential, compassionate, brave and satisfied in our professional and personal lives.

Sinek closes the event with a Q&A session on how to achieve success by thinking of life and business as an infinite game. Based on his best-selling book, "The Infinite Game," Sinek's presentation will journey through an infinite mindset and unlock a new way to perceive business success. Sinek is best known for popularizing the concept of "WHY," which he described in his first TED Talk in 2009. That talk went on to become one of the top five most watched TED Talks of all time with nearly 50 million views.

"We are very excited for Simon and Dr. Cuddy to share their wisdom with the communities we serve across the U.S. and Canada this week," said Express CEO Bill Stoller. "It is our deepest hope that their presentations inspire your teams and encourage you to grow as a leader."

***

If you would like to arrange for an interview with Bill Stoller to discuss this topic, please contact Sheena Karami, Director of Corporate Communications and PR, at (405) 717-5966.

About Bill Stoller
William H. "Bill" Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment Professionals. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the international staffing company has more than 825 franchises in the U.S., Canada and South Africa, and beginning in 2020 will expand to Australia and New Zealand. Since its inception, Express has put more than 8 million people to work worldwide.

About Express Employment Professionals
At Express Employment Professionals, we're in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK, our international network of franchises offer localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve, employing 552,000 people across North America in 2019. For more information, visit http://www.expresspros.com.



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PEKIN, ILL. (PRWEB) APRIL 20, 2020

The iaedp Foundation is announcing the 2020 Virtual Symposium, a safe, convenient and accessible way to experience the educational and networking benefits of the group's annual conference. The 2020 Virtual Symposium will run from May 15 to July 31, 2020.

Attendees who registered for the 2020 iaedp Symposium originally slated for March 26-29 in Orlando automatically will be enrolled in the upcoming virtual Symposium and do not need to register for the 2020 Virtual Symposium. If an individual was not registered for the original 2020 iaedp Symposium (in Orlando) and would like to register for the 2020 Virtual Symposium, details can be found at iaedp.com.

Unlike the original 2020 iaedp Symposium, the 2020 Virtual Symposium offers all those who participate a robust and dynamic opportunity to view all sessions and workshops as well as the experience of the interactive Exhibit Hall. There is no daily schedule since all sessions are available and accessible online. For a full listing of all available sessions, in English and Spanish, and speakers, including keynote speakers, visit iaedp.com.

From body image and exercise therapies to innovative research and family issues, most all of the sessions scheduled for the original 2020 iaedp Symposium will be fully accessible to all participants of the iaedp 2020 Virtual Symposium.

"We couldn't be more pleased with the offering of the first virtual Symposium from iaedp," said Bonnie Harken, Managing Director of the iaedp Foundation. "It is a truly safe and fully accessible
experience.

"The iaedp Symposium remains one of the best ways for health care professionals to earn CEs in our field of eating disorders treatment," said Harken.

For more information about the 2020 iaedp Virtual Symposium schedule and registration, and to register online, visit iaedp.com.

About the iaedp Foundation: Since 1985, the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals has provided education and training standards to an international and multidisciplinary group of various healthcare treatment providers and helping professions. MemberSHARE.iaedp.com is an iaedp business journal and online member resource to learn about noteworthy member achievements, continuing education webinars and U.S. and international chapter activity and events; for more information, visit MemberSHARE.

The Presidents Council provides iaedp support and includes: Center for Change; Center for Hope of the Sierras; Center for Discovery; Eating Recovery Center; Willow Place; Laureate Eating Disorders Program; The Meadows Ranch; Rogers Behavioral Health; Rosewood Centers for Eating Disorders; Selah House; The Renfrew Center; Timberline Knolls; Veritas Collaborative; Alsana Eating Disorder Treatment & Recovery Centers; Silver Hill Hospital, Walden Behavioral Care and KIPU.

The 2020 iaedp Symposium is proud to announce Bronze Sponsors: Eating Disorder Recovery Specialists, Simple Practice and Transcend ED.



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YPSILANTI, MICH. (PRWEB) APRIL 20, 2020

In response to the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on Eastern Michigan University and the surrounding community, GameAbove has provided and will keep giving critical contributions to assist university students, local hospitals, and hundreds of families.

GameAbove, a group of EMU alumni that previously donated more than $13 million supporting a variety of initiatives on and off campus, recognizes the need to ease the economic hardships created by the global pandemic and to support frontline healthcare workers treating those affected by the virus.

"College students are facing unimaginable challenges. Many families, now faced with teaching their children at home, have lacked the tools for online education. Other residents suddenly find themselves in need of food and other basic supplies. And, just as importantly, nurses and doctors at local hospitals are in desperate need for protective equipment," said GameAbove spokesperson Denis Wolcott. "EMU is doing their part and stepping up for the community; GameAbove is part of that family. We want to help their efforts continue and go further, contributing where it will make a positive, immediate impact – and we're calling on others to do the same."

Today, GameAbove announced the following supportive efforts in collaboration with EMU:

EMU Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) project: GameAbove funds are helping EMU students, faculty, and staff to purchase tools and supplies to make masks, gowns and other PPE for nurses, doctors and staff at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and Henry Ford Hospital.

Growing the EMU Student Emergency Fund: Reallocating $68,000 of donated funds from low-priority initiatives and providing up to $50,000 in additional matching donations. The fund, created through GameAbove's "Students Matter Most" initiative, provides one-time monetary assistance to students who are experiencing an unforeseen crisis to cover expenses which can impact a student's ability to continue their education.

Hope Clinic (Ypsilanti): Contributing $26,650 in a matching donation ($53,300 total raised) to help continue and expand the clinic's free services (medical and dental care, food, and other needs) during the COVID-19 crisis.

Ypsilanti Community Schools: $10,000 to a program that is providing internet service and computers to local families in need.

Food Gatherers: $10,000 to this critical food bank program. Like other food banks across the country, demands for these services have increased with large numbers of people losing their jobs from COVID-19 related closures.

As the COVID-19 crisis evolves, GameAbove will continue to align its philanthropic resources based on emerging needs with a priority on food, medical and emergency assistance to Eastern Michigan University and the surrounding community. Persons, companies and organizations interested in matching donations or assisting these COVID-19 relief programs can get details at http://www.emich.edu/engage.

About GameAbove
At GameAbove, our primary focus is to help shape, inspire and support the current and future students of Eastern Michigan University by reaching new heights in learning through transformation and inspiration in the educational experience. Together, we will strive for that next level of success with a GameAbove all others. The GameAbove family of organizations will also help improve the higher education experience by exploring and supporting the use of innovative financial models to sustain universities, creative giving within the community, enhancing the campus environment, elevating athletics, and promoting pioneering academic programs.



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FREDERICK, MD. (PRWEB) APRIL 20, 2020

The Community Foundation of Frederick County announces its third round of COVID-19 emergency relief grants totaling $160,500 to local nonprofits, bringing its combined total of emergency grantmaking to $285,500. These new grants were made possible through Our Heavenly Cause Foundation, Truist Foundation, and Mr. and Mrs. Howard Levine.

COVID-19 emergency relief grant from Our Heavenly Cause Foundation will be provided to:

Blessings in a Backpack: $16,300 for distribution of non-perishable food to Frederick County children in need.

The City of Frederick, Department of Economic Development: $10,000 for emergency financial assistance for small businesses severely impacted by COVID-19, such as rent, mortgage, and utility expenses.

Heartly House: $27,740 for a new phone system that will better serve survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and child abuse by ensuring hotline service access.

Claggett Center: $17,500 to support a non-congregate quarantine and isolation shelter for Frederick County first-responders and healthcare workers.

YMCA of Frederick County: $15,000 to support childcare sites for children of first-responders, healthcare workers, and essential employees.

Other COVID-19 emergency relief grants will be provided to:

Advocates for Homeless Families: $6,300 for utility and maintenance expenses to assist unemployed households in its transitional housing program.

Boys & Girls Club of Frederick County: $15,000 for essential staff and general operating expenses.

Brunswick Main Street: $10,000 for its emergency micro-grant program to provide financial assistance to existing downtown businesses.

Frederick Arts Council: $5,210 for essential staff and general operating expenses.

Goodwill Industries of Monocacy Valley: $3,000 to support its job development and coaching programs for persons with disabilities.

Maryland Ensemble Theatre: $2,000 for essential staff and general operating expenses.

Mental Health Association of Frederick County: $12,450 for continuity of services related to its COVID-19 response.

Second Chances Garage: $10,000 for essential staff and general operating expenses.

Student Homelessness Initiative Partnership of Frederick County (SHIP): $5,000 for hotel stays for homeless families unable to access other family shelters.

The Arc of Frederick County: $5,000 for essential staff and general operating expenses.

This funding is part of the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Campaign to support nonprofits that directly help those adversely affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The campaign is led by the COVID Collaborative, which consists of the Community Foundation, United Way of Frederick County, Ausherman Family Foundation, Delaplaine Foundation, Inc., Helen J. Serini Foundation, Women's Giving Circle of Frederick County, The Kahlert Foundation, William E. Cross Foundation, The Mark and Susan Butt Saturday Mornings Fund, and others. These organizations are working together to respond quickly and decisively to local nonprofits' needs.

As a leader in grant and scholarship funding, The Community Foundation of Frederick County has given back more than $64 million to the community since 1986. To learn more about the Community Foundation, visit http://www.frederickcountygives.org.



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FREDERICK, MD. (PRWEB) APRIL 20, 2020

The Community Foundation of Frederick County announces its third round of COVID-19 emergency relief grants totaling $160,500 to local nonprofits, bringing its combined total of emergency grantmaking to $285,500. These new grants were made possible through Our Heavenly Cause Foundation, Truist Foundation, and Mr. and Mrs. Howard Levine.

COVID-19 emergency relief grant from Our Heavenly Cause Foundation will be provided to:

Blessings in a Backpack: $16,300 for distribution of non-perishable food to Frederick County children in need.

The City of Frederick, Department of Economic Development: $10,000 for emergency financial assistance for small businesses severely impacted by COVID-19, such as rent, mortgage, and utility expenses.

Heartly House: $27,740 for a new phone system that will better serve survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and child abuse by ensuring hotline service access.

Claggett Center: $17,500 to support a non-congregate quarantine and isolation shelter for Frederick County first-responders and healthcare workers.

YMCA of Frederick County: $15,000 to support childcare sites for children of first-responders, healthcare workers, and essential employees.

Other COVID-19 emergency relief grants will be provided to:

Advocates for Homeless Families: $6,300 for utility and maintenance expenses to assist unemployed households in its transitional housing program.

Boys & Girls Club of Frederick County: $15,000 for essential staff and general operating expenses.

Brunswick Main Street: $10,000 for its emergency micro-grant program to provide financial assistance to existing downtown businesses.

Frederick Arts Council: $5,210 for essential staff and general operating expenses.

Goodwill Industries of Monocacy Valley: $3,000 to support its job development and coaching programs for persons with disabilities.

Maryland Ensemble Theatre: $2,000 for essential staff and general operating expenses.

Mental Health Association of Frederick County: $12,450 for continuity of services related to its COVID-19 response.

Second Chances Garage: $10,000 for essential staff and general operating expenses.

Student Homelessness Initiative Partnership of Frederick County (SHIP): $5,000 for hotel stays for homeless families unable to access other family shelters.

The Arc of Frederick County: $5,000 for essential staff and general operating expenses.

This funding is part of the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Campaign to support nonprofits that directly help those adversely affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The campaign is led by the COVID Collaborative, which consists of the Community Foundation, United Way of Frederick County, Ausherman Family Foundation, Delaplaine Foundation, Inc., Helen J. Serini Foundation, Women's Giving Circle of Frederick County, The Kahlert Foundation, William E. Cross Foundation, The Mark and Susan Butt Saturday Mornings Fund, and others. These organizations are working together to respond quickly and decisively to local nonprofits' needs.

As a leader in grant and scholarship funding, The Community Foundation of Frederick County has given back more than $64 million to the community since 1986. To learn more about the Community Foundation, visit http://www.frederickcountygives.org



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NEW YORK (PRWEB) APRIL 21, 2020

Author, professor, lecturer, public speaker, entrepreneur, music executive, artist manager and founder of Music World Entertainment Corporation (MWEC) would be the words used to sum up the professional career of Mathew Knowles, MBA, Ph.D. Based out of Houston, MWEC is one of the world's leading music and entertainment conglomerates, with record sales exceeding 450 million worldwide, having worked with Chaka Khan, Earth Wind & Fire, The O'Jays, Destiny's Child, Solange and Beyoncé, just to name a few. Knowles is widely recognized in the entertainment industry for his effective approach to developing and promoting award-winning artists. Through Music World Entertainment Corporation and Artist Management, he has served as executive producer for more than 100 award-winning, platinum and gold albums in multiple genres, including pop, R&B, gospel, dance and country, as well as soundtracks and special-themed projects.

Mr. Knowles understands the devastating impact the COVID-19 outbreak continues to impose globally and he is determined to do something to help. "I was thinking of ways that I could make an impact; and, possibly save lives during the Coronavirus pandemic. How could I possibly bring more awareness to the younger generation that I've had the privilege of teaching? I thought that the most effective approach to sharing this message would be visually in the form of a PSA video," said Music World Entertainment Corporation founder, Mathew Knowles. Mr. Knowles brought onboard his colleague Eleanor Earl, who is Director of the Film Studies Program and Assistant Professor of English and Film Studies at Hampton University to help produce this important PSA.

Eleanor Earl, an alumna of New York University is President of E.L. Earl Entertainment and has produced an award-winning documentary, music videos in partnership with Shomi Patwary of Illusive Media and content for many other titans in entertainment. This prolific businesswoman and creative force is currently developing new content with her mentor, Reuben Cannon of Reuben Cannon & Associates based in Los Angeles, CA and other accomplished industry professionals. She deems it a privilege to collaborate with Mathew Knowles on this project.

Ms. Earl brought up-and-coming director, Abraham Lopez, onboard for the PSA video. Mr. Lopez is a director, producer, cinematographer and owner of A Greek God Entertainment LLC based in Los Angeles, CA. He is honored to be the director and cinematographer of this important project. Mr. Lopez recruited his client, Evan Huffred, a social media influencer, to appear in the PSA. Mr. Huffred is most notable for his video creations on TikTok, where he has over 1.7 million followers. He has collaborated with other social media stars, such as Andre Swilley and Josh Richards. Kanja Muchoki aka King Kanja, an international recording artist, actor and television host, also appears in the PSA. He holds a Bachelors of Arts in Acting from Hampton University and is President of King Kanja Empire, which is distributed by EMPIRE Distribution. Mr. Muchoki has headlined at South by Southwest, performed at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and starred in a Coca-Cola advertising campaign in Kenya.

"Everything came together in record timing because there is urgency in getting this important message out to as many people as possible-Stop the Spread Now-that's what I want people to do," said Mathew Knowles. The goal of the PSA video is to bring greater awareness about COVID-19 and the importance of social distancing among the millennial and Gen-Z population. The PSA will be distributed digitally across all social media platforms.

THE PSA TEAM:
Executive Producer, Producer and Writer-
Mathew Knowles for Music World Entertainment Corporation

Producer, Writer and Voiceover Narration-
Eleanor Earl for E.L. Earl Entertainment

Director and Cinematographer-
Abraham Lopez for A Greek God Entertainment

Editor and Actor-
Evan Huffred for A Greek God Entertainment

About Music World Entertainment Corporation
Based out of Houston, MWEC is one of the world's leading music and entertainment conglomerates, with record sales exceeding 450 million worldwide, having worked with Chaka Khan, Earth Wind & Fire, The O'Jays, Destiny's Child, Solange and Beyoncé, among others. For more information, please visit http://musicworldent.com.

About Outspoken Media Group
Outspoken Media Group is a full-service entertainment and multicultural marketing company based in New York City. The Company builds memorable and results-driven marketing campaigns for entertainment and lifestyle brands. It is a minority-owned and operated business, and has been providing solutions for clients since 2004. Outspoken Media Group specializes in experiential marketing, branded entertainment, creative development, digital & social media, public relations and brand strategy. For more information, please visit http://outspokenmedia.net.



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SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. (PRWEB) APRIL 21, 2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic – and the associated school closings - millions of students are being forced to stay at home. While many school districts were well-prepared for providing online education, most were not. This has resulted in a patchwork of Zoom classes, emailed homework assignments, and underequipped parents assuming the role of teacher.

Consequently, the demand for tutoring has spiked. This has caused tutoring centers to have to quickly adapt to the urgent need, while also adhering to social distancing mandates. Online scheduling has been the solution to these challenges for thousands of centers.

For the centers that are still providing live tutoring, AppointmentPlus' online appointment scheduling system allows them to control the number of students in their centers at any given time. Centers that have gone entirely online use AppointmentPlus to control tutor availability and to allow parents and students to book sessions themselves.

Juan Arias, an executive director at a Seattle-area Mathnasium tutoring center, noted, "Because of AppointmentPlus' simplicity, our customers adapted quickly, allowing them to effortlessly book and manage their own appointments. The system has been instrumental in helping us streamline our appointment process." Mathnasium is an international math tutoring franchise with over 1,000 locations, many of which use AppointmentPlus.

The system allows tutors to tightly manage their available time slots, whether they are providing group or one-on-one sessions. Booking rules, such as limiting the number of sessions a given student can book during the week, help optimize the number of students able to receive tutoring services. Automated email and text reminders ensure students show up for their session times.

AppointmentPlus CEO, Bob La Loggia, stated, "It's unfortunate that so many students have to stay home from school. And adapting to online learning has been a challenge for both the students and the parents. Tutoring centers have always played an important role in supplementing a student's education. But because of shelter-at-home directives, tutoring has become a necessity for many families. We're proud that we have been able to help so many tutors and tutoring centers to manage this critical need effectively."

AppointmentPlus is a Scottsdale, Arizona-based online appointment scheduling company. The business serves both individual tutors, as well as large franchise tutoring centers. Nearly a billion appointments have been booked through the AppointmentPlus system worldwide since inception. To learn more about AppointmentPlus



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PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA. (PRWEB) APRIL 21, 2020

The Coronavirus pandemic has been sweeping the news with hundreds of thousands of cases reported and over 25,000 deaths in the United States alone. Because of the nature in which the virus is spread, executive orders have been issued in most states to control which types of businesses can operate and in what ways. These orders have left many business owners in confusion about what to do regarding their business and how to handle their employees.

In an effort to advise their clients about how to handle their employees and certain contracts at this time, prominent Florida-based construction and employment law firm, Loren & Kean, has published a series of articles which answer a number of common questions they have been receiving at this time.

One of the articles, titled "COVID-19: What Steps May Employers Take To Monitor Sick Employees?" written by Bruce E. Loren, Michael I. Kean, and Brandon J. Camilleri, touches on some of the common questions from employers during the COVID-19 pandemic and what employers can do to protect themselves from a practical and legal standpoint.

Another publication, titled "Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Practical Answers For Small Business," also written by Bruce E. Loren, Michael I. Kean, and Brandon J. Camilleri, focuses upon The Coronavirus Response Act and the applicable provisions.

Focusing specifically on clients within the construction industry, another article, titled "COVID-19: Construction Delays And Force Majeure - Provide Notice To Your Clients," penned by Bruce E. Loren and Kyle W. Ohlenschlaeger, focuses on the inevitable delay construction contracts will occur and the need for a Force Majeure.

There are more articles available on the Loren & Kean website and they are continuously publishing articles to answer the many questions arising as the coronavirus situation continues to develop. Loren & Kean remains committed to doing whatever they can to give their clients the best service and results possible, especially during this uncertain time. Clients are invited to reach out to them for advice regarding their business's specific situation at (561) 615-5701.

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Performance-based bonus (PBB) of government employees should be granted in its full amount and tax-free, Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph G. Recto said.

Recto, in filing Senate Bill No. 602, proposed to exclude from the computation of taxable income the PBB granted to qualified government personnel.

Formulated as an effective reward for exemplary work, the senator said its monetary value has been reduced as it is subject to income tax.

"Government is a machine whose parts should move in unison towards the attainment of its strategic goals as reflected in its development plans. This machinery is judged by the people through its outputs in terms of delivery of goods and services. However, the best-crafted strategic development plans will be for naught if civil servants who will implement these are not inspired and committed to achieve the plans," Recto said.

Recto's measure seeks to amend Section 32 (B) (7) of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 by including the PPB in the miscellaneous items excluded from the computation of gross income tax.

To serve as a meaningful reward for employees who walked the extra mile towards the attainment of agency goals, the senator said the PBB must be granted in its full amount and should not be subjected to income tax.

"The bill could likewise serve as a motivational tool for agencies and employees rated 'poor' to improve their performance," Recto added.

Aside from the PBB, the government also grants a P5,000 across-the-board Productivity Enhancement Incentive (PEI) to all government employees.

Both the PEI and the PBB are granted to employees as an incentive to improve productivity in the public sector.



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On the Class 1 certification of the New Clark City (NCC) Athletic Stadium

I am personally aware, because I followed its construction, that the New Clark City stadium has a Class 1 international certification. To be able to get that, aside from the main track oval, [there is] another track oval. Because you need a warm-up track beside the main track so people can practice before their event.

In addition to that, under the bleachers, there is an 18-meter track so that they can do their last-minute warm up. So to be able to do that in the Rizal Memorial Complex, they would have to demolish either the multi-purpose building or other structures. I am just putting that into perspective because [the NCC] has open space.

And one more thing [as a former student-athlete], aside from running around the track oval, the NCC allows them to run in a park-like environment outside. It looks like you are in nature as opposed to running in sadly - maybe we can rehabilitate it one day - the Roxas Boulevard. That's the main difference that I'd like to put on the floor as somebody who appreciates the NCC.

How important are the NCC sports facilities to national athletes

You know, when I went there on a couple of occasions, one time, I was with the National Track Team, they were crying when they stepped on the turf. Kasi, sabi nila, nagte-training sila sa Pangasinan... they are not even training in Metro Manila because they have no decent track to train on.

I don't really know the condition of the track either. I don't even train regularly anymore. But when I stepped on the track, ibang klase para kang lumulutang.

Then sabi ko, here are these athletes, this is their job, this is their life. And ngayon lang sila nakatikim ng ganun. So it really felt so good to be able to see on their faces, in their smiles, in their actions that they were full of joy to be able to do this.

And something that I found very interesting was that in the years and decades to come, they don't have to travel abroad to qualify for other international events because we can host those events now.

For now, we don't host any events because we're not qualified in any event. So not only do we not have these international events to encourage young people to see what athletic life is like, our athletes even have to go abroad just to qualify for another event.

I also had the opportunity to see the swimmers. There have already been national swimming competitions in the pool. Again, just like the track, you have a 50-meter, 10-lane pool and then there's another pool for warm up that's 50 meters long and 8 lanes. So it kinda looks excessive if you ask me, until you learn that that is the requirement to be a certified Class 1 sports facility. Ganun talaga if we want to not just host the events, but treat our athletes like the heroes we say they are. But we don't treat them as such.

So on that note, one last point... Because I actually have my own friends who are athletes, I also get asked: Is it excessive? Is it overpriced? I am not asking this question because my brother is the Speaker of the House, but it's a question I'd like to hear the answer to so that I can also explain to my friends, to my constituents, to my athlete friends and the athletes that I feel I represent.

Thank you.



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On the eve of my 1,000th day in unjust detention, another injustice is currently taking place in another part of the world. Hong Kong police, no doubt under pressure from mainland Chinese authorities, continue to lay siege on the Hong Kong Polytechnic University where student and youth protesters are holed up while trying to break free from the police siege.

Hong Kong activists fear that this siege is the start of a new level of attack on protesters, probably one even leading to another Tiananmen, as China exerts its authority over Hong Kong and its people.

I express my solidarity with the people of Hong Kong, especially its courageous youth and students, in their struggle for greater democracy and meaningful freedom amidst China's authoritarian exertion of its control over the autonomous region.

All freedom-loving Filipinos only know too well what the people of Hong Kong are going through. The same demonstration of people power that liberated us from a dictatorship more than 33 years ago is now happening in Hong Kong.

A people thirsting for real democracy, instead of being ruled from Beijing, deserve the solidarity and support of the free world, even those who, like us Filipinos, are again under the yoke of a tyrant who has discarded the rule of law and destroyed our democracy.

As Duterte is to us Filipinos, the Communist Party of China is to the Hong Kong people the authoritarian figure that cannot be allowed to go on suppressing the people's clamor for freedom and democracy, in what they call the revolution of their time. As witnesses to such courage and passion, we can only stand in support of the people of Hong Kong and tell Beijing that, this time, the world will not allow another Tiananmen. We will do everything in the power of our solidarity as freedom-loving people of the world to ensure that there will not be a Tiananmen in Hong Kong.

Liberate Hong Kong! Never again to Tiananmen! Fight and resist #Tiananmen2019



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SFMD: Unang-una, it is a question of whether or not the policy that we built new facilities in Clark is a valid issue, because of the 56 sporting events that will take place during the SEA Games, exactly two will be held in Clark - that is swimming and track and field. The question is, is the P9.5 billion expense justified? The PSC admitted that they could have refurbished Rizal Memorial Coliseum for a cost of P1.2-B. The policy issue is, do we have to spend P9.5 billion facilities when in fact we could have spend P1.2-B to refurbish Rizal Memorial Coliseums. This is the assertion of Mr. Ramirez, who is the head of PSC, who also stated that the PSC could have done what the PhilSGOC is doing. That is admitted. The PSC is equipped and competent to handle what is PhilSGOC is doing provided that there is coordination with POC.

Q: Yung sinasabi ni Speaker na kailangan yung foundation para makapag-compete sa international sporting events, walang bearing iyon?

SFMD: At this stage, I do not see the relevance of that. Which event are we looking at to host? The Olympics? I think that is a piped dream at this point.

Q: Ang sabi ninyo ayon sa batas, yung POC dapat yung nangunguna?

SFMD: Yes. The POC is the franchise holder. That is why they were asserting their authority.

Q: Yung sa cauldron lang, sinasabi ni Speaker na it's priceless, hindi dapat sabihin na expensive...

SFMD: For P50 million you want to have a kaldero, it's a question of propriety. It's a question of priority. Doon sa P50 million, 50 silid-paaralan ang ating mabubuo. Kailangan ba natin ng ganoong kaluhong facility, which has nothing to do with training. Hindi po expense iyan for training. That is a luxury expense. All of these I don't want to discuss any further. As I said, we want to support our athletes.

Q: Yung budget daw po for SEA Games, it's a lot of money but it is not excessive?

SFMD: That is one way of viewing it. In our case, we feel that could successfully host the games at much less expense. But that is a policy issue.



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Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go reminded the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) on Monday, November 18, to abide by President Rodrigo Duterte's call to ensure that infrastructure projects under the "Build Build Build" program will be ready for use to benefit the general public. The senator manifested this during the continuation of the Senate plenary deliberations on the agency's 2020 budget.

"Nag-usap po kami ni Pangulong Duterte kagabi. Ang gusto niya, hindi lamang po 'Build Build Build' kundi 'Use Use Use' din dapat ang mga infrastructure projects," Go said, citing the several projects that the Duterte administration is undertaking through the BCDA and the rest of the infrastructure cluster of the government.

"Makikita naman po sa presentasyon ng National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) na marami na po talagang nagawa at ginagawa ang administrasyon na ito para mapabuti ang buhay ng mga Pilipino; mga infrastructure programs na pina-fast track at ine-execute dahil alam natin na makakabuti ito sa ekonomiya at sa quality of life ng ating mga kababayan."

Go added that the President himself does not want government projects to be hampered or delayed within his term.

"Ayaw ni Presidente ma-hamper o ma-delay ang government projects. Dapat masigurado na maumpisahan, matapos or kahit papaano ay almost matapos bago matapos ang termino. Ayaw ni President Duterte maiwan na nakatiwangwang. The public is not just after 'Build Build Build'. They want 'Use Use Use'," the senator emphasized, adding that he will be the first one to investigate should irregularities arise from the projects.

"Sisiguraduhin din po natin na matapos ang mga proyektong ito at ako po mismo ang unang mag-iimbestiga kung sakaling may masasabing bahid ng korapsyon," said Go.

"Ganyan po ang Serbisyong Tatak Duterte: mabilis, maayos, and with no tolerance for corruption. Ibahin po ninyo kami sa dati na puro tuwid na daan, pero baluktot naman at walang pinatutunguhan. Nagpaparami lang ng 'Bill Bill Bill' na puro debate at legislation at wala naman talagang kongkretong nagawa," he added.

Meanwhile, during the plenary, Go said that he fully supports the development of the New Clark City sports hub, calling it "a good investment" which will benefit Filipino athletes, the country's sports program, as well as the economy.

"I fully support the development of New Clark City, especially the sports hub which would greatly benefit our athletes. It is a good investment, as this facility will be very useful for us well beyond the time that we will be using it during the 2019 SEA Games," the senator said.

Go, however, said that the BCDA still needs to demonstrate how it will guarantee the return of investment for the sports facilities beyond their hosting of the SEA Games.

"Pero, tama rin po ang mga punto ni Senator Drilon at kailangan itong tanungin ngayon: Paano masisiguro na ang in-invest dito para sa SEA Games hosting ay hindi masasayang sa mga susunod na taon?" Go asked.

The senator also clarified his move to suggest the recall of the BCDA 2020 budget which has already been previously approved last week.

"I understand that (as) one--if not the most--important legislative measure that goes through this chamber is the budget and it is important for us to make sure that not a single centavo is wasted," Go said.

"Ito ay isa sa rason kung bakit ako mismo ang nagrekomenda na i-recall ang approval ng budget ng BCDA para mabigyan ng tamang venue at attention ang kapwa ko mambabatas na usisain ito, out of transparency rin sa ating kapwa Pilipinong nanonood ngayon."

"But apart from these positive effects, let us still ask the hard questions and explain to the public why this government is spending this much and what kind of benefits will the people receive beyond this year's events," he said.

During his questioning, Go asked for other sources of income BCDA has aside from the subsidy it is currently receiving from the General Appropriations Act.

BCDA sponsor Senator Sonny Angara responded, saying that the government-owned and controlled corporation has its other assets and revenues from its operations. Angara added that the facilities are being packaged along with adjoining properties to enhance real estate development within the area.

As for Go's question regarding the possibility of the sporting facilities becoming "white elephants" after the Games, Angara said that an Asian Development Bank (ADB) study, which lays out the plan for transition of the facilities, has already been conducted. He added that the Filipino community and athletes will also be able to utilize said facilities.

Citing the remoteness of the facilities, Go then asked what transportation programs are being prepared to make them more accessible to the public. Angara said on behalf of BCDA that the Manila-Clark Railway, expected to be operational in 2022, and the Subic-Clark Railway in 2024 will improve access to the facilities. A bus rapid transit is also being readied according to the BCDA sponsor.

The BCDA budget for year 2020 has been approved by the Senate after the period of interpellations in the plenary on the same day.

Go also admitted during his manifestation that while he may lack the experience as a legislator compared to his colleagues, he has been in public service for the past 21 years and he will work hard to serve the people further as a Senator.

"Kami po kasi ni Pangulong Duterte, mas gusto namin ng 'BUILD, BUILD, BUILD' at serbisyong ora mismo. Ibig sabihin: aksyon agad---walang tigil. Almusal, pananghalian, hapunan at pati panaginip, serbisyo sa tao ang iniisip ko. Para sa amin po, walang TULOG ang pagserbisyo," Go said.

Go said that he is humble enough to admit that there are things he still needs to learn in terms of legislation and policymaking.

"Aminado po ako na bilang legislator ay marami pa akong dapat matutunan sa inyo lalo na mula sa mga beteranong mga mambabatas... Malayo pa ako kung 'bill bill bill' ang pag-uusapan. Marami pa po akong kakaining bigas para maabot ko ang 'BILL, BILL, BILL' o mapadami ang 'BILLS, BILLS, BILLS' na mai-file ko sa Senado," he explained.

Go, however, clarified that what he lacks in experience, he makes up through hard work and his dedication to serve.

"Bago pa lang ako as legislator. Pero kapag serbisyo at trabaho ang usapan, wala akong tulugan sa serbisyo. 21 years na po ako na puro aksyon. Pasipagan ang aking puhunan. To give you perspective, I've been serving the people and the president for the past 21 years, puro aksyon po kami, kung ano makakabuti sa tao, ginagawa namin agad. Iyan po ang Serbisyong Tatak Duterte at magandang example nito ay ang 'Build Build Build' program ni PRRD," Go narrated.



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Affirming his commitment to ensuring checks and balances over taxpayers' money, Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go on Tuesday, November 19, defended before the Senate plenary the 2020 budget of the Office of the President (OP) for which he is the sponsor.

"Rest assured, I will safeguard the interests of the public by ensuring proper checks and balances. Every centavo must be wisely spent to help and support the Filipino nation. It is the people's money and it is just right that the government should give it back to them," Go said in his opening statement.

Rationalizing the proposed budget of the OP which amounts to PhP8.2 billion, Go praised President Rodrigo Duterte's leadership, calling it "honest, transparent and corrupt-free."

He added that the President has been able to fulfill the desire of Filipinos for a just and honest leader "by laying a governance platform that centered on fighting against illegal drugs, corruption and criminality."

Go also said that the President "pursued programs that put the dignity and welfare of the Filipino people first, such as right to access better health services, to name a few."

As former Special Assistant to the President, Go also said that he has "seen, first-hand, the commitment and dedication of the men and women of this institution."

"Therefore, I have no doubt that President Duterte's office is using its budget solely for the benefit of the Filipino people," he ended.

With no senators wishing to interpellate, Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri moved to have the OP's budget deemed submitted and approved.



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Mr. President, it goes without saying that access to quality healthcare remains one of the pressing concerns that our countrymen face today. It is for this reason that public health has been identified as one of the priorities by President Rodrigo Duterte during his 2019 State of the Nation Address and in the development agenda of the country since our adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

It is therefore my honor to present to you the proposed 2020 budget for the Department of Health and its attached agencies and corporations.

Mr. President, for the Department of Health, we have increased the budget from P88.9 billion in the General Appropriations Bill to P96.3 billion in our Committee Report. The total new appropriations for the Department of Health and its attached agencies are broken down as follows:

For the Office of the Secretary - P95,897,787,000.00

For the National Nutrition Council - P461,033,000.00

For the attached corporations, the budgetary support to government corporations under the Department of Health is P76,425,614,000.00.

The substantial increase of P7.4 billion includes the allocation of additional P7 billion for the Human Resources for Health Deployment Program. This is to ensure the continued employment of our health workers whose services are badly needed in poor, underserved and far-flung areas.

Other increases in the DOH budget are P350 million for the open defecation project to ensure sanitary conditions of those who still do not have toilet facilities, P6 million for public health management and P80 million for the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM). RITM has a valuable role in public health, especially in surveillance and control of disease outbreaks.

For the budgetary support to PhilHealth, Mr. President, we have increased the subsidy for the premiums of indirect contributors from P67.3 billion to P72.3 billion. This is to support PhilHealth in the initial implementation of the Universal Health Care Act.

As Chairman of the Committee on Health, and Vice-Chair of Finance handling their budget, I will defend and push for the much needed increase in the health budget - especially for our health workers who care for the sick. However, I would like to put it on record that although I am the sponsor of their budget, I will be the first to stand up and call out DOH if there are inefficiencies or irregularities in the spending of their budget. I will not hesitate to talk to the President, if needed. Kahit ako ay nagdedepensa ng inyong budget, ako ang mauuna ninyong makakalaban kung may anomalya sa paggastos ng budget. Remember: zero-tolerance si President Duterte sa korapsyon. Sa gumagawa ng corruption: "There is no tomorrow..."

I also urge the DOH and other government agencies to ensure that every centavo of the people's money is put to good use, wisely spent, and used solely for the intended purpose. Dapat walang masayang ni-piso. I call on our departments and agencies, including the DOH, to fully utilize and improve their efficiency in spending their budgets.

Some of our colleagues initially signified their intention to interpellate, but in the interest of expediting the process, they have agreed not to interpellate on the condition that their individual concerns will be addressed by the DOH. I ask the DOH to work on the concerns of our colleagues.

And for the record, Mr. President, I refuse to answer any questions involving the actions of the previous administration and personal issues as I have no personal knowledge on those matters.

We are now ready to accept questions from our colleagues.

Thank you, Mr. President.



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Senator Richard J. Gordon filed on Monday a proposed bill creating an independent arm that will ensure the security of the judiciary entitled, "An Act Creating the Philippine Marshal Service Under the Control and Supervision of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, Appropriating Funds Therefor and for Other Purposes".

The proposed law, also known as Senate Bill No. 1181, aims to establish the Philippine Marshal Service, a unit that will protect the lives of the members of the judiciary and will assist in the administration of justice.

The creation of the bill came following Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta's previous statement that he envisions having a security force, patterned after the United States Marshals Service, that will protect the judges.

Gordon earlier expressed concern over the high number of murder cases involving the judiciary in the country, which includes the ambush of Ilocos Sur Judge Mario Anacleto Bañez in San Fernando, La Union last November 5. Former Municipal Trial Court Judge Exequil Dagala was also shot dead in his residence in Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte last November 1.

According to the Philippine Judges Association, a total of 31 judges have been killed in the Philippines from January 1999 up to August this year. Ninety percent of them were regional trial court judges and only 10% of the cases have been solved.

Gordon's proposed bill states that the Philippine Marshal Service shall be created under the SC through the Office of the Court Administrator. Its functions include the protection of justices, judges, court officials and personnel; conducting assessments and investigations of crimes against justices; making sure that court trials and hearings proceed accordingly; conducting investigations of irregularities committed by judges and justices; assisting in the implementation of court orders; and helping in the protection of witnesses; managing and disposing seized, frozen or forfeited assets by the Courts; conducting arrests, searches and seizures in accordance with the Constitution; and performing other related functions as the SC, the Chief Justice or the Court Administrator may order.

According to the bill, the unit shall be headed by a Chief Marshal and there will be three Deputy Marshals to be assigned in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

It will also be composed of different divisions namely such as Communications Division, Inspection Division, Judicial Security Division, Investigative Operations divisions, Witness Security Division, and Tactical Operations Divisions, to name some.

Gordon believes that through the bill, the judges all over the country will be protected especially those who are handling high-profile cases who are most likely to receive death threats.

"Our judges make every effort to guarantee fairness in every case that they handle. They have a vital impact on the people's lives as they protect our liberties and sacred rights, and help victims of various violence and discriminations achieve justice. And so, it is important that we also ensure their security and protect them from those who want to do them harm. Without the judges, there can be no justice," said Gordon.



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After gracing the 3rd Asian and Pacific Conference on Penal Health held at the New World Makati Hotel on Friday, Senator Richard J. Gordon visited the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) exhibit area located outside the ballroom and bought acrylic paintings made by inmates from penitentiaries in Tagaytay City, Batangas.

Gordon bought six paintings and expressed his admiration to the inmates who have shown their skills and talents in art. He mentioned considering having the same exhibit at the Senate of the Philippines not only to showcase the inmates' artworks, but to help them raise money for their release, as well.

According to BJMP, part of the proceeds of the paintings will be used as payment for the bails and fines of deserving persons deprived of liberty (PDL). This is part of Tagaytay City Jail's Sponsor-a-Release Program.

Aside from canvass paintings, the BJMP is also selling artworks made from rhinestones, beaded vases, foot rags, neck pillows, cloth slippers, and flowers and pots made from recycled papers, which are all crafted by inmates from Tagaytay City, Antipolo City and Rizal province.



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With killings perpetrated daily, Senator Richard J. Gordon called on the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to exert more effort in gathering evidence and filing necessary charges against the perpetrators.

"The CHR should press a little harder to get the trust of the people and to investigate, instead of just being a talking head. It must put a lot of effort to gather evidence and file necessary charges against the culprits. Every day there is someone being killed," Gordon said during the deliberation for CHR's budget for 2022.

He noted that while the CHR may investigate the drug-related killings, it is important to get strong witnesses to really apply due process in all killings because people have a right to be safe.

Gordon also advised the CHR to advertise what the agency is doing to let the public know that it is doing something and make people understand how they can participate and go after human rights abuses.

"Judges are killed, even teachers, policemen, and government employees, among others. They too have a right to life and to be protected. The public has become impervious to these killings, even drug-related killings, where no drug lords have been killed so far, only ordinary drug users and pushers. What is the CHR's position on this?" he said.



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Senator Imee Marcos has called out the steep rise in egg and chicken prices in Metro Manila's markets the past week, urging the government to monitor price movements more closely, as Christmas approaches.

"There's no reason for the rise in egg prices because the Philippine Egg Board itself was shocked to find out an increase way above the suggested retail price (SRP) of P5 each, despite steady supply and farmgate prices," Marcos said.

The cost of small eggs has reached more than P6 apiece, with a tray of 30 pieces at P180 or more, instead of SRP's P150.

"This may be an introductory shock for now, considering it's not yet December," Marcos warned.

Also, Marcos said retail prices of chicken spiked anew from last month's P160 to P180 a kilo while wholesale prices were just at P123 to P128 only.

Marcos said prices of chicken are now pegged at P190 to P200 a kilo.

"Yes, the cost of chicken feed has gone up and chicken production dipped in some parts of Luzon. But the Department of Agriculture has already said the consumption of pork is going back to normal, so chicken prices should not be that steep," Marcos explained.



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Senator Imee Marcos has called out the steep rise in egg and chicken prices in Metro Manila's markets the past week, urging the government to monitor price movements more closely, as Christmas approaches.

"There's no reason for the rise in egg prices because the Philippine Egg Board itself was shocked to find out an increase way above the suggested retail price (SRP) of P5 each, despite steady supply and farmgate prices," Marcos said.

The cost of small eggs has reached more than P6 apiece, with a tray of 30 pieces at P180 or more, instead of SRP's P150.

"This may be an introductory shock for now, considering it's not yet December," Marcos warned.

Also, Marcos said retail prices of chicken spiked anew from last month's P160 to P180 a kilo while wholesale prices were just at P123 to P128 only.

Marcos said prices of chicken are now pegged at P190 to P200 a kilo.

"Yes, the cost of chicken feed has gone up and chicken production dipped in some parts of Luzon. But the Department of Agriculture has already said the consumption of pork is going back to normal, so chicken prices should not be that steep," Marcos explained.



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Sen. Grace Poe reminded the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on the commitments of Dito Telecommunity (formerly Mislatel), the country's third mobile player, to improve internet speed and coverage in the country in the next five years.

During plenary deliberations of the proposed 2020 DICT budget, Poe said Dito will face penalties if it fails to comply with its commitment under the franchise agreement.

On its first year, which will end on July 8, 2020, Dito is obliged to cover at least 37 percent of the population, with an average minimum internet speed of 27 megabits per second (mbps).

Over a five-year period, it promised to cover 84 percent of the country and offer internet speed of at least 55 mbps.

On Poe's questioning, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, the agency budget sponsor, said not one cell site has been completed by Dito.

"'Yun ang medyo nakakatakot kasi, by July 2020, dapat meron na silang 2,500 cell sites," Poe, chairperson of the committee on public services, said.

Lacson replied, saying, "I understand these are all prefab, so mabilis lang po ito. In two months, they can put them up."

Poe noted that under the franchise agreement, "for every non-compliance, there are penalties."

"If they are not able to fully deliver on their commitment, there are penalties," she added.

Lacson said that Dito's commitment is backed up by a performance security amounting to P25.7 billion for the first year; P10.7 billion for the second year; P8 billion for the third year; P5.3 billion for the fourth year; and P2.7 billion for the fifth year.

Lacson added Dito is given a six-month grace period to comply with the requirements.

Poe said the public will look forward to the completion of the new cell sites, hoping this will improve telecommunications services for the Filipinos.



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All elementary and high school students may soon be required to take a road safety and comprehensive drivers' education if a bill filed in the Senate would be enacted into law. Sen. Bong Revilla, Jr. has filed Senate Bill No. 451 which would integrate basic road safety and comprehensive drivers' education in the curriculum of the K-12 program.

"The World Health organization considers road safety as a public health issue since one of the leading causes of death is road accidents," Revilla said.

"It is alarming that a lot of adults today have little or no knowledge of basic road safety and traffic rules and regulations. Studies show that many road accidents and mishaps resulted from ignorance or false understanding of traffic rules and regulations," he added.

A 2019 report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that from 2012 to 2017, road accident is the top leading cause of death among teenagers aged 15 to 19 and the 2nd leading cause of death from 2007 to 2011 among teens of the same age group.

The same report showed that road accident is the top leading cause of death among young adults aged 20 to 24 from 2013 to 2017 and the 2nd leading cause among young adults of the same group from 2006 to 2012.

The report showed a 107.54 percent increase in deaths from road accidents among teens aged 15 to 19 from 504 deaths in 2006 to 1,046 deaths in 2017 and an 88.32 percent increase among young adults aged 20 to 24 from 839 deaths in 2006 to 1,580 deaths in 2017.

According to the report, 8,886 teens aged 15 to 19 died from road accidents between 2006 to 2017 while 13,509 young adults aged 20 to 24 died from the same cause between 2006 to 2017.

Central Luzon (Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales) recorded the highest road accidental death with 13,433 from 2006 to 2017, followed closely by Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) with 11,265 deaths from 2006 to 2017 and Region VI (Aklan, Antique, Negros Occidental, Capiz, Guimaras and Iloilo) with 8,594 deaths for the same period.

Under the bill, the Department of Education (DepEd), in coordination with the Department of Transportation (DOTr), University of the Philippines-National Center for Transportation Studies and road safety advocates and organizations shall develop a basic road safety curriculum to be integrated in the curriculum of all educational institutions both private and public, starting from elementary to senior high school.

The curriculum shall include rights and responsibilities of pedestrians and commuters in the use of all types of road transportation, road awareness, road signage and responsible commuting, driving rules and regulations, driving courtesy, driving safety, road hazards and vehicle of safety features. Revilla said the funds needed for the implementation of the Act shall be sourced from the Road Safety Fund which is 7.5 percent of the Motor Vehicles User's Charge.

"By producing well-rounded individuals, we will increase the safety and efficiency of road traffic," Revilla said.



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I thank the President for allaying the fears of our farmers and for reassuring them that Republic Act 11203 or the rice tariffication law will work for their benefit in the long run.

We are in unison that there are kinks that need to be ironed out in the initial phase of its implementation but we believe that programs under the P10 billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) will address the perennial woes in the agriculture sector and will help our farmers and fisherfolks reduce their production cost and increase their productivity and income.

As chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture and Food in the Senate, I intend to exercise our oversight function to see to it that the law is properly and faithfully implemented.



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I thank the President for allaying the fears of our farmers and for reassuring them that Republic Act 11203 or the rice tariffication law will work for their benefit in the long run.

We are in unison that there are kinks that need to be ironed out in the initial phase of its implementation but we believe that programs under the P10 billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) will address the perennial woes in the agriculture sector and will help our farmers and fisherfolks reduce their production cost and increase their productivity and income.

As chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture and Food in the Senate, I intend to exercise our oversight function to see to it that the law is properly and faithfully implemented.



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Over the months, I've read numerous studies and reports on e-cigarettes, conducted hearings, had discussions with health advocates, including experts in WHO, and listened to the industry and the speakers they arranged for me to meet. All of these led me to conclude that:

- We are dealing with products that clearly have health risks despite industry and their supporters saying the risks are less than smoking and that they are an effective device to help smokers quit; - These health risks are still being documented and studied; - Some of these products have caused deaths and severe illnesses in various forms.

What this means is that we must really assess if this is a product that should be outright banned, as has been already done in some countries like Australia, Singapore, Brazil, etc., or strictly regulated, which was the direction I was taking as Chairperson of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Meanwhile, the President's recent pronouncement to ban e-cigarettes is an assertion of the authority of the State to restrict the use of any consumer product that endangers public health. I agree that when the people's health is at risk, public interest must always take precedence over any business or commercial interest.

As a backgrounder, it is important to note that the e-cigarette industry was previously given the opportunity to work and thresh out issues with the government. The DOH issued AO 2019-0007 last August precisely to lay down regulations for e-cigarettes products. Unfortunately, members of the industry chose to question the AO in court instead of welcoming government regulation.

In the meantime, the very first case of electronic cigarette- or vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI) was reported in the country last weekend, involving a 16-year-old girl.

No issue can be resolved if members of the industry would insist on shunning any form of regulation by constantly suing the DOH and FDA! With this attitude,a ban is really in order.

I await the EO from the President. Until then, these products that everyone, even those in the industry, recognize as harmful are in the market, and should be taxed. And it is still my job to see this bill through.



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SENATOR Ronald Bato Dela Rosa said that law enforcement officials strictly follow tactical and strategic procedures in handling classified data concerning anti-crime operations to ensure that criminals will be charged and subsequently placed behind bars.

In an interview over the radio on Wednesday morning, Dela Rosa said that based on his experience as a law enforcer, there is a need to meticulously follow tactical handling of very important information that are considered "top secret" information. He added that only those officials that are involved in the actual operations should be informed about the top secret data on a "need to know" basis.

"Since that document is highly-classified, it may be classified as top secret I suppose because ang laman niyan ay enemies of the state, so security of the state ang at stake dyan. So it is on a need to know basis," Dela Rosa said.

"May tactical at strategic considerations yan hindi yung puro emotional, puro psychological considerations lang. Puro political considerations, hindi naman ganun. Merong considerations purely tactical and strategic," he added.

The senator, who chairs the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, also explained that only the country's chief executive has the authority to declassify such kind of information. "Ang pag declassify ng mga dokumento na top secret is up to the President, yung pinaka highest authority ng ating bansa ang pwedeng bigay ng order na pwedeng mag-declassify," Dela Rosa noted.

"As I have said, nasa power ng pangulo ang pag declassify niyan, so nasa kanya yan kung pagkatiwalaan ka niya at sigurado siya sayo na hindi mag-leak ang information, then maybe pwede niyang i-share sayo. Pero kung di siya (the president) sigurado then he has all the reasons na huwag muna," he continued.

Dela Rosa made it clear that there is no political issue on the administration's decision not to share the top secret information containing high-value targets for illegal drugs with Vice President Leni Robredo who was recently appointed as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).

"It is not because the vice president belongs to the opposition party, it is not because matagal na siyang critic sa administration na ito, particular sa war on drugs, but it is so directed na kapag ang classified documents na yan, lalong lalo na top secret ay talagang hindi basta-basta yan nag che-change hand kasi granting, with all due respect kay Vice President, sabihin ng Pangulo, since you are the number 2 highest official in this land I have complete trust and confidence in you, so granting ganun

ang sabihin ng Pangulo, but still meron pa ring agam-agam na pagdating kay Pangulo na hindi natin sigurado at hindi natin kakilala yung mga taong nakapalibot sa kanya (VP). Pwedeng mag-leak yan," Dela Rosa said.

"Kahit na wittingly or unwittingly meron makapag-screenshot dyan or makapag picture dyan sa dokumento na yan, napakadali ang leakage sa mga dokumento na yan so yan ang reason sa classification ng top secret," he further noted.

When asked if other officials of the government are aware of the contents of the top secret documents like the list of high value targets regarding illegal drugs, Dela Rosa said that they are not privy to the details of the list.

"Hindi yan alam nila, pag yan ay may tatak na top secret / top level echelon lang ng gobyerno ang nakaaalam niyan. Kung sino ang directly involved diyan like yung Chief lang ng PNP, Chief ng PDEA o maybe yung secretary ng DILG. Basta need to know basis. Kahit na ikaw ay kapitan lamang at you need to know these information dahil ikaw ang mag-operate ng mga target na iyan, by all means malalaman mo yan dahil [otherwise] hindi mo alam kung sino ang target mo," Dela Rosa said.

"In the case naman of Vice President Robredo, she is not directly involved in the operations, policy-making functions lang yung sa kanya so I don't think that it is very necessary," he added.

"Kahit na yung Chief Justice, hindi alam yan. Kahit na yung Speaker of the House, hindi din alam yan. Baka ang nakaaalam diyan yung si Presidente lang at saka ang Chief PNP at yung Director General ng PDEA. Kahit siguro yung Chief ng ISAFP, yung intelligence service ng AFP, kung alam ba niya yan baka hindi rin siguro dahil need to know basis nga," Dela Rosa further explained.

The reason for this, Dela Rosa said, is to ensure that the qualified details will not be compromised and leaked to personalities that are not involved in the operations, which may adversely affect said operations of our authorities.



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Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima today (Nov. 20) marks her 1,000th day in unjust and illegal detention under the authoritarian regime of Mr. Duterte who uses his power to silence and persecute his perceived political enemies.

De Lima, a prisoner of conscience, shared that her continued political persecution by the present government failed to suppress her spirit and instead strengthened her resolve to fight for her principles and defy her oppressors.

"1,000 days of a severely disrupted normal life. Days of isolation, restrictions and restraints, agitations, doubts and apprehensions. But there's the other side, the good side," she said in a handwritten statement.

"1,000 days of a contemplative life of simple joys and wants, of prayerful reflections. Days of sustained sanity and willpower. The will to survive, and overcome," she said.

Despite her lack of access to communication devices since being unjustly detained on Feb. 24 2017, De Lima has continued to speak out on injustices, human rights violations and other burning national issues through her handwritten statements, with a total of 648 Dispatches to date, from her detention quarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

De Lima has also managed to fulfill her electoral mandate by having authored 52 bills and 20 resolutions and co-authored three bills and five resolutions, so far, this 18th Congress alone. In the 17th Congress, she authored and co-authored 153 bills and 161 resolutions.

She also continued to gain support from the local and international communities, with over 300 leaders, activists and organizations from across the world having issued a statement of indignation on her continued political persecution by the government in time for her 1,000th day in detention.

The global and local personalities who signed the statement, including Vice President Leni Robredo, urged the Duterte administration to drop all politically-motivated charges against De Lima and release her over trumped-up illegal drug trading charges.

Despite being "a defender now being defended in court" and "a protector of victims of abuses and human rights violations now a victim herself", De Lima proudly shared that her physical restrictions did not prevent her from truly being "free."

"I'm freer than most. Free to think and feel. Free to speak out. Free to fight. Unbelievable graces from the great Giver!" she said.

To protest De Lima's political persecution and to rally for her freedom, her former and present colleagues, supporters, and friends will attend today a simultaneous indignation runs, followed by a Holy Mass, in Quezon City and in her hometown in Iriga City, Camarines Sur.

Dubbed "#1KNotOK Indignation Run," the run in Quezon City was organized by the Human Rights and People Empowerment Center, the University of the Philippines Diliman University Student Council and Tindig Pilipinas while the run in Camarines Sur was led by De Lima's youngest brother, Vicente "Vicboy" M. de Lima II.

It may be recalled that De Lima earned Mr. Duterte's ire when she introduced a Senate resolution calling for an investigation into the spate of extrajudicial killings in the government's all-out war on drugs, which prompted her incarceration.



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Warmest and most dignified greetings from the proudest detainee inside the PNP Custodial Center.

I am a Senator of the Republic of the Philippines, who has been unjustly incarcerated for 1,000 days now. All because I chose - and continue to choose - to speak and stand for the truth. I have been maligned, and I have been persecuted. Yet I have never been defeated and never been stripped of my dignity, though my oppressors surely gave it their best try.

Locked gates and armed police officers may stand between me and the rest of the world, but my soul, my heart and my mind have never been freer. All because Truth and true Justice are on my side.

I could choose to be afraid and cowed by the powerful and influential people who are punishing me for daring to speak truth to power, and for having the audacity to faithfully perform my sworn duties as a public officer without fear or favor. Yet I choose not to be silenced and, instead, I choose to continue spreading the Truth, ever louder than ever.

Admittedly, there are whispers of fear that pass through me from time to time.

More fear-provoking than my physical isolation from the outside world are the thoughts that I may never be able to see my loved ones again, and that I may never be restored to my old, ordinary life of simple pleasures and freedoms, the kind that most of us tend to take for granted.

There is always that creeping hopelessness, but I refuse to give in. Napapagod pero hindi kailanman sumusuko.

Because more than fear and stronger than the creeping hopelessness, is my defiant spirit fueled both by the justness of my cause and the sense of solidarity I am blessed and honored to receive from people all over the world - not the least of all at this very moment and on the hallowed grounds of the University of the Philippines, where the words "Freedom" and "Sacrifice" go hand and hand, and together take on a life of their own - capable of toppling even the most power-hungry of tyrants.

Kaya tuwing tila humahaba ang mga araw; tuwing dumidilim ang mundo; at tuwing tila mas lalong nagiging mailap ang katarungan, ay nasasambit ko ang mga linya mula sa Panalangin ng Sakripisyo:

... let me become an instrument of blessing for others. ... grant me the humility to be broken and given for others. ... Teach my mind and direct my will to humbly endure the pain of undeserved suffering even when my intent was good and done what is right. ...

And with those words, my spirit is whole again, and my will to keep fighting is stronger than ever. Not just because I know that my intent was good and I had done what was right.

But more importantly because this undeserved pain is not for nothing.

Because this is not about me. I am but an instrument.

My story is not my own. It is but a platform to tell the story of thousands of others; a part of the continuing saga of a people waging a battle far bigger than my own suffering.

For beyond the walls of my detention cell, for others, death is the price that they pay for standing up for what is right and just, or for simply being poor.

An estimated 27,000 people - human beings, with families and loved ones - have been killed in the so-called "drug war"; at least 43 lawyers, prosecutors, and judges have been murdered in broad daylight; and at least 155 human rights defenders have been summarily executed in the government's War against Democracy and the Rule of Law. Three years of impunity, three more years of deceit and bloodlust.

What is 1,000 days of detention to the eternal agony of a mother who lost her beloved child in a sham war against drugs?

While in detention, I am learning life's greatest lessons from the struggles of ordinary Filipinos. I am as humbled as I am inspired. If they, who have seen and felt the worst, can still stand and fight for other people, even in the face of terror, what right do I have to look the other way and live in comfortable silence? I have chosen to take their struggle as my own, as they have taken mine as theirs.

On that note, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all of you, for your untiring love and support since Day 1. Life for all of us has been made even more difficult by this administration. Napakasikip na ng espasyo para kumilos at magpahayag. But you never faltered, you never allowed yourself to be cowered into silence and defeat. So how could I?

I also want to thank the members of my staff for their unwavering dedication and hard work. I know. The workload has been tremendous since I was unjustly detained. It has taken most of their weekends and even their holidays for the past 1,000 days, pero nandiyan pa rin sila.

We all know what is in store for us in the next three years. It will not get any easier with Mr. Duterte desperately clinging to whatever is left of his power. Ngunit tuloy ang laban kasama ang mga pamilyang naulila ng madugong giyera kontra droga, at mga iba pa na niyurakan ang mga karapatang pantao.

It is only through our collective determination that we can defeat a tyrant who keeps mocking our pain and making light of our victories.

When I surrendered to the arresting officers on February 24, 2017, I said that it is my honor to be jailed for my convictions. Today, 1,000 days since my arrest, I say it again: Karangalan ko po na makulong dahil sa mga ipinaglalaban ko.

Karangalan ko din na maging bahagi ng malawak na kilusang lumalaban para sa Katarungan at Katotohanan.

At dahil nagkakaisa tayo sa paghihirap, iisa rin tayo sa tagumpay.

Palagian po nating tandaan: hindi laging maghahari ang dilim.

Our truth will defeat their lies.

Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.



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As I've said before, I have never imagined myself being detained and persecuted. Not even in a few hours or a single day.

But here I am right now, a lawyer, a public servant who serves my country to the fullest of my capability--still in a solitary, isolated quarters, for one thousand days now.

Walang salitang sasapat para mailarawan ang nararamdaman ko ngayon; bawat araw na lumilipas ay araw ng kawalang hustisya laban sa inosenteng tulad ko, na maging mukha at larawan ng lantarang pagyurak sa ating mga karapatan, ng paglapastangan sa sistemang pangkatarungan at patuloy na pagsira sa aking pangalan, buhay at dangal bilang babae.

Bawat araw ng patuloy kong pagkakulong, ay isang mabigat na laban at pagsubok na dapat kong lampasan.

Each day that passed made me stronger, however. But what I find most difficult to overcome is the fact that for the past 1,000 days, I continue to witness how terrible our country is being ruled, and how the law is being weaponized to suppress dissent, curtail our freedoms and undermine our democracy. We also see rampant corruption and misgovernance.

But I am still thankful to God for the blessings of wisdom, fortitude and perseverance to fight and continue fighting.

Ipinagpapasa-Diyos ko ang lahat, at nagpapasalamat sa patuloy na suporta at malasakit ng aking mga kapamilya, kaibigan, mga indibidwal at organisasyon sa loob at labas ng bansa, na patuloy na nananawagan para sa hustisya at agaran kong paglaya.

Sa inyo pong lahat na kaisa ko, maraming maraming salamat. Patuloy ko pong itinuturing na isang karangalan ang makulong dahil sa aking mga ipinaglalaban. ###



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Saniño Butucan, Danica May Garcia, Francisco Manosca, Althea Fhem Barbon, Reynaldo de Guzman, Carl Arnaiz, Kian delos Santos and Myka Ulpina. These are the children who were killed in the name of Duterte's violent "war on drugs"; they are innocent children now denied of their right to live, deprived of the opportunity to dream and to contribute in our society.

Today, as we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child as we celebrate the Universal Children's Day, let us remember these children, and pray for their families who up to now are seeking justice for their brutal deaths.

Even as we are one of the signatories of this important instrument, the Philippines is witnessed by the rest of the world how its children are abused, discriminated and worse, killed.

Here and around the world, children are among the most vulnerable in society. Many of them, especially from the poor families, are forced to be instruments in unlawful activities. Some of them are coerced to work at a young age while others have become orphans of the victims of extrajudicial killings in our country.

Violence and discrimination against our children must stop. From the very beginning, I have strongly called out the murderous Duterte regime to stop abuses in its war on drugs, to stop considering the death of children as mere "collateral damage". Hindi na talaga sila nakonsensya. Hindi na sila kinilabutan sa bawat pinaslang na bata na pinagkaitan nila ng buhay at kinabukasan.

In the Senate, our work continues in providing protection and promoting the rights and welfare of our children. I filed Senate Bill No. 622 to increase the age of sexual consent from the current 12 to 18 years old to protect minors against rape and other forms of sexual exploitation and abuse. I have also pushed for Senate Resolution No. 201, directing the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality to conduct an inquiry on the continued proliferation and rising incidence of child cybersex abuse in the country.

With these legislative measures, we must protect children from predators and those who take advantage of their vulnerability. We want our children to be protected from violence, exploitation and discrimination.

Together, we must strengthen our efforts to genuinely promote our children's rights, address their needs, and listen more to their voices. Let us fulfill our shared obligation to pass to our children a society built on the foundations of justice, peace and respect for human rights and dignity.

(Sgd.) LEILA M. DE LIMA

PNP Custodial Center, Camp Crame



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Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go said on Tuesday, November 19, that he supports the Supreme Court (SC) ruling to uphold Section 32 of the Republic Act (RA) 9173 or the "Philippine Nursing Act of 2002" which states that "the minimum base pay of nurses working in public health institutions shall not be lower than salary grade 15."

"Importante po sa atin ang mga nurses at suportado natin ang kanilang pagkapanalo sa Supreme Court," Go said during the Senate plenary deliberations on the 2020 budget of the Department of Health (DOH).

However, Go told that ruling has not been taken into consideration yet in the proposed 2020 budget of the health department because the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the DOH are still studying the needed appropriation for it.

"DBM and DOH are still studying the needed appropriation to implement the decision," Go said.

Go mentioned that the implementation of the High Court ruling will cost around PhP3.17 billion annually based on the existing salary schedule.

"We need your cooperation to implement the decision and address the possible wage distortion brought about by the Supreme Court decision," Go said, adding that he will prioritize the passage of a new Salary Standardization Law (SSL) for now which will provide for the increase of the current salaries of government nurses and other workers.

"For now, uunahin muna natin ang Salary Standardization 5 in which kasama ang mga nurses at meron na pong pwedeng pagkukunan ng pondo," Go said.

Go filed in July Senate Bill (SB) 200 or the proposed "Act Modifying the Salary Schedule for Civilian Government Personnel" which seeks to increase the salaries of all government workers, including nurses and teachers.



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Senator Richard J. Gordon proposed a budget allocation for additional 'think tanks' for the Philippines that will act as the policy institute of the country.

During the deliberation for the 2020 budget, Gordon recommended having more 'think tanks' composed of experts and professionals coming from the Philippines' top universities. The institute, he said, could be funded by either the government or the private sector.

"We should have more 'think tanks' so we can always have other people not from the government to look into the big picture and find out what is the best interest of the country without being used as political instruments to criticize the administration," he added.

Gordon mentioned his recent trip to Singapore wherein he met with three different 'think tanks'.

"The moment I got to Singapore, I got invited right away. We were discussing China, we were discussing all the other things that mattered in Asia and I think, somebody's got to look at the future so we need more 'think tanks' here," he said.

As a response to Gordon's proposal, Senator Sonny Angara, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, said that he is "definitely open" to the idea.

A 'think tank' is a policy and research institute that studies various topics such as political strategy, economics, military, science and technology, and culture, among others, and later on make proposals for the government.



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Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros has called on the Department of Health (DOH) to identify the pharmaceutical firms that are reportedly blocking the move to lower the price of medicines, particularly 120 drugs and medicines for common diseases and conditions like diabetes, heart disease, asthma and different types of cancer.

During the plenary deliberation of the DOH's budget for 2020 on Tuesday night, Hontiveros said that there is reportedly a strong lobby from several pharmaceutical companies opposing the proposed use of government's regulatory powers under the Cheaper Medicines Act (RA 9502) to lower the "unfair and anti-poor" prices of much-needed medicines nationwide.

Hontiveros, who was also the co-author of the Cheaper Medicines Law when she was Akbayan Partylist Representative, said that if reports are true, the firms should be named and subsequently queried why they are opposing the initiative to lower the prices of medicines and why their medicines are more expensive than their international reference prices (IRP).

"Nanawagan ako sa DOH na pangalanan ang mga pharmaceutical companies na mas inuuna pa ang kanilang malalaking tubo at kita kaysa sa buhay at kalusugan ng mamamayan. Sa panahon na kaliwa't kanan ang epidemiya at mga nagkakasakit, ang presyo ng gamot ay hindi dapat dagdag-pasakit," Hontiveros said.

It was reported that an association of pharmaceutical companies dismissed the proposal to impose Maximum Drug Retail Prices (MDRP) on 120 medicines for various illnesses like hypertension, asthma, and diabetes as "contentious and counterproductive." The companies said that they will talk to the DOH "so that government does not have to resort to price control."

"While I welcome the willingness of pharmaceutical companies to work towards improving the country's healthcare system, I would like to remind them that it is the exorbitant prices of medicines charged in both public and private sectors which has undermined the effective delivery of health services, to the detriment of poor and even middle-class families," Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros said that the prices of medicines in the Philippines remain high and out of reach of the majority of Filipinos. She also explained that nearly half or 41 percent of healthcare spending in the Philippines is used to purchase pharmaceutical products, as compared to high-income countries (19.7 percent) and other low-income countries (30.4 percent).

A study commissioned by the DOH says that on average, the prices in the Philippines are still significantly higher than IRP. In the public sector, medicine prices are up to 4 times higher than IRP while in the private sector, they can go up to 22 times higher.

Mga

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Several funded items in the P4.1-trillion proposed national budget for 2020 can be realigned to more worthwhile programs to fund three landmark laws passed under the present administration: the PhilSys Act (National ID) program, Universal Health Care Act, and the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said.

Lacson lamented the National ID measure, which was passed into law in 2018 after he championed it in the Senate, could not reach its potential because of a severe funding gap.

"There are many items in the 2020 budget that can be realigned for the National ID. One of them is the National Greening Program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources," he said in an interview on DZMM Wednesday.

Earlier, Lacson noted the National ID system needs at least P5.565 billion in 2020 to cover the registration of some 14 million Filipinos and resident aliens. But the proposed 2020 budget presently allocates only P2.4 billion under the unprogrammed fund for it. This amount covers only 6.3 million Filipinos.

Lacson stressed the National ID system is a good investment for public service. "It will expedite and ease a lot of transactions with public and private institutions. Even in the government's revenue collection, you can use this as a weapon," Lacson said.

The National ID system aims to cover 100-plus million Filipinos, but needs four years to be fully implemented, he noted.

The proposed 2020 budget to fund the UHC Act, meanwhile, is in regression and will fund only the Department of Health's ongoing programs, activities and projects (PAPs) instead of enhancing its implementation to include additional programs with a fiscal space of P151 billion instead of P241 billion, to allow it to cross over to medium cost or P257 billion for its high-cost implementation that will cover all barangays in the country.

On the other hand, the funding for Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) can support only 432,000 out of 1.5 million applicants, as revealed during Lacson's interpellation of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)'s budget.

Lacson said one possible source of funding may include at least P14 billion in funding for "vague" infrastructure projects in the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

"Such projects are usually inserted by legislators without consultation with the implementing agency - a.k.a. pork," he said.

During his interpellation of the DPWH budget, Lacson bared several projects in the DPWH budget were marred by poor planning.

Also, he lamented that only 20 percent of projects endorsed by the Cordillera Administrative Region's Regional Development Council made it to the DPWH's budget for 2020. He said this can lead to a disconnect between the needs and priorities of the local government units and the national government.

As for the National Greening Program, Lacson said it has been allocated more than P33 billion for the past eight years - including more than P5B for 2020 - yet, "we don't see any greens in spite of the continuous appropriation of P33B."

"It is much better if we prioritize the National ID system, which is much more worthwhile than the National Greening Program whose output we have yet to see," he said.



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SINABI ngayon ni Senator Imee Marcos na sana naman ay mag-number one ang Pilipinas sa talaan ng mga bansang magkakakuha ng pinakamaraming gintong medalya sa gaganapin na Southeast Asian (SEA) Games sa darating na November 30 hanggang December 11.

Ayon kay Marcos, sa laki ng budget na inilaan ng pamahalaan para sa hosting ng biennial multi-sport event ng 11 bansa sa rehiyon, dapat ay matiyak ng mga organizer na hindi mangungulelat ang mga atletang Filipino sa ranking ng may pinakamaraming gintong maipapanalo.

Ginawa ni Marcos ang pahayag matapos pagpaliwanagin sa Senado sina Senator Bong Go, bilang sponsor ng budget ng Philippine Sports Commission, at Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, na siya namang pinuno ng Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) Foundation Inc..

Umaabot sa P7.5-bilyon ang pondong inilaan para sa hosting ng Pilipinas sa SEA Games bukod pa sa halagang P9.5 bilyon para sa bagong pasilidad sa New Clark City, Pampanga na babalikatin ng pamahalaan. Sinabi ni Marcos, dapat tiyakin ng mga organizer ng SEA Games na masungkit ng Pilipinas ang number 1 spot ng may pinakamaraming gintong panalo para masuklian naman ang taongbayan sa bilyun-bilyong pisong ginastos sa biennial multi-sport event ng 11 bansa.

"Sa laki ng gastos natin, sana naman masiguro na mag-number 1 tayo sa SEA Games dahil kung hindi, tiyak na magagalit ang taongbayan!" ayon kay Marcos.

"Pero kinakabahan ako, kasi sa tingin ko, masuwerte na kung maka-5th place tayo sa SEA games," pagtatapat ni Marcos.

Gusto rin ni Marcos na masiguro kung kumpleto at maayos ang mga equipment at mga pasilidad ng mga atletang Pinoy, kabilang na rin ang pagkain, vitamins at iba pa.

Bukod dito, pinatitiyak din ni Marcos sa mga organizer at mga otoridad ang seguridad ng libu-libong atleta na kalahok sa nasabing sports competition na magsisimula sa susunod na linggo.



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Ngayong araw na ito ay ang isang libong araw mula nung na-detain at ikinulong si Sen. Leila De Lima. Mahigit dalawang taon na siyang nakakulong sa Camp Crame sa isang selda na kung saan walang cellphone, walang telepono, walang telebisyon, walang aircon. At ang kanyang access lamang sa mga pangyayari sa ating bansa at sa ibang bansa ay sa mga dyaryo na nababasa niya araw-araw.

Hindi makatarungan ang pagkakulong kay Sen. Leila De Lima. Gawa-gawa ang mga paratang laban sa kanya. Ang mga akusasyon ay galing sa mga ex-convict o kaya mga convicted na kriminal na ngayon ay binibigyan ng special treatment ng kasalukuyang administrasyon dahil hiniwalay na sila sa New Bilibid Prison at nasa kampo.

Hindi tama itong mga nararanasan ni Sen. De Lima. Dapat tutulan. Dapat tayong manindigan. Dapat nating ipaglaban ang kanyang kapakanan at kanyang kaligtasan at ang kanyang kalayaan.

Maliwanag na ang dahilan kung bakit siya kinulong at ginigipit ay dahil isa siyang kritiko ng kasalukuyang administrasyon. Bagamat siya ay nakakulong at hindi biro ang kanyang nararanasan at hindi makatarungan ang kanyang pagkakakulong, siya naman po ay nananatiling inspirasyon sa amin.

Sa amin sa Liberal Party, tayo rin, we are subjected to insults. We are subjected to threats. Tayo rin ay inaatake ng fake news. Subalit lagi kong sinasabi sa aking sarili: Kung kami ay ganito ang sitwasyon, mas matindi ang sitwasyon ni Sen. Leila De Lima.

She serves as an inspiration to us, to continue this fight, to preserve and defend our democracy against authoritarianism and tyranny. Hindi tama ang araw-araw na patayan na nagaganap sa ating bansa. Hindi tama ang panghihimasok ng China nang walang imik ang ating gobyerno dito sa West Philippine Sea. Dapat itong tutulan.

Sa personal na level, kapartido natin si Sen. De Lima. Maya't maya nabibisita natin siya. Napadalhan ko pa nga ng mga tanim para makapag-alaga siya ng gulay dahil nga walang ibang pwedeng gawin dito sa detention cell niya kundi magbasa at manalangin at magsulat at kasama na rin siguro 'yung mag-alaga ng mga tanim. Nag-aalaga rin si Sen. De Lima sa ating pagbisita ng mga pusa, 'yung mga stray cat. Labintatlo na raw ang kanyang inaalagaang mga pusa. Ang paborito niya 'yung lagi daw inaapi nung kapwa pusa nila, si Blacky. Pati doon, 'yung mga inaapi binibigyan niya ng importasya. Maraming alagang aso si Sen. De Lima subalit ito'y nasa kanilang bahay sa Parañaque. Pero maya't maya 'yung kanyang paborito, si Coco, ay bumibisita sa kanya.

Nais ko ring ipahiwatig ang mga detalyeng ito dahil it should serve as a reminder that Sen. De Lima is no different from you and me. She is also a human being. She also faces hardships. I'm sure every time you see her, she is in high spirits. Pero maliwanag din na may mga pagkakataon na nahihirapan siya dahil hindi biro ang kanyang hinaharap.

Ako'y nagpapasalamat sa lahat ng suporta niyo. Ito ang nagbibigay lakas sa amin, nagbibigay lakas kay Sen. Leila na ipagpatuloy ang pakikipaglaban at ipagpatuloy ang paninindigan laban sa hindi-makatarungang mga pangyayari sa ating bansa.

Tuloy-tuloy nating ipaglaban ang ating demokrasya at ang hanapbuhay at trabaho para sa ating mga kababayan. Ituloy natin ang pagtutol sa araw-araw na patayan, ang pagtutol sa pananahimik sa panghihimasok ng China sa ating karagatan. Huwag tayong mawalan ng loob. Magsilbing insiprasyon pa rin si Sen. Leila. Kung siya ay naghihirap, kung siya ay humaharap sa mga pagsubok tulad nito, kaya nating sama-samang panindigan, pakikipaglaban para sa ating demokrasya at sa ating kalayaan.

At ang panawagan natin sa araw na ito, FREE LEILA!



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If the executive branch will not comply, the Senate will.

If the Supreme Court has ruled that government nurses should occupy Salary Grade (SG) 15 position and not SG 10 and 11, and if such can only be enforced through an act of appropriation, then the Senate will do its part.

The SC en banc decided on October 8 to affirm the legality of Section 32 of Republic Act 9173 or the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002. The said section states in no uncertain terms that "the minimum base pay of nurses working in public health institutions shall not be lower than Salary Grade 15."

The Senate's move to obey the High Court ruling was manifested on the floor yesterday during the debate on the proposed 2020 budget of the DOH:

Recto: (May Supreme Court decision) na itaas ang sweldo ng mga nurses natin to P30,000 na entry pay. Isn't this found in the law?

Go: Yes, since 2002.

Recto: If there are enough resources for FY 2020 at lumabas na ang SC decision, 'di ba dapat pondohan natin itong P3.2B na kulang sa budget for the nurses?

Go: Correct. Full support ako diyan for our colleagues.

Recto: Will the Secretary (of Health) have any objection if we put this in the budget?

Go: No

Recto: And for the record, how many will benefit from this? Roughly about 40,000 nurses?

Go: 7,193 Nurse 1 and 32,842 Nurse 2

Recto: So mga 40,000. At ang kulang na halaga ay P3.17 billion?

Go: Correct.

The challenge now is to "carve budget space" for this amount in the 2020 expenditure program. I trust that the Senate version of the 2020 GAA will reflect this sentiment of the members. There are many unfunded mandates or forgotten laws in our land today. The SC-upheld RA 9173 should not be one of these unimplemented, ignored and overlooked laws.

Senate is nursing back to life the spirit and true intent of the National Nursing Law. But because the real rule in budgeting is "the legislative proposes, the executive disposes," the latter must be on board, too.



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Sen. Bong Revilla on Tuesday reiterated the need to implement R.A. 9173 or the "Philippine Nursing Act of 2002" which mandates the base pay of nurses in the public sector to Salary Grade 15 and questioned its exclusion in the 2020 budget despite the Supreme Court's ruling.

In his interpellation during the Senate Budget Hearing for DOH, the veteran legislator emphasized that the implementation of the mandated base pay for government nurses will convince them to pursue a career in the country rather than abroad by making their salaries competitive.

According to a data released by the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA), more than 19,000 nurses leave the country every year to pursue a medical career abroad, particularly in countries like United States, United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand where they earn ten times more.

Under R.A. 9173, the minimum base pay of entry-level public nurses is P 30,531 (SG 15), a difference of P 9,777 from their current take home pay of P 20,754 (SG 11). On the other hand, Nurse II will be SG 16 (P 33,584).

"Dapat sundin natin at dapat po maisama natin ito sa budget dahil Korte Suprema na mismo ang nag-utos nito," Revilla said.



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THE Senate is on track in its calendar for the approval of the proposed P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020, Senate President Vicente Sotto III yesterday said as the Senate resumed plenary deliberations on the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) approved and transmitted by the House of Representatives.

"It was submitted on time. We are right on track of our timetable without sacrificing important issues being raised in the different departments," Sotto said, noting that senators have been given plenty of time to bring up and clarify questionable or ambiguous provisions in the budget bill.

Sotto said plenary discussions on the budget measure, including the period of interpellation, individual amendments and committee amendments are expected to be completed by the last week of November.

Senators are eyeing the approval on second and third reading of the proposed GAB also by next week. The bicameral conference committee is expected to convene by the first week of December.

"The bicameral debates will be unpredictable. We expect healthy debates among members of the bicameral panel as they thresh out and reconcile the differences in our respective versions of the measure. We hope they will remain level-headed and open-minded during the discussions," Sotto said.

Congress is eyeing to have the proposed 2020 General Appropriations Act enacted and signed into law before lawmakers go on break for the holidays on December 20.



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As the political tension continues to build across Hong Kong, I appeal to the DFA, DOLE, OWWA, and POLO to put on standby its comprehensive contingency measures alongside their repatriation plans sufficient enough to assist our OFWs and fellow Kababayans in the territory should the situation further escalate.

Umaasa akong isolated cases ang mga report na may mga employer na nag-terminate ng kontrata ng mga household service workers. Gayunpaman, kailangang maghanda tayo sa kung ano mang pangyayari na may direktang epekto sa kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan sa Hong Kong.

In times of distress, communication is everything. Should there be a need to activate repatriation plans, Filipino organizations in Hong Kong may be tapped to reach out to OFWs who are directly affected by the ongoing protests.

Kumpiyansa akong maayos na matutugunan ng ating Consulate Office sa Hong Kong ang pagsiguro sa kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan.

Kami sa Senado ay patuloy na umaantabay sa sitwasyon. We will extend all the necessary support to concerned agencies in order to guarantee the welfare and safety of Filipinos in Hong Kong and its three territories.



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Question (Q): What happens to the sin tax bill following the order of the President to ban vapes?

Sen. Pia: The way I look at it is my work continues. Because our President has really just expressed - from my understanding - his disappointment and exasperation with the ecig industry. And that's why he made that statement na i-ban na yan.

Because actually, all this time, he was waiting for all of us to do our job. And my job is to use taxation as a tool to protect the citizens, and of course, there's also a fundraising measure as far as DOF is concerned.

But we have to understand the background. The background is, DOH issued an Administrative Order regulating e-cigarettes. And they said it in my hearing, they said it in consultations na ayaw ng mga industry ang AO na yan. The industry players said that they were not happy with that AO.

In fairness, there are also some industry players that said that they are happy to be regulated. Meanwhile, some of these people went ahead and filed cases to prevent FDA and DOH to regulate them. And these courts issued a TRO. So ngayon, we have products that are clearly harmful to the public. We can debate and we can discuss it longer. But there is no doubt. I don't know anyone in the business who will say safe na safe ito. There are health hazards there. And they are unregulated. Eh 'di nabwisit si Presidente, so ang basa ko sa kanya, "Ah ganun ha? Ayaw niyo magpa-regulate, i-ban ko na lang kayo."

And that's how I feel also. Ayaw niyo magpa-regulate? Eh 'di lumabas na kayo sa bansang ito. We're willing to, and that was the direction that I was going. Taxation to me is just a means, a tool to help make these products that are harmful less accessible to the vulnerable, especially the youth.

Pero, meron din akong draft bill to regulate vaping and ecigs, etc. na ready rin akong isalang at i-defend as soon as mapasa ko na itong taxation portion. Kasi nauna lang naman yun because meron lang talaga tayong hinahabol na timeline.

Q: How will the ban affect the revenue generation of DOF?

Sen. Pia: Well, it's very small compared to the overall collection. That is because ecigs is still not widespread. It's a new product. Bago lang yan. Ako nga hindi ko alam na may ganyang product until like a year ago na nakita kong may ganun.

So it will not contribute greatly immediately. I remember, DOF had said at some point, kung walang mako-collect diyan, okay lang kasi DOF recognizes that health comes first.

But I also understand that the President has also clarified his statement and I just have to push through with my part of the job. My job is to pass the taxation measure whether or not there's an EO that comes out, if something comes out tomorrow, whether it's a total ban or regulating, I have to be ready. Because this taxation measure has to be of a more or less permanent nature.

Paano kung temporary lang ang ban, tapos walang taxation measure in place? So I have to have that in place. And just to clarify also, there is actually a taxation measure in place. This was the law that was already passed last June towards the end of the 17th Congress. So that will be the one that will come into effect in January if I don't push through with this measure and there is no ban.

So I have to push through in anticipation. I cannot assume na mato-total ban yan. I have to still do my job.

Q: Legally speaking, is the EO powerful enough to stop the entry of vape products and use, etc.?

Sen. Pia: You have to recognize, first of all, like I mentioned, again let's go back.

DOH issued an AO. DOH time and again, and FDA, has the power to protect the public from health risks. That is their inherent power. Kung lahat na lang ng risks, let's say itong sa polio, aantayin nila ang legislature, mahirap yun. There are parts of the work of the Executive that require immediate action.

So, DOH cannot always be waiting for the legislature to pass something. It is inherent in the Constitution, Article II Section 15 that it is the State's duty to protect the people's health.

So may powers and responsibility ang DOH diyan and that goes without saying ang DOH naman is just an arm of no less than the President. They are under the President, so the President will also act that way.

But, I am not going to debate right now what is covered by the legislative powers and the executive powers. For me, you look at it on a case-to-case basis. Right now, the regulations that are supposed to protect the people from the harmful effects of e-cigarettes, vapes, heated tobacco products, otherwise known as HTPs, has been TRO'ed.

Kung ako din ang Presidente, sasabihin ko sa kanila, "Ah ganun, ni-TRO niyo yung aking health arm? 'Di sige, i-ban ko na lang kayo."

Q: Just to be clear, the bill you will push is just to regulate e-cigarettes or to institutionalize banning?

Sen. Pia: Right now, on the floor is the taxation measure that you know. So as of now, as of the past few months, I was pursuing, I was going along the lines of the direction of the Executive, which is to highly regulate.

The President and even DOF Secretary, DOH, have been very clear that there are harmful effects of ecigs. And I myself went to WHO and have confirmed this. Everything I heard in the hearings were confirmed during my trips abroad that we are dealing with a harmful product. So it must be regulated. And as I said, taxation is a means to regulate it for health purposes.

Meanwhile, for the health side, there are bills - I looked at it, I am actually vice chair of the Committee on Health and as you all know, an advocate for health. There are pending bills but I intend to file a bill, which I believe is more comprehensive and is more reflective of the need to highly regulate a product that poses a health risk to the Filipinos.

Wala pa ang bill na yun. It's in the drafting stage. And if you recall, I've been busy as the chair of the Committee on Ways and Means, but my interest is always health. So my trip to WHO has given me more knowledge.

Actually, during the budget, I was reviewing that bill on the side. I'd say it's about 90% complete. I just really wanted a few more revisions. But I'll be ready to file that anytime.

Q: The filing will come after the taxation measure passes?

Sen. Pia: Hindi naman. If may time naman ako to finalize that bill, I will file it. And that bill, as I said in answer to your question, is going along the direction of highly regulating.

Si Senator Tolentino, whom I worked very closely with - he was in WHO - is for a total ban. Kasi for me, it's a thin line. Ang aming understanding of the health risk is exactly the same. It's more of the appreciation of what would work better in our country, a total ban or highly regulating?

Part of me wants total ban. But the other part of me is okay with highly regulating. And this is where I want to share this conundrum that I face, because here you have industry players saying, "I-regulate niyo kami, mas gusto naming ma-regulate para ma-weed out natin ang mga fly by night diyan and those that might produce products that don't comply with the safety standard."

But meanwhile, ni-TRO naman nila ang pagre-regulate ng FDA and DOH. 'Di ngayon, unregulated. Paano ba yun?

Q: Can you be more specific, ano ang ibig sabihin ng "to highly regulate"?

Sen. Pia: What I mean by saying highly regulate is, it can be sold but there are many -not just guidelines, but there are many dos and don'ts. And those dos and don'ts, I will enumerate.

But offhand, you cannot sell to the youth and, in this case, I have expanded it to young people. Because ang brain, there is evidence that shows that the brain continues to develop until 25 years old. So at the age of 19, hindi ka na youth, pero ang brain mo and decision-making skills mo are still very susceptible to persuasion, to advertisement and all that. So, that's one way of regulating - that you ban the youth and even young people.

Advertising, you highly regulate that. You either totally ban or you only allow it in limited spaces. So that's what I mean, maybe we can have a separate discussion on that. But I am giving you a glimpse of what I mean by highly regulate. And even the places where you will sell.

I'd love to give you this example. In the United Kingdom, where they actually allow ecigs to be sold freely, the reason for that is because their cigarettes are highly regulated. You cannot enter a store and see cigarettes anywhere. So nag-drop na ang consumption ng youth nila.

So now, with the ecig business, it appears that their youth is not vulnerable to it the way the youth in the US is. Because there are no cigarettes around. You can't enter a store and find it. In fact, I wanted to make a point of buying, I kept forgetting because every time I enter a convenience store, you won't see it.

So ang cigarette industry nila - I'm referring to cigarette industry - is highly regulated. And this allowed them to now look at what ecigs can do for them. They are not allowing it na walang regulation, ha? Kasi for them, it is still a harmful product. Pero medyo liberal sila in allowing it as an alternative to cigarettes.

Q: So the direction towards eventually banning the selling of ecigs in convenience stores will be part of the bill?

Sen. Pia: If you ask me, it should be included in the debates, because it's a harmful products. And all across the world, connected pa rin kasi yan sa cigarettes. So, cigarettes in other parts of the world, very regulated na ang kanilang pagbebenta.

So si ecigs, saan pumapasok diyan? Eh parang tayo, nafa-fast forward. Hindi pa nga natin totally nare-regulate ang cigarettes, nandito na si ecigs.

So gusto ni ecigs, "Huwag niyo naman kami masyadong i-regulate, ang cigarettes nga hindi niyo nire-regulate." That's not an excuse, eh 'di i-regulate kayo pareho ng mas matindi. Dapat naman talaga ma-regulate silang pare-pareho.

Q: Does the order to ban ecigs have an effect on the President's directive to certify the sin tax bill as urgent?

Sen. Pia: No. I don't believe so, because like I mentioned, the President is very vocal about his concerns, ang ideas niya, he will really just say it. So my understanding is, just like me, when he says, "I-ban na lang yan," it's because of the facts that he's faced with. It's because of the annoying reality that these people don't want to be regulated and then there are courts that actually felt that the business interest of these vaping companies are more important than the welfare and health of the Filipinos.

It boggles my mind. At si Presidente din, takang taka kung bakit ganyan sila magdesisyon. ni-TRO nila ang Department of Health and FDA.

Q: Will the sin tax bill be approved before the year ends?

Sen. Pia: I hope so. I have been having more detailed discussions with my colleagues. And I have expressed the request of DOF that we expedite this. So napapag-usapan na yan. And I have requested na magkaroon ng caucus right after the budget and that we prioritize the debates. Kasi ready naman ako.

Q: Does the caucus have a schedule already?

Sen. Pia: Sinabi ko naman kay SP na gusto ko sana mag-caucus right after. Syempre, ayaw ko naman makagulo dahil hilong hilo na kaming lahat sa long hours ng budget. But hopefully. Kasi period of amendments na lang naman kami. So kung masisingit ko yun during one afternoon, para ma-explain ko na and ma-discuss din itong effects ng ban, baka iba-iba din ang ideas nila.

Ako, I want to say that tuloy natin ito. Kasi it's just a question of rates. I don't think anyone is not for taxing these sin products, it's just a question of rates. So I wanna just sit down and discuss with them, "Saan tayo ngayon?" kasi ako, I stand by the rates that I propose.

Thank you!



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"My job is to use taxation as a tool to protect our citizen's health. My work continues."

Thus said Senator Pia S. Cayetano when asked how her task as sponsor of the Sin Tax Reform Bill in the Senate would be affected by President Rodrigo Duterte's recent directive to restrict the use and importation of e-cigarettes.

The Chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, Cayetano is sponsoring in plenary Senate Bill No. 1074, which seeks to raise sin taxes on e-cigarettes, as well as alcohol products.

"I just have to push through with my part of the job, which is to pass the taxation measure, whether or not an Executive Order from the President comes out," the senator said during a phone interview with Senate reporters on Thursday (November 21).

"Whether it's a total ban or a regulation [on ecig products], I have to be ready. Because this taxation measure has to be of a more or less permanent nature," she explained, reiterating her position that taxation is an effective tool to make these harmful products less accessible to young people.

On the other hand, Cayetano stated that the President's order to ban e-cigarettes could be a result of his "disappointment and exasperation" with the industry's moves to evade any form of regulation by the government.

The Department of Health (DOH) earlier issued Administrative Order (AO) 2019-0007, which would have facilitated the registration and the mechanics for regulating e-cigarette products. But members of the industry questioned this order in court, which led to the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the AO.

"In fairness, there were some industry players who said they are happy to be regulated. Meanwhile, others went ahead and filed cases to prevent DOH and FDA [Food and Drug Administration] from regulating them. Now, we have products that are clearly harmful to the public; and they are unregulated," Cayetano lamented.

"So when the President said 'ban these products,' it's because of the annoying reality that these people don't want to be regulated, and there are courts that actually felt that the business interests of these vaping companies are more important than the welfare and health of the Filipinos," she added.

"It boggles my mind. At si Presidente din, takang-taka kung bakit ganyan sila magdesisyon. [Nag-TRO sila laban sa] Department of Health at FDA."

Asked whether the executive department has the power to stop e-cig products from coming into the country without legislation, Cayetano said it is the inherent power of the executive branch to take immediate action if public health is at risk.

"There are parts of the work of the executive that require immediate action. It is inherent in the Constitution - Article II Section 15 - says that it is the State's duty to protect the people's health," she emphasized.

Meanwhile, the senator bared her plan to file a separate pro-health bill in the Senate to 'highly regulate' e-cigarette products in the country.

"I intend to file a bill, which I believe is more comprehensive and reflective of the need to highly regulate a product that poses a health risk to the Filipinos. It's in the drafting stage and I'd say it's about 90 percent complete," she said.

Such regulations include banning the sale of the products to young people (including youth above 18 years old); strictly regulating advertisements; and prohibiting the sale of e-cigs in certain places like convenience stores, where they can be easily accessible to the youth.

Asked whether she hopes to get the sin tax bill passed within this year, Cayetano answered: "I hope so. I have been having more detailed discussions with my colleagues."

She added: "I don't think anyone is [against] taxing these sin products; it's just a question of rates. So I want to just sit down and discuss with them, 'saan tayo ngayon?' Kasi ako, I stand by the rates that I propose."



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My brother Alan Peter Cayetano, who is currently the Speaker of the House, took on the job as Chair of the organizing committee of the Southeast Asian Games when he was still DFA Secretary. He did not have to, but he did it because he believed that our athletes should have a chance to shine in our own country and the SEA Games.

Last Tuesday, he voluntarily appeared before the Senate, something which any Speaker of the House has never done before. He set aside protocol because he believed it was more important to shed light on the credibility of the SEA Games preparation. Thus, his appearance as a resource person during the Senate's deliberation of the budget of the Philippine Sports Commission in connection with the SEA Games.

He explained how the government, through the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), took on the task of building a world-class Sports Stadium that is now in New Clark City. It has a competition track oval with all the bleachers around it. Outside the stadium there is a warm-up track and inside the stadium is another short track for the final warm-up.

This Sports Stadium has been the training ground of the men's triathlon and the national track and field team.

When we first brought the national track team there, I ran with them. Some of them were crying and saying that they never dreamed of seeing something like this ever built for them. The Rizal Memorial Stadium is 84 years old!

There is also the internationally certified Aquatics Center, with a main competition 10-lane, 50-meter pool; a 50-meter, 8-lane warm-up pool; and a dive pool.

All of these are requirements to get a Class 1 certification. This means we can now host events here for our athletes as qualifiers for the big international events.

Apart from having world-class sports facilities, the New Clark City has also been the home of our triathletes for the past months. The Athletes' Village located in the NCC are like spartan hotels.

In the Senate, we are in the process of passing a law creating the Philippine High School for Sports that will also be housed in the New Clark City.

This entire complex is designed by Budji Royal. The cauldron, which is something other countries have also put up, is an artistic creation of National Artist Francisco Mañosa. It is cheaper than the cauldrons made by Singapore and Malaysia, the last two SEA Games hosts. In fact, as Speaker Alan mentioned, we are spending much less than these two countries did for the hosting of the events.

Also, it bears pointing out that as a responsible member of the world community, we host and participate in many international events such as the hosting of the 2015 APEC and the ASEAN's 50th anniversary in 2017. Both cost billions of pesos. Yet it was clear to us that there were tangible and intangible benefits that our country could derive from such events.

The SEA Games will deliver as much and more. Fifty (50) years hence, our athletes and young people will continue to enjoy these facilities.

When it comes to the training budget, that is different from the construction and hosting. That is the lookout of Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the various National Sports Associations (NSA). They receive funding from the national government and PAGCOR. There are also contributions from the private sector, which is common in many countries.

As a former national athlete, I know that it is not cheap to train! Aside from training with good coaches and training facilities, our elite athletes need nutritious food supplements, strength and conditioning coaches, sports psychologists, nutritionists, physical therapists, and more! And we cannot sacrifice our athletes' training/living needs.

I have my own issues with PSC and some NSAs on the funding of athletes' training, but I have unceasingly pushed and intervened for athletes over the years and remain committed to doing this, including grassroots programs I've done throughout the years through my Gabriel's Symphony Foundation and Pinay in Action initiatives.

As Speaker of the House, Alan also wants to spread grassroots programs and construct more sports facilities all over the country.

We will make this happen. Just like a champion is not made overnight, we will persevere and build a nation of champions.



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Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has questioned the Duterte administration's refusal to share intelligence information with Vice President Leni Robredo about high value targets and related matters in the government's campaign against illegal drugs.

De Lima, a former justice secretary, said the government's motive behind the limitations imposed on Robredo as a co-chairperson of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) appointed by Mr. Duterte himself is suspicious.

"We see a lot of duplicity here. What vicious political game is Duterte and his men playing this time?" she wrote in her recent Dispatch from Crame No. 646.

"Why the hesitance to share information as to high-value drug lords and related matters with VP Leni? May tinatago ba at natatakot sila mahalungkat ito? Why impose conditions and limitations on her power as ICAD co-chair?" she added.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Aaron Aquino, who shares the ICAD co-chair post to Robredo, recently earned flak after he refused to provide the Vice President with the list of high value targets and other important documents related to the government's drug war which she has asked.

In requesting for more information about the drug war, Robredo assured the law enforcement cluster of the ICAD that she will not use drug war records "to ghosthunt," but use them to know "where to start, what is the baseline" in her fight against illegal drugs.

Robredo reportedly pointed out that seeing the full picture of what happened in the drug war in the past three years would prevent a repeat of the problems hounding the previous implementation of the anti-narcotics campaign.

Moreover, Duterte threatened to strip Robredo of her anti-drug czar post should the Vice President disclose "classified information of the Philippine Government to foreign individuals and entities."

"VP Leni is intelligent and trustworthy enough, a deeply conscientious public servant who knows what or may not be disclosed to the public," De Lima pointed out.

De Lima, the staunchest critic of the government's war on drugs, said Mr. Duterte and his allies' unwillingness to cooperate and work with Robredo in solving the country's drug problem only proves that they want the Vice President to fail.

"What's emerging as obvious from Duterte's threat to fire her and the irreverently tasteless remarks we recently heard from his top honchos - Bong Go, Bato Dela Rosa and Alan Peter Cayetano - is that they do not want VP Leni to succeed. They're simply showing their true colors. Shame!" she said.



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Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has expressed solidarity with pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, especially the youth, against the police siege on the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) which has been occupied by protesters for days.

De Lima, a known human rights defender here and abroad, made the statement as Hong Kong police continue to lay siege on the Hong Kong PolyU where student and youth protesters remain holed up while trying to break free from the police siege.

"I express my solidarity with the people of Hong Kong, especially its courageous youth and students, in their struggle for greater democracy and meaningful freedom amidst China's authoritarian exertion of its control over the autonomous region," she said in her recent Dispatch from Crame No. 648.

"A people thirsting for real democracy, instead of being ruled from Beijing, deserve the solidarity and support of the free world, even those who, like us Filipinos, are again under the yoke of a tyrant who has discarded the rule of law and destroyed our democracy," she added.

Since June, Hong Kong has been plagued by protests, which started as demonstrations against an extradition bill which has eventually been withdrawn. The demonstrations, however, continued, having evolved into a broader protest movement against alleged police brutality and calls for full democratic rights for Hong Kongers.

Earlier this week, dozens of protesters were arrested by police officers as they attempted to run from Hong Kong PolyU where they stayed for days. While minors were reportedly allowed to leave the campus without being arrested, adults were said to have been detained on the spot.

As of this writing, about 100 protesters reportedly remain barricaded inside the Hong Kong university campus surrounded by police who are aiming to arrest them.

"Hong Kong activists fear that this siege is the start of a new level of attack on protesters, probably one even leading to another Tiananmen, as China exerts its authority over Hong Kong and its people," De Lima said.

The lady Senator from Bicol said the Filipinos could easily relate with the plight of Hongkongers who continue to fight for their freedom because Filipinos once fought to restore the country's democracy by toppling the Marcos dictatorship.

"All freedom-loving Filipinos only know too well what the people of Hong Kong are going through. The same demonstration of people power that liberated us from a dictatorship more than 33 years ago is now happening in Hong Kong," she said.

De Lima, who is marking her 1,000th day in detention today, maintained that Filipinos should "do everything in the power of our solidarity as freedom-loving people of the world" to prevent another massacre from happening in Hong Kong.

"As Duterte is to us Filipinos, the Communist Party of China is to the Hong Kong people the authoritarian figure that cannot be allowed to go on suppressing the people's clamor for freedom and democracy, in what they call the revolution of their time," she said.



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Patuloy ang panloloko ni Duterte kay VP Leni Robredo. Ngayon, ang sinasabi niya ay wala siyang tiwala kay VP Leni kaya hindi niya gagawing kasapi ng Gabinete niya. Pero hindi naman daw niya pinagbibitiw bilang co-chair ng ICAD. Mananatili pa rin daw si VP Leni sa ICAD kahit sa tingin niya at ni Panelo ay mali-mali ang mga pinaggagagawa niya na pakikipag-usap sa mga international na organisasyon at mga kinatawan ng US sa Pilipinas.

Well Mr. Duterte, how does it feel now that the joke is on you?

Alam naman namin na isang masamang biro ang paghamon mo kay VP Leni na tanggapin ang posisyon sa ICAD. Sabi mo pa nga na lahat ng kapangyarihan na kakailanganin niya ay ibibigay mo.

Pero pagkatapos ninyong matulala nina Bong Go at Bato nang biglang tanggapin ni VP Leni ang inyong hamon, wala naman kayong ginawa kung hindi maliitin siya nang todo. Ratsada pa ang inyong mga trolls sa paninira sa kanya gamit ang "fake news".

Kayo ang gumawa ng kagaguhan, ngayong binaligtad ni VP Leni ang masama mong biro laban sa inyo, biglang kambyo naman kayo ng iyong mga alipores.

Parang usapang lasing lang di ba? Ano pa ba ang aasahan namin sa isang gobyerno na pinamumunuan at pinapatakbo ng mga utak kriminal? Gaguhan na lang talaga.

Kesyo wala kang tiwala kuno at baka kung kanino pa sabihin ni VP Leni ang mga sensitibong impormasyon na hinihingi niya para magampanan ang kanyang tungkulin, pero wala ka namang preno sa pagbenta mo ng Pilipinas sa China. Sino ba talaga ang mas may kakayahang magtraydor sa Pilipinas? Si VP Leni na hayag ang mga layunin sa pakikipag-usap sa US at mga international na organisasyon tulad ng UN? O ikaw na wala man lang nakasulat sa laman ng iyong mga pakikipag-usap sa China?

VP Leni is a proven patriot. You, on the other hand, are a Chinese stooge.

Kung hindi na mapagtakpan ng iyong mga alipores ang malaking pagkakamali ninyo na hamunin si VP Leni, bawiin na lang ninyo ang hamon, at aminin na talagang mas may bayag pa kaming mga babaeng lumalaban sa mga nagtitigas-tigasan na mga macho at siga kuno.

You're a big joke, Mr. Duterte. A deceitful bane...###



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Duterte says that the charges against me are true, on his oath as President.

Well, we all know what his oath is worth.

Duterte swore to defend the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights. Instead, he waged a drug war that summarily executed thousands of Filipinos, depriving them of life without due process of law.

He swore to defend the country's territorial integrity and defend it from foreign aggression. Instead, he has become a Chinese stooge, defending Chinese interests and territorial ambitions in the West Philippine Sea.

He swore to eliminate crime and corruption in six months. Instead, crime and corruption only worsened under this administration, with people gunned down in public like dogs and cabinet and other executive officials rampaging in their shakedown of government contracts.

May golden kaldero pa kayong ipinagyayabang ngayon, habang wala na halos kitain ang Pilipinong magsasaka dahil nilunod ninyo ng dayuhang bigas ang merkado.

Mr. Duterte, your oath is worth garbage. Pathological liar as you are, your oath doesn't mean anything anymore. Just like those of so-called witnesses against me, whom you and your operators pressured to lie, also under oath.

Oath does not replace proof and the truth. To resort to relying on his "oath" is to admit desperation. Laway laway lang talaga ang basehan ng 1,000 days na pagkakakulong. Samantalang yung ibang may ebidensya laban sa kanila, nakalaya kahit nagnakaw pa sa taumbayan.

Wala na hong naniniwala sa inyo, Ginoong Duterte, maliban na lang sa mga panatiko mong tropa.

Wala na ring nakikinig sa'yo kundi mga uto-uto at nagpapagamit mong kaalyado na pawang bulaang propeta ng kasinungalingan at panlilinlang na gaya mo. ###

(Access the handwritten copy of Dispatch from Crame No. 651

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Before the Senate approved the 2020 budget of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) on Tuesday, November 19, Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go and Speaker of the House Alan Peter Cayetano took the opportunity to clear pressing issues related to the hosting of this year's Southeast Asian Games.

Go said that he will not tolerate corruption in the handling of the 30th Southeast Asian Games, which the Philippines is hosting on November 30 to December 11.

"Kung mayroon man pong katiwalian sa ating mga sports bodies, ako po mismo, bilang Chair ng Senate Committee on Sports, ang mangunguna sa pag-iimbestiga nito," the Senator said as he urged those involved in organizing the activities to assure the public of transparency and accountability in spending public funds.

Cayetano, as chair of the PHISGOC, was given the chance to answer questions related to the organizing committee after the Senate suspended its rules so that resource persons may speak in the plenary.

Go earlier argued that he cannot respond on behalf of PHISGOC since it is not within the scope of his mandate as sponsor of the proposed PSC budget for 2020. However, to address the concerns of fellow senators, he suggested that it would be proper to address the questions directly to the organizing committee for the purpose of upholding transparency and accountability to the public.

"If my colleagues in this chamber insist on asking questions beyond the scope of the PSC budget, then, I think, it would be more prudent to hear answers straight from the horses' mouth. I, too, want to get to the bottom of things based on the rules and in order not to prolong the discussions here at the expense of the budgets of the PSC and other agencies scheduled today," Go said.

"The PHISGOC, as the organizing committee, is in a better position to give accurate information regarding its involvement in the preparation for the Games," he added.

Among other issues, Cayetano addressed the questions of Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon about the cost of the New Clark City Sports Complex.

"Are we spending a lot of money? Yes. Is it excessive? No. Is it overpriced? No," Cayetano said as he defended how funds are being spent properly for what is projected to be the biggest SEA Games organized by a host country so far in the Games' entire 40-year history. Organizers estimated a billion viewers worldwide for the entire duration.

"A multi-sport event like this is a matter of national pride. It focuses on our people, it focuses on our culture, it benefits us in tourism, foreign investments. Sports tourism alone is $620-billion industry which we want to tap into," the Speaker also said.

Drilon commented that he never said that the sports complex was "overpriced."

Cayetano added, "Malaysia spent 7 billion on hosting alone, 15 billion in sports development and 1.5 billion to upgrade the facilities. Our SEA Games will be the biggest in history. The most number of sports. We expect a billion viewers."

He also explained why the Cauldron, which Drilon critiqued in interviews, costs P50 million. "The cauldron that has been put in the spotlight is cheaper than what was built by Singapore four years ago, 63 million. Ang 'yung sa Singapore po ay hindi National Artist (ang nag-design).

"The cauldron is the symbol, not one of the symbols. It is the symbol of the Games, whether it's the Olympic Games or SEA Games. It is a work of art. While some people may see a cauldron, we see a monument, we see the athletes, we see the burning flames that represent hope and the fighting spirit."

As to Drilon's question why PHISGOC, a foundation, is the main organizer of the SEA Games instead of a government agency, Cayetano explained that it is in accordance with the rules and common practice in organizing such international sporting events.

"It is the SEA Games Federation that owns the Games, and all the Games are ran by foundations. In the IOC rules and the SEA Games Federation rules, it is either the Olympic Committee, but they will form the foundation that will be the organizing committee, or it could a multi-stakeholder," he said explaining that PHISGOC abides by the multi-stakeholder approach wherein the PSC and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) are also involved.

"We had no choice. If we don't want a foundation, we cannot host the Games," he further emphasized.

Senator Pia Cayetano, for her part, expressed her affirmation to the construction of the New Clark City Sports Complex because its world-class facilities will allow the Philippines to host qualifying sports events, saving Filipino athletes from having to go abroad just to train and qualify for international sports events.

Senator Francis Tolentino and Zubiri congratulated PHISGOC, POC and PSC on their efforts to support Filipino athletes and in their preparations for the SEA Games.

Go also stressed during the hearing that an audit of all transactions done in the hosting of the SEA Games will be conducted at the proper time to ensure that no funds are wasted. He further said that these pressing issues are being clarified now to uphold transparency and accountability in order for the country to be united in rallying support for our athletes.

"There is a right time for everything... these questions pertaining to the organizing of the 2019 SEA Games are being answered now for the benefit of the public," Go said.

"This should be the time for us, leaders of this country, to unite with our fellow Filipinos and rally behind our athletes. While we are here debating, we have athletes, trainers, game organizers, and thousands of volunteers sacrificing their time to bring glory to the Philippines. They are doing this for the country," he urged his colleagues emphasizing that all Filipinos must focus now in supporting athletes who are working hard to bring pride to the country.

"Sama sama tayo na itaas ang bandila ng Pilipinas. We work as one in order to win as one! One team, one goal, go for the gold!," he reiterated in past statements.

After the issues were clarified, Zubiri moved that the PSC's P672-million budget be deemed submitted and approved.



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Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go expressed his full support to President Rodrigo Duterte as the latter announced Tuesday night his decision to ban the use and importation of e-cigarettes into the country.

The senator, who initially spoke about recommending to the President the need to regulate e-cigarettes or vape, told reporters in an interview after his fire visit in Tondo, Manila City that the President has already made a decision and will release an executive order soon.

"Noong nakaraang linggo, nagbigay ako ng aking stand, opinion, na dapat i-regulate 'yung vape dahil para sa akin, importante po ang kalusugan. Sa ngayon, may desisyon na po ang ating Pangulo at maglalabas siya ng executive order," Go said.

The President's decision came after the Department of Health (DOH) announced that there is a probable case of the country's first reported E-Cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) after a teenager in Central Visayas region was admitted in an intensive care unit after complaining of difficulty in breathing.

The 16-year-old teenager who has been vaping for six months, and concurrently also smoked cigarettes, was admitted on October 21 with findings of "sudden-onset severe shortness of breath, required oxygen supplementation and ICU admission."

The DOH has been pushing for a total ban on e-cigarettes, stating that there is still no evidence to support claims that the devices do not cause harmful effects on human health nor are they a better alternative to conventional nicotine products, such as tobacco cigarettes.

According to Go, he supports the President's decision to ban the use and importation of e-cigarettes as the health of Filipinos should always be a top consideration in crafting policies regarding those products.

"Ako, suportado ko po ito. Para sa akin, importante ang kalusugan ng bawat Pilipino. As chairman of Committee on Health sa Senado, uunahin ko po ang kapakanan ng bawat Pilipino, ang kalusugan nila, lalong-lalo na po ang mga naninigarilyo at mga gumagamit ng e-cigarette," the senator said.

Citing data from the US Center for Disease Control, Senator Go said that e-cigarette users are 56% more likely to suffer from a heart attack and 30% more likely to suffer from stroke than non-users. E-cigarette products contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance, and other chemicals that are potentially toxic and carcinogenic. According to DOH, based on the 2015 Global Tobacco Survey, there is an estimated 360,000 young Filipinos and another 180,000 adult ones who have ever tried e-cigarettes .

Go stressed the need for the public to be more cautious in using these products because of the limited knowledge available on its potential adverse effects.

The senator also emphasized that between profit and health, the health safety and security of Filipinos remain his top priority.

"Alam niyo, isipin na lang po natin ang kalusugan ng ating madadamay," Go shared.

"Profit ng negosyante o kalusugan ng Pilipino, pipiliin ko po ang health ng Pilipino. Kalusugan ng bawat Pilipino at magiging ligtas ang kanilang buhay at hindi madadamay (ang) katabi ng usok na ayaw naman nilang langhapin," Go added.

Meanwhile, during the senator's visit to the fire victims in Tondo, residents from Zamora Street and Pavia Street who were recently victimized by a fire incident that happened on November 17, were given immediate aid by Go. The affected residents are temporarily staying at an evacuation site in Brgy. 57 barangay hall.

Go distributed relief and financial assistance to 63 families affected by the fire incident. He also promised to replace the uniforms and school supplies of the students.

"May dala po akong pagkain, groceries at cash assistance sa inyo, sa bawat pamilya, para pansamantala kayong maitawid ngayon. Ako na rin ang bahala sa mga uniporme at school supplies ng mga estudyante para makabalik kayo kaagad sa pag-aaral," Go said.

The senator also assured fire victims that he is always ready to help those who are in need of medical attention. He advised them to go to the nearest Malasakit Center or approach his staff in order to request for medical assistance.

"Para po sa mga kailangan magpagamot, magpa-opera, o magpatingin sa espesyalista, lapitan niyo lang po ako. Handa po akong tumulong sa inyo," he said stressing that on top of his priorities is to provide every Filipino better access to quality healthcare.

Representatives from different government agencies also joined Go at the evacuation site. The Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the National Housing Authority (NHA) assessed the situation of the fire victims and provided more help for them, such as financial, medical and housing assistance.

"Kasama ko po ngayon ang mga tauhan ng PCUP, PCSO, DSWD, DTI at NHA para makapag-abot din ng tulong sa inyo. Nandito ang NHA para mabigyan kayo housing assistance, PCUP, PCSO at DSWD para tumulong sa inyo. DTI naman para makapagbigay sa inyo ng hanapbuhay," Go said.

"Ang gusto ko lamang ay makatulong sa mga nasunugan. Wala na akong ibang hihilingin pa dahil binigay na ng Diyos sa akin ang lahat. Ginawa na niya akong senador at ibinabahagi ko lamang ang lahat ng biyaya na ibinigay niya lalong lalo na sa mga maysakit, mahirap at mga naapektuhan ng aksidente o kalamidad tulad ng sunog," Go added.



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During an ambush interview, Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go reacted to the statements of former president Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday, November 20, who asked why President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Vice President Leni Robredo as drug czar if he does not trust her.

Go defended the President, saying that Robredo was appointed so she can have the opportunity for resolving the drug problem herself after she referred to the drug war as "a failure".

"In-appoint po siya ni Pangulong Duterte dahil sa kaka-comment nya na hindi raw maganda ang pamamalakad ni Pangulong Duterte labanan ang iligal na droga," Go said. "Sabi ng Pangulo, 'sige tumulong ka dito kung ano ang pwede mong maitulong,'" he added.

Go also responded to former president Aquino's criticisms saying that he had his chance to curb the drug problem during his time in office.

"Alam niyo dating Pangulong Aquino, dumaan na po ang panahon ninyo na dapat noon niyo na sinugpo itong iligal na drogang ito. Dumami ang mga adik, dumami ang mga sindikato, dumami ang drug lord nung panahon mo," Go said.

"Ngayon po, si Pangulong Duterte pilit niyang sugpuin ito bagama't napakahirap po ay hindi po makakatulong ang iyong komento. Isa ka sa nagpadagdag niyan," he added.

Go also said that Filipinos should be the judge if the government's efforts to fight drugs is a success or not.

"Paano magiging failure kung 82% nga (ng mga Pilipino) ang sumasang-ayon? Tanungin na lang po natin ang taumbayan," Go said.

"'Yung maglalakad sa gabi, 'yung magkaroon sila ng peace of mind, 'yung mga magulang na nakakalakad ang kanilang mga anak na estudyante sa gabi at nakakauwi sa kanilang pamamahay ng ligtas. 'Yun ang satisfaction at approval ng bawat Pilipino sa kampanya ni Pangulong Duterte laban sa droga," he added.

Go also emphasized that the priority of the Duterte Administration is to go after criminals in order to protect the innocent from the harm caused by illegal drugs.

"Sabi niya failure daw at gusto niya proteksyunan ang mga inosenteng kriminal. May inosente bang kriminal?" he added.

"Kaya nga kriminal e. Kaya nga kriminal, kriminal na utak niyan. Wala nang pakialam 'yan. Wala nang pakialam sa kapwa Pilipino," he added.

Go further said that the government is committed to prioritize the lives of innocent citizens victimized by drug criminals.

"Ngayon, ang uunahin natin, proteksyunan natin 'yung Pilipinong inosente talaga na gustong mamuhay ng tahimik at gustong umuwi sa kanilang pamamahay na buhay at hindi nasasaktan dahil takot sila na saktan sila ng mga drug addict na ito," said Go.

"Alam niyo, 'pag pumasok ka diyan sa droga, sira ulo ka na talaga. Hindi na normal 'yung pag-iisip mo. Wala ka ng pakialam kung sino 'yung masasaktan mo. So unahin natin, proteksyunan natin ang mga inosenteng Pilipino na gustong mamuhay ng tahimik," he added.

Asked on what advice he would give Robredo as the country's drug czar, Go said she must put the lives of the innocent first and protect them from being victimized by drug-related crimes.

"Unahin niyo po ang mga inosenteng Pilipino na gustong mamuhay ng tahimi



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Sen. Grace Poe said the public deserves a safe and comfortable MRT3 ride in their daily commute with huge budget poured in as subsidy to its operations and for its maintenance.

During interpellation of the P147-billion proposed 2020 budget of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Poe said she expects the agency will be able to fulfil its target to complete rehabilitation of MRT3 by July 2021.

"You will be done by 2021, all those rails will have been replaced?" she asked.

"Yes, complete rehab, almost like brand new," Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, sponsor of the agency's budget, said.

Poe noted that the MRT subsidy has been continuously rising--from P3.4 billion in 2016; P4.6 billion in 2018; P4.7 billion this year, to P6 billion in 2020.

"In addition, the cost of MRT rehabilitation project this year jumped to P5 billion from P1 billion last year. May we know the reason behind this for the record?" Poe asked.

Gatchalian replied, "Because of the bugged operations of MRT, basically ridership targets were not being hit. If we don't hit the ridership targets, government has to cough up the guarantee. Basically over the years, we are not hitting the desired number of ridership. Hence, government has to compensate the proponent through the increase in subsidies."

"That's the problem and the reason we are not meeting those targets is because also of the maintenance issue which is hopefully going to be addressed," Poe said.

Upon Poe's questioning, Gatchalian said that the DOTr has already signed a consent agreement with Sumitomo Corporation to operate the Dalian trains and for the maintenance of MRT3.

Poe said the details of the cost of the Dalian train inventory by Sumitomo should be disclosed.

"I think we have to be very prudent about this agreement to make sure that it is cost-effective. From the very beginning, I was already very apprehensive about accepting Dalian trains precisely because of its incompatibility on so many levels, beginning with the signalling system. Anyway, it's water under the bridge now," Poe said.

She stressed, "When you see people lining up outside waiting for their train rides while it is pouring outside, umuulan o napakainit, ang aga-aga nandoon na sila, parang wala ka namang puso kung hindi ka pa rin makokonsensiya dito sa mga nagawa, marahil ng mga nakaraan, pero pagkakataon na kasi natin na ayusin ito."



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Senator Joel Villanueva described the overtaxation concern on Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGO) as unfounded, saying its poor regulation has contributed to mounting social concerns such as rising property prices and increase in criminality and illegal activity.

In a statement, Villanueva expressed support for the move to impose taxes on this particular sector of the gaming industry, which has seen unhampered growth in the past three years.

"Halos tatlong taon po ang lumipas bago napapayag ng ating pamahalaan na magbayad ng tamang buwis ang mga POGO. Hindi na po natin mababalik ang nawalang pagkakataon para kumulekta ng buwis," Villanueva pointed out. "Kaya po suportado natin ang hakbang na magpasa ng batas na maglalagay na malinaw na panuntunan sa pagpataw ng buwis sa mga POGO upang maging klaro ang interpretasyon sa ating tax code."

"How can we put a price on this sector's impact on the rising social concerns such as the growing property prices and increase in crimes, among other issues?" added Villanueva, who chairs the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development. "No amount of money can reverse the impact of social ills that this sector has brought on our shores."

Villanueva explained that the benefits of the POGO sector are minimal at best because of its limited impact to the economy.

The sector has shown preference to hire foreigners, rather than locals, primarily because these offshore firms' main clientele are mainland Chinese nationals. On the other hand, the real estate sector has been recording brisk demand for office space and residential lease because of POGOs as well.

"If the property boom is the only economic benefit we can cite attribute to POGOs, then it is only right that we should impose more taxes on it. It is not only making our workers worse off by making rent prices higher and office space more expensive, it is also driving the cost of business operations higher as well, to the detriment of local entrepreneurs," said the senator.

The lax regulation of the sector could also be a breeding ground for illegal activity such as money laundering because bets are placed online, far from the reach of regulators such as the Anti-Money Laundering Council which monitors the occurrence of the illicit activity.

He called on the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. to exercise its regulatory mandate to keep POGO firms in check, instead of being "passive as the case has been in the past years."



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Senator Sonny Angara called for a ceasefire on the debates regarding the country's hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) once the athletes start arriving for the opening of the event this November 30.

As the host country for the 30th edition of the SEA Games, Angara said the entire nation must be united and show its ASEAN neighbors what the world-famous Filipino hospitality is all about.

He also said the negative news about the hosting of the Games could also serve as a distraction to the athletes, who should be focusing on their training and events.

"Hosting ng Games yan. Dapat naka-concentrate tayo dito. Kasi yung mga atleta natin, kapag maraming issue, baka ma-distract e. Dapat naka-focus lang sa mga competition nila," Angara said.

Angara, the chairman of the Committee on Finance, said the necessary audit into the expenses made for the Games, including the construction of the facilities, will be done as part of the regular processes of the government.

"Dadaan naman talaga sa auditing ang lahat ng yan. Lahat ng gastusin ng gobyerno ay dadaan talaga sa cost audit. Titignan ito ng Commission on Audit. Yun talaga ang trabaho ng ahensya--kung nagastos ba ng tama ng ahensya yung pera dyan," Angara said.

Based on information provided by the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), Angara said the sports facilities constructed for the SEA Games would eventually make money for the government, which was estimated at a minimum of P100 million annually.

BCDA president Vince Dizon has informed Angara that the maintenance of the sports facilities would cost an estimated P188 million a year and that this would be done by the private sector.

The BCDA has stated that as early as now, three local real estate developers have expressed interest in undertaking the maintenance of the facilities.

"Ganun ang plano nilang gawin para mabawasan yung maintenance cost ng gobyerno kasi may kalakihan din yung gastos sa pag-maintan nito," Angara said.

The SEA Games will run from November 30 to December 11 and will be held at different venues including the New Clark City in Pampanga, the Subic Bay Freeport and Metro Manila.



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She may have been unjustly incarcerated for over a thousand days now, but Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has refused to be cowed into silence believing that her incarceration made her an instrument of the poor and the oppressed in fighting for truth and speaking out loudly against injustices.

De Lima, who marked her 1,000th day in unjust detention last Nov. 20, said her life as a prisoner of conscience allowed her to relate with and learn important life lessons from the struggles of her countrymen, especially the poor.

"What is 1,000 days of detention to the eternal agony of a mother who lost her beloved child in a sham war against drugs? While in detention, I am learning life's greatest lessons from the struggles of ordinary Filipinos," she said.

"This undeserved pain is not for nothing. Because this is not about me. I am but an instrument. My story is not my own. It is but a platform to tell the story of thousands of others; a part of the continuing saga of a people waging a battle far bigger than my own suffering," she added.

De Lima's message, entitled "1,000 Days: Still Fighting and Keeping Truth Alive," was read by her Deputy Chief of Staff Atty. Catherine Sy, before an indignation run in Quezon City, which was held in protest of her continued political persecution in time for her 1,000th day in detention.

Dubbed as "#1KNotOK Indignation Run," the run was led by Fr. Robert Reyes, along with Rep. Kit Belmonte, former Reps. Gary Alejano, Erin Tañada and Tom Villarin, and attended by hundreds of De Lima's supporters.

De Lima, a known human rights defender, said she will not waver in her fight for truth and justice knowing that there are people beyond the walls of her detention cell who face greater sufferings than her.

"For others, death is the price that they pay for standing up for what is right and just, or for simply being poor," she said, citing among others, the plight of the estimated 27,000 people killed in the government's drug war.

"If they, who have seen and felt the worst, can still stand and fight for other people, even in the face of terror, what right do I have to look the other way and live in comfortable silence? I have chosen to take their struggle as my own, as they have taken mine as theirs," she added.

The lady Senator from Bicol said she has been unjustly incarcerated simply because she continues to choose "to speak and stand for the truth."

"I choose not to be silenced and, instead, I choose to continue spreading the Truth, ever louder than ever," she said.

"Admittedly, there are whispers of fear that pass through me from time to time. [T]here is always that creeping hopelessness, but I refuse to give in. Napapagod pero hindi kailanman sumusuko," she added.

De Lima, who surrendered to the arresting officers on February 24, 2017 and continues to be detained on trumped-up illegal drug trading charges, also reiterated that she is honored to be jailed for her convictions.



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Doesn't Mr. Duterte realize that his many public statements since August 0f 2016, all documented by media, which prejudge my guilt, are a veritable strong cause for a mistrial?

A farcical trial fueled by this President's lies and vindictiveness borne out of deep-seated personal hatred and prejudice. That's what it is!

Sadly, our court system remains insensitive to this travesty of justice.



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Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has laughed off Mr. Duterte's rehashed remarks on her alleged guilt over illegal drug trading charges which were fabricated by him and his lackeys in the first place.

De Lima, the first prominent political prisoner under the present administration, called Mr. Duterte a pathological liar whose oath as a President is worth nothing but "garbage."

"Duterte says that the charges against me are true, on his oath as President. Well, we all know what his oath is worth," she said in her recent Dispatch from Crame No. 651.

"Mr. Duterte, your oath is worth garbage. Pathological liar as you are, your oath doesn't mean anything anymore. Just like those of so-called witnesses against me, whom you and your operators pressured to lie, also under oath," she added.

On De Lima's 1,000th day in unjust detention last Nov. 20, Mr. Duterte accused De Lima anew of benefitting from the proceeds of the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison and that she purportedly used the drug money for her senatorial campaign in 2016.

De Lima, a known prisoner of conscience, has consistently maintained that no amount of lies by the government could erase her innocence from all trumped-up illegal drug charges filed against her by the present government.

In explaining why Duterte's oath is not believable, the lady Senator from Bicol recalled Mr. Duterte's fake and unfulfilled promises to the Filipino people, including his vow to rid the country of illegal drugs in six months.

"Duterte swore to defend the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights. Instead, he waged a drug war that summarily executed thousands of Filipinos, depriving them of life without due process of law," she said.

"He swore to eliminate crime and corruption in six months. Instead, crime and corruption only worsened under this administration, with people gunned down in public like dogs and cabinet and other executive officials rampaging in their shakedown of government contracts," she added.

The former justice secretary reminded Mr. Duterte that his oath, which could only fool his allies and blind followers, does not replace proof and the truth.

"To resort to relying on his 'oath' is to admit desperation. Laway laway lang talaga ang basehan ng 1,000 days na pagkakakulong. Samantalang yung ibang may ebidensya laban sa kanila, nakalaya kahit nagnakaw pa sa taumbayan," she said.

"Wala na hong naniniwala sa inyo, Ginoong Duterte, maliban na lang sa mga panatiko mong tropa. Wala na ring nakikinig sa'yo kundi mga uto-uto at nagpapagamit mong kaalyado na pawang bulaang propeta ng kasinungalingan at panlilinlang na gaya mo," she added.

De Lima has earned Mr. Duterte's ire when she initiated a Senate investigation into the unabated spate of extrajudicial killings in the government's all-out war on drugs, which prompted her incarceration



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Senator Win Gatchalian will file a bill regulating the sale of e-cigarettes, vapes and other electronic nicotine and non-nicotine delivery systems in the Philippines as the country reported its first electronic cigarette or vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI) case.

"We are already preparing a bill, which we will file soon, to regulate the packaging, advertisement, sale, and distribution of e-cigarettes in the country, including Juul (a cartridge-based e-cigarette)," the senator said.

Gatchalian made the call as he expressed concern that e-cigarettes in the country continues to be marketed as a safer product that can wean smokers off their nicotine addiction even if such claims are unproven.

The lawmaker stressed that the first reported EVALI case in the Philippines is more than enough reason to be concerned with the welfare of many Filipinos and implement a stricter regulation on the marketing and sale of e-cigarettes in the country.

Gatchalian lamented that the lack of stricter regulation on the marketing and sale of e-cigarettes makes it easily available and appealing to children and adolescents, like the 16-year-old girl from Central Visayas.

"Sabi nga nila prevention is better than cure. Ngayon nga na nagtala na ang Department of Health ng isang kaso ng EVALI dito sa Pilipinas, nararapat lang na iregulate ang paggamit ng e-cigarettes at vapes dito sa Pilipinas para hindi na dumami pa ang kaso ng EVALI dito sa bansa," Gatchalian said.

Data from the Euromonitor show that as of 2018, the smoking population of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products in the Philippines grew to 226,700. The same data show that the Philippines has been ranked 3rd among the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) members in terms of smoking population, with Malaysia being the highest in the region.

Last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed at least 42 deaths in 24 states due to EVALI.

In the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH) reported that a 16-year-old girl from the Central Visayas was the first patient in the country who met the criteria for EVALI. The criteria used by the DOH was based on the guidelines set by the US Centers for Disease Control.

"Also, the manufacturers, distributors and sellers of these products are claiming that e-cigarettes are safer or healthier alternatives to traditional cigarettes so we need a regulatory framework to check the safety claims of the e-cigarettes that are being sold in the market. This is necessary to assure the public of the effects to their health of the chemicals or substances they ingest in their bodies," Gatchalian said.

"Let's not wait for another patient to be confined, or even worse die, as a result of EVALI. It's time to regulate these smoking devices and save the lives of many Filipinos, particularly the youth," he said.



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Same old, same old. As usual, fake.

Wala na bang malutong na bagong fake news ang Pangulo? Sayang at may kaldero pa naman silang nagkakahalagang P50 Million.

Ilang beses na bang naglako ng pekeng balita ang Pangulo? Mula sa palpak na narcolist na may mga kasamang patay sa listahan, sa "ouster matrix" na dinamay pati si Jollibee, hanggang sa bigong pangako na tatapusin ang ilegal na droga sa loob ng 3-6 months at ENDO sa isang taon, ilang beses nang na "wow mali" at naloko ng Pangulo ang publiko.

Isang libong araw ng nakakulong si Senator Leila de Lima sa bisa ng mga pekeng paratang. Samantala, ang mga totoong kriminal at big-time druglord gaya ni Peter Lim ay malaya pa rin. Malaya ang bansang Tsina na kamkamin ang ating teritoryo at malayang-malaya ang mga tiwali at mandarambong at patuloy pa ngang nasa gobyerno.

Ito ang tunay na kalagayan ng ating bansa. Ito ang mga bagay na nilabanan ni Sen. De Lima.

Nananawagan ako sa lahat ng mamamayan na kakampi ng demokrasya at katotohanan, ituloy natin ang labang sinimulan ni Sen. De Lima. Gaano mang kadilim ang gabi, sisikat at sisikat pa rin ang araw at ang demokrasya ay magwawagi.



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In order to give due protection to Filipino athletes participating in international sports competition such as the Southeast Asian Games, Senator Manuel "Lito" Lapid has filed a bill seeking to provide free insurance coverage for all professional Filipino athletes who are competing in international sports competitions.

According to Lapid, it is only fair for the state to provide its athletes with insurance protection, especially those who are representing the Philippines in sports contests both here and abroad.

"Nais nating ibigay ang nararapat na suporta at parangal para sa ating mga atleta na dugo at pawis ang ipinuhunan para lamang maikatawan ang ating bansa sa mga international sports competitions," Lapid said.

Under Senate Bill No. 1152, also known as the "Professional Filipino Athletes Insurance Benefits Act," the state shall provide insurance benefits that shall cover medical expenses, travel insurance, death benefits, among others, to professional Filipino athletes who are competing in any international professional sports competition or in other equally prestigious world championship games, in both individual and team events.

Once the proposed bill is enacted, the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) shall immediately include in their programs, the implementation of the benefits under the said measure, which will be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Moreover, Lapid said this bill aims to recognize the honor, glory and pride that the the Filipino athletes are bringing to the Philippines as they represent the country in the SEA Games and other prestigious tourneys.

According to the Philippine Sports Commission, the Philippines will be having the largest delegation in the 30th SEA Games with 1,115 athletes, and 753 coaches, which will begin on November 30.



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Hindi kailangang mag-imbento ng kwento para punahin si VP Leni. Kung hindi nila pinagkakatiwalaan ang Pangalawang Pangulo, hindi na dapat nila inappoint bilang ICAD co-chair.

Marahil hindi nila inaasahan na tatanggapin ni VP Leni ang pwestong inalok nila kaya walang tigil ang mga puna at batikos na walang basehan.

Hindi na natin papatulan ang mga gawa-gawang kwento ng Malakanyang laban kay VP Leni. Walang kwenta, walang basehan, at gawa-gawa lang ang mga kwentong ito.

Kung ayaw nila si VP Leni bilang drug czar, walang pumipigil sa kanila na tanggalin siya sa nasabing pwesto. Itigil na nila ang pananakot na tatangalin si VP Leni sa pwesto at itigil din ang pasaring at pang-iinuslto na hindi maaring pagkatiwalaan si VP Leni. Hindi kapit-tuko sa pwestong drug czar si VP Leni.

Ang kay VP Leni lang, gagawin niya ang lahat para masalba ang mga buhay ng mga Pilipino. Tulad ng milyon-milyon nating mga kababayan, ayaw niya ang araw-araw na patayan



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Hindi kailangang mag-imbento ng kwento para punahin si VP Leni. Kung hindi nila pinagkakatiwalaan ang Pangalawang Pangulo, hindi na dapat nila inappoint bilang ICAD co-chair.

Marahil hindi nila inaasahan na tatanggapin ni VP Leni ang pwestong inalok nila kaya walang tigil ang mga puna at batikos na walang basehan.

Hindi na natin papatulan ang mga gawa-gawang kwento ng Malakanyang laban kay VP Leni. Walang kwenta, walang basehan, at gawa-gawa lang ang mga kwentong ito.

Kung ayaw nila si VP Leni bilang drug czar, walang pumipigil sa kanila na tanggalin siya sa nasabing pwesto. Itigil na nila ang pananakot na tatangalin si VP Leni sa pwesto at itigil din ang pasaring at pang-iinuslto na hindi maaring pagkatiwalaan si VP Leni. Hindi kapit-tuko sa pwestong drug czar si VP Leni.

Ang kay VP Leni lang, hindi patayan ang solusyon sa problema ng droga. Ang drug addiction ay isyu ng kalusugan kaya't isyu ito ng pagpapagaling ng sakit. At gagawin niya ang lahat para masalba ang mga buhay ng mga Pilipino. Tulad ng milyon-milyon nating mga kababayan, ayaw niya ang araw-araw na patayan.



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The Service Charge Law intends to distribute fully the fee collected from restaurants, hotels, and resorts, among other establishments, to workers who provide the service regardless of whether their employment status is regular or contractual, clarified Senator Joel Villanueva, the measure's principal author and sponsor.

While thanking the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in finally promulgating the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the law, Villanueva also called on the department to amend the definition of "covered employees" under the IRR which sought to remove contractual workers who render service in covered establishments from having a share in the service charge collected. According to Villanueva, this is to make the IRR consistent with the spirit of the law.

"The IRR should reflect the spirit of the laws. It must not modify or amend the law," Villanueva said in a statement. "In its current form, the IRR of the service charge law conveniently left out contractual workers in the hospitality industry, which runs against the spirit of the measure."

"We wrote the law to reinforce the right of covered workers providing service in the hospitality industry. Rank-and-file, supervisory and contractual workers directly providing service in hospitality establishments must get their equal share of all the service charge collected from customers," continued the senator, who chairs the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development.

He lamented that the IRR, which Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III signed on Nov. 19, perpetuates the "continued oppression of contractual workers," which the senator sought to rein in at the very least with the law, numbered as Republic Act No. 11360 that amends the provision of the country's Labor Code on the distribution of service charge.

Prior to the amendment, which President Duterte signed into law on Aug. 7, 2019, covered workers shared among themselves 85 percent of the total service charge collected by restaurants, hotels, and similar establishments. The remaining 15 percent went to the management which purportedly used the amount to cover instances of breakage and pilferage, among others.

But in the bicameral conference proceedings on the measure, lawmakers contended that the very nature of the service charge clearly pertains to the act of providing service, and not anything else, according to Villanueva.

Thus, the members of the bicameral conference committee unanimously agreed to phrase the law to state that 100 percent of the service charge collected to all covered workers who rendered the service, the senator recounted, adding that the collective sentiment of the body was to "give all these workers what is due to them."

Villanueva appealed to the labor department to revise the IRR to "stop another injustice against contractual workers" reiterating that it will not result in diminution of benefits to those already receiving the service charge because "what is to be divided among those who served is the entire amount and not 85 percent of it."

He also asked the DOLE to settle the misconception on the exclusion of managerial employees from the distribution of service charge by explaining further the provision to industry stakeholders.

At the bicameral conference hearing on the measure, DOLE representatives explained the distinction among the different types of managers, and it was clarified that only the top-level managers who fit the description of managerial employees under the measure were excluded from the distribution of service charge, recalled Villanueva.

Employees classified as managers are those "who lay down and execute management policies, or hire, transfer, suspend, lay-off, recall, discharge, assign or discipline employees, or to effectively recommend such managerial actions," according to the law.

"DOLE representatives also pointed out that first-level managers do not usually possess these kinds of authority in organizations. The IRR should be able to clarify this provision," Villanueva said. "We also reiterate that the law explicitly states that nothing in it shall result in the diminution of existing benefits under present laws, company policies and bargaining agreements."



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IRIGA CITY- Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has thanked her supporters here for their unwavering support for her and her causes after the events marking her 1,000th day in unjust and indefinite detention concluded last Nov. 20

In a message read by her youngest brother, Vicente "Vicboy" De Lima II, during a celebration of the Holy Mass in their ancestral home, Sen. De Lima thanked her fellow Irigeños for their continued vigilance in the injustices happening in the country.

"Thank you, my fellow Bicolanos, for rising to the call of the times even as it has become more difficult to express dissent, with the killings of human rights defenders and the crackdown on legitimate organizations critical of the government," she said.

"As Bicolanos, we have always been part of our country's continuing struggle for justice and lasting peace. Hindi tayo kailanman tumatalikod sa tawag ng tungkulin na ipagtanggol ang bayang inaapi," she added.

The Holy Mass was celebrated by Msgr. Nono Sañado and concelebrated by Frs. Tito Oliva, Manny Seranilla and Dan Aguilar. It was attended by over 700 people, including participants and volunteers of the "#1KNotOK SOS45 Run."

The Senator shared that she uses the moments when she misses being with her family as a motivation to continue pressing forward despite experiencing relentless persecution from Mr. Duterte and his sycophants.

"When you are incarcerated, it is during those solitary moments after the last visitor for the day has left that you become vulnerable to the hopelessness that tries to creep in, especially when you start longing for home and its warmth," she said.

"But these are also the moments of clarity and deepening faith, making you realize why you have to wake up stronger the next day," she added.

During the gathering at their ancestral house, Vicboy notably repeated his sister's impassioned declaration when she surrendered herself to arresting authorities at Senate on Feb. 24, 2017, which was met with applause by the crowd.

"When I surrendered to the arresting officers on February 24, 2017, I said that it is my honor to be jailed for my convictions. Today, 1,000 days since my arrest, I will say it again: Karangalan ko po na makulong dahil sa mga pinaglalaban ko," Vicboy recalled, quoting his sister.

"Karangalan ko din na maging bahagi ng malawak na kilusang lumalaban para sa katarungan at katotohanan," he continued, still quoting Sen. De Lima.

An outspoken critic of Mr. Duterte, Sen. De Lima has been detained since 2017 on obviously trumped-up drug charges based mostly on false testimonies of convicted criminals as a result of her courage in speaking out against the oppressive policies of the Duterte administration.



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Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go visited on Friday, November 22, the victims of earthquakes temporarily staying at the provincial capitol of North Cotabato in Barangay Amas, Kidapawan City.

Earlier, financial assistance from the Office of the President was turned over to the local government units to help in the rehabilitation efforts in Kidapawan City and in the municipalities of Magpet and Makilala, which were heavily affected by a series of strong earthquakes.

Go reminded the local government officials to use the funds wisely. "May tiwala kami sa inyong mga local officials, at nakatingin kami diyan, at ang taumbayan ay nakatingin."

He also called for unity and transparency. "Nakikiusap ako sa kanila na walang pulitika dahil ito yung mga panahon na walang pulitika, na walang pinipili. Pera ng tao 'yan. Ibalik natin 'yan, kahit po 'yung mga privately donated na goods. Ito yung panahon na magtulungan tayo."

The visit is the Senator's third time in the areas affected by the earthquakes. "Una sa Tulunan, tapos sa Makilala at Kidapawan, na nag-motor ako," he recalled. He distributed financial and relief assistance then.

Go was also joined by representatives from various government agencies, such as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), National Housing Authority (NHA) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

He also said he wants to help the affected children overcome the trauma brought about by the disaster. "Sabi ko kay Governor (Nancy Catamco), baka pwede natin silang ipasyal sa Davao. Magpadala tayo ng bus dito, tapos kami na ang sasalo doon sa Davao. Pangpasko lang, para mawala man lang ang takot nila."

After the turnover of financial assistance in Kidapawan, Go proceeded to Digos City to join in the turnover of additional assistance to quake victims there.

During both visits, Senator Go also promised the local officials and residents of North Cotabato and Davao del Sur that respective Malasakit Centers in their province will also be put up soon.



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MANILA -- The sense and reality of impunity of a political dynasty caused the Maguindanao massacre a decade ago, Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said on the 10th year of the world's deadliest attack on journalists.

"Ten years ago today, a warlord clan in Mindanao wanted to seal its power and control over the people in its territory in the 2010 elections. Together with his band of ruffians, a particularly desperate member tried to block any challenge to his clan's power and control, and so abducted, shot at close range, and buried media practitioners and some civilians who mistakenly followed the convoy for the filing of candidacy of a challenger," said Pangilinan.

"The Maguindanao massacre that claimed the lives of 58 souls, including 32 journalists and media workers, exposes how deeply entrenched feudal politics is in the Philippines," he added.

"It's been ten years since, but none of the perpetrators have been convicted, while some of the witnesses have either been killed or disappeared. The crime, brazenly committed in broad daylight, is another example of how painfully slow the Philippine wheels of justice turn," Pangilinan said.

"We decry the decade of impunity that has emboldened criminals, including state agents, to snuff life out of innocent citizens on whim. The thousands of suspected drug users and pushers murdered in various police operations are new testament to the chronic impunity in the country. The chilling effect hounds us all," he said.

"We exhort the courts to speed up the cases against the victims. Justice for the victims and their families through rightful conviction will bring a flicker of hope to the other victims of killings, including those in the so-called drug war," he added.

In 2010, Pangilinan filed Senate Resolution 168 pushing for live coverage of the Maguindanao massacre trial, believing that transparency will fast-track the judicial process. In 2011, he filed Senate Resolution 642 seeking to declare November 23 of every year to be a national day to end impunity.



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The Murang Kuryente Act will soon lift the burden of every household of having to pay additional costs in electricity bill.

The Department of Energy has just released the draft Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for the Murang Kuryente Act.

The law states that a portion of the national government's share of the proceeds from the Malampaya Natural Gas Project will be used to pay for two items - Universal Charge for Stranded Debts (UCSD) and Universal Charge for Stranded Contract Costs (UCSCC) - included in electricity rates paid by consumers.

Sen. Win Gatchalian, Chair of the Senate Energy Committee and co-author of the law, explained that each Filipino household is currently paying ₱0.09 per kilowatt hour for UCSD and UCSCC in the electricity bill.

On top of this, consumers are expected to pay additional Php 0.86 per kilowatt hour for UCSCC and UCSD. But with the enactment of the Murang Kuryente Act, consumers will no longer pay the additional cost. Those consuming 200 kWh per month can save Php 172 per month or Php 2,064 per year.

"Ang savings na ito ay pwede nang idagdag upang maipambili ng karagdagang tatlo o apat na kilo ng bigas kada buwan o di kaya ay isang sako ng bigas kada taon", Gatchalian said.

"Makakaasa ang ating mga kababayan na simula Disyembre ay hindi na tataas ang UCSD at SCC na nakapaloob sa bill ng kuryente nila", he added.

Stranded contract costs are excess of the contracted cost of electricity under independent power producer contracts over the actual selling price of the contracted energy output.

Stranded debts on the other hand, refer to any unpaid financial obligations of the National Power Corporation (NPC) which have not been liquidated by the proceeds from the sales and privatization of NPC assets.

"Tututukan natin ito lalo na't matagal-tagal na ring pinapasan ng mga Pilipino ang utang ng NPC", Gatchalian stressed.



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As the Subic Bay Freeport Zone commemorates its 27th founding anniversary, Senator Richard J. Gordon commended the volunteers for the successful creation of the Freeport from the ashes of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption and the impending economic disaster brought about by the departure of the American military from Subic Bay.

Gordon said the people were the key that made Subic what it is today - the framework for bases conversion in the country and one of the best examples of bases conversion ventures in the world, as international media described it shortly after its creation.

"Kung meron tayong Subic ngayon, it's because of the people who volunteered. We were successful because of the many people who sacrificed themselves. At that time a lot of people were prejudiced against it. They didn't think that people would come here without pay and put their future on the line and put their sacrifice as their capital so that we could have or make the future," the founding chairman and administrator of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) said.

"So today, I congratulate you all. Twenty-seven years ago, we succeeded in turning a vision into reality. We did not let our fears stop us. We did not fear the future, instead we made the future our friend. And thus, we succeeded in showing the world that, together, we can move forward on our own and get the job done. We received no salary then, but we got an excessive amount of appreciation and, more importantly, respect from the Filipino people for what we were doing in Subic," he added

Gordon recalled how they worked together to ensure that the base and its facilities and the equipment and furniture inside would be preserved and protected.

"That was the biggest struggle of all - to be able to win against ourselves and the temptation of bringing stuff out. And nobody took anything out. Again, my gratitude goes to all the people who answered our call 27 years ago, and to those who followed in our path to make Subic work. We have set out to make a difference and we have succeeded," he added.

When the last U.S. Navy helicopter carrier USS Belleau Wood sailed out of Subic Bay on November 24, 1992, Gordon, who was then mayor of Olongapo City, with 8,000 volunteers took over the facility to preserve and protect US$8 billion worth of property and facilities and started the conversion of the military base into a free port like Hong Kong and Singapore.



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This is not surprising at all. From the very start, we knew what this administration's intentions were. But when Vice President Leni Robredo courageously responded to the challenge of leading the campaign against illegal drugs, this administration got entangled and became a victim of its own trap.

When Vice President Robredo called their bluff, they got snared in their own trap. The Duterte government blinked and lost. Vice President Robredo won.

Now there can be no doubt that the so-called 'invitation' to work with the Vice President to curb the country's drug problem was nothing but an insincere sham. It also exposed the government's unwillingness to explore and try new approaches and alternatives in the campaign against illegal drugs.

Not only were they not ready for the Vice President, they are terrified of her.

It is laughable that it is Vice President Robredo who got fired first over the public officials responsible for the anomalies and incompetence which now hound our hosting of the Southeast Asian Games (SEA) left and right.

However, the timing of this decision is not surprising to me. We have seen this before. I won't be surprised if this is yet another attempt to draw public attention away from the widespread anomalies and the incompetent and embarassing handling of the SEA Games.

We must not be deceived.



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High-tech gadgets and devices may teach new things to many Filipino children and youths, but good manners and right conduct may not be among them.

On this note, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson filed a bill aiming to make sure Filipinos learn good manners and right conduct (GMRC) during their formative years from Kindergarten to Grade 3.

"In order to create a balance, it is necessary for our educational system to aid the Filipino family in imparting good manners and right conduct to our young students by its inclusion in the curriculum at the beginning of their school years," Lacson said in Senate Bill 1185, as he noted how modern technology threatens to impact the social skills and manners of Filipino youth.

He added Education Secretary Leonor Briones has warned "technology without good manners is a disaster" as empathy, compassion and humanity cannot be learned in an "online or technology-driven pedagogy."

Lacson's bill aims to balance the effects of gadgets and devices by honing the youths' attitude, values and perception with good manners during their formative years.

He said the GMRC shall inculcate among the students the concepts of "human dignity, respect for oneself and giving oneself to others in the spirit of community, for the effective and holistic development of the decision-making skills of the child."

Under the bill, the curriculum shall also focus on the basics of GMRC including caring for oneself, giving concern for others, according proper respect to people, upholding discipline and order, cultivating sincerity, honesty, obedience, and love for country.

"Taking into account the Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao curriculum of the Department of Education's K-12 program, the Good Manners and Right Conduct curriculum is hereby institutionalized and shall be designated as a separate subject to be taught in Kindergarten to Grade 3 levels," Lacson said in his bill.

He added the teaching method shall be actual or situational instead of just conceptual, so students can directly relate to the lessons and practice them.



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Senator Imee Marcos has assured rice farmers of P6.9 billion in additional aid by December, in the form of palay purchases or cash, using undisbursed funds from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Marcos allayed worries that a memorandum of agreement among the DSWD, Department of Agriculture and National Food Authority to purchase palay from local farmers "was held in abeyance" following a Supreme Court decision in October preventing budget allocations for items not specified in the national budget through a mere resolution in Congress.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives earlier approved joint resolutions to convert cash aid from the DSWD's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) into rice, to be bought from local farmers unable to compete with cheap rice imports.

However, the high court ruling in the case of Ang Nars party list vs. the Executive Secretary et al. would require that the law enacting this year's national budget, the 2019 General Appropriations Act (GAA), be amended before the relief measure could be implemented.

"The Senate hopes to amend the 4Ps allocations in the GAA by December, before the rice harvest season ends and unspent budget revert to the general fund," Marcos said.

"As we speak, both Houses are rushing a bill, in compliance with the new Supreme Court ruling to amend GAA 2019, I am confident it will pass in time," Marcos added.

The P6.9-billion aid from the DSWD budget answers President Duterte's call on lawmakers to help local rice farmers adjust to the rice tariffication law during the harvest season and will augment the P5,000 cash assistance promised by the Department of Agriculture before Christmas, Marcos added.



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MANILA -- The dip in rice prices does not match the drop in palay prices, Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said Sunday, asking the Philippine Competition Commission to investigate and correct this anomaly.

"Hindi patas ang pagbaba ng presyo ng palay sa pagbaba ng presyo ng bigas sa merkado," he said.

"Ibig sabihin, hindi sinasagot ng Rice Tariffication Law ang pangakong ibaba ang presyo ng bigas para sa mga consumers; at pinahirapan lang ng batas ang mga magpapalay dahil sobrang baba na ng presyo ng palay (This means that the Rice Tariffication Law does not fulfill its promise to lower rice prices for consumers; and the law only causes our rice farmers hardships because of low palay prices)," he added.

Pangilinan cited the November 8 update on rice and corn prices from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Reference No. 2019-322, which showed:

The farmgate price of palay further dropped to P15.43 per kilo from P15.49.

The average wholesale price of well-milled rice also dipped to P37.60 per kilo from P37.76 per kilo.

The average retail price of well milled rice fell to P41.75 from P41.87.

Earlier, the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) claimed that Rice Tariffication Law is for the greater good.

"Paanong magiging para sa kabutihan ng lahat ang pag-aangkat ng sobra-sobrang bigas kung walang ganansya ang consumer at mga magpapalay (How can massive rice importation be good for all when both the consumers and the rice farmers don't benefit)?" said Pangilinan.

At the same time, Pangilinan renewed his call to immediately compensate farmers for the billions of pesos in losses they have incurred with the flood of rice imports.

"Tungkulin ng pamahalaan ang sagipin ang mga sinalanta ng batas na ito (It is the government's duty to save those devastated by this law)," he said.

Pangilinan has repeatedly called on the government to fast-track the release of initial P3 billion for the direct cash compensation to rice farmers whose livelihood has been affected by the Rice Tariffication Law.

During the plenary hearing of the Department of Finance's 2020 budget, Pangilinan underscored Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez's support for Joint Resolution No. 2, which sought to amend the Rice Tariffication Law and allow the distribution of P15 billion immediate cash assistance directly to rice farmers.

The P15 billion will be sourced from the fund balance of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) under the unprogrammed appropriations of the 2019 national budget and the collected tariffs from rice importation.

To avoid legal questions, Pangilinan suggested the passage of the 2020 budget by last week of November to give the Finance Department the proper appropriations cover to release P3 billion in December and another P3 billion in January 2020.

Pangilinan also raised the possibility of passing a supplemental budget by December to fund the P3 billion initial direct cash assistance to the rice farmers.



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"The appointment and the eventual firing of VP Leni as anti-drug co-chair prove what we have been saying all along: Both the war on drugs and the appointment of the vice president as ICAD co-chair are bluff and bluster.

Their scheme to make VP Leni look weak back-fired. Just two weeks after her appointment, she has shown courage and competence in facing the problem at hand and redirected the anti-drug war track from a criminal justice issue to a public health problem.

Marami ang natuwa at humanga sa pagtanggap ni VP Leni ng nasabing alok. Sumabog sa mukha nila ang kanilang tangkang pahiyain si VP Leni.

Sa maikling panahon, pinakita ni VP Leni na hindi solusyon ang araw-araw na patayan ng mga mahihirap na drug user habang pinapakawalan at pino-promote ang malalaking drug lord, ninja cops, at mga protektor nila.

Pinatunayan din nitong pagtanggal kay VP Leni na wala silang isang salita. Sa katunayan, yung palpak na war on drugs ginawa nilang war on VP.

Malacañang did not just blink. Parang silang napuwing nang todo-todo. Umatras. Dahil sa takot at pangamba na lalo pang lumawak ang suporta kay VP Leni bunga ng mas maayos at higit na epektibong kampanya laban sa iligal na droga, agad-agad nilang tinanggal siya sa ICAD."

On Malacañang's explanation "that the termination of VP Robredo was in response to our suggestion to just fire the Vice President and in response to the taunt and dare of VP Robredo for the President to just tell her that he wants her out," naghahanap ng sisisihin sa mga palpak at magulo nilang kilos. A desperate attempt at blaming others for the mess they themselves created.



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Sen. Grace Poe will lead the Senate's celebration of the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the National Children's Month from Nov. 25 to 28.

The week-long event will be highlighted by an exhibit and an art installation.

Poe will open the exhibit and deliver a short message. Sen. Risa Hontiveros is also expected to take part in the event.

Overall in-charge of the event is the Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development Foundation, in partnership with Poe's office, Children's Rights Network, UNICEF and Save the Children.

"Natutuwa tayo na nagsasama-sama ang mga grupo para isulong ang kapakanan ng mga bata. Sabi nga, it takes a village to raise a child," Poe said.

Adopted in November 1989 by the UN General Assembly, the UNCRC seeks to ensure that the child is protected against all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the status, activities, expressed opinions or beliefs.

The Philippines is a signatory to the convention.

Poe said that the Senate has made headway in adhering to the spirit of the convention by passing laws that are pro-children.

"We have an obligation to see to it that every child's right is protected," Poe said.

Last year, Poe authored the National Feeding Program Law that mandates free meals to school children to combat malnutrition and hunger.

Stressing that one of the rights of a child under the convention is the right to identity, Poe also filed a bill seeking to eliminate court proceedings to make adoption a simpler and less expensive administrative process.

Senate Bill No. 1070 or the Domestic Administrative Adoption Act provides for administrative adoption under the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Her bill, Poe said, will eliminate the judicial phase of adoption and expedite the process, minimize the cost, declog the courts, and encourage more people to adopt a child.

Poe earlier authored Republic Act 11222 or the Simulated Birth Rectification Act that allows the rectification of a simulated birth of a child. It also fixes the status of a child whose birth was simulated.

Simulation of birth records refers to the tampering of the civil registry to make it appear in the record of birth that a child was born to a person who is not his or her biological mother.

The law provides for simpler and less costly administrative adoption proceedings that will apply to children who have been living for at least three years with persons who simulated their birth record.



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Human rights lawyer and former Senator Rene Saguisag has cried foul over Mr. Duterte's oft-repeated statements prejudging the guilt of Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima on the trumped-up illegal drug trading charges filed against her by the government.

In an ambush interview after attending De Lima's hearing at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 205 last Nov. 22, Saguisag called the former justice secretary's present situation a grave injustice and looming mistrial of the century.

"To me, it's looming to be the mistrial of the century because once a case is filed in court, we are supposed not to talk about the guilt of anyone. Pero dito walang tigil ang Pangulo. Kaya ang epekto niyan sa prosecution, testigo, mga husgado, grabe," he said.

A fellow lawyer and fellow Bedan of De Lima, Saguisag attended the hearing before Muntinlupa RTC Branch 205 to express support and encouragement for the Senator, who recently marked her 1,000th day of unjust detention last Nov. 20.

On De Lima's 1,000th day in unjust detention, it may be recalled that Mr. Duterte accused the Senator anew of benefitting from the proceeds of the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) and allegedly using the drug money for her senatorial campaign in 2016, an accusation she has long denied.

The government, which has relied mostly on dubious testimonies of convicted inmates to file drug charges against De Lima, has not produced any physical evidence that will prove her involvement in the illegal drugs.

"Yung mga kaso, mga testigo, mga nakakulong, naturally may interest magsinungaling at magkaroon ng pabor. Kaya ito is a grave and gross violation of the fundamental and basic human right to a fair trial," Saguisag said.

The former Senator maintained that Mr. Duterte should stop issuing statements prejudging De Lima's guilt and learn to respect her right to be presumed innocent pending ruling by the courts handling her drug cases.

"Digong should stop commenting on it. [T]he amount of prejudicial, pervasive publicity, negative, against any accused, it could be me, it could be you, it could be anyone, aba, kapag nagsalita ang Pangulo na may kasalanan ako, sino pang kokontra sa pulis, sino pang kokontrang piskal, sinong kokontrang huwes?" he asked.

Echoing the same point, De Lima, in her recent Dispatch from Crame No. 652, said Mr. Duterte's public comments about her supposed involvement in illegal drugs, dating back to as early as 2016, could be a strong cause for mistrial.

"Doesn't Mr. Duterte realize that his many public statements since August 0f 2016, all documented by media, which prejudge my guilt, are a veritable strong cause for a mistrial?" she asked.

"A farcical trial fueled by this President's lies and vindictiveness borne out of deep-seated personal hatred and prejudice. That's what it is! Sadly, our court system remains insensitive to this travesty of justice," she added.

An outspoken critic of Mr. Duterte, De Lima has been detained since Feb. 24, 2017 on obviously trumped-up drug charges based mostly on false testimonies of convicted criminals as a result of her courage in speaking out against the malevolent policies of the Duterte administration.



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On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we need to push back harder in rejecting the misogyny of those in positions of power.

What do we do when no less than the man occupying the highest post in the land promotes rape culture through his misogynistic statements and his sexual harassment of women in public? What do we do when this attitude emboldens others to blame women for the sexual violence, harassment or rape inflicted upon them, while the perpetrators of the crimes are held blameless and walk away scot-free?

Let us strongly reject all forms of harassment committed everyday so that women are able to express themselves without stigma. Let us guarantee full protection of their rights so they can be free to pursue their dreams.

In line with this endeavor, I co-authored Republic Act No. 11313 or the Safe Spaces Act that protects everyone from gender-based sexual harassment in public, private, and online spaces. But we need to do more.

In the present Congress, our work continues in eliminating discrimination and patriarchal systems that set back the women's struggle for social liberation. As such, I filed Senate Bill No. 1148 that seeks to increase the number of female police officers in the Philippine National Police to provide women more equitable access to employment in law enforcement. This also hopes to boost a gender-sensitive police force that will be as active in enforcing anti-VAW (violence against women) laws as any other criminal statute.

I also filed Senate Bill No. 622 which raises the age of sexual consent from 12 to 18 years old to protect minors against rape because adolescent girls are vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse.

Armed with the full resolve to call out abhorrent treatment of women, let us courageously stand up and not cower in silence, even if those in power choose to denigrate women by their action or inaction. We should put an end to all forms of violence against women. Misogyny and the violence against women that it enables have no place in a just society that values freedom and upholds the dignity of all.

(Sgd.) LEILA M. DE LIMA

PNP Custodial Center, Camp Crame



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Mga kababayan, may kumurap na po. Sa hindi naman katagalan na titigan ng ating dalawang pinakamataas na opisyales, merong isa na hindi na nakatiis at kusang bumigay sa hamunan na kung sino ang mas may tapang at may tatag.

Ang nagpatibong ang siyang nahuli sa sarili niyang lubid, at pagkatapos ng panandaliang pagpiglas, ay kusang sumuko at nagsabing tapos na ang laban.

Duterte just blinked. By firing VP Leni Robredo, he has admitted that he was caught in his own trap, defeated in his own challenge, and thoroughly exposed as a man without honor and whose word is as good as the next lie that comes out of his big mouth.

In appointing VP Leni as "Anti-Drug Czar", and firing her two weeks after, Duterte showed us that Malacañang's official stationery on which appointments are written is as good as toilet paper, and that his signature is worth a 3-year-old's doodle.

Walang kwenta. Walang saysay. Yan ang salita at lagda ni Duterte. At sa kanyang pagsuko sa sariling hamon niya kay Robredo, tinuldukan na rin niya ang matagal nang tinatanong ng marami sa taumbayan na kung ang kanyang tapang ay tunay at may paninindigan. Sa mamamayang Pilipino, ayan na po ang sagot sa tanong ninyo.

Kumurap na po ang Pangulo. Bahag ang buntot at nakataas ang dalawang kamay na nagsasabing hindi na siya lalaban; na ang kanyang tapang ay isa lamang kathang-isip na iginuhit sa ating guni-guni ng mga propagandistang bayaran.

Itanong rin natin - Who else are afraid of VP Leni?

Sino po kaya ang mga natakot?

Ang mga totoong Chinese at local drug lords na napoprotektahan ng pekeng 'War on Drugs'?

Ang totoong mga narco-politicians na nanahimik at nagpapakasasa sa ilalim ng administrasyong ito?

Ang mga taong responsable sa pagpatay sa libo-libong Pilipino?

Yung mga tinamaan at nasaktan sa mga magandang nasimulan ni VP Leni?

Ang mga kaalyado mong kinabahan sa pag-angat o pagtingkad ng estrelya ni VP Leni?

So please, tell us Mr. Duterte. Who, besides you, are afraid of VP Leni? ###



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With the resurgence of authoritarianism and misogyny under the Duterte administration, Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima today rallied Filipinos to work together with renewed vigor in ending all forms of misogynist attacks against women.

In her message on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women today (Nov. 25), De Lima underscored the need to push back harder in rejecting the misogyny of those in positions of power to guarantee the protection of women's rights at all times.

"What do we do when no less than the man occupying the highest post in the land promotes rape culture through his misogynistic statements and his sexual harassment of women in public?" she asked.

"What do we do when this attitude emboldens others to blame women for the sexual violence, harassment or rape inflicted upon them, while the perpetrators of the crimes are held blameless and walk away scot-free?" she added. In calling for action, De Lima said Filipinos should "strongly reject all forms of harassment committed everyday so that women are able to express themselves without stigma."

Observed every Nov. 25, the United Nations (UN) marked the day as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women to highlight the issue of violence against women and girls and call for more action to combat abuses against them.

As issued by the UN General Assembly in 1993, the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life."

De Lima, one of the women human rights defenders under threat in the Philippines, maintained that misogyny and the violence against women that it enables have no place in a just society that values freedom and upholds the dignity of everyone.

"Armed with the full resolve to call out abhorrent treatment of women, let us courageously stand up and not cower in silence, even if those in power choose to denigrate women by their action or inaction," she said.

As part of her effort to defend women's rights, De Lima co-authored Republic Act No. 11313 or the Safe Spaces Act that protects everyone from gender-based sexual harassment in public, private, and online spaces. The law is principally authored by Sen. Risa Hontiveros.

De Lima, however, maintained that "we need to do more," saying that her work continues in eliminating discrimination and patriarchal systems that set back the women's struggle for social liberation, this present 18th Congress, by filing meaningful legislations.

"I filed Senate Bill No. 1148 that seeks to increase the number of female police officers in the Philippine National Police to provide women more equitable access to employment in law enforcement," she noted.

De Lima said her proposed measure "hopes to boost a gender-sensitive police force that will be as active in enforcing anti-VAW (violence against women) laws as any other criminal statute."

In addition, De Lima said she also filed Senate Bill No. 622 which raises the age of sexual consent from 12 to 18 years old. She said the bill aims "to protect minors against rape because adolescent girls are vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse." Since Mr. Duterte assumed presidency in 2016, women human rights defenders including De Lima, and activists in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community have become vulnerable to harassment and misogynistic attacks and sexual violence.



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Ito ay malaking insulto sa Senado. This is an insult to the leadership of the Senate.

His accusations are misplaced and baseless, to say the least. The delay in the passage of the 2019 national budget was caused by unconstitutional insertions blatantly made by the House of Representatives in the budget to the tune of P95.3 billion worth of pork barrel funds.

Kung pinayagan po nating makalusot itong P95.3 billion pork barrel, kaya nitong punuin yung P50-million kaldero sa SEA Games.

To refresh Mr. Romero's memory, had it not been for the solution or compromise that I proposed, which enabled Senate President Vicente Sotto to sign and send the 2019 budget to Malacañang, we would not have resolved the 2019 budget impasse and we would have continued on a reenacted budget. Had it not been for my efforts, certain quarters in the administration would have pushed through with recommending to the President the veto of the entire 2019 budget.

Hence, I reject Mr. Romero's unfounded accusations.

Mr. Romero should refrain from issuing irresponsible and baseless statements.



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Senator Win Gatchalian said that the New Clark City Sports Complex will not be a waste after the staging of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in the country, while seeking to establish a national high school fully dedicated to Philippine sports that will later use these facilities.

Gatchalian, co-author and sponsor of Senate Bill 1086 or the Philippine High School for Sports Act of 2019, wants the creation of Philippine High School for Sports (PHSS) that will develop athletic skills through physical education and sports development subjects. With the proposed school, promising students will receive quality secondary education while preparing for a sports-related career.

The bill also seeks to create world-class sports facilities and amenities in New Clark City. Under the proposed measure, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) will be in charge of providing land and the construction of classrooms, dormitories, sports facilities, and other related amenities.

"These SEA Games facilities complement our proposed high school and facilities for young and promising athletes. Hindi ito masasayang dahil pakikinabangan ito ng ating mga manlalaro," said Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.

Gatchalian also said that the construction of the New Clark City is another step to giving Filipino athletes the financial, infrastructural, and policy support that athletes need for a stellar performance in the international stage.

"Sports have a fundamental role in bringing national pride and unity, especially when Filipino athletes win in international competitions. But for our athletes to reach a level of excellence, we need to put support mechanisms in place such as accessible, world-class training facilities," he said.

Gatchalian likened such principles to the honor his colleague Senator Manny Pacquiao has brought to the country.

"In order to reach that level of excellence, we need to put mechanisms and fundamentals in place. Hindi naman ho automatic na ipinanganak iyan na maging Manny Pacquiao. Hindi naman ho automatic naging Manny Pacquiao si Manny Pacquiao. He had to undergo rigid training, he had to get enough support from government as well as from the sports community and he had to endure a lot of hardships in order to reach that level", Gatchalian pointed out.

Aside from the PHSS, the lawmaker emphasized that the facilities in New Clark City will also provide the space for training our athletes to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

"Our athletes don't become world-class performers overnight. Through this high school for sports and the sports hub that will be available for its students, potential athletes will receive government and community support at the earliest possible stage," Gatchalian exclaimed.

"And we really hope that we have more Manny Pacquiaos out there because whenever Manny Pacquiao enters into the arena, he does not only bring the name of Manny Pacquiao, but he brings the national flag with him and iyon po iyong nakikita ng buong mundo", he concluded.



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Mr. President, my dear colleagues, I rise today on a matter of personal privilege. Also, I will not yield the floor for interpellations and questions as it will just distract the Senate from doing its mandate.

There have been news reports on apparent inefficiencies that have been hounding our hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. These have caused our Southeast Asian brothers from Cambodia, Myanmar, Timor-Leste, and Thailand inconveniences which they must not have experienced so close to the start of the Games. Some of the alleged problems consist of transportation, accommodation, and travel issues.

Meanwhile, our very own women's football team has expressed frustration over logistical issues. Ang sabi nila dati ay almost ready and complete na ang preparation, venues, and everything that will be used for the games.

As of October 30, 2019, PHISGOC stated that preparations are 90% complete.

Bakit nangyari ang mga ganito?

Hindi apology ang kailangan natin ngayon. Hindi ito madadaan sa apology lamang. Ang kailangan ay GISINGIN LAHAT. Huwag papatay patay.

Anim na araw na lang po at opening na ng Southeast Asian Games at may ilang laro na nagsimula na. May ilang bisita at manglalaro na ang nagsisidatingan. Kaya dapat maayos na ito.

Noong naghahanda tayo for Southeast Asian Games, may kanya-kanyang mandato ang gobyerno. Ang Office of the President, Senate, at Congress, nagbigay ng lahat na kakailanganing pondo at suporta para sa hosting kung kaya WALANG RASON para sabihin na hindi tayo handa.

At kahit na may iba-ibang responsibilidad na nakatoka sa PHISGOC, sa PSC, at sa POC, hindi ibig sabihin nito na wala na tayong pakialam sa isa't isa. Huwag tayo magkanya-kanya.

The PSC, along with the DBM - Procurement Service, is the main implementor of the funding and public procurement aspect of the Games. On the other hand, PHISGOC is primarily responsible for the planning and actual preparations, organization, management and execution of the hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games; while the POC takes charge of running the technical aspects of all sporting events. To all the parties, tandaan niyo: ANG KAPALPAKAN NG ISA AY KAPALPAKAN NATING LAHAT. Let me remind everyone that you will be ANSWERABLE TO THE PRESIDENT AND MOST ESPECIALLY TO THE FILIPINO PEOPLE.

Kaya sobrang nakakalungkot po na sa mga panahong ito, may ilan sa mga kababayan natin na pumapalakpak sa maling rason--PUMAPALAKPAK DAHIL GUSTO NILA TAYONG PUMALPAK.

Ganitong pag-uugali ba ang gusto nating ipakita sa ating mga bisita at karatig bayan? Ganitong pag-uugali ba ang gusto nating ipamana sa ating mga kabataan?

Hindi po dapat ganyan ang maging attitude natin ngayon. Magtulungan po tayo bilang suporta sa bawat Pilipinong manlalaro at para magtagumpay ang hosting natin ng Southeast Asian Games.

Mataas ang expectation ng buong mundo sa atin bilang host ng Southeast Asian Games. The reputation of the country is at stake. Hindi ito burden ng isang grupo lamang, hindi lang ang gobyerno, hindi lang ang PSC o POC o PHISGOC, bilang Pilipino, lahat tayo host dito sa Southeast Asian Games kung kaya't ito ang oras na dapat MAGTULUNGAN, HINDI MAGSISIHAN.

Ngayon, dapat naka-focus po tayo dito. Target natin na manalo ang ating mga atleta pero bigyan din natin ng importansya na maalagaan at maipamahagi sa ating mga bisita ang kagandahan ng ating bansa at ang warm hospitality nating mga Pilipino.

Mr. President, gaya po ng sinabi ko nitong nakaraang linggo, hindi lamang po medalya at karangalan ng ating mga atleta ang nakasalalay sa darating na Southeast Asian Games. ANG REPUTASYON AT PANGALAN DIN NG ATING BANSA ANG NAKATAYA DITO.

I am therefore delivering this privilege speech to urge PSC, POC, PHISGOC and all Filipinos--HUWAG PO NATING HAYAAN NA PUMALPAK ITO.

There is a right time for everything. Huwag tayong magturuan ngayon. But after the games, papanagutin natin ang dapat na managot.

As the Chair of the Committee on Sports and a member of the Blue Ribbon Committee, handa po tayo na mag-imbestiga sa mga kapalpakan na mangyayari sa hosting natin sa Southeast Asian Games. Pero sa ngayon, LET US WORK AS ONE IN ORDER TO WIN AS ONE.

To all our hard-working athletes, coaches, delegates, and all those who have sacrificed much to bring glory to our nation, we are all behind you. The government and all its resources are all behind you.

We wish you nothing but the best, and we will cheer hard for every victory, every defeat, every sacrifice made, for the glory of our people. We win as one.

Thank you, Mr. President.



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Senator Richard J. Gordon, chairman and CEO of the Philippine Red Cross, has assured continued assistance to more than 700 families affected by the series of devastating earthquakes that hit different parts of Mindanao last month.

"We will continue to support the people of Kidapawan and the other provinces devastated by the earthquakes. The Red Cross will continue to provide food, water, shelter and health services as well as promote sanitation. We have already provided five water tankers, three medical tents, food trucks and temporary shelter. From Day 1, after the first earthquake last October 16, PRC staff and volunteers were immediately deployed to provide necessary assistance," he said during a relief distribution in Kidapawan last Sunday, November 24.

Gordon led the distribution to some 420 families in Kidapawan City who received hygiene kits and food items and to 357 families from Magsasay, Davao Del Sur, who received non-food items such as sleeping and hygiene kits, jerry cans and tarpaulins. He further assured them that livelihood assistance will also be provided.

"I came here not to give but rather to see kung anong kulang. With the IFRC (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies) and our donor partners, we will expand these services further such as cash grants before Christmas and livelihood to enable you to get back on your feet. When we assist, we want to ensure na hindi magiging pala-hingi o pala-asa yung tinutulungan namin, kaya we help them get back on their feet again," the PRC chairman said.

"Napagdaanan ko na ito kasama ng Red Cross -- mula sa Nueva Ecija earthquake, Pinatubo, Yolanda, Marawi. We know what it takes to get people on their feet again. We measure our success not in what we give but in our ability to lift people up. We continue to assist until they can be on their own feet again long after other organizations have gone. As our hymn goes, 'When the world no longer watches, we do what must be done,'" he added.

The series of devastating quakes in various provinces in Mindanao damaged 38,759 houses and affected a total of 70,378 families.



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Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday warned of "China-made blackouts" that could sabotage and paralyze the country's electoral system and economy, access to the internet and other vital information, undermine national security and even topple the government.

Hontiveros issued the warning after the Senate, deliberating on the 2020 budget of the Department of Energy (DOE) last week, discovered that Chinese managers and engineers have access to the operations of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) which runs the country's electricity grid.

It was reported that Atty. Melvin Matibag, President of state-owned National Transmission Company (Transco), admitted to the Senate that China has the capability to control and even shut down the country's power transmission system remotely.

Hontiveros said that this could have devastating political, economic and security implications to the country.

"Imagine a foreign country, which is an unrepentant trespasser and aggressor in our seas and territories, controlling our national electricity grid. It could cripple our entire society. It could sabotage our elections, shutdown our access to television, the internet and other communication technologies, cause the collapse of our economy and undermine our national security. It could even overthrow our government," Hontiveros said.

"With the flick of a switch, China could plunge the whole Philippines into darkness. By the simple push of a button, our country could be at the mercy of China-made blackouts," Hontiveros added.

Hontiveros explained that the NGCP dispatches electricity from power plants to the country's main grid, which, in turn, transmits it to facilities of distribution companies such as Meralco. She said that the State Grid Corporation of China owns 40% of the NGCP, whose grid also connects Luzon and the Visayas, allowing the former to send power to the latter and vice-versa. It also operates the Mindanao grid which the NGCP plans to connect to Luzon and the Visayas.

The Senator is calling for a Senate investigation on the said matter. "We want to know if our energy systems are not compromised and if we have the technical safeguards to ensure that these systems and infrastructure continue to be in our full control," Hontiveros concluded.



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Maraming salamat at sinamahan ninyo kami ngayon sa ating munting exhibit...

Sa atin pong mga kasama ngayon, about 30 years ago, on November 20, 1989, the Philippines became a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

But 30 years after that, it's undeniable that we still need to do a lot to uplift the rights of children. Ang sabi nga, 'The country is only as strong as the weakest members of its society.' In the Philippines, marami pa ring mga bata ang naaabandona, marami pa ring mga bata ang naaabuso ng kanilang mga magulang at minsan rin napapabayaan ng ating estado.

Kaya po sa ating lahat ngayon, isa pong handog din namin na mag-file ng isang bill dito sa senado kung saan ang pag-aampon ng isang bata ay magiging mas madali na at papaikliin ang proseso. Bakit? Because we are going to remove all the judicial processes involved that requires a lengthy and costly process for all of us, for all of those who would like to adopt.

Noong ako'y in-adopt ng aking mga magulang, it took them four to five years to be able to finalize the process and it cost quite a sum for them to do that. Kaya ang nangyayari 'yung mga gustong mag-adopt ng mga bata, kukunin na lang 'yung bata pero hindi naaayos ang kanilang papeles. So ano ang nangyayari? 'Pag ang batang 'yan pumasok sa school o kaya naghanap ng trabaho o kaya mag-asawa, 'pag hindi tama ang kanilang birth certificate, wala silang karapatan sa ating bansa. Kaya pinapaayos at iniigihan natin ang proseso dito sa bill na ito, sana maipasa.

Sa ating lahat, huwag po nating tanggalan ng pagkakataon ang mga taong gustong magbigay ng kasiyahan at magandang buhay sa mga batang inabandona dahil ang pamilya ay nasa puso at hindi lamang sa dugo. Kaya sa inyong lahat, huwag po nating kalimutan na pahalagahan ang karapatan ng lahat lalung-lalo na ang mga bata. Maraming salamat po.



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Sen. Bong Revilla expressed his commitment to curb the rising rate of obesity in the Philippines, especially among the youth, by inculcating more physical activities and traditional games in the K to 12 curriculum.

He filed S. No. 1121, "An Act Providing for the Mandatory Inclusion of Anti-Obesity Education Program and Exercise including Play and Traditional Games, in the Pre-School, Elementary and High School Curricula, Both in Public and Private Schools and Educational Institutions," believing that the awareness, appreciation and responsibility of a person to his own health should start at a young age to build a strong foundation of healthy lifestyle and to encourage prevention of illnesses.

Based on the 8th National Nutrition Survey conducted from June 2013 to April 2014 by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FMRI), 5 percent of children aged 0-5 and 8.3 percent of kids aged 10-19 are overweight. On the other hand, a stunning 31.1 % of adults are suffering from clinical obesity.

The study further revealed that the prevalence rate of being overweight and obese among children 0-5 years old rises at an average of 0.17 percent annually for the past 24 years. Meanwhile, the overweight prevalence of among school-age and adolescent groups increases at 0.33 percent and 0.34 percent respectively in a span of 10 years.

If passed into law, Bong Revilla's bill shall mandate the Department of Education (DepED) to craft specially-designed instructions to inculcate anti-obesity measures as an integral part of the learning schedule, and target the physical health requirements of the students in every age bracket.

"Dahil sa pagtaas ng overweight at obesity rate sa bansa, marami sa ating mga kababayan ay parang naglalakad na 'time bomb' dahil anumang oras, maaari nilang ikapahamak ang anumang komplikasyon sa kalusugan na dulot ng sobrang timbang. Hindi na natin dapat pang hintayin ang araw na iyon. Dapat ngayon pa lang, we should promote an active lifestyle among our youth para mapangalagaan sila," Revilla said.



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A pleasant day to all of you. And advance happy 86th Anniversary to the DOLE family.

There are several bills in our agenda today. The subject of these proposals ranges from freelancers to kasambahays, to incentives to golf caddies, to alternative and voluntary work arrangements, to training for older workers, among others.

As I make initial assessments and preparations for this hearing, and maybe, as a result of my having been part of the legislative branch of the government for already a considerable length of time, isang makulit at demanding na katanungan po ang sumagi sa isip ko: Bakit nga kaya sa kabila ng marami na nating mga batas, tila kulang na kulang pa rin, lalo na kung isyu ng mga manggagawa ang pag-uusapan?

Halimbawa, may batas na tayo para sa mga kasambahay pero may bagong panukalang nagtatakda ng isang special non-working holiday para sa mga household service workers. Kailan lang ay naipasa natin ang batas para sa telecommuting pero tuloy pa rin ang panawagan para sa alternative at voluntary work arrangements.

Laws and legislations on labor and social concerns are already consolidated and compiled in the Labor Code, pero ngayon, may panukala para sa shared contribution scheme para sa mga golf caddies and other service workers, gayundin para sa training para sa mga mature at older workers.

Please don't get me wrong. I do not mean to trivialize the concerns on our table today. On the contrary, I am convinced that the sheer volume and variety of our concerns evidence our unwavering commitment to find ways to help the Filipino laborers in this era of unprecedented change acceleration. And this is what ought to be, kasi wala rin pong humpay ang mga problema ar pagbabago sa ating lipunan; at alam na po nating lahat na ang kapakanan ng mga manggagawa ay pundasyon at haligi na kung saan nasasalig ang buhay, kabuhayan, pagsulong, at kaunlaran ng ating lipunan at bayan.

At alam kong hindi lang po tayo ang nag-iisip nito. I got a letter from a senior high school student from Angeles City in Pampanga and she's calling for immediate action for the injustices committed on our workers due to poor working conditions, maltreatment and other abuses. Kahit mga bata, nakikita ang mga kakulangan, maging sa batas man o sa pagpapatupad ng ating mga batas.

Indeed, we are here today to respond and to adapt to our surroundings especially as our industries look to accelerate the adoption of robotics, artificial intelligence, internet-of-things, and big data in the context of Industry 4.0.

Sa bilis po ng pagbabago sa kasalukuyang panahon, wala po tayong oras para magpatumpik-tumpik. Subalit kailangan po nating himayin, pag-usapan at kung maaari ay gawan pa ng masusing pag-aaral ang mga panukalang nakahain ngayon sa ating komite. Ang importante ay makatugon tayo sa patuloy na nagbabagong pangangailangan, interes, at kapakanan ng manggagawang Pilipino.

Change is upon us. Let us catch up with change. Let us make change work for the Filipino workers.

May God help us accomplish the labor He bid us work on today for His greater glory and the welfare of His working Filipino people. Thank you very much and God bless us all.



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The Senate has approved on third and final reading the bill extending the validity of the capital outlay (CO) and maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) items in the 2019 national budget for one year.

After completing the period of interpellations for the P4.1 trillion national budget, the Senate took up House Bill 5437 and with a vote of 19-0-0, decided to adopt it without amendments, which would pave the way for its immediate transmittal to Malacañang since a bicameral conference committee meeting would no longer be necessary.

Committee on Finance chairman Sonny Angara explained that as an appropriation bill, this must originate from the House, which was why the Senate had to wait until HB 5437 was approved last November 18 before taking any action on the measure.

Originally, the House and Senate were supposed to pass a joint resolution for the extension of the availability of the CO and MOOE of the 2019 national budget but decided to take a different path because of the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Ang Nars party list case.

In the said decision, the Supreme Court noted that "A joint resolution is not a bill and its passage does not enact the joint resolution into a law even if it follows the requirements expressly prescribed in the Constitution for enacting a bill into law."

It added that "neither the Rules of the Senate nor the Rules of the House of Representatives can amend the Constitution which recognizes that only a bill can become a law."

In response to the ruling, Angara filed Senate Bill 1153 as the counterpart measure to House Bill 5437.

Under Section 65 of Republic Act 11260 or the 2019 General Appropriations Act, "All appropriations authorized in this Act shall be available for release and obligation for the purpose specified, and under the same special provisions applicable thereto, until December 31, 2019."

Executive Order No. 91, issued by President Duterte on September 9, 2019 on the implementation of the cash-based budgeting system, also provides that appropriations for CO and MOOE for 2019 "shall be valid for obligation until 31 December 2019.

This means that all unutilized appropriations for 2019 will lapse and revert to the National Treasury unless Congress authorizes the extension of its validity and availability.

"As of September 30 this year, a little more than P261 billion of the people's money--that has already been programmed but has yet to be released--could lapse if our bill does not pass muster," Angara said.

While the problem with budget disbursements is something that is present every year, the 2019 national budget faced even more challenges because of its late enactment.

The 2019 General Appropriations Act was signed on April 15 and so the government had to operate on a reenacted 2018 national budget for the first four months of the year.

By the time the GAA was signed, the election ban on construction of infrastructure projects also kicked in, "so in effect, for six months we were operating on a reenacted budget," Angara said.

"Wala tayong bagong budget kaya yung mga bagong proyekto, hindi naumpisahan. That's why we want to extend yung validity nung 2019 budget," Angara added.

The bill amends Section 65 of RA 11260 on the availability of appropriations to extend the same from December 31, 2019 to December 30, 2020



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As we celebrate this year's Social Welfare Week, let us heighten our awareness and transform it into concrete actions to genuinely address the needs of our less fortunate countrymen.

For the past three years, we have seen how the Duterte regime miserably failed the Filipino people with its broken promises; that instead of uplifting the plight of our poor countrymen, they were victimized by violence and killings, and were continuously taken for a ride by the plunderers, thieves, and traitors in government to further propel themselves to power.

Ang pagtulong at malasakit sa kapwa, lalo na sa mas nangangailangan ay hindi lamang marapat na udyok ng pagkakawanggawa, kundi isang tungkulin na dapat gampanan ng bawat isa. Bilang mga lingkod-bayan at mamamayan, hangga't mayroon pa ring mga gurong tumatawid ng mga ilog at bundok para makapagturo sa mga maralita, hangga't may mga batang nakikipagpatintero sa mga sasakyan sa kalsada para lamang mamalimos at magtinda, hangga't may mga kababayan tayong kapos pa rin ang inihahaing pagkain para sa pamilya sa kabila ng doble-kayod na pagsasaka, pangingisda at pamamasada, nagpapatuloy ang ating obligasyon na siguruhing makahabol at sa kalauna'y makasabay sa pag-unlad ang mga matagal nang naaapi at naisasantabi.

This is why as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, I am pushing for legislative measures that seek to improve our services to sectors that have long been neglected by authorities on top of those already enacted into law, such as the Magna Carta of the Poor Act, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Act, the National Commission of Senior Citizens Act and the Community-Based Monitoring System Act.

With these measures, and with the help of our social workers, non-government organizations and institutions, let us continue to work hand in hand to provide more and better opportunities that will redound to inclusive growth, rising standards of living and lasting national development that will benefit all.

(Sgd.) LEILA M. DE LIMA

PNP Custodial Center, Camp Crame

26 November 2019



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Senator Leila M. de Lima has strongly condemned the killing of an employee of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Surigao del Sur province last Nov. 21 whose death adds to the snowballing list of environmental workers murdered under the present administration.

De Lima maintained that the increasing number of unresolved deaths in the country involving environmental workers should be regarded as a serious concern that should prompt the government to stop promoting the culture of violence in the country.

"Mariin kong kinokondena ang panibagong pagpaslang sa isa na namang environmental worker. Malinaw itong patunay na sa panahong ito ng rehimeng Duterte, lalong lumakas ang loob ng mga mamamatay-tao at lumalala ang kawalang hustisya sa ating bansa," she said.

"Pinapaslang ang mahihirap at mga batang walang kalaban-laban. Pinapatay ang mga abogado, pari, at tagapagtanggol ng karapatang pantao. Pati ang mga kawani ng gobyernong nangangalaga sa ating kalikasan ay hindi rin pinalampas," she added.

Joash Peregrino, a special investigator at the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office in Surigao del Sur, was reportedly gunned down by still unidentified assailants near the DENR office in Bislig City.

Peregrino, who was also active in the apprehension and retrieval of abandoned and illegally-cut trees inside government timber lands, is the fourth state environmental worker murdered in line of duty in a span of two months.

Other environmental workers who were also murdered include Forest Rangers Bienvenido Veguilla Jr who was killed when he and his team came across illegal logging activities while patrolling in Palawan last Sept. 4, and Ronaldo Corpuz who was shot dead by unidentified gunmen outside his house last Oct. 25.

The lady Senator from Bicol pointed out that the killing of Peregrino and other environmental workers under the present administration warrants a serious investigation by the authorities to ensure that justice will be served to the victims.

"The government is duty-bound to finally put an end to the bloodbath in country, which victimizes, among others, environmental defenders who devoted their lives in protecting Mother Nature," she said.

In its report this year, the international group Global Witness ranked the Philippines as the deadliest country for land and environmental defenders in 2018. The said report prompted De Lima to press UN experts to probe the unprecedented killings of land and environmental activists in the Philippines last August.



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11/26/19

Ms. Midler is right. Rodrigo Duterte is one of the world's most detestable leaders. Everybody knows this. If killing 27,000 people, including children and minors, while letting big time drug lords go free does not make him one, then we might as well hail Satan as the epitome of everything good and pure in this world.

Malacañang is always quick to denounce as a brazen and unpardonable intrusion any move from the international community that is unfavorable to this administration - the US senators' proposed travel ban against my persecutors, the UN Human Rights Council's call to investigate the drug war killings, Ms. Midler's comment - essentially everything that is true and just.

Balat sibuyas ang administrasyong ito sa harap ng katotohanang hindi na ito nagtatagumpay sa pagpapanggap na buhay ang demokrasya sa ating bansa at gumagana ito sa ngalan ng katotohanan at katarungan.

Kaya kung may higit mang kasuklam-suklam pa kay Duterte, ito yung patuloy na pagtatanggol at pagbubulag-bulagan sa mga pang-aabuso sa karapatang pantao na ginagawa ng administrasyong ito.

Ms. Midler only speaks the truth. History books will be written with Duterte's name alongside the likes of Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Suharto, Marcos, Pinochet, Idi Amin, and all other mass murderers who terrorized millions.###

(Access the handwritten copy of Dispatch from Crame No. 654, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_654)



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11/26/19

Ms. Midler is right. Rodrigo Duterte is one of the world's most detestable leaders. Everybody knows this. If killing 27,000 people, including children and minors, while letting big time drug lords go free does not make him one, then we might as well hail Satan as the epitome of everything good and pure in this world.

Malacañang is always quick to denounce as a brazen and unpardonable intrusion any move from the international community that is unfavorable to this administration - the US senators' proposed travel ban against my persecutors, the UN Human Rights Council's call to investigate the drug war killings, Ms. Midler's comment - essentially everything that is true and just.

Balat sibuyas ang administrasyong ito sa harap ng katotohanang hindi na ito nagtatagumpay sa pagpapanggap na buhay ang demokrasya sa ating bansa at gumagana ito sa ngalan ng katotohanan at katarungan.

Kaya kung may higit mang kasuklam-suklam pa kay Duterte, ito yung patuloy na pagtatanggol at pagbubulag-bulagan sa mga pang-aabuso sa karapatang pantao na ginagawa ng administrasyong ito.

Ms. Midler only speaks the truth. History books will be written with Duterte's name alongside the likes of Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Suharto, Marcos, Pinochet, Idi Amin, and all other mass murderers who terrorized millions.###

(Access the handwritten copy of Dispatch from Crame No. 654, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_654)



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Senator Win Gatchalian said he will propose amendments to address the 14 billion peso-budget shortfall to cover all 1.29 million learners under the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS VP) for 2020.

The SHS VP is a financial assistance program that enables underprivileged but qualified senior high school students to study in private schools, state and local universities and colleges. The cost of supporting 1.29 million learners is P18 billion per semester or P36 billion for the entire school year. The current allocation for the SHS VP is P22.93 billion.

Gatchalian also sought the settlement of P11.4 billion owed by the DepEd to private schools under the program, noting that these schools have expenses to pay such as salaries and utilities. This entails the total addition of P25 billion to the SHS VP budget.

"It is imperative that we look for P14 billion to finance the other semester of these 1.2 million students and at the same time, pay P11 billion for the deficit," Gatchalian said in his interpellation during the budget deliberation for the Department of Education's 2020 budget.

The lawmaker took note that without these vouchers, some student-beneficiaries in private schools may have no choice but to transfer to public schools which will affect the teacher-ratio in classrooms.

"In the appropriate time, I'll make some amendments so that we will make sure that our students have vouchers for the next semester of school year 2020-2021", Gatchalian added.

On top of the number of DepEd senior high school beneficiaries, Gatchalian also said there is a need to allocate more funding to more than 58,800 student-beneficiaries of the Voucher Program for Non-DepEd Public Senior High Schoolers. They are currently allocated P592 million, which is only enough to cover the first semester and parts of the second semester. To cover all these 58,000 learners, approximately P200 million more is needed.

"Binibigyan ng programang ito ng pagkakataon ang maraming kabataan na makapag-aral. Kaya naman nais nating siguruhin na mahahanapan natin ito ng sapat na pondo para patuloy na makapasok ang mga estudyanteng bahagi ng programa at hindi maantala ang kanilang pag-aaral," Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.



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Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go delivered a privilege speech during the Senate regular session on Monday, November 25, urging organizers of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games to "wake up" instead of apologizing for the logistical inefficiencies in the country's hosting of the sporting event which reportedly inconvenienced athletes from Cambodia, Myanmar, Timor-Leste, Thailand, and the country's women's football team.

"Hindi apology ang kailangan natin ngayon. Hindi ito madadaan sa apology lamang. Ang kailangan ay gisingin lahat. Huwag papatay-patay," Go said.

"I am, therefore, delivering this privilege speech to urge Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) and all Filipinos--Huwag po nating hayaan na pumalpak ito," he added.

The senator also expressed his frustration over those gloating at the misfortunes incurred by the organizers, urging all Filipinos to help and cooperate rather than resort to the blaming game.

"Sobrang nakakalungkot rin po na sa mga panahong ito, may ilan sa mga kababayan natin na pumapalakpak sa maling rason---pumapalakpak dahil gusto nila tayong pumalpak," Go said in his speech.

He added, "Ganitong pag-uugali ba ang gusto nating ipakita sa ating mga bisita at karatig bayan? Ganitong pag-uugali ba ang gusto nating ipamana sa ating mga kabataan?

"Hindi po dapat ganyan ang maging attitude natin ngayon. Magtulungan po tayo bilang suporta sa bawat Pilipinong manlalaro at para magtagumpay ang hosting natin ng SEA Games.

"There is a right time for everything. Huwag tayong magturuan ngayon. But after the Games, papanagutin natin ang dapat na managot."

Stating that required support and funds were provided by the government to concerned agencies for a successful hosting, Go told that there is no reason the country should not be ready to host the Games.

"Noong naghahanda tayo for SEA Games, may kanya-kanyang mandato ang gobyerno. Ang Office of the President, Senate, at Congress, nagbigay ng lahat na kakailanganing pondo at suporta para sa hosting kung kaya walang rason para sabihin na hindi tayo handa," Go said, also urging close coordination among the organizers.

"At kahit na may iba-ibang responsibilidad na nakatoka sa PHISGOC, sa PSC, at sa POC, hindi ibig sabihin nito na wala na tayong pakia-alam sa isa't isa. Huwag tayo magkanya-kanya."

Reminding the organizers of their duties and responsibilities, Go told that the mistake of one is everyone's mistake.

"To all the parties, tandaan niyo: Ang kapalpakan ng isa ay kapalpakan nating lahat," Go said, adding that the organizers will be "answerable to the President and, most especially, to the Filipino people."

"Mataas ang expectation ng buong mundo sa atin bilang host ng SEA Games. The reputation of the country is at stake," Go said. "Hindi ito burden ng isang grupo lamang, hindi lang ang gobyerno, hindi lang ang PSC o POC o PHISGOC, bilang Pilipino, lahat tayo host dito sa SEA Games kung kaya't ito ang oras na dapat magtulungan, hindi magsisihan."

The senator, who is also the Chair of the Committee on Sports and a member of the Blue Ribbon Committee, also assured that he is ready to investigate any anomalies and irregularities that will arise during the Games. But Go emphasized that this must come after the sporting event has concluded.

"Handa po tayo na mag-imbestiga sa mga kapalpakan na mangyayari sa hosting natin sa SEA Games. Pero sa ngayon, let us work as one in order to win as one."

Concluding his speech, Go expressed his full support and admiration to Filipino athletes, saying that the government is behind them.

"To all our hard-working athletes, coaches, delegates, and all those who have sacrificed much to bring glory to our nation, we are all behind you. The government and all its resources are all behind you," he said.

"We wish you nothing but the best, and we will cheer hard for every victory, every defeat, every sacrifice made, for the glory of our people. We win as one," he ended.



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