PHILSTARPRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Thursday urged the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to pass crucial fiscal laws as new officers of the autonomous region were elected.  “I urge you to pass all the crucial legislation on fiscal policy, particularly taxation and to facilitate the conduct

BW FILE PHOTO/ LSDAVALJRDAVAO CITY — Mati City Airport’s proposed expansion is expected to boost the tourism industry and open more investment opportunities in Davao Oriental province.  Improving the airport so it could accept commercial flights would open the province to investments, Tourism Regional Director Tanya

A PHILIPPINE senator on Thursday urged police to look into foreigners who allegedly use the identities of dead people to get government-issued IDs amid reports of rising kidnapping incidents involving foreigners. “A lot of foreign nationals, those from mainland China in particular, are using identities of

CONGRESSMEN on Thursday sought to restore the Commission on Human Rights’ (CHR) originally proposed budget of P1.65 billion. “What we want is not just to restore the budget but to increase it,” Negros Oriental Rep. Jocelyn Sy Limkaichong said at a House of Representatives budget hearing. The

OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN PHILIPPINES FACEBOOK PAGECONGRESSMEN on Thursday swiftly approved the Office of the Ombudsman’s P4.78-billion budget for next year. The House of Representatives committee on appropriations approved the 1.5% increase, citing the office’s fiscal autonomy under the Constitution. Under the budget, P3.05 billion will go

OFFICE OF REP. CHING BERNOSTHE HOUSE disaster resilience committee on Thursday urged disaster agencies to streamline the rehabilitation process for destroyed infrastructure. There is no clear process of funding for destroyed infrastructure including seawalls and buildings, and the P400-million budget is insufficient for rehabilitation, Surigao del

PHILIPPINE STAR/ EDD GUMBANTHE SECOND phase of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) modernization program might have to be extended for lack of budget, a congressman said on Thursday. “If the fund is not increased, there might be a need to extend the law on

A SENATOR has filed a bill that seeks to make online gambling illegal in the Philippines. “The social cost of gambling is too high — bankruptcy, broken families and criminal activities, among others,” Senator Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva said in Senate Bill 1281’s explanatory note. The social

KELLI-MCCLINTOCK-UNSPLASHTHE NATIONAL Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has ordered mobile phone makers, distributors and dealers to educate users about text scams.  In a Sept. 4 memo, NTC Commissioner Gamaliel A. Cordoba said users should be taught how to block texts and create spam folders.  “These directions shall be disseminated

BW FILE PHOTOTHE PESO weakened further against the greenback on Thursday after the latest correction in global oil prices and slower growth in cash remittances in July.The local unit closed at P57.16 per dollar on Thursday, shedding five centavos from its P57.11 finish the day