Speaker Lord Allan Velasco
(Lord Allan Velasco’s Office / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Velasco disclosed in a statement Tuesday, April 13, that he spoke to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado last April 8 and was told that their respective agencies were already looking for funding sources.
“I am very thankful to Secretary Dominguez and Secretary Avisado for recognizing the importance of Bayanihan 3 in addressing financial gaps to better manage the government’s response to the impact of the pandemic,” Velasco said in a meeting with leaders of political parties and party-list groups in the House of Representatives on Monday, April 12.
Published April 12, 2021, 6:00 AM
The Philippines, one of the top pork importers in the world, is seen doubling its pork imports to 350,000 metric tons (MT) this year amid the Duterte Administration’s decision to temporarily cut the tariff rates for the commodity.
This is based on the latest report released by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which ranked the Philippines as the world’s sixth world largest pork importer.
The world’s top pork importers China and Japan are expected to import 4.85 million MT and 1.43 million MT of pork this year, respectively. Hong Kong is seen importing 360,000 MT of pork this year and South Korea, which may import 645,000 MT of pork.
By TED CORDERO, GMA News
Published April 9, 2021 3:59pm Business and civil society leaders have joined calls to allow the use of the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin to treat patients with COVID-19. In a joint appeal, the business and civil society leaders called on President Rodrigo Duterte, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, and House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco “to give serious, urgent and immediate attention to Ivermectin as an inexpensive drug to prevent and treat COVID-19 during this public health crisis. The business and civil society leaders requested that the President direct the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Department of Health (DOH), and the Department of Science and Technology to do the following:
Published April 6, 2021, 11:55 AM
President Rodrigo Duterte should call for a special session in order for Congress to start tackling the proposed law that seeks to curb the staggering unemployment rate in the Philippines brought about by the harsh impact of the COVID-19 to the economy.
Senator Franklin Drilon
(Senate of the Philippines / FILE PHOTO)
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Tuesday, April 6, said it is high time the Congress starts immediate discussions on the proposed Bayanihan to Arise As One Act or Bayanihan 3 in light of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) imposed by the government to control the sudden uptick in COVID-19 cases.
Published April 6, 2021, 3:00 PM
Several agriculture lobby groups jointly appealed for President Rodrigo Duterte to withdraw his recommendation to increase the Minimum Access Volume (MAV) for pork by 350,000 metric tons (MT) as this may cause further damage to the local hog industry.
The groups also asked Duterte to shelve another proposal of the Department of Agriculture (DA) which is to bring down the tariff on pork imports.
MB FILE photo. (Jansen Romero)
“ASF has caused serious harm, Mr. President, but the proposals of the DA are fatal blows that could slowly kill the hog industry
. Double dead po ang sektor namin pagnatuloy ang mga proposals na ito, Mr. President [our sector will end up double dead if DA’s proposals are approved,” groups said.