Probinsyano Ako Party-list Rep. Jose Singson Jr. (File photo) MANILA - The chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts on Monday stressed the need to make a more economical, yet equally effective, child pneumonia vaccines accessible to the public to help save the government billions of pesos in losses. Probinsyano Ako Party-list Rep. Jose Singson Jr. made the call as he urged Congress to look into the so-called "bakuna budol", which pertains to the controversy surrounding the pneumococcal vaccine procurement. "It is usually the people who are marginalized that are at risk for getting pneumonia. Procurement issues with the vaccine are roadblocks to our goal of universal healthcare and so we need to get to the root of this issue," Singson said. He said providing the existence of a monopoly shows that the "government is losing billions of pesos while possibly depriving more children to be vaccinated against child pneumonia." Singson cited the World Hea
(PNA file photo) MANILA - Secretary Isidro Lapena is urging farmers to avail of the free training in two courses added this year by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) tailored for the Rice Extension Services Program (RESP). In an interview with the Philippine News Agency on Tuesday, Lapena said TESDA has been offering six courses under the RESP, while Pest and Nutrient Management, as well as Digital Agricultural Course, will soon be offered. "Based on the baseline survey (TESDA) conducted in 2020, these are the areas that contribute to the farmers' yield and income. However, their knowledge about pest and nutrient management and other innovative knowledge on agriculture is still low," he said. Lapena said TESDA had approved 52,421 scholarship slots for the RESP courses last year. These courses were Farmers Field School (FFS) on Production of High-Quality Inbred Rice and Seed Certification, and Farm Mechanization; Agro-Entrepreneurship NC (nat
CONGREGATE. The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) inaugurates the newly-completed House of Peace in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao on Tuesday (Dec. 7, 2021), to promote peaceful activities and strengthen relationships among partner organizations. The center, dubbed as "Walay na Kalilintad" in Maguindanaon, will be an avenue for government agencies and other stakeholders to congregate as they promote peace in Maguindanao. (Photo courtesy of OPAPP) MANILA - To promote peace in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) has opened the newly-completed House of Peace in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao. "The Peace Center called Walay na Kalilintad is more than just a physical structure. It symbolizes the strong and enduring partnership between our organizations, as we work with our other peace partners in bringing a just and lasting peace to the Bangsamoro people,