IBALIK ANG TIWALA

  Lacson Pushes Masteral Courses for Community Planners to Empower LGUs November 12, 2021 -   Sen. Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson on Thursday pushed for masteral courses for community planners in the country's 1,488 municipalities so they can maximize the increased revenues from the implementation of the Supreme Court's Mandanas-Garcia ruling starting next year. Lacson said this could be a "worthwhile investment" where local government units sign a memorandum of agreement with the Development Academy of the Philippines to develop the skills of the community planners. "Maybe the 1,488 municipalities can benefit from that. If the Local Development Academy has no wherewithal to provide masteral courses, maybe we can sign a MOA with the DAP so we can develop the skills of our community planners to enroll in their degrees and go back to the municipalities under a contract to serve for a certain number of years," he said at the Senate's deliberation of the

  Lacson Paves Way for a More Participative Budget Process November 12, 2021  -  With a boost from Sen. Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson, civil society groups managed to help scrutinize and make the P5.024-trillion proposed budget for 2022 more responsive to people's needs. Social Watch Philippines and the Alternative Budget Initiative wrote Lacson on Nov. 10, thanking him for endorsing their participation in the Senate Finance Committee hearings on the budget. "We hope that you will continue to support our inclusive budget proposals that focus on the needs of the country’s most marginalized sectors, especially since they are the ones that were most affected by the pandemic, by sponsoring before the plenary deliberations and incorporating into the good Senator’s budgetary amendments to the FY 2022 General Appropriations Bill," co-convenors Rene Raya, Ma. VIctoria Raquiza and Jessica Cantos said in a letter to Lacson. They also commended Lacson for all his efforts in ser

  Lacson Questions 'Harassment' of Supporters Wearing Face Masks in Manila November 12, 2021 -   Sen. Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson questioned on Thursday the seeming harassment of his and Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III's supporters by policemen in the City of Manila. Lacson cited information that Manila Police District personnel told tricycle drivers and residents wearing Lacson-Sotto face masks to take them off or reverse them. "Bakit pinapatanggal sa Manila ang face masks? The members of the Manila Police District are harassing tricycle drivers and people wearing giveaway face masks. May mali ba roon (Why are members of the Manila Police District having residents remove our giveaway face masks? They are harassing tricycle drivers and people wearing these masks. What's wrong with that)?" he said. "I know the directive did not come from Crame. Walang directive. Bakit sa Manila lang (I know the directive did not come from Philipp