OSLO, Norway, Aug. 23 —The Philippine government (GPH) on August 22, resumed its formal negotiations to seek peace with the National Democratic Front (NDF), seeking to forge a political settlement anchored on sweeping social, economic, and political reforms that were deemed crucial in ending Asia's longest running insurgency.

 

The Philippine government and communist guerrillas have agreed to ceasefires from Sunday, both sides said, ahead of crucial peace talks next week to end one of Asia's longest insurgencies.

Both sides said a break from the fighting will create a conducive environment at the negotiations next week in Norway, which are aimed at reaching a political settlement after 30 years of failed talks.

MANILA – Former Senate president Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. on Wednesday said that under the federal system of government, the powers of the Executive Department over local government units (LGUs), particularly by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), will be abolished.

“Yes it will be dissolved (eventually),” said Pimentel, a prime mover of federalism in the country even long before the idea was broached by President Rodrigo Duterte.

MANILA, Aug. 18 - To carry out the Department Labor and Employment’s national and regional action plans on eliminating ‘endo’ and other illegitimate forms of contracting, Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III has directed for the training of regional directors, technical service division chiefs, mediator-arbiters, and labor laws compliance officers (LLCO) in determining labor-only contracting (LOC).

The first part of this three-column series discussed the four preconditions to a less painful, sustainable and successful shift to federalism. As I have previously said, revising the 1987 Constitution needs a FRAMEWORK, a step-by step process, a roadmap, so we won’t be lost even after the end of President Digong’s term.

The Ateneo de Davao University is hosting the advance screening of the #50FirstDays Documentary at Finster Hall on August 18, 2016 at 9:00AM. The landmark documentary, produced by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), showcases the achievements of President Duterte’s administration in his first two months in office.

Thousands of lands may be covered by agrarian reform if House Bill No. 555 or the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill will be passed into law.

Secretary Rafael Mariano said, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is continuously receiving petitions of land holding that may possibly be subject to agrarian reform even if the issuance of notice-of-coverage or NOC had lapse in June 2014.

President Rodrigo Duterte is pushing for Charter amendments to ease the foreign ownership of companies to spur economic growth and job generation in the country.

In a press conference in Davao City Thursday night, the President announced that he was in favor of a proposed 50-50 cap on foreign ownership of land, natural resources, public utilities, among others, from the current 60-40 rule in the Constitution.

“The CDP must come first in policy debates and must have a clear position as a political party.”

Prof. Malou Tiquia of Publicus Asia graces as a guest speaker on Political Messaging to active members of the Centrist Democratic Party of the Philippines as it pursues its campaign on Federal-Parliamentary system of government for the Philippines last August 9-10 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Part 1 of 3

There are no clearer marching orders given to Congress than the pronouncement of President Rodrigo Duterte in his recent SONA that the Philippines should adopt a federal-parliamentary government modeled after France, with a “strong” President. Federalism was a major rallying cry for then presidential candidate Digong (the other was peace and order). We are looking at a leader who is keeping his word.