MANILA, July 26 - Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said that the Department will issue a memorandum which is aimed at reducing “endo” practice by 50 percent by the end of 2016.

“I plan to reduce contractualization by 50 percent by the end of 2016. Workers under “endo” or “555” receive less than the mandated minimum wage without social protection benefits such as Social Security System (SSS), Pag-ibig, and PhilHealth.

With leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives coming from Mindanao, Malacañang is optimistic that President Duterte’s legislative agenda would be passed without much objection in both chambers.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar yesterday said Malacañang is hopeful that there will be a “pro-active cooperation” between the executive and legislative branches following the assumption to office of two of the President’s allies – Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

The long wait is over.

The public can finally gain greater access to government documents, including Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) of government officials, after President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the historic on Freedom of Information (FOI) as promised.

Federalism is becoming increasingly important in the world today. Although only 28 countries claim to have a federal structure, they represent more than 40 percent of the world’s population. There are other countries that do not claim to be federal but their government structure has devolved powers to local governments that they actually resemble federal states.

FILIPINOS may not realize that the fiscal relationship between their LGUs and the national government can only be described as grossly unjust. Maybe even that would be an understatement and yet it isn’t really that surprising given the long reliance of a colonial, extractive-oriented, unitary government (colonial masters used to be foreigners and since independence has shifted to Malacañang occupants controlled by the elites) enshrined in our present centralized unitary political system; hopefully, not much longer with the possible shift to federalism as envisioned by and the coming of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

BELIEVE it or not: Children or close relatives of elected officials are not allowed to run in the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) election on Oct. 31.

Under Republic Act No. 10742, or the SK Reform Act of 2015, candidates should not be related within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity to any incumbent, elected national official; or to any incumbent regional, provincial, city, municipal, or barangay official, in the locality where he/she seeks to be elected.

MANILA, July 20 - In a meeting in Malacañan on Monday, President Rodrigo R. Duterte approved the new “Roadmap to Peace” that will address issues with various rebel groups, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza announced during a press briefing on Tuesday.

MANILA, Philippines (5th UPDATE) – After nearly 4 years of hospital arrest, former Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will soon be free.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday, July 19, acquitted Mrs Arroyo of plunder as it granted her plea to drop the case against her. This sets in motion her release from the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, where she has been detained since October 2012.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, PH - Local businessmen and representatives of various organizations in the city of Cagayan de Oro gathered in the CDPI third national conference on the proposal to shift to Federal-Parliamentary system.

According to statement by Mr. Aldrico Manus, former President of Oro Chamber, they [local businessmen] are too enthusiastic to be part of a real political party that promotes less government control and full of participation of citizens in the decision making process.

MANILA, Philippines – With the once ruling Liberal Party hemorrhaging from defections to the new majority, Sen. Franklin Drilon wants political turncoats penalized as part of an overhaul of the party system.

Drilon has filed a bill seeking to strengthen the political system, prevent party switching and level the playing field among parties.