Latest news with #P100
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
More than P300K raised from ticket sales in charity boxing event with Baste, says Torre
Philippine National Police chief Police General Nicolas Torre III said more than P300,000 was raised from the ticket sales alone of the "Boxing for a Cause: Laban Para sa Nasalanta" event held at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila on Sunday. Torre was supposed to face Davao City acting mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte in the main event, although the former was declared winner by default as the latter did not show up. "Marami ang nagbayad. Nakalikom tayo ng mga P350,000 sa gates eh, so we have to show up and give the people what they expect," Torre told reporters. (Many paid [for tickets]. We were able to raise around P350,000 at the gates, so we have to show up and give the people what they expect.) Ticket prices for the boxing event ranged from as low as P100 to as high as P5,400. Including the ticket sales, Torre said they have raised around P16.3 million in cash donations, on top of donations in kind such as canned goods and sacks of rice. These will be for the benefit of Filipinos who were among those affected by the flooding due to the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) and tropical cyclones Crising, Dante, and Emong. According to Torre, they have coordinated with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Philippine Red Cross regarding the donations. The PNP chief added he will go to the Baseco community in Manila to distribute relief goods. Torre said the urgency of helping those in need of relief was the reason why the event pushed through as well, despite earlier statements that Duterte may not show up. "Kaming mga pulis ang first responders, nasa frontline kami, kaya nakita natin ang hirap ng ating mga kababayan. Nu'ng nag-issue ng ganu'ng statement si Vice Mayor [Duterte], nakita ko na uy, maganda ito. We can raise funds outside of government resources," Torre said. (We, the police, are first responders. We are on the frontline, so we saw the hardship experienced by our countrymen. When Vice Mayor issued a statement, I saw that, hey, this is good. We can raise fund outside of government resources.) Why did the event push through even if Davao City acting mayor Baste Duterte did not show up? Torre said they still wanted to raise funds for charity @gmanews — JK Carandang (@jk_carandang) July 27, 2025 "Ang government resources nandiyan naman pero maganda na rin siguro na 'yung nasa private sector and ibang tao na outside sa fund-generating agencies ng gobyerno ay makapag-generate din ng pondo at tulong sa ating kababayan," he added. (The government resources are there, but it's also good that the private sector and others outside the fund-generating agencies can generate funds to help our countrymen.) Torre vs Duterte II? Asked if he has a message for the Davao City vice mayor, Torre said, "Wala naman, walang dapat pag-usapan (None, there is nothing to talk about) after all the things that were said and done." Regarding Duterte's previous condition that government officials should undergo hair follicle test, Torre said the matter should be just between the two of them. "Kaming dalawa lang naman ang involved dito... Anytime, anywhere, puwedeng puwede na mag-hair follicle test kami," he said. (It's just us two who are involved here... Anytime, anywhere, we can have hair follicle test.) In the event that Duterte poses another challenge to Torre, the PNP chief said he would not respond to that for now. "Nakita n'yo naman na napakalaki ng effort na ating nilagay rito. I don't think he is worth responding to at this point in time. Hayaan na muna natin siya sa kaniyang mundo," Torre said. (You saw how much effort we put here. I don't think he is worth responding to at this point in time. Let us let him be in his own world.) And if the match is rescheduled as well? "Sabihin n'yo lang at tingnan natin anong isasagot natin diyan, but I don't think really there's still logic in anything that he's saying. Ang credibility kasi parang maloko mo ako ng isang beses, shame on you. 'Pag niloko mo ako ng dalawang beses, shame on me," Torre said. (Just tell us and we'll see how we will respond to that, but I don't think really there's still logic in anything that he's saying. As for credibility, if you fool me once, shame on you. If you fool me twice, shame on me.) "Hindi tayo sasali sa mga taong puwede niya lokohin all the time," he added. (We will not be among the people whom he can mock all the time.) Aside from the main event, three undercard matches were also held in the charity boxing event. —KG, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
21-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Thunder Consortium bags P36.26B hydro power plant complex in Laguna
Thunder Consortium, composed of Aboitiz Renewables Inc. (ARI), Sumitomo Corporation, and Electric Power Development Co. Ltd (J-Power), has been awarded the winning bidder for the P36.26-billion sale and privatization of the Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan (CBK) Hydroelectric Power Plant Complex. In a regulatory filing, ARI's parent firm Aboitiz Power Corp. said the company was informed on Monday, July 21, that the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) issued a Notice of Award to the Thunder Consortium last Friday, July 18, 2025. 'The Thunder Consortium will undergo the post-award process required by PSALM,' the filing read, but did not elaborate. Thunder Consortium was the highest-ranking bidder for the asset, offering P36.26 billion, and besting the FGKW Consortium of First Gen Prime Energy Corporation and Korea Water Resources Corporation. Located in Lumban, Majayjay and Kalayaan in Laguna, the CBK complex is part of the assets being sold by PSALM to fund the settlement of its liabilitations and obligations that are assumed from the National Power Corp. (Napocor). The CBK Hydroelectric Power Plants are part of the assets the government targets to privatize this year, along with assets in NLEX Corp. (P330 million), receivables in the Nonoc Mining and Industrial Corp. (P820 million), Elorde Sports and Tourism Development Corp. (P621 million), Food Terminal Inc. (P40.46 billion), and SMC Slex Inc. (P12.0 to P24.8 billion). The power plants are currently operated under a 25-year build-rehabilitate-operate-transfer agreement with CBK Power Company Ltd., which is set to expire in February 2026. The government is also looking to raise P100 billion next year. Based on the latest report of the Development Budget and Coordination Committee (DBCC), the administration is looking to generate P4.520-trillion in total revenues this year, and P4.983 trillion in 2026. ARI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corp., and represents the company's investments and interests in renewable energy projects including geothermal, large hydro, run-of-river hydro, wind, battery energy storage systems, and solar projects. Shares in ARI were last trading at P41.65 apiece, up by P0.50 or 1.21%. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
16-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Senate bill seeks to penalize children who abandon elderly parents
Senator Ping Lacson has refiled a measure seeking to penalize children who fail to provide necessary support for their aging, sick, and incapacitated parents. In the explanatory note of Senate Bill No. 396 or the proposed "Parents Welfare Act of 2025," Lacson stressed that taking care of the elderly members of society is a shared responsibility of the children and the government. 'This proposed bill therefore seeks to further strengthen filial responsibility and to make it a criminal offense in case of flagrant violation thereof. Abandonment of a parent in need of support shall likewise constitute a criminal act,' the returning senator said. Under the proposed measure, parents in need of support who are unable to maintain themselves from their own earning or out of the property they owned, or who are incapacitated or incapable of supporting themselves, shall be given support by their children. If the parent concerned has several children, the support to be given shall be divided among them in proportion to their resources or financial capacity and in such manner as may be just and equitable. Grandchildren shall also be liable to support their ascendants if their parents cannot fulfill their duty to support due to death, illness or if they are unable to fully take care of themselves due to physical or mental disability or condition. The children shall have the option to fulfill the obligation either by paying the support fixed by a 'support order' or by receiving and maintaining in the family house of the parent concerned. Such a petition for support may be filed in the regional trial court with territorial jurisdiction over the place of residence of the petitioner. The legal representation of the parent in need of support will be provided by the Public Attorney's Office and no court fees will be assessed. Before hearing the petition, the court shall also refer the parties to a conciliation officer for mediation to preserve the family unity and peace. If the children so ordered fail to comply with the support order without sufficient cause or reason, the court may issue a warrant for levying the amount due for every breach of order. If the respondent fails to give support for three consecutive months without justifiable cause, the respondent shall face imprisonment of one to six months or a fine of P100,000. Whoever has the care or protection of a parent in need of support and abandons such parent will also face six to 10 years in jail and a fine of P300,000. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
16-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Gov't eyes raising P105B from privatization of assets through 2026
The government is looking to raise up to P105 billion until 2026 from the privatization of idle assets amid the administration's efforts to generate non-tax revenues, according to a Department of Finance (DOF) official. DOF Undersecretary Velasquez said the government targets to raise P5 billion from privatization efforts this year and P100 billion in 2026. 'We also want to utilize non-tax revenue through privatization of, let's say, some idle assets of the government, not just to increase revenues for the government, but also to add value to this area,' she said in a recent forum in Makati City. The government is looking to generate revenues worth P4.520 trillion in 2025 and P4.983 trillion in 2026, based on the latest report of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC). About 28,665 government non-performing assets have been turned over to the Privatization Management Office (PMO) for privatization, according to the DOF's January report. Among those targeted to be privatized this year are government assets in NLEX Corp. (P330 million), receivables in the Nonoc Mining and Industrial Corp. (P820 million), Elorde Sports and Tourism Development Corp. (P621 million), Food Terminal Inc. (P40.46 billion), the Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan (CBK) Hydroelectric Power Plants (P36.26 billion), and SMC SLEX Inc. (P12.0 to P24.8 billion). Velasquez said the DOF is also looking to collaborate with the private sector for more infrastructure projects under the public-private partnership (PPP) scheme. 'We're allocating enough budget for infrastructure needs of the Philippines, but also, we're tapping the private sector to join us in nation building,' she said. 'What we do want is a crowding of public investments in infrastructure to crowd in private investment, and what we've seen recently, there are a lot of interests,' she added. The government has received many unsolicited proposals that are now under the procurement phase—the Boracay Bridge Project, the digitized traffic enforcement for Bacoor City, the digitization of the physical apprehension of the traffic violations under the single ticketing system (STS), the national single window through an integrated facilitation, the operation and maintenance of Palayan City Hospital, the redevelopment of the General Santos City Public Market, and the South Luzon Integrated Terminal Exchange (SLITX). —VBL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
15-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
PUP laments veto of NPU bill, says funding needed for reforms
Students, teachers, and officials of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines sign a banner in support of the National Polytechnic University proposal, on Monday, July 14, 2025. Photo: Polytechnic University of the Philippines The Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), home to over 90,000 students across 26 campuses nationwide, is facing uncertainty following the second veto of the proposed National Polytechnic University (NPU) charter bill. Malacañang confirmed on Thursday that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. rejected the measure, citing concerns over institutional performance, regulatory implications, and the validity of some of PUP's satellite campuses. In a press statement, PUP said the move effectively halts what could have been a landmark transition for the 120-year-old institution into a fully chartered polytechnic university with guaranteed additional state support. Under the proposed NPU bill, PUP would have received an extra P100 million annually for five years—funds intended to address its longstanding budget deficit and modernize infrastructure, including laboratories, classrooms, and digital systems. 'Talaga pong mabigat ang aking kalooban sa balitang ito pero katulad nga ng ating nasabi—magpapatuloy tayo,' said PUP president Dr. Manuel Muhi in a university-wide address. (This news weighs heavily on me, but as we've said—we will carry on.) 'Magiging mahirap lalo't hindi sigurado ang pondo para sa ating campuses sa susunod na taon... Salamat at alam ko pong katuwang namin kayo sa pakikibakang ito.' (The road ahead will be difficult, especially with the uncertainty of funding for our campuses next year... Thank you — I know that you stand with us in this struggle.) Presidential concerns In his veto message, Marcos cited three main reasons for rejecting the bill: PUP's 'subpar' performance based on its 2016 SUC Level II classification from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED); the legal basis of 14 of its campuses created through Board of Regents (BOR) resolutions; and concerns that granting PUP institutional autonomy would undermine CHED's regulatory authority. The same bill was vetoed in 2018 by then-President Rodrigo Duterte, citing similar concerns. PUP officials, however, argue that the concerns stem from outdated or incorrect data. 'Noong 2016, binigyan ang PUP ng Level II, pero tayo ay nag-appeal... Matapos ang meeting kasama ang CHED... ginawaran ng Level III status ang PUP ng parehas na taon,' said Muhi. (In 2016, PUP was initially given Level II status, but we appealed... After a meeting with CHED and a reassessment, PUP was granted Level III status in the same year.) 'Laking gulat natin na ang nakarating sa DBM ay maling datos... Hindi ito naging hadlang upang magpatuloy ang PUP.' (We were deeply surprised that the DBM received incorrect data... Nonetheless, this did not stop PUP from moving forward.) Satellite campuses, budget gaps, and implications The veto also questioned the legal basis of several satellite campuses. PUP responded that the campuses are consistent with Section 11 of Presidential Decree 1341, which mandates the university to expand regional access to education. Local governments in Laguna, Quezon, and Bulacan also help fund their respective campuses. Still, the current budget reportedly falls short of what's needed to maintain these campuses. The funding gap threatens to disrupt education access for thousands of senior high school graduates who rely on PUP for low-cost higher education options—an issue also raised in the recent EDCOM II report on education equity. On institutional autonomy Muhi defended the proposed institutional autonomy provision, stating it should be viewed as complementary—not contradictory—to CHED's regulatory role. 'Ang layunin ay maging magaan ang trabaho ng CHED... Dapat itong makita sa magandang paraan,' he said. (The goal is to lighten CHED's workload... This should be seen in a positive light.) 'Pagkakataon at patunay na umuunlad ang bawat SUC dito sa Pilipinas.' (It is an opportunity and proof that state universities and colleges in the Philippines are progressing.) Renewed call for support PUP is renewing its push for the NPU charter, with a university-wide petition campaign launched this week. Muhi also called on CHED to reassess PUP's SUC leveling, expressing confidence that the university will surpass its previous ratings. He also stressed that the bill would not lead to commercialization or privatization, nor would it diminish PUP's public character. 'Hiling ko po... magtulong-tulong po tayong labanan ang disimpormasyon... at paliwanagan ang ating mga kasamahan at mga estudyante,' he said. (I sincerely ask that we work together to fight disinformation... and patiently explain to our colleagues and students the benefits this measure can bring.) Despite the setbacks, PUP said it will continue to expand access through programs like Education on Wheels, community outreach under LingapKomunidad, and distance learning services for persons deprived of liberty. — BM, GMA Integrated News
