YOUR BULLETIN OPINIONS — Looking forward to early passage of 2024 nat’l budget

EDITORIAL Looking forward to early passage of 2024 nat'l budget The government may experience a merry Christmas this year as it prepares to face the challenges of the coming year. Congress is eyeing the enactment of the ₱5.768-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or the proposed 2024 national budget before Christmas this year. "Our confidence is high because of our early submission to our brethren in the Senate. And I'm sure they will do everything in order to finish the budget so it may get signed by our beloved President before Christmas," House Speaker Martin Romualdez said during the turnover to the Senate of the copy of the GAB for 2024. Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, who was present at the turnover ceremony, also vowed that the upper chamber of Congress will pass the GAB this month. With this commitment, the government is now more or less assured it will run smoothly in 2024 according to Malacañang's National Expenditure Program (NEP), and not on a reenacted budget. READ MORE

OPINION Connection anchored on trust: Enhancing Philippine-Japan bilateral relations through bedrock of people-to-people exchanges BEYOND BUDGET by Amenah F. Pangandaman, DBM Secretary On Nov. 4, 2023, I had the honor of witnessing, along with my colleagues in the Cabinet and from both the Senate and the House of Representatives, the start of a new chapter in our nation's dynamic and transformative partnership with Japan. For the first time in our 67-year history of formal bilateral relations, Japanese Prime Minister (PM) Fumio Kishida addressed our people in a Special Joint Session held in the august halls of the Philippine Congress. In his speech, PM Kishida reaffirmed Japan's unwavering dedication to cooperating with its ASEAN neighbors, particularly the Philippines, which has the second-largest population in the ASEAN — with Japan embracing over 300,000 of our kababayans. Japan's kindness and efforts to maintain the spirit of collaboration throughout the years have always astounded me. READ MORE

OPINION The people's will THE VIEW FROM RIZAL by Dr. Jun Ynares The recent plebiscite conducted in the province of Bulacan was an interesting sidelight in this year's Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE). In the plebiscite, Bulacan voters were asked whether or not they approved ratifying a proclamation signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte during his term, which recommended the conversion of one of the province's component cities – San Jose del Monte – into a "Highly-urbanized City" or HUC. Based on media reports, the "no" votes trounced the "yes" votes. By virtue of the rejection by the majority of Bulacan's registered voters of the HUC proclamation, San Jose del Monte will remain a first-class component city of that history-rich province. READ MORE

OPINION A call for ceasefire NIGHT OWL by Anna Mae Lamentillo In war, there are no real victors; there are only victims who have either lost their lives or who will continue to live with the trauma. The war between Israel and Hamas must stop now. Too many innocent lives have already been lost. Thousands of civilians from both territories, as well as foreign nationals including at least four Filipinos, are among the fatalities. We are not in the position to judge the motivations of the two parties in engaging in this war. But we are in the position to fight for the rights of those people who did not want this war in the first place. It is our collective responsibility as members of a community of nations to call for a ceasefire and for respect for human life. READ MORE

OPINION AI in education: The next big thing TECH4GOOD by Monchito B. Ibrahim We spend a lot of time talking about AI these days. I believe this will be my fifth article on the same subject. Most discussions are focused on three dimensions: Ethics, governance, and jobs. What about its impact on education? Stealthily, AI is rapidly transforming the education sector today including here in the Philippines, and is poised to revolutionize the way both learning and teaching are done. Imagine an education system where teachers have very little administrative work to do and students learn at their own pace and in a way that is most effective for them. AI-driven tools and technologies are already being used to personalize learning, automate tasks such as preparing lesson plans and grading assignments, and provide students with real-time feedback. READ MORE

VIEWS A vote for the future and a vote of confidence OF TREES AND FOREST by Former Senate President Manny Villar Last Oct. 30, 2023, my family and I trooped to the Las Piñas City National Science High School in Talon Dos to cast our votes for the Barangay and SK Elections. I was joined by my wife Cynthia and my children Mark, Paolo and Camille. The voting went smoothly and I would like to congratulate all the teachers and other election officials and workers who made our exercise of suffrage sans any suffering. I was elated to see my fellow voters from Las Piñas eagerly casting their ballots. In particular, I was very happy to see our young people exercise their right as a citizen of the republic. The Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) might have its issues and problems but in theory it is a unique way of introducing our youth to the idea of responsible citizenship. Electing our leaders at the barangay level — the smallest unit of government in the Philippines but also the frontline of democracy — is an important responsibility of every citizen. READ MORE

MANILA BULLETIN SPOTLIGHT

NEWS On Yolanda's 10th anniversary, VP Duterte remembers 'unwavering spirit' of Pinoys READ MORE OPINION-EDITORIAL The resources to finish READ MORE

BUSINESS New CEB Piso Sale opens for holiday travellers READ MORE ENTERTAINMENT People magazine crowns Patrick Dempsey as this year's Sexiest Man Alive READ MORE

SPORTS Biado opens title bid in Puerto Rico Open READ MORE LIFESTYLE Remembering 'Yolanda', 10 years after READ MORE

TECHNOLOGY Radenta Technologies partners with Oracle to enhance data security READ MORE

TRENDING Duterte: Marcos is not corrupt; unsure about others READ MORE

TRENDING Arroyo to continue supporting Speaker Romualdez; wants to 'move on' READ MORE TRENDING Fire hits 2 warehouses in Bulacan READ MORE

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