The Senate approved the proposed Php 8.9-billion budget of the Office of the President (OP) for 2023, including Php 4.5-billion in confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) last November 10.

Prior to the funding’s approval, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III requested the OP to justify the necessity for the Php 4.5-billion CIF, which accounts for over half of their office’s total budget.

“Why should the Office of the President be given intelligence funds at 2.25 billion pesos when there [are] already existing intelligence agencies and units which can serve the intelligence needs of the Office of the President or the President himself,” Pimentel asked as he affirmed it was “questionable” to give that funding to the OP.

Several netizens, particularly members of the LGBTQIA+ community and their advocates, criticized a proposed bill, as they claimed that it is a “joke of a law”.

This came after Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. proposed House Bill (HB) No. 5717, Wednesday, November 9, to “safeguard heterosexual rights” in practicing and expressing their religion, views, and opinions toward the members of the LGBTQIA+.

Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte signed DepEd Order (DO) No. 49 series of 2022 on November 2, amending the recently released DO 47 entitled “Promotion of Professionalism in the Implementation and Delivery of Basic Education Programs and Services”, which further enhances professionalism within the sector by “avoiding relationships, interaction, and communication, including following social media with learners”.

A sighting of a Beaver blood moon was visible on Tuesday, November 8, in a number of locations around the world. The natural phenomenon allowed the world to witness its last appearance until the year 2025. 

The blood moon consisted of the Earth casting its shadow completely over a full moon, blocking reflection of all direct sunlight from the lunar orb and dimming the color of the moon to a reddish hue.

Carlos Yulo took home a silver and a bronze for the vault and parallel bar divisions, respectively, at the 2022 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships held in Liverpool, England from October 29 to November 6.

Last July, Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte expressed the intent to address the learning loss among learners during the pandemic by requiring full face-to-face classes starting November 2, 2022. 

The Philippines’s inflation rate continued to accelerate in October, reaching 7.7 percent—the highest since the global financial crisis in December 2008, National Statistician Dennis Mapa said on Friday, November 4.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. renounced the notion of declaring a year-long state of national calamity, saying that it is unnecessary since the damage caused by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng did not affect all parts of the country.

In a briefing with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. last Saturday, October 29,  National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Executive Director Raymundo Ferrer recommended the declaration of a national state of calamity for at least one year to allow access to response funds and implement a price freeze on basic goods.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco reported on Tuesday, October 25, that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. agreed to release an executive order declaring the voluntary wearing of face masks indoors. 

The decision was made more than a month after Marcos Jr. issued a decree making it optional to wear face masks outdoors, and a week after the Department of Health (DOH) detected 81 cases of the Omicron XBB Subvariant in two regions and 193 cases of the XBC variant in 11 regions.