00:01House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos joins Lakas CMD.
00:05The Social Welfare Department demonstrates water filtration kits to communities vulnerable to El Niño.
00:10Senator J.B. Ejercito flags significant cuts to preventive health programs in the P7.2 Trillion Peso 2027 General Appropriations
00:17Bill.
00:18Economist Cielo Magno will run for Senator in 2028.
00:22And Pope Leo is back on his feet after his cancer diagnosis.
00:34House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos leaves Partido Federal, his father President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s party, and joins Lakas CMD.
00:42Lakas is the party of his uncle and mentor, former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
00:46A source tells Rappler, the younger Marcos took his oath before Lakas member and Kamigin representative J.J. Romualdo at
00:52the House of Representatives on Monday, October 11.
00:54Marcos' office has kept the move low-key, providing no press release or photo handout of the oath-taking.
01:00No reason was given for his party transfer, which comes weeks after its president, Romualdez, was arrested for plunder in
01:06connection with flood control and national budget corruption scandal.
01:09The party has not distanced itself from Romualdez despite the controversy.
01:13Lakas remains the biggest contingent in the House with around 60 members, although its numbers are down from its peak
01:19of more than 100 members in the 19th Congress.
01:23The Department of Social Welfare and Development may distribute water filtration kits to communities vulnerable to El Niño and possible
01:30water shortages.
01:31Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gachalian demonstrated how to use the kits on Wednesday, October 14.
01:36Gachalian and Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro also drank the filtered water.
01:41Their live demo comes on the heels of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s advice to buy pails to collect rainwater.
01:47We'll give you the filter, we'll teach you how to do everything so that you don't get hurt and better
01:55to treat water and filter water.
01:58And it will be healthy even for little children.
02:01The advice drew criticism, with groups such as the August 21 Movement saying it's not a real solution to the
02:07looming crisis.
02:08Castro fired back at what she called obstructionists, saying that the President's remarks were serious and part of the government's
02:14efforts to mitigate the effects of El Niño.
02:18Senate Finance Committee Chairperson J. V. Ejercito flagged significant cuts to preventive health programs and infrastructure projects in the 7
02:26.2 trillion peso 2027 General Appropriations Bill.
02:29He notes reductions reach billions of pesos in the House approved version.
02:33Ejercito says the House version of the budget bill had major changes compared to the 2027 National Expenditure Program.
02:40This includes a 130 billion peso reduction in foreign assisted projects, a 9.5 billion peso cut in calamity funds,
02:47and billions of pesos in reductions to health programs.
02:49The major changes include a 4 billion peso reduction in the Department of Health's Immunization Program and a 4.5
02:56billion peso cut in the DOH Health Facilities Enhancement Program.
03:00He also cited a 2.6 billion peso reduction in right-of-way funding and a 4.6 billion peso
03:05cut in funding for flood mitigation structures within major river basins.
03:09Ejercito says this is a puzzle for me because one of the key factors of universal health care is strengthening
03:14preventive care, yet that is what they reduced.
03:19Economist Celo Magno announces she will run for Senator in the 2028 elections.
03:24Magno faces challenges due to low public awareness and the competitive nature of the Senate race.
03:28She aims to focus on health care reform and budget transparency if elected, while also leveraging her background in music
03:34to connect with younger voters.
03:36Magno has been active in socio-economic reforms and gained recognition as a digital creator and musician.
03:49She served as Undersecretary for Fiscal Policy and Monitoring of the Department of Finance for over a year that was
03:55reportedly terminated by Malacanang in September 2023.
03:58This after she indirectly questioned President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s policy to set a price ceiling on rice amid rising prices.
04:07Pope Leo is back on his feet, walking in his hospital room and eating normally.
04:11He had part of his right lung removed in an operation on Tuesday, October 13.
04:15The Vatican said Wednesday, blood tests and the chest x-ray carried out that day showed normal post-operative results
04:21and that the Pope underwent respiratory physiotherapy.
04:24The 71-year-old pontiff is expected to remain in hospital for about a week and his public engagements are
04:29cancelled until October 20.
04:31He is set to make a tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17.
04:35The Vatican press office says nothing has changed regarding the planned trip.
04:39But Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori says Wednesday, the dates could change because of the amount of time the Pope's recovery
04:44will take.
04:47And that's today's wrap. I'm JC Gotinga. Thank you for watching. Click the link below for the full story. For
04:52more updates, download the Raptor app.
