Agencies assisting areas affected by Typhoon Odette may ask for additional quick response funds (QRF) if necessary, the budget department said.

Odette, the strongest typhoon to batter the disaster-prone Philippines this year, was last seen at 4:00 p.m. over the coastal waters of Pag-asa Island, Kalayaan, Palawan (11.4°N, 114.2°E).

Detained Sen. Leila de Lima on Saturday warned that the proposed SIM Card Registration Act recently passed by her colleagues at the Senate may expose the data of users and embolden law enforcement agencies to abuse the information in their hands.

"Even with warnings in place, the intensity and the damage brought by this typhoon was unprecedented," Greenpeace said.

Senate Bill No. 1771 or the Death in Custody Reporting Bill was filed by Sen. Richard Gordon in August 2020. It is still pending at the committee level. 

Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) is barrelling towards Kalayaan Islands after making another landfall in Palawan, state weather bureau PAGASA said Saturday morning. 

Senate approval of amendments to the Public Service Act to allow 100-percent foreign ownership of a wide range of local business enterprises was described as “sort of a Christmas gift” by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Senate and the House of Representatives have agreed on a compromise on the budget for the controversial National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, a congressman bared yesterday.

Air Philippines Corp. has secured a new 25-year franchise courtesy of the Senate, which believes the airline will support growth in the transport and tourism sectors of the country.

Odette, the strongest typhoon to batter the disaster-prone Philippines this year, made another landfall over Roxas, Palawan at 3:10 p.m.