INQToday: Fuel prices hike seen before 2023 ends; Gatchalian no comment on issues surrounding GF

Here’s a quick roundup of today’s top stories:

Marcos vetoed 2 provisions in 2024 GAA – Palace

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vetoed two provisions in the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA), which contains the P5.768-trillion national budget.

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said Friday that the vetoed provisions involved the revolving funds of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the implementation of the national government’s Career Executive Service Development Program, it added.

Holiday hopes drop, but 92% see much better 2024 — Pulse Asia

While the number of Filipinos who expect their holiday celebrations in 2023 to be more prosperous than last year declined, an overwhelming majority remain confident that life in 2024 will be much better, according to a recent survey from Pulse Asia.

Reports released by Pulse Asia on Friday showed that only 30 percent of respondents believe they would be having better celebrations in 2023 compared to 2022 — down from the 43 percent registered in November 2022.

Pandemic recovery cuts poverty rate to 22.4% in H1 — PSA

The proportion of poor Filipinos declined in the first half of 2023, as the Philippines emerged from a pandemic that wiped out years of gains in reducing poverty in the country.

A nationwide survey of 171,588 families showed there were 25.24 million poor Filipinos in the first half of 2023, lower than the 26.14 million recorded in the same period in 2021, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported Friday.

48-year old man successfully fights off python in Bohol

It’s man versus snake.

A 48-year-old man from Bohol province wrestled with a snake and prevailed.

Boljulio Aleria, a resident of barangay Cabayugan in Calape town, was driving his motorcycle when a Reticulated python, locally known as “baksan” blocked his way in Barangay Quinapon-an, Antequera town at 2 a.m. on Tuesday.

Gatchalian no comment on issues surrounding girlfriend Bianca Manalo

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has refused to give his comment on the issue surrounding his girlfriend, actress and former beauty queen Bianca Manalo, who is embroiled in a controversy involving her “Magandang Dilag” co-star, Rob Gomez.

Manalo, Gomez, and another beauty queen, Herlene Budol are the talk of the town after screenshots of the actor’s messages with them were leaked on his social media pages. The messages implied a sexual relationship.