Category: Hot News

SECURITY experts on Wednesday urged the government of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to stand up against escalating Chinese aggression in the South China Sea and engage in united response with allies. “The best way to address Chinese gray zone activities in the West Philippine Sea is to expose it,” Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay […]

PHILIPPINE transport groups aborted a plan for a week-long strike after the government of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. agreed to revise its modernization plan and the phaseout of traditional public utility vehicles. Manibela President Mar S. Valbuena and Piston President Modesto Floranda on Tuesday night met with Presidential Communications Office (PCO) chief Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil […]

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Wednesday said the government aims to clean up the 800,000-liter oil spill from a tanker that sank in the waters of Oriental Mindoro last week in less than four months. “It took four months to clean up the Guimaras oil spill,” he told reporters on the sidelines of […]

THE PHILIPPINE police force will implement tighter security measures such as setting up checkpoints in areas considered under high risk of violence, especially in the period leading up to the October village and youth council elections, a police officer told a House committee on Wednesday.   Brigadier General Matthew P. Baccay told the House public order […]

THE SENATE public services committee called for an immediate improvement in the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines’ (CAAP) technical capacity and equipment, citing that the New Year’s Day power outage that crippled airport operations nationwide was caused by several malfunctions.   “The January 1 systems failure was indeed a confluence of factors and errors. Experts […]

THE EXPANDED terminal building of the Butuan Airport in southern Philippines was formally opened on March 8, increasing its capacity to 616 passengers from only 248.  “This is in line with the goal to provide locals and tourists with safer journeys to the different parts of the country,” Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Director […]

A DRY run for the implementation of an exclusive motorcycle lane along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City starts March 9, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced on Wednesday.   “The dry run is meant to familiarize motorcycle riders traversing Commonwealth Avenue on the said policy. We will have a full deployment of MMDA traffic enforcers […]

A COALITION of women workers’ organizations on Wednesday raised the lack of job opportunities and inadequate minimum wages in the Philippines as the world observed International Women’s Day.    The Women Workers United (WWU), composed of six groups, cited that “7 in 10 Filipinos — mostly women — are being driven into informal, precarious work” while […]

THE Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said it will offer 37 hectares in New Clark City for development of a P1-billion solar energy farm. The BCDA said that it is seeking private companies to bid for the long-term lease on a site in the northern section of New Clark City and to develop a […]

THE Department of Agriculture has withdrawn the guidelines for conducting bioefficacy trials on new fertilizer products, an apparent first step in easing the approval process for new types of fertilizer. In a department circular, Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban ordered the revocation of guidelines issued by former Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar in February […]

CHINA’s reopening is expected to boost tourism in the Philippines, though the overall impact on the economy will likely be modest, according to MUFG Global Markets Research. “The return of Chinese tourists will likely significantly benefit tourism in the Philippines,” it said in a report. China was the second-largest source of visitors in 2019 with […]

SOCIAL protection measures like cash support programs are needed to build climate resilience, especially in at-risk countries like the Philippines, the World Bank said in a blog post. “Adapting cash support programs after a disaster requires careful targeting and understanding of disaster-affected population needs. Making social protection programs more flexible while incorporating reliable mechanisms for […]

A SCIENCE advocacy organization has asked legislators to suspend consideration of a bill creating a new agency that will oversee nuclear power, calling instead for the expansion of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute’s (PNRI) powers. “It may be more prudent and cost-effective to update those mandates and strengthen said institutions (PNRI) by allocating more funding […]

THE Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said it has confirmed the first case of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Carcar City, Cebu, after 58 out of 149 blood samples taken from pigs there tested positive. In a statement, the BAI said that the City Veterinary Office of Carcar collected the samples, which were tested for […]

THE Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) said its areas of focus for 2023 will be attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and addressing child malnutrition. Benedicta Du-Baladad, MAP president, said during her speech at the business group’s general membership meeting in Taguig City on Wednesday that the organization hopes to conduct a series of investment […]

“No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.” This is probably one of the most powerful provisions in our Constitution. It guarantees respect for one’s rights by observing rules and establishing limitations when it comes to legal processes in the Philippines. For instance, in tax assessment cases, rules […]

The Philippines lacks data on autoimmune encephalitis, making misdiagnosis “a major concern,” according to a recent study. Due to the difficulty of establishing a diagnosis of the disease, as well as a lack of a registry for patients with it, the establishment of national health programs for this condition is limited, according to the study, […]

LOCAL STOCKS climbed on Tuesday after inflation eased slightly in February, which could lead to a less aggressive move from the central bank. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) went up by 34 points or 0.51% to close at 6,705.12 on Tuesday, while the broader all shares index rose by 17.15 points or 0.48% […]

THE PESO weakened against the dollar on Tuesday, with investors expecting the central bank to deliver a smaller hike this month after headline inflation slowed in February. The local currency closed at P55 versus the greenback on Tuesday, down by 12 centavos from Monday’s P54.88 finish, data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines’ website […]

MORE THAN nine million poor households will receive P500 each for two months to mitigate the impact of inflation, the Department of Finance said on Tuesday. The government has allotted P9.3 billion for the cash transfer program for the poor, Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said at a televised Palace briefing after meeting with President […]