Category: Hot News

THE OPERATION of public utility vehicles in the Philippine capital region had normalized, the presidential palace said on Tuesday, the second day of a weeklong strike staged by traditional jeepney drivers and operators.   Routes provided with free transportation were “under normal operation and there were no reports of stranded passengers,” the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) […]

PHILIPPINE SHARES eked out gains on Monday as investors awaited the release of February inflation data. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) went up by 15.75 points or 0.23% to close at 6,671.12 on Monday, while the broader all shares index rose by 8.64 points or 0.24% to end at 3,573.06. “Philippine shares climbed […]

THE PESO declined against the dollar on Monday due to expectations of faster February inflation. The local currency closed at P54.88 versus the greenback on Monday, dropping by six centavos from Friday’s finish of P54.82, data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines’ website showed. The peso opened Monday’s trading session at P54.80 per dollar. […]

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter THE PHILIPPINE government has asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to reject separate pleas by the families of drug war victims and the ICC’s Office of Public Counsel for Victims (OPCV) to testify in court. The public counsel’s motion and the anonymous request from the victims “fall foul however […]

By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz THE HOUSE of Representatives on Monday approved on final reading a resolution seeking to change economic provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution through a constitutional convention (con-con). At a plenary session, 301 congressmen voted yes, six voted no and one abstained. “Extensive studies show that particular economic provisions of the […]

ILLEGAL drugs remained a menace in more than 8,000 villages in the Philippines as of January, the presidential palace said on Monday. A quarter or 8,585 out of 42,046 villages nationwide remained affected by illegal drugs, the Presidential Communications Office said in a statement, citing the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). “A total of 6,109 […]

THE FIRST day of a week-long strike by traditional jeepney drivers and operators to protest a modernization plan did not cause major disruption in public transport services, government officials said on Monday.    The Department of Transportation (DoTr) said it monitored only two routes in the capital region that were paralyzed.  “Based on our monitoring, two […]

THE OIL spill from motor tanker MT Princess Empress that sank off the coast of Naujan, Occidental Mindoro last week could possibly reach some vicinity waters of northern Palawan, according to marine experts.   In its latest bulletin on Monday, the University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) showed images of projected oil slick from March […]

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has ordered police authorities to identify hotspots of political violence, days after the murder of a local official in broad daylight at his residence where eight civilians were also killed and 16 others wounded.  On the sidelines of a Malacañang event on Monday, Mr. Marcos said he told Interior Secretary […]

THE PHILIPPINES has affirmed its commitment to uphold an international treaty on the conservation of marine biological diversity, the country’s foreign affairs secretary said on Monday.  “This international legally binding agreement will provide holistic and equitable management of human activities impacting ocean life beyond national boundaries to safeguard global ocean health,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique […]

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Monday said he hopes young Filipino farmers would have more access to “best” technologies in the future.   He made the statement at the ceremonial signing of a private sector-led program seeking to integrate small farmers and agri-entrepreneurs into the value chain of large companies.   “I hope that… one day […]

THE HOUSE of Representatives has approved on 3rd and final reading a bill seeking to institute the magna carta for seafarers.  During Monday’s plenary session, 304 lawmakers voted in favor of House Bill No. 7325, while four said no, and none abstained. The bill is one of the House’s priority measures for 2023.  The bill […]

THE HOUSE of Representatives has approved on 3rd and final reading a bill that will create a new region covering Negros Island in central Philippines.   The plenary on Monday unanimously voted in approval of House Bill No. 7355, with 290 representatives saying yes.   Under the proposed measure, the Negros Island Region will be composed of […]

THE bicycle lane budget for 2023 of P700 million will lead to the construction of at least 470 kilometers (km) worth of lanes, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said. “Iyong [budget for] new bike lanes natin nakuha namin sa GAA (General Appropriations Act), ay around P700 million (The budget for new bike lanes is around […]

PILIPINAS Shell Petroleum Corp. and Shell Energy Philippines (SEPH) have signed on to a pilot program that will roll out electric vehicle (EV) charging stations powered by renewables. “Pilipinas Shell and Shell Energy Philippines are happy to work with the Department of Energy in taking a concrete step in the country’s energy transition,” Lorelie Q. […]

PILI NUT exports to the European Union (EU) have been approved under a program admitting novel foods, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA). In a statement on Monday, the DA said that the European Commission Implementing Regulation allowing pili shipments to resume was signed on Feb. 8. The regulation specifically admits dried pili nuts […]

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it hopes a project in Mexico, Pampanga will herald more Chinese investments. Trade Assistant Secretary Glenn G. Peñaranda said during the launch of the Jinjiang Building Materials and Home Furnishing Exhibition Center at Mexico’s Global Construct City in late February that the Philippine Embassy and consulates in […]

ADDITIONAL health spending is being billed as a key component of the Philippine economic recovery, with a government think tank saying it will help make future health emergencies more manageable while making the workforce more productive. The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) said in a study: “Health expenditure consistently predicts health outcomes and is […]

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it has signed up a unit of San Miguel Corp. to help improve packaging used by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). In a statement on Monday, the DTI said it signed a memorandum of agreement with SMC’s San Miguel Yamamura Packaging Corp. with the aim of […]