By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz A LOW pressure area (LPA) that could still intensify had been dumping more rain in parts of central and southern Philippines already flooded since weekend, where reported deaths hit 25 while 26 others were missing as of Wednesday, authorities said. Of the reported deaths, 16 were from Northern Mindanao, five […]
Category: Hot News
PAGCOR warns users of illegal gambling sites vs fraud, liability
THE STATE-RUN Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) has warned the public against engaging in illegal gambling websites, citing cybercrime threats as well as the possibility of facing criminal charges. In a statement on Wednesday, PAGCOR said those who want to gamble should do so on legitimate and licensed electronic gaming sites. Gambling websites not […]
Iloilo City launches online payment system for property tax
PROPERTY TAX payments in Iloilo City can now be done digitally, the local government announced. In a post on its Facebook page, the city government encouraged property owners to use the site https://iloilocity.online/ to pay for their annual tax. “For Real Property owners in Iloilo City, you may now access the Web Portal for registration […]
Solons file resolution calling to resume peace talks with communists
THREE OPPOSITION lawmakers on Wednesday filed a resolution calling for a resumption of peace talks with the communist movement. “The quest for a just and lasting peace should compel us legislators and peace advocates to push for the resumption of the peace talks between the government and the NDFP (National Democratic Front of the Philippines),” […]
PHL ambassador receives highest award for envoys in UAE
PHILIPPINE AMBASSADOR to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Hjayceelyn M. Quintana has received the UAE Medal of Independence of the First Order, the highest award given to foreign diplomats in the Middle Eastern country, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Wednesday. In a statement, the DFA said UAE President Mohammad Bin Zayed Al […]
Camarines Sur temporarily bans swimming, island-hopping due to strong winds
THE PROVINCIAL government of Camarines Sur has ordered a temporary ban on swimming and island-hopping activities due to strong winds associated with the northeast monsoon. In a memorandum issued on Wednesday, Governor Vincenzo Renato Luigi R. Villafuerte ordered all mayors, other local officials, and disaster management council heads to implement the prohibition. “In view of […]
Procurement, bonuses deemed hot spots for GOCC corruption
THE GOVERNANCE Commission for GOCCs (GCG) said its anti-corruption and integrity program will focus on problem areas like procurement and property disposals by state-owned companies. The GCG said it also considers bonuses, allowances, and incentives at state-owned firms, known as government-owned or-controlled corporations (GOCCs), another area that needs to be watched. “This program will ultimately […]
All five bidders for El Nido Port project fail PPA evaluation
THE PHILIPPINE Ports Authority (PPA) said the auction for an upgrade project at the Port of El Nido, Palawan was declared a failed bid following the disqualification of all five participants. The bid was for the construction of a port operational area and the expansion of a pier. According to a Dec. 15 PPA resolution […]
Power distributors required to detail pass-through charges
DISTRIBUTION utilities (DUs) are now required to submit a detailed breakdown of the components of their power bills following the revision of the rules on collecting pass-through charges, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said. “We are looking forward to 2023 as the beginning of an era of greater transparency in electricity pricing. The new uniform […]
First palm oil refinery in SOCCSKSARGEN to be completed by 2024
THE FIRST palm oil refinery in the South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City (SOCCSKSARGEN) region is expected to be completed by 2024 after construction began in July, Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) said. LANDBANK financed the construction of the facility, owned by the Garcia Refinery Corp. (GARECO), the bank said in […]
Livestock, poultry, dairy seen held back by technology deficit
THE LIVESTOCK, poultry and dairy industries are not making progress due to inadequate employment of technology, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) said. A PIDS study concluded that “investment must be poured into production and process improvements, including technology, equipment, animal inventory, and manpower capacity upgrades, for the agriculture industry to be more competitive.” […]
Sari-Sari stores dominate new business-name registrations in 2022
THE DEPARTMENT of Trade and Industry (DTI) said Wednesday that it registered 827,491 new business names this year, accounting for 88.8% of new registrations. “The business activity of most of the BN (business name) registrations, based on the Philippine Standard Industrial Classification, is retail selling in sari-sari stores with 180,406 processed applications,” the DTI said […]
Endings and beginnings: Year-end tax reminders and tax changes in 2023
“Celebrate endings – for they precede new beginnings.” — Jonathan Lockwood Huie Here we are with two days left in 2022! For the past few weeks, most of us have been busy giving gifts and ticking off grocery lists as we finish our last-minute preparations for media noche, and coming up with resolutions for the […]
Sharks Billiards League out to revive PHL pool scene
THE NEXT “Bata” and “Django” are in the making for the Philippines. It may have been delayed and bumped off its rightful track for decades but the country, at long last, is in line for the production of the next great cue artists to follow the footsteps of Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante. […]
Bachmann to replace Eala in PSC
THE PHILIPPINE Sports Commission (PSC) will have a new chairman four months after the Palace has installed one. Enter Richard Bachmann and exit Noli Eala. The appointment papers of Mr. Bachmann, a former Alaska governor to the PBA, UAAP commissioner and PBA 3×3 chair, from Malacañang has already reached the PSC, according to The STAR […]
NBA veteran Nick Young beefs up Strong Group in Dubai cagefest
NBA veteran Nick Young has been tapped by Philippine contingent Strong Group as its reinforcement for the 2023 Dubai International Basketball Championship on Jan. 27 – Feb. 5. Mr. Young, 37, is expected to provide firepower and leadership experience for Strong Group that is owned by Jacob Lao — the former Ateneo cager in the […]
Ten-man Vietnam move into Group B pole position with win over Malaysia at the Asean Championship
VIETNAM brushed aside Nguyen Van Toan’s first-half sending-off to hand Malaysia a 3-0 defeat in Hanoi and move top of the Group B standings at the Asean Championship on Tuesday. Nguyen Tien Linh put Park Hang-seo’s side in front with a 28th-minute downward header that bounced over the goalline before Van Toan was dismissed four […]
Peso slumps as oil prices rise on demand hopes
THE PESO weakened against the dollar on Tuesday due to rising oil prices following China’s easing of its coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions. The local currency closed at P55.90 versus the greenback, slumping by 75 centavos from Friday’s P55.15 close, data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines showed. The peso opened the session at […]
Shares inch up on window dressing, lack of leads
LOCAL SHARES inched up on Tuesday on window dressing ahead of the year’s close and amid lack of fresh leads. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) climbed by 23.87 points or 0.36% to close at 6,564.90 on Monday, while the broader all shares index rose by 8.95 points or 0.26% to 3,441.42. “Local shares […]
Energy dep’t touts savings from power conservation program
THE DEPARTMENT of Energy (DoE) said Tuesday that 24 industrial, commercial and government establishments participating in its energy efficiency and conservation (EEC) program saved about 36.94 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity this year. “With energy efficiency and conservation as a whole-of-nation approach to reduce consumption and ultimately earn savings, I encourage others also to approach […]