The Philippines is aiming to spend nearly $300 million, or 30 percent, of its record-high $1 billion loan from the World Bank (WB) this year to augment the budget needed for programs aimed at helping the agriculture sector cushion the impact of the oil crisis. Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel...
The Philippines will repay until 2044 its biggest-ever loan from the World Bank, which will bankroll a sweeping agricultural transformation program aimed at boosting food production, modernizing farming systems, and strengthening climate resilience. Documents showed that Finance Secretary Frederick...
The Philippines expanded its rice importation by 18 percent to 1.7 million metric tons (MT) during the first four months of 2026 as the government looks to bolster the supply of the commodity amid expectations of lower output in the coming months. The latest Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) data...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is rolling out intervention measures to prepare the agriculture sector for the potential impact of a super El Niño phenomenon, which is estimated to cut production by up to 30 percent. In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said the DA is now...
The Cosme family is back. The teaser for the much awaited "Home Along Da Riles: Da Reunion" movie dropped on Wednesday, delighting longtime fans. The clip opens with Nova Villa reprising her role as Azon, expressing how much she misses Kevin, the character famously portrayed by the late Dolphy...
LEGAZPI CITY, Albay — Agricultural damage from the recent ashfall triggered by Mayon Volcano has reached more than P6.6 million, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Bicol. In its latest report, a total of 15.35 hectares of farmland were affected, resulting in the loss of...
The World Bank has approved an $18.85-million grant to strengthen the Philippines’ pandemic response, as the country is considered a global hotspot for emerging infectious and zoonotic diseases. The Washington-based multilateral lender’s board approved last April 29 the investment project...
ILOILO CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced that agribusiness ventures in Western Visayas and Negros Occidental were among the national winners in the Young Farmers Challenge (YFC). The DA-Western Visayas led by Director Dennis Arpia produced four winners in the start-up categories...
South Korean actress Han Da-gam has announced that she is expecting her first child at the age of 45. In a heartfelt letter posted on Instagram, the actress—formerly known as Han Eun-jung—shared that she became pregnant in her sixth year of marriage, describing the moment as both emotional and...
The World Bank has given its go-ahead to the $24.5-million Technical Assistance for Sustainable Agricultural Transformation (TASAT) program, which will complement the Philippines’ largest-ever single loan from the Washington-based multilateral lender aimed at diversifying the sector and moving...
Camarines Sur-based lawmakers are prodding the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Transportation (DOTr) to expand the scope and duration of its month-long toll-free transport of farm produce. Rep. Migz Villafuerte of the province 's 5th district and Rep. Luigi Villafuerte of the...
The Philippines has launched a safeguard investigation into rice imports, as authorities move to assess whether a surge in inbound shipments is harming domestic farmers of the country’s primary food staple. In an April 15 notification to the Geneva-based World Trade Organization (WTO), the...
