The Philippines and Canada are set to hold the next round of negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) in September following last week’s productive talks, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). DTI Undersecretary Allan Gepty told reporters last Monday, Aug. 3, that the...
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines on Monday, Aug. 3, criticized the Department of Education’s (DepEd) decision to distribute voice amplifiers while teachers wait for their promised laptops. ACT said the voice amplifiers are merely a stopgap measure that does not address the...
Net revenue could exceed ₱190 billion over four years if the Philippines implements a package bill that combines the revenue-eroding income tax exemptions with the revenue-offsetting measures proposed this year. Department of Finance (DOF) Undersecretary Karlo Fermin S. Adriano said the agency...
Consumers and lawmakers cheered the SONA pledge to scrap system loss charges as if Christmas had come early with a gift-wrapped power discount. But electricity has a wicked sense of humor: erase the line item today, and the cost may quietly return tomorrow wearing a different name. After all, no...
The country’s three largest broadband providers are teaming up for a landmark submarine cable project aimed at closing the connectivity gap once and for all, with a potential investment pegged at $500 million, or roughly ₱30.63 billion. Department of Information and Communications Technology...
Stricter monitoring and technical assessments of imported goods—rather than higher import volumes—likely drove the Bureau of Customs (BOC) past its ₱82-billion revenue target for July, according to its chief. Speaking to reporters during the turnover of proceeds from forfeited luxury...
Despite increased government spending on agriculture and social protection, the Philippines continues to grapple with persistent malnutrition, high food prices, and weak agricultural productivity, underscoring the need for a major overhaul of food security policies, according to state-run policy...
Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Jose “Brix” Pujalte Jr. on Friday, July 31, denied allegations that he gambled at casinos after a complaint accusing him of doing so was reportedly filed before the Presidential Complaint Center in Malacañang. In a statement, Pujalte vehemently denied the...
The Office of the Ombudsman sought a preliminary investigation of Senator Loren Legarda and her son Batangas 1st distict Rep. Leandro Leviste for plunder and graft over alleged abuse of legislative and regulatory powers in securing solar energy contracts, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying”...
Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Kim Robert de Leon revealed that the “rigorously” reviewed, record-high ₱7.2-trillion proposed national budget for 2027 has until mid-August to reach the Lower House. De Leon told reporters on the sidelines of the post-State of the Nation...
The Philippines is set to position itself as a regional manufacturing hub for electric mobility following the establishment of a program incentivizing domestic electric vehicle (EV) production, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said Executive...
Commuters in Metro Manila holding a Philippine National ID will receive free rides on the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 during designated peak hours throughout August and on a key date in September, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr). The initiative, launched in coordination...
