The Philippines’ rice output, which soared to a record high in the first half, may not be enough to meet the anticipated demand during the 60-day import ban set to begin next week, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In a report, the USDA said the country imported...
The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) welcomed the enactment of the Konektadong Pinoy (KP) Act, which it said aims to bridge the digital divide and accelerate the country’s digital transformation, in line with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023–2028. In a...
The proposed “Three-Year College Education (3CE) Act” is a well-intentioned attempt to fix the mismatch between what the Philippine educational system produces and the actual needs of the job market. This gap is especially obvious in sectors that need technically skilled workers, such as...
The telecommunications industry is urging the government to ensure strong safeguards for consumers under the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) to be crafted for the Konektadong Pinoy Act, which recently lapsed into law. The bill, also known as the Open Access in Data Transmission Act,...
State-run think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) has recommended the inclusion of stricter safeguards for public-private partnership (PPP) projects under a Senate bill (SB) seeking to accelerate classroom construction nationwide. In an Aug. 18 comment on SB No. 121, or the...
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)+3 policymakers, including the Philippines, are urged to balance near-term spending with long-term fiscal discipline as shrinking fiscal space and rising debt costs stress the need for consolidation to meet climate- and aging-related demands, according...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to launch a digital platform that will consolidate all critical data across the agriculture sector to ensure data-driven decision-making and management of the country’s food supply chain. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said the agency’s...
With the start of the “BER” months—a common phrase for September through December—motorists are bracing for another round of fuel price increases by the end of August. Effective Tuesday, Aug. 26, gasoline prices will climb by another ₱0.70 per liter, while diesel will go up by ₱0.50 per...
When President Marcos took office in 2022, his administration vowed to ramp up oil and gas investments, starting within the safer terrains of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ). It also eyed the flashpoint: restarting exploration and drilling in the contested waters of the West...
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Sunday, August 24 called on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to certify as urgent a bill institutionalizing the extension services provided by the government to farmers and fisherfolk. Pangilinan, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture,...
Senator Risa Hontiveros said on Friday, Aug. 22, that the Philippines has a clear legal basis to temporarily surrender Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy to the United States -- and ample justification to do the same. Hontiveros cited Article 11, paragraph 1 of the PH-US...
The iconic Love Bus during the Martial Law era is officially back on the streets with the launch of a “libreng sakay” (free ride) program in Cebu City and Davao City, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr). Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon launched the program in the two...
