By Gladys Serafica DARAGA, Albay – In case you haven’t checked your February 2024 calendar yet, Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine’s Day. With two seemingly contrasting holidays sharing the same date—as the start of the liturgical 40-day season of Lent requires fasting and abstinence while the most romantic day of the year encourages luxurious indulgences—this…
State-owned Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) said its loans to agriculture and rural development recorded double-digit growth in 2023. In a statement Monday, LandBank said outstanding loans to the entire agricultural value chain amounted to P755.1 billion as of end-December 2023, higher by 23% than the P614.8 billion recorded in the third quarter. The amount accounts for about…
MANILA – The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is pioneering the country’s consumer loan for “green” purchases. The bank launched on Monday the BPI Green Solutions providing solar mortgage, eco-build financing and electric vehicle (EV) financing. In line with the Marcos administration’s commitment to the Paris Agreement to pursue initiatives on clean energy and promote sustainability across…
MANILA – The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) will be providing patent services to Brunei Darussalam IP Office (BruIPO), processing a maximum of 200 applications a year over the next five years. In a statement Monday, IPOPHL director general Rowel Barba said the BruIPO is outsourcing patent services following the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in…
NEW LIGHTHOUSE. The new Cadiz City lighthouse operated by the Philippine Coast Guard in northern Negros Occidental. It uses solar energy to aid navigation among fishermen and vessels. (Photo courtesy of Cadiz City government) BACOLOD CITY – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has harnessed and now uses solar power to operate the newly-inaugurated lighthouse in Cadiz…
LEGAZPI CITY – The Office of Civil Defense in Bicol (OCD-5) on Monday said no direct damage was reported by local government units after Mayon Volcano’s phreatic eruption on Sunday afternoon. In an interview, Gremil Alexis Naz, OCD Bicol spokesperson, said they are now monitoring and coordinating with the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) and…
TRANSFORMATIVE. Dr. Ambrosio Cultura II (left), president of the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) talks about the Digital Transformation upskill partnership with Kiyoung Ko, director of the United Nations Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information Communication Technology Development (APCICT), in Cagayan de Oro City on Monday (Feb. 5, 2024). The USTP…
LEGAZPI CITY – The campaign of the Police Regional Office-Bicol (PRO5) to step up police presence in public has resulted in a 4.30% decline in crimes in the region last month. In an interview on Monday, PLt. Col. Malu Calubaquib, PRO5 spokesperson, said 1,448 crimes were recorded for January 2024, lower than the 1,513 recorded…
OLD AND NEW. A traditional jeepney and its modern, airconditioned counterpart await passengers at a transport terminal in Novaliches in Quezon City on Jan. 23, 2024. Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista on Monday (Feb. 5, 2024) lauded the 100 percent consolidation rate in General Santos City, the first to do so in the country. (PNA photo by Jess…
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has thumbed down the call by former president Rodrigo Duterte for Mindanao to break away from the Philippines. In a recent statement, the DOJ said it “vehemently opposes calls for the secession of Mindanao or other parts of the country, and stands firmly against any attempts to undermine the unity and territorial integrity of the Philippines, as enshrined in the…
