National

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Indonesian President Joko Widodo agreed on Wednesday to enhance the cooperation on political and security matters of the two countries. “As immediate neighbors and fellow archipelagic states, the Philippines and Indonesia agreed to continue our cooperation on political and security matters, noting the recently concluded Joint Commission for Bilateral…

BACOLOD CITY – The Negros Occidental provincial government is set to develop the Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary in Murcia town into an ecological-friendly, world-class resort to boost tourism in the province. The updates on the proposed developments include the planned enhancement of hotel facilities and the introduction of new tourism features. In a statement, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Lacson…

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (2-L) and his wife Louise Araneta-Marcos (L) smile with Indonesian President Joko Widodo (2-R) and wife Iriana Joko Widodo (R) during their meeting at Presidential Palace in Bogor, Indonesia, on September 5, 2022. Achmad Ibrahim, EPA-EFE/Pool/file The Philippines and Indonesia have agreed to further upgrade their bilateral relations and cooperation  as they mark their 75 years of…

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chair Teofilo Guadiz III has clarified that transport cooperatives are free to decide which modern jeepneys to buy for the public utility vehicle modernization program, and the government has no say on the matter. His statement on the matter in response to criticisms that the country is importing these vehicles from China. “They can buy…

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Tuesday the months of March, April and May this year could be very warm with temperature reaching up to 40°C in some areas of the country, PAG-ASA Weather Services Assistant Chief Ana Solis said there is a  “possibility that March, April and May — which we call warm and dry season months — could be one of…

A party-list lawmaker on Tuesday said the local governments can be tapped to ensure the even implementation of the 20 percent discount for senior citizens. Senior Citizens party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes Jr. said the role of the local Office of Senior Citizen Affairs is larger than that of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) regarding the…

House Minority Leader and 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan said Tuesday state universities and colleges (SUCs) can still continue offering senior high school if they want to, and Congress retains the prerogative to provide appropriations for them on a case-to-case basis. Libanan made the statement after the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) issued a memorandum ordering…

Jeepney operators and drivers who failed to join the government’s Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) modernization program would be allowed to operate beyond the Dec. 31 consolidation deadline but only in routes that have few consolidated units. Joel Bolano, chief of the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) technical division, said unconsolidated jeepneys in routes with…

Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the total arrivals recorded at the country’s airports this December hit 1.48 million while departures were recorded at over 750,000. departures recorded. He added that they expect a rise in the daily departures to 40,000 a day after New Year. Tansingco noted that arrivals remain high after Christmas, as they have recorded as high as 57,000 arrivals in a day, while they…

MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) said the about 740 kilometers of irrigation canals improved and upgraded recently will help ease the impact of El Niño on farmers in 2024. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. said DA targets to rehabilitate some 843 kilometers of irrigation canals to distribute water more effectively and efficiently to farmlands, even as 40 small-scale irrigation systems covering 1,477.5…