National

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has expressed  confidence it will surpass anew its revenue target for 2023, thus raising more funds for various charity programs. In 2022, the PCSO generated P57,398,945,550.90 in gross receipts from its gaming products such as Lotto, Digit Games, Small Town Lottery, Instant Sweepstakes, and Keno. It had surpassed its annual revenue target of P46.1 billion by 125 percent….

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has set aside P500 million worth of quick response funds (QRF) which can be utilized for relief efforts that might be needed in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Betty. Betty has lingered in the Batanes area but has affected a wide area of the country from north Luzon down to Mindanao. OCD…

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) will shortly deport to China a wanted 60-year-old Chinese national wanted who has long  misrepresented himself as a Chinoy or Chinese-Filipino. Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said Tai Fang Ching was arrested last May 16 along F.B. Harrison Street in Ermita, Manila by BI intelligence division agents. “Aliens who flaunt and make a mockery of our immigration and citizenship laws…

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will hold its first-ever trilateral maritime exercise with its counterparts in the United States and Japan off the waters of Mariveles, Bataan from June 1 to 7. The PCG will deploy BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702), BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301), BRP Boracay (FPB-2401), and one 44-meter multi-role response vessel, while the USCG and JCG will send…

The House of Representatives is set to approve two more Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) priority bills on final reading this week before the 19th Congress adjourns sine die its first regular session on June 2. The bills are the proposed Philippine Salt Industry Development Act and Bureau of Immigration Modernization Act that would bring to 33 the total…

The Makati Business Club (MBC) has joined the call of various sectors for the passage of a law that will make paying taxes for Filipinos easy, boost tax payment compliance. The business group has also hailed the efforts of, among others, House Ways and Means Chair Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda in crafting such measures.

The Philippine government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have recently signed the JPY17.4-billion (US$130 million) Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 Rehabilitation Project (II) loan agreement. The aaccord was signed by Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Benjamin Diokno and JICA chief representative in the Philippines Sakamoto Takema at the DOF office in Manila. The rehabilitation includes provisions for capacity expansion including rolling…

MANILA – Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Felipe Medalla has urged bank owners to protect their depositors’ money, a function that constitutes their primary responsibility. In his speech during the launch of the book “Banking Laws of the Philippines – Annotated” at the Central Bank’s main office in Manila recently. Medalla underscored the need to update banking laws to…

The World Bank has approved a US$100 million agriculture development project to help boost the livelihood of farmers and fisherfolk in indigenous cultural communities in Mindanao. Philippines. In a statement over the weekend, World Bank said the Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (MIADP) is expected to benefit around 120,000 farmers and fisherfolk in selected ancestral domains in…

BALAMBAN, Cebu – The Board of Investments (BOI) has expressed  confidence its P1.5 trillion investment pledges target this year will be achieved. In an interview over the weekend here, Trade Undersecretary and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo said several big renewable energy (RE) projects are expected to be approved within the year. “These renewable energy projects…