National

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora MANILA – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has affirmed the United States’ commitment to sustaining its trilateral cooperation with the Philippines and Japan under the administration of newly installed US President Donald Trump. The new US top diplomat made the reiteration during a bilateral meeting with Japan’s Foreign Minister Iwaya…

The Sin Tax Coalition has thanked the Speaker Martin Romualdez, House Ways and Means Committee chairman, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, and other House leaders on their decision to cancel further deliberations on HB11279, which they say will ‘sabotage’ the Sin Tax Reform Law by lowering tobacco tax rates. The Sin Tax Coalition is composed of…

Senatorial candidate and Partylist Representative Rodante Marcoleta shared his views on critical national issues during the third episode of Ikaw Na Ba? The Senatorial Interviews. On the issue of Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIF), Marcoleta highlighted the need for transparency and accountability while expressing reservations about the current approach to investigations. He acknowledged the importance…

The New Zealand government has provided the Philippine National Red Cross NZD500,000 (approximately PHP17 million) to help support its response to victims of the series of calamities that ravaged the country recently. The New Zealand Embassy in Manila said Friday “New Zealand stands in solidarity with the Philippines, reaffirming its commitment and offering support during…

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian wants local government units (LGUs) to have their own Business Permit and Licensing Offices (BPLO) to help encourage investments and support economic growth. Gatchalian, who co-authored Senate Bill 1278 or the BPLO Act, said the bill  seeks to ensure that every city and municipality will have a dedicated BPLO, that will enable…

President Bongbong R. Marcos has approved the 2024 National Security Strategy (NSS) designed to enhance the country’s ability to address both local and global security challenges. National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said the President approved the NSS during a meeting at Malacañang Palace in Manila on Deceber 19. The NSS, supports the administration’s National Security…

CONFISCATED. The kush or high-grade marijuana with an estimated street value of PHP1.4 million seized by government authorities at the Central Mail Exchange Center in Pasay City on Dec. 10, 2024. The consignee of the kush, found inside a parcel declared as clothes from Thailand, was arrested, the Bureau of Customs reported on Monday (Dec….

MANILA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has joined the government’s campaign against the proliferation of fake identification cards (IDs) of persons with disabilities (PWDs) through the creation of a unified ID system that can be used by the business establishments for real-time updating and ID verification. The use of a unified ID…

MANILA – Senior leaders of the House of Representatives on Sunday on Sunday assailed Vice President Sara Duterte for publicly threatening the lives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos. Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. (Pampanga 3rd District) said Duterte’s statement is not only a heinous crime but also a betrayal…