News
Rice to cost P49 per kilo by March 1 – DA
Commercial rice prices are projected to drop to PhP49 per kilo by March 1, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel announced on Monday. New stocks of rice are expected to arrive from Vietnam, Myanmar, or Cambodia, Laurel said during a Palace press briefing. He stressed that the Department of Agriculture had discussions with rice importers, traders,…
BJMP, Comelec’s deputized govt agencies sign pact for peaceful polls
CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — A Solidarity Pact Signing for the 2025 National and Local Election (NLE) and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Election was held at the Police Regional Office 4B (PRO-4B) RHQ Building in Camp Navarro here on Wednesday. The event was attended by regional election director of Comelec Region…
DOST Region 1 backs the Philippines’ First Wave Flume Facility in Ilocos Norte
Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), Ilocos Norte – The Department of Science and Technology Region 1 (DOST Region 1) proudly participated in the inauguration of the country’s first-ever Wave Flume Facility, housed at MMSU. This landmark event marks a significant milestone in coastal engineering research and disaster resilience in the region. As the first of…
1.2M Filipinos visit HK in 2024; highest in Southeast Asia – HKTB
TOURISM BOOM. HKTB executive director Dane Cheng during the “Juan in a Million” reception at Shangri-La The Fort on Wednesday night (Feb. 5, 2025). It celebrates the one millionth Filipino tourist to Hong Kong. (PNA photo by Joyce Rocamora) By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora MANILA – The Philippines remains as a key tourism market for Hong Kong as…
EU scores US tariff imposts, vows to ‘respond firmly’ if targeted
BRUSSELS – The European Commission has criticized US President Donald Trump’s tariff imposts on three countries, saying they disrupt global trade and are harmful to all, and vowing to hit back if targeted. “The European Union (EU) regrets the U.S. decision to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China,” an EU spokesman was quoted by local…
BIR collections from e-payments breach P2-T mark
LUMAGUI. PNA FILE PHOTOMore and more taxpayers now avail of the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) e-services resulting in the hike of its e-payment collections which had breached the PHP2 trillion mark previously recorded. Data released by the BIR during the recent 2025 National Tax Campaign Kick-off at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay…
DTI chief: PH is expanding its international partnerships
INT’L PARTNERSHIPS. Trade Secretary Cristina Roque delivers her speech at the Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum in the House of Representatives on Feb. 4, 2025. Also in the photo is Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum chairperson and former US Congressman Robert Pittenger. (Photo courtesy of DTI) The Philippines sees its expanding international collaborations, as part of its policies to strengthen trade…
BMI sees continued growth in consumer spending
BMI, a Fitch Solutions unit, expects consumer spending to continue to grow this year, driven by strong economic growth. “We hold a positive outlook for consumer spending in the Philippines, with an acceleration in real household spending growth — from 5.0% in 2024 to 5.3% in 2025,” BMI said in a recent report. “In real…
Albay learners celebrate World Read Aloud Day
READING ACTIVITY. Learners from public schools in Albay participate in the World Read Aloud Day celebration organized by the Albay Provincial Library and Information Center (APLIC) at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Session Hall on Wednesday (Feb. 5, 2025). World Read Aloud Day is a global campaign that advocates for literacy and strives to make reading and writing…
PCG suspends sailing of small vessels in Catanduanes
VIRAC, Catanduanes – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) station here has recently prohibited small sea vessels from sailing in the northern and eastern coasts of Catanduanes. The PCG Station has issued an advisory suspending the venture of all watercraft with a gross tonnage of 250, fishing boats, and other small watercraft due to the strong gale-force winds…