News
Indon Minister sees ASEAN as growth epicenter
JAKARTA – Indonesian Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said he is optimistic ASEAN will become an epicenter of growth, as envisioned by Indonesia, which chairs the ASEAN regional group this year. Hadimuljono said the just concluded ASEAN Summit was not merely a ceremonial event. “We believe it will create more concrete actions, and ASEAN will be an epicenter of growth,” he said in a statement. The…
Catanduanes’ Newborn Screening Clinic opens
VIRAC, Catanduanes – Children from this island province will now have ready access to long-term care after the Department of Health in Bicol (DOH-5) and Eastern Bicol Medical Center (EBMC) opened the Newborn Screening (NBS) Satellite Continuity Clinic in this provincial capital. NBS regional program manager, Sarah Mae Magtangob, said the EBMC is the first-ever hospital run by a local government unit…
BPI revises upward PH 2023 GDP forecast
MANILA – Ayala-led The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) has revised upward its growth projection for the Philippine economy this year to 6.3% percent from its previous 5% to 6% previously, after noting the higher-than-expected expansion in the first quarter. The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 6.4% year-on-year in the first quarter this year, higher than the 6.2% average growth projection, with risks coming from…
Economist: PH likely to hit 2023 economic growth target
Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) chief economist Michael Ricafort said the Philippines is likely to hit its 6-7% economic growth target this year despite the possible effects of the expected El Nino weather phenomenon. Ricafort said the 6% to 7% gross domestic product (GDP) expansion is possible amid easing year-on-year inflation that could help reduce the drag of higher prices…
87 ex-drug users complete reformation program in Pampanga
ANGELES CITY, Pampanga – Eighty-seven former drug users have completed their reformation program at the Balay Silangan Reformation Center in this city. Ricky Saul, head of the Angeles City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (ACADAC), said on Friday the “graduates” underwent a 30-day rehabilitation program which included the provision of proper guidance and counseling, education about drug addiction,…
Zambo City earmarks P19.8-M for students’ summer jobs
ZAMBOANGA CITY – The city government here has allocated PHP19.8 million for this year’s implementation of the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) during vacation. City Social Welfare and Development Office assistant chief, Uldarico Fabian said their SPES this year will have a total of 2,321 slots. “Those qualified to avail of the program are 15 to 30-year-old students enrolled during the…
Over 1K displaced workers in Legazpi get emergency employment
LEGAZPI CITY – At least 1,100 workers displaced by the Covid-19 pandemic here have been provided livelihood assistance through the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program. TUPAD is a government project under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and is being implemented in Albay with the help of Ako Bicol (AKB) Party-List Rep. Elizaldy Co. DOLE-Albay program coordinator Jason Brilliante said TUPAD now provides assistance…
DFA: PH team headed for Kuwait over Pinoys’ entry ban
The Department of Foreign Affairs said a Philippine delegation is set to visit Kuwait this month to discuss the ban on Filipinos entering the Gulf state for the first time and the possible review of the two nations’ 2018 bilateral labor agreement. Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Paul Cortes said the delegation would leave Manila shortly,…
MECO: Pinoys in Taiwan well protected
Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) chief, former Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III (left) has assured the situation in Taiwan remains normal and measures are in place to protect the estimated 160,000 Filipinos on the island. Bello said despite the tensions and recent developments over the Taiwan Strait, he believes a possible confrontation between Taipei and Beijing is “very remote.” “In Taiwan,…
PH targets to upgrade performance in electronics value chain
The Philippines targets to further upgrade its performance in the electronics and electric global value chain, particularly in wafer technology and research and development. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Assistant Secretary Allan Gepty recently said the electronics industry, which specializes in manufacturing assembly, testing, packaging and distribution, already contributes a huge chunk to the country’s exports. Gepty said they aim…