VATICAN — Pope Francis has expressed concern over the conflict situation in the Middle East and called for dialogue and diplomacy among leaders in the region. During his traditional Sunday Angelus prayer at the Vatican, the pope said: “I continue to follow the situation in the Middle East with concern and sadness. I reiterate the plea not to yield to the claims of…
House of Representatives Deputy Majority Leader Janette Garin has urged parents to have their children properly vaccinated as cases of pertussis in the country continue to increase. Garin, a former Health Secretary, made the call after the Department of Health logged 1,477 cases of pertussis with 63 deaths nationwide from January 1 to April 6 this year. She said “vaccine hesitancy” was the…
The Philippines will co-host the 6th Indo-Pacific Business Forum (IPBF) with the United States next month. The forum is the US government’s premier commercial event in the region. In a document shared by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the IPBF on May 21 will gather some 500 participants composed of senior government officials, industry experts, and other stakeholders across the region. It…
The Board of Investments (BOI) has registered P607.22 billion worth of investment projects from January to April 17 this year. BOI Director Sandra Marie Recolizado said the figure is almost half of the registered projects for the full year of 2023, valued at P1.26 trillion. She told media reporters the approved investments during the past four months was 15% higher than the P527.24 billion posted during the…
DISASTER RESPONSE. World Bank Group managing director Anna Bjerde (left) and Finance Secretary Ralph Recto sign the Rapid Response Option agreement on April 20, 2024 in Washington, DC. The Philippines is the first country to sign the agreement with the World Bank. (Photo courtesy of DOF) MANILA – The Philippines recently signed the Rapid Response Option (RRO) agreement…
MANILA – The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) has registered 23 new projects worth PHP15 billion in April 2024 alone. The investment approvals for this month were higher than the total project registrations from January to March 2024 amounting to PHP14.95 billion. In a statement Monday, PEZA reported that the 23 new projects registered with the…
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon told media they hope to double their Innovation Fund to P200 million next year from their current P100 million outlay. Edillon shared the information with reporters on the sidelines of the 2024 National Innovation Day Celebration at the Novotel Manila Araneta City in Quezon City. She said that aside from…
SACRIFICE. Brig. Gen. Noel Vestuir, commander of the Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade awards a medal to a soldier who died while saving two children from drowning in Borongan City, Eastern Samar. He was honored for his unselfish act of sacrificing his life to save the children. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Army) TACLOBAN CITY — The Philippine Army has honored…
LEGAZPI CITY – Famous delicacies of Albay province were showcased at the “Hapag ng Pamana” Food Festival opening on Monday at the Albay Astrodome here. In an interview, Dorothy Colle, Albay Provincial Tourism Culture and Arts Office chief, said the activity with the theme “Kalutong Filipino, Lakas ng Kabataang Makabago” is part of the celebration of…
The three-week annual “Balikatan” military exercise between Filipino and American troops officially opened on Monday, with 16,000 soldiers representing the “essence of unity, collective responsibility and enduring partnership between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America and other partners.” Speaking at the opening rites in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Armed Forces of the…
