By Rose de la Cruz The Federation of Free Farmers is asking Congress to investigate alleged extortion activities of some personnel at the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) from farm school owners and managers to expedite the release of grants for farmer-scholars. The same group also asked newly-appointed TESDA Director General Jose Francisco Benitez to conduct a similar  …

While still governor of Ilocos Norte, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (now president) lobbied hard with his father, President Marcos Sr. and mom, First Lady, Imelda Romualdez Marcos to fund the Northern Foods Corp., that would process the province’s tomato products for value adding. Then costing P110 million, NFC (a failed tomato venture founded by Marcos Jr. in the 1980s), closed after …

On August 16, acting on information from Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., a composite team from the Department of Agriculture-Inspectorate and Enforcement Office, the Bureau of Customs, and other law enforcement units, raided an illegal storage facility in Navotas that led to the seizure of over 300 tons of smuggled vegetables, including onions and carrots. Tiu Laurel cited …

Much of our milk and cheese are imported because our country lacks grazing pastures for the ruminants and large cows have difficulty sourcing their food from the usual foraging areas and prices of imported grains are constantly rising. Exactly a month ago, the Inquirer featured the dairy industry’s prospects amid a climate change and the rapid urbanization of erstwhile pastures …

LANDBANK was recognized for its strong support in the circulation and usage of the 1000-Piso polymer banknotes. The state-run Bank was also lauded for its vital role as the distribution arm of the National Government’s social welfare programs, ensuring the timely, safe, and efficient disbursement of cash aid to Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries.

The Social Security System (SSS) is exploring contributing payment options to help Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries pay the 120 monthly contributions required to qualify for a lifetime pension when they reach retirement age. “It is important for 4Ps beneficiaries to have SSS contributions. Once they have paid at least 120 monthly contributions, they will no longer need financial …

The Monetary Board approved the continued participation of the Philippines, through the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), in the Financial Transactions Plan (FTP) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the period August 2024 to January 2025. This means that the country has maintained its net creditor position in the IMF which underscores the country’s sound macroeconomic fundamentals. The Philippines’ …

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is nearing completion of its massive river cleanup in Bulacan, having removed over 4.2 million tons of silt and waste. This effort, spanning 74 km of waterways, is the largest volume extracted in SMC’s Luzon-wide initiative. The project, part of SMC’s “Better Rivers PH” advocacy, comes at no cost to the government or taxpayers. It has …

challenges continue to grow for cybersecurity teams, Kaspersky has unveiled a significant update to its Unified Monitoring and Analysis Platform, a security information and event management system (SIEM). The enhanced functionality is designed to bolster the productivity of cybersecurity teams by expanding the capabilities for threat detection and response. Cybersecurity teams face numerous challenges, such as frequent attempts to penetrate …

Managing HVAC systems in tropical countries can be challenging, where efficient and reliable climate control is essential. LG offers an advanced interlocking solution that simplifies HVAC management, making operations safer and more efficient for businesses throughout the city. This solution provides easy customization through LG’s central controller, allowing users to tailor HVAC functions to meet specific needs with ease. The …