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By Rose de la Cruz As inflation cooled to 3.3 percent in August (from 4.4 percent in July), government’s optimism of better days ahead for the economy might just be dampened with food prices expected to rise bigtime during the Christmas season brought about by the heavy holiday demand for family and corporate gatherings. Inflation cooled because of cheaper food, …

By Rose de la Cruz With the Philippine Senate’s ratification of the Free Trade Agreement with South Korea, not only would exporters of fruits like bananas and pineapples benefit from the trade accord but investments from SK would also flow in. At least this is what is contained in the FTA that both countries signed in September last year. What …

By Rose de la Cruz Believing that monopoly power distributor, Manila Electric Company, has been overbilling consumers, the National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms Inc. (NASECOR) asked Malacanang to compel the Energy Regulatory Commission to act on a petition to audit Meralco, and if warranted, refund them from overcharged rates. In a letter to President Marcos Jr., NASECOR stressed …

By Rose de la Cruz After 20 years languishing in the House, the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers has been signed into law today. In a press statement, Rep. Kristine Alexie Besas Tutor (Bohol, 3rd District), chair of the committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation and one of the law’s authros, said those covered by the new law are …

The joint operation of the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Task Force Kalasag (TFK) with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) seized nearly P94 million worth of automotive-related products from “CSS Autoparts” warehouse in Quezon City recently. This record-breaking haul led to the immediate closure of the warehouse by the Quezon City local government. “We refuse to wait for …

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday cited the importance of prompt government action on the health care needs of Filipinos as he led the turnover of 51 ambulances from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to local government units (LGUs) and state-run hospitals in Western Visayas. “It’s built upon our thrust to improve people’s access to health care, especially …

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) will continue to function under the current administration, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. said Thursday. He said NTF-ELCAC should even be strengthened to show former rebels how sincere the government is in ending insurgency. “Ako nagpapatunay, napakaepektibo ng programang ito. Napakaganda po, ang talagang nangangailangan ng tulong napupunta sa …

The militaries of the Philippines and Singapore held a table-top exercise aimed at beefing up their coordination and interoperability during humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions. The activity, which ran from Wednesday to Thursday, took place at the Office of Civil Defense headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief Col. …

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) on Thursday welcomed the appointment of Assistant Secretary Jeffrey Gallardo as the new chairperson of the NIA Board, following its transfer to the Office of the President (OP). In a statement, NIA Administrator Eduardo Guillen expressed optimism over the anticipated progress of the agency under Gallardo’s helm. “Your appointment marks a new chapter of leadership …

The recent revelation by the Department of Agriculture (DA) that nearly 500,000 sacks of rice remain uncollected at the Manila International Container Terminal is both alarming and unacceptable. With the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) pointing to deliberate delays by importers, the situation raises serious concerns about possible hoarding. This manipulation of rice supply to drive up prices is a clear …