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Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno called for reforms and increased concessionality in the financing models of multilateral development banks (MDBs) to address ongoing global challenges during the Intergovernmental Group of Twenty-Four (G-24) Ministerial Meeting on October 10, 2023.  The G-24 Meeting kicked off the Philippine delegation’s engagements during the 2023 Annual Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund …

The National Privacy Commission (NPC) launched Friday the “Na-leak ba ang PhilHealth Data ko?”, a simplified database search portal that allows members to verify the status of their personal information. The portal, philhealthleak.privacy.gov.ph, exclusively focuses on the PhilHealth incident and does not encompass data breaches from other incidents, the NPC said. It was created following the recent cyberattack incident involving …

Some 74 railway professionals under the cadetship program of San Miguel Corporation’s (SMC) Metro Rail Transit-7 (MRT-7) project recently completed their mandatory training under the Philippine Railways Institute (PRI), a vital step towards ensuring that the soon-to-be-operational mass transit system provides a seamless and enhanced commuting experience for countless Filipinos. The Fundamental Training Course (FTC), which began in July, was …

Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr. has exempted from issuing receipts, individuals who are suppliers/producers/sellers, contract growers, and millers of Agricultural Food Products whose annual gross sales/receipts, for tax purposes, do not exceed One Million Pesos (P1,000,000.00) pursuant to Revenue Regulation No. 12-2023. “Small farmers do not need to issue receipts. The BIR will do its part …

Electricity rates in franchise areas of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) will be higher in October, the distribution utility (DU) announced Wednesday. Meralco said power rates in its franchise areas will increase by P0.4201 per kilowatt hour (kWh) to P11.8198 per kWh from P11.3997 per kWh in September. Since the increase in September, electricity charges by Meralco were higher by P0.9207 …

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Wednesday the national ID and the Civil Registration System (CRS) were not affected by an alleged data breach. “The PSA assures the public that the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) and the Civil Registration System (CRS) have not been affected,” the PSA said in a statement. On Oct. 7, information about an alleged data leak …

ArenaPlus, an online sports betting platform in the country, proudly announced its partnership this year with the men’s professional basketball league in the country, the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), as its official sportsbook partner.  MPBL, founded by sports legend Manny Pacquiao in 2018, aims to provide opportunities for homegrown basketball players to represent their cities and/or provinces and to …

Toxic watchdog group BAN Toxics promoting safe toys for kids and animals from harmful chemicals has sounded the alarm over the selling of squeaky plastic “pet” toys being sold in the market in time for the holiday season.  The group managed to purchase a colorful squeaky “chameleon” toy, being sold for P100 pesos each in a store in Divisoria, Manila. …

A delegation of 17 Philippine business enterprises will return to the 2023 edition of China International Import Expo (CIIE) slated November 5-10 with the theme “Share the love for Philippine flavors.”  Anchored on the increasing popularity that Durian is enjoying in China, the delegation will put a spotlight on Philippine Durian as the country’s key feature along with other fresh …

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a harvest festival celebrated in Chinese culture that started more than 2,000 years ago and devoted to thanking the gods. Most scholars believe that the Mid-autumn Festival first appeared during the Zhou dynasty and derived from the tradition of worshipping the moon. BB International president Alvin Wu …