By Rose de la Cruz While the Commission on Audit is among the agencies with the highest credibility in its task as anti corruption watchdog, former Sen. Panfilo Lacson wants COA’s powers boosted to include investigation and filing of cases, which is currently out of its purview. Lacson called for the strengthening of the Commission on Audit (COA) by empowering …
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After his sold-out album launch, Jarren Garcia takes a futuristic look at love in his music video for the single “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme.” “It’s about craving for love. You’re asking, pleading for it. In this music video, I was talking to this girl and I was getting so hooked but it turned out to just be an AI, a lovebot,” …
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By Rose de la Cruz The Masungi Georeserve in Rizal is a favorite ‘grab’ for venture hunters from both government and private sector, giving the indigenous people and conservation groups a tough battle to preserve the remaining pristine and fragile ecosystem in the threatened conservation area near Metro Manila. The first formidable threat came in 2023 from no less from …
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By Rose de la Cruz Bird flu (or the H5N1 strain) was first detected in China in 2013. But now another strain H7N9 is wreaking havoc in the United States, which first detected it in 2017 and had since been moving heaven and earth to contain it. According to a Reuters report written by Sybille de La Hamaide, the US …
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Farmers belonging to the Philippine Tobacco Growers’ Association, led by Saturnino Distor, are pushing for the appointment of a tobacco czar who can combat the surge of illicit or smuggled cigarets into the country. Distor said “instead of our buyers purchasing more from us, smuggled products are taking a share of the market. Farmers are affected by this.” The illicit …
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BEYOND ELLIPTICALBy Rose Marie de la Cruz After more than a year, I finally got to visit and interview rice farmers from Nueva Ecija about their experiences using the biofertilizer technology of AgriSpecialist Inc. (ASI), which was granted (after six months of waiting) the certificate of product registration(CPR) for rice and corn only last January. Biofertilizer is among the prescriptions …
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International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) is warning the public about online scams using manipulated videos and audio recordings to impersonate Chairman Enrique K. Razon Jr. and other senior executives. In a statement, ICTSI said he fraudulent materials, which have appeared on social media, falsely portray Mr. Razon promoting investment opportunities. Mr. Razon nor ICTSI has endorsed any such investments. …
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The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the documents governing the merger between LandBank subsidiaries– LandBank Leasing and Finance Corporation (LLFC) and UCPB Leasing and Finance Corporation (ULFC) last February 27. The operational turnover and transition activities immediately followed the SEC approval. The integration is in accordance with Executive Order (EO) 65 signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. …
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Business sentiment in the Philippines was less optimistic in Q1 2025, with the overall confidence index (CI) dropping to 31.2 percent from 44.5 percent in Q4 2024. This decline reflects a combination of a decreased percentage of optimists and an increased percentage of pessimists. The firms’ less optimistic outlook for Q1 2025 was primarily driven by concerns regarding: (a) the …
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The Sisters of Mary School celebrated a topping-off ceremony for its Digital Transformation Center in Silang, Cavite, on Sunday, March 23.This event marks the completion of the building”s structural framework. The construction of the facility, named the Felicidad Sy Hall-Digital Transformation Center, is a collaboration between the Felicidad T. Sy Foundation Inc. (FTSFI), Fr. Al’s Children Foundation, Inc. (FACFI), and …
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The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business