Piñol signals plans to reshuffle NFA leadership
AGRICULTURE Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said that he plans to reorganize the National Food Authority (NFA) in consultation with President Rodrigo R. Duterte and incoming NFA Administrator Rolando Joselito D. Bautista.
Diokno calls 3%-of-GDP deficit cap ‘reasonable’
THE GOVERNMENT will maintain its fiscal deficit ceiling at about 3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) despite concerns expressed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), noting that higher-than-expected government revenue will keep the deficit in check.
Bicameral committee passes maternity benefits bill with 105 days’ leave
THE PROPOSED Expanded Maternity Leave bill cleared the Bicameral Conference Committee on Monday with the two chambers agreeing to 105 days of leave for qualified female workers.
30-day detention for terror suspects sought
TOP security officials on Monday proposed an extended period of detention without warrant of arrest against suspected terrorists to 30 days from the present three days as prescribed under Republic Act 9372 or the Human Security Act of 2007 and the Revised Penal Code.
Agri dep’t outlines port-of-origin inspection regime for rice imports
AGRICULTURE Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said the more permissive system for private rice imports will still require sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) import clearances with inspectors to assess shipments at the port of origin.
DoE energy mix tweak may see drop in baseload share
THE Department of Energy (DoE) is once again modifying its energy mix policy to reflect what the power distribution system needs, which initial assessment shows baseload plants to account for 55-56% and not the 70% earlier set by the department.
Domestic trade flows grow sharply in Q2
THE VOLUME and value of domestic trade both grew sharply across most categories of commodity shipped during the second quarter, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.
Wheat imports by flour millers to be flat in 2018
WHEAT IMPORTS by flour millers are expected to be little changed this year with demand for wheat products tempered by the commodity’s high price on world markets.
DBM pledges continuing budget support for LGU open spaces
THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has committed to support green infrastructure and open spaces in cities with an annual allocation.
Senate passes on 3rd reading fee exemption bill for first-time job seekers
THE Senate approved on third reading a bill that will exempt new graduates from paying fees in the process of obtaining government documents for their first jobs.
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Can BIR rulings be declared void ab initio?
Last month, President Rodrigo R. Duterte revoked the amnesty that former president Benigno Aquino III granted to Duterte’s antagonist and critic, Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV.
Draft IRR out on National Transport Policy
THE National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) released on Monday the draft implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the National Transport Policy which aims to modernize the country’s transport network.
A new management structure for agriculture
By many metrics, Philippine agriculture trails its ASEAN peers by a mile. The peers are Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Palace bares reappointments
MALACAÑANG announced on Monday the reappointments of Special Envoy for International Public Relations Dante A. Ang, chairman emeritus of The Manila Times, and Special Envoy for Intercultural Dialogue and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Jose C. De Venecia, Jr., the Ramos-era speaker of the House of Representatives.
Attempt to revise martial law story backfires
If Bongbong Marcos had hoped to present a revised version of the story of the martial law years by conducting that scripted video interview of Juan Ponce Enrile, he instead provoked an across-the-board retelling of what really happened during that dark period in our history.
JBC names shortlisted nominees for SC associate justice
By Vann Marlo M. Villegas
NINE nominees including Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez were shortlisted by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) for the...
Our tale of earthquake survival in Hokkaido
We were in the town of Furano in the prefecture of Hokkaido. It was 3:08 in the morning and my wife and I were deep in sleep after a day of touring. Suddenly, our cellphones (which were on silent) began to sound an alarm similar to that of a fire truck siren. The alarm was blaring and it permeated throughout the city through the town’s loud speakers. Along with the alarm came a notice in Japanese saying “Emergency Earthquake Warning!”
How to accumulate more wins than losses
THE late Steve Jobs, almost four decades ago, dropped out of college after he found no value in the lessons and felt that all of his working-class parents’ savings were being wasted on college tuitions. He had no idea what to do next but he hung around the campuses of Reed College for the next eighteen months. In those months he attended any and all classes that appealed to his yearning for learning rather than the ones he was required to. Reed College was known for its calligraphy classes and Steve was unconsciously drawn to the beauty and the creativity of the craft. Though his actions at that time made no proper sense to himself, seventeen years later when he built his first Macintosh, everything that he had picked up in those eighteen months went into what still makes the Mac a computer for people with a creative twist.
Senate OKs bill on 20% student fare discount
THE Senate on Monday passed on third and final reading the bill institutionalizing the 20% student fare discount in public transportation.
PNP backs Sotto bill to lower criminal liability age
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has expressed support for Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III’s proposal to lower the age of criminal liability from 15 years old to 13 years old.
Nationwide round-up
THE FAMILY of nine alleged Dengvaxia victims have questioned the admission of the affidavit of Dr. Raymundo W. Lo, submitted for former Health secretary Janette P. Loreto-Garin, saying he is part of the team that purchased the controversial dengue vaccine.
Diesel in biggest hike this year at P1.35/L
OIL COMPANIES will be raising the prices of petroleum products this week, led by diesel’s P1.35-per-liter (/L) increase, its biggest price hike so far this year.
Anti-crime seal
A motorcycle owner gets a “Clean Rider” sticker, which serves as a mark of support to the crime prevention programs of the police, especially crimes relating with the use of motorbikes.
Police protection
The Philippine National Police (PNP), as part of its modernization program, has recently purchased 14,000 helmets from Ceradyne, Inc., a 3M company.
DTI orders price freeze in landslide-hit Naga City
THE DEPARTMENT of Trade and Industry has announced a price freeze on basic goods in landslide-hit Naga City, Cebu following the declaration of a state of calamity by the city government. Under the Price Act, a declaration of a state of calamity automatically freezes prices “at their prevailing prices” or placed under price controls.
Regatta de Zamboanga
These colorful vintas, the traditional boat in Zamboanga, are among the 200 expected to participate in the Regatta de Zamboanga 2018, an annual race held in line with the Hermosa Festival. This year’s competition is set on Oct. 7.
Nation at a Glance — (10/02/18)
News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.
Peso down as market eyes inflation data
THE PESO weakened against the dollar on Monday as market players anticipate the September inflation print, which is seen to pick up further.
PSE index falls ahead of Sept. inflation report
LOCAL SHARES fell on Monday as investors stayed on the sidelines while anticipating the release of inflation figures on Friday.
EDSA III: The case against surge pricing
Transpo industry deserves better than surge price scheme, MiCab’s Ybanez argues
NCAA: Lyceum shoots for victory number 14
THE league-leading Lyceum Pirates shoot for win number 14 today when they collide with the Mapua Cardinals in National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 94 action at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
Europe win Ryder Cup 17.5 to 10.5
PARIS -- Italian Francesco Molinari fittingly took the glory as Europe regained the Ryder Cup from the United States in dominant style on Sunday, but it was a complete team effort that delivered what turned out to be a crushing 17.5-10.5 victory.
MPBL: Batangas City plays streaking Laguna; Gen San battles slumping Pasay
INAUGURAL staging champion Batangas City is now beginning to make its presence felt, winning back-to-back games in the MPBL Datu Cup, but that wasn’t enough to get them to the .500 mark.
Southern Luzon cheer dance qualifier rolls off on Oct. 6
CHEERLEADERS from Southern Luzon will be given a chance to showcase their wares when they compete in the qualifying event of the National Cheerleading Championship to be held on Oct. 6 at Robinsons Mall in Las Piñas.
MLB: 2 National League tiebreaker games set; Rockies blank Nationals, 12-0
LOS ANGELES -- Charlie Blackmon hit an RBI double in the eighth inning to complete the cycle, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Washington Nationals 12-0 on Sunday in Denver to tie the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the National League West.
43rd Chess Olympiad: Halfway point
The Azeri team features an in-form Shakhriyar Mamedyarov 2820 (3/4), Teimour Radjabov 2751 (3/4), Arkadij Naiditsch 2721 (3.5/5), Rauf Mamedov 2699 (4.5/5) and Eltaj Safarli 2676 (2/2). As you know both Armenia and Azerbaijan, two countries still technically at war, have a deeply-ingrained chess culture and any match between the two is always a tense affair. In Batumi it was Azerbaijan which won 2.5-1.5, and the game between the two teams’ leaders was worthy of the occasion.
Must-watch event
In the wake of Team Europe’s emphatic reclamation of the Ryder Cup, not a few pundits have seen fit to wonder about its remarkable overachievement. What has made it tick in golf’s premier team-based spectacle? Heading into the Paris matches over the weekend, it sported an outstanding 8-2 slate over the event’s last 10 stagings. Invariably, it seems to know how to overcome seeming weaknesses on paper with unparalleled esprit de corps.
Two-thirds of U.S. economists see recession by end-2020
TWO-THIRDS of business economists in the U.S. expect a recession to begin by the end of 2020, while a plurality of respondents say trade policy is the greatest risk to the expansion, according to a new survey.
35-year-old unknown creates the world’s most valuable startup
WHEN Zhang Yiming first shopped the idea of a news aggregation app powered by artificial intelligence six years ago, investors including Sequoia Capital were skeptical.
Rising rates no problem for Philippine property-stock traders
THE most aggressive interest-rate tightening in the Philippines in 18 years has yet to shake the faith of local money managers in the nation’s property stocks.
How to make tech companies earn people’s trust: Editorial
WE ALL agree, they said. Please make more rules for us, they said. Give more money to our regulators, they said. When an assemblage of savvy corporate lawyers converges on such improbable sentiments, skepticism is usually in order. Last week’s privacy hearing on U.S. Capitol Hill demanded a load of it.
Tencent’s reorg nods to its much-needed future: Tim Culpan
TENCENT Holdings Ltd. has curious timing. And it’s not a day too early.
BDO partners with SG investment firm to develop MSME lender
By Anna Gabriela A. Mogato
BDO Unibank, Inc. (BDO) is entering a partnership with Singaporean firm Osmanthus Investment Holdings Pte. Ltd., to develop its micro,...
Smartphone shipments grow 5.6% in first half of 2018
By Anna Gabriela A. Mogato
Smartphone shipments in the Philippines grew 5.6% year on year in the first half of 2018, data from the the International...
State violence, crime, terrorism among top security concerns in PH: study
By Anna Gabriela A. Mogato
Criminal violence and terrorism, as well as violence from state authorities, are the top security concerns in the Philippines, a survey...
