SRP for rice expected to be in place by late Oct.
GOVERNMENT agencies will implement a suggested retail price (SRP) for all varieties of rice starting the last week of October, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said on Monday.
Businesses issue urgent call to build new power plants
THE Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) has called for the “immediate” construction of new power plants to ensure ample long-term supply of electricity while the government embarks on its massive infrastructure program.
Philippines, Japan sign loan deal for New Bohol Airport expansion
THE PHILIPPINE and Japanese governments signed on Monday the supplemental loan agreement for the ongoing New Bohol Airport expansion project on Panglao Island.
Internet lobby wants tweaks to rules limiting cell-tower players
INTERNET advocacy group Better Broadband Alliance (BBA) said the draft rules limiting the proposed cell-tower industry to two companies should include performance commitments.
Online job recruitment rises 18% in Aug. — Monster.com
ONLINE recruitment activity in the Philippines grew 18% year-on-year in August, with most industries showing double-digit growth, research firm Monster.com said.
House panel approves mining royalty bill based on margins
THE House Ways and Means Committee approved on Monday a substitute bill imposing a variable royalty on mining margins of 1-5% for firms outside designated mineral reservations, softening the Department of Finance’s (DoF) draft bill which had called for a 5% royalty on gross output on miners everywhere.
Employers, unions stake out negotiating positions ahead of NCR minimum wage hearing
THE Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) warned that a minimum wage increase will only benefit about 7-8% of the work force and subject them to a greater risk of layoffs from small firms that cannot afford to pay higher salaries.
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E-invoicing, electronic sales reporting… and the lottery?
About a month ago, House Bill No. 8083 or Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-quality Opportunities (TRABAHO) was passed on to the Senate. Discussions of its provisions are undeniably necessary so that the Philippines does not end up with hasty-implemented rules that may produce unintended consequences.
Red flags in rice tariffication
The House of Representatives has passed its version of the rice tariffication law. Apparently, they did that to make good (finally after 23 years) the country’s obligation under the WTO’s agreement of agriculture to convert a quantity restriction or QR on rice imports into ordinary tariff protection.
Is there a silver lining to the gloom and doom?
Filipinos are being destabilized by all kinds of risks -- political, safety and security, economic and external. It’s not that we’re new to it but we’ve never been through all that’s happening at the same time in rising intensity, real or imagined. What am I referring to? Hang on to your seats as I run through my list.
Where’s the ‘local’ in federal?
“All politics is local,” so the saying goes. This may give the impression that only the distribution of local goods and services matter to the regular voter. However, the person this is attributed to, the late American Speaker of the House Thomas Philip “Tip” O’Neill, was animated by a larger world view -- appealing to local concerns in order to advance a national economic policy agenda.
Culture and economics
I recently went on a trip to the Cordillera (someone told me it should be in singular, not plural), not Cordilleras as many people mistake it to be.
PSE index falls on inflation, interest rate concerns
LOCAL EQUITIES slumped on Monday as investors remained cautious given inflationary pressures on the Philippine economy.
Peso inches higher on inflation
THE PESO strengthened against the dollar on Monday as the slower-than-expected September inflation print continued to boost the attractiveness of the local currency.
House draft charter sponsored in plenary
THE HOUSE Committee on Constitutional Amendments on Monday sponsored at the plenary its version of a draft Constitution that lifts term limits and also the ban on political dynasties.
Special Assistant: Spokesman on leave
PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON Harry L. Roque, Jr. has gone on leave beginning Monday, Oct. 8, according to his office.
Malls to adjust opening hours
MALLS are expected to open at 11:00 a.m. starting Nov. 5 until Jan. 14 next year, according to the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
Senate approves bill increasing veterans’ monthly pension to P20,000
THE Senate on Monday passed on third and final reading the bill increasing the old-age monthly pension of Filipino war veterans from P5,000 to P20,000.
House approves PhilHealth coverage for PWDs
THE House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading the bill that will provide for mandatory PhilHealth coverage of persons with disability (PWD).
Duterte to pitch support for MSMEs in ASEAN meeting
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte will urge leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during their gathering in Bali, Indonesia on Thursday, Oct. 11, to support the development of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the region and “call for economic resilience amidst prevailing global economic uncertainties,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday.
Senate approves bill creating Department of Human Settlements
THE Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading the bill creating the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development.
Senate approves bill on LGU access to proceeds from energy development
THE Senate on Monday passed on third and final reading the bill lifting the restrictions of local government units’ (LGUs) on the use of proceeds from the development and utilization of energy resources.
House approves bill on technical-vocational education and training
THE House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading the “Tulong-Trabaho” bill that will provide free technical-vocational education and training (TVET).
NUJP flags PNP ‘directive’ on media
THE National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), in a statement on Monday, flagged a directive by the Philippine National Police (PNP), enjoining its units to “coordinate with local media outlets” in encouraging “positive coverage” on police operations and other activities.
Nationwide round-up
Senators propose tweaks to transport modernization program
LAWMAKERS HAVE put forward proposed adjustments in the government’s public utility vehicles (PUV) modernization program, mainly in consideration...
Nayre in must-win situation after splitting first two games
PHILIPPINE table tennis bet Jann Mari Nayre faces a must-win situation after splitting his first two matches in the group stages of the men’s singles preliminaries of the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Brewers sweep Rockies
JESUS Aguilar, Orlando Arcia and, Keon Broxton homered, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Colorado Rockies 6-0 in Game 3 on Sunday in Denver to sweep the National League Division Series (NLDS).
Diesel in highest rise this week at P1.45/L
OIL COMPANIES will raise the prices of diesel products this week by P1.45 per liter (/L), the biggest increase so far this year and the eighth week of price hikes since early August.
Acuña’s slam helps Braves edge Dodgers, extend NLDS
FREDDIE Freeman hit a tiebreaking homer leading off the sixth inning after the Los Angeles Dodgers had come back from a five-run deficit, and the host Atlanta Braves stayed alive in the National League Division Series (NLDS) with a 6-5 victory in Game 3 on Sunday night.
Star toll plazas now RFID-ready
THE TOLL plazas of the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (Star) Tollway now have RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology, allowing seamless travel through the 42-kilometer highway connecting Santo Tomas town and Batangas City.
MPBL outreach program visits landslide victims in Naga, Cebu
SHOWING that the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) is more than just a basketball organization, officials of the fastest growing regional amateur basketball league spearheaded the first ever outreach program for the landslide victims in Naga, Cebu.
Letran Knights resume assault on NCAA top two
FRESH from their huge victory over erstwhile league-leading Lyceum Pirates last time around, the Letran Knights forge ahead in their assault on the top two in National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 94 when they take on the also-rans San Sebastian Stags in opening seniors’ play today at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
ONE Championship’s growth further expands with additional equity investment
ONE Championship’s ascent as a global sports media property continued after recently closing a $166-million Series D financing round led by Sequiao Capital.
Retrieval ops for Naga landslide victims closed; focus now on rehabilitation, investigation
AUTHORITIES HAVE terminated the retrieval operations in Naga City, Cebu, where massive landslides killed at least 78 people on Sep. 20,.
China is double champion
Back in 1975 we had the Philippines vs China Friendship Matches where a 10-man Filipino squad (Grandmaster [GM] Eugene Torre, International Master [IM] Rodolfo Tan Cardoso, IM Renato Naranja, IM Rosendo Balinas Jr, Glenn Bordonada, Rico Mascariñas, Roger Abella, Rafaelito Maninang, Cesar Caturla, and Phil Junior Champion Frederic Tumanon) met the best player of China, ostensibly to test the playing level of China in preparation for their first participation in the Chess Olympiad. Anyway, there were six matches of 10 games each, held in various cities around China and the Philippines won 35.0-25.0.
P1B set for Davao underground cable project phase 2
THE SECOND phase of the underground cable project in Davao City will cost about P1 billion, an official of its major proponent, Aboitiz-owned Davao Light and Power Co. (DLPC), said over the weekend.
No takers
Considering the Timberwolves’ insistence on getting back for the buck, their intent to move four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler has not surprisingly hit a snag. Even as they were close to getting a deal done, going so far as to share medical records with the Heat, their 11th-hour demand “to amend the framework of the trade,” per ESPN.com’s Adrian Wojnarowski, led their otherwise-willing partner to back off.
Sea show
As Zamboanga City celebrates its month-long Hermosa Festival, crowds flocked to the R.T. Lim Boulevard Sunday, Oct. 7, to watch the Regatta de Zamboanga where some 200 traditional sailboats joined the annual race, followed by a 20-minute Capability Demonstration by the Philippine Navy, along with the Air Force, Marines, and the Army as well as the Philippine Coast Guard.
Nation at a Glance — (10/09/18)
News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.
Boracay task force sets guidelines to sustain island rehab
THE Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) has set the guidelines for the island's continued rehabilitation, following its formal opening on Oct. 26.
PCC green-lights SYNNEX acquisition of Convergys
THE Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) has green-lighted American business process outsourcing firm Synnex Corp.'s acquisition of US-based call center company Convergys Corp.
Online hiring jumps 18% in August — Monster.com
By Anna Gabriela A. Mogato
Online hiring activity in the Philippines grew by 18% year on year in August, data from job listing platform Monster.com showed.
In...
Meet the Roaming Mantis, the world’s most pervasive smartphone malware threat
Kaspersky Labs explains how users can fight malware menace.
Coming out of seclusion
Once an off-the-grid destination preferred by expats, Misibis Bay is opening up to welcome adventure-seeking weekend warriors.
Money on my mind
We asked, they answered: Where do you spend your cash?
