DAVAO CITY -- Climate-resilient rice seed is being developed in South Central Mindanao with reduced irrigation requirements for areas that receive limited water apart from rainfall.

THE SENATE ways and means committee may still decide to tax electronic cigarettes at par with traditional tobacco products, depending on the findings that emerge about the products’ health risks, its chairman Senator Pilar Juliana S. Cayetano said.

In 2012, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 35-2012, which clarified the taxability of clubs organized and operated exclusively for pleasure, recreation, and other nonprofit purposes.

REPRESENTATIVE Jose Ma. S. Salceda, the House Ways and Means committee chair from Albay’s 2^nd district, said he supports more borrowing by the National Food Authority (NFA) to boost its rice procurement funding to about P22.5 billion.

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) are preparing for a prolonged US-China trade war, ultimately seeking to capture more foreign investment while pursuing deeper regional integration, improving approval processes, and helping start-ups and small businesses succeed.

THE House Ways and Means committee on Wednesday approved a substitute bill seeking to reform the real property valuation and assessment system.

THE Senate finance committee on Wednesday approved the P8.201-billion budget of the Office of the President (OP) for 2020 with no interpellation.

THE Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) on Wednesday welcomed the final approval by the House of Representatives of the bill which proposes to amend the Foreign Investments Act (FIA).

THE electronic cigarette lobby said its products need to be fairly taxed and regulated, especially if the Philippines hopes to fund its Universal Health Care system in part with the proceeds of a tax on e-cigarettes.

SPEAKER Alan Peter S. Cayetano said he will support at least P9 billion in additional funding for the procurement of palay, or unmilled rice, to support the market and prop up farmer incomes, as plenary discussion of the 2020 budget got underway in the House.

THE national rice inventory was estimated at 2.133 million metric tons (MMT) as of Aug. 1, up 40.3% from a year earlier, but down 18.7% month-on-month, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has signed a measure expanding the territory of the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) to create more investment opportunities for the province.