THE aquaculture industry has been given the go-ahead to catch more juvenile mangrove crabs and crablets to help with restocking, an order which authorities billed as an aid to the industry’s recovery.

LABOR OFFICIALS told Congress that mandatory insurance for overseas workers should only apply to agency hires for now, citing the need to clear up some legal and budgetary hurdles before such a policy is legislated.

DRUGMAKERS said further price controls on their products will hinder the industry in recovering from the economic downturn triggered by the pandemic.

HOG NUMBERS, decimated by African Swine Fever (ASF), could decline further next year if the government expands the quota for pork imports, discouraging growers from rebuilding their herds, the pork industry said.

FIRST GEN Corp. said Wednesday that it will make available around 690 megawatts (MW) of geothermal power for the green energy option program (GEOP).

A SHARE SWAP that will facilitate the backdoor listing of third telco DITO Telecommunity Corp. has been approved by the competition regulator, with the market proceeding to revalue the shares of one of the swap parties with a 25% drop.

THE GOVERNMENT needs to devote more resources to curtail illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said.

A HOUSE committee approved on Wednesday a resolution declaring a housing crisis and called the housing units that will become available next year inadequate to address the shortage.

While our physical movement has been limited by the pandemic, technology enables us to reach even the farthest corners of the digital world. Nearly a year under community quarantine, virtual meetings and gatherings have remained part of our everyday life. At the end of a workday, most people’s routines consist of turning to online video and audio streaming services, or clicking the add-to-cart button to shop online. Even though these online transactions were present before the pandemic, they have continued to flourish given our current circumstances. This has also heightened the intention of governments worldwide to throw the net of taxation to capture a fair share of the income earned by these online businesses.

THE RECOVERY this year will likely be slower than expected due to a delayed pickup in construction activity, according to a joint report issued by First Metro Investment Corp. (FMIC) and the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P).

ENERGY Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said Tuesday that the Philippines’ competitiveness could be hindered by carbon taxes, adding that the country is currently incapable of implementing such a regime.

A FUND supported by import tariffs has been proposed to improve the competitiveness of the hog industry, Senator Cynthia A. Villar said.