MORE THAN 600 Filipinos from Saudi Arabia, Panama and Hong Kong came home amid a global coronavirus pandemic that has sickened 10.1 million and killed half-a-million people worldwide.

A LAWMAKER has filed a bill seeking to give public school teachers P1,500 in monthly Internet allowance as the country’s schools start blended learning programs when they open in August.

BUDGETARY support to state-owned firms released in May rose nearly 467% after the release of the second tranche of the wage subsidy program, the Bureau of the Treasury said.

REAL ESTATE loans will likely cool in the second quarter after the pandemic left many jobless and eroded job security for the rest of the workforce, making loan applicants less likely to be approved, Colliers Philippines said.

INFORMATION and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio B. Honasan II has designated Undersecretary Ramon P. Jacinto to lead the department’s efforts in the areas of “government digital broadcast television and the digitization of the entertainment industry sector.”

In last week’s article, we discussed the salient features of the CREATE bill: the immediate Corporate Income Tax (CIT) rate cut; the extended NOLCO application; the rationalization of fiscal incentives, and other notable features. This week’s article will focus on the proposed fiscal incentives available to prospective and existing investors as well as the strategies that investors may explore to maximize tax perks.

I am pleased to share with readers recent posts to GlobalSource Partners subscribers (globalsourcepartners.com) written by Christine Tang and me on the recent BSP cut in policy rates and on our concerns on public transportation and the T3 ( test, trace, and treat ) program.

Reverting the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) from the Office of the President (OP) to the Department of Agriculture (DA) is an important matter that may have, inadvertently, slipped out of the agenda for fine-tuning the country’s food security program. Should not the department charged with the production of a water-dependent crop have authority over the agency that ensures that such farms have enough water?

The tourism industry is among the strong drivers of the economy. Before the onset of the Wuhan virus, tourism accounted for 12.7% of gross national product (GDP) or roughly $46.5 million worth of goods and services. Its hefty contribution to the economy was achieved on the back of 8.2 million foreign visitors and more than 120 million domestic travelers.

RECENTLY inked a one-season deal to play in the B. League in Japan, collegiate standout and national team player Thirdy Ravena said he is looking forward to the new journey he is about to take along with the challenges that await him there.

EVEN as the National Basketball Association was unveiling its schedule for the conclusion of the regular season, commissioner Adam Silver admitted Friday that the league’s “bubble” in central Florida can’t be made totally safe from the coronavirus pandemic.

LOS ANGELES — Brendon Todd drilled nine birdies and carded a career low nine-under 61 to take a two-stroke lead in the third round of the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut, on Saturday.