FOOD, MUSIC, AND SCARECROWS — these are just some of the things that a visitor to Isabela will see if they visit during the province’s Bambanti Festival which will take place from Jan. 25 to 29. This year’s theme: Isabela Para Sa Daigdig (Isabela for the Universe). Among the festival’s wide array of activities are the province-wide Giant Bambanti (Scarecrow) Showcase; the Bambanti Street Dance and Showdown Competition; the Bambanti Musical Street talent showcase; the Inabraw cooking contest; the Hip Hop Boy Group Dance Competition; the Search for Bambanti Festival King and Queen; and an Agri-Ecotourism Exhibit and Sale.
THE PHILIPPINES began 2017 with World Bank and S&P Global Ratings growth forecasts that top those of most other emerging economies in the next three years. Read the full story.
MERCHANDISE TRADE will remain a drag in the calculation of the country’s economic growth, as export receipts contracted in November 2016 while the import bill continued to increase. Read the full story.
AUTO sales grew 24.6% in 2016, sustaining a run of double-digit growth for the industry, automakers said. Read the full story.
THE ADMINISTRATION of President Rodrigo R. Duterte maintained its “very good” net satisfaction rating among Filipinos half a year into his term despite noticeable drops in Metro Manila and among the “masa,” according to a new Social Weather Stations (SWS) report. Read the full story.
ANNUAL INFLATION closed 2016 at its fastest pace in two years, but stayed below the official target for the year. Read the full story.
