President Rodrigo Duterte is “privately” dealing with China’s incursions into the West Philippine Sea (WPS), his spokesman said on Thursday. Harry Roque Jr. issued the statement after the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea reported that at least 240 suspected Chinese militia vessels were lingering in the disputed waters. “Kung ano man ang […]

THE liberalized access to satellite technology in the country could widen the reach of financial services, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). In an online briefing on Thursday, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said the non-enfranchised but registered internet service providers and value-added service providers can now directly access satellite systems to build broadband […]

MONEY sent home by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) plunged to the lowest level in three months last February, but supported the year-to-date tally. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data released on Thursday showed that personal remittances — personal transfers in cash or kind and capital transfers between households — amounted to $2.76 billion in the […]

MALACAÑANG on Thursday expressed its deepest sympathy and prayers to the family of Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) chief Adelino Sitoy, who passed away. He was 85. “The Palace expresses its deep condolences to the family, loved ones and colleagues of Secretary Adelino Sitoy of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO),” Palace spokesman Harry Roque […]

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The United States announced economic sanctions against Russia on Thursday and the expulsion of 10 diplomats in retaliation for what Washington says is the Kremlin’s US election interference, a massive cyber-attack and other hostile activity. President Joe Biden ordered a widening of restrictions on US banks trading in Russian government debt, expelled 10 […]

TOKYO: Japan’s prime minister heads to Washington on Thursday to become the first foreign leader to hold face-to-face talks with US President Joe Biden, with concerns about China topping the agenda. Yoshihide Suga will be hoping to renew the all-important alliance with Washington after the Trump era, as well as compare notes on an increasingly […]

MALACANANG said on Thursday “there’s nothing the public can do” over President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to disappear, saying it was the Chief Executive’s “style.” Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. made the statement after Duterte admitted that he intentionally stayed away from the public eye last week even as the country battled a surge in coronavirus […]

In the Philippines — a land where traffic jams, potholes, and other road hazards rule — a scooter can change your life. These efficient, fast-accelerating, yet severely underrated machines have become one of the best options for 2-wheel driving in the country. To make the most of a scooter, it’s important to pay attention to […]

Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Thursday, April 15, 2021. READ: Jabs go full blast THE government’s vaccination program is seen to pick up as more vaccines are distributed especially in the Visayas and Mindanao, where the resupply of 500,000 doses of the CoronaVac vaccine will be deployed, the Department of Health […]

Vaccination in Visayas, Mindanao gathers pace The government’s vaccination program is seen to pick up as more vaccines are distributed especially in the Visayas and Mindanao, where the resupply of 500,000 doses of the CoronaVac vaccine will be deployed, the Department of Health (DoH) said. The vaccines that arrived last Sunday will be given to […]

Last-minute buying enabled the local bourse to snap its losing streak and rebounded a few points above the 6,500 territory on Wednesday. The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) climbed 1.01 percent or 65.42 points to its intraday high of 6,523.21, while the broader All Shares gained 0.78 percent or 30.81 points to close at […]

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P3.51 trillion of the 2021 budget in the first quarter, data showed on Wednesday. Data from the Budget department showed that allotment releases in January-March was already 78 percent of the P4.50-trillion programmed budget of the government. The latest figure was higher than the P3.21 trillion […]

THE Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) on Wednesday welcomed the signing of the executive order creating the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Streamlining of Government Processes (OPASGP). “We thank the President for his steadfast support and commitment to end red tape and inefficiencies in the government,” it said in a statement on Wednesday. “The creation […]

WASHINGTON, D.C.: A dozen people were missing at sea off the US state of Louisiana on Wednesday after a commercial ship capsized in the Gulf of Mexico, sparking a rescue operation that saved six others. The United States Coastguard and a fleet of volunteers were deployed to search for the 18 crew on board after […]

UNITED NATIONS: Nearly half the women in 57 countries around the world face restrictions on what they can do with their bodies, such as have sex, use contraception or seek health care, the UN said in a report on Wednesday. The authors of the report by the United Nations Population Fund addressed for the first […]

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released P3.51 trillion of the 2021 budget in the first quarter, data showed on Wednesday. Data from the DBM showed that allotment releases in January-March was 78 percent of the P4.50-trillion program of the government. The latest figure was higher than the P3.21 trillion released in the first […]

TAAL Volcano showed signs of a looming eruption on Wednesday as it registered its highest number of earthquakes at 383 over the past 24 hours and emitted more gas since it was placed under “elevated unrest” in March by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). The Taal Volcano Network (TVN) said the 383 […]

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law making the position of a cooperatives development officer (CDO) mandatory in all municipalities, cities and provinces. Under Republic Act 11535, the CDO shall take charge of the office for the development of cooperatives registered with the Cooperative Development Authority. The CDO is tasked primarily to take the lead […]

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the creation of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Streamlining Government Service to Processes (OPASGP) in a bid to boost the whole-of-government approach in reengineering and simplifying government transactions. Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) 129 on Tuesday creating the OPASGP, which will be headed by former Cabinet Secretary Leoncio […]

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte may veto any measure that seeks to change the tariffs imposed on imported pork meat. His spokesman Harry Roque Jr. Said this amid calls by some senators to revoke Duterte’s order which reduced tariffs on pork imports. Despite opposition from local hog raisers, Duterte signed last week Executive Order 128 which reduces […]

CEBU: The MJAS Zenith Talisay City Aquastars and the ARQ Builders-Lapu-Lapu City Heroes carved out emphatic wins to claim a share of the lead in the team standings of the 2021 Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas Vismin Super Cup Visayas leg at the Alcantara Civic Center in Alcantara town on Tuesday, April 13, 2021. Talisay City sent out a loud and clear message […]

Good Day! Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Wednesday, April 14, 2021. READ: Government braces for new surge On Tuesday, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. warned that another virus surge might occur in June or July as the Philippines continues to log a high number of new infections daily. READ: Experts […]

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) admitted that the distribution of the emergency aid to poor families in the National Capital Region has been slow. DSWD Secretary Ronaldo Bautista said only 8 percent or about P1.75 billion of the fund allotted for the aid package has been disbursed. The government rolled out the […]

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. on Tuesday warned that another virus surge might occur in June or July as the Philippines continues to log a high number of new infections daily. “We have to expect na this coming June and July, baka magkaroon na naman tayo ng peaking or surge (we might have another peaking […]

HOME loans released by the Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG Fund reached P20.94 billion in the first three months of 2021. In a statement on Tuesday, Pag-IBIG Fund said the amount was a 33-percent or P5.17-billion increase from the P15.77 billion released in the same period a year ago. The P20.94-billion home loans disbursed […]

MAJORITY of Filipinos saw t h e i r household income negatively impacted by the coronavirus d i s e a s e 2 0 1 9 (Covid-19) pandemic, a research conducted by TransUnion showed. In a statement on Tuesday, TransUnion said the results of its Consumer Pulse study conducted from March 5 to 22, […]

In observance of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, President Rodrigo Duterte has called for peace, hope and unity as the country continues to battle the Covid-19 pandemic. In his message, the President said he joins the Muslim brothers and sisters as they embark on a spiritual journey of reflection and contemplation. “The entire nation […]

GENEVA: The World Health Organization called on Tuesday for a halt to the sale of live wild mammals in food markets to prevent the emergence of new diseases such as Covid-19. The WHO said because traditional markets play a central role in providing food and livelihoods for large populations, banning the sale of live wild […]

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The United States is recommending a “pause” in administration of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine to investigate reports of potentially dangerous blood clots. In a joint statement Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration said they were investigating unusual clots in six women that […]

President Rodrigo Duterte has certified as urgent the proposed laws amending the Public Service Act, the Foreign Investments Act and the Retail Trade Liberalization Act to boost the country’s economic growth amid the coronavirus pandemic. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez confirmed that the President signed the certification of urgency for Senate Bill (SBN) 2094 or “An […]

VOTER registration remains suspended in the National Capital Region (NCR) plus 4 bubble; Santiago City in Isabela and the provinces of Abra and Quirino in Northern Luzon, which were all placed under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) to quell the rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). In an advisory, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez […]