Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has instructed the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to be on the lookout for possible smuggling of sugar, following reports that certain traders have been exporting the commodity and replacing them with import volumes much bigger than what they had been shipping overseas. “The sugar price domestically is much higher than the world market price. So there is going to be an incentive for people to smuggle in sugar,” Dominguez said during a recent Department of Finance (DOF) executive committee (Execom) meeting. Dominguez also told Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero during the Execom meeting that he
The Department of Tourism in Central Visayas (DOT-7) is set to launch a new diving destination in the town of Aloguinsan in southwestern Cebu. Set for promotion is the Hermit’s Cove, a popular tourist attraction in the municipality, with a beautiful cove tucked below a cliff overlooking the blue sea of Tañon Strait. Its beach is adorned with white sand and lined with coconut trees and other plants. Shahlimar Hofer Tamano, DOT-7 director, said after their successful launching of the third leg of the DIVE7 Summer Festivals in Malapascua Island last May 14, the provincial government here suggested the opening
Dipping water in San Roque Dam may hit the 225 meters critical low elevation this week. Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) hydrologist Adel Duran is not discounting such possibility, noting San Roque Dam has not been receiving much water and is unlikely to immediately do so. “With insufficient inflow, water in San Roque will likely dip to the low elevation there this week,” she said Monday. PAGASA reported San Roque Dam’s 6 a.m. water level at 227 meters on Monday, just 2.00 meters above the critical low level. Duran noted San Roque’s water level has been dipping
When 47-year-old George T. Pasion Jr. of Barangay San Marcos in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte decided to follow his father’s footsteps in farming, he knew he would need to adapt to change in many aspects of rice farming. From planting to harvesting, Pasion was prepared to embrace every struggle that would come and challenge his methods. “Alagaan pag tinanim, hindi pabayaan (Take care what you planted, don’t neglect them),” these are Pasion’s words, describing his methods for the past 25 years being a farmer. With three children and a supporting wife, Pasion managed to have year-round cropping. Armed with dedication
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will do “whatever it takes” to erase its 3,000,000-passport backlog within the next few months, including spending all its remaining funds. DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. likewise ordered the launch of more temporary off-site passport service (TOPS) offices all around and outside Metro Manila in addition to the five existing TOPs sites. “This is why DFA exists: to serve the public. Period,” Locsin tweeted on Monday. DFA Undersecretary Brigido Dulay said in a news channel interview, also on Monday, that the additional off-site passport services may open next month to cover the backlog. TOPS
Vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) of essential workers or those under priority group A4 started on Monday at the Bataan People’s Center here. Governor Albert Garcia, in a social media post, said only workers from companies that have received confirmation of their inoculation schedule would be permitted entry at the venue. “Wala munang tatanggaping ‘walk-in’ mula sa priority groups A1 (medical front-liners), A2 (senior citizens) at A3 (persons with comorbidities) sa Bataan People’s Center dahil ang bakunang tinanggap ng ating Provincial Health Office (PHO) para sa araw na ito ay donasyon mula sa mga pribadong kumpanyang naglaan nito para
