BUTUAN CITY – The Philippine Rice Institute (PhilRice) in Agusan that covers the entire Caraga Region convened on Monday representatives from two seed cooperatives involved in recent rice seeds distribution in the area. In a statement, the PhilRice-Agusan said the coordination meeting was facilitated to assess and review the rice seed deliveries in the region during the past months. “The coordination meeting on Monday was also aimed to improve the delivery issues and concerns in the region,” PhilRice-Agusan said. The PhilRice-Agusan emphasized that the involvement of the two cooperatives during the seed distributions will further help the agency ensure the

MANILA – More farmers are benefiting from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Mechanization Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) after the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) distributed over PHP320 million worth of farm machineries. On Monday, the province of Camarines Sur received PHP255 million worth of machines that will go to 74 farmer cooperatives and associations (FCAs). In Surigao del Sur, 2,546 farmer-members of 34 qualified FCAs already received PHP65.7 million worth of machines during a turnover ceremony in Tandag City on Friday. The distribution of 2021 funds in the province also include FCAs in Bislig

MANILA – State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has granted a PHP700-million loan to the local government of Naga City in the province of Camarines Sur to fast-track its various public infrastructure and social development projects in the area, a top official said. DBP president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Herbosa said the amount will be utilized for the construction of the three-storey Level 1 New Naga City Hospital, as well as for the acquisition of lots for the city’s socialized housing projects, road concreting, and other urban redevelopment projects. “DBP supports these developmental initiatives for Naga City as

MANILA – The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) slipped by 1.07 percent, or 77.56 points, to 7,200.88 Monday as the new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) variant continues to bring concerns among investors. All shares went down by 0.86 percent, or 33.26 points, to 3,838.13. All counters ended in the negative territory, except for the Services index, which rose by 0.51 percent, or 10 points, to 1,986.48. “Philippine shares plunged to end the month of November as the new Covid-19 variant found in South Africa triggered a global shift away from risk assets. Heading into the week, Covid-19 developments are expected

CEBU CITY – The Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) has given PHP4.6 million worth of livelihood assistance to parents of profiled child laborers in Barili, southern Cebu. Around 153 parents of child laborers coming from the different barangays benefited from the livelihood program, with each receiving not less than PHP29,000 for their respective Livelihood Starter Kits (LSKs). The beneficiaries, who come from Barangays Candugay, Cagay, San Rafael, and Azucena, will engage in goat raising, cattle fattening, general merchandising, candle vending, buy and sell, frozen food products and “hanging rice” livelihood projects. “We distributed the livelihood starter

MANILA – The Department of Finance (DOF) under Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has beefed up its digitalization initiatives, which include facilitating trade online and making the filing of tax exemptions more convenient to better serve the public and improve its oversight functions and policy-making processes. Dominguez said these modernization initiatives include the enhancement of the DOF’s Tax Exemption System (TES), which was replaced by the web-based TESlite to make it easier and more convenient for importers to apply for tax and duty exemptions with the Department’s Revenue Office. “These digitalization initiatives include heightened security measures to make our systems safe