Day: August 23, 2024

MANILA: The governments of the Philippines and Brazil on Friday signed two deals to boost their exchanges on education and technical cooperation. Visiting Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo signed the agreements during a ceremony after capping a bilateral meeting at the Diamond Hotel, where they agreed to further deepen the Philippine-Brazil cooperation in other areas. Manalo expressed optimism the new agreements would steer the two states’ bilateral cooperation agenda toward the “achievement of shared development goals’. ‘This is the first visit by a Brazilian Foreign Minister to the Philippines, and we welcome Minister Vieira’s

CEBU CITY: Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia on Friday said an estimated budget of PHP15 million is needed to fund a comprehensive drainage masterplan in 2025. Garcia said the new masterplan would replace the outdated drainage system being flooded during heavy rains and those situated in low-lying areas. ‘This masterplan would integrate all drainage systems into a single, comprehensive network that will address current and future flood control needs,’ he said in a statement. The plan would align all infrastructure initiatives, including flood control projects undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways. ‘We will include it in the

CEBU CITY: Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia on Friday said an estimated budget of PHP15 million is needed to fund a comprehensive drainage masterplan in 2025. Garcia said the new masterplan would replace the outdated drainage system being flooded during heavy rains and those situated in low-lying areas. ‘This masterplan would integrate all drainage systems into a single, comprehensive network that will address current and future flood control needs,’ he said in a statement. The plan would align all infrastructure initiatives, including flood control projects undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways. ‘We will include it in the

MANILA: The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has garnered 100 percent resolution rate in handling complaints from January to July this year. In a report from the Office of the President’s 8888 Citizens’ Complaint Center, the DHSUD also recorded 98.15 percent within the 72-hour compliance period. The DHSUD received 433 concerns from January to July and was able to resolve all but eight within three days. DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar welcomed the excellent rating as an “inspiration” for staff members to work harder. “This shall serve as an inspiration for all of us to strive better

BACOLOD CITY: Average residential power rates of all three distribution utilities in Negros Occidental decreased by about PHP2 to PHP3 in August, separate reports on Friday showed. The downward adjustments, which came after a series of increases in the past months, are mainly attributed to the reduction in generation rates due to lower prices in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM). In a statement, the North Negros Electric Cooperative (Noneco) said this month, power cost is PHP13.79 per kilowatt hour (kWh), lower by PHP1.99 compared to PHP15.79 per kWh in July. “There’s a 12 percent reduction in August. This is