Day: September 20, 2024

Manila: Ranking transportation officials have started drafting the guidelines to enforce mandatory speed limiters in public utility vehicles (PUVs). In a statement Friday, Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief, Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II said Republic Act 10916, or the Road Speed Limiter Act was supposed to be fully implemented in 2016 after it lapsed into law. ‘The full implementation of this law is long overdue. We have to do something now for the interest and protection of all road users,’ Mendoza said. He said a meeting was first held Wednesday among officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Land

Manila: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Friday the early voting hours policy for the members of the vulnerable sector in the 2025 midterm elections would be implemented nationwide. Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said the decision came after the measure’s successful pilot testing during the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections. “Come the 2025 elections, we will already allow the elderly, persons with disability, pregnant women nationwide to vote exclusively between 5 a.m. until 7 a.m.,” he said in a radio interview. He said the early voting hours is expected to benefit the vulnerable sector since they would be

China on Friday said it reached a “consensus” with Japan on treated nuclear waste released by Tokyo into the seas from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. “Japanese side has made it clear that it will earnestly fulfill its obligations under international law, make every effort to avoid negative impacts on people and the environment, and will continue to carry out impact assessments on the marine environment and marine ecology,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Beijing had imposed a blanket ban on imports of seafood from Japan after Tokyo began releasing the radioactive water into the sea in August

Manila: The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday lauded the prompt action of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) against the possible hoarding of some consignees of imported rice. ‘Nagpapasalamat kami sa (We thank the) Philippine Ports Authority, sa pangunguna ni (under the leadership of) General Manager Jay Santiago sa mabilis, agarang pagkilos base doon sa impormasyon na binigay ng Kagawaran ni (for their swift, immediate action based on the information provided by the department of) Secretary (Francisco) Tiu Laurel,’ DA Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing. Tiu Laurel earlier disclosed that at least 888

Manila: The Philippines is pushing for the retention of a protocol in the free trade agreement (FTA) in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that will protect sensitive agricultural products in the country such as rice and sugar. During the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Meeting and Related Meetings in Vientiane, Laos from Sept. 16 to 22, Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo conveyed the Philippines’ request to keep the special consideration for rice and sugar with the ongoing review of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA). “The Philippines is not requesting its retention as a trade-restrictive