Day: January 6, 2025

Manila: Philippine naval and air assets are keeping a close watch on the China Coast Guard’s “monster ship” which was detected off Manila’s exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea, an official of the National Security Council (NSC) said Monday. According to Philippines News Agency, NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya stated, “We have all our assets pointed at this monster ship. At the moment, may gawin itong masama, in the sense na may gawin itong provocative action, ay ito po ay magkakaroon ng karampatang aksyon naman mula sa pamahalaan (should it do something bad, in the sense that

Manila: To address the unreasonable retail prices of rice in some local markets, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to establish a ‘maximum suggested retail price (SRP) system’ before the end of January. In an interview on Monday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said there should be no imported rice being sold at PHP60 per kg. According to Philippines News Agency, the DA is working on defining the maximum suggested retail price for rice. However, the DA chief clarified that the system will not act as a price cap on retail rice. Tiu Laurel explained that the proposed

Manila: A total of 47 new cases were added to the tally of holiday-related road traffic accidents as of 6 a.m. Monday. This figure brought the overall tally to 703, or 30.6 percent higher than the road traffic injuries recorded from Dec. 22, 2023 to Jan. 6, 2024. According to Philippines News Agency, eight deaths were recorded, five of which were motorcycle accidents. Additionally, a total of 603 motorists were not wearing safety accessories such as helmets and seatbelts, 497 were involved in motorcycle accidents, and 127 consumed alcohol before traveling. The Department of Health (DOH) reminded motorists not to

Manila: Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III has voiced his support for the immediate suspension of the planned increase in Social Security System (SSS) contribution rates, citing concerns over its impact on members’ benefits. According to Philippines News Agency, private school teachers have recently expressed their dissatisfaction with the increase in SSS contributions from 14 percent to 15 percent, arguing that the hike would further reduce their already limited take-home pay in the face of rising prices and additional expenses. Senator Pimentel echoed these concerns, noting that the increase in contributions does not translate to enhanced benefits for members. The

Biliran: Barge service operation is expected to normalize the transport of essential products to Biliran Island amid the limited capacity of the bridge that links the province to the Leyte mainland. Governor Gerard Roger Espina, in a statement Monday, said the barge service operation started on Jan. 4, with the provincial government of Biliran shouldering the cost of monthly rental of the barge that will be used in carrying heavy vehicles from Leyte Island to Biliran. According to Philippines News Agency, the provincial government will cover monthly barge rental expenses through the calamity fund while fuel charges will be financed