Day: January 30, 2025

Cebu City: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday said he would meet with United States (US) President Donald Trump to discuss the latter’s new policies on foreign assistance, trade, defense and security, and immigration. Marcos, in a media interview in Cebu City, confirmed his plan to meet with Trump. According to Philippines News Agency, Marcos stated, “I will meet with President Trump because I should. Because there’s much that we need to discuss between the US and the Philippines in terms of trade, in terms of defense and security, and now the new policy on immigration.” He emphasized the

Cebu City: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. clapped back at China’s criticisms of the deployment of the United States’ Typhon missile system to the Philippines, stating that he would be willing to have the military hardware pulled out of the country if Chinese aggression in the West Philippines Sea (WPS) stops. According to Philippines News Agency, in a media interview in Cebu City Thursday, Marcos addressed China’s objections to the missile system, emphasizing that Manila had not commented on Beijing’s much larger missile arsenal. “I don’t understand their comments on the Typhon missile system,” Marcos said. “We don’t make any comments

Manila: The House Committee on Labor and Employment on Thursday approved a substitute bill mandating a PHP200 daily across-the-board wage increase for private sector workers. The panel, chaired by Rizal 2nd District Rep. Juan Fidel Nograles, gave the green light to the substitute bill consolidating House Bills No. 514, 7568, and 7871. According to Philippines News Agency, the measure requires all private businesses, regardless of size and industry, to implement a PHP200 daily pay hike upon enactment. Employers are prohibited from offsetting the increase with previous wage adjustments unless explicitly anticipated under collective bargaining agreements. Additionally, existing benefits and allowances

Antique: The Department of Agriculture is targeting 44,161 farmers from Antique for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA) amounting to PHP309.12 million. In an interview on Thursday, Antique Agricultural Program Coordinating Office head Sonie Guanco said they started releasing the intervention monitoring card (IMC) or automated teller machine card to farmer-beneficiaries belonging to the first batch of 2024 program beneficiaries on Jan. 24. According to Philippines News Agency, each farmer beneficiary, tilling rice farms two hectares and below, received PHP7,000 financial assistance aimed at increasing their rice production. The second batch of 6,222 beneficiaries will also receive

Lapu-Lapu City: The move to challenge the constitutionality of the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) before the Supreme Court (SC) is a deliberate attempt to destabilize the government, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Thursday. This statement comes amidst concerns about the potential impact on government operations if the SC rules in favor of the petition challenging the budget. According to Philippines News Agency, President Marcos acknowledged the absence of a contingency plan should the court deem the 2025 budget unconstitutional. He remarked that such a ruling would effectively halt government functions, which he believes is the objective of those