Day: March 19, 2025

Iloilo City: Residential electricity rates here have dropped by PHP0.7836 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) this March, bringing the current rate to PHP10.4177 per kWh from last month’s PHP11.2013 per kWh. According to Philippines News Agency, MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) attributed the decrease to lower generation and transmission charges. ‘A key factor behind this reduction is our strategic energy procurement approach, where we maximized purchases from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), which made up 57.5 percent of our generation mix,’ MORE Power said in a statement on Wednesday. The company explained that by sourcing a larger portion of

Manila: Bargain hunting helped the local bourse rebound on Wednesday while the peso continued to move sideways against the US dollar. According to Philippines News Agency, the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rose 0.45 percent to 6,313.12 points, along with All Shares, which increased by 0.71 percent to 3,749.35. Philstock Financials research manager Japhet Tantiangco noted that the local market bounced back as investors hunted for bargains supported by appreciation for corporate fundamentals. Four sectors closed in the green with the highest gains from Financials, up 1.35 percent. Industrial inched up by 1 percent, along with Property, 0.41 percent, and

Quezon City: The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday emphasized that road safety is a public health concern integral to sustainable development in the Philippines. According to Philippines News Agency, the World Health Organization identifies road traffic injuries as the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged five to 29 years. In 2022, the Philippine Statistics Authority recorded 12,241 deaths due to road crashes, as cited by DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa. This figure translates to a death rate of 11 per 100,000 individuals, diverging from the target of four deaths per 100,000 individuals. Speaking at the 2025

Legazpi City: The city government of Legazpi has allocated PHP35 million to fund social development programs across 70 barangays. Mayor Alfredo Garbin announced that each barangay would receive PHP500,000 to support community initiatives. According to Philippines News Agency, this funding is sourced from the city’s 20 percent development fund and was approved by the city council last week. The approach focuses on honoring the barangays’ priority projects, with implementation and construction of the projects expected to begin this year. The bidding process has already started, and projects will be clustered based on type, such as multipurpose buildings and drainage systems.

Manila: The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is looking to hold a dialogue with transport group Manibela over its plan to hold a three-day transport strike next week. In a statement on Wednesday, the DOTr said Secretary Vince Dizon has ordered Assistant Secretary for Road Transport and Non-Infrastructure Dioscoro Reyes to conduct a dialogue with concerned transport groups. According to Philippines News Agency, the Department hopes that instead of a transport strike, both parties can sit down for a dialogue to work together to keep commuters safe and comfortable while ensuring that the welfare of drivers and operators is protected. The