Day: March 27, 2025

Saint Bernard: The town of Saint Bernard in Southern Leyte has been declared as completely free from the influence of the New People’s Army (NPA), an army official said Thursday. With no sightings of armed rebels for several years now, the town has achieved insurgency-free status and officially has stable internal peace and security conditions (SIPC), Brig. Gen. Noel Vestuir, commander of the Philippine Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade, said. According to Philippines News Agency, officials led a ceremony on Wednesday to highlight the declarations, which included the signing of memoranda of agreements and pledges of commitment, along with the simultaneous

Manila: The country’s unemployment rate could further improve to around 3 percent as of end-February this year, an economist said Thursday. “Philippine unemployment rate as of February 2025 could ease/improve to a range of 3.3 to 3.8 percent amid better weather conditions so far in early 2025 that could improve employment in agriculture and many other industries,” Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation chief economist Michael Ricafort told the Philippine News Agency. According to Philippines News Agency, the unemployment rate went down to 4.3 percent in January this year from 4.5 percent in the same month last year. The preliminary result of

Bacolod: The City Health Office (CHO) on Thursday issued reminders to Bacolodnons on coping with extreme heat and ensuring safe food and water consumption after the state weather bureau announced the start of the dry season this week. According to Philippines News Agency, Dr. Grace Tan, head of the CHO Environment Sanitation Division, said the hot weather can cause discomfort and lead to health problems for some people, especially those with existing health issues. “If you get to experience heat stroke or heat exhaustion, immediately proceed to a shaded area and apply a wet towel on the body,” she said

Manila: The country’s financial system remained resilient and stable despite global challenges driven by geopolitical tensions and policy shifts, as affirmed by the Financial Stability Coordination Council (FSCC). According to Philippines News Agency, the FSCC, an inter-agency council including the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the Department of Finance (DOF), the Insurance Commission (IC), the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), released its 2024 Financial Stability Report (FSR) on Thursday. The report attributed the stability of the financial system to factors such as declining inflation, robust output growth, and ample international reserves. The report

Albay: Alternergy Holding Corp. has secured a Certificate of Authority (COA) from the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a new onshore wind power project in the province of Albay. Alternergy said in a statement Thursday that its unit Alternergy Wind Holdings Corp. (AWHC) would have the exclusive authority to undertake exploration and assessment of wind resources for the Albay Wind Power Project. According to Philippines News Agency, AWHC president Knud Hedeager expressed satisfaction with receiving the DOE’s approval to develop another wind project in Luzon. Hedeager noted that the COA framework is a landmark policy initiative by the current