Day: June 11, 2025

Manila: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has endorsed 10 additional drug products to be included in the list of medicines that are exempt from value-added tax (VAT). In a public advisory on Wednesday, the FDA said the newly endorsed drugs address conditions representing significant public health concerns that require long-term and costly treatment. According to Philippines News Agency, FDA Advisory No. 2025-0510 noted that these include a drug for high cholesterol, two for cancer, two for diabetes, two for hypertension, and three for mental health disorders. The removal of the 12 percent VAT on these medicines reduces healthcare costs

Manila: The Department of Agriculture (DA) has earmarked approximately PHP1.6 billion to implement strategies to counter the surge in retail pork prices, as confirmed by Malaca±ang. This initiative is part of the government’s broader plan to stabilize pork prices in the country. According to Philippines News Agency, the budget will be utilized to acquire 13,000 finishers and 30,000 breeders as part of the Hog Repopulation Program. Claire Castro, the Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer, emphasized that the DA’s goal is to produce one million finishers while awaiting the availability of vaccines against African swine fever (ASF). Castro

Manila: The possible dismissal of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte will have no negative impact on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Malaca±ang said on Wednesday. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro stressed that the President has nothing to do with the impeachment complaint filed against Duterte. According to Philippines News Agency, in a Palace press briefing, Castro maintained that Duterte’s case now lies in the hands of Congress. ‘So, wala po tayong nakikitang anumang negative impact na mangyayari sa Pangulo dahil hindi po siya kasama sa anumang pagtatagisan ng talino sa debate dito sa Senado (we do not

Manila: Regulator Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) will augment the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) fund to help address the long queues at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) immigration counters. The MIAA, BI, and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Wednesday signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) seeking to enhance the passenger experience, including boosting security and passenger handling at the NAIA. According to Philippines News Agency, the long immigration queues, especially during peak hours, have been a major concern for travelers. DOTr Undersecretary Giovanni Lopez highlighted that one of the primary reasons for these delays is the lack of

Manila: The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) announced on Wednesday that the coconut scale insect (CSI), commonly referred to as ‘cocolisap,’ does not pose a threat to the country’s coconut industry. The assurance comes despite the infestation affecting 516,962 coconut trees across regions including Calabarzon, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) as of May 30. According to Philippines News Agency, PCA Administrator Dexter Buted emphasized that the affected trees represent a mere 0.15 percent of the nation’s total 345 million coconut trees. “Ito ay napakaliit na bahagi lamang