Day: July 29, 2025

Makati city: The possibility of a free trade agreement (FTA) between the Philippines and Israel took a significant step forward with the signing of the summary of discussions in Makati City on Tuesday. This development follows the virtual inaugural Philippines-Israel joint committee meeting on July 1, 2025, where trade officials from both nations discussed economic advancements and identified specific actions aimed at enhancing trade cooperation. According to Philippines News Agency, the signing ceremony held at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) office was attended by Trade Secretary Cristina Roque and Israel Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat. Both

Manila: The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is accelerating its digital transformation through key modernization programs aimed at streamlining taxpayer services and enhancing transparency, as the agency builds on its strong collection performance in the first half of the year. According to Philippines News Agency, approximately 90 percent of the payments are now online, as noted by BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. in a news release. The move towards digitalization is intended to minimize the need for physical visits to BIR offices and banks, allowing taxpayers to manage their obligations online. Among the flagship initiatives are the nationwide rollout of

Baguio: The Department of Agriculture in the Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR) has commenced its risk disaster assessment and needs analysis (RDANA) following several days of inclement weather. “We decided to do it already so that we can start submitting our recommendation for immediate replenishment of plants and determine the appropriate assistance needed by our stakeholders,” stated DA-CAR Director, lawyer Jennilyn Dawayan, in a message on Tuesday. According to Philippines News Agency, the RDANA was conducted at a strawberry farm on Monday, in collaboration with the local government of La Trinidad and the Benguet Provincial Agriculture Office. This assessment comes after

Manila: About PHP18 billion will be allocated for the nationwide rollout of the PHP20 per kg. of rice under the ‘Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na’ starting next year to benefit more Filipinos, including farmers, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Tuesday. This initiative follows President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s commitment to extending the BBM Na program to more Filipinos without impacting local palay producers, as highlighted in his 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA). According to Philippines News Agency, the President had previously announced a budgetary support of PHP113 billion for the Department of Agriculture’s programs, which includes

San juan city: Acting on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive during his State of the Nation Address, the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) has pledged to hold private partners accountable for failing to deliver adequate water services, affecting millions of consumers across the country. According to Philippines News Agency, LWUA chief Jose Moises Joy Salonga announced that the agency has initiated a comprehensive strategy aimed at overhauling problematic joint ventures between local water districts and private firms. Speaking at a post-SONA conference in San Juan City, Salonga emphasized that the agency is committed to implementing a whole-of-government approach to