Day: August 5, 2025

Beijing: Technology is driving significant changes in jobs and wages across East Asia and the Pacific, presenting new opportunities while also posing challenges in terms of equitable benefit distribution. According to World Bank, the impact of technological adoption is heavily influenced by the nature of tasks that can be automated profitably. Workers whose skills complement emerging technologies are more likely to benefit than those whose skills are replaceable by technology. Industrial robots have become more viable economically and are widely used in factories for routine tasks like welding. The costs and effectiveness of these robots vary, especially between advanced sectors

Manila: A low pressure area (LPA) entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Monday night and is expected to cause rains in several areas, the weather bureau announced Tuesday. According to Philippines News Agency, the LPA has a slim chance of developing into a tropical cyclone in the next 24 hours. Chenel Dominguez of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) indicated that the LPA is likely to bring rains, particularly across Luzon, Bicol Region, and Eastern Visayas. The LPA was located 895 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon as of 3 a.m. Dominguez urged the public to monitor

Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed into law a measure granting him authority to reorganize and streamline executive branch agencies, in a bid to create a more responsive and efficient bureaucracy. Republic Act (RA) 12231, or the Government Optimization Act, was signed and published into the Official Gazette Monday as Marcos flew to India for a five-day state visit here. According to Philippines News Agency, the new law, a priority measure of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), authorizes the President to strengthen, merge, or abolish agencies and functions deemed redundant or misaligned, while protecting the welfare of

Bicol: Police operatives seized PHP15 million worth of illegal drugs and arrested 170 drug suspects in anti-drug operations carried out in July, the Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO-5) said. PRO-5 Director Brig. Gen. Nestor Babagay Jr. reported that a total of 142 anti-illegal drug operations last month led to the seizure of 2,300.5715 grams of shabu and 112.3552 grams of marijuana. According to Philippines News Agency, about PHP8 million worth of illegal drugs was seized in Camarines Norte. This was followed by Camarines Sur with PHP3.4 million, Albay with PHP2.4 million, Naga City with PHP1.2 million, Masbate with PHP327,538.12,