Day: November 11, 2025

Manila: The Department of Agriculture (DA) has adopted new pork import rules aimed at preventing the further spread of African swine fever (ASF) in the country. In a statement on Tuesday, the DA said Administrative Circular No. 12, issued by Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., introduces a regionalization scheme and recognition of ASF-free zones among accredited exporting countries. According to Philippines News Agency, Tiu Laurel stated that the policy aligns with the international standards set by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) to ensure the safe importation of swine and poultry products. “The government has been actively working to

Tokyo: Japanese officials are likely to start discussions on possessing nuclear-powered submarines, whose ability to undertake long military operations secretly will help strengthen deterrence against China’s maritime assertiveness. According to Philippines News Agency, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), as part of their coalition agreement in October, pledged to promote the country’s possession of submarines powered by a next-generation energy source and equipped with a vertical launching system (VLS) for long-range missiles. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi stated on television on November 6 that “the environment surrounding Japan is so severe that we have

Manila: The Philippine government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), has strongly condemned North Korea’s recent launch of a suspected short-range ballistic missile into the East Sea. The DFA described the act as concerning and provocative, highlighting its potential impact on regional peace and stability. According to Philippines News Agency, the DFA’s statement emphasized that such actions undermine economic progress and stability in both the Korean Peninsula and the broader Indo-Pacific region. The Philippine government reiterated its call for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to cease these activities and adhere to its international obligations, including those outlined

Manila: The Philippine gaming industry recorded PHP94.51 billion in gross gaming revenues (GGR) during the third quarter of 2025, reflecting a slight decrease from the PHP94.61 billion reported last year. The industry’s performance comes as it navigates online reforms and stricter regulations on digital payments. According to Philippines News Agency, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) highlighted that the Electronic Games (E-Games) segment continued to lead in performance, showing a 17.4 percent increase to PHP41.95 billion from PHP35.71 billion year on year. PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco attributed this growth mainly to robust figures from July 2025, noting

Manila: Full restoration of power in areas affected by Super Typhoon Uwan (Fung-wong) is targeted within a month, with priority given to critical infrastructure such as hospitals, command centers, banks, and grocery stores. Around 3.4 million households are currently without power, highlighting the storm’s severe impact, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin stated in an online briefing. According to Philippines News Agency, Garin identified the hardest-hit areas as the Mountain Province, Camarines Norte, and Camarines Sur. Restoration efforts commenced even before Uwan exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility early Tuesday. A significant portion of Luzon and parts of the Visayas experienced the