Day: December 4, 2025

Manila: Tropical Depression (TD) Wilma decelerated, moving west-southwestward at 10 kph, the weather bureau said Thursday. Wilma was last located 575 km east of Catarman, Northern Samar, with maximum sustained winds of 45 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 55 kph, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 5 p.m. bulletin. According to Philippines News Agency, more areas have been placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1. These include the southern portion of mainland Masbate, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, and several areas in Cebu and Bohol.

Manila: Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson is advocating for measures to prevent irregularities in the construction of classrooms and school buildings, emphasizing the need for safeguards in the process. During his interpellation of Senate Bill (SB) 1482, Lacson expressed concerns about the potential for another “pork barrel scam” due to the significant involvement of non-government organizations (NGOs) in these projects. According to Philippines News Agency, Lacson highlighted the conflict of interest that could arise if NGOs actively participate in bidding and monitoring processes. The “pork barrel scam,” which came to light in 2010, involved the misuse of fake NGOs

Manila: The Philippine peso weakened to the 59-level against the U.S. dollar on Thursday due to expectations for further cuts in the central bank rates, negatively affecting the Philippine Stock Exchange index. The local currency ended the day’s trade at 59.02 to a dollar, from its 58.92 close a day ago, marking a nearly two-week low from its 59.05 close on November 20. According to Philippines News Agency, the peso’s weakness was evident early on when it opened the day at 58.95, compared to its 58.55 start in the previous session. The trading range was between 58.92 and 59.17, bringing

Quezon city: The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has made a commitment to enhance the connections between agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and ARB organizations (ARBOs) by offering them access to financing, technology, and markets. According to Philippines News Agency, the DAR is also reinforcing its collaboration with private stakeholders to directly connect small farmers to its services. DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III emphasized the goal of promoting inclusive agricultural development and building a resilient, competitive, and equitable agricultural sector during a forum held in Quezon City. Key partners at the event included the Land Bank of the Philippines, Go Negosyo,

Mandaluyong city: Noting the need to further capacitate the Philippines’ export sector, an official of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Friday said a support program is being formulated with the World Bank (WB) to boost exporters’ competitiveness. The partnership is among the programs lined up by the DTI for 2026, as announced during the Exporters’ Week event in a hotel in Mandaluyong City. According to Philippines News Agency, Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) Director and Export Development Council (EDC) Executive Director Bianca Pearl Sykimte told journalists in an interview that they have weekly meetings with WB representatives to