Day: December 17, 2025

Tacloban: Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Leyte province have reported significant earnings of PHP6.2 million during a five-day pre-Christmas trade fair held in Tacloban City. This figure exceeds the initial sales target of PHP5.82 million, as announced by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial office. According to Philippines News Agency, DTI Leyte provincial director Faustino Gayas Jr. provided a breakdown of the sales performance, highlighting PHP4.019 million generated from cash transactions, PHP1.916 million from booked orders, and PHP267,620 currently under negotiation. Gayas remarked that these figures reflect robust consumer demand during the event and hold potential

Manila: Lawmakers are targeting the completion of bicameral conference committee deliberations on the proposed 2026 national budget by Wednesday, as both chambers move to finalize computations and transmit the measure to Malaca±ang ahead of the New Year. After concluding the third day of the conference on Tuesday, Senate Committee on Finance chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian said the next phase of the bicam process would focus on consolidating the budget ‘physically and computation-wise.’ According to Philippines News Agency, Gatchalian mentioned in an interview that they aim to finish the process the following day. He emphasized that the subsequent step involves organizing the

Makati city: The Northern Samar provincial government has been honored with the Sustainable Energy Award in the local government unit category by the Department of Energy (DOE) for fostering a conducive atmosphere for renewable energy projects. According to Philippines News Agency, the award was presented to key officials during a ceremony held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati City on Tuesday. The Sustainable Energy Awards is a premier recognition program established by the DOE to acknowledge institutions and organizations that are making significant strides in the development of renewable energy across the nation. Northern Samar earned this recognition for its

Antique: The Antique Provincial Police Office (APPO) is aiming for zero injuries related to firecrackers during the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations. Col. Lea Rose Pe±a, the director of APPO, emphasized the importance of public safety during the holidays in an interview on Wednesday. She urged individuals to be responsible and avoid lighting firecrackers that could potentially cause harm. According to Philippines News Agency, Pe±a highlighted the specific dangers posed by ‘boga’ or improvised cannons within the community. Records from the Antique Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) show that between December 24, 2024, and January 1, 2025, there were