General

Makati City: Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian reiterated on Monday that the PHP80,000 financial aid given to ‘Rose’, the woman who was seen crawling out of a sewer in Makati City, is not a reward but a form of livelihood assistance based on existing guidelines and assessment conducted by agency social workers. According to Philippines News Agency, Gatchalian clarified in a televised interview that the aid is part of the community reintegration program aimed at providing individuals with the opportunity to start anew. The financial assistance was determined by an assigned social worker who assessed

Manila: D and L Industries, Inc., a specialty chemicals and food ingredients manufacturer, is expecting continued exports growth to underpin rising profitability despite global economic uncertainties. In a virtual media briefing Monday, D and L president and chief executive officer Alvin Lao projected healthy cash flows and sustained income growth, citing the company’s plan to ramp up manufacturing activity in its Batangas factory. According to Philippines News Agency, as part of the efforts to ramp up production in the Batangas plant, the company is focusing on exports and is actively engaging with clients in other countries. This includes attending trade

Manila: Bank of the Philippines (BPI) announced that the PHP10 reduced InstaPay transfer fee will become a permanent feature for inter-bank fund transfers made through the BPI app and BPI online. This decision is part of the bank’s initiative to make digital financial services more affordable for its customers. According to Philippines News Agency, the bank initially reduced the InstaPay transfer fee from PHP25 to PHP10 as a promotional rate to encourage customers to utilize digital platforms for managing their finances. BPI’s head of consumer banking, Maria Cristina Go, stated that the promotion introduced last March received a positive response,

Baguio City: The Commission on Elections in the Cordillera Administrative Region (Comelec-CAR) announced that a vacancy will be declared if the reelected Benguet Lone District Representative, Eric Yap, is not proclaimed before the official start of his term on June 30. Yap is currently facing seven disqualification cases concerning his citizenship, alleged violations of the Fair Elections Act, and accusations of vote buying. As a result, his proclamation, initially scheduled for May 13, has been suspended. According to Philippines News Agency, Comelec-CAR Director Julius Torres, in a media interview, stated that if the winning candidate is not proclaimed in time,

Burgos: The Philippine Marines is set to conduct a littoral live-fire exercise off the coast of Burgos, Ilocos Norte this week, facing the Taiwan Strait. The exercise, scheduled for Wednesday, aims to showcase the artillery firing skills of the soldiers. According to Philippines News Agency, Marcell Tabije of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office stated in an interview on Monday that the drill is part of the annual “Kaagapay ng mga Mandirigma Mula sa Dagat” (Kamandag) Exercise 09-2025. This exercise, which began on May 26 at the Marine Barracks Rudiardo Brown in Taguig City, is a regular event