General

Manila: The Philippines can benefit from the imposition of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, but reforms must be implemented to take advantage of the opportunities. “For smaller economies like the Philippines, the Trump tariffs present a strategic opportunity to attract investments and integrate deeper into reconfigured supply chains, but only if the country reforms quickly to offer reliable infrastructure, skilled labor, and industrial policy that would position the Philippines as a trusted tariff-resilient production hub,” Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Research Fellow Dr. Rafaelita Aldaba said during a policy forum held at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) office

San Remigio: The mayor of San Remigio in Antique has expressed a desire to maintain the risk resiliency program initiated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the municipality. Mayor Margarito Mission Jr. emphasized the importance of the program’s long-term impact on residents, hoping it will benefit them for years to come. According to Philippines News Agency, a ground-breaking ceremony took place for the Local Adaptation to Water Access (LAWA) and Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished (BINHI) in Barangay Bugo, marking the fourth barangay in San Remigio to participate in the risk resiliency program.

Iloilo City: The local government of Iloilo City is currently awaiting official guidelines for the ‘Benteng Bigas Meron Na’ (BBM) program, which is designed to provide rice at PHP20 per kilo. Mayor Jerry Tre±as announced the anticipated program following discussions with the regional director of the Department of Agriculture. According to Philippines News Agency, Mayor Tre±as highlighted that the city had not previously allocated funds for the program due to its novelty. “We will have to reallocate some funds because for me it is going to be a big help for our residents in the city,” he stated. The mayor

Manila: Senate President Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero and Senator Grace Poe have urged the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to address issues in the implementation of the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP), emphasizing the need for fairness, efficiency, and transparency in traffic enforcement. According to Philippines News Agency, Escudero highlighted concerns regarding delays in the delivery of Notices of Violation (NOVs) and advocated for digital alternatives to the current snail-mail process. He emphasized the need for a faster and more accessible appeal mechanism for motorists, noting that delays in receiving NOVs could lead to confusion about the alleged violations. Escudero called

Quezon City: The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced that they will be requesting the International Criminal Court (ICC) to allow a Philippine embassy official to administer former president Rodrigo Duterte’s oath-taking as the mayor of Davao City. This request comes as Duterte is currently in detention in The Hague, Netherlands. According to Philippines News Agency, Remulla emphasized the DILG’s recognition of Duterte’s significant victory in the May 12 midterm elections. Duterte, who previously served as the president of the Philippines, was declared the winner by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and was officially