General

Japan: Japan will continue its tariff talks with the United States in hopes of finalizing an agreement during the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada this June, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Sunday. “We will further advance discussions, with the G-7 summit in mind,” Ishiba told reporters during his visit to Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture, western Japan after the two countries held the third round of ministerial tariff negotiations Friday. According to Philippines News Agency, Ishiba noted that during a recent phone call, he and US President Donald Trump agreed to work toward sealing a deal during their expected meeting

Siquijor: The Department of Agriculture-Negros Island Region (DA-NIR) assured the public on Monday that there is no cause for concern over the possible presence of glanders in one of its three provinces, as the disease is curable. According to Philippines News Agency, DA-NIR Director Jose Albert Barrogo stated that they are awaiting laboratory test results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) to confirm the perceived presence of glanders, a zoonotic disease caused by the bacteria Burkholderia mallei, in Siquijor province. Agriculture technicians collected blood samples from animals in at least three towns last week after reports of cases

Bacolod: Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez on Monday welcomed this highly-urbanized city’s rise in the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2025 rankings, reaching the 518th spot this year from 538th in 2024. “This leap reflects our city’s steady gains in economic strength, human capital, quality of life, environment, and governance-an indication that Bacolod is moving forward with purpose and progress,” Benitez stated. According to Philippines News Agency, Benitez, who was elected congressman in the May 12 elections after serving as city mayor for one term, urged Bacolodnons to “keep building a smarter, stronger, and more sustainable Bacolod.” In a separate statement,

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.