General

Manila: Parts of the Visayas and Mindanao will experience rains due to a low pressure area (LPA) last spotted 645 kilometers east of southeastern Mindanao, the weather bureau said Wednesday. The LPA is unlikely to develop into a tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 5 a.m. bulletin. According to Philippines News Agency, the LPA will cause scattered rains and thunderstorms over Central and Eastern Visayas, Caraga, Davao Region, and Siquijor. Flash floods or landslides are possible in those areas due to moderate to heavy rains. Meanwhile, the

Baguio: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the Cordillera region has called on government employees to maintain neutrality in the upcoming May 12 polls, warning that failure to do so could result in administrative charges for electioneering. According to Philippines News Agency, lawyer Julius Torres, the Comelec-Cordillera director, emphasized the importance of neutrality during a program following the Unity Walk organized by Comelec-Baguio for the candidates and various government offices. Torres reminded government workers to focus on their primary duty of serving the public and contributing to a clean, orderly, and honest election. Torres also addressed political aspirants, urging them

Manila: Philippine shares slightly recovered on Wednesday, while the peso moved sideways. The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rose 0.10 percent to 6,166.05 while All Shares also went up to 3,676.71. According to Philippines News Agency, “Philippine shares made a modest recovering, as Wall Street also closed higher on Tuesday, extending gains as investors bet on narrower US tariffs,” Regina Capital Development Corporation Managing Director Luis Limlingan said. Most sectors closed in the green led by Mining and Oil and Services. Holding Firms and Property, however, closed in the red. Decliners led advancers at 111 to 92. The peso meanwhile,

Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ‘made it clear’ that he will not abolish the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said Wednesday. According to Philippines News Agency, Malaya conveyed this during a Palace press briefing in response to Gabriela Party-list’s call for Marcos to dismantle the task force. He emphasized that Marcos expressed satisfaction with the NTF-ELCAC’s achievements in combating communist insurgency during the 7th Executive Committee Meeting held at Malaca±ang. Malaya mentioned that the President highlighted the importance of capitalizing on the task force’s

Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has expressed optimism that the new ambassadors of Colombia, Cambodia, and Ukraine to the Philippines would be instrumental in maintaining the three nations’ strong relations with Manila. According to Philippines News Agency, Marcos received the credentials of Ambassadors Edgar Rodrigo Rojas Garavito of Colombia, Sin Saream of Cambodia, and Yuliia Oleksandrivna Fediv of Ukraine in separate ceremonies at Malaca±an Palace in Manila on Tuesday. “I believe there’s more that we can do, that we can explore many other sectors, and strengthen and deepen the relations between our two countries,” Marcos told the Colombian ambassador,