General

Baguio City: An additional eight Negosyo Centers are set to open in the Cordillera this year to help more business owners and would-be entrepreneurs. The new centers will bring the total number to 70 across the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). According to Philippines News Agency, the eight new Negosyo hubs will be set up in the municipalities of Luba and Pilar in the province of Abra; Pasil and Tanudan in Kalinga; Calanasan and Kabugao in Apayao; Hungduan in Ifugao; and Sadanga in Mountain Province. Lawyer Raymond Panhon, regional director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), announced during the

Ilocos Norte: Tourist arrivals in Ilocos Norte province had bounced back last year, surpassing figures from 2023 and even 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the provincial government on Tuesday. According to Philippines News Agency, based on data from the Ilocos Norte Tourism Office (INTO), the province recorded 4.3 million tourist arrivals in 2024, higher compared to the 3.5 million in 2023 and 3.8 million in 2019. The data showed that tourism revenues also rose by 16.9 percent or an estimated PHP10.4 billion. Of the total arrivals, about 75.2 percent were classified by the provincial government as “returning visitors”

Manila: Local shares closed in the red on Tuesday as investors continue to worry about the escalating tariff war of the United States against Canada, Mexico, and China while the peso finished strong against the US dollar. According to Philippines News Agency, the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) slipped by 2.42 percent to the 6,206.55 level, with the All Shares index also declining by 1.72 percent to 3,684.59 points. The downturn was reflected across all counters, with the Property index experiencing the largest drop at 4.45 percent. This was followed by losses in the Services sector, down by 3.33 percent;

Manila: The Department of Agriculture (DA) has announced that the prices of red and white onions are expected to decrease as the harvest season progresses, making it unlikely for the government to set a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for these commodities. According to Philippines News Agency, this announcement comes after some groups proposed including onions among agricultural commodities, such as rice and pork, that have an MSRP. In an interview, DA Assistant Secretary for Agribusiness, Marketing, and Consumer Affairs Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra confirmed that no formal request for an MSRP on onions has been received. She explained that the current

Manila: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 1 has facilitated the refund of approximately PHP6.7 million to consumers who faced issues with services and products purchased in 2024. This initiative aims to address consumer grievances effectively. According to Philippines News Agency, DTI-1 Consumer Protection Division Chief Robert Baniqued highlighted during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum that most complaints involved overpriced beauty products and services, non-compliance with persons with disabilities (PWDs) discounts, and defective products. Specifically, for beauty services, a total of PHP600,000 was refunded to seven complainants. Baniqued pointed out that consumers were often charged more than