Category: General

DAVAO CITY – Thirty-one former New People’s Army (NPA) members who had surrendered to military forces were presented to local officials in Davao de Oro on Wednesday. In a statement Thursday, Brig. Gen. Ronnie Babac of the Army’s 1001st Brigade lauded the surrender of the 24 regular NPA members and seven Milisyang Bayan supporters as part of the government’s peace-building efforts. Maj. Gen. Allan Hambala of the 10th Infantry Division also praised the rebels’ decision to abandon the armed struggle. “The road to peace is not an easy one, but leading the path of peace and reconciliation is a journey

Manila: Military and police operatives arrested a ranking communist leader in Quezon City on Thursday morning. In a statement, Philippine Army 2nd Infantry Division public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Jeffrex Molina said the suspect, Wigberto Villarico, was nabbed in an operation of the Joint Task Force Katagalugan (JTFK) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Barangay Fairview. The suspect, with aliases Benjamin Mendoza, Juventud del Fiero, Alejandro Montalban, Laurence, Joven, Mark, Cris, Baylon, and Baler, is the secretary of the New People’s Army’s (NPA) Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee (STRPC) and is a member of the Political Bureau (PolitBuro)

The export of electronic products is expected to rebound in 2025, the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. (SEIPI) said on Thursday. SEIPI President Dan Lachica told reporters at the sidelines of the 13th Arangkada Philippines Forum in Pasay that SEIPI is projecting a 5-percent growth in electronics exports next year. This will be a turnaround from the projected 10-percent contraction in electronics exports this year. Last year, exports of electronic products amounted to USD41.91 billion. Lachica said inventory correction and new expansion will help boost exports growth next year. “Well, like I said before, the inventory

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Thursday said it is ready to assist local businesses impacted by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (Trami). In response to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive, DTI Acting Secretary Cristina Roque emphasized the agency’s commitment to support recovery efforts for affected businesses, especially micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). ‘We have been actively discussing with our partners in the private sector, including industry associations, to mobilize resources and provide immediate assistance to affected businesses,” Roque said. The DTI is coordinating with various agencies and private sector partners to ensure affected businesses receive necessary

Senator Imee Marcos emphasized on Thursday the urgent need to incorporate funding for green infrastructure in the 2025 budget to effectively tackle typhoon and flooding issues. Marcos is proposing simple community-level solutions, such as expanding mangrove forests, planting indigenous ‘bayog’ (a bamboo species), and using gabions along riverbanks. ‘Let’s start with simple solutions at the community level, such as expanding mangrove forests and planting indigenous bayog or Bambusa spinosa, which the ancient Filipinos used for housing, and gabion, along riverbanks,’ she said in a news release. The senator also suggested replacing cement with permeable materials and constructing a pilot “sponge