Category: General

LEGAZPI CITY – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) 5 (Bicol) targets to expand the contract farming program with more than 3,000 hectares of rice fields to be planted by next year. During Tuesday’s “Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas” forum at the NIA-5 office in Naga City, NIA regional manager Gaudencio John De Vera said this would be done to produce and sell more Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka (BBM) rice being sold to vulnerable sectors for a much lower price of PHP29 per kg. He said the additional 3,000 hectares would be distributed to the region’s six provinces through NIA-assisted Irrigators Associations (IAs).

MANILA: The Philippines will encourage its international development partners to invest more in initiatives that would advance women’s participation and role in peace and security, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said Wednesday. Pangandaman lamented that most projects from the country’s development partners do not include women, peace, and security initiatives. ‘If there is one, it’s not that big. The pie doesn’t show a big chunk of the budget on women, peace, and security. So, we would like to push that forward,’ she said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay. ‘More than anything else, we need the cooperation of the private sector,

MANILA: The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said the mining sector is on standby and ready to assist in disaster response as Severe Tropical Storm Kristine batters many parts of the country. During the situation briefing led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos on Wednesday at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) office in Quezon City, Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga said they have reached out to the private sector, particularly the mining industry, to help the government with its disaster response operations. ‘They may be called to assist in response and recovery, probably rescue

MANILA: The Cagayan de Oro-based company Rizome was feted with a US Department of State award for its pioneering use of engineered bamboo as a sustainable construction material in the Philippines. The American company is among the six firms that won the 2024 Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE), bagging recognition in the ‘Climate Resilience’ category. Rizome is the first company to produce a wide array of bamboo building products from its flagship project in the Philippines. It uses innovative technology to create a sustainable alternative to other construction materials, while reforesting with fast-growing bamboo. State Department Special

Manila: The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) reported Wednesday that it has approved a total of PHP123.76 billion worth of projects from January to October 2024. Despite the lower investment commitments, which went down by 6 percent from PHP131.76 billion in the same period in 2023, the number of projects approved by the PEZA Board in the first 10 months in 2024 improved to 198 from 169 last year. These projects will boost Philippine exports by USD3.08 billion annually and generate 40,733 jobs. Job creation in PEZA ecozones this year increased by 43 percent from 28,521 jobs generated in the