Category: General

MANILA: The new chief of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) vowed to introduce reforms of the agency”s existing policies. In a statement Thursday, Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said this includes a comprehensive review of procedures to identify inefficiencies and remove redundancies. He also reiterated his support for the passage of a new immigration law to replace the country’s 84-year-old Philippine Immigration Act, which he described as outdated and an obstacle to the agency’s modernization efforts. He said the new law would not only streamline immigration procedures but also strengthen border security and improve the governance of immigration policies. “The Bureau

MANILA: The local stock market ended the day lower due to last-minute profit-taking, while the peso weakened on Thursday. The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) declined by 13.89 points to 7,388.92. All Shares however rose by 11.80 points to 3,982.66. “The local market closed lower this Thursday by 0.19 percent to 7,388.92. The bourse was in the positive territory for the most part of the day but was dragged by last-minute profit taking,” Philstock Financials, Inc. research manager Japhet Tantiangco said. Sectors were mixed with the miners leading the gainers, adding 2.57 percent. The services were at the bottom, cutting

KOTA BHARU, The East Coast Malay Batik Association is calling on the government to provide funds for the rehabilitation of dilapidated batik factories in Kelantan through Budget 2025, which Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will table on Oct 18. Its president Kamarul Zaman Mohd Salleh said the issue of dilapidated workshops or factories has been ongoing for a long time, causing losses to its operators. ‘We estimate the repair work will cost RM500,000, given that we have 100 active registered members from a total of 350 members. ‘Most batik entrepreneurs are affected, as their workshops, made of wood, easily

KUANTAN, The Pahang State Health Department (JKNP) reported a total of 1,409 dengue fever cases, including five fatalities, as of Sept 28. State Works, Transport and Health Committee chairman Datuk Razali Kassim, said this is an increase from the corresponding period last year, which recorded 1,075 cases with one death. The five fatalities due to dengue complications involved individuals aged 40 to 65, with one case each reported in Bentong, Bera, Kuantan, Raub, and Rompin. ‘The breeding of Aedes mosquitoes primarily occurs in residential areas, playgrounds, and poorly maintained vegetable gardens,’ he told a press conference after the release of

KUALA LUMPUR, After five long years of being tried in court, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is facing four charges of abusing his position to obtain RM2.3 billion from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and 21 money laundering charges involving the same amount, will know on Oct 30 whether he has to enter his defence. Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah (now Court of Appeal judge), who presided over the trial at the High Court here, will decide whether to call Najib to enter his defence on the charges or to acquit him. “I thank all parties for