Nation

SENATOR Imee Marcos has called for a one-year suspension of the value-added tax (VAT) on oil products amid lingering economic difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Marcos, who chairs the Senate committee on economic affairs, noted on Tuesday another price hike by oil companies that reached per liter increases of P1.15 for gasoline, P0.60 for diesel, and P0.65 for kerosene.Since January, fuel prices per liter have already increased by P13 for gasoline, P10 for diesel, and P9 for kerosene, Marcos said. SEN. IMEE MARCOS Marcos said suspending the 12 percent VAT on oil products will provide relief to various consumers other than just motorists. "Oil price hikes have a domino effect on agricultural products and other essentials. The higher costs will be passed on to the ordina...

Former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday renewed his call for the establishment of the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR), saying the country needs a department that will focus on rehabilitation efforts and boost the national government’s rehabilitation capacity. “Ang point ay hindi kaya ng present set-up natin na DOH, DSWD, at DOLE ang sila ang tumutugon kapag mayroong kalamidad, kasi after ‘yung relief, wala ng effort sa rehabilitation,” Cayetano said in a press conference in Baguio City on July 2. (The point is our present set-up, where the Department of Health, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of Labor and Employment all respond to disasters, is not working because no rehabilitation efforts usually ...

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO TARLAC (June 3)—Citicore Power Inc. (Citicore), a leading agro-solar energy supply and solutions provider, unveiled the Citicore AgroSolar project that was highlighted by the first-ever turmeric harvest festival at Citicore's Tarlac 2 Solar Plant in Barangay Dalayap, Tarlac City. Citicore AgroSolar project highlighted by the first-ever turmeric harvest festival at Citicore's Tarlac 2 Solar Plant in Barangay Dalayap, Tarlac City. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Citicore President Oliver Tan said the pilot project demonstrates that agriculture and solar power generation can coexist. "After 10 months of strict project implementation and monitoring, we consider the AgroSolar model a resounding success for the Filipino people. The output is sufficiently high, which can be p...

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO CAGAYAN VALLEY (June 1)—As Covid-19 cases continue to decline in the National Capital Region, infections and deaths rose in Baguio City and Cagayan Valley, greatly alarming local officials. Baguio City recorded its highest case fatality rate (CFR) at 2.09 percent on May 20 with 247 deaths out of 11,814 cases. City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit head Dr. Donnabel Panes said Baguio's CFR is higher than the national rate of 1.69 percent. She said more than half of the fatalities were aged 50 and above and there were more males than females. "These statistics put the 50 and above age group at higher risk of death so we would want them to get vaccines to prevent severity and decrease chances of dying," Panes said. "As to the men, we have to encourage th...

KALINGA (May 30)—Mayor Karl Bugao Baac of Rizal in Kalinga province received P20 million to fund projects in Barangay Babalag East under the anti-insurgency program of the national government.  According to Baac, the fund came from the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac).  "This village with 500 families is only receiving an internal revenue allotment, ranging from P1 million to P2 million, and that we are thankful that the village was included in the NTF-Elcac development program," he said.  Baac added that P15 million will be used for the rehabilitation of the Barroga-Baggas farm-to-market road, P3 million for the improvement of the water system and P2 million for the rehabilitation of the health center building. LCD

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO’ NUEVA ECIJA (May 27)—A SCIENCE City of Muñoz-based state university in Central Luzon received the 1st Philippine Higher Education Internalization Award together with 17 other higher education institutions (HEIs) during a virtual awarding ceremony on May 19 via Zoom and Facebook page of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd). Central Luzon State University is one of 18 higher education institutions recognized by the Commission on Higher Education at the 1st Philippine Higher Education Internalization Award. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Receiving the said award was Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija through its entry, the "International Filipino Language and Culture Program." Of the other 17 HEIs, the Philippine Normal University, Maritime...

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO LA UNION (May 27)—The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) in Region 1 has paid tribute to 10 exemplary state universities and colleges (SUC) graduates in the Ilocos region during the "Padyak Pagkilala: Gawad Parangal sa Natatanging Mag-aaral" held at Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) on May 18. Commission on Higher Education celebrates 27th Founding Anniversary in Ilocos with tribute to 10 exemplary State Universities and Colleges graduates in Region 1 at the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University International Convention Center. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Honoring the 10 outstanding graduates coincided with the celebration of CHEd's 27th Founding Anniversary on May 17 and 1st National Higher Education Day on May 18 at the DMMMSU's Interna...

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO LAGUNA (May 27)—The Economic Research Institute for Asean and East Asia (ERIA) has tapped a Philippine-based inter-government treaty organization to develop the guidelines for the utilization of digital technologies for agriculture in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Glenn Gregorio, director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca), said his agency was tapped to develop the guidelines that will be part of the project titled "Enhancing Food Supply Chain Resilience and Food Security in Asean with Utilization of Digital Technologies" of ERIA with the Asean Secretariat. "Digital technologies and innovations are evident to support the Asean economic community transforming to a more resil...

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO ILOCOS NORTE: A rare feat for any local government unit (LGU), the Commission on Audit (CoA) gave the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) the highest degree of audit opinion for 2020. In a letter to Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc, lawyer Chito Janaban, CoA Region 1 director, said they rendered an “unmodified opinion” on the fairness of presentation of the financial statements for reasons stated in the CoA's Independent Auditor’s Report. In auditing parlance, an unmodified opinion is made by an auditor when financial statements are prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) as well as applicable regulations. Gayfelyn Labayan, CoA audit leader assigned at the PGIN Capitol, said o...