Editor’s Pick

THE household electrification rate was 92.96% as of October, equivalent to 23.23 million households with access to power, the Department of Energy (DoE) said, citing data from electric cooperatives and utilities. The October total exceeds the 22.98 million with access to power identified in the 2015 census, the DoE said …

THE Trade department has asked the new chairman of the House committee on trade and industry to prioritize the passage of consumer protections and pricing laws. Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez and Navotas Representative John Reynald M. Tiangco held their first virtual meeting Tuesday. In a statement Thursday, the Department …

THE US Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded $890,000 worth of grants to five groups in the Philippines trying to find solutions to ocean plastics pollution, the US Embassy said in a statement Thursday. USAID tapped its Clean Cities, Blue Ocean (CCBO) program for the funds, CCBO was launched …

THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said Camiguin and Tuguegarao airports are the last two facilities still closed to commercial flights in the absence of permission from the local governments. It said consent has been obtained for commercial operations from local governments overseeing 47 other airports, subject to …

AN INDEPENDENT commission with the power to review the deterioration of education standards during the pandemic has been proposed by Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), a private-sector organization advocating for workforce development. PBEd said in a virtual briefing Thursday that the commission was among its recommendations, citing concerns about the …

THE International Labor Organization (ILO) said Thursday that employers need to focus on the problems faced by workers who have adopted work-from-home arrangements during the pandemic, particularly the need to pay fair salaries and offer social protections. In a statement, the ILO said home-based work during the pandemic can make …

SLOW INTERNET connections and lack of trust in financial technology (fintech) services are hindering the transition to digital technology of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the competition regulator said. Speaking at a webinar organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Wednesday, Philippine Competition Commission Chairman Arsenio M. Balisacan said …

Cagayan River dredging to start soon DREDGING operations in three heavily silted segments of the Cagayan River, which partly caused heavy flooding in Cagayan province last year, will start by the end of the month or early February, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said on Thursday. In …

Anti-graft court dismisses pork barrel case vs Honasan THE Sandiganbayan has dismissed the graft charges against Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio B. Honasan II over the alleged anomalous use of pork barrel funds when he was senator. In a 52 page decision released on Thursday, the anti-graft …

THE NATIONAL Government won’t restrict mayors and governors in choosing a particular coronavirus vaccine for their people, President Rodrigo R. Duterte said on Wednesday night. “You can choose any vaccine you like to buy,” he said at a televised meeting with Cabinet officials. “We don’t care which one you’ll choose,” …