Latest resupply mission successful, says PCG
THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has conducted successful resupply mission at three Philippine-occupied islands in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in the South China Sea, the agency said yesterday.
Waters latest news
Optimal use of forest resources pushed
SEN. Jose «Jinggoy» Estrada has filed a bill that seeks to optimize the utilization of forest resources to support the sustainable development of the country by providing equitable access and benefits to stakeholders.
Chef Tatung Sarthou shares 'Pochero' recipe from 'Simpol Dishkarte' book
MANILA, Philippines — A number of recipes, most of them classic Filipino dishes, appear in Chef Myke ‘Tatung’ Sarthou’s newly launched book, "Simple Dishkarte."
Baguio City on its toes for spike in acute gastroenteritis
BAGUIO CITY — Public health officials in Baguio City have shored up steps to thwart the further hike of acute gastroenteritis cases in the City of Pines.
Senator criticizes plan to import jeepneys from China
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Raffy Tulfo has expressed opposition to the government's alleged plan to import modern jeepney units from China to replace the traditional jeepney vehicles even as modern jeepneys made by local manufacturers are more affordable — a move that he said “reeks of corruption."
December inflation cools to 3.9%, but average FY23 inflation finished at 6%
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) [link] reported that December inflation cooled to 3.9% y/y. While this monthly result is within the government’s target range of 2% to 4%, the average inflation for the full year was significantly outside of that target band at 6%. The PSA said that the lower inflation rate in December was driven by slower price increases in housing and essential utilities like water, fuel, and power. According to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the increase in the price of rice was still the “most significant contributor” to the December inflation result. NEDA said that additional short-term relief measures will be considered to complement its medium-term goal of boosting agricultural productivity.MB BOTTOM-LINE: The giddy calls for a Q1 US Federal Reserve pivot from tightening (raising rates) to loosening (cutting rates) have given way to the post-New Year’s hangover reality that rates there are likely to remain level for some time before coming back down, and I hear a similar hesitancy from the BSP and our country’s economic managers to take their knee off of inflation’s neck too quickly. That said, the BSP’s Governor, Eli Remolona, said that it had been “intervening a bit too much” in the foreign exchange markets to support the Philippine Peso’s value relative to the US Dollar, and signaled that the BSP would move toward a “less managed” framework for foreign exchange interventions. Mr. Remolona had previously committed to defending the ?57:$1 “psychological” line, but now appears open to allowing the exchange rate to drift a bit further afield. It’s worth watching for companies that still carry a heavy amount of debt denominated in US Dollars.
Coast Guard evacuates German suffering stroke aboard ship near Pangasinan
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Coast Guard officials conducted a "medical evacuation" for one German passenger aboard a ship northwest of Bolinao, Pangasinan on Friday.
Death toll hits 126 in Japan quake
SHIROMARU, Japan — Rescuers and residents sifted through rubble Saturday as their focus turned to recovering bodies and cleaning up rather than finding survivors, five days after a huge earthquake struck central Japan and killed at least 126 people.