Sugar millers join call to lessen agri imports
The local sugar industry has joined the call of other agriculture groups to stop the importation of various farm commodities......»»
More Korean tourists, investors eyed for ‘insurgency-free’ Mindanao areas
Department of National Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong on Friday said the Korean government has expressed willingness to further expand their business ventures in Mindanao, following the declaration of some areas in the region as having been freed from the insurgency problem. This development was discussed during the introductory call of the Republic of Korea ambassador to the Philippines Lee Sang-hwa on Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. at the DND headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on 17 August. Andolong said Teodoro and Lee likewise discussed the upcoming” high-level” visit of Korean President Yoon Suk Yeo to Manila, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of Philippines-ROK diplomatic relations. “[This will] be an occasion for our two countries to reaffirm our commitment to strengthen our longstanding relations and further explore ways of building shared opportunities,” he added. During their meeting, Teodoro conveyed the country’s appreciation for Korea’s assistance in addressing the Philippines’ internal security issues and providing aid during calamities. The Defense chief also cited Korea’s assistance in the capacity-building of members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. “The Secretary also recognized the opportunity to diversify defense cooperation with the ROK, which has been among the Philippines' largest partners in terms of defense materiel and logistics,” Andolong said. He added that both officials seek to further improve the “high influx of Korean tourists and investors” in the Philippines. “Recalling the declaration of the Davao region as insurgency-free, Secretary Teodoro shared with Ambassador Lee that he sought to further expand this status of a secure tourism and investment-ready destination across the whole of Mindanao,” Andolong said. The Davao region has maintained its “insurgency-free” status for more than a year now, after a long history of being a place of clashes between the military and communist rebels. In April 2022, Korean delegates, particularly former Ambassador Kim In-Chul, along with other Korean government organizations and private sector companies, held an official business visit in Davao City to assess possible areas of investment opportunities in Mindanao such as infrastructure, telecommunications, connectivity, energy and agri-business for Davao City and Panabo City. The post More Korean tourists, investors eyed for ‘insurgency-free’ Mindanao areas appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tariffs tweak must favor majority — MAP
The Management Association of the Philippines on Tuesday called on the government if it is indeed serious about adjusting the current tariff structure, saying that it should be for the common good of all Filipinos. The call, given to the members of the media through a position paper, was amid the ongoing move by the Tariff Commission and the National Economic and Development Authority or NEDA to review and reform the tariff structure of the Philippines. With this, MAP said NEDA and TC should be mindful that the adjustment should support food security for Filipinos, especially accessibility and affordability of competitively priced food, via low tariffs on food products. Also, the position paper, signed by MAP president, Atty. Benedicta Du-Baladad, said the tariff development should strengthen sustainable agri-food value chains, especially domestic agricultural value-adding enterprises including processing, storage, and logistics, through a rational tariff structure where rates on inputs do not exceed those on finished products. Distortions and unwarranted protection arising from tariff peaks, currently seen primarily in agricultural products, should be avoided. The changes also seek to cut incentives and reduce opportunities for corruption and smuggling by unifying Minimum Access Volume or MAV and non-MAV tariff rates, and keeping tariffs relatively low and uniform across all goods (with a maximum 10 percent to 15 percent) to keep food prices affordable, especially to the poor. High prices fuel poverty “Filipino families have historically been burdened with high food prices than consumers in other countries across ASEAN and beyond. The burden is worsened by relatively lower incomes, the bulk of which must be spent on food because prices are higher than elsewhere. Worse, lower-income families are forced to purchase food products of low nutritional value, leading to a worsening vicious cycle of poverty, hunger, and poor nutrition, lowered human capacity, hence persistent and further deepening poverty,” the paper reads. Despite this, the MAP said tariffs on agricultural and food commodities are higher than those applied to goods in general, as the TC reports that the simple average of tariffs applied on agricultural products is 12 percent, while the average for all products is 8 percent. “Trade-weighted averages show the same pattern, with 9 percent for agriculture, nearly double that for all goods at 5 percent. Agricultural tariffs have remained high because these have been generally excluded from tariff adjustments over the past decades, with agricultural products deemed ‘sensitive’ levied the highest statutory rates of up to 65 percent,” the group explained. In 2015, two-thirds or 66 percent of Philippine agricultural output by value was shielded from foreign competition by Most Favored Nation tariffs of 40 percent or more. “The 2018 Philippines Trade Policy Review, jointly undertaken by the government and the World Trade Organization, showed majority of commodities have MFN tariffs ranging from zero to 20 percent. However, about 6 percent of lines have tariffs significantly above 20 percent, reaching up to 65 percent,” the group explained. The post Tariffs tweak must favor majority — MAP appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Eastern Samar church up in arms vs mining
BORONGAN CITY — Over a thousand parishioners under the Diocese of Borongan marched to the streets for a “Jericho Walk” on Monday morning to air grievances against the continued mining operations in the historic islands of Homonhon and Manicani in the southern town of Guiuan. The prayer rally, led by Borongan Bishop Crispin Varquez, was composed mainly of members of various pastoral organizations from different parishes under the diocese, students of catholic schools, seminarians, nuns and church workers. Fr. James Abella, head of Borongan’s diocesan social action center, said the church is alarmed by the escalating mining activities in the whole Samar Island especially in Guiuan. “It is also our way to call for action to protect the environment and the rights of communities in Homonhon and Manicani,” Abella said. The “Jericho Walk” started at the Borongan Capitol grounds and ended at the Cathedral Parish of the Nativity of Our Lady with a Mass where Varquez was the main presider. In his pastoral message, Varquez said mining operations have worsened the state of poverty due to its impact on marine ecosystems, livelihoods and their health and well-being. Varquez also appealed to the provincial and municipal boards as well as village leaders in affected communities not to endorse mining applications. He also asked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to cancel all mining permits in Samar island. “Let us not be blind to the current horrific effects of mining operations on our main islands, islets, radically scarring landscapes and seascapes,” said the bishop. He stressed that instead of mining, the government should promote agri-ecological tourism in these islands, saying that while mining only contributes 1.10 percent to the country’s gross domestic product, tourism’s share is at 5 to 6 percent. The post Eastern Samar church up in arms vs mining appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Agri state of emergency needs further studies: senator
MANILA - Senator Joel Villanueva does not agree with the call of the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI) for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to declare a state of emergency in the agriculture sector.Villanueva said he is ready to coordinate with the Marcos administration a.....»»
Agri watch groups boycott gov’t food security summit, call for junking of EO 135
“Why would the government launch a National Food Security Summit, if it will only rely on imports instead of boosting local production? The summit should be boycotted because it is organized by those who instigated the food crisis and those who did not address the legitimate demands of rice farmers and food producers.” The post Agri watch groups boycott gov’t food security summit, call for junking of EO 135 appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Sugar millers join call to lessen agri imports
The local sugar industry has joined the call of other agriculture groups to stop the importation of various farm commodities......»»
Belmonte, Binay call for climate action funding from development banks
The C40 coalition of cities, a network of nearly 100 mayors, asked MDBs to increase urban climate investment, integrate urban climate action into their strategies, and implement tailored programs to support city projects. .....»»
Pentagon chief reaffirms support after latest China aggression in WPS
Austin emphasized US support for the Philippines in defending its sovereign rights and jurisdiction in a phone call with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro on Wednesday. .....»»
Thousands join Porac town earthquake drill
Thousands join Porac town earthquake drill.....»»
EAM Jaishankar visits Indian Coast Guard Ship Samudra Paheredar in Manila
Manila [Philippines], March 27 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Indian Coast Guard Ship Samudra Paheredar on Tuesday during its port call to Manila and said that India's Act East policy and Indo-Pacific vision will continue to give it a more contemporary form. He presented his remarks at the Indian Coast Guard Ship Samudra Paheredar on Tuesday and said that his visit and the ship's presence signify th.....»»
Tech advancements in agri sans job threats in Date 2024
Despite the pivotal role of technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) in agricultural development, farmers and laborers in Davao Region face no immediate threat......»»
Jaishankar calls on Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong, values his perspective on current state of world
Singapore, March 25 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday and conveyed the greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Jaishankar valued Lee Hsien Loong's perspectives on the current state of the world. In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Honoured to call on Prime Minister @leehsienloongat The Istana. Conveyed the personal greetings of PM @narendramodi. V.....»»
EAM Jaishankar conveys PM Modi s greetings as he calls on Philippine President Marcos
Manila [Philippines], March 26 (ANI): External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar on Tuesday called on Philippine President Bongbong Marcos and conveyed the greetings of President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister NarendraModi to President Marcos. "Honoured to call-on President @bongbongmarcos of the Philippines. Conveyed the personal greetings of President @rashtrapatibhvn and PM @narendramodi. Valued his warm sentiments tow.....»»
Philippines braces for La Nina, continues to deal with El Nino
MANILA, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines will continue to implement measures to lessen the impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon, as it braces for the opposite La Nina weather pattern, Philippine Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum said Tuesday. Solidum said in a news conference that the Department of Science and Technology's record showed that as of Sunday, 37 provinces across the country hav.....»»
Rice imports as of mid-March 886,963 MT
The country’s rice imports as of mid-March have surpassed the total volume recorded in the entire first quarter of last year by a double-digit rate, to over 880,000 metric tons, government data showed......»»
Team Vice, Team Anne bardagulan sa Family Feud; bakit wala si Karylle?
TULOY na tuloy na ang bakbakan ng mga “It’s Showtime” hosts sa Kapuso game show na “Family Feud” hosted by Dingdong Dantes. Nakapag-taping na last Saturday ang mga taga-“Showtime” sa naturang programa kung saan hinati sila sa dalawang grupo — ang Team Vice Ganda at Team Anne Curtis. Ka-join sa Team Vice sina Jhong Hilario,.....»»
Aktres pinanggigilan ng mga kasamahan sa pagiging late, ‘di nagbago?
LUKANG-LUKA ang co-actors at buong production people ng isang movie outfit sa aktres dahil 6AM ang call time at dumating sa set ng 6PM. Humingi naman daw ng dispensa ang aktres dahil na-overlook niya ang oras bukod pa sa gumimik siya kinagabihan kaya hindi siya nagising at hindi rin siya ginising ng kanyang kasama sa.....»»
Man shot dead while answering phone call in Minglanilla town
Man shot dead while answering phone call in Minglanilla town.....»»
Brazil: Join Regional Treaty on Environment, Defenders
(Sao Paulo) - The administration ofBrazilianPresident Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva should rally legislators to approve theEscaz Agreement, more than 150 Brazilian and international organizations said today in aletterto Instituti.....»»
Stewart Cink, 50, part of five-way tie for Valspar lead
(Photo credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports) Fifty-year-old Stewart Cink shot a 4-under 67 to join a five-way tie for the lead at the Valspar Championship before play was suspended Friday in Palm Harbor, Fla. As the field endured rainy conditions at Innisbrook Resort's Copperhead Course, 20 golfers did not complete their rounds before darkness fell. They will resume their second rounds Saturday at 9 a.m. The five co-lea.....»»