ECCP at Work

DA: 60-day ban on pork imports starts November

The halt on importing pork products comes as some local retailers have imposed a three-day pig holiday, suspending live hog deliveries and meat sales to protest mounting industry losses, high production costs and unfair competition from imported pork products.

As peso dives, PHL eyes ‘greatest export year’

For Trade Undersecretary and Board of Investments (BOI) Managing Head Ceferino S. Rodolfo, the country could exceed $100 billion in merchandise exports this year if the recent growth momentum continues, following August’s record monthly performance.

Hacking attempts surge as companies, governments rush to patch PHP flaws

Global firms and governments rushed on Thursday to patch critical flaws in the PHP programming language that underpins much of the internet, as cloud firms reported a surge of hacking attempts after the vulnerabilities were disclosed.

Philippine budget deficit widens slightly in September

The fiscal gap inched up by 0.33% to P248.9 billion in September from P248.1 billion in the same month a year earlier, Treasury data released on Thursday showed.

DFA calls out Chinese Embassy for series of 'undiplomatic' posts

The Department of Foreign Affairs has rebuked the Chinese Embassy in Manila over a string of "escalatory and undiplomatic" social media posts targeting Filipino officials since the Chinese ambassador remarked last week that China could “easily win” if it used force.

PBBM admin renews commitment to AFP modernization

Malacañang on Wednesday reiterated that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration remains committed to the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ modernization program, even with a lower allocation than the Department of National Defense’s budget request under the proposed 2027 budget.

China mulls sanctions, oil and fertilizer cuts vs Philippines — report

China is reportedly considering 10 possible countermeasures against the Philippines, including sanctions on Filipino politicians, cuts in oil and fertilizer supplies, and the removal of the grounded warship at Ayungin Shoal, amid escalating tensions over the South China Sea, aggravated by statements from some Philippine government officials.

It’s final: MRT-3 to be privatized by 2027

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is pushing through with the private turnover of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3, aiming to award the MRT-3 concession by the second quarter of next year. The DOTr plans to start the bidding for the P103.6-billion concession of the MRT-3 by mid-2027, Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said.

PEZA beats full-year investment target in Oct.

THE PHILIPPINE Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) has approved P12.5 billion in investments in October, bringing the 10-month total to P310 billion and surpassing its full-year target.

US backs Philippines’ ube push with $34.1 million funding

The US Department of Agriculture will provide $34.1 million to support the Philippines’ push to develop purple yam or ube, as demand for the root crop surges.

Monetary Board raises Target RRP Rate by 50 basis points

At its monetary policy meeting today, the Monetary Board decided to raise the BSP’s Target Reverse Repurchase (RRP) Rate by 50 basis points to 5.50 percent. The interest rates on the overnight deposit and lending facilities were adjusted to 5.00 percent and 6.00 percent, respectively.

Pangilinan calls for declaration of national state of emergency amid Super El Niño

Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan made the call during the Senate hearing on the P171.3-billion proposed budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA), saying that it is high time the Executive Department considers such move to help mitigate the effects of the drought on the various sectors in agriculture, especially the provinces who are badly hit by the phenomenon.

El niño’s damage to farms breaches P8.57B in 14 regions

The volume of losses has soared to 220,307 metric tons (MT), severely hitting the corn sector which sustained most of the damage at 132,290 MT worth P5 billion.

SEA Climate Change 'to hit PHL hardest'

THE Philippines is projected to incur the highest port damage in Southeast Asia from climate-related hazards, with losses potentially reaching $70.2 billion annually by 2100, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

PPA sees 1.93 million sea travelers on Undas
Up to 1.93 million people are expected to travel by sea from Oct. 27 to Nov. 5, to spend All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day in the provinces, according to the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).

P1.8-B NIA project to boost irrigation, flood protection in Pilar, Bohol

The Malinao Dam will hold nearly twice as much water once the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) finishes a P1.8 billion upgrade, giving Bohol farmers steadier irrigation.