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Online gambling activity in the Philippines plunged by 50% after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) ordered e-wallet providers to remove links to gambling sites—just days after Senator Alan Peter Cayetano grilled central bank officials during a Senate hearing for their delayed response. At the August 14 Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on online gambling, Cayetano…
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Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. is advocating for the continued expansion of Rice Processing Systems (RPS) across the country, even as the Department of Agriculture (DA), through the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech), rolls out large-scale milling infrastructure. He downplayed concerns that this growth could lead to overcapacity in the…
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President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed Executive Order No. 92 establishing the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Pasig River Rehabilitation (OPAPRR), a new body tasked with leading the cleanup and redevelopment of the historic but heavily polluted Pasig River. The OPAPRR, headed by a Presidential Adviser with Cabinet rank, will oversee the implementation…
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In response to President Marcos Jr.’s call to cut red tape, the Department of Energy (DOE) convened an inter-agency meeting on August 14, 2025, to streamline the Net Metering Program and make renewable energy more accessible to Filipino households. Joined by the ERC, DILG, NEA, and Meralco, the DOE aims to simplify application procedures, enforce…
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Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. has directed the Rice Industry Development Office (RIDO), led by Undersecretary Christopher Morales, to investigate the growing preference among Filipino consumers for imported rice—especially premium Vietnamese varieties. Laurel noted that this trend may reflect a shift in consumer priorities, with more Filipinos favoring quality over quantity. Attributes such…
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President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has once again called out negligent contractors, this time after uncovering a “ghost” flood control project in Baliuag, Bulacan. Days later, Metro Manila was hit by flash floods following heavy rains, prompting class suspensions and traffic chaos. “If all of these projects were properly executed and implemented, ang laki nang…
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The Department of Energy (DOE) recently conducted its second reconnaissance survey in Palawan as part of a nationwide initiative to explore the country’s potential for white hydrogen—a naturally occurring energy source with a low carbon footprint. Technical teams from the Energy Resource Development Bureau (ERDB) and Energy Research and Testing Laboratory Services (ERTLS) collected water,…
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Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin received Australian Deputy Prime Minister and concurrent Minister of Defence, Richard Marles, during a courtesy call at the Presidential Guest House in Malacañan Palace on Friday. Marles is in Manila for the 2nd Philippines-Australia Defense Ministers Meeting (DMM) hosted by the Department of National Defense (DND). DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro…
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The Young Guns commended the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for their unwavering resolve in safeguarding the nation’s territorial integrity. In response to the recent incident at the BRP Sierra Madre in the West Philippine Sea, where Chinese forces attempted to board the grounded vessel, the coalition praised the AFP’s steadfast commitment to national…
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Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Thursday evening proposed an “experiment” aiming to prevent a repeat of the corruption that led to the mangling of the 2025 national budget through congressional insertions and realignments. For the 2026 budget, Lacson proposed that the Senate adopt the National Expenditure Program (NEP) in full, with the assumption that…
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The Bench Files 