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Global rice prices continued their downward trend, with the cost of 5 percent broken rice from Vietnam—the variety primarily imported by the Philippines—dropping below USD400 per metric ton.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Friday announced that the fuel subsidy program benefiting public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers, tricycle operators, and delivery service riders should be completed by the second quarter this year. The initiative aims to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices on over one million workers in the transportation sector.

The Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) announced Friday that the construction of the country’s tallest Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower is on track to be completed by the second quarter of 2025.

Del Monte Pacific Ltd. announced on Friday that it has successfully completed the acquisition of a 14 percent indirect stake in Agro Tech Foods Ltd. (ATFL), a publicly listed Indian food company. This move is part of Del Monte Pacific’s ongoing restructuring of its investment in Del Monte India.

Vice President Sara Duterte appeared composed and unshaken as she addressed the media on Friday regarding her impeachment and the looming Senate trial. She revealed that her legal team had been preparing for this moment since November, amid the House of Representatives' investigation into her alleged misuse of funds from both the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education—a portfolio she held until her resignation in June of last year. When asked about the gravity of the impeachment trial—where conviction would not only remove her from office but also bar her from future public service—Duterte casually quipped, "Mas masakit pa ang iwanan ng boyfriend kaysa ma-impeach ng House of Representatives. (It hurts more to be dumped by a boyfriend than be impeached by the House of Representatives.)”