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Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco will remain in the Cabinet of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. but will step down as head of the Department of Tourism to become Presidential Adviser for Sustainable and Resilient Communities. Malacañang said tourism Undersecretary Verna Buensuceso will serve as officer in charge of the agency until a new tourism secretary is appointed. The Palace did not immediately explain the leadership change, and it remains unclear whether recent criticism surrounding the tourism department’s promotional campaign had any bearing on Frasco’s reassignment. Palace Press Officer and Undersecretary Claire Castro said President Marcos expressed his appreciation for Frasco’s leadership at the tourism department.

The Philippines is closely watching a new US trade investigation that could reshape manufacturing supply chains and complicate trade flows across Southeast Asia.

The Philippines is pressing Southeast Asian economies to keep markets open as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East threaten to rattle global supply chains and push up energy costs.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on Thursday said electricity prices at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) could rise by P2 to P4 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) next month, based on simulations by the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP).