The appointment of Ma. Theresa Lazaro as Secretary of Foreign Affairs has been welcomed as a strategic affirmation of the Philippines’ assertive foreign policy in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), according to the think tank Stratbase Institute.
The Land Bank of the Philippines has remitted a record-high ₱33.53 billion in cash dividends to the national government this year, the highest among all government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) for the second consecutive year.
The Department of Agriculture (DA), in coordination with the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), will provide pesticide assistance to sugarcane farmers in the Negros region to combat the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) infestation, which threatens to cut sugar content by up to 50 percent.
The Stratbase Institute has issued a strong condemnation of the latest aggressive actions by the China Coast Guard against Philippine research vessels, describing the acts as “unacceptable” and a “direct threat” to Filipino personnel operating within the country’s own territorial waters.