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AUSTRALIA SEEKS ‘NEW LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT’ WITH PH, PALACE SAYS By Charles Dantes
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 20• 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 2024 •
BEST MATES. President Marcos shakes hands with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese before leaving Canberra on Thursday night. PPO Photo
Gov’t to boost Palawan via key works—Speaker Congress to allocate at least P3b for crucial infra projects Romualdez also led the distribution of P12 million worth of additional rice and cash aid to Puerto Princesa indigents and fire victims and P200,000 worth of rice and groceries to the Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the province. “In my capacity as your legislative district caretaker and as Speak-
By Rio N. Araja and Vince Lopez
T
HE government will pursue key projects in Palawan given its strategic importance to the country’s efforts in the West Philippine Sea, Speaker Martin Romualdez said Friday.
er of the House, I pledge to marshal all necessary resources to support our key development priorities. This commitment extends beyond mere words; it is a promise already set into motion. The support from Congress for Puerto Princesa and Palawan will remain steadfast and unyielding,” Romualdez said. Next page
SPEAKER IN PALAWAN. Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez salutes the honor guards with Philippine Navy Western Command Chief Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos during his arrival at Antonio Airbase, in Puerto Princesa, Palawan on Friday. Ver Noveno
AUSTRALIA is eyeing a “new level of engagement” with the Philippines in various areas of cooperation such as economy, education, agriculture, and defense, Malacañang said on Friday. The commitment was made by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during the second and last day of President Marcos’ visit to Canberra on Thursday, Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said in a statement. The President returned to the country on Thursday night after his two-day state visit to Australia. In Next page
TAGUIG LGU MEN HIT FOR TRESPASSING NEWS / A2
VILLAR: CHA-CHA ‘NOT IMPORTANT’ NEWS / A3
El Niño’s worst ‘yet to come,’ mercury rising THE worst of El Niño has yet to come, state weather forecasters warned yesterday, noting that temperatures could soar to as high as 40 degrees Celsius once the Amihan season ends this month. The state weather bureau said the heat index, also known as the discomfort index, can go even higher with the Amihan season expected to last for at least three more weeks. “We have yet to experience the worst of the heat until the termination of the Amihan season. We predict that in some areas, the temperature could reach as high as 40 degrees especially in areas in Cagayan Valley by April or May,” said PAGASA Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section chief Ana Solis. While the strong and mature El Niño peaked in February, its lag effect will remain in the next three months, she said. “Historically, El Niño always has a lag effect...It is only now at the start of March that we will experience its possible impact,” Solis added. At least 24 provinces are currently experiencing meteorological drought conditions with at least a 60 percent reduction from average rainfall for three consecutive months, or a 20 to 60 percent reduction from average for five consecuNext page tive months.
Mixed movement for fuel prices seen; ‘Mix of human factors turns downpours into disasters’ Firms hiking LPG cost by P0.30 per kg By Alena Mae S. Flores CONSUMERS can expect mixed price movements for fuel prices next week, with gasoline prices increasing while diesel and kerosene prices go down. Industry sources said gasoline prices may go up by P0.20 to P0.45 per liter while diesel and kerosene will have rollbacks of P0.30 to P0.60 per liter and P0.30 to P0.50 per liter, respectively.
This developed as local oil firms increased the price of liquefied petroleum gas by as much as P0.30 per kilogram to reflect the higher contract price of LPG in the world oil market. Petron Corp. and Solane LPG announced price hikes of P0.30 and P0.27 per kilo for LPG, respectively, starting March 1. This is equivalent to an additional P2.97 to P3.30 for an 11-kg LPG tank. Next page
FAULTY warning systems, poverty and deforestation of mountains in the southern Philippines turned recent unseasonably heavy rains into deadly disasters, scientists said in a report Friday.
More than 100 people were killed in landslides and floods in January and February on the country's second-largest island of Mindanao as the northeast monsoon and a low-pressure trough brought
downpours. On Friday, ABS-CBN also reported that 10 houses were washed away by heavy floods in Davao Occidental province. Next page
P3.72b in smuggled vapes seized in 2 cities By Vito Barcelo and Darwin Amojelar OPERATIVES from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized at least P3.72 billion worth of smuggled vapes during a raid on several warehouses in
Malabon and Parañaque cities. Among the recovered contraband include 1.5 million pieces of disposable vapes with the brand name Flava and 1.98 million vapes in separate warehouses from the aforesaid cities.
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93 PERCENT COMPLETE. The Upper Wawa Dam in Rodriguez, Rizal, the
largest water supply infrastructure to be built in 50 years, is shown at 93 percent completion as of Feb. 28. The 85-meter roller-compacted concrete (RCC) dam is to be finished ahead of schedule, according to Prime Infrastructure-led WawaJVCo Inc. (see story on Business, page B4).
UPPER WAWA DAM TO EASE WATER WOES
Proudly single! Lahbati confirms Gutierrez breakup
PH brings home the bacon with Guinness record
From bed bugs to rats: Rodents spotted in NAIA
NEWS / A2
NEWS / A2
NEWS / A2
BUSINESS / B4