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VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 109 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2024
NEDA Board okays lower tariff for rice Gov’t sees rice prices to ease down to P29/k By Charles Dantes, Darwin Amojelar and Othel Campos
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HE government seeks to bring down rice prices to P29 per kilo for low-income households following the approval of a tariff reduction on rice, chemicals, and coal briquettes to make these items more affordable.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the Comprehensive Tariff Program for 2024-2028 was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board.
Boracay Newcoast
The program reduces tariff rates on rice imports to 15 percent for both in-quota and out-quota categories, down from the previous 35 percent. Next page
SAFE REFUGE. Evacuees rest inside an evacuation center set up at a school in a village in Canlaon, Negros Occidental province, central Philippines on June 4, 2024 following the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano yesterday. AFP
This 150-hectare township is surrounded by the first and only golf course in Boracay, comprising around 15% of the entire island.
MegaStan
Marcos assures aid as Canlaon City declares state of calamity By Charles Dantes PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday vowed continued government assistance to residents affected by the Kanlaon Volcano eruption, as a state of calamity was declared by the Canlaon City government. In a video message, the President said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are actively managing the situation and providing support. Approximately 170 families or 796 individuals have been affected. “We have distributed sleeping kits in La Castellana and there are already Next page
FLiRT variant entered PH in May, but country remains COVID low-risk—DoH A SUBVARIANT of the so-called “FLiRT” strain of COVID-19 has been detected in the country in May, the Department of Health said. “It may be likely that there were ear-
lier KP.2 cases, but because of limited sequencing we have not detected and reported this earlier,” DOH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said. FLiRT variants have two extra mu-
tations on their spike proteins, which nant variant in the US and is being moni-experts said may make it easier for the tored by the World Health Organization. variants to evade people’s immunity, The Health department, however, according to Yale Medicine said the country remained at low risk The KP.2 subvariant is now the domiNext page
President accepts Zelenskyy invite to attend Peace Summit By Charles Dantes PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos will attend the inaugural Global Peace Summit in Switzerland on June 15, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to Manila. In an interview, Zelenskyy said President Marcos told him that the Philippines would participate in the upcoming summit to discuss global issues such as food security, nuclear security, humanitarian issues, and war between Next page
SEARCH FOR SM LITTLE STARS. Celebrating its 15th year with over 15 million pesos in prizes, the Philippines’ biggest mall-based kiddie talent search kicks off preliminary auditions on June 8 across 71 SM malls. Attending the launch were (from left to right): Director Antoinette Jadaone, 2013 3rd runner-up Esang de Torres, SM Supermalls’ Senior Vice President for Marketing Joaquin San Agustin, Assistant Vice President for Marketing Carinna Sy, singer Karylle Yuzon, National University Senior Director of Admissions Dr. Christina Corpuz, and GMA Consulting Head for Talent Imaging and Marketing Lawrence Tan at the press launch ceremonial balloon popping in SM Megamall.
Guo to appeal suspension; 49 Bamban cops sacked FORTY-NINE police officers belonging to the Bamban Municipal Police Station in Tarlac have been relieved to undergo reorientation amid investigations into the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in Mayor Alice Guo’s hometown. Meanwhile, the camp of suspended Bamban, Tarlac
Mayor Alice Guo said Tuesday they would file a motion to lift her six-month suspension. “We will prove that the evidence is not strong. In fact, there is no evidence,”Guo’s lawyer Stephen David told Teleradyo Serbisyo.
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Risa: Probe Rody over Pharmally By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday said former President Rodrigo Duterte should be investigated over the anomalous Pharmally transaction following the disclosures of former Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. Next page
BETTER HOUSING UNDER PBBM NEWS / A2
X-RATED NOW ALLOWED IN X WORLD / A6
WORLD BANK SEES PH GDP AT 5.9% BUSINESS / B1
TAIWAN STILL VISA-FREE NEWS / A2