PHILSTAR FILE PHOTOTOURISM in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) will continue to recover this year, though at a slower-than-expected pace, Fitch Ratings said.“We forecast visitation in APAC to hit 92% of 2019 levels, with nominal international tourism receipts exceeding that of 2019 by 6%. Most Fitch-rated APAC

PIXABAYTHE Department of Energy (DoE) said coal-fired generating plants can support the Philippines’ baseload power needs until about 2030.Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla described as sufficient the baseload capacity of over 6,300 megawatts (MW) due to the relative newness of many coal-fired power plants.“We are

TOWFIQU BARBHUIYA-UNSPLASHHEALTH maintenance organization (HMO) Maxicare Healthcare Corp. said on Wednesday that the data breach of its systems on June 13 did not involve sensitive medical information.In a statement, Maxicare said that the incident, which it described as “alleged unauthorized access” to the personal information

Republic Act No. 11976, otherwise known as the Ease of Paying Taxes (EoPT) Act, is a landmark legislative measure aimed at simplifying tax compliance procedures and reducing the administrative burdens on taxpayers.Particularly for the value-added tax (VAT) refund process, the EoPT Act and its implementing

BRP SIERRA MADRE, a marooned transport ship which Philippine Marines live in as a military outpost, sits on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. — REUTERSTHE PHILIPPINE military chief on Wednesday said bolo-wielding Chinese Coast Guard

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter VICE-PRESIDENT Sara Duterte-Carpio on Wednesday resigned from the Cabinet of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., according to the presidential palace, ending two years of political partnership with the Marcoses. She would no longer serve as Education secretary and as vice chairperson

POLITICAL and security analysts on Wednesday said the Philippines should devise new strategies in dealing with Chinese aggression in the South China Sea, warning that Beijing might soon impose a total blockade at Second Thomas Shoal. “We should prepare for a long game, considering a scenario

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBANTHE PHILIPPINE National Police has ordered its units to reduce office work to boost patrol operations across the country.In a statement, national police chief Rommel Francisco Marbil said 85% of all police personnel should be engaged in field duties, reducing the number of

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBANTHE METROPOLITAN Manila and Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday said it would temporarily ban trucks and buses from using the U-turn slot under the Quezon Avenue flyover along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) starting June 22.This is to give way to the

THE PHILIPPINE government is unwavering in its commitment to protect human rights, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said on Wednesday, after four cops were convicted in connection with the state’s deadly war on drugs. “This conviction is a milestone in our criminal justice system, a testament

COTABATO CITY — Residents have called for a probe of Tuesday night’s bombing of a fuel station in Lamitan City, convinced it was meant to embarrass local officials who declared all of its 45 villages as Abu Sayyaf-free. Governor Hadjiman H. Salliman, who heads the Basilan

PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCASTHE GOVERNMENT should consider moving telecommunication and power lines underground in areas often struck by calamities to ensure minimal power and communication disruptions, a congressman said on Wednesday.In a statement, Party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy said the Department of Energy (DoE) and National Electrification