(Photo courtesy of the Department of Agriculture) MANILA- Filipino farmers are not only able to deliver excellent farm-to-table products to the local market but are also capable of hitting, if not, surpassing international standards, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA). In a virtual press briefing on Tuesday, Agriculture Undersecretary for High-Value Crops and Rural Credit Evelyn Lavina said Filipino farmers can produce world-class quality products. "Maganda 'yung pag-ani nila dahil dito sa mga binibigay na ayuda ng Department of Agriculture, at di lang 'yan, di lang sa pamimigay, kundi sila mismo (Their harvest is good because of the aid given by the Department of Agriculture, but not only because of the assistance, but they, themselves), as farmer, can already stand on their own, at produce better because they can appreciate it, kagaya ng ating pagpunta sa Boston, mayroon tayong mga tinatawag na kompetisyon, and nakikita natin, halimbawa sa cacao at kape, nag
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire (File photo) MANILA - The slight uptick in Covid-19 cases may have been caused by campaign sorties, increased mobility, and non-compliance to health protocols, a health official said Monday. Over the weekend, the Department of Health reported that 13 areas outside the National Capital Region logged an increase in Covid-19 cases. These include Angeles City, Batanes, Butuan City, Catanduanes, Davao City, Eastern Samar, Ilocos Norte, Kalinga, Marinduque, Olongapo City, Quirino, Surigao del Sur, and Tarlac City. In a Teleradyo Sakto interview, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the recorded increase in Covid-19 cases is not significant as it has not overwhelmed the healthcare system. "Marami pong pwedeng dahilan ang pagtaas ng kaso, unang-una, syempre, 'yung ating minimum public health standards. Pagkatapos nakikita natin 'yung mga crowding talaga (There are many possible causes of the increase in cases, first of all,
TOURISM SUMMIT. WTTC president and CEO Julia Simpson with the rest of the global tourism body's staff during the closing ceremony of the three-day WTTC Global Summit in Manila on Friday (April 22, 2022). Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the Philippines successfully hosted the 2022 World Travel & Tourism Council summit, with zero cases of coronavirus disease 2019 infection. (Photo courtesy of WTTC) MANILA - The Philippines has successfully hosted the 2022 World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) summit, with zero incidences of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infection, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said Friday. The hybrid event at the Marriott Hotel in Newport City gathered 1,200 local and foreign delegates, including the world's foremost business leaders, government ministers, and key decision-makers in the tourism industry, surpassing the 600 initial estimates for in-person attendees. On its virtual platform, some 10,000 participants attended
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Director General Karl Kendrick Chua (File photo) MANILA - Policies are now in place to use new technologies in unlocking the country's potential to be a high-income economy, the government's top economist said. During the online celebration for the National Innovation Day Thursday, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Director General Karl Kendrick Chua said the Philippine Innovation Act will raise the country's productivity through research and development, and using new technologies and processes. "This will enable us to shift from low-value added to high value-added activities and unlock the potential to become a high-income country," Chua said. He said to enable this potential, innovation should be one of the country's priorities in its next Philippine Development Plan (PDP). "The national innovation agenda will hi
(PNA file photo) MANILA - Quezon City remains at a "very low risk" classification as the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections continues to decline, the local government said on Thursday. In a Facebook post, the most populous city in Metro Manila has 114 active Covid-19 cases or 0.04 percent of the city's total infections recorded since the pandemic started in March 2020 as of 8 a.m. Thursday. Data from the OCTA Research shows that Quezon City records only an average of 12 new cases per day. The city's positivity rate which indicates the spread of the disease as it shows the number of reinfections also went down to 1.6 percent from last week's 1.7 percent. Meanwhile, the city's Reproduction Number (RO) slightly increased to 0.49 from 0.46 last week. The World Health Organization (WHO) earlier said an RO that is lower than 1 means that each confirmed Covid-19 case has a lower risk of causing a new infection. The QC Epidemiology and Disease Su