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(BusinessMirror) ELEVATED inflation and high interest rates will not dampen the country’s performance in the first quarter, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

On Wednesday, BSP Governor Felipe M. Medalla told reporters that GDP growth may be around 6 percent in the January to March 2023 period. This is lower than the 8 percent posted in the same period last year.

“It will still be in the neighborhood of 6 [percent], lower than last year but not too much,” Medalla said. “Well, we never know, right? [My] experience with GDP is [it’s hard to] forecast. In fact, inflation is sometimes hard to forecast,” he added, in a mix of English and Filipino.

Medalla also said that while the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) retained the country’s growth targets, maintaining targets this year is not a problem… Read More

(GVN) Human rights defenders in the Philippines have cried foul over the restoration of the PHP 10 billion (USD 178.56 million) budget for a government task force known for red-tagging activists and civil society organisations. The bicameral committee has decided to allot the sum in 2023 for the National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) despite calls to defund and abolish it.

Human rights alliance Karapatan pointed out in a statement, “The NTF-ELCAC has gained notoriety for red-tagging, harassing and intimidating political activists and other government critics and for instigating forced mass surrenders of civilians alleged to be supporters of the revolutionary movement. Many of the victims of NTF-ELCAC’s red-tagging campaigns had ended up arrested and detained on trumped-up charges, while others have been killed by vigilante groups or in armed encounters staged by the military.”.. Read More

(AsiaOne) SAN ANTONIO, Philippines – U.S. and Philippine armed forces unleashed a volley of missiles on a mock enemy warship in the South China Sea on Wednesday (April 26), in a show of military power and a strengthening alliance at a time of rising regional tension.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr watched from a four-storey tower as a high mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS) fired rockets at a decommissioned navy corvette in the waters just a few miles off its western province of Zambales.

It was the first time the annual U.S.-Philippines “Balikatan” exercises featured live fire drills at sea, at a location just a few hours by boat from one of the world’s most contested maritime features, the Scarborough Shoal, which China has occupied for more than a decade… Read More

(MalayMail) US and Philippine troops fired a salvo of rockets at a warship representing an enemy vessel in the disputed South China Sea today, in the final exercise of the allies’ largest-ever military drills.

It was the first time the countries had conducted a joint live-fire exercise in the hotly contested waters, which China claims almost entirely.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, who has sought stronger defence ties with the United States, sat in an observation tower with US and Philippine officials watching the event north of Manila.

“No Hollywood effects this morning, this is old fashioned training,” said Lieutenant Colonel Nick Mannweiler, a US Marine Corps public affairs officer.

The live-fire kicked off with the US HIMARS precision rocket system launching a series of rounds at a decommissioned Philippine Navy corvette anchored about 22 kilometres (14 miles) off the coast.

The objective was to sink the decades-old ship, which represented an enemy vessel approaching the Philippine shore.

That was followed by artillery units lined up along a grassy field firing rockets at floating drums 10 kilometres offshore.

The exercise was briefly interrupted when a small private aircraft entered the exercise area, Mannweiler told AFP… Read More

(SCMP) Leading Filipino digital solutions platform Globe Group’s 917Ventures, top Philippine conglomerate Ayala Corporation, and Gogoro Inc., (Nasdaq: GGR), a global technology leader in battery-swapping ecosystems that enable sustainable mobility solutions for cities, today launched Gogoro Smartscooters® and battery-swapping in the Philippines. In ceremonies at Globe’s headquarters, the three companies also announced Gogoro’s public availability in Metro Manila by Q4 2023.

“We in the Globe Group are very proud to bring Gogoro Smartscooters® and battery-swapping to the Philippines, a transport ecosystem that marries mobility innovation and sustainability,” said Ernest Cu, Globe Group President and CEO. “This year, Filipinos will have access to these electric two wheel vehicles and Gogoro’s convenient and cost-efficient battery-swapping technology, another first in the Philippines.”

The Gogoro launch marks the climate tech debut of the Globe Group as it continues to deliver innovations that address Filipinos’ daily pain points. Together, the companies are introducing a new era in sustainable transportation that brings together smart, convenient and accessible two-wheel electric vehicles to customers… Read More

(PhilStar) QUEZON CITY, Philippines — In a live Interview on April 24, Chris Nelson, executive director and trustee of the British Chamber of Commerce Philippines, shared that UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to the Philippines Richard Graham MP will visit Manila, Philippines from April 24 to 27, 2023.

With continuing efforts to reinforce the strong relations between the UK and the Philippines, Richard Graham MP will meet various high level government officials, British and local company representatives, and investors, including Board Members of the British Chamber.

“Richard is a long-term friend of the country and he’s been here many times before. And obviously, he [will] continue to push and work on developing those relationships,” Nelson said.

From Don Papa – Diageo to Inchcape – CATS, the visit will also be an opportunity to come with new investors, which the British Chamber is also advocating for to attract smore UK companies to enter the Philippine Market… Read More

(AsiaOne) MANILA — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Monday (April 24) said he will press US counterpart Joe Biden to make clear the extent of Washington’s commitment to protect his country under a 1951 security pact, citing growing regional tension.

The past two Philippine administrations have urged former colonial power United States to be specific on the circumstances under which it would defend its ally under the Mutual Defence Treaty, amid fears of an increased risk of confrontation in the South China Sea.

Marcos will hold talks with Biden in Washington this weekend, a meeting the White House said would reaffirm its “ironclad commitments to the defence of the Philippines”… Read More

(GVN) This playlist is from Cinemata, a platform for social and environmental films about the Asia-Pacific. It is a project of EngageMedia, a non-profit media, technology, and culture organization. This is edited and republished as part of a content-sharing agreement with Global Voices.

To mark the celebration of Earth Day on April 22, the Asia-Pacific-based video platform Cinemata has curated a selection of environmental films from the Asia-Pacific that feature stories of communities fighting against the adverse impact of the climate crisis and inspiring hope through their efforts and solidarity.

Philippines: “KalikaSan Tayo?”
“KalikaSan Tayo?” — a play on the Filipino words kalikasan (environment) and saan tayo (where are we going?) — is a travel vlog series produced by Greenpeace Philippines that tells the stories and experiences of Filipino island communities living under the constant threat of sea-level rise and other adverse impacts of climate change… Read More