governance – Page 15 – Author Carlo Carrasco

Land Transportation Office (LTO) urges motorists to avail of online driver’s license renewal

August 7, 2025July 30, 2025carlocarrasco

Recently the Land Transportation Office (LTO) urged motorists to take advantage of the online driver’s license renewal process which would save them time and money when compared to personally doing it at physical renewal centers, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Some parts in boldface…

Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Assistant Secretary Vigor D. Mendoza II urged all its clients to avail of the online driver’s license renewal in order to save time and money for the transaction.

By availing of the online platform, Mendoza said motorists would save time and money compared to personally going to LTO offices just to renew their driver’s license.

“With this digital platform, our kababayan, especially the busy workers, will save more time, energy and even their hard-earned money if they avail of this because they no longer have to go to LTO offices for this particular transaction,” said Mendoza.

“And another benefit of this technology is we are able to reduce human intervention, which means that this is an effective anti-fixer and anti-corruption platform,” he added.

The online driver”s license renewal, which was mentioned by President Marcos in his State of the Nation Address (SONA), can also be accessed through the eGov app.

Mendoza said he already instructed all Regional Directors to amplify the traditional and social media campaigns to promote online driver’s license renewal. The online driver’s license renewal is fully available not only in the country but also abroad.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Have you tried renewing your driver’s license online as the LTO stated? Is the online driver’s renewal system functional and efficient? How many motorists in your local community prefer to have their licenses renewed at the physical offices of the LTO?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Freelance club DJ shot in Las Piñas City gas station, declared dead-on-arrival at hospital

August 7, 2025July 31, 2025carlocarrasco

Recently in the City of Las Piñas, a freelance club disc jockey (DJ) was shot by an armed man (who has a partner driving a motorcycle) at a gas station, according to a GMA Network news report. The victim was brought to a hospital but was declared dead-on-arrival. The shooting incident was captured on CCTV camera.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…

A club disc jockey was killed in a shooting incident in Barangay Pamplona Uno, Las Piñas City on Wednesday evening, according to a report of GMA Integrated News’ Jhomer Apresto on Unang Balita Thursday.

As seen in CCTV footage, the 34-year-old victim aboard his pickup vehicle was at a gasoline station when two men aboard a motorcycle stopped near him around 10 p.m. The backrider alighted the motorcycle, approached the pickup vehicle, and shot the victim.

The perpetrators on board their motorcycle fled while the victim on his pickup vehicle hit a wall at the gasoline station. The victim was brought to a hospital but he was declared dead on arrival.

According to the police, investigators are looking into the possibility that the crime was drug-related as sachets of suspected illegal drugs were recovered from the hand and bag of the victim.

“Yun ang tinitignan natin maaaring galing sa bahay papunta rito hanggang siya ay sundan, abangan, at pagbabarilin,” Las Piñas Police chief Police Colonel Sandro Tafalla said.

The mother of the victim said that her son just returned home from Malaysia and that she has no idea who is behind the shooting.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Do you think there is more than meets the eye in this crime story? Do you think the police will be able to find and arrest the suspects?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

Economic study finds Starbucks and Dunkin’ leading Philippines coffee market while local brands are gaining

August 6, 2025July 29, 2025carlocarrasco

Are you fond of buying drinks at a local coffee shop or at a small stall that sells coffee? Recently the University of Asia and the Pacific-Center for Food and Agri Business (UA&P-CFA) announced the results of its research revealing that the local coffee market (cafés and small sellers specifically) of the Philippines are being dominated by Starbucks Coffee and Dunkin’ (formerly Dunkin’ Donuts) while several local brands are gradually gaining market share, according to a Philippine Star business news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the business news report of the Philippine Star. Some parts in boldface…

Global brands continue to dominate the country’s coffee industry, but homegrown brands are gaining traction, helping to diversify and enrich Filipinos’ caffeine options, according to the University of Asia and the Pacific-Center for Food and Agri Business (UA&P-CFA).

In a policy brief, UA&P-CFA said the local café market is led by a “few dominant” global brands, based on a Euromonitor report.

These global brands, the UA&P-CFA noted, maintain their strong presence through solid branding, extensive branch networks and loyal customer base.

The policy brief indicated that Starbucks Corp. remains as the industry leader, accounting for almost 54 percent of total value share among chain café and bar operators.

It was followed by Dunkin’, a foreign brand under Inspire Brands Inc., with a 12.1-percent market share, according to the policy brief authored by Cy Reyes, a research assistant at UA&P-CFA.

Meanwhile, McDonald’s Corp. held a market share of 5.8 percent while Jollibee Foods Corp., which operates The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, accounted for 5.6 percent.

“In addition to global chains, the Philippine café scene is vibrant and diverse, featuring several strong homegrown brands that continue to gain traction and shape local consumer habits,” UA&P-CFA said.

UA&P-CFA said one of the most prominent local cafés is Mary Grace Food Inc., noting that it is known for its “cozy, sit-down atmosphere” and its handcrafted baked goods. The other notable local players, according to the policy paper, are Bo’s Coffee, Figaro Coffee, Coffee Project and But First, Coffee.

The local coffee industry has also been enriched by the growth of specially and so called third-wave coffee shops like Yardstick, % Arabica and El Union, the UA&P-CFA said.

These coffee shops focus on artisanal brewing methods, single-origin beans and minimalist shop designs, it added.

Furthermore, coffee kiosks like Big Brew, Pickup Coffee and various regional iced coffee stalls catering to the fast-growing market for convenient, budget-friendly caffeine options contribute to the vibrant coffee industry.

The emergence of various coffee brands outside the traditional, huge global names indicate the “rich” and “expanding” influence of local café innovators, UA&P-CFA said.

“Though these smaller and niche players hold modest individual shares of the market, collectively they play a vital role in the evolution of the industry,” it said.

“They offer localized flavors, elevate coffee standards, and respond to the preferences of a wide and increasingly discerning customer base,” it added.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the coffee market and coffee sellers industry of the Philippines will keep modernizing as more people keep on buying coffee? Do you think the recent study should focus more on convenience stores selling coffee? What is your favorite coffee shop here in the Philippines?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Nomura says America’s 19% tariff may cut Philippines GDP growth slightly

August 5, 2025July 28, 2025carlocarrasco

In the middle of mixed reactions towards the United States’ 19% tariff on Philippine exports, Nomura Global Markets Research stated that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth could be cut by 0.4%, according to a BusinessWorld news report. Recently, US President Donald Trump and Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., met in the White House which resulted in the new tariff.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of BusinessWorld. Some parts in boldface…

THE United States’ 19% tariff on Philippine goods could cut the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP) growth by 0.4 percentage point (ppt), Nomura Global Markets Research said.

In a report, Nomura said the US tariff of 19% on Philippine goods is “fairly high” and poses downside risks to growth.

“We estimate the direct effects could reduce our baseline GDP growth forecasts by a still-substantial 0.4 ppt in the Philippines.”

Nomura said this projection is “relatively substantial” compared to its baseline growth forecasts of 5.3% and 5.6% for this year and 2026, respectively.

“This is partly because we assigned 10% as the level where the reciprocal tariff rate could settle, on the assumption that the Philippines is a strong ally of the US and is not a third country for transshipments,” Nomura said.

“As it turns out, despite the visit to Washington by President Marcos and both sides reiterating the need for a strong partnership, the tariff was still set at 19%, which is even higher than the ‘Liberation Day’ level of 17%.”

Last week, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. met with US President Donald J. Trump at the White House in Washington, DC. Mr. Trump announced a 19% tariff would be imposed on Philippine goods, which will take effect starting Aug. 1.

“The trade ‘deals’ therefore represent upside surprises in terms of tariff rates, especially for the Philippines,” Nomura said.

“As a result, if implemented and these tariff rates are sustained, these will likely further weigh on growth in both countries relative to our current baseline forecasts.”

The government expects GDP to grow by 5.5-6.5% this year, lower than its previous target of 6-8%.

“While these ballpark estimates make sense to us, uncertainty remains high and these are ‘only’ taking into account the direct effects on these ASEAN countries’ exports to the US,” Nomura said.

These estimates do not account for sectoral tariffs, such as in semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, which are currently exempted, it added.

“But as our US team highlights, the risk is these could be set higher, though some countries could be exempted, adding to the uncertainty. As mentioned above, the details of the trade deals with Indonesia and the Philippines are still limited.”

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the Philippines is in a serious disadvantage with the American tariff of 19% imposed on the nation’s exports? Do you think the Philippine economy still has strong momentum to reach 6% GDP growth by the end of this year?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Investment firm Cerberus Capital Management will invest P15 billion more in the Philippines

August 4, 2025July 27, 2025carlocarrasco

While a lot of economists stated that the economy of the Philippines is unlikely to achieve 6% growth this year, the New York-based investment firm Cerberus Capital Management is investing an additional P15 billion in the country, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article. For the newcomers reading this, Cerberus is the operator behind the Agila Subic Shipyard.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the first PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

New York-based alternative investment firm Cerberus Capital Management is investing an additional PHP15 billion in the Philippines within a year, as it sees progress in its existing operations and government support for foreign investors.

The company, which operates the 300-hectare Agila Subic Shipyard, the former Hanjin Shipyard in Subic Bay that it acquired in 2022, disclosed the plan during a meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Washington, DC earlier this week.

In a press release Friday, the company said the additional investments will be used to update the shipyard and introduce new projects in logistics, energy, and transport infrastructure.

Cerberus managing director Alexander Benard said they are “encouraged by the progress we’ve seen and by the strong support from the Philippine government.”

“We believe the Philippines holds significant long-term potential as a regional hub for industrial and logistics activity. We look forward to building on this momentum and supporting the development of our key strategic assets in the Philippines,” he said.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the economy of the Philippines will experience a breakthrough of additional foreign investments over the next six months?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Greece pushes back hard against illegal immigrants

August 3, 2025August 1, 2025carlocarrasco

Greece, a nation with a population of over ten million people, has had enough with the influx of illegal migrants and they took action to control the border to protect both their sovereignty and their citizens. Officially there has been a freeze on asylum processes (for the next three months) and many foreigners who arrived on Greece’s shores were detained.

If you were not able to receive this particular news, then I’m not surprised because Islamo-Leftist mainstream news media outlets (the ones who favored illegal immigrants and open borders) refused to report about it. The more conservative news outlets like Sky News Australia managed to report about it early and I encourage you to watch their news video below.

For some time already, a lot of people from the Middle East and north Africa crossed the seas to reach the shores of Greece to enter Europe. The government of Greece has had enough and they started the changes a few months prior which explains their recent action against illegal migrants. For the newcomers reading this, gangs of violent migrants caused chaos in Spain weeks ago. Clearly Greece does not want such tragedies to happen in their country.

By pushing back against illegal immigrants, Greece itself is facing renewed opposition from those who support illegal immigration and the foreigners’ so-called rights. Watch and learn from the DW News video below.

Here is something intriguing to look at…the so-called refugees in Greece even protested at the gates of their camp demanding to be released to the wealthier parts of Europe like the United Kingdom (UK), Sweden and Germany. Seriously, what were these foreigners who illegally arrived thinking? Watch the Sky News Australia video below.

Lastly, United States President Donald Trump spoke out against illegal immigration (plus renewable energy) in Europe right in front of the President of the European Commission of the corrupted European Union (EU). It is clear that America under Trump secured their border with Mexico and they have been working hard to not only prevent illegal crossings but also go after the illegal immigrants and illegal aliens who are already in the country. Trump has solid results against illegal immigration with him and it would be great if the nations of Europe would be inspired to become tougher to secure their borders and protect the citizens. Watch the Sky News Australia video below.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you support Greece’s hard push back against illegal immigrants? Is there are an influx of foreigners who arrived at your country illegally over the past twelve months? Are there huge groups of illegal aliens living in your local community right now? What do you think it will take for Greece to deport all the illegal immigrants they have right now?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Philippines deports over 1,400 foreigners over immigration law violations

August 2, 2025July 26, 2025carlocarrasco

While Spain and other nations of Europe are struggling with the high number of illegal migrants and foreign nationals who keep on trespassing into their respective territories, the Philippines deported more than one thousand four hundred foreigners in the first half of 2025 over a series of violations of immigration law, according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the first PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

The number of foreign nationals who were deported during the first half of the year doubled compared to last year, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported Friday.

According to Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, data from the bureau’s deportation and implementation unit (DIU) revealed that a total of 1,422 foreign nationals were deported due to immigration violations during the period. The BI recorded 717 deportees during the same period in 2024.

Chinese nationals topped the list with 957, followed by 231 Vietnamese, 41 South Koreans, 41 Malaysians, and 37 Burmese.

Viado said majority of the deportations were foreigners found to be illegally working in Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) in the country despite the ban.

“Our strengthened deportation protocols follow the directive of the President to act swiftly and remove foreigners who abuse our people’s hospitality. We will continue expediting the deportation of foreign nationals who violate our laws,” the BI chief added in a statement.

The BI earlier reported improvements in deportation protocols, including fast-tracking clearances in partnership with the National Bureau of Investigation, immediate resolution of cases suspected to be filed under the ‘demanda me’ scheme, regular coordination with embassies for swift issuance of travel documents, and opening of a new holding facility for arrested aliens. Meanwhile, Viado also reported the arrest on July 22 of two Sudanese nationals found to be undocumented in San Carlos City, Pangasinan.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the national authorities will be able to apprehend and deport more illegal aliens who are still on the lose all over the Philippines? Do you think the authorities can double the number of deportees by the end of this year?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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ADB sees Philippine economy growing by 5.6% this year

August 1, 2025July 24, 2025carlocarrasco

By pointing to a variety of factors, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently announced that the economy of the Philippines will grow by 5.6% this year, according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). The ADB recently released its latest economy report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the first PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

The Philippines is expected to post the second highest economic growth in Southeast Asia this year despite the downgrade in growth outlook due to external headwinds, a report released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) showed.

In its Asian Development Outlook July 2025 report released on Wednesday, the ADB said Philippine economic growth is expected to settle at 5.6 percent this year.

The growth outlook for the Philippines is the second highest in Southeast Asia, next to Vietnam’s 6.3 percent. Indonesia is projected to grow by 5 percent, Malaysia by 4.3 percent, Singapore by 1.6 percent, and Thailand by 1.8 percent.

For 2026, growth is expected to slightly pick up to 5.8 percent.

The ADB’s latest projection, however, was lower than its 6 percent for 2024 and 6.1 percent for 2025 economic growth forecast amid external headwinds. The Philippine economy grew by 5.4 percent in the first quarter of the year.

“Domestic demand grew 6.7 percent, supported by easing inflation and monetary policy. However, net exports dragged on growth as brisk imports outpaced exports,” the ADB said. It added that manufacturing index (PMI) recovered slightly to 50.7 in June from 50.1 in May.

“Consumer sentiment was positive in the near term. Unemployment was low at 3.9 percent in May, and remittance growth of 3.0 percent helped sustain household spending,” it said.

The ADB, however, said that business confidence softened amid heightened global policy uncertainties.

According to the ADB, economic forecasts for most countries in Southeast Asia have been downgraded for 2025 and 2026 due to the continuing global growth slowdown and increased trade uncertainty.

“Weaker external conditions have hurt business and consumer sentiment and threaten to disrupt investment in the subregion,” it said.

“Except for Indonesia, the largest economy in the subregion, all Southeast Asian economies are expected to post weaker growth in the next two years.”

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think it is still possible for the economy of the Philippines reach 6% GDP growth by the end of 2025?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Department of Finance (DOF) says 6% economic growth is quite difficult to achieve this year

July 31, 2025July 23, 2025carlocarrasco

The uncertainty about this year’s economic growth for the Philippines has gotten stronger as the Department of Finance (DOF) admitted that achieving 6% growth is quite difficult, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The DOF pointed to external shocks that are affecting the national economy.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

While the Philippine economy has already been recovering from its deep recession during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, hitting its growth potential of six percent would be challenging given the global uncertainties spilling over domestically, according to the Department of Finance (DOF).

“We do think that the potential of the Philippines is at the minimum six-percent growth. But of course, it’s quite difficult, especially knowing some of the challenges that we’re seeing,” DOF Undersecretary and Chief Economist Domini Velasquez told reporters during the Philippine thrift banks’ annual convention on Tuesday, July 15.

Just before the initial three-month pause on reciprocal tariffs ended on July 9, United States (US) President Donald Trump had stretched it to Aug. 1, but hiked the rates for Philippine exports to 20 percent from 17 percent previously, repeatedly citing the “significant and persistent trade deficit” that the trade giant has with its former colony.

Velasquez noted that the tariff hike was among the uncertainties that the Cabinet-level Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) had considered in downscaling its growth target for the year, through 2028.

Last month, the economic team slashed its 2025 GDP growth target to between 5.5 percent and 6.5 percent from six- to 6.5-percent previously. Cited as factors were heightened external uncertainties, especially the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and the imposition of US tariffs.

Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto told reporters during an informal press chat on Wednesday, July 16, that he expects the economy to accelerate “significantly” in the second quarter compared to the previous quarter.

“In effect, the target is still six percent for the year,” Recto noted, taking off from the recently revised growth goal. “Realistically, it’s probably around 5.7 percent or 5.8 percent for the year. It depends, because there’s a lot of uncertainty—uncertainty with trade policy.”

“But I think the second quarter will definitely be better than the first,” Recto said, noting that the improvement will be driven by both government and household consumption.

The DBCC had also narrowed the growth target range for 2026 to 2028 to six to seven percent, from the previously more ambitious six to eight percent.

“We did recognize those [tariffs]. When we dialed down on our growth target in 2025, it’s really because of the external factors that we were seeing,” Velasquez said.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the national economy is not strong enough to achieve 6% GDP growth by the end of this year? What do you think the national government should do to strengthen economic growth and make the Philippines more attractive to foreign investors? Do you think the Philippines still has a chance to convince America to lower its planned tariff on Philippine-made goods?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Chinese nationals arrested in Cavite, two women rescued

July 29, 2025July 19, 2025carlocarrasco

Recently in the province of Cavite, elements of the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) fugitive search unit arrested three Chinese over varied violations and rescued two women who were held against their will, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

A Chinese national, who is allegedly linked to illegal drugs activities and human trafficking, has been arrested in Cavite by agents of the Bureau of Immigration Fugitive Search Unit (BIFSU).

BIFSU Chief Rendel Ryan Sy identified the suspect as Jin Tian, 26, who was arrested in his residence in General Trias City last July 15.

During the operation in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine Navy, two women allegedly held against their will were rescued, Sy said.

At the same time, Sy said that two other male Chinese nationals were arrested during the operation. They were identified as Sun Yong, 36, and Liu Zhiwei, 33. Sun was found by PDEA operatives to be in possession of a substance believed to be shabu and drug paraphernalia.

Sy also said that the three Chinese nationals were found to be overstaying aliens for failure to present any valid immigration documentation. Also, Jin was found to have two derogatory records for overstaying.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you concerned that there could be more Chinese fugitives as well as overstaying fugitives hiding in your local community?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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