Hong Kong Anticipates Tourism Surge with Record Number of Mega Events in 2025
Hong Kong is targeting a significant tourism boost in the first half of 2025, with government officials projecting a 50% increase in visitor numbers through an ambitious lineup of over 90 mega events, officials announced Tuesday. The city expects to attract 840,000 tourists through a diverse array of festivals, conventions, and sporting events, potentially generating an estimated HK$3.3 billion in...
Filipino Lawmakers Approve Landmark Bills to Support Overseas Workers
MANILA — In a significant move to support millions of overseas Filipino workers, the Philippine House of Representatives on Tuesday passed two groundbreaking bills aimed at reducing financial burdens and enhancing economic literacy for the country's global workforce. The first bill, House Bill 10959, mandates a 50% discount on remittance fees, potentially saving billions for workers who send home critical...
OFW Mary Jane Veloso to Return Home After 14-Year Death Row Ordeal
MANILA — In a landmark diplomatic resolution, Indonesian authorities have agreed to transfer Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipino overseas worker who has been on death row since 2010, back to the Philippines, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced today. Veloso's journey from facing execution to potential repatriation represents a complex narrative of desperation, international diplomacy, and humanitarian intervention. Arrested in...
Bus Operators Seek Fare Hikes Amid Rising Costs
Three major bus operators have submitted requests for fare increases, sparking concerns among commuters as the government weighs the implications on public transportation affordability. In a recent report to the legislature, the Transport and Logistics Bureau revealed that KMB and New Lantao Bus are seeking fare hikes of 6.5 percent, while CityBus has proposed a more substantial increase of 9.5...
Thousands Displaced as Multiple Typhoons Hit Northern Philippines
Baguio City - More than 14,000 families have been affected by consecutive typhoons that struck the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) in northern Philippines since November 11, officials reported Monday. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in CAR confirmed that 86 families remain in evacuation centers, while 328 others have found temporary shelter with relatives and friends following Typhoons...
Overseas Filipino Worker Remittances Rise 3.3% in September, Hitting $3.01B
MANILA — Remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) grew 3.3% year-on-year to $3.01 billion in September 2024, according to data released Friday by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the country's central bank. The cumulative remittances for the first nine months of 2024 reached $25.23 billion, marking a 3% increase from $24.49 billion in the same period last year. Both land-based...
Overseas Filipino Worker Remittances Rise 3.3% in September, Hitting $3.01B
MANILA — Remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) grew 3.3% year-on-year to $3.01 billion in September 2024, according to data released Friday by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the country's central bank. The cumulative remittances for the first nine months of 2024 reached $25.23 billion, marking a 3% increase from $24.49 billion in the same period last year. Both land-based...
Super Typhoon Man-Yi Batters Philippines, Forces Mass Evacuations
MANILA — Super Typhoon Man-yi struck the Philippines' most populous island Sunday, forcing more than 1.2 million people to flee their homes as authorities warned of "life-threatening" conditions across the archipelago. The storm, which made its initial landfall late Saturday on Catanduanes island, maintained maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers (115 miles) per hour as it carved through the nation's...
G20 Urged To Break Climate Finance Deadlock At COP29
The UN's climate chief called on G20 nations Saturday to help break the deadlock in negotiations over climate financing for developing nations at COP29, highlighting the significant gaps that remain as the talks reach their midpoint. Simon Stiell's appeal comes as negotiators in Baku work through the night on a 25-page draft agreement, with major disagreements persisting over funding commitments...
