Latest news with #4Ps
GMA Network
5 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
PSA: Rice inflation seen to average negative in 2025
At a press conference in Quezon City on Thursday, National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa reported a sharper year-on-year deflation or 'negative inflation' in rice at -12.8% in May 2025 from -10.9% in April 2025. The retail price of the Philippines' staple food rice is expected to continue to go down, settling at a negative inflation rate for the whole of 2025, the Philippine Statistics Authority said on Thursday. At a press conference in Quezon City on Thursday, National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa reported a sharper year-on-year deflation or 'negative inflation' in rice at -12.8% in May 2025 from -10.9% in April 2025. For the January to May period, rice inflation clocked in at -7.7%, according to the PSA chief. Last month also marked the 11th consecutive month of decline in rice's inflation print and the fifth month in a row that the rate of the staple's cost had been contracting. The trend of easing inflation for rice seen since August 2024 was consistent with the PSA's expectation that it will begin easing towards the second half of 2024 due to base effects, particularly when it began its uptrend in August 2023, as well as the impact of lower rice import tariff which took effect early July last year. 'The expectation is that it will continue to go down, definitely there are base effects. It will continue to be negative [inflation] for at least until August… but definitely the average for the whole year would be negative,' Mapa said. To illustrate the contraction in rice inflation seen last month, Mapa bared the year-on-year national average prices of regular, well-milled, and special rice varieties during the period. In particular, the following are the average prices of rice at the national level in May 2025: Regular milled: P43.19 per kilo from P51.11 per kilo in May 2024 Well-milled: P49.45 per kilo from P56.06 per kilo Special: P59.80 per kilo from P64.41 per kilo year-on-year The PSA chief also cited the government's ongoing P20 per kilo rice initiative aimed at easing the inflationary burden of those in the vulnerable sectors such as 4Ps beneficiaries, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and single parents. 'The P20 rice is already coming in various outlets,' Mapa said. In a separate statement, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is 'expanding the reach of the P20 rice program and is studying a reduction in the suggested retail price (SRP) for imported rice—the national staple that dominates Filipino tables, especially among the poor.' The Department of Agriculture said that rice accounts for P9 of every P100 spent by the average Filipino. Among the bottom 30% of income households, the figure doubles. With the introduction of the P20 per kilo rice program in Bacolod City, the DA said the total number of outlets offering the subsidized grain grew to 87, exceeding the original target of 55 outlets by end-June. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the DA to sustain the subsidized rice initiative through June 2028, to reach up to 60 million Filipinos. –NB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
19-05-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Lacson eyes ayuda integration under 4Ps
Senator-elect Panfilo ''Ping'' Lacson is eyeing to integrate all forms of ''ayuda'' or government aid under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) program. Lacson said this is part of his push for good governance, including the intensified scrutiny of the national budget bill. "This early, I have instructed my prospective legislative staff to draft an amendment to Republic Act 11310, the law on the 4Ps program, to expand it and address the sectors covered by the other forms of ayuda that have become confusing and have become a political tool used by some politicians for their campaigns, both during and outside of the campaign period," Lacson said in Filipino in a radio interview on Monday. "Expanding the 4Ps will be better because the 4Ps has a data-driven list of beneficiaries; unlike other ayuda programs that are indiscriminate and are prone to duplication like TUPAD, AKAP, AICS, and MAIP," he added. This as he lamented how some lawmakers had got involved in the distribution of at least one ayuda program, the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), even if they are not part of the implementing agencies. He pointed out that 4Ps and its implementation involves studies conducted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Labor and Employment, and other concerned implementing agencies. The 4Ps serves as a national poverty reduction strategy and a human capital investment program that provides conditional cash transfers to poor households for a maximum period of seven years, to improve the health, nutrition, and education of children aged 0 to 18. Aside from the integration of government assistance, Lacson vowed to also intensify his scrutiny of the national budget, including reviewing the implementation of this year's, which he described as "one of the most corrupt national budgets" he had seen in his 18 years in the Senate. "I will intensify my scrutiny of the budget after a three-year absence. I want to study the pattern of how the national budgets of the last three years were passed," he said. "I will prioritize scrutinizing the national budget, which is the lifeline of our economy. Without the budget, we cannot move," he added. The former Philippine National Police chief will also provide more support for local government units by giving them a possible one-percent rebate on their Value Added Tax (VAT) remittances to the national government. Lacson, who was part of the administration's Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas, was proclaimed senator last Saturday at the Manila Hotel. —Anna Felicia Bajo/AOL, GMA Integrated News
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Here's how to apply for IW Foundation grant ahead of May deadline
There is still a chance to apply for grant applications from Island Roads' Isle of Wight Foundation. The foundation is encouraging local charities and not-for-profit organisations to apply for funding before the May 9 deadline. A short film has been produced by the foundation to inspire potential applicants, featuring previous beneficiaries, The Alzheimer's Café in Cowes and Vectis Radio's 4Ps programme. The two organisations explained the significant positive impact the foundation funding has had on their initiatives and Island life. Read more: Meet this chef making Caribbean food using Isle of Wight ingredients Find out what Matt and Cat made of top chef Robert Thompson's new venture The foundation, now in its 11th year, has awarded grants of between £3,000 and £16,000 for projects focused on building better communities or assisting individuals to access employment or housing. To date, the foundation has granted more than £900,000 to such projects. Chairman Rob Gillespie said: "Since 2014, it has been a real pleasure not just to support the work of so many good causes, but also to establish really strong links with the groups we have helped." Maggie Bennett, Alzheimer's Café CEO, said: "I would urge any local group working to improve lives on the island to see if they can qualify for an Island Roads grant. "It is an easy process that can really make a big difference." Applications can be submitted online at
Filipino Times
16-02-2025
- Business
- Filipino Times
Marcos urges Filipinos to utilize gov't job fairs for employment opportunities
President Bongbong Marcos urged Filipinos to take advantage of the government's job fairs under the 'Trabaho sa Bagong Pilipinas' program. Speaking at a job fair in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, for beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), Marcos expressed his hopes for their success and encouraged them to seize the opportunities available to them. 'I believe each of you has the capability and determination to make your lives productive,' said Marcos, emphasizing the importance of utilizing the opportunities presented by these job fairs. The 'Trabaho sa Bagong Pilipinas' initiative launched its job fair in January 2024, where more than 9,000 people applied, with over 1,000 hired on the spot, including 95 4Ps beneficiaries. Reflecting on the success of 1,908 job fairs last year, which led to 66,667 individuals securing immediate employment, Marcos promised to expand the program nationwide. The initiative not only provides job opportunities but also focuses on job matching, ensuring applicants are connected with positions that suit their skills. It aims to empower 4Ps beneficiaries by offering employment, livelihood support, and access to essential services. The government plans to support 4.4 million households this year, including 263,238 in the Davao region. The job fair in Tagum City included 28 employers offering a wide range of opportunities, with 1,240 available positions, including customer service, clerk, cashier, carpenter, and mason roles.
