Duterte holds audience with Japanese Emperor Akihito & Empress Michiko

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his common-law wife, Madame Cielito 'Honeylet' Avancena, made a courtesy visit with His Majesty Emperor Akihito and Her Majesty Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan, as his final itinerary during the President's 2-day Official Visit to Japan.


Duterte expressed his gratitude to the Japanese Imperial couple for their visit to the Philippines last year.  The Imperial couple also conveyed their warm gratitude for the help the Philippine government extended during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.  The visit lasted for about twenty five minutes.

President Duterte and Prime Minister Abe locks $9-billion deal to rehab Marawi among others

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe locked hands on a new deal, which included a pledge of nearly $9-billion in aid to the Philippines to rebuild the war-torn City of Marawi, in a Joint Press Statement held at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on the President's official visit to Japan.


According to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a total of Y1 trillion will be coursed through in the next five years to fund infrastructure projects in the Philippines.

Duterte witnesses signing of 18 letters of intent at Imperial Hotel in Tokyo

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte witness Monday (30 October 2017) the signing of 18 letters of intent (LOI) between Philippine officials and Japanese businessmen at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, during his official 3-day visit on October 30-31, 2017.

Duterte arrives Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, together with the members of his delegation, arrives early morning in Haneda Airport onboard a chartered flight in Tokyo, Japan on October 30, 2017.

FILCOM prefers to come home and reside at Pinas as first class citizen

Alden Estolas, a 33-year old Filipino Community (Filcom) leader in Tokyo, Japan, shares his insights on how it is being a young overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Japan for over 10 years, whilst securing a life back in the Philippines.

Sikyop Coop Farm Tour 2017 entice Iliganons, calls for a rerun

The month of October is declared throughout the country as the Cooperative Month.  Various activities are lined up by the participating coops in Iligan City which are members of the Iligan City Cooperative Development Council headed by Edwin Quisido.

One of these activities is the SIKYOP COOP FARM TOUR scheduled on the 24th of the month.

Chinese-made sniper rifle felled Hapilon and Maute to death, Duterte reveals

President Rodrigo Duterte revealed Thursday that it was the donated Chinese-made sniper rifle that felled the lives of terrorists Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute to their untimely death.  And for this, Duterte acknowledged his appreciation for the support China has unconditionally extended to the Philippine government.

Steel Asia abandons plan to acquire National Steel Corp (NSC)

MANILA (18 Oct 2017) - Steel Asia Manufacturing Corp. is set to invest some USD1.0-billion for three new mini steel mills in the country, its Vice President Roberto Cola said Tuesday.

Cola told reporters that the new facilities would produce billets, bloom, beam blanks, slabs, rebars, wire rod, sections, and plates.

The three mini-mills will have a total capacity of two million metric tons annually.

Cola mentioned that Steel Asia is partnering with two investors - from Italy and Japan - for the plates and sections plants, while the facility producing rebars would be its own venture.

He said Steel Asia is now finalizing the memoranda of agreement with two partner investors.

The company is eyeing Batangas and Subic for the location of its mini-steel mills.

This is after Steel Asia has abandoned its plan to acquire the National Steel Corp. (NSC) in Iligan City, as the company and the local government failed to reach to an agreement.

Cola said that the company was asked to pay NSC's liabilities on taxes and power, and the local government would also like to be a part-owner of the facility.

According to Cola, Steel Asia's offer was to lease the land, pay for the infrastructure, and shoulder "reasonable taxes," but the company would no longer pay for the old mill since the company initially plans to put up a new facility. [Kris Crismundo, Philippine News Agency]

President Duterte vows to provide a TV set for each prison cell

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte lauded the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) for providing comfortable cells for the internees during his talk to troops at the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Multi-purpose Center of the Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

Steel Asia withdraws bid to purchase NSC

METRO Manila (17 Oct 2017) - STEEL Asia manufacturing Corporation will no longer be acquiring National Steel Corp. (NSC) due to bureaucratic issues in the negotiation of the shuttered steel-making facility, opting instead to build their own facilities.

Roberto M. Cola

In an interview with reporters, Steel Asia Vice President Roberto M. Cola affirmed it is letting go of previous plans to buy National Development Corp.'s (NDC) National Steel for its infrastructure.

"We won't be pursuing NSC anymore," Cola said.  "We wanted that for the infrastructure already there because it was going to be easier to build a new steel mill there, what with the port and the industrial provisions."

The company executive cited a breakdown in negotiations especially with the local government officials in Iligan, who wanted to become part owners of the company after it is acquired by Steel Asia.

According to Cola, Steel Asia offered acquisition terms that included payment of the National Steel's real-property back taxes amounting to some Php 4-billion, a settlement with the National Power Corp. for payment on past power consumption and rent payment for the land (based on a compromise on valuation).

Talks on the purchase of NSC included a number of parties, including banks, NDC under the Department of Trade and Industry, Global Steel and other NSC claimants.

NSC has had a checkered history, going through several privatization efforts through almost six decades since its creation in the 1950s.


With the discussion seen to be too difficult for an industry supplying the main construction material for the country's infrastructure drive, we decided to look elsewhere to build a $1-billion steel-making facility, according to Cola.

"We're looking at another site, possibly Batangas or Subic," he added.

Cola said that facility will include a scrap-based electric-arc furnace with a capacity of 0.5 million metric tons to produce beam blacks, slabs, and billets.  A rolling mill will also be installed to produce sections, rebars, and plates.

He added that Steel Asia is in talks with Italian and Japanese investors for joint ventures in the mini-mills for the production of sections and plates.  Steel Asia will produce the rebars themselves.

The firm will be conducting an ocular visit next week on possible sites, as well as finalizing a memorandum of understanding with a yet-unnamed foreign investor. [Catherine Pillas, Business Mirror]

Duterte graces Buglasan Festival in Dumaguete City

President Rodrigo Duterte graced the opening ceremonies of the Buglasan Festival 2017 at the Lamberto Macias Sports and Cultural Centre, Negros Oriental Provincial Capitol Grounds in Dumaguete City.

Duterte lashes at EU representatives anew

President Rodrigo Duterte lashes anew Thursday against some European Union (EU) representatives for criticizing his war on drugs.