ADB approves loan to help Philippines improve public services
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a policy-based loan of 400 million USD to help the Philippines improve local governments' capacity to provide high-quality public services, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hanoi (VNA) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) hasapproved a policy-based loan of 400 million USD to help the Philippines improvelocal governments' capacity to provide high-quality public services, especiallyduring the COVID-19 pandemic.
ADB said in its news release that the LocalGovernance Reform Programme Subprogramme 2 will help strengthen local governmentunits’ (LGUs) service delivery framework, modernise local public financialmanagement, and improve LGUs’ financing and investment framework.
The reform programme willhelp ensure local governments have the capacity and adequate resources toquickly respond to the basic needs of local communities at critical times likethis, said ADB Public Finance Economist for Southeast Asia AekapolChongvilaivan.
The new programme builds onADB’s support since 2006 to help the Philippines boost efficiency,accountability, and transparency in local governments’ financial management andservice delivery./.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has restored the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States, Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced on July 30.
Philippine tricycle driver Jesus Gomez struggled to make a living even before the capital Manila went back into a coronavirus lockdown last week that forced most of his customers to stay home and halved his meagre income.
The Philippine government on August 18 revised its economic growth projection for 2021 from 6-7 percent to 4-5 percent due to the re-imposition of lockdown in Metro Manila to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Philippine economy grew 11.8 percent year-on-year in the second quarter this year, ending five straight quarters of decline in gross domestic product (GDP).
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Vietnam’s Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925–2025), Nikulina, who is also a veteran journalist of Russia’s Sputnik News, emphasised the vital role of mainstream journalism in defending the truth and maintaining public trust.
The Ministry of Commerce reported that imports also rose 18% to 29.9 billion USD during the same period, resulting in a trade surplus of 1.1 billion USD. In May alone, Thailand posted a 4.6 billion USD trade surplus with the US and a 4.1 billion USD trade deficit with China.
The World Bank will provide a 2.1 billion USD financing package for Indonesia, focusing oncreating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and enhancing access to clean energy across the country.
