DOST SOCCSKSARGEN joins preparatory meeting for NSTW 2026

by Info @Brand Zone | March 16, 2026

As the next host of the National Science and Technology Week 2026, the Department of Science and Technology SOCCSKSARGEN joined the preparatory meeting held on March 6, 2026 at the DOST Main Building, Bicutan, Taguig City. The meeting was led by Undersecretary for Regional Operations Engr. Sancho A. Mabborang and Host Region Regional Director Engr. Sammy P. Malawan to begin key planning activities for the national event.

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Discussions focused on updates on the preparations for NSTW 2026, presentation of proposals, review of the Special Orders for the NSTW 2026 Steering Committee, and the proposed monthly schedule of committee meetings to ensure the smooth and coordinated implementation of the event.

The meeting marked an important step in mobilizing the organizing teams as SOCCSKSARGEN gears up to host one of the country’s biggest celebrations of science, technology, and innovation (STI).

Kahit WFH tuwing Biyernes... DOF, tuloy ang serbisyo

ni Mylene Alfonso @Business News | March 12, 2026

Photo: Department of Finance - FB

Ipinahayag ng pamunuan ng Department of Finance (DOF) na magpapatupad sila ng work-from-home (WFH) tuwing Biyernes gayundin ang mga attached agency nito bilang bahagi ng hakbang ng pamahalaan para makatipid sa kuryente at gasolina habang tuloy ang serbisyo sa publiko. 

Ang naturang hakbang ay alinsunod sa direktiba ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. na bawasan ng 10% hanggang 20% ang konsumo ng enerhiya ng mga ahensya ng gobyerno sa gitna ng mga hamon sa pandaigdigang ekonomiya. 

Sa ilalim ng bagong work arrangement, papasok sa opisina ang mga empleyado mula Lunes hanggang Huwebes, habang work-from-home naman tuwing Biyernes simula nitong Marso 9. 

Nabatid na saklaw ng patakaran ang Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Bureau of Customs (BOC), Bureau of the Treasury (BTr), at Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). 

Kasama rin sa susunod sa bagong sistema ang Insurance Commission, Philippine Tax Academy, National Tax Research Center, Privatization and Management Office, Bureau of Local Government Finance, at Central Board of Assessment Appeals. 

Ayon kay Frederick D. Go, layunin ng patakaran na tiyaking tuluy-tuloy at episyente ang serbisyo ng gobyerno habang tumutulong sa pagtitipid sa enerhiya. 

Binigyang-diin ni Go na mahalaga ang koordinasyon ng DOF at mga attached agency nito upang matiyak ang maayos na pagpapatupad ng bagong work setup nang hindi naaantala ang serbisyo sa mamamayan. 

Nakasaad ang patakaran sa Memorandum Circular No. 114 na nag-uutos sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno na magpatupad ng energy-saving measures kabilang ang mga work arrangement na makababawas sa paggamit ng kuryente at gasolina.

Pag-IBIG Loyalty Card Plus tops ₱1 billion in member discounts, reaches 507 partner establishments

by Info @Brand Zone | March 11, 2025

Pag-IBIG Loyalty Card Plus program has grown to 507 partner establishments nationwide. These include 114 under food, restaurants, and groceries; five under fuel and transportation; 189 under health and medicine; and 20 under housing-related establishments

Pag-IBIG Fund’s Loyalty Card Plus has surpassed ₱1 billion in total discounts granted to members, as the program expanded to 507 partner establishments nationwide.

Pag-IBIG Fund launched the Pag-IBIG Loyalty Card in 2014 to give members access to discounts and special offers from partner merchants. In 2019, it introduced the Pag-IBIG Loyalty Card Plus, which added cash card features through Asia United Bank and UnionBank of the Philippines for the receipt of loan proceeds and access to basic banking services. Since then, the card has grown into one of Pag-IBIG Fund’s most practical member benefits, helping Filipino workers save on food, medicine, transportation, housing-related purchases, and other essential expenses.

“The Pag-IBIG Loyalty Card Plus is a prime example of how public-private partnerships can work to provide practical and relevant daily benefits to Filipino workers,” said Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Ramon P. Aliling, who also chairs the 11-member Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees. “Especially at a time of global uncertainty, when every peso counts, this program helps our members make the most of their hard-earned income. This is fully in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure that government delivers meaningful and timely assistance to our fellow Filipinos.”

To date, the Pag-IBIG Loyalty Card Plus program has grown to 507 partner establishments nationwide. These include 114 under food, restaurants, and groceries; five under fuel and transportation; 189 under health and medicine; and 20 under housing-related establishments, along with many others serving members’ various needs. Across the country, the program spans 162 partners in the National Capital Region, 155 in Luzon, 55 in the Visayas, and 85 in Mindanao. To date, the program has recorded 30,660,983 discounted transactions, while total Pag-IBIG Loyalty Card and Loyalty Card Plus issuance has reached 15,170,992, with cumulative discounts granted to members amounting to ₱1,005,583,149.75.

Meanwhile, Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Marilene C. Acosta said the program is set to enter its next phase with the rollout of the Pag-IBIG Loyalty Card Plus Digital within the year, making the card’s services and privileges even more accessible to members.

“We thank our partner establishments and bank partners for helping us turn our card program into a meaningful everyday benefit for our members,” Acosta said. “Through the Pag-IBIG Loyalty Card Program, our members are able to feel the value of Pag-IBIG Fund not only during major transactions, but also in their daily lives through tangible savings on essential expenses, in keeping with our mandate to serve Filipino workers. As we roll out the Pag-IBIG Loyalty Card 

Plus Digital within the year, alongside the continued availability of the physical card, we are making the program more accessible, more secure, and more convenient for more Filipinos. In doing so, Pag-IBIG Fund also supports the Marcos administration’s efforts to advance financial inclusion by bringing practical financial services and everyday savings within easier reach of our members.”