METRO MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has ended the ban on oil and gas exploration in the West Philippine Sea, the Department of Energy (DOE) confirmed on Thursday. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said that the president approved the department’s recommendation to lift the ban that was placed in 2013. He thanked the President’s approval for the recommendation as they need …

Foreign ministers of members states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has welcomed the creation of the COVID-19 Asean Response Fund that will help the region respond and mitigate the new coronavirus pandemic. The response fund will be done by utilising resources from the Asean-Russia Dialogue Partnership Financial Fund that will support the region’s public health emergencies response. …