MANILA – The Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday opened the online application for the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS VP) for the school year 2021-2022. “Through the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), DepEd was able to secure additional funds for the continuity of the implementation of SHS VP as well as its other programs of Government Assistance and Subsidies,” Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla said. DepEd, in collaboration with the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC), will accept online applications from Sept. 9 to 23 through the Online Voucher Application Portal (OVAP). Voucher applicants must create accounts on

MANILA – At least four roads in Central Luzon and Calabarzon were closed to traffic in the aftermath of Typhoon Jolina, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported on Thursday. Citing the report of its Bureau of Maintenance as of 6 a.m., the DPWH said these include one road in Nueva Ecija and three roads in the province of Batangas and Cavite. The Nueva Ecija-Aurora Road (Diteki River Detour Road) in Aurora and Lemery-Taal Diversion Road in Barangay Palanas, Lemery, Batangas were closed due to floods while the Indang-Alfonso via Luksuhin Road section in Cavite is currently impassable

MANILA – Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte is hoping that justice will soon be served following the arrest of two suspects in the killing of former journalist Gwenn Salamida. Belmonte thanked the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) for their swift action that led to the arrest of Nilo Payag Anub and Richard Go Alaba on September 3. “Umaasa ako na sa positibong pangyayaring ito, mabilis na makakamtan ng pamilya ng napaslang, pati na ng sugatang biktima, ang katarungan na kanilang inaasam (I am hoping that with this positive report, the family of the slain victim and her injured companion, will

MANILA – State auditors and prosecutors will be fielded as resident ombudsmen in government agencies starting this month, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Thursday. “The Office of the Ombudsman (OMB), the Commission on Audit (COA), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) under which prosecutors and state auditors will be deputized as resident ombudsmen in graft prone agencies of the government. The OMB, COA, and DOJ shall jointly enter into agreements with partner agencies for the deployment of the resident ombudsmen which is expected to start rolling this month,” Justice Undersecretary Neil Bainto

MANILA – Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday said the Commission on Audit (COA) has the power to look into the financial books of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) since it is an entity that receives subsidy or equity from the government. “Under the constitution, the COA has the power to examine on a post-audit basis all accounts pertaining to the expenditure or use of fund by any non-governmental entity receiving subsidy or equity, directly or indirectly, from or through the government,” Guevarra told reporters. President Rodrigo Duterte earlier called for an audit of the PRC headed by Senator Richard

MANILA – The Metro Manila Council (MMC) has asked the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to consider easing restrictions for those fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in the National Capital Region (NCR). In Resolution No. 21-19, series of 2021 released on Thursday, the MMC — composed of the 17 mayors in NCR and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) — said the suggestion will be subject to an “inter-agency and inter-disciplinary study” to determine the appropriate policies. “The MMC urges the IATF-EID to consider the easing of the Covid-19 guidelines for fully-vaccinated individuals in the