The government should hasten the vaccination of more Filipinos, President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday as he raised concern over the presence of the more transmissible Delta coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) variant. In his pre-recorded Talk to the People, Duterte admitted that the Delta coronavirus variant is “causing so much scary stories” because it is “more aggressive” than the original variant. Duterte said the country could not afford to go “back to square one,” in case the Delta Covid-19 variant continues to rise. “Four times more aggressive. [Its] transmissibility is faster than the usual Covid-19. Nakakatakot nga (It’s indeed scary),” he

Ambuklao, Binga, and Ipo dams in Luzon may still be spilling or releasing excess water this weekend to help ensure these facilities’ structural integrity. Expected rain from the southwest monsoon or “habagat” can raise water beyond the dams’ respective spilling or normal high levels so there could be a need to release excess water, noted Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) hydrologist Edgar dela Cruz. “The dams must maintain their water at safe levels,” he said. He expects the dams to spill until Luzon’s weather improves. However, it’s unlikely for “habagat”-affected Luzon to experience improving weather soon. “Habagat”

The provincial task force to end local communist armed conflict (ELCAC) has been raising the capability of village officials in Leyte for them to help completely rid communities from the influence of the New People’s Army (NPA). The communist terrorist group’s effort to regain their former strongholds in the province prompted the task force to step up the information drive among village officials who are members of the barangay (village) task force ELCAC. “The barangay ELCAC is proven effective with the community officials are now addressing issues being exploited by the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA-National Democratic Front. They are

The Ayala Foundation is giving the “Atletang Magiting” recognition to Filipina weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz for bringing the first Olympic gold medal for the Philippines. The Foundation will also give Diaz top of the line car KIA Stonic as a gift of gratitude from AC Motors and Kia Philippines, units of the Ayala Group. “For her record-making and record-breaking achievement at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Hidilyn Diaz, the first ever Filipino to win a gold medal at the quadrennial summer games, is considered a modern-day hero,” it said in a statement Thursday. Ayala Foundation has been supporting Diaz even before the

Some 150 new police recruits from the Ilocos Region, who were hired through the ‘faceless and nameless’ system, took their oath Thursday. “We believe they are the most qualified among all the applicants. They were chosen based solely on their qualifications,” said Capt. Karol Elizabeth Baloco, Police Regional Office 1 (Ilocos) assistant information officer. Under the new recruitment scheme of the Philippine National Police, a quick response (QR) code system will be used to conceal the identity of the applicant. Only the applicant’s qualifications will be evaluated in determining if he or she will be accepted in the police force.