The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has released around PHP2 billion in cash grants in the first six months of the year to beneficiaries of the government’s flagship conditional cash transfer program in Region 12 (Soccsksargen). Restituto Macuto, DSWD Region 12 director, on Thursday said the grants were directly disbursed to 194,960 poorest of the poor households in the region that are covered by the initiative known as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps. He said these were released in regular payouts every two months through the cash cards of the recipients. Macuto assured that the beneficiaries
Eight patients of the Delta variant of the coronavirus here have recovered and their close contacts contained. The eight were confirmed after the Department of Health (DOH) informed the city government of the report of samples taken by the Philippine Genome Center (PGC), Mayor Oscar Moreno said in an online press briefing on Thursday. They are seven family members in Barangay Balulang, all recovered on July 15; and a Barangay Canitoan resident, who recovered on July 18. “All (eight cases) of them were certified recovered when DOH-10 released their swab samples. They will be extracted and placed immediately in isolation
President Rodrigo Duterte is expecting the Department of Justice (DOJ) to make sure that the personnel of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) involved in the so-called “pastillas” bribery scandal will be dismissed from service, Malacañang said on Thursday. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque issued the statement, as he admitted that Duterte may have not been aware that the BI officials linked to “pastillas” scheme have returned to work pending the results of the investigations. This, after Duterte, in his sixth and last State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered on Monday, said he had fired around 43 BI personnel due to
A measure institutionalizing the participation of civil society organizations (CSO) in the annual national budget process has hurdled third reading approval at the House of Representatives. During Wednesday’s plenary session, a total of 200 lawmakers voted in favor of House Bill 7407, otherwise known as the proposed People’s Participation in the National Budget Process Act. No one voted against it or abstained from voting. The bill aims to make the budgeting process more participatory through the involvement of grassroot organizations. It would also allow the exercise of the people’s right to participate in public decision-making and enhance accountability in the
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) announced on Thursday that it will give the Olympic gold medalist PHP5 million for her other feat on Monday night. Diaz broke the Olympic records for the clean-and-jerk and the total lifted weight for the women’s 55-kilogram weightlifting event. Diaz clinched the Philippines’ first ever Olympic gold in style after clearing 127 kilograms in her final lift, setting the quadrennial meet’s record for the event. In total, she lifted 224 kilograms, also an Olympic record. Diaz just missed out on setting the Olympic record in the snatch after failing to lift 99 kilograms, letting Uzbekistan’s
The seizure of several firearms and ammunition in Northern Samar should serve as a warning against those planning to illegally transport firearms through ports in Eastern Visayas, the Police Regional Office 8 said on Thursday. Col. Ma. Bella Rentuaya, PRO-8 spokesperson, said policemen in the region have been ordered to step up their check against illegal possession of firearms to ensure peaceful and orderly elections next year. This came after the arrest of four men on Wednesday for alleged possession of several high-powered firearms at the Port of Allen town in Northern Samar. Initial investigation disclosed that these firearms are
