The city government here has set aside 4,000 doses of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines as part of its 112th Charter Day celebration. Public Information Office chief Aileen Refuerzo, in a phone interview on Monday, said the three-day vaccination activity at the Baguio Country Club (BCC) is one way of recognizing the tourism industry’s contribution and assures the protection of workers and their clients. “This is part of the commitment of the city government to have the workers in the economic sector vaccinated and geared toward helping gradually and safely revive the local economy,” she said. Department of Tourism (DOT)

Two policemen, including a senior officer, were separately arrested for the delay and bungling with prosecution of drug cases, which is a violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Brig. Gen. Ronaldo Genaro Ylagan, Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) director, identified the arrested policemen as Corporal Junhavier Alam Ahmadul, 42; and Lt. Col. Nonito Asdai, 55. Ylagan said Ahmadul was arrested at around 2:45 a.m. of Aug. 29 at the Zamboanga City Police Office’s (ZCPO) Station 1 in Barangay Vitali, where he is assigned. Asdai was arrested at around 9 a.m. of Aug 28 in

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III said 250 distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Kuwait will arrive in the country on Sept. 1 after the government responded to the migrant workers’ urgent request for assistance. Bello said 80 of the troubled OFWs came from the Migrant Workers and Other Overseas Filipinos Resource Center (MWOFRC) while the remaining 170 are domestic and company workers. “These workers have either finished their contracts or have expiring exit visas and victims of various employment contract-related violations,” he said in a news release on Monday. Bello said the unfortunate migrant workers

The appointment of Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Assistant Secretary Anna Marie Rafael as general manager of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco) is “effective immediately.” This was the statement made by Beneco after an opposing camp allegedly attempted to prolong her assumption of office by declaring that a Beneco Board Resolution through a “special meeting” set on Aug. 31 is required to confirm Rafael’s appointment. “The words of her appointment does not need any room for construction as it is clear, concise, and unambiguous. The only legitimate action of the Board is to require the submission of her One-Year Action

President Rodrigo Duterte remains the chair of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban). PDP-Laban secretary-general Melvin Matibag issued this statement on Sunday after the faction led by Senator Manny Pacquiao elected Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III as party chair, supposedly to replace Duterte. Matibag described the recent development as a “comedy”, adding that Pimentel, whose late father Aquilino Jr. was the PDP-Laban founder, does not represent the party. “It’s a comedy. Sen. Koko Pimentel has no position in the PDP Laban. He is irrelevant and he does not represent the party. His group are pretenders and are attention

Gains from the positive 11.8-percent gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter of the year may likely push the Philippine economy’s full-year expansion to nearly 5 percent, a report said. The Market Call, the joint monthly publication of First Metro Investment Corporation (FMIC) and University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P), said latest reports on exports, imports, manufacturing, and government spending, among others, also boost hopes for faster economic recovery in the second half of the year. It said overall full-year growth outlook “has brightened” following the release of the second-quarter GDP figure, which ended the five consecutive quarters