Informal sector workers in two provinces in Calabarzon and Central Luzon have benefitted from the government’s livelihood packages worth PHP18 million, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported on Saturday. In a news release, DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III, together with the officials from DOLE and local government units of Lucena and Candaba, Pampanga awarded livelihood packages and freebies to the beneficiaries. Minimum wage earners and displaced workers in Lucena received PHP1.5 million livelihood check for DOLE AKAP and Halik Multi-Purpose Cooperative for their biofuel project funded under the DOLE Social Amelioration Welfare Program (SAWP); 100 bikes under the

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has released some PHP4.4 million to Isabela City, the capital of Basilan province, to boost its tourism industry. DOT Undersecretary Myra Paz Valderrosa-Abubakar, in a statement Saturday, said the grant is for Isabela City’s project Tourism Short Courses as Opportunities for People Empowerment (TSCOPE) Claudio Ramos II, Isabela City tourism officer, said the TSCOPE is a series of capacity development for all tourism stakeholders affected by the health pandemic. Ramos said the training will advance existing competencies and open new interests to better and advance sustainable tourism and inclusive employment for all. Mayor Sitti Djalia

A local bus company here announced the resumption of trips to Metro Manila starting September 5. The management of G.V. Florida Bus Lines (Florida) made the announcement on Saturday, saying it is now accepting bookings and reservations for the Manila to Laoag route at 10 p.m. every Monday and Friday and the Laoag-Manila route at 9 p.m. every Sunday and Thursday. “As of now, we have received a number of reservations but for the convenience and safety of travelers, we would like to remind them to comply with quarantine protocols,” Bus company staff Maylin Villalin said in a phone interview.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Saturday ordered a crackdown against private armed groups (PAGs), less than a month ahead of the start of the filing of candidacy for next year’s elections. “Habang palapit na ang filing ng certificate of candidacy para sa Halalan 2022, inatasan ko na ang aming mga commanders na lalong paigtingin ang mga operasyon laban sa mga private armed groups na maariing gamitin upang manakot at maghasik ng karahasan lalo na sa mga lalawigan at mga kanayunan (As the filing of the certificate of candidacy for the 2022 polls approaches, I have instructed

The Philippines will lift travel restrictions on passengers coming from 10 countries beginning September 6, Malacañang announced on Saturday. “President Rodrigo Roa Duterte approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to lift the current travel restrictions in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia starting Sept. 6, 2021,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement. For months, the 10 countries were listed as high-risk due to rising coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases and travelers from those nations were banned from entering the Philippines. Despite the lifting of the ban, inbound

The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday defended anew the purchase of medical-grade ambulances that Senator Panfilo Lacson alleged were “overpriced”. In a statement, the agency said the procured vehicles are compliant with the licensing standards and have undergone competitive bidding to get the lowest price possible. The DOH added that it will wait for official documents being referred to so it can appropriately answer questions about the procurement. “We will be able to shed light on the issue once we see the specific documents. Ang masasabi ko lang ay nagprocure ang mga implementing units ng naaayon sa batas (What