Offices of the local government in the town of Tublay, Benguet have been ordered closed starting Monday until further notice to give way to disinfection, contact tracing, and swab testing of government employees. On its official social media page, the municipal government announced that their services “shall be temporarily suspended effective September 20 until further notice” after 37 new cases were recorded on Sunday. Mayor Armando Lauro, in a text message on Monday, said that mandatory rapid antigen testing of municipal employees will be done. “This is to ensure the safety of all employees in the workplace and the safety

The Indo-Pacific security pact between the United States, United Kingdom and Australia (AUKUS) does not change Canberra’s commitment to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Australia’s envoy to the regional bloc said on Monday. AUKUS is “not a defense alliance or pact,” Will Nankervis said in a statement, adding that the “enhanced security partnership” between the three nations “will allow us to better share technology and capability.” “Our commitment to Asean centrality remains as steadfast as ever … We are committed to continuing to foster a peaceful, secure region with Asean at its center, and to complementing and strengthening

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) turned over a solar pump irrigation project (SPIP) worth PHP20 million to Baliksaka Farmers Association Inc. in Barangay Pinugay here. DAR Secretary John Castriciones said the project, made possible with the collaboration of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), will benefit mainly members of the Irrigators Association of Barangay Pinugay, Baras town. Castriciones said the SPIP will address the water problem of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and non-ARBs living in Baras. “The use of solar-powered pumps reduces the expenses of farmers in irrigating their fields. It, therefore, promotes poverty alleviation and income increase in irrigators

The House of Representatives on Monday approved on final reading a measure creating the Boracay Island Development Authority (BIDA) to promote and accelerate the sustainable development of the island. Voting 192 affirmative votes, 7 negative votes, and no abstention, the chamber passed on third reading House Bill 9826, or the proposed BIDA Act, which is a priority legislation of President Rodrigo Duterte. Under the bill, the proposed government-owned and controlled corporation to be known as BIDA shall manage, develop, operate, preserve, and rehabilitate the Boracay Island Development Zone, which shall include the entirety of Boracay Island and surrounding islets including

Anticipating the gradual easing up of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) restrictions, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has partnered with Go Negosyo and Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) for a mentoring program for agri-entrepreneurs, farmers, and fishers. The Kapatid Agri Mentor Me Program (KAMMP) aims to nurture and sustain agribusiness through coaching and mentoring. It is implemented through collaboration with government entities, including the DA-Agricultural Training Institute. “Agripreneurship unleashes the potential of Philippine agriculture to make it more resilient, and continue to be a dependable contributor to the economy. We need to promote more agripreneurship under the new normal environment,”