The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is scaling up its support to the Philippines’ biodiversity conservation efforts as it announced a five-year grant facility worth PHP800 million that would directly support civil society organizations’ (CSOs) environmental programs in the country. Under the new Investing in Sustainability and Partnerships for Inclusive Growth and Regenerative Ecosystems (INSPIRE) project, the US funding will help CSOs promote wildlife protection, natural resource management, and local climate actions in the Philippines. It will also support media organizations covering key natural resource governance issues and help local communities better manage natural resources and mitigate the

A total of 702 workers who were disadvantaged or displaced due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic have received cash aid totaling PHP2.5-million on Friday. The fund comes from the “Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers” (TUPAD) under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the beneficiaries were the recent batch that received the cash aid. DOLE-Cagayan de Oro City Field Office Chief Emmanuel G. Toledo said in a statement that the beneficiaries had completed their 10-day work period beginning on November 24, after which they will each receive PHP3,650 worth of wages. He said the beneficiaries were

Cotton growers in a rural village of Lumbaan, Pinili, Ilocos Norte were elated on Thursday with the inauguration and turnover of the Lumbaan-Bicbica irrigation development project of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA). Lerwin Pidot, Grupo ti Zanjera Lumbaan Bicbica Irrigators Association Inc. president, said they are lucky for being the major recipient of the more than PHP18-million worth of projects which will revitalize cotton production in the community. According to NIA, the project covers an area of 25 hectares directly benefiting around 20 farmer beneficiaries. Completed on October 11, 2021, the project aims to increase the productivity of farmers by

The Department of Labor and Employment in Northern Mindanao (DOLE-10) on Friday clarified that while the national government is encouraging the public to get anti-coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines, employers cannot terminate workers who would refuse to get inoculated. Director Atheneus Vasallo, DOLE-10’s technical service and support division director, said via Zoom conference that for contractual workers, employers may violate short-duration contracting and sub-contracting arrangements if found to have laid-off workers who chose not to get the vaccine. “If you are a worker of a contractor, in companies or clients, your employment is still protected; security of tenure is still

A measure promoting, protecting, and conserving the country’s indigenous and traditional writing systems has been endorsed for plenary approval at the House of Representatives. In an online meeting Thursday, the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture, chaired by Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, approved subject to style House Bill 10469 or the “Philippine Indigenous and Traditional Writing Systems Act.” The measure is primarily authored by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and Manila Rep. John Marvin Nieto. The bill would require the Department of Education (DepEd) and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to include writing systems in relevant subjects of basic

The provincial government of Iloilo launched on Friday a three-day “Bakunahan Bayanihan” with the aim to reach out to all eligible vaccinees in 42 towns. The province hired 1,092 vaccinators to augment the current batch of health care workers. Some capitol staff or those working under the Government Internship Program are deployed to municipalities to serve as encoders. Lawyer Dennis Ventilacion, Iloilo provincial administrator, said the target set by the Department of Health (DOH) is “serious and difficult” but it can be handled. As of Thursday, the Iloilo Provincial Health Office report showed 502,341 of the 1,448,757 target eligible population