Business activities have picked up since the government placed the National Capital Region (NCR) under Alert Level 2 as both public and private sectors want to give Filipinos a better Christmas season this year. However, the Omicron variant of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) that emerged in November is bringing uncertainties, including another round of lockdown in Metro Manila. Despite the news about the possible impacts of the Omicron variant, OCTA Research fellow Prof. Guido David said threats of another lockdown in NCR are “much lower” given the current state of the health care utilization in Metro Manila and other parts
The Police Regional Office (PRO) 13 (Caraga) said Friday two more suspects implicated in the 2018 rape of a 13-year-old girl here have been arrested. Maj. Dorothy Tumulak, PRO-13 public information officer, told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that the two suspects had gone into hiding for more than three years after the rape incident. Arrested on Thursday afternoon by city police operatives were Karl Adrian Daanoy Flores, 23, and Benjamin Borja Acido, 22, during an operation conducted in Purok 5 Silad, Barangay Mahogany in this city. “The arrest was made possible through the support of Barangay Intelligence Network in
At least three agricultural technologies made through the partnership of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Mimaropa and Occidental Mindoro State College (OMSC) are now available in the region. In a taped report aired on Friday, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato de la Peña said the OMSC was “able to successfully commercialize” the following: Liquid Trichoderma in Seaweed Extract: Trichogel; Seaweed Extract Plus; and fruit and vegetable wastes shredding machine. “To ensure that the results of academic research are made available for public use and benefit, DOST-Mimaropa has been collaborating with state universities and colleges
A health official on Friday said there are still no Omicron variant cases in the country. During an online media forum, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire reported the government is performing intensive backtracing and re-testing of the individuals who arrived in the country from three African countries. “We are doing our biosurveillance regularly and we’re also doing backtracing, nagre-retrospective sampling din tayo (we’re also doing retrospective sampling,” she said. Screengrab from DOH Zoom Meeting For the period of Nov. 15 to 29, a total of 254 travelers came from South Africa. Of the 254 individuals, only one tested positive for
The local government is building a PHP200 million Iloilo City Sports Center at the Jalandoni Memorial National High School (JMNHS) in Lapuz district here. The ground-breaking ceremony for the project on Thursday was led by Iloilo City Lone District Rep. Julienne Baronda and Executive Assistant to the Mayor Raisa Treñas, representing Mayor Jerry P. Treñas. “As a former varsity player since my younger years, it is my dream to have a world-class facility for our athletes. Iloilo City Sports Center will make us realize that dream. We will produce champions and even Olympians in the next few years,” Baronda said
The chairperson of the House Ways and Means Committee on Friday requested the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to allow overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to apply for their tax identification number (TIN) online and without the need for face-to-face transactions. In a letter addressed to BIR Commissioner Caesar Dulay, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda requested the bureau to consider agency issuances that would allow for a fully-digital process of TIN registration. “I reviewed the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, and Section 236 (I) of the Code, which requires the TIN for every taxpayer, does not appear to require personal appearance.
