The South Korean-donated K-136 “Kooryong” multi-launch rocket system (MLRS), which is intended for the Philippine Army (PA) and Philippine Marine Corps (PMC), is expected to be delivered as early as June this year. This was divulged by Army spokesperson, Col. Xerxes Trinidad, when sought for an update on the project on Wednesday. “The Philippines will be providing the logistics for its shipment to our country. It is expected to be shipped within this year and has no specific timetable yet, although, it was earlier posted that by June 2022 ang dating nito sa bansa (will be arriving in the country),”

The catch-up immunization in Western Visayas has targeted over 20,000 children below two years old in Iloilo and Negros Occidental provinces this month of April. Dr. Daphynie Teorima, the coordinator for the Child Health and National Immunization Program of the Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH WV CHD), said on Wednesday these two large provinces of the Western Visayas region have a high number of projected unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children. To allow health workers to focus on the immunization, the DOH regional office has provided a moratorium for activities every last Thursday and Friday of

A soil scientist on Wednesday warned that “incipient” landslides caused by Tropical Depression Agaton in Baybay City may trigger major landslides in the future. The situation, according to Visayas State University Professor Victor Asio, calls for the need to come up with more detailed and updated geohazard maps of communities in the city that are vulnerable to landslides. “I suspect that several incipient landslides (landslides in the initial stage) were produced in various areas during ‘Agaton’ but are hidden by the vegetation cover. Another storm or typhoon may trigger these landslide incidents to become full or even catastrophic landslides,” Asio

Malacañang on Wednesday expressed gratitude to Filipinos for supporting the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Acting presidential spokesperson and Communications Secretary Martin Andanar made this remark after results of a recent OCTA Research survey found that 83 percent of respondents approved of what the government has done or is currently doing to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the country. “Nagpapasalamat kami sa patuloy na suporta ng ating mga kababayan sa Covid-19 response ng pamahalaan (We are thankful for the continued support of our countrymen to the Covid-19 response of the government),” he said in a Palace press briefing.

Hollywood film “Uncharted” was pulled out in Philippine cinemas over a scene containing an image of the nine-dash line, an invisible demarcation that depicts China’s claims in the South China Sea. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday said it requested the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to reevaluate and pull out the screening of the adventure film, which stars Tom Holland, saying the nine-dash line image was “contrary to national interest”. In a response quoted by the DFA, MTRCB stated that it had “ordered Columbia Pictures Industries Inc. to cease and desist from exhibiting the

Some 2,660 students have been tapped by the city government here for this year’s Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) starting the third week of April. Of the number,160 are considered SPES-Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) beneficiaries while the other 2,500 youths are wholly funded by the city government. Ma. Rebecca Balicas, manager of the city’s Public Employment Service Office, told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Wednesday those working under the SPES-DOLE program will render service for 20 days while the city-paid hires will work for 10 days. “The city-paid youth are conducting surveys in their respective