More farm machinery was distributed to farmers on Thursday as part of the government’s farm mechanization program to ensure food security in the province. Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc vowed to protect the farmers’ source of livelihood and make it more profitable for them, especially since the province is a top producer of garlic, onions, tobacco, mango, dragon fruit, and other high-value crops. Funded through the tobacco excise tax share of Ilocos Norte, thirteen units of four-wheel tractors, nine hand tractors, and two combined harvesters were turned over to 24 clustered farmers’ associations both in the first and second districts of
With only four days before the end of the voting period, a total of 385,437 registered overseas voters have so far participated in the exercise. Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Marlon Casquejo said the number represents 23 percent of the 1,697,215 registered voters abroad. “We have a good turnout. As of today (May 5), we are already at 23 percent voting turnout so far,” he said. He said they are expecting to surpass earlier numbers. “With this trend, we are likely to surpass the previous turnouts,” he said. In the previous polls, the voter turnout during presidential elections have been
A magnitude-5.8 quake jolted Davao Oriental on Thursday afternoon, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported. The tectonic quake struck 147 kilometers southeast of the municipality of Tarragona at 4:21 p.m. It was 2 kilometers deep. Earlier today, Phivolcs also recorded tectonic quakes with magnitudes 5.2 and 5.7, and epicenters 140 kilometers east and 136 kilometers southeast of the same municipality, respectively. Phivolcs director Renato Solidum Jr. said both earthquakes were caused by the movement along the Philippine Trench. The magnitude-5.8 quake was felt at Intensity 3 in Malungon, and Alabel, Sarangani; Davao City; Tampakan, South Cotabato Intensity
Despite a four-hour heavy downpour and an earthquake, thousands of supporters of the UniTeam led by consistent frontrunners presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos and vice presidential hopeful Sara Duterte, on Thursday stayed to be part of the party’s Mindanao Miting de Avance here. The venue, which was the same rally site as the UniTeam’s contending party, was already full and spilling off as early as 2 p.m. even if the event was scheduled to start late afternoon. A rain-drenched Hermogenes Villanueva, 71, from Asuncion town, said they will stay until the end of the event. “Magpabilin mi. Naa sab akong
The local government-owned Bacolod City College (BCC), now in its 25th year, got a boost in its site development with the construction of PHP350 million worth of facilities, including the PHP110-million activity center. On Thursday afternoon, Mayor Evelio Leonardia led city officials in the inauguration and ribbon-cutting ceremonies held at the school campus in Barangay Taculing. “Modesty aside, there is no other school in Bacolod, Negros or Western Visayas that has received an allocation of PHP350 million from its local government for the massive improvement of its facilities,” he said. The activity center is a 1,000-seater, fully airconditioned gymnasium for
Local shares and currency gained on Thursday trading following data releases from both international and domestic markets. The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) ended the day’s trading 66.19 points higher, or 0.97 percent change, to 6,868.92 with all counters in the green. All shares rose by 1.33 percent, or 48.17 points, to 3,663.16. The Mining and Oil sector posted the biggest jump, with an increment of 508.99 points or 4.52 percent to 11,769.57. This is followed by Industrial, up by 80.71 points (0.86 percent) to 9,484.16; Holding Firms, up by 60.44 points (0.95 percent) to 6,395.99; Property, up by 36.9
