Day: August 21, 2024

MANILA: The Department of Agriculture (DA) and hog raisers industry allayed concerns over the safety and quality of retail pork products amid the resurgence of African swine fever (ASF). In a press conference, DA Assistant Secretary for Swine and Poultry Constante Palabrica said the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) has increased its checkpoints to 12 areas in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon to prevent the spread of ASF. ‘Napaka-effective nitong checkpoints na ito, ayaw naming magping-pong iyong mga baboy mula sa infected areas sa (These checkpoints are very effective, we don’t want to pass on swine from infected areas

MANILA: The House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved on the third and final reading a bill prohibiting the option to substitute candidates who withdrew from the electoral race. During the plenary session, a total of 195 lawmakers voted in favor of House Bill 10524, which seeks to amend Section 77 of the Omnibus Election Code by removing withdrawal as a ground for substitution of candidates to prevent the mockery of the electoral system. No lawmaker voted in the negative or abstained from voting. The bill also seeks to strengthen the electoral system by including permanent incapacity as an additional

TACLOBAN CITY: At least 1,977 parents in Samar province have received cash incentive for attending learning sessions meant to capacitate them to tutor their children. The Department of Social Welfare and Development completed on Wednesday the payout to all recipients under the Tara, Basa (let us read) Tutoring Program in two cities and 19 towns in Samar. Under the cash-for-work component of the program, each parent received PHP4,700 equivalent to the 20-day parents’ sessions they attended from July 1-26. ‘These learning sessions aim to empower parents and guardians with knowledge and skills to support their children’s education and improve family

BACOLOD CITY: Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, the national chairman of the League of Cities of the Philippines, expressed support for the campaign of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) against child abuse and human trafficking amid the Senate inquiry related to the police operation in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) premises in Davao City. ‘I fully support Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. and his efforts to combat child abuse, human trafficking, and sexual exploitation,’ Benitez said in a statement on Wednesday. He added that the leadership of Abalos in these areas, as well as in the various

MALASIQUI: A PHP49 million worth 574-meter long flood control structure along the Aringay River is protecting residents of the villages of Lloren, Pideg, and Caoigue in Tubao town, La Union. Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Ilocos Region information officer Esperanza Tinaza, in a statement on Wednesday, said the project has a height of 4.2 meters, designed to withstand the powerful flow of the Aringay River. ‘This structure is crucial in preventing the river from overflowing and causing damage to the surrounding agricultural lands and residential areas,’ she said. Tinaza said the agency is committed to implementing similar projects

MANILA: The government has allocated about PHP3 billion for the cash gifts to elderly Filipinos aged 80, 85, 90, 95, and 100 in the proposed 2025 national budget, a lawmaker said on Wednesday. In a statement, Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo said the PHP3 billion proposed allocation for next year would cover the PHP100,000 cash gift for 1,730 new centenarians amounting to PHP173 million, while the remaining allocation will be used to pay for the PHP10,000 grant for octogenarians and nonagenarians. ‘Based on the 2025 National Expenditure Program, the government intends to spend up to PHP3 billion for the initial