Day: August 21, 2024

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

MANILA: Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said Wednesday the agency is ready to help persons who need assistance even if they do not have referral letters from public officials. Gatchalian made this remark in response to Vice President Sara Duterte’s claim during a Senate budget hearing on Tuesday that there were instances when the DSWD declined to extend financial aid to individuals endorsed by the Office of the Vice President. ‘Mayroon kasi tayong policy sa DSWD na lahat ng pupunta sa aming tanggapan, whether may referral o walang referral, basta nangangailangan at tumuntong sa aming

LEGAZPI CITY: The Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 5 (Bicol) is calling on local government units (LGUs) and hog raisers to strengthen the implementation of the ‘Bantay ASF (African swine fever) sa Barangay’ (BABay ASF) program to prevent and contain the reported increase of ASF in the region. In an interview on Wednesday, Lovella Guarin, DA Bicol information office chief, said a recurrence of ASF cases was recorded in 12 municipalities in Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and Masbate. “To immediately control the recurrence of ASF in the affected towns, depopulation of hogs within the 500-meter radius of ground zero was

ILOILO CITY: The distribution utility in this city has released PHP2.8 million in refunds to 685 eligible customers since it started returning bill deposits in May 2023. ‘As of the latest count, 685 customers have successfully processed and received their bill deposit refunds,’ the More Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) said in a statement on Wednesday. It said that between May 2023 and August 2024, the power utility accounted for 1,307 customer accounts, reaching the 36-month mark since their connection with MORE Power, making them potentially eligible for the refund. However, only 996 met the criteria of consistently paying

MANILA: Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday asked the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to justify its approval of an electricity rate hike starting in October this year. “We need to ensure that any pass-through charges are justified so that any increase in electricity prices does not unduly burden consumers,’ Gatchalian said in a statement. ‘Importante na masiguro natin na lahat ng pinapasang bayarin sa mga consumers ay nasa katwiran at hindi pwedeng pasa lang nang pasa ang ERC (It is important that we ensure that all fees charged to consumers are reasonable and that the ERC should not just keep passing