Day: October 22, 2024

Manila: Police rescued a six-year-old boy from his mother and her partner who are engaged in online sexual exploitation in Laguna, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Tuesday. PNP-Anti-Cybercrime Group chief Maj. Gen. Ronnie Francis Cariaga said the entrapment operation in Barangay Pansol on Oct. 17 yielded four mobile phones used to record, livestream and store images of the child’s abuse. The operation was carried out following the arrest of a 33-year-old man from New South Wales, Australia on Sept. 19, 2024. The Australian identified the mother of the rescued child as the facilitator of the online sexual abuse and

Manila: Local cement manufacturers are ready to meet the increasing demand for housing in the Philippines as domestic production capacity improved over the years, Cement Manufacturers’ Association of the Philippines (CEMAP) said in a statement Tuesday. CEMAP president Reinier Dizon said domestic cement production has risen significantly with expansion projects and investments from new players. ‘In terms of capacity, the domestic cement industry has grown from 27 million tons in 2014 to 50 million tons in 2024,’ Dizon said. In July this year, Japanese cement manufacturer Taiheiyo inaugurated its new plant in San Fernando, Cebu, with investments amounting to PHP12.8

Manila: Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi will continue promoting closer cooperation with the Philippines, including on establishing a free and open rules-based order in the region. The newly appointed Iwaya made the commitment after speaking with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo in a telephone meeting on Tuesday. During the call, Manalo congratulated Iwaya on his appointment and the latter stated that he ‘would like to steadily promote Japan-Philippines cooperation as well as multilateral cooperation, including Japan-US-Philippines cooperation, to maintain and strengthen a free and open international order based on the rule of law.’ Japan has been a staunch supporter of

Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday hailed the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) for maintaining peace and stability in the Philippine waters despite foreign aggression and incursion in the country’s territorial waters. During the celebration of the PCG’s 123rd founding anniversary at Port Area in Manila, Marcos lauded the agency’s steadfast service and commitment to protecting the country’s maritime domain, as demonstrated in every rescue operation, protection efforts, and enforcement of laws against illegal fishing and environmental degradation. ‘Indeed, your emergence as a key player in our nation’s maritime security reflects your commitment to service and exemplifies how to

Manila: Self-rated poverty in the Philippines dropped in the third quarter of 2024 with about 43 percent of Filipino families, or approximately 11.3 million, considering themselves poor, according to the latest survey conducted by OCTA Research. This figure, based on the Tugon ng Masa (TNM) survey conducted from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2, represents a substantial improvement from the 48 percent recorded in the second quarter of the year. This 5-percentage point decrease equates to a reduction of about 1.4 million families who no longer consider themselves poor, underscoring a “notable shift in self-perceptions of poverty,” according to OCTA. OCTA