Day: November 19, 2024

TACLOBAN CITY: The Philippine Army recovered on Tuesday firearms after a clash with remnants of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Catubig, Northern Samar. Found are one M16 rifle with an attached M203 grenade launcher, an M653 baby Armalite, and personal belongings abandoned by members of the NPA sub-regional guerrilla unit, sub-regional committee arctic. Acting on tips from villagers, troops from the Army’s 20th Infantry Battalion chased a group of armed rebels in C.M. Recto village in Catubig town. After a brief armed encounter, the rebels retreated and left some of their firearms. According to Philippines News Agency, the encounter

TACLOBAN CITY: The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has successfully established 1,048 free Wi-Fi access points in public locations throughout Eastern Visayas, with a particular focus on remote areas. This initiative marks a significant expansion in public Internet access in the region, as highlighted by Dante Rosales, chief of DICT 8 (Eastern Visayas) technical operations division, during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas event on Tuesday. Rosales noted that this figure represents a fourfold increase compared to the installations completed prior to 2023. According to Philippines News Agency, the expansion has been made possible by a PHP120 million funding

Clark: The Bureau of Customs (BOC) – Port of Clark has successfully thwarted an attempt to smuggle 178 spiderlings hidden in an air parcel that was falsely declared as ‘hairclips’ from Indonesia. This incident highlights the ongoing efforts of customs officials to combat wildlife trafficking. According to Philippines News Agency, the acting District Collector Jairus Reyes revealed that the discovery was made during a physical examination prompted by a suspicious declaration by the consignee on October 30. The air parcel, intended for delivery to Valenzuela City, contained 157 vials of live spiders and 21 vials of deceased specimens. Reyes further

CEBU CITY: The full mechanization of planting and harvesting in 22 rice-producing towns in Bohol and 14 in Negros Oriental has boosted rice production in Central Visayas, an official said on Tuesday. Rogen Jan Flores, focal person of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF)-Mechanization Program of the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), emphasized that the complete mechanization of farming activities in these areas is the key outcome of the six-year program launched in 2019, which is set to conclude this year. According to Philippines News Agency, the initiative, known as the Youth for Mechanization program, aims to

LEGAZPI CITY: The Ako Bicol (AKB) Party-list has mobilized assistance to residents of Catanduanes province, which suffered severe damage to properties and agriculture caused by Super Typhoon Pepito (international name Man-yi) on Nov. 16. In a statement on Tuesday, AKB Representative and House Committee on Appropriations chair Elizaldy Co, emphasized the urgency of their action, saying that they could not delay helping the island province. According to Philippines News Agency, the lawmaker immediately ordered the dispatch of aid and the initiation of relief operations to ensure that the basic needs of the people in Catanduanes were met. Three trucks carrying