Day: January 22, 2025

Manila: The number of African swine fever (ASF)-affected barangays in the country dropped in January, according to the latest report of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI). As of Jan. 10, barangays under red zones, or those with active cases of ASF, declined to 133 in 34 cities and municipalities from 225 barangays on Dec. 27, 2024. According to Philippines News Agency, the affected barangays are reported in eight regions including Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol, Central and Eastern Visayas, and Soccsksargen. Areas with the highest number of red zones include Midsayap and Pigkawayan in North

Manila: Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino on Wednesday called on the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to include a course on Republic Act 12064 or the Philippine Maritime Zones Act in its training program for new recruits to strengthen their understanding of maritime issues, particularly the West Philippine Sea (WPS) conflict. According to Philippines News Agency, Tolentino emphasized the need for new recruits to go beyond basic training and physical drills by undergoing a crash course on the Philippine Maritime Zones Act. He conveyed this to PCG spokesperson Commodore Algier Ricafrente during his radio program, highlighting the importance of this knowledge

Manila: The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is reviewing its policies on deploying overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Kuwait after the recent deaths of two Filipino workers. According to Philippines News Agency, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the review aims to strengthen protective measures for household workers and ensure their welfare. “We are reviewing our deployment policies and also trying to review ‘yung kapakanan ng mga matatagal ng OFWs na nandoon sa (the welfare of those OFWs who have been staying for years in) Kuwait,” Cacdac said in a press release on Wednesday. The tragic deaths of Jenny

Manila: Authorities on Wednesday warned those running in the May 12 midterm elections against the use of International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers during the campaign period, saying it could lead to sanctions. Used commonly in text scams, IMSI catchers mimic cell towers and convince nearby phones to connect to them, thus allowing for the collection of IMSI numbers. According to Philippines News Agency, in a joint press briefing held at the Philippine National Police-Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) office in Camp Crame, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy said IMSI catchers could be used during elections

Bolu: A fire at a ski resort in northern Trkiye killed at least 76 people and injured 51 others, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Tuesday. Of the injured, 17 were discharged from hospital while one remains in intensive care, Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said. The fire broke out at around 3.30 a.m. local time in the restaurant area of the Kartalkaya ski resort hotel, quickly engulfing the building, according to Bolu Governor Abdulaziz Aydin. According to Philippines News Agency, it was brought under control after 10 hours of work by firefighters, while efforts to cool down the affected areas