Day: January 23, 2025

Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported an increase in beneficiaries redeeming food assistance under the ‘Walang Gutom’ program. Tonyson Luther Lee, assistant director for administration of the DSWD-Central Visayas, stated that the redemption Period No. 12, spanning from January 13 to 22, saw 26,195 household beneficiaries. According to Philippines News Agency, the number of beneficiaries for this period is higher compared to Period No. 11, which had a target of 13,170 household beneficiaries. For the current redemption period, 15,761 beneficiaries, who mostly reside in 24 towns and cities in Negros Oriental, have redeemed their food assistance.

Manila: The 17 Filipino crew members of the cargo ship Galaxy Leader, who were held captive by Houthi rebels for 14 months, are set to arrive home Thursday night, a Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) official said. DFA Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega told the Philippine News Agency that the 17 are scheduled to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at around 9:30 p.m. According to Philippines News Agency, the DFA shouldered the seafarers’ expenses for pocket money when they arrived in Oman as well as their repatriation. The Department emphasized its commitment to ensuring the immediate repatriation of

Southern Leyte: Some local government units in Southern Leyte have suspended classes following a magnitude 5.8 earthquake that shook the province. The Southern Leyte Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported that classes have been suspended in Maasin City, the provincial capital, and the towns of San Francisco and Liloan. According to Philippines News Agency, shortly after the ground shaking, Maasin City Mayor Nacional Mercado ordered the suspension of classes at all levels, both public and private. The mayor directed the city engineer and concerned personnel to conduct inspections and assessments of the structural integrity of all school

Manila: President Ferdinand Marcos R. Jr. on Thursday stated that he needs to review the latest version of Senate Bill (SB) 1979, known as the proposed Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act, before reconsidering the proposal that mandates the implementation of the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) Program. According to Philippines News Agency, the President’s remarks came in response to a media question regarding his stance on the teenage pregnancy bill, which he previously criticized for containing elements he deemed inappropriate for young children. Marcos emphasized the need to read the substitute bill, as quoted by Presidential Communications Office Acting Secretary Cesar

Iloilo City: A total of 7,257 security personnel and volunteers have been deployed to secure the Dinagyang Festival 2025, following a send-off ceremony held at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand on Wednesday afternoon. “We are here to start the weeklong security coverage for the best tourism event in the country, the Dinagyang Festival. The security contingent gathered not just as a show of force but to underscore their commitment to ensure the security and safety of this celebration,” Police Regional Office- Western Visayas (PRO6) director Brig. Gen. Jack Wanky, also the task group Dinagyang commander, said in his message. According to