Day: January 25, 2025

Bicol: The Police Regional Office (PRO) 5 (Bicol) on Saturday commemorated the bravery of the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) personnel who were killed during an anti-terrorist operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in 2015. According to Philippines News Agency, the commemoration began with a Holy Mass at the Sto. Ni±o Chapel inside Camp Simeon Ola to honor their courage and ultimate sacrifice. The flag was lowered to half-staff at the PRO-5 Parade Ground, where personnel from the regional headquarters attended the ceremony. PRO-5 Director, Brig. Gen. Andre Dizon, was represented by Deputy Regional Director for Operations (DRDO) Col. Roque Bausa, who

Pag-Asa: Two Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ships — BRP Datu Pagbuaya and BRP Datu Bankaw — were forced to suspend their marine scientific research (MSR) and sand sampling in the Pag-Asa cays after harassment by China Coast Guard vessels and a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) helicopter on Friday morning. According to Philippines News Agency, the encounter involved CCG vessels 4106, 5103, and 4202; four small CCG boats; and a PLAN chopper with tail number 24, as the two Filipino vessels were en route to the West Philippine Sea (WPS) features. The BFAR mission aimed to conduct

Iloilo City: Contingents from several renowned events gathered for the inaugural ‘ILOmination’ light show as part of the Dinagyang Festival. Pandang Gitab of Oriental Mindoro, Pavvurulun Afi Festival of Tuguegarao City in Cagayan, Tanglawan Festival of San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan, Hermosa Festival of Zamboanga City, and Bailes de Luces Festival of La Castellana in Negros Occidental sent representatives Friday to highlight the festival’s commitment to innovation and inclusivity. According to Philippines News Agency, Allan Ryan Tan, president of the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc., emphasized the festival’s dedication to pushing boundaries. “Each year, we push our boundaries to introduce

Iloilo City: Eric Jed Olivarez defeated veteran Johnny Arcilla, 6-3, 6-3, in the men’s singles final of the Governor’s Cup National Open Tennis Championship at the Iloilo Sports Complex Friday. Olivarez relied on his variety of shots to beat the 44-year-old Arcilla, a veteran Davis Cupper and 10-time Philippine Columbian Association Open champion. According to Philippines News Agency, Olivarez, 26, expressed his strategy and experience during the match in an interview on Saturday. He mentioned that it was his first time playing on a synthetic grass surface. Arcilla started strong in the first set, leading 3-2, but Olivarez managed to

Zambales: The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has compelled a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel to move farther from the Zambales coastline, officials reported on Saturday. At 1 p.m. on Friday, the CCG replaced its vessel 3103 with its much larger ship, vessel 3304, which the PCG’s BRP Cabra managed to push away to a distance of 85 to 90 nautical miles from the Zambales coastline. PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said the Chinese ship is now about 100 nautical miles from the province as of 6 a.m. Saturday. According to Philippines News Agency, Tarriela noted