Day: February 11, 2025

Magpet: A juvenile Philippine serpent eagle (Spilornis holospilus) rescued by villagers and environment officials was released Tuesday morning in Magpet, North Cotabato. The eagle was found trapped in a net in Sitio Ambag, Barangay Tagbac on Monday afternoon, after it was seen attempting to prey on a chicken. Staff of the Protected Area Management Office-Mt. Apo Natural Park and the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office-Cotabato retrieved the bird. According to Philippines News Agency, Director Felix Alicer of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Soccsksargen (DENR-12) stated that the 0.6-kilogram eagle, with a wingspan of 116.84 centimeters, was

Manila: The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) launched a campaign that aims to help taxpayers understand their tax obligations to encourage voluntary compliance. According to Philippines News Agency, the Friendly Tax Compliance Verification Drive (TCVD), which runs from February 10 to 14, focuses on helping taxpayers understand their tax obligations, identify common issues, and guide them in correcting these to ensure proper compliance with tax laws. The initiative aims to build lasting awareness and improve cooperation between the BIR and the business community. “The BIR will conduct a tax education campaign through a nationwide TCVD. The purpose of this TCVD

Negros Oriental: Two persons were arrested in Negros Oriental for violation of the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) gun ban this week, a police official said on Tuesday. Lt. Stephen Polinar, spokesperson of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO), stated that the suspects were apprehended on separate occasions on Monday evening. According to Philippines News Agency, one arrest occurred at a checkpoint while the other took place following a request for police assistance after the suspect allegedly fired a gun. These arrests increase the total number of apprehended gun ban violators in Negros Oriental to five since the start of

Manila: A retired police general implicated in the mishandling of a PHP6.7 billion drug haul in 2022 surrendered to authorities upon his return to the country, the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced. The PNP confirmed that Lt. Gen. Benjamin Santos Jr. (ret.), former deputy chief for operations, was served an arrest warrant shortly after his arrival at Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 4:48 a.m. According to Philippines News Agency, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo reported that Santos surrendered to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and underwent standard booking procedures. However, he was released around 9:12 a.m. after

Tacloban: The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has disbursed at least PHP5.6 billion in benefits in Eastern Visayas in 2024, a significant increase from PHP3.7 billion in the prior year. The amount covered 600,580 claims as more members became aware of healthcare benefits intended for them, PhilHealth 8 (Eastern Visayas) field operations division chief Asisclo Militante Jr. said. According to Philippines News Agency, the rise in claims is attributed to an expansion in coverage, particularly for impoverished families. Militante emphasized the focus on maintaining critical services such as inpatient care, outpatient consultations, and preventive health programs, especially for those in