Day: February 11, 2025

Baguio: The Commission on Elections (Comelec)-Baguio is urging eligible individuals to avail of the local absentee voting (LAV) option. Comelec-Baguio Election Officer John Paul Martin emphasized that LAV serves as a crucial opportunity for police officers, soldiers, teachers, other government employees, and members of the media who are unable to vote on May 12 due to their official duties. According to Philippines News Agency, individuals interested in participating in the LAV can submit their applications either at the Comelec central office in Manila or at local Comelec offices until March 7. This voting option is specifically available for national positions,

Western Visayas: Recent intensified anti-drug operations yielded PHP3.69 million worth of shabu and arrested 21 drug personalities in Western Visayas. According to Philippines News Agency, a report by the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO 6) said around 543 grams of shabu were seized during the 15 operations launched by various police units from 6 a.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Tuesday. Four of the arrested suspects were tagged as high value individuals and 17 were street level individuals. In a statement, PRO 6 Director Brig. Gen. Jack Wanky vowed to sustain their campaign to eradicate illegal drugs as well

Manila: The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) is set to infuse PHP45 million (USD780,000) into agriculture-related livelihood and climate resilience initiatives in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The initiative is expected to provide benefits to 28,000 individuals in the region, with a special focus on indigenous women. According to Philippines News Agency, the projects, which will be carried out by the World Food Programme, aim to enhance the role and leadership of women in decision-making processes. Violeta Dominguez Acosta, head of Spanish Cooperation in the Philippines, highlighted the importance of accelerating progress towards gender equality,

Manila: The entry of imported domestic and wild birds, as well as their by-products from the US states of Maryland and Missouri, are temporarily banned to prevent the spread of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Tuesday. The banned poultry products include meat, eggs, day-old chicks, and semen from these areas. According to Philippines News Agency, ‘The quick escalation of bird flu cases in the US since its first detection demands a more extensive coverage of trade restrictions to prevent the entry of the virus,’ DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a

Manila: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Tuesday that it will begin issuing notices to candidates for the removal of illegal campaign materials starting Wednesday. This initiative, part of Comelec’s ‘Oplan Baklas’, targets candidates running for national positions. According to Philippines News Agency, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia, during a forum in Manila, warned that sanctions await winning senatorial candidates and party-list groups in the upcoming May 12 polls if they fail to comply with the notices. Garcia emphasized the consequences faced by candidates in the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections for similar offenses, mentioning around 7,500 issues of