Day: March 10, 2025

Manila: Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has expressed strong support for the Department of Education’s (DepEd) initiative to renew and hire over 7,000 administrative support staff, aimed to reduce the non-teaching workload of public school teachers. He emphasized the importance of this move in allowing teachers to focus more on instructional tasks. According to Philippines News Agency, the Second Congressional Commission on Education found that public school teachers manage over 50 non-teaching and ancillary tasks. This situation has significantly impacted their ability to concentrate on teaching. Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, noted in a statement that the renewal

Manila: The Department of Justice (DOJ) has confirmed that it has not received any warrant of arrest for former president Rodrigo R. Duterte from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is conducting an investigation into the previous administration’s war on drugs. According to Philippines News Agency, Malaca±ang has expressed that the government is “prepared for any eventuality” following circulating reports about the ICC’s issuance of a warrant. DOJ Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano stated in a chance interview with reporters, “I can only really verify those documents that come into the DOJ and as of today, wala pa po tayong nare-receive

Cotabato City: Newly appointed Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is set to form his official cabinet in the coming days. According to Philippines News Agency, Asnin Pendatun, the spokesperson for BARMM, announced that Macacua, who previously served as governor of Maguindanao del Norte, will be appointing ministers to lead various offices, bureaus, and sub-offices. This move comes after Macacua’s appointment by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on March 3, succeeding Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, who was the first interim chief minister of BARMM since 2019. Pendatun noted that Macacua has not yet

Bicol: The Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO-5) has apprehended 23 individuals and confiscated illegal drugs worth PHP2.4 million during a weeklong operation. According to Philippines News Agency, PRO-5 Director Brig. Gen. Andre Dizon reported that a total of 18 operations led to the seizure of 357.53 grams of shabu and 10 grams of marijuana from March 3 to 9. Camarines Norte recorded the largest drug confiscation, amounting to PHP2.15 million, followed by Camarines Sur with PHP140,294, Albay with PHP114,760, Masbate with PHP13,600, and Sorsogon with PHP4,080. No drugs were seized in Naga City and Catanduanes during this period. Dizon

Camarines Sur: The Department of Agriculture in Bicol (DA-5) distributed PHP122 million worth of agricultural interventions to farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) in Camarines Sur during President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s visit to the province on March 7, 2025. According to Philippines News Agency, the DA-5 Regional Executive Director Rodel Tornilla led the distribution of interventions, which included farm machinery, inputs, hauling trucks, and motorized boats to 76 FCAs from Camarines Sur, whose representatives attended the event. Under the Rice Program, the DA distributed PHP14.6 million worth of interventions, including rice transplanters, grain collectors, floating tillers, tractors, threshers, reapers, a