Day: March 11, 2025

Davao City: The Department of Trade and Industry in Davao Region (DTI-11) will launch three more high-impact projects worth PHP24.7 million that were approved last year, an official from the agency said Tuesday. DTI-11 regional director Romeo Casta±aga stated during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas that most of the projects are focused on supporting the innovation ecosystem of the region. According to Philippines News Agency, the fabrication laboratory at Davao Oriental State University in Mati, Davao Oriental, among the four high-impact projects costing PHP34.7 million, was already launched on March 5. The PHP10-million laboratory project is envisioned to address the

Manila: The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte to secure his appearance before the tribunal in connection with its investigation into his controversial war on drugs. Duterte, who completed his six-year presidency in 2022, is alleged to maintain significant influence even after leaving office. According to Philippines News Agency, the ICC pre-trial chamber issued the warrant on March 7, highlighting that Duterte is unlikely to cooperate with a summons to appear voluntarily. The chamber expressed concerns over potential interference with the investigation and the safety of witnesses and victims, emphasizing the

Bicol: The Department of Health (DOH) 5 (Bicol) is aiming to expand the coverage of its Zero Open Defecation (ZOD) program to 89 percent of households in the region by 2025. In an interview on Tuesday, Lea Angela Romero-Castillo, DOH-5 Environmental Health Regional Program Manager, stated that the ZOD program is a key strategy for improving rural sanitation development. The goal is to reach 1.25 million out of an estimated 1.4 million households in the region. According to Philippines News Agency, the ZOD program was initiated in 2015 and received further support through the issuance of Department Memorandum 2015-0021. This

Antique: The Provincial Board here commended Antique±o athletes who bagged medals in their respective sports disciplines during the recent Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) meet. According to Philippines News Agency, Board Member Rony L. Molina highlighted the significance of the WVRAA meet, describing it as a platform for athletes across the region to demonstrate their skills and commitment to excellence in sports. Molina sponsored three resolutions commending the Antique±o athletes for bringing pride to their home province, families, and schools, during the regular session on Monday. The athletes who secured gold medals for Antique included Brico Pe in the

Bacolod: This highly-urbanized city and three component cities in Negros Occidental have been elevated to the Hall of Fame during the 2024 Population and Development (PopDev) Awards of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) 6 (Western Visayas) at the SMX Convention Center here Tuesday. Bacolod, Cadiz, Sagay, and Talisay were recognized for their ‘exemplary performance in the localization of PopDev strategies and for having been recognized as Most Outstanding Local Population Office for three consecutive years from 2022-2024.’ According to Philippines News Agency, CPD-6 Director Harold Alfred Marshall stated that the awardees have satisfactorily met the criteria set in