Day: March 27, 2025

Davao Oriental: Davao Oriental province launched a specialized task force on Thursday to combat drug trafficking through its seaports, deploying a multi-agency approach to secure the region’s maritime borders. According to Philippines News Agency, the newly formed Davao Oriental Seaport Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Force (DOSIDIT) will operate from a command center at Mati City’s Balay Silangan Compound, coordinating intelligence and interdiction efforts among 10 national and local agencies. Mati City Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat, serving as task force co-chair, emphasized the province’s zero-tolerance policy. “This task force reinforces our commitment to shutting down all drug smuggling routes through our

Mati City: Mati City emerged as the top performer at Thursday’s prestigious PaNaTa (Pagkilala sa Natatanging Kontribusyon) Ko sa Bayan Awards, claiming five major honors from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for its innovative social programs. According to Philippines News Agency, the coastal city in Davao Oriental province received the Gawad Paglilingkod sa Sambayanan for its Microenterprise Development Model, which has become a national benchmark. It also earned first place in the Serbisyong Mahusay category for its sectoral programs benefiting youth, seniors, and children. Additional accolades included first place in both the Gawad Serbisyong Mapagkalinga for compassionate

Agusan del Norte: Environment officials in Agusan del Norte will donate 16,494 board feet of confiscated lumber to support a housing project for former communist rebels, authorities announced Thursday. The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Nasipit said the materials, seized during 2023 anti-illegal logging operations, would help construct homes in Sitio Talaganahaw, Barangay Talo-ao, Buenavista town. The project aims to provide 123 housing units through a partnership between provincial and municipal governments. According to Philippines News Agency, the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) has allocated PHP10 million (USD180,000) for the initial

Manila: JG Summit Holdings, Inc., the Gokongwei family’s listed holding company, is banking on the expected easing of inflation to drive revenue growth this year. JG Summit reported Thursday that its revenues grew 11 percent, reaching PHP379.7 billion in 2024, with core profits increasing by 29 percent to PHP24.9 billion year-on-year. According to Philippines News Agency, the company attributed its strong bottom line last year to a PHP7.9-billion gain following the merger of its banking subsidiary, Robinsons Bank, with Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) on January 1, 2024. This gain offset losses in other business segments, such as lower

Pangasinan: Pangasinan’s Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) has appealed to the public to refrain from making prank calls on the province’s 911 emergency hotline. PDRRMO operations head Vincent Chiu, in a forum on Thursday, said they received about 60,000 prank calls out of the 500,000 calls made since the hotline was launched last year. According to Philippines News Agency, most prank calls came from high school students, prompting the PDRRMO to coordinate with the Department of Education to address the issue. Chiu emphasized that legitimate emergency calls primarily involve vehicular accidents and fire incidents, to which their