Day: April 7, 2025

Vatican City: Pope Francis’s surprise appearance on Sunday at a Mass in St Peter’s Square for the Jubilee of the Sick and Healthcare Workers has sparked hopes that he might be able to take part in some of the rites for the upcoming Holy Week. It was the 88-year-old Argentine pontiff’s first public appearance since he left Rome’s Gemelli hospital on March 23 after 38 days of treatment for bilateral pneumonia. According to Philippines News Agency, the Vatican stated that Francis would need two months of convalescence after he left the hospital. Despite this, his unexpected presence at the Mass

Borongan City: The city government of Borongan in Eastern Samar province has declared a 15-day pork holiday to stop the spread of African swine fever (ASF). This decision comes after three samples collected from a pig farm owned by the Eastern Samar State University in Maypangdan village tested positive for the virus. According to Philippines News Agency, under an executive order issued on April 4, the local government has suspended certain pork-related activities until April 18. In response to the ASF cases, checkpoints have been established at the northern and southern borders of the city to control the situation. Borongan

Iligan City: A collaborative effort among government agencies and organizations in Northern Mindanao will once again highlight the diverse innovative outputs of local businesses at the upcoming Northern Mindanao Regional Innovation Program and Exhibit (NorMinRIPE) 2025. Hannah Mae Salugsugan, senior economic development specialist at the Development Research Division of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), bared during a press briefing Monday that various innovations will be presented at NorMinRIPE 2025. According to Philippines News Agency, the event will be held for the first time in Iligan City on April 21 and 22. “This is aligned with our celebration of the

Makati City: The Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) have formalized a partnership aimed at integrating tourism and trade-related initiatives in the Philippines. This collaboration was solidified through a memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed by DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and DTI Secretary Cristina Roque at a ceremonial event held at the DOT Central Office. According to Philippines News Agency, the MOA is designed to establish a framework for cooperation between the DOT and DTI. This partnership will focus on enhancing tourism-related industries by promoting joint trade and tourism missions, fostering sustainable tourism enterprises,

Antique: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Antique has given local candidates a three-day deadline to voluntarily remove illegal or oversized campaign posters, warning of possible charges for violating Republic Act 9006, known as the Fair Elections Act. Comelec-Western Visayas Acting Assistant Director and concurrent Provincial Election Supervisor Wil Arce±o emphasized the importance of adhering to election guidelines. According to Philippines News Agency, Arce±o stated that several candidates have yet to comply with previous reminders issued after the second week of the local campaign period. He has sent notices to these candidates, instructing them to take down their non-compliant posters