Day: April 8, 2025

Manila: A party-list lawmaker has introduced a legislative measure aimed at disqualifying candidates from participating in local and national elections if they engage in misogynistic or discriminatory rhetoric during their campaigns. Gabriela Representative Arlene Brosas submitted House Bill 11498 to the House of Representatives, proposing amendments to specific sections of the Omnibus Election Code. According to Philippines News Agency, the bill intends to categorize misogynistic and gender-based harassment as grounds for disqualification and an election offense. Brosas emphasized that derogatory remarks against women should not become customary in the political arena, asserting that candidates using their platforms to propagate discrimination,

Borongan City: The Department of Agriculture (DA) is intensifying its surveillance efforts in Northern Samar and Eastern Samar following the confirmation of African swine fever (ASF) cases in four areas within these provinces. According to Philippines News Agency, seven villages across Bobon, Laoang, and Palapag towns in Northern Samar, and Borongan City in Eastern Samar, have been identified as ASF red zones due to active cases detected over the past two months. These areas are part of the 27 towns and cities nationwide currently contending with confirmed ASF outbreaks, as reported by Vincie Pantonino, a senior veterinarian from the DA’s

Laguindingan: All is set for Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc.’s (AIC) takeover of Laguindingan International Airport (LIA) this month, with the phased handover process laid out to minimize disruptions while ensuring operational continuity. According to Philippines News Agency, there is no specific date yet for the takeover of operations, but it was scheduled for the end of April, according to AIC’s communications manager. ‘We are committed to delivering an efficient and well-managed transition process that paves the way for the modernization of LIA. Our goal is to enhance the gateway’s infrastructure and services to meet the growing demands of travelers and businesses,’

Manila: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has taken a significant step by classifying the use of foul language as an election offense, aiming to transform campaign activities into safe spaces. In Supplemental Resolution 11127, approved by the poll body’s en banc, the public is now empowered to file cases for violations of Resolution 11116 before the Task Force on Safeguarding against Fear and Exclusion in Elections (Task Force Safe) for uttering foul words, particularly against women, during the campaign season. According to Philippines News Agency, this decision follows reports of local candidates using hateful, sexist, and discriminatory remarks against women,

Manila: The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is expecting the number of port passengers for this year’s Holy Week to reach over 1.73 million from April 14 to 20. In a statement on Tuesday, PPA General Manager Jay Santiago said the expected total this year is a 3.5 percent increase from the 1.67 million passengers during the same period last year. According to Philippines News Agency, Santiago emphasized the preparedness of the PPA for the increased number of passengers this Holy Week 2025, noting the overlap of the Lenten season with summer. He highlighted that many local travelers are taking advantage