Day: April 24, 2025

Cebu: House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez announced that the rollout of the PHP20-per-kilogram rice in the Visayas, starting next week, marks a significant step towards making affordable rice accessible to all Filipino families. This initiative is part of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s efforts to transform his campaign promise into actionable results. According to Philippines News Agency, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. revealed details of the pilot program following a closed-door meeting with the President and 12 Visayas governors in Cebu. The President has expressed his desire for the program to be sustained nationwide until 2028. Romualdez highlighted that

Cagayan: Incumbent Mayor Joel Ruma of Rizal, Cagayan was shot dead by an unidentified assailant during a campaign sortie on Wednesday night, police reported Thursday. An initial report reaching Camp Crame indicated that the incident took place at approximately 9:30 p.m. at the barangay hall of Illuru Sur, where Ruma and his team were campaigning. According to Philippines News Agency, a civilian named Merson Abiguebel was injured during the incident. Both Ruma and Abiguebel were rushed to the nearest hospital, but the mayor was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician. Authorities are still working to identify the suspects

Manila: Police arrested a Taiwanese national and his cohort tagged in the kidnapping of a Chinese national. In a statement on Thursday, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said the two suspects were nabbed in separate operations on Tuesday. According to Philippines News Agency, the Taiwanese national was the first to be collared in a subdivision in Las Pi±as City, while the second suspect was apprehended in Barangay 19 in Pasay City hours later. Marbil lauded the swift and coordinated response of the operating units of the Manila Police District, Pasay City Police Station, and Para±aque City

Manila: The Philippine National Police (PNP), through its Joint Anti-Fake News Action Committee (JAFNAC), has launched an investigation into the alleged disinformation on the purported kidnapping of several high-profile Chinese business personalities. This complies with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to combat the spread of disinformation under his governance agenda. According to Philippines News Agency, PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil stated that the JAFNAC, led by Deputy for Operations Lt. Gen. Robert Rodriguez, is collaborating with the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) to conduct a focused and thorough probe. The aim is to identify and hold accountable those responsible

Tacloban: Jenita Aguilar’s trembling fingers trace the rosary beads Pope Francis placed in her hands a decade ago, the same hands that rebuilt her life after losing everything to Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). Of thousands who lined Tacloban’s rain-soaked streets on Jan. 17, 2015, only Aguilar’s family received the pontiff’s spontaneous blessing when he stopped at their makeshift home. According to Philippines News Agency, “His kiss on my children’s foreheads became our armor,” the 53-year-old mother recalled on Tuesday, remembering how the pope braved Tropical Storm Amang to comfort survivors. The small wooden box containing his gifted rosary now safeguards medical