Day: May 7, 2025

Quezon City: The Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Wednesday conducted mandatory drug testing on 740 drivers and conductors of the Solid North Transit in its terminal in Cubao, Quezon City. This initiative aims to ensure the bus company’s compliance with road safety standards following the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) collision in Tarlac City on May 1 that resulted in 10 fatalities. According to Philippines News Agency, LTO Chief, Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II stated that the action is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos’ directive to ensure road safety for all users. ‘The instruction of (Transportation) Secretary Vince (Dizon) is

Manila: The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) assured Wednesday that the national government’s total outstanding debt remains manageable, standing at PHP16.68 trillion as of end-March 2025. According to Philippines News Agency, the BTr stated that domestic debt amounting to PHP11.38 trillion accounted for about 68.2 percent of the total debt stock, while the remaining 31.8 percent or PHP5.30 trillion are external obligations. The BTr emphasized that the financing mix helps mitigate exposure to external risks while taking advantage of the country’s liquid domestic market. The BTr highlighted that the national government’s robust revenue performance in the first quarter of 2025

Manila: The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI) has confirmed the detection of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) Type A Subtype H5N9 in Camaligan, Camarines Sur. This marks the first recorded instance of this strain in the country. According to Philippines News Agency, the BAI announced that the strain is highly pathogenic among birds but does not affect humans. This confirmation came after the BAI-Animal Disease Diagnosis and Reference Laboratory reported positive results from duck samples collected on April 30, 2025, during a routine surveillance conducted by the DA Regional Field Office Bicol. In response to the detection,

Manila: The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has urged expecting mothers to consult their healthcare providers to ensure healthy and safe pregnancies. This initiative aligns with the country’s observance of Safe Motherhood Week, celebrated from May 6 to 12, which emphasizes innovations for safer childbirth to tackle maternal mortality rates. According to Philippines News Agency, mothers are advised to complete eight antenatal check-ups throughout their pregnancy-one in the first trimester, two in the second trimester, and five in the third trimester. For a safe delivery, PhilHealth stresses the importance of giving birth in hospitals or health facilities equipped with trained

Batangas: A complaint has been filed against a local candidate in Batangas province over alleged abuse of state resources (ASR) before the Commission on Elections (Comelec). In his complaint, Raneo Abu alleged that Batangas Rep. Jinky Bitrics Luistro, who is seeking re-election, was present during the distributions of Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) in several campaign activities in the province. According to Philippines News Agency, Abu claimed that on two separate occasions during the official campaign period, Jinky Bitrics Luistro made public appearances during the distribution of government financial assistance, AICS. Abu argued that Luistro’s campaign events were