Day: May 26, 2025

Laoag: Chrisia Mae Tajarros of Eastern Visayas Region bagged the first gold medal at the 65th Palarong Pambansa Monday after ruling the secondary girls’ 3000-meter run at Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. Memorial Stadium here. She clocked 10 minutes and 18.6 seconds to beat Mary Mae Magbanua of Caraga (10:48.4) and Nathalei Faye Miguel of Ilocos Region (10:50.4). According to Philippines News Agency, the 13-year-old Tajarros, a student at Leyte’s Tanauan National High School, expressed that her relentless training paid off, and she remains determined to pursue her dream of competing internationally. Eastern Visayas also celebrated another victory, with Efosa John

Manila: The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday expressed its intention to recommend maintaining a 15-percent tariff on imported rice to ensure the stability of retail prices. In June 2024, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. enacted Executive Order 62, which reduced the tariff on imported rice from 35 percent to 15 percent, aiming to decrease retail prices by at least PHP7 per kilogram. According to Philippines News Agency, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. emphasized the importance of timing the reversion of tariffs accurately. He mentioned that there would be no immediate increase, considering that the harvest season has concluded

Manila: The Provincial Health Office (PHO) of Dinagat Islands has denied circulating reports of confirmed mpox cases (monkeypox) in the province. In a public advisory issued Monday, the PHO clarified that no laboratory-confirmed mpox cases have been detected in the area, despite social media posts last week claiming otherwise. According to Philippines News Agency, the advisory highlighted the presence of mpox cases in neighboring regions, which poses an imminent threat, underscoring the importance of continued vigilance among residents. The PHO advised the public to adopt preventive measures such as regular disinfection of surfaces, wearing face masks, and observing proper hygiene

Bicol: The Land Transportation Office in Bicol (LTO-5) has issued a warning to over 50 active driving schools in the region, emphasizing the need to strictly adhere to the requirements of the theoretical driving course (TDC) for aspiring drivers. In a recent interview, LTO-5 spokesperson Jamie Roperes highlighted that stricter audit and inspection measures will be implemented in response to reports of driving schools issuing certificates to students who have not completed classes or passed the necessary assessments. According to Philippines News Agency, the instruction from LTO-5 Regional Director Edgar Allan Castillejos mandates that all district and extension office chiefs

Manila: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday defended the process it used in determining the seat allocation for the winning party-list groups in the May 12 elections. In a brief statement, Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco emphasized that the formula and computation used by the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) were grounded in the 2009 Supreme Court (SC) decision on the BANAT (Barangay Association for National Advancement and Transparency) vs. Comelec case. According to Philippines News Agency, the 2009 SC decision laid out a three-stage formula for distributing seats to the party-list winners, overturning the previous requirement of a