Day: June 2, 2025

Cagayan de Oro: Two fire incidents here on Monday caused over PHP4 million in damage. One blaze destroyed four houses in Barangay Bugo, while the other erupted in Barangay 24, about 17 kilometers east of the city, causing more damage. According to Philippines News Agency, Fire Senior Inspector Kyle Lauzon, operations chief of the City Fire District, reported that the fire in Barangay 24 started past 10 a.m. and was placed under control approximately 30 minutes later. “We have roughly 76 houses, more or less, damaged by the fire. The affected houses were constructed with a mix of concrete and

Negros Island: The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is urgently seeking emergency powers and inter-agency support to combat the fast-growing infestation of red-striped soft scale insects (RSSI) in Negros Island, home to over 60 percent of the Philippines’ sugar production. In a news release on Monday, the SRA said Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona announced the alarming state of RSSI in the “sugarlandia” during an inter-government agency meeting on Sunday, as he called for strict quarantine measures on the movement of canes and planting materials. According to Philippines News Agency, studies showed that the pest, which was earlier monitored in Luzon, might

Iloilo City: The local government here has been proactive in its anti-smoking campaign, according to Iloilo City Anti-Smoking Task Force (ICAST) executive director I±igo Garingalao on Monday. “The enforcement campaign in Iloilo City is continuous. We are regularly updating our ordinances to really face this threat. This is ongoing and it has to be sustainable,” Garingalao said in an interview. According to Philippines News Agency, the city is stringent regarding tobacco advertisements, promotions, and sponsorships. It maintains awareness campaigns for all ages, promotes smoke-free establishments and events, engages in inter-office collaborations, and partners with the Philippine National Police (PNP) for

Baguio City: The Commission on Elections in the Cordillera Administrative Region (Comelec-CAR) announced that a vacancy will be declared if the reelected Benguet Lone District Representative, Eric Yap, is not proclaimed before the official start of his term on June 30. Yap is currently facing seven disqualification cases concerning his citizenship, alleged violations of the Fair Elections Act, and accusations of vote buying. As a result, his proclamation, initially scheduled for May 13, has been suspended. According to Philippines News Agency, Comelec-CAR Director Julius Torres, in a media interview, stated that if the winning candidate is not proclaimed in time,

Legazpi City: The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Bicol (DSWD-5) has confirmed that guarantee letters (GL) will continue to be accepted as payment for medicines, laboratory fees, hospital bills, and funeral services in the region. This assurance comes as a relief to many residents who rely on this system for financial support during medical and funeral emergencies. According to Philippines News Agency, DSWD-5 Regional Director Norman Laurio stated that the maximum amount of a GL is set at PHP150,000, depending on the services availed by patients. For medicines and laboratory fees, the maximum amount is typically PHP10,000, although