Day: June 9, 2025

Quezon City: Filipino farmers and fishers must experience ‘quick wins’ from the intensified efforts of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said Monday. In a statement, Tiu Laurel urged DA personnel to deliver ‘swift and tangible’ results to all their industry stakeholders in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive. According to Philippines News Agency, Tiu Laurel emphasized the need for urgency, stating that farmers and fisherfolk have waited long enough for improvements. He was one of the officials retained by the President in the ongoing recalibration of his administration. Tiu Laurel challenged DA personnel

Manila: The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Monday identified the Chinese Drug Triad as the organization responsible for the recent dumping of over one ton of shabu, which was found by local fisherfolk floating in the waters of Pangasinan and Ilocos Sur. According to Philippines News Agency, PDEA Director General Isagani Nerez confirmed that the shabu packs were concealed in teabags with Chinese markings, a known signature of the triad. He explained that the triad employs various methods of drug smuggling, including using the high seas to dump illicit goods, which are then retrieved by local associates. Nerez credited

Manila: The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) on Monday voiced its opposition to the proposed removal of Ethics from the college curriculum. CEAP emphasized the importance of Ethics in fostering good moral thinking among young adults. According to Philippines News Agency, CEAP stated that while basic education introduces ethical principles, the complexity of moral dilemmas faced in adulthood requires a deeper engagement with ethical frameworks. The organization highlighted that college is a crucial period for young adults to refine their values and make significant life decisions. Removing Ethics from higher education would deprive students of the opportunity to

Manila: The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) reported recovery in more than 17 hectares of sugarcane farms affected by red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) in Negros Occidental but sustains intensified field response as the infestation continues to increase, its latest report showed on Monday. ‘I know that the sugar industry is very important for the Negros Island Region and the SRA and the Department of Agriculture (DA) will work with 101 percent effort in finding a solution. This solution entails the cooperation of everyone,’ SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said during the stakeholders’ forum at the SRA Bacolod Social Hall. According

Manila: The final public hearing of the House Quad Committee on Monday ended with a searing indictment of Chinese criminal infiltration into the Philippines and the complicity of Filipino officials who enabled it. ‘The Chinese raped us but we helped them rape us,’ Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said as he opened the 15th hearing of the Quad Comm, composed of four House panels — Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts. According to Philippines News Agency, the joint investigation focused on the links between Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), human trafficking,