Day: July 7, 2025

Ilocos norte: The Provincial Health Office (PHO) of Ilocos Norte has intensified its information and education drive to prevent the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) amid new cases in the province. Based on data released on Monday, the Provincial Health Office reported 22 new cases-21 male and one female-occurring from January to March this year. According to Philippines News Agency, Dr. Rickson Balalio, the provincial health officer of Ilocos Norte, highlighted the importance of safe sex in a media interview on Monday, urging the public to take care of themselves and others. The PHO noted that the majority of

Zamboanga: Authorities have arrested two suspects and seized a shipment of some PHP25 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in an operation in this city on Monday morning. Colonel Fidel Fortaleza Jr., chief of the Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO), identified the arrested individuals as Vicente Garcia, 33, the driver; and Mhadzfar Muharram, 37, the truck helper. According to Philippines News Agency, personnel of the police’s 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company (2ZCMFC) arrested the suspects around 7:40 a.m. along R.T. Lim Boulevard, Barangay Baliwasan. Fortaleza said the 2ZCMFC personnel were conducting a checkpoint operation when they flagged down an enclosed

Cagayan de oro: The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Northern Mindanao Region (DSWD-10) is advocating for an expanded approach in disaster response by officially including “psychological first aid” in its protocols. According to Philippines News Agency, during a training session on Monday, DSWD-10 Assistant Director Glofelia Uayan emphasized the importance of delivering sensitive and timely psychosocial support to disaster-affected individuals and communities. Uayan highlighted that while responders are trained to provide necessities such as food, shelter, and safety, they must also be prepared to address the psychological and emotional trauma that individuals may experience following a disaster. The

Palo: Governors in Eastern Visayas have welcomed the inclusion of the region in the National Fiber Backbone (NFB) Phases 2 and 3, as this will unlock economic opportunities in poor communities. Eastern Samar Governor Ralph Vincent Evardone said the project allows remote villages to be connected through the internet. ‘This will support our objective to bring the services of the provincial capitol to each barangay. Hosting the fiber backbone is very timely, with many people in our province relying on connectivity for their work, studies, and communication with others,’ Evardone told reporters. According to Philippines News Agency, of the 597

Baguio city: The Department of Education in the Cordillera Administrative Region (DepEd-CAR) has advised school heads to assess local weather and road conditions before deciding on class suspensions, emphasizing that the safety of students and personnel must be prioritized. According to Philippines News Agency, in an advisory issued on Sunday evening and shared on DepEd-CAR’s official social media page, Regional Director Dr. Estela Cari±o stressed that no student should risk their safety out of fear of being marked absent. ‘No student should be exposed to danger for fear of being marked absent in their class. Alternative delivery mode should be