Day: August 21, 2025

Manila: The Philippine Army (PA) has announced the successful completion of a series of maritime air patrol (MARPAT) missions carried out by its Cessna 172L aircraft over the coastal areas of Northeastern Luzon. These operations took place from August 16 to 19, as part of the Army’s ongoing efforts to enhance maritime domain awareness. According to Philippines News Agency, the Cessna 172L was operated by the Special Mission Aviation Company, part of the Army Aviation Regiment. PA spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala confirmed in a statement that the mission encompassed the archipelagic waters and territorial seas of Aurora, Isabela, Cagayan, the

Manila: The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is conducting a study to explore the feasibility of using the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) as a hyperscale data center. DICT Secretary Henry Aguda told reporters Wednesday night that the mothballed power plant has the necessary facilities to cater to a large-scale data center, including infrastructure, a suitable location, and fiber optic connectivity. According to Philippines News Agency, the DICT plans to complete its technical feasibility study once the study being conducted by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA Philippines) is finished. The KOICA Philippines study, in coordination with the

Panglima estino: Two warring families from Panglima Estino, Sulu, have successfully signed a peace covenant, marking the end of a dispute that lasted over a year and resulted in the loss of two lives. This significant event followed the intervention and collaboration of the local community. According to Philippines News Agency, Brig. Gen. Alaric Avelino Delos Santos, the commander of the Army’s 1102nd Infantry Brigade, identified the conflicting families as those of Pajid Yusop Ubaidulla and Rasmin Asara. The reconciliation was celebrated as an act of true courage, with Delos Santos emphasizing that it demonstrates greater strength to forgive than

Manila: The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is expected to continue reducing policy rates in the second half of the year as easing inflation provides ample room for more policy rate cuts, BMI, a unit of Fitch Solutions said. According to Philippines News Agency, BMI released a report on Thursday indicating that low inflation and slow growth would prompt the BSP to ease further in the second half, bringing the benchmark policy rate to 4.75 percent by the end of this year. Inflation eased to a nine-year low of 0.9 percent in July this year. BMI projects inflation to settle

Northern samar: Northern Samar 2nd District Rep. Edwin Ongchuan on Thursday called on the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to extend incentives and support not only to national athletes but also to local and regional competitors. According to Philippines News Agency, Ongchuan’s appeal came during the congressional hearing on PAGCOR’s 2026 budget on Aug. 20, emphasizing the importance of grassroots sports development in strengthening Philippine athletics. The discussion revealed that PAGCOR incentives are typically directed to athletes competing in international and national events through coordination with the Philippine Sports Commission. “While this system ensures national representation is prioritized, I