Day: September 1, 2025

Manila: The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has urged schools in Eastern Visayas to establish their disaster response protocols, stressing the importance of instilling disaster awareness among students. OCD Eastern Visayas regional director Lord Byron Torrecarion emphasized the necessity of this practice, given the region’s susceptibility to multiple hazards. According to Philippines News Agency, Torrecarion pointed out the significance of integrating disaster management into the education system, drawing a parallel to practices in Japan where such education begins as early as elementary school. He underscored that teaching disaster response not only prepares students for emergencies but also fosters a spirit

Bicol: Over PHP114 million worth of illegal drugs were confiscated and 973 suspects arrested in anti-drug operations conducted from January to August this year, the Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO-5) reported Monday. According to Philippines News Agency, PRO-5 Director Brig. Gen. Nestor Bagagay Jr. stated that the confiscated drugs from 892 operations included 80,647.41 grams of marijuana and 15,478.47 grams of shabu. Among the arrested individuals, 101 are categorized as high-value targets, while 872 are identified as street-level offenders. A total of 1,678 cases have been filed against the violators involved in the illegal drug trade. Camarines Norte recorded

Manila: The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday urged lawmakers to grant it enforcement powers to strengthen the fight against agricultural smuggling. The department issued the statement nearly a year after the passage of Republic Act (RA) 12022 or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act. According to Philippines News Agency, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said amendments to the law are needed to pursue those behind the illicit trade, which he described as ‘economic sabotage’ that gravely harms local farmers and fisherfolk. ‘The law is a step in the right direction, but without enforcement powers, our hands are tied. We

Manila: The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday refuted China’s claim that public security in the Philippines is “worsening,” noting a drop in crime rate in the first eight months of the year. “Our crime situation in the Philippines is not worsening because based on our data, there is a 16.5 percent decrease [in crime rate],” PNP information chief Brig. Gen. Randulf Tua±o said in a press briefing. According to Philippines News Agency, Tua±o reported that there were 22,519 focus crime incidents recorded from Jan. 1 to Aug. 28, 2025, which is lower than the 26,969 incidents recorded during the

Manila: The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) fully awarded all bids for Treasury bills (T-bills) during its auction on Monday. The 91-day, 182-day, and 364-day T-bills recorded average rates of 5.173 percent, 5.323 percent, and 5.457 percent, respectively. These rates were lower than those from previous auctions and the prevailing secondary market rates. According to Philippines News Agency, the previous week’s average auction yields for the same T-bills were 5.195 percent, 5.398 percent, and 5.522 percent. Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation chief economist Michael Ricafort noted that the T-bill average auction yields have mostly been slightly lower for the ninth consecutive