Day: September 9, 2025

Phnom penh: The PHP225 billion initially designated for locally funded flood control projects in the proposed 2026 budget will be redirected toward education, health, and other urgent needs, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced on Tuesday. According to Philippines News Agency, President Marcos explained that the necessity for the 2026 flood control allocation has been negated due to ongoing investigations that have delayed the PHP350 billion budget for flood control in 2025. In contrast, foreign-assisted flood projects valued at approximately PHP50 billion will proceed as planned. The President emphasized that the reallocation of funds is intended to optimize the use

Phnom penh: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will announce within two days the members and powers of the independent commission that will investigate flood control anomalies, with subpoena authority among the tools being considered. ‘Within the next 48 hours, I will already announce the powers that we are granting to the independent commission and the members of the independent commission,’ Marcos told reporters in Phnom Penh Tuesday, as he concluded his state visit to Cambodia. According to Philippines News Agency, the President declined to hint at possible members, noting that premature disclosures would trigger speculation. ‘Mag-a-announce ako buo (I will

Manila: Pacifico ‘Curlee’ Discaya, the owner of construction firms under investigation for alleged ghost flood control projects, has categorically stated that he never engaged in any direct transactions with House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. Discaya made this assertion during a House Infra-Comm hearing, where he appeared under oath to clarify his position. According to Philippines News Agency, Discaya emphasized that the names of Speaker Romualdez and Ako-Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co, the former House appropriations panel chair, had been mentioned in his testimony but were not based on any direct dealings. He suggested that their names may have been used

Iligan city: The Iligan City government has distributed over PHP2.5 million in cash gifts to its elderly citizens, providing significant financial support to this section of the population. According to Philippines News Agency, Mayor Frederick Siao announced that the Office of Senior Citizens’ Affairs successfully allocated PHP10,000 each to 245 elderly beneficiaries, aged between 80 and 95. Additionally, a centenarian was awarded PHP100,000, as stipulated by law. Mayor Siao emphasized the city’s commitment to the program introduced by the National Commission of Senior Citizens, promising to integrate national policies into the local government unit’s practices. “We, at the city government,

Quezon city: The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is actively developing a national policy on nature-based solutions (NbS) aimed at embedding forest restoration, watershed protection, and other ecosystem-based strategies into the Philippines’ core climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction frameworks. The initiative seeks to transform these approaches from isolated project-based efforts into sustained governance practices. According to Philippines News Agency, the policy is being crafted with support from the United States Agency for International Development, United Nations Development Programme, and other partners. DENR Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning, International Affairs and Climate Change, Noralyn Uy, emphasized that this