Day: September 23, 2025

Boracay: Bureau of Immigration (BI) intelligence agents have arrested two Chinese nationals after being found to be illegally working at a restaurant in Boracay. BI intelligence division Chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. stated that Zhang Ke, 34, and Li Jun, 40, were arrested on Monday. According to Philippines News Agency, the duo was apprehended at a Chinese beachfront restaurant in Station 2. Zhang was discovered to be the owner of the restaurant, despite possessing an employment visa for a company based in Makati. Meanwhile, Li was working as the cook and could not provide his immigration documents, classifying him as an

Davao city: The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) launched the Mindanao Public-Private Partnership Facilitation Initiative, known as the Mindanao PPP Program and PPP Desk, on Tuesday. The initiative, in collaboration with the Public-Private Partnership Center of the Philippines, seeks to create a robust pipeline of bankable projects and to enhance agency capacities in Mindanao, while fostering a welcoming environment for private investment in long-term, revenue-generating ventures that support inclusive local development. According to Philippines News Agency, MinDA Secretary Leo Tereso Magno, during the launch, stated, “This marks another milestone in our journey toward building a better Mindanao. We have officially launched

Iloilo city: The local government here on Tuesday launched the Veterinary Emergency and Tracking Alert System (VET Alert) aimed at accounting for all animals in cases of suspected diseases and during disasters. City veterinarian Dr. Fernando Abulencia said VET Alert is one of the flagship programs of their office. “This is a grassroots-based monitoring system for all 180 barangays in Iloilo City. We will train our community-based responders on the use of the digital dashboard for reporting,” he said in an interview. While waiting for the dashboard from the Bureau of Animal Industry, which will be available in the first

Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed into law Republic Act (RA) 12289, or the Accelerated and Reformed Right-of-Way (ARROW) Act, which aims to expedite and ensure fairness in the government’s acquisition of land for infrastructure projects while providing proper compensation to landowners and affected families. Signed into law on Sept. 12, RA 12289 introduced amendments to several sections of RA 10752, or the Right-of-Way Act of 2016, as well as inserted new sections. According to Philippines News Agency, the ARROW Act defines national government projects and private entities providing public services, as well as the rules on negotiated

Negros oriental: The Philippine Army’s 302nd Infantry Brigade in Negros Oriental has expressed its respect for the court’s decision to acquit six youth activists who had been held for seven years on charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives. The individuals, previously identified by the military as members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA), were released following their acquittal. According to Philippines News Agency, Brig. Gen. Jason Jumawan, the commander of the 302nd Brigade, affirmed in an interview that the military adheres to the rule of law and respects the court’s judgment regarding the case of the so-called