Day: September 29, 2025

Manila: Former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Monday denied Vice President Sara Duterte’s allegations linking him to illegal gambling and supposed deliveries of cash claims, calling them baseless and fabricated. ‘Naririnig ko ang mga akusasyon. Diretsahan kong sasabihin: hindi totoo na ako’y tumatanggap mula sa ilegal na sugal (I heard the accusations. Directly, I would say: It’s not true that I was receiving money from illegal gambling),’ the Leyte representative said, adding that the stories about alleged ‘suitcases of cash’ are ‘pure fiction’ meant to tarnish his name. According to Philippines News Agency, Romualdez emphasized that the accusations lack

San mateo: The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) have entered into a partnership aimed at providing housing to families graduating from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). This initiative will allow these families to acquire homes under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program. According to Philippines News Agency, the agreement was formalized at Abuab Towers in San Mateo, Rizal, with the signing of a joint memorandum circular (JMC). This circular institutionalizes housing assistance for 4Ps beneficiaries. Abuab Towers is a component of the Expanded 4PH

Masbate: The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has deployed two mobile desalinator/water purification units in Masbate to ensure the provision of safe drinking water in communities affected by typhoon Opong. This strategic move aims to address the urgent need for clean water in the disaster-stricken area. According to Philippines News Agency, the deployment of water purifiers is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to provide timely, effective, and life-saving assistance to communities impacted by disasters. The units, operated by skilled personnel from the PCG, have a combined capacity to produce up to 20,000 liters of potable water daily,

Lingayen: Eighteen higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Ilocos Region have been recognized in the 2025 World University Rankings for Innovations (WURI), marking a significant increase from six institutions in the previous years from 2022 to 2024. This global ranking system evaluates universities based on their real-world contributions and innovative approaches to higher education. According to Philippines News Agency, the internationally ranked HEIs in the Global Top 400 Innovative Universities include Urdaneta City University (44th), Mariano Marcos State University (89th), Lyceum-Northwestern University (176th), Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (178th), and others. Notably, Panpacific University was recognized as fourth in

Bayawan city: The local government of Bayawan City in Negros Oriental is preparing to construct a second sanitary landfill, with PHP30 million allocated for the project, in anticipation of increased facility usage from outside the city. Kerwin Martinez, environmental management specialist and manager of the Bayawan City Waste Management and Ecology Center (BCWMEC), indicated that preparatory works are in place for the additional sanitary landfill cell. According to Philippines News Agency, Martinez stated that there is no immediate need for the new landfill yet, as the current sanitary landfill (SLF cell no. 1) still accommodates residual waste from the city