Day: October 15, 2025

Antique: The Department of Agriculture (DA) is currently distributing 45,730 bags of hybrid and inbred seeds to farmers in Antique for the upcoming dry season. The DA’s Agricultural Program Coordinating Office (APCO) in Antique, led by Sonie Guanco, confirmed that they received 7,600 bags of hybrid rice seeds and 38,130 bags of inbred seeds from the DA – Philippine Rice Research Institute on September 16. This initiative is part of the Masagana Rice Industry Development Program. According to Philippines News Agency, the seeds are being distributed through local government units or municipal agriculture officers to ensure that farmers have access

Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced that the upcoming bicameral conference committee (bicam) deliberations on the 2026 national budget will be livestreamed. This initiative marks a first in Philippine legislative history and aims to prevent last-minute insertions and backroom ‘small committee’ deals that have historically caused controversy. According to Philippines News Agency, this will be the first time bicam budget deliberations are opened to the public. Budget Undersecretary Goddes Hope Libiran emphasized that these proceedings are typically closed-door sessions held by Congress without executive participation, and expressed full support for the transparency of livestreaming. In a media briefing held

Dumaguete: The Negros Oriental provincial government, led by Governor Manuel ‘Chaco’ Sagarbarria, has earmarked a substantial budget of over PHP9 million for the enhanced Buglasan Festival, scheduled to take place from October 16 to 26. According to Philippines News Agency, the Buglasan Festival is a significant annual event that showcases the socio-cultural, heritage, and tourism attributes of Negros Oriental. Governor Sagarbarria announced at a press conference that this year’s festival will encompass approximately 50 events, combining traditional highlights with new activities. Governor Sagarbarria expressed gratitude for the increased participation from local government units (LGUs), noting that 23 out of 25

Bacolod city: The majority of the 49 public schools inspected in this city have no structural threats or have only minor issues, based on the results of the rapid damage assessment and needs analysis (RDANA) conducted in the past two days. According to Philippines News Agency, the color-tagging system developed by the City Engineer’s Office (CEO) and the Department of Education (DepEd) showed 38 schools were classified under the green category, which means no structural threats or with minor issues only. Seven schools were placed under the yellow category, indicating they are safe for partial occupancy but require repairs, while

Manila: The Department of Health (DOH) has reported that 297 healthcare facilities built since 2021 remain non-operational, raising concerns over transparency, potential mismanagement, and the possible wastage of public funds. During a visit to Marikina City, DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa inspected the Concepcion Dos Super Health Center (SHC), one of the projects that have stalled. According to Philippines News Agency, the site in Marikina, funded with PHP21.5 million under Phase 1 of the national SHC initiative, was found to be overgrown with weeds, with only the steel foundation erected. The original DOH plans for the Marikina SHC envisaged a two-storey,