Day: October 16, 2025

Manila: More than 29,677 out of 42,036 barangays in the Philippines have been declared free of drugs since the onset of the Marcos administration, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). An additional 5,815 barangays are currently undergoing the clearing process as part of the government’s sustained anti-narcotics campaign. According to Philippines News Agency, the data, which reflects the state of the nation as of September, categorizes barangays as drug-affected when there is evidence of drug users, pushers, manufacturers, marijuana cultivators, or other drug-related activities. The classification of drug-affectation is divided into three levels: slightly affected, moderately affected, and

Manila: Defending champion National University (NU) secured a spot in the semifinal round of the UAAP Season 88 men’s badminton tournament after defeating the University of the Philippines (UP) 4-1 at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall in Malate, Manila. According to Philippines News Agency, MJ Perez initiated the victory for NU by winning the first singles match against Shan Clar with scores of 20-22, 21-12, 22-20. However, UP managed to equalize when Kervin Llanes triumphed over Miko Mosarbas, 21-11, 21-16, in the second singles match. Perez then teamed up with Lanz Zafra to clinch a 21-13, 21-17 victory over Mark

Baguio: The city government plans to hold more frequent earthquake drills to strengthen disaster preparedness and ensure that residents instinctively respond to tremors, the local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Council announced Thursday. According to Philippines News Agency, the drills aim to make the ‘duck, cover and hold’ response second nature to everyone during earthquakes, as stated by Mayor Benjamin Magalong. ‘We want everybody to be adept in disaster response and to have ‘duck, cover, and hold’ as a normal reaction whenever there is an earthquake,’ Magalong said in an interview. He referenced the magnitude 4.8 earthquake that hit

Bicol: The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) 5 (Bicol) has allocated PHP31 million in financial aid to residents in the Bicol region whose homes suffered damage due to recent severe weather events. According to Philippines News Agency, DHSUD-5 Director Maria Amoroso announced that PHP19 million had been disbursed earlier this year, with an additional PHP12 million recently distributed. This financial support has reached hundreds of families who were displaced by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name Trami) and Super Typhoon Pepito (international name Man-yi) across the region. The aid has benefited at least 877 families, with 601

Antique: Teachers and students from geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA) of Antique will be prioritized when it comes to educational assistance and other forms of support. This was assured by Board Member Karmila Rose Dimamay during the Committee on Education hearing to tackle the published research study of the University of Antique (UA) – Tario Lim Memorial Campus in Tibiao titled “Challenges Faced by Teachers Assigned to GIDA Within the Province.” According to Philippines News Agency, Dimamay, chair of the committee, said she will sponsor a resolution in response to the study recommendation of providing support to the educational