Day: October 21, 2025

Catarman: The town of Catarman in Northern Samar was officially declared under a Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) condition, signifying its status as ‘insurgency-free’ after years of peace-building efforts. According to Philippines News Agency, the declaration recognizes the town’s success in achieving lasting peace and order through the efforts of the Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF-ELCAC) led by Mayor Dianne Rosales. ‘This SIPS declaration is not the end but a new beginning – a pledge to preserve and give importance to the peace that we have achieved,’ Rosales said during the declaration ceremony. Lt.

Pasay city: House Speaker Faustino Dy III on Tuesday called on village officials to be partners in the national campaign against corruption, stressing that their vigilance is needed in the communities where government projects are implemented. According to Philippines News Agency, in a speech delivered before the Liga ng mga Barangay Congress at World Trade Center in Pasay City, Dy said the passage of a transparent and open national budget is just the first step in the battle against corruption. Dy, who began his career in public service at the barangay level in Isabela, pointed out the importance of local

Quezon: Students from Quezon, Bukidnon are set to compete for another national robotics championship following their strong performance at a recent regional contest. According to Philippines News Agency, the Quezon Bukidnon Comprehensive High School representatives paid a courtesy call on Mayor Pablo Lorenzo III on Tuesday to report their wins at the National Robotics Competition (NRC) held in Polomolok, South Cotabato on Oct. 18. The students, who belong to the school’s Techbot Innovators Robotics Club, secured three championships at the NRC in the “Sumobot” 1-kilogram auto category, innovative project ideas, and medical mission event. The local government has committed to

Manila: The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has stressed the importance of inter-agency collaboration to bolster government efforts against smuggling activities in Negros Oriental. Commodore Christopher Auro, head of the Coast Guard District Southern Visayas, highlighted the need for cooperation among various agencies to curb smuggling in the province. According to Philippines News Agency, Commodore Auro mentioned that working together is crucial to effectively combat unlawful smuggling activities. “We are confident that by supporting one another, we can combat these unlawful actions,” Auro stated. The PCG is actively enhancing collaboration through meetings and courtesy visits to address operational and intelligence matters,

Manila: The Procurement Service (PS) of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Tuesday launched an enhanced data portal aimed at promoting transparency in government procurement. According to Philippines News Agency, in a ceremony at the DBM central office in San Miguel, Manila, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the modernized Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (mPhilGEPS) open data portal will make procurement activities more accessible to the public from pre-procurement to the awarding phase. “With this launch, we’re taking open governance a step further by making procurement information more accessible and transparent, empowering our oversight agencies, civil society, researchers,

Manila: Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from this province will showcase new wearable designs, homewares, and other innovations at the National Arts and Crafts Fair (NACF) in Manila on Oct. 23 to 29. According to Philippines News Agency, the MSMEs, which have availed of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Antique training, came up with new designs for their local products to be displayed at the NACF, as stated by Senior Trade and Industry Development Specialist Gevi Kristina Villafuerte in an interview. Among the products are patadyong or handwoven fabric from Antique sewn into apparel like shoes, and