Day: October 21, 2025

Manila: As cases of sexual harassment continue to be reported, Solid North Party-list Rep. Ching Bernos has called on Congress to amend the Safe Spaces Act to impose stiffer penalties against violators. ‘It is unfortunate that in the 30 years that we have had the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act and seven years after we have come up with the Safe Spaces Act, it seems we still have a long way to go,’ Bernos said in a news release on Tuesday. According to Philippines News Agency, last week, Manila District 4 Councilor Eunice Castro accused a fellow official of acts of sexual

Caraga: The Office of the Civil Defense in the Caraga Region, through the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC-13), has officially downgraded the region’s alert status from blue to white. According to Philippines News Agency, the move follows the cancellation of all tsunami warnings by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) after the Magnitude 7.4 and 6.8 earthquakes that recently affected Mindanao. Caraga’s alert status had been upgraded to blue in the preceding weeks as a precautionary measure. “The situation in the regional level is manageable,” the RDRRMC-13 stated in a Memorandum Circular issued on Monday.

Guiuan: The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), through its Integrated Livelihood Program, has turned over 22 surf lesson boards and various surfing equipment to four surf schools in Calicoan Island, Guiuan, Eastern Samar, marking the first project of its kind in the region. The beneficiary surf schools are ABCD Surf Camp, Calicoan Local Surfers, Backyard Surf Co., and Samrayan Surf Boards. According to Philippines News Agency, the initiative was made possible through the partnership of DOLE with the local government of Guiuan, the Guiuan Municipal Tourism Office, and the Public Employment Service Office. The project aims to boost local

Manila: Senate President Vicente Sotto III announced that Senator Panfilo Lacson is almost certain to return as the chairperson of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. Lacson had previously stepped down amid criticisms regarding his management of the flood-control investigation. According to Philippines News Agency, Sotto discussed in an interview with One PH that Lacson is open to resuming his leadership of the committee. This decision comes after Lacson’s reflection on past hearings and his belief that several key issues remain unresolved. Sotto expressed optimism, stating, “I think it’s a yes. We’ll be having a Blue Ribbon Committee meeting soon. I

Manila: The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday reported a 25-percent decline in influenza-like illness (ILI) cases nationwide over the past two weeks, as the country continued to experience its seasonal rise in flu infections. According to Philippines News Agency, a recent Facebook post by the DOH indicated that its latest surveillance record showed 6,457 cases of ILI from September 28 to October 11, 2025. This marks a significant drop compared to 8,628 cases during the same period last year. Despite the decrease, the agency reminded the public that the flu season is ongoing, spanning from the rainy months of

Manila: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday vowed to press on with his administration’s campaign to rid the government of corruption, saying the process ‘will be hard and sometimes painful’ but necessary to rebuild public trust. Speaking at the awarding of the 2025 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos in Malaca±ang, Marcos said the honorees – teachers, soldiers, and police officers – embodied integrity and service amid eroding confidence in public institutions. According to Philippines News Agency, the President emphasized the importance of integrity in public service, stating, ‘Bawat tapat na guro, sundalo, at pulis ay isang tagumpay laban sa katiwalian (Every