Day: November 12, 2025

Bicol: Many areas in Bicol still have no power due to the devastation left by Super Typhoon Uwan over the weekend, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) here said Wednesday. Interviewed on Bagong Pilipinas, OCD 5 (Bicol) Director Claudio Yucot said the region has begun early recovery efforts following the powerful cyclone, but power restoration remains their “main concern.” According to Philippines News Agency, electricity is still unavailable in several provinces of Bicol, including Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte, as well as in Albay. However, parts of Legazpi City and Daraga currently have electricity. In Sorsogon and Masbate, there is

Manila: Sen. Win Gatchalian on Wednesday vowed that the proposed PHP6.79-trillion national budget for 2026 will usher in a ‘golden age of transparency,’ as the Senate introduced several unprecedented reforms to ensure full public access to budget documents and prevent misuse of funds. According to Philippines News Agency, in sponsoring House Bill No. 4058, or the 2026 General Appropriations Act, Gatchalian said the new transparency measures aim to rebuild public trust following controversies over alleged corruption in infrastructure spending. ‘The first step towards rebuilding the trust of our people is showing them through specific and concrete actions that their hard-earned

Manila: Sen. Pia Cayetano on Wednesday said she is pushing for tax exemptions on imported medical and sports equipment to improve access to healthcare and promote healthy lifestyles among Filipinos. Cayetano said her proposal to remove import taxes on medical equipment such as CT scanners and MRI machines aims to help hospitals expand their services, particularly in underserved areas. “Ang mamahal ng equipment na yan, ang dami pa rin nating hospital na walang CT scan, mga MRI – lahat yan tina-tax yan (Those machines are very expensive, and many hospitals still don’t have CT scanners or MRI machines – all

Manila: House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs chairperson and AGIMAT Party-list Rep. Bryan Revilla on Wednesday called on all Philippine consular services around the world to provide services to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) even during weekends and holidays. According to Philippines News Agency, the party-list solon proposed that Philippine embassies and consular offices, especially in countries with large OFW populations, explore ways to operate seven days a week and on holidays, or adopt rotational day-off schedules, to better serve Filipino migrants. Revilla made the call during the organizational meeting of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs and committee briefings

Manila: A total of 346 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were victims of human trafficking and forced labor in online scam hubs in Myanmar were repatriated by the Philippine government on Wednesday. In a press briefing at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) stated that this group marked the largest single batch of repatriates from Myanmar to date. According to Philippines News Agency, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac reported that the repatriated individuals were in good spirits. They will receive psychosocial counseling and medical checkups from the Department of Health (DOH).