Day: November 25, 2025

Manila: The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced the launch of a Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) Watch website and location portal aimed at preventing corruption in infrastructure construction. This initiative is part of the government’s effort to address inefficiencies and abuses impacting farmers’ income and food production. According to Philippines News Agency, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. stated that the new technology will enable public and local government units (LGUs) to act as ‘crowdsourced oversight.’ He explained that netizens, ordinary citizens, and local government officials can help monitor projects by uploading photos to the FMR Watch website, allowing the DA to

Manila: Despite recent travel warnings from Beijing and Hong Kong authorities, interest among people in Hong Kong in visiting Japan remains strong, with no significant cancellations of group tours reported. After the Chinese government urged its citizens not to visit Japan over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remarks about a potential Taiwan contingency, the Hong Kong authorities, operating under China’s “one country, two systems” policy, issued a travel advisory to its residents. According to Philippines News Agency, Japan is a popular travel destination for Hong Kong people, many of whom are pro-Japan. There have been no noticeable cancellations of

Manila: Senator Bam Aquino announced the approval of a PHP1.38 trillion allocation for the Department of Education (DepEd) for 2026, aimed at resolving the classroom backlog and enhancing student nutrition. According to Philippines News Agency, the Senate’s version of the 2026 national budget includes an additional PHP70 billion for education. Specifically, the funding for classroom construction has been significantly increased from PHP13.2 billion in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) to PHP65.9 billion, marking a PHP52.7 billion rise. Additionally, the Senate is advocating for an increase in the budget for the school-based feeding program, from PHP11.7 billion to PHP28.6 billion, an

Manila: The Department of Justice is offering a PHP1 million reward for information on the whereabouts of Cassandra Li Ong, one of the key figures in the pending human trafficking case involving Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in Central Luzon. In a press briefing, acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida announced the reward for “credible actionable information” that will lead to the “lawful discovery, location, and subsequent arrest” of Ong. According to Philippines News Agency, Vida highlighted the challenges the authorities face in tracking Ong, noting her previous ability to move in and out of the Philippines undetected. Despite the alleged

Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has started distributing boxes of ready-to-eat food (RTEF) to stranded passengers in various ports affected by Tropical Depression Verbena. According to Philippines News Agency, Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the Disaster Response and Management Group stated that 94 locally stranded individuals (LSIs) at Dalahican Port in Lucena City, Quezon, have received RTEF boxes from the DSWD-Calabarzon field office. This initiative aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure that no Filipino will go hungry during disasters. In Negros Occidental, the DSWD Negros Island Region (NIR) provided RTEF boxes to 100