Day: December 2, 2025

Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) announced a concerning rise in HIV infections, with 1.3 million people contracting the virus in 2024. This increase highlights a stagnation in global prevention efforts, largely attributed to reductions in foreign aid that have disrupted treatment, testing, and community-led programs across the globe. According to Philippines News Agency, the announcement, made in observance of World AIDS Day, emphasized that the global AIDS response is at a ‘critical crossroads’. The WHO stressed that new infections are disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable communities worldwide. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commented on the challenges, noting the significant

Iloilo city: Around 1,000 colorful “parol” (Christmas lanterns) illuminated major streets of this highly urbanized city following the official lighting ceremony for the “Iloilo Rising Parol” on Monday evening. The public-private initiative of the Iloilo City Government and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) is now in its fifth year, with this year’s theme “Ilonggo Rising Parol”. The business group gathered donations from establishments for the lanterns, while the city government handled the mounting and the installation of wiring and bulbs. According to Philippines News Agency, PCCI chair Felix Tiu, in his message, expressed his gratitude to the

Ormoc city: Ormoc City has transformed its public plaza into a festive holiday destination with the unveiling of a giant flower-inspired Christmas tree that celebrates the city’s rich biodiversity. Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez and her husband, Leyte 4th District Rep. Richard Gomez, led the lighting ceremony on Monday night, which drew thousands of residents and visitors. ‘We really tried to dress up our plaza since this is the place of convergence for everyone, especially this Christmas season,’ Torres-Gomez said. ‘The Christmas tree showcases our environment as a central theme because we are all stewards of nature, and we continue to see

Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday released its first guidelines on the use of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) therapies for treating obesity, responding to what it calls a growing global health crisis affecting more than 1 billion people. Obesity was linked to 3.7 million deaths in 2024, and the WHO warned that without decisive action, the number of people living with the condition could double by 2030. The GLP-1s are medicines that help people feel fuller for longer. According to Philippines News Agency, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that “Obesity is a major global health challenge that WHO

Ilocos norte: The Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC) has announced the implementation of an amnesty program aimed at curbing electricity theft and reducing system loss charges that are currently being passed on to consumers. INEC General Manager Cipriano Martinez highlighted that system loss, which refers to unbilled electricity lost during transmission and distribution or due to pilferage, is costing member-consumer-owners (MCOs) approximately PHP10 million monthly. According to Philippines News Agency, Martinez identified defective, anomalous, and non-functional meters as probable causes of the high system loss rate. He urged MCOs to assist in identifying these issues, asking them to report any