General

Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have collaborated to create a referral system aimed at providing monetary compensation to child victims of violent crimes. These children, currently under the care of the DSWD’s Residential Care Facilities (RCFs), will benefit from a memorandum of agreement signed by the two departments. According to Philippines News Agency, the agreement was formalized by Undersecretary Monina Josefina Romualdez of the DSWD’s Operations Group and Undersecretary Deo Marco of the DOJ Board of Claims (DOJ-BOC). This collaboration is rooted in Republic Act (RA) 7309, which mandates compensation

Manila: Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday called for intensified investigation and internal reforms in government agencies following reports of another foreign national allegedly posing as a Filipino – a case now being dubbed the ‘Alice Guo of Manila.’ ‘Nobody should be able to purchase being a Filipino,’ Hontiveros said, expressing alarm but not surprise over the latest incident. According to Philippines News Agency, the Senate’s past hearings on Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and the identity of former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo revealed how official Filipino documents were being sold and misused for illicit activities. ‘Tila matagal na itong

Iloilo: Over 200 local and international exhibitors are joining this year’s Iloilo Annual Trio Show at the Iloilo Convention Center (ICON) from July 17-20. According to Philippines News Agency, the four-day event organized by Worldbex Services International (WSI) will be led by the Philippine Building and Construction Exposition (PHILBEX). It will also include participants from the Travel and Leisure and Food Exposition (TLEX) and the Manila Food and Beverage Exposition (MAFBEX). In a press conference on Monday afternoon, WSI marketing manager Leo Salonga stated the goal is to bring together local and international companies in the building and construction sector,

Antique: The Antique provincial board will investigate the delayed turnover of the Legislative Building despite its inauguration on Jan. 28, 2021. According to Philippines News Agency, the local legislature approved a resolution sponsored by Board Member Joseph Eugene Alojipan on Monday, calling for an investigation of the building funded through a PHP50 million budget from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Alojipan expressed concerns in a follow-up interview on Tuesday, stating, “The Legislative Building seems to have a cancer that looks good from the outside, but has many decays on the inside.” He highlighted that the building requires

Manila: Since its launch in May, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s initiative to provide PHP20 per kg. rice to vulnerable sectors has benefitted close to a million Filipinos, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported on Tuesday. The subsidized rice provided by the DA under the ‘Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na!’ program is available to senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents, beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and the Walang Gutom Program, and minimum wage earners. According to Philippines News Agency, as of July 14, a total of 2,105 metric tons (MT) of subsidized rice were sold to