General

Northern luzon: Northern Luzon residents have been alerted and urged to monitor weather announcements amid the light to moderate to at times heavy rainfall in the region for days. “All are advised to take precautionary measures against the impacts associated with these hazards,” Engr. Cynthia Iglesia, senior weather specialist and chief meteorological officer of the Northern Luzon Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Regional Services Division, said on Wednesday. According to Philippines News Agency, Iglesia said flooding and rain-induced landslides are possible, especially in areas identified in the official hazard maps and in localities with a considerable amount

Bulacan: A renewed wave of anti-drug operations in Bulacan has yielded nearly PHP1 million worth of suspected shabu and six arrests – including a high-value target, police said Wednesday. In two separate buy-bust operations on July 1 and 2, Bulacan police units executed precise intelligence-driven raids in San Jose Del Monte City and Meycauayan City, arresting six suspects known to operate in the local drug trade. According to Philippines News Agency, the first operation was led by the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) of San Jose Del Monte City Police Station. It took place at around 2 a.m. on July

Manila: Eight rural banks are set to pioneer SynerFi, an open payments platform operated by technology firm higala.ph, in the coming weeks, with an additional 12 banks expected to join by the end of the year. This initiative supports the government’s goal of increasing digital financial inclusion. According to Philippines News Agency, the eight banks already onboard with the SynerFi system include Rural Bank of San Antonio, Inc., Rural Bank of Lipa City (Batangas), Inc., Progressive Rural Bank, Inc., Banco Abucay, Inc., Rural Bank of Hermosa (Bataan), Inc., Money Mall Rural Bank, Inc., First Philippine Partners Bank, Inc. (A Rural

Manila: Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac expressed confidence that the appointment of new Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro would further strengthen the government’s efforts to protect the rights and welfare of millions of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) worldwide. During the virtual press briefing on Tuesday, Cacdac also expressed deep gratitude to former Foreign Affairs chief Enrique Manalo for his ‘steadfast and dedicated’ service to overseas Filipinos. According to Philippines News Agency, Manalo was appointed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as the Philippine Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations in New York. He will replace

Dumaguete: The Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NOCCI) is urging the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to authorize a barge trip to Mindanao via the Tambobo Port in Siaton town, addressing the challenges posed by the San Juanico Bridge repair crisis. According to Philippines News Agency, NOCCI President Edward Du expressed their strong backing for the motion for reconsideration filed by E-Motion Logistics Services with the DOTr. This comes after the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) denied its application for a special permit for the proposed Siaton-Dapitan route. Du highlighted the urgency of the situation, stating that MARINA’s failure to