General

Bicol: More than 2,000 minimum wage earners from six provinces in the Bicol Region have benefited from the launch of the PHP20 per kg rice program “Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na” on Tuesday. Department of Labor and Employment Regional Director Imelda Gatinao stated that the program is crucial for meeting the needs of low-income workers. According to Philippines News Agency, the program currently includes 2,404 workers, with an aim to reach 17,000. It has been rolled out in Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Sorsogon, Albay, Catanduanes, and recently in Masbate. The program is a collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, the

Bacolod city: The Negros Occidental provincial government unveiled the new Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology Center (NOLITC) Global Campus, an innovation hub designed to be future-ready, industry-responsive, and globally connected. According to Philippines News Agency, the PHP135-million structure is situated on a 2.5-hectare donated land in Barangay Matab-ang, marking its permanent home after nearly 17 years at the Paglaum Sports Complex in Bacolod City. The NOLITC Global Campus features a three-story building equipped with classrooms and laboratories for courses including Contact Center Services, Animation and 2D Animation, Visual Graphics Design, Computer-Aided Design, Robotics, and e-sports. The main building also

Mandaluyong city: Cordillera products will take center stage during the 33rd Impakabsat trade fair at Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong City from July 2 to 6. Raymond Panjon, Department of Trade and Industry – Cordillera director, in a media interview on Tuesday, said the public would be treated to an event that sells products connected to the lives of the region’s people. According to Philippines News Agency, the trade fair will feature a wide array of products that highlight the rich cultural heritage of the Cordillera region. Heirloom rice from Kalinga, Ifugao, and Mountain Province, cultivated using indigenous farming methods, will

Naga city: The Parish Church of San Francisco de Asis in Naga City will remain closed until Wednesday, as ordered by the Archdiocese of Caceres after the tragic death of an individual within its premises Sunday evening. According to Philippines News Agency, Caceres Archdiocese Chancellor Fr. Darius Romualdo stated that the closure of the parish church is mandated by Canons 1211-1212 of the Code of Canon Law. “The Parish Church of San Francisco de Asis will remain closed until July 2, 2025, to allow for a period of prayerful mourning and reparation. During this time, public liturgical celebrations will be

Manila: The Department of Agriculture (DA), in coordination with other government agencies, seized PHP34.2 million worth of smuggled agricultural products from China at the Port of Manila. The operation was part of efforts to intensify the crackdown against agricultural smuggling in the country. According to Philippines News Agency, the six container shipments, which arrived in the country on May 27 and June 1, were misdeclared as “assorted food items” such as mantou, egg noodles, and kimchi. The Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported that the confiscated items included two 40-foot containers of frozen mackerel worth PHP20 million, three containers of red