General

Manila: Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Tuesday vowed more aggressive government actions against agricultural smugglers, saying he wants to see some of them arrested by the end of 2025. “Talagang hahabulin natin sila at kailangang may makita tayong nakaposas sana (We will really go after them and we hope to see some of them handcuffed, hopefully) by the end of the year,” Tiu Laurel said in an ambush interview during the inspection of seized smuggled products at the Port of Manila. According to Philippines News Agency, more than PHP34 million worth of smuggled frozen mackerel, as

Manila: A lone bettor from Metro Manila became an instant millionaire after hitting the PHP72-million jackpot of the Grand Lotto 6/55 on Monday night. The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), in an advisory Tuesday, said the bettor guessed the winning combination 03-54-24-36-18-46, which carried a total jackpot of PHP72,366,751.00. According to Philippines News Agency, the winning ticket was bought at an outlet in Novaliches, Caloocan City. Meanwhile, six others won PHP100,000 each for guessing five out of the six winning digits; 388 bettors will get PHP1,500 each for four correct digits; and 10,067 will settle for PHP60 each for three

Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday directed the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to address bureaucratic bottlenecks to ensure the successful implementation of Republic Act (RA) 12214 or the Capital Markets Efficiency Promotion Act (CMEPA). He expressed confidence that the special bell-ringing to mark the effectivity of the CMEPA will pave the way for a ‘new era of economic dynamism, investor confidence, and sustainable growth.’ According to Philippines News Agency, Marcos emphasized the importance of the SEC streamlining its procedures, removing bureaucratic bottlenecks, and reducing transaction costs within its control. He urged the necessary changes to fulfill responsibilities

Bulacan: A newly identified high-value target in the illegal drug trade was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Bulacan early Tuesday morning, yielding over PHP686,000 worth of suspected shabu. According to Philippines News Agency, the 2 a.m. operation in Barangay Borol 2nd was spearheaded by the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit 3 (RPDEU3), with support from the Regional Special Operations Group 3 (RSOG3), Balagtas Municipal Police Station, and the Bulacan Provincial Intelligence Unit. Authorities identified the suspect as alias Omar, 36 years old, a resident of Barangay Panginay, Balagtas town. He was caught in possession of 101 grams of suspected

Iloilo: The Schools Division of Iloilo will implement a community literacy project in support of the vision of the national government to improve the performance of learners. According to Philippines News Agency, Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Ernesto Servillon Jr. announced that the ‘Kasimaryo Ko, Tudlo-an Ko’ (My Neighbor, I will Mentor) initiative will be rolled out in partnership with barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials. This announcement followed a convergence meeting with stakeholders on June 26. The project was conceptualized to address the urgent need for literacy improvements, aligning with the vision of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Education