General

Manila: International Boxing Federation (IBF) world minimumweight champion Pedro Taduran received a warm reception at the Senate of the Philippines, which honored him following his successful title defense last month. According to Philippines News Agency, Taduran, known as ‘Kid Heneral’, retained his IBF belt after besting rival Ginjiro Shigeoka in their grueling rematch on May 24 in the challenger’s home turf in Osaka, Japan. The Senate on Wednesday adopted a resolution, citing the 27-year-old for his outstanding performance and resilience in the ring. The resolution highlighted Taduran’s ability to compete at the highest level and establish himself as a formidable

Iloilo City: The local government initiated a series of tree-growing initiatives, planting over 600 native and flowering trees along Sunset Boulevard and Diversion Road in the Mandurriao district. This effort is in observance of World Environment Day. According to Philippines News Agency, Mayor-elect Raisa Tre±as-Chu, who led the activity, emphasized the significance of this milestone as she prepares to assume office on June 30. She declared that enhancing Iloilo City’s green cover would be a priority for her administration. “This will not be the first. We will continue because Iloilo, as of last time, has less than 10 percent green

Caraga: The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Caraga Region (DSWD-13) has embarked on a significant initiative, providing aid to 4,110 households by distributing Family Food Packs (FFPs) beginning on Monday. According to Philippines News Agency, the distribution aims to ensure that the community efforts of the beneficiaries are appropriately compensated. The agency reported on Thursday that a total of 6,956 FFPs were distributed to designated beneficiaries across two provinces. In the breakdown of recipients, 1,937 households from three towns in Surigao del Sur received 3,825 FFPs. In addition, 2,173 households across three municipalities in Dinagat Islands were provided

Tacloban City: The Department of Education (DepEd) aims to strengthen its Project STARS (Strategic Techniques for Accelerating Readiness Skills) to improve functional literacy in Eastern Visayas this year. ‘This initiative focuses on strengthening learners’ reading and numeracy skills as early as kindergarten, laying a solid foundation for lifelong learning,’ Gertudis Mabutin, DepEd Region 8 chief of curriculum and learning management division, told reporters Thursday. According to Philippines News Agency, this development comes in light of data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showing that six out of 10 persons in Eastern Visayas are functionally literate. This places the region

Manila: The fourth edition of Likha opened on Thursday with over 100 artisans, designers, and creative entrepreneurs gathering to celebrate local talent and cultural heritage. First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos led the ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the three-day exhibit that is part of this year’s Independence Day celebration. In her speech, Araneta-Marcos honored the exhibitors for sharing their traditional crafts, sustainable designs, and contemporary innovations. According to Philippines News Agency, the exhibit showcased handwoven coconut midrib baskets from Negros, wood carvings from Banaue, and finely embroidered fabrics from regions such as Aklan, Bicol, and Laguna. Also on display were guitars