General

Metro Manila: A bettor from Metro Manila bagged the PHP21.7 million jackpot in Wednesday’s MegaLotto 6/45 draw. The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) announced Thursday that the winning ticket, purchased in Project 7, Quezon City, had the combination 42-28-04-29-10-30. According to Philippines News Agency, the winner has one year to claim the PHP21,749,042.20 prize at the PCSO main office in Mandaluyong City, subject to a 20 percent tax. The ticket holder must present the winning ticket and two valid IDs to claim the prize money. A total of 44 bettors also won PHP32,000 each for correctly guessing five of the

Manila: The Marcos administration is committed to improving the country’s road infrastructure and undertaking maintenance services to ensure road safety and reduce traffic violations and deaths, Malaca±ang said Thursday. Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro highlighted ongoing road improvement efforts, which have been in progress even before the implementation of the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP). According to Philippines News Agency, Castro emphasized during a Palace press briefing that key agencies like the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Transportation, and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) are actively working to enhance road

Manila: Executives of online travel platform AirAsia MOVE on Thursday commended the Philippine authorities for their swift action in addressing the alleged excessive airfare being charged by the Malaysia-based platform. The issue came to light when Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon reported discovering two tickets from Tacloban to Manila priced around PHP77,704-approximately three times the cost of booking directly on the airline’s website. According to Philippines News Agency, Dizon initiated an investigation into the matter on June 2 and requested the Philippine National Police – Anti-Cybercrime Group to take down MOVE’s website. Speaking to reporters, MOVE’s chief executive officer Nadia Omer

Manila: In line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to combat fake news and ensure that the public receives accurate and reliable information, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Jay Ruiz underscored the vital role of Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, in preventing the spread of disinformation and misleading content online. During a hearing of the House tri-committee investigating fake news and online disinformation on Thursday, Ruiz shared his observation that even the government is defenseless when Meta refuses to take down false content. According to Philippines News Agency, Ruiz recounted an incident where a supposed memorandum

Bacolod: Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has announced the approval of PHP10-million worth of pesticide assistance from the national government to tackle the infestation of red-striped soft scale insects (RSSI) primarily affecting Negros Island. The announcement was made during the launch of the PHP20 per kilo rice program, ‘Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na’. According to Philippines News Agency, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has already procured the necessary pesticide with the allocated budget. Tiu Laurel emphasized the DA’s commitment to providing additional support to the SRA and Negros farmers as needed. He is actively monitoring the