General

Cotabato City: The Police Regional Office – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) reiterated its firm commitment on Thursday to ensuring peaceful, honest, and orderly elections across the region on May 12. Brig. Gen. Romeo Macapaz, the director of PRO-BAR, urged all citizens, local government officials, and law enforcement partners to collaborate actively in safeguarding the integrity of the democratic process. According to Philippines News Agency, Macapaz expressed confidence in the preparedness of the police force, stating, “We are fully prepared to protect the sanctity of the ballot and the safety of every voter. Our police personnel are deployed not only to

Cebu: The ‘Bente Pesos na Bigas Meron Na’ program is set to launch as a strategic response to the ongoing oversupply of rice in local markets, serving as a dual-purpose initiative to curb inflation and support local farmers, according to an official statement made on Thursday. According to Philippines News Agency, Department of Agriculture (DA) Spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa highlighted the program’s objective to balance supply and demand issues ahead of its official launch in Cebu. De Mesa emphasized that the initiative is designed to benefit both ordinary Filipinos and the farmers themselves, by addressing the critical economic

Manila: The Department of Education (DepEd) assured on Thursday that the government has been intensifying interventions in schools following reports of more than 18 million high school graduates from 2019-2024 considered ‘functional illiterate’. DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said instead of memorization, the agency is making efforts to help students become critical thinkers while teaching them 21st-century skills. According to Philippines News Agency, Angara emphasized that no child will be allowed to fall behind in reading and comprehension. The recent FLEMMS results on functional literacy underscore the necessity for literacy to be central in educational reforms. The government is focused on

Manila: The Ministry of Health in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MOH-BARMM) has expanded its healthcare reach by signing a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with 10 new hospitals. According to Philippines News Agency, the MOH-BARMM Minister, Dr. Kadil Sinolinding Jr., announced the partnership on Thursday, highlighting its aim to serve more disadvantaged Bangsamoro people both within and outside the region. This initiative allows a greater number of Bangsamoro individuals to access medical assistance through the newly partnered hospitals under the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients Program (MAIFFIP). The 10 newly partnered hospitals include St. Pius

Manila: Inflation likely continued to settle below 2 percent in April due to lower food prices, an economist has said. According to Philippines News Agency, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation chief economist Michael Ricafort stated in a Viber message Thursday that inflation is projected to further decelerate to 1.6 percent in April from 1.8 percent last March. “The initial implementation of the maximum suggested retail price of imported rice on January 20, 2025, the declaration of a food security emergency on February 3, 2025, as well as world rough rice prices at the lowest in more than three years, could all