General

Sorsogon: The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday issued a warning to residents of Sorsogon province regarding potential health risks posed by ashfall from the recently erupted Bulusan Volcano. The advisory emphasized the importance of caution for those living in close proximity to the volcano. According to Philippines News Agency, the DOH advised residents to steer clear of the 4 km permanent danger zone around the volcano and avoid exposure to “fine and very small volcanic ash.” The department highlighted the potential health hazard, stating, “Ashfall can enter the lungs — if the community experiences ashfall, wear face mask, goggles,

Manila: The Department of Health (DOH) and San Miguel Corporation (SMC) have inaugurated a second Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Services (BUCAS) Center, aimed at closing healthcare accessibility gaps for impoverished communities. According to Philippines News Agency, the newly established BUCAS center is situated at the San Miguel Foundation’s Better World Smokey Mountain facility in Manila City. It operates in collaboration with the Tondo Medical Center. This development follows the opening of the first BUCAS center in Cubao, Quezon City, which began operations last year in partnership with the Quirino Memorial Medical Center. Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa highlighted that the

Iloilo City: A total of 559 police officers from Western Visayas are eligible for local absentee voting, which began on Monday. Lt. Col. Arnel Solis, spokesperson for the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), announced that the voting process will continue until Wednesday at the regional headquarters in Camp Delgado, Iloilo City, with an additional day allocated for provincial offices. According to Philippines News Agency, some officers are opting for absentee voting due to their duties during the elections on May 12, which may prevent them from voting in their registered locations. Solis emphasized the importance of enabling officers to exercise

Vancouver: Lawmakers at the House of Representatives on Monday expressed grief and solidarity with the Filipino community in Vancouver, Canada following a deadly car-ramming incident at a Lapu-Lapu Day celebration. In a statement, Speaker Martin Romualdez assured Filipinos in Canada that the Philippine government is grieving with them and ready to provide assistance. According to Philippines News Agency, a 30-year-old Vancouver resident, Kai-Ji Adam Lo, drove a sports utility vehicle into a crowd on Saturday night, resulting in the death of 11 people as of posting time. Romualdez asked Philippine consular officers in Canada to “act swiftly” and ensure that

Makati City: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) have formalized a partnership aimed at boosting the competitiveness of the country’s information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry by aligning it with global standards. DTI Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque and IBPAP president Jack Madrid led the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the DTI headquarters in Makati City on Monday. According to Philippines News Agency, under the MOU, the government will provide support to IT-BPM organizations in adopting world-class standards, with the IBPAP promoting the Philippine