General

Iloilo City: Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. on Thursday convened heads of departments under the Civil Defense Cluster to discuss preparations for the implementation of the PHP20 per kilogram (kg.) rice program. According to Philippines News Agency, Defensor joined other Visayas governors in a closed-door luncheon meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Cebu City on Wednesday, where they tackled the program and its initial rollout in the Visayas. Defensor is now drafting an executive order to integrate the initiative into the province’s existing health, nutrition, and agriculture programs, the capitol said in a statement. ‘This will be part

Aparri: A new marine scientific research hub in northern Luzon is poised to become a transformative force for the Philippines’ blue economy. It holds the potential to unlock marine resource opportunities while enhancing the economic resilience of coastal communities. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga spearheaded the groundbreaking ceremony of the Marine Scientific Research Station (MSRS) in this town, marking a significant step in the government’s broader marine conservation strategy. According to Philippines News Agency, Loyzaga highlighted that the facility is envisioned as a center for research and innovation in sustainable ocean resource development.

Kuching: Filipino Tennnielle Madis and Australian Jizzelle Sibai advanced to the second round of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) J300 Kuching doubles event after defeating Japanese duo Yuzuha Negishi and Riyo Yoshida, 6-4, 6-2, on Wednesday at the Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association court in Malaysia. Their next opponents will be the No. 7 seeded Chinese team, Zhang-Qian Wei and Shiyu Ye, who received a bye in the first round. According to Philippines News Agency, in the singles category, Madis faced a tough match against No. 9 Russian Anastasia Lizunova and was defeated 1-6, 6-7 (3) in the second round. Lizunova

Baguio City: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) has urged the public to check their assigned precincts through the online precinct finder, which also confirms their status as active voters. According to Philippines News Agency, Comelec-CAR Regional Director Julius Torres emphasized the utility of the precinct finder as the fastest way to verify registration details, including precinct number and voting center. This tool is accessible to anyone with internet access. Comelec has announced the activation of the online precinct finder, facilitating easy access to crucial information for voters on election day. Voters are encouraged to

Cotabato City: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has declared lawyer Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi as the duly elected mayor of Cotabato City, prompting tension at city hall as incumbent Mayor Mohamad Ali ‘Bruce’ Matabalao refuses to vacate the post. According to Philippines News Agency, Guiani-Sayadi shared on social media a copy of the Comelec Second Division’s ruling, which declared her the winner of the May 2022 mayoral race after annulling results from 36 clustered precincts due to alleged fraud. The resolution stated that ‘the election results in the 36 protested clustered precincts [were] irreparably tainted with irregularities and fraud that render