General

Iriga City: In Iriga City in Camarines Sur, where Nora Aunor was born, the Philippine flag was lowered to half-mast on Monday morning as Bicolanos mourned the passing of the legendary “Superstar,” whose voice and filmography captivated an entire nation for generations. According to Philippines News Agency, when dusk came, family, friends, and fans gathered at the plaza to celebrate the life and legacy of its brightest star, whose brilliance lifted Iriga from the shadows, thrusting the city into the spotlight as the soil that birthed the country’s National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts. Mayor Wilfredo Rex Oliva expressed

Sorsogon: An increase in seismic activity was observed in Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon province, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said. Ninety-four volcanic earthquakes were recorded since 3 a.m., the seismology agency said in an advisory late Monday. According to Philippines News Agency, of the 94 earthquakes, a majority were weak and shallow volcano-tectonic earthquakes produced by rock fracturing, while four were low-frequency volcanic earthquakes produced by the movement of fluids. Phivolcs reported that these volcanic earthquakes were generated within 20 km deep beneath the Bulusan edifice, with nearly half being shallow events. Meanwhile, the degassing activity at

Negros Oriental: The Philippine National Police (PNP) in Negros Oriental has intensified its efforts to crack down on loose firearms in the province following a series of shooting incidents involving undocumented guns. According to Philippines News Agency, Lt. Stephen Polinar, spokesperson of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO), reported that since January this year, there have been 10 shooting incidents, as of April 22. Out of these incidents, eight cases have been filed against the suspects, while two remain under investigation. Lt. Polinar urged the community to assist authorities by reporting individuals who may possess unregistered firearms. He emphasized

Manila: The Department of Energy (DOE) is optimistic the Philippines will hit its target to increase to 50 percent the share of clean energy in the power generation mix by 2040. The share of renewable energy (RE) in the country’s total power mix will exceed the 2040 target and even reach 56.9 percent, based on the DOE’s simulation, Electric Power Industry Management Bureau (EPIMB) Supervising Science Research Specialist Mark Christian Marollano said Tuesday during the Power 101 media seminar organized by Aboitiz Power Corp., in coordination with the DOE. According to Philippines News Agency, Marollano said the country’s generation capacity

Manila: The National Food Authority (NFA) has guaranteed sufficient funds for the procurement of palay (unhusked rice) from local farmers during the current harvest season. NFA Administrator Larry Lacson confirmed that only PHP2.6 billion of the allocated PHP14.6 billion has been spent on palay procurement so far this year. According to Philippines News Agency, the procurement budget includes approximately PHP5.6 billion carried over from unspent 2024 funds. Lacson stated that the remaining funds would allow the purchase of 500,000 metric tons (MT) of palay, which is equivalent to 6.3 million bags of milled rice. The NFA is also enhancing its