General

Manila: The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) announced the successful confiscation of PHP147.25 million worth of illegal drugs during a series of operations conducted from April 11 to 18 across the country. These efforts resulted in the arrest of 79 individuals and the seizure of a substantial amount of illegal substances. According to Philippines News Agency, PDEA reported that the operations led to the confiscation of 19.28 kilograms of suspected shabu, 11 kilograms of dried marijuana leaves, 49,460 pieces of marijuana plants, 1.37 grams of kush, 984 grams of ketamine, and 8,760 milliliters of ephedrine. PDEA Director General, Undersecretary Isagani

Baguio: The Philippine Statistics Authority in Cordillera Administrative Region (PSA-CAR) on Tuesday announced that the region posted a 4.8 percent economic growth in 2024, driven primarily by household final consumption expenditure. Villafe Alibuyog, PSA-CAR director, revealed in her report on the region’s economic performance for 2024 that the services sector led this growth with a 69.4 percent increase, followed by industry at 23.2 percent and agriculture, forestry, and fishing at 7.4 percent. The region’s per capita gross regional domestic product (GRDP) surpassed the PHP200,000 mark, reaching PHP201,088. According to Philippines News Agency, the services sector’s significant contribution was largely attributed

Manila: The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed criminal charges against four individuals for allegedly spreading incendiary fake news on social media targeting the Philippine government from overseas. According to Philippines News Agency, the NBI identified the individuals as Maricel Tondi, known by her social media handle ‘wild.flower269,’ ‘Olarte Bingkai’ and ‘Bae Lebon Blaan,’ who is originally from Davao Occidental but currently in Saudi Arabia; Jennifer dela Cruz, also known as ‘Jose Fernandez Cruz,’ whose last known address is in Tarlac but currently resides in New Zealand; Jacinta Antasuda, originally from Catigbian, Bohol, now in the United Kingdom; and

Manila: The European Union (EU) has unveiled two new grant initiatives aimed at fostering a green transition in the Philippines, as announced by its mission in Manila. The ‘Community Grants’ and ‘Circular Economy Education and Behavioral Change Grants’ are designed to support projects in 10 local government units (LGUs) across the country, with a focus on reducing waste, promoting inclusion, and enhancing environmental education. According to Philippines News Agency, the EU has set a deadline of May 5 for eligible groups to submit their proposals. The grants will be implemented in various locations including Baguio City, Caloocan City, Davao City,

Balingasag: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday turned over various agricultural support projects to farmers in Misamis Oriental province, reinforcing the administration’s agenda to modernize agriculture through strategic investments in infrastructure, technology, and industry development. During the turnover and launch ceremony held in Balingasag town, Marcos led the distribution of major interventions from the Department of Agriculture – Northern Mindanao (DA-Regional Field Office 10), DA-PHilMech, and private sector partners under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) and the SUnRISE Integrated Coconut Processing Facility (SUnRISE-ICPF) program. According to Philippines News Agency, among the largest projects unveiled was the Mapulog-Tuboran Farm-to-Market