General

Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed a new law mandating the proper and immediate burial of Muslim cadavers, aligned with Islamic rites. The legislation, known as Republic Act (RA) 12160, was approved on April 11 and stipulates that Muslim burials should be conducted as soon as possible, irrespective of whether a certificate of death has been issued. According to Philippines News Agency, RA 12160 emphasizes the state’s recognition and respect for the religious customs and beliefs of Filipino Muslims, particularly their tradition of burying the dead before the next call to prayer. The law mandates that the death

Manila: This city is expected to receive up to 3 million liters of water per day (MLD) for areas with limited water supply through the operationalization of PrimeWater’s Matab-ang River Surface Water Supply and Filtration Project in the coming days. According to Philippines News Agency, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez announced during a press conference that the injection of water supply from the Matab-ang River in Talisay City is scheduled from April 24 to 27. Initially, the project aims to deliver 3 MLD, with plans to eventually increase the supply to 10 MLD. The additional water supply is set to benefit

Manila: The Court of Appeals (CA) has upheld the multiple life sentences handed down to Police Officer 1 Jefrey Perez, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of two Caloocan youths in 2017 during the previous administration’s controversial war on drugs. According to Philippines News Agency, the CA’s Second Division, in a 50-page decision dated April 10, affirmed the November 10, 2022, ruling by the Caloocan City Regional Trial Court Branch 122, which found Perez guilty of torturing 14-year-old Reynaldo de Guzman, alias “Kulot,” and 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz. Perez was also found guilty of planting drugs and a

Manila: The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) accommodated 1.17 million travelers during Holy Week from April 13 to 20, marking a 12.7 percent increase from the previous year. The daily average passenger volume reached 146,611, with a peak of 156,635 on Easter Sunday. According to Philippines News Agency, both domestic and international passenger traffic saw significant increases, with a year-on-year rise of 14.9 percent and 11.21 percent, respectively. “This Holy Week showed how much better NAIA is becoming. We saw higher passenger numbers, but smoother and faster operations. That’s not by chance; it’s the result of planning, investment, and teamwork,”

Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has relaxed long-standing travel restrictions for Philippine government officials to Taiwan, aiming to maximize opportunities for the development and expansion of the country’s priority areas of investments. Marcos signed Memorandum Circular (MC) 32 on April 15, reducing the travel limitations that were first imposed under Executive Order (EO) 313 in 1989 during the administration of former president Corazon Aquino. A copy of the memorandum was made public on Monday. According to Philippines News Agency, EO 313 had prohibited all Philippine government officials from undertaking official visits to Taiwan, receiving Taiwanese officials, or conducting any