General

Aurora: Over 870,000 tourists visited Aurora province during the Holy Week, the Provincial Tourism Office (PTO) said Monday. In its partial report, the PTO said the province recorded 871,172 visitors from April 12 to 20, of which 243,209 were overnight guests and 627,963 were same-day visitors. According to Philippines News Agency, the PTO attributed the influx to the combined draw of Aurora’s scenic destinations, religious traditions, and improved public safety protocols throughout the annual religious observance. Dipaculao registered the highest number of overnight guests at 127,148, followed by Dingalan with 56,439 and Casiguran with 14,968. On the other hand, Dingalan

Manila: The first batch of 70 beneficiaries under the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES), implemented by the Iloilo City government in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), officially started work on Monday. According to Philippines News Agency, Iloilo City Public Employment Services Office (PESO) manager Gabriel Felix Umadhay explained that DOLE will cover 40 percent of the PHP615 daily salary for these beneficiaries, who will work for a total of 20 days. The students have been deployed to various offices within the city hall, where they will assist with clerical work, secretariat duties, and data

Quezon: Renewable energy pioneer Alternergy Holdings Corp. announced on Monday that it has secured PHP3.3 billion from Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) to finance the Alabat Wind Project through its unit, Alabat Wind Power Corp. According to Philippines News Agency, this funding is part of a larger PHP5.5-billion facility from RCBC dedicated to the 64-megawatt wind project in Quezon province. Alternergy President Gerry Magbanua expressed gratitude to RCBC for the timely release of funds, noting the previous release of PHP800 million for their Balsik Solar project. The Alabat Wind Project is set to become the first wind power facility along

Tacloban: The national government has allocated PHP1.68 billion for road projects leading to tourist destinations in Eastern Visayas the past three years, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said on Monday. Under the 2022 to 2024 allotment, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) implemented 70 road projects with a total road length of 47 kilometers through funds from the tourism department, DOT Eastern Visayas Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said in a phone interview. According to Philippines News Agency, the majority of the projects under the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program (TRIP) are ongoing. “These are multiyear projects through allocations since

Manila: Following the confirmation of two mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) cases in Davao City, the Department of Health in Davao Region (DOH-11) has called on residents to remain vigilant against the spread of false and unverified information regarding the virus. According to Philippines News Agency, the Davao City Health Office confirmed the two cases on April 16, based on data from the DOH-Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit. The patients were admitted to an isolation facility at the Southern Philippines Medical Center. One of the patients, who had a severely compromised immune system, died from complications unrelated to mpox. In