General

Mimaropa: To ensure the safety and orderliness of its facilities during the Holy Week, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-Mimaropa has placed all 19 district, city, and municipal jails in the region on heightened alert status. Regional information officer Jail Officer 3 Joefrie Anglo stated that the heightened alert status aims to preempt any untoward incidents during the Holy Week observance. According to Philippines News Agency, Anglo mentioned that they anticipate an influx of visitors and increased participation of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in Lent-related activities. To ensure the safety and security of all facilities, Anglo asserted

Antipolo: The Diocese of Antipolo is inviting the Catholic faithful to join the 2025 Alay Lakad this week, as it attempts a Guinness World Record for the “largest gathering for a walking spiritual pilgrimage in 12 hours”. According to Philippines News Agency, Antipolo Bishop Ruperto Santos has asked Filipinos to participate in the 17-kilometer walk from Metro Manila to the International Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, also known as Antipolo Cathedral, in Rizal province. The pilgrimage is scheduled from 6 p.m. on April 17 (Maundy Thursday) to 6 a.m. on April 18 (Good Friday). Bishop Santos

Manila: Filipino citizens will be able to participate in the legislative process by proposing and amending laws if a bill filed in the House of Representatives is passed into law. According to Philippines News Agency, House Bill (HB) 303 proposes the creation of a crowdsourcing platform that will offer “direct citizen participation in the lawmaking process,” its author, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr., said in a statement on Monday. Under HB 303, the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) will be tasked to launch a crowdsourcing website where individuals or groups can submit proposed legislation. If a proposal receives

Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is looking to expand its ‘Walang Gutom’ Kitchen program which provides feeding and food credits to poverty-stricken Filipinos. According to Philippines News Agency, the move comes after a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed 52 percent of the respondents consider their families poor, slightly higher from 50 percent in January and 51 percent in February. Hunger incidence also rose, according to a prior survey. In a press briefing in Malaca±ang on Monday, DSWD Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Irene Dumlao acknowledged the complex nature of hunger and poverty, and the agency is

Davao: The Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) anticipates an influx of some 85,000 bus and van passengers this Holy Week, according to terminal manager Aisa Usop. According to Philippines News Agency, Usop, speaking at a press briefing on Monday, stated that they are projecting approximately 1,000 to 1,500 bus and van trips daily to accommodate the surge. Security measures at the terminal have been heightened to manage the increased passenger traffic. Usop assured the public that the terminal’s 32 closed-circuit television cameras, three baggage X-ray machines, and walkthrough scanners are fully operational. These measures are intended to enhance security