General

Borongan City: The city government of Borongan in Eastern Samar province has declared a 15-day pork holiday to stop the spread of African swine fever (ASF). This decision comes after three samples collected from a pig farm owned by the Eastern Samar State University in Maypangdan village tested positive for the virus. According to Philippines News Agency, under an executive order issued on April 4, the local government has suspended certain pork-related activities until April 18. In response to the ASF cases, checkpoints have been established at the northern and southern borders of the city to control the situation. Borongan

Amlan: The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) announced the completion of the reconductoring of the 69kV line at its substation in Amlan, Negros Oriental. This development is expected to ensure the delivery of stable power to the areas served by the substation. According to Philippines News Agency, Michelle Visera of NGCP-Visayas shared that the replacement of bigger transmission lines will prevent manual load dropping (MLD) during peak load times, particularly in Dumaguete City, which experiences the highest demand for power. Visera emphasized that, barring emergencies, MLD will no longer pose a problem for the Amlan 69kV line as

Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday called on newly-promoted senior officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to lead by example and carry out their duty with pride and integrity. Speaking at the oath-taking of the 39 newly-promoted star rank officers of the police force in Malaca±ang, Marcos underscored the significant responsibilities the officers now bear. According to Philippines News Agency, Marcos told the police officers, “It is, thus, incumbent upon you to lead by example.” He reminded the PNP officials that they now have “to guide, to discipline, and to inspire” the men and women under their

Manila: The Philippines has expressed its interest to expand its defense ties with Finland. Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. conveyed this during the introductory meeting with Finnish Ambassador to Manila Saija Nurminen on April 2, DND spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong said in a news release Monday. According to Philippines News Agency, Secretary Teodoro remarked that Finland’s geography and history have cultivated its robust resilience to threat actors within its region. He noted that this has led to Finland’s advanced capabilities in securing its defense supply chains. Nurminen expressed Finland’s willingness to cooperate with like-minded countries,

Vatican City: Pope Francis’s surprise appearance on Sunday at a Mass in St Peter’s Square for the Jubilee of the Sick and Healthcare Workers has sparked hopes that he might be able to take part in some of the rites for the upcoming Holy Week. It was the 88-year-old Argentine pontiff’s first public appearance since he left Rome’s Gemelli hospital on March 23 after 38 days of treatment for bilateral pneumonia. According to Philippines News Agency, the Vatican stated that Francis would need two months of convalescence after he left the hospital. Despite this, his unexpected presence at the Mass