General

Manila: Malaca±ang on Wednesday expressed support for the restoration of the National Food Authority’s (NFA) power to directly import rice to strengthen its market capability. In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro acknowledged the challenges faced by the grains agency after it lost the power to import rice directly due to the Rice Tariffication Law. According to Philippines News Agency, Castro explained that the NFA is currently hindered by the requirement to coordinate with local government units (LGUs) before making decisions on rice importation. She emphasized that the existing process prevents farmers from directly accessing the NFA, as

Manila: The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday apprehended 15 drivers of traditional public utility jeepneys (PUJs) for blocking Connecticut Street in San Juan City on the third day of Manibela’s transport strike. In a Facebook post, the MMDA said the 15 jeepney drivers were issued with traffic violation tickets for illegal parking and obstruction near a building of the Department of Transportation (DOTr). According to Philippines News Agency, the government respects the right to free speech of every Filipino but emphasizes that it must be held peacefully and without causing adverse effects to others. Connecticut Street is a

Marikina City: Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro is set to continue his bid for the city’s first congressional district in the upcoming May 12 midterm polls, despite being suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman. According to Philippines News Agency, Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia clarified in an interview on Wednesday that Teodoro’s candidacy remains unaffected by the suspension as long as there is no final judgment by the courts regarding the cases he is facing. “The name of the candidate will remain in the ballots, can be voted upon, and can be proclaimed as long as there is no

Tacloban: At least 11,334 public school teachers in Eastern Visayas serving as electoral board (EB) members have been certified by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) as capable of operating the automated counting machines (ACMs) in the May 12 midterm elections. According to Philippines News Agency, the EB members attended trainings conducted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), DOST, and the Department of Information and Communications Technology. They also passed examinations. “The EB certification program consists of two key components: an online theoretical examination and a practical examination using the ACM. To be certified, EB members must pass both

Cavite: Around 8,402 job openings remain available in the provinces of Cavite and Laguna, as announced by Malaca±ang on Wednesday. In a recent Palace press briefing, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro emphasized that jobseekers still have the opportunity to apply for these vacant positions, which were highlighted during the recent job fair held in Dasmari±as, Cavite and Bi±an, Laguna. According to Philippines News Agency, Castro specified that there are still 4,120 jobs available in Dasmari±as and 4,282 in Bi±an. Despite the high number of openings, only 63 applicants in Dasmari±as and 45 in Bi±an