General

Tudela: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Northern Mindanao has allocated PHP8 million for its Community-Driven Development (CDD) program in Tudela, Misamis Occidental, this year. This funding is part of DSWD-10’s Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) program and aims to benefit 25 barangays in the region. According to Philippines News Agency, Mayor Samuel Parojinog emphasized the significance of the program, describing it as having a small budget but yielding numerous outputs. He noted that the projects would be managed by a Municipal Coordinating Team and implemented by the barangays using

New Delhi: The growing engagement between the Philippines and India opens up an opportunity for the two states to elevate relations into a ‘strategic partnership,’ Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said. In a television interview during his official visit to India, Manalo highlighted that the India-Philippines relations have significantly advanced over recent years, particularly in trade and defense. According to Philippines News Agency, Manalo expressed optimism about the future of the bilateral relationship, noting that cooperation is expanding in new areas such as energy, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. He suggested that these developments could soon lead to an official strategic

Quezon City: A lone bettor from Metro Manila has hit the PHP100 million jackpot in Tuesday night’s Lotto 6/42 draw, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) announced on Wednesday. The winning ticket was purchased at Lucky Circle Corp., SM North EDSA in Quezon City, and contained the combination 19-02-21-13-16-22. According to Philippines News Agency, the lucky winner has one year to claim the PHP100,890,109.20 prize at the PCSO main office in Mandaluyong City. To claim the prize, the winner must present the winning ticket along with two valid identification cards. Under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law, winnings

Manila: Bargain hunting helped the local bourse rebound on Wednesday while the peso continued to move sideways against the US dollar. According to Philippines News Agency, the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rose 0.45 percent to 6,313.12 points, along with All Shares, which increased by 0.71 percent to 3,749.35. Philstock Financials research manager Japhet Tantiangco noted that the local market bounced back as investors hunted for bargains supported by appreciation for corporate fundamentals. Four sectors closed in the green with the highest gains from Financials, up 1.35 percent. Industrial inched up by 1 percent, along with Property, 0.41 percent, and

Western Visayas: Western Visayas has played a significant role in the Philippines’ removal from the gray list of the Financial Action Task Force. Prosecutor II Flosemer Chris Gonzalez, spokesperson for the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in Western Visayas and chair of the Joint Focus Legal Action Team, highlighted the region’s contribution through legal actions against terrorism financing. According to Philippines News Agency, the task force filed 17 terrorism financing cases, leading to one conviction and six cases pending preliminary investigation by the Department of Justice. Gonzalez emphasized that these efforts have been pivotal in the