General

Iloilo City: The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will finance the PHP50-million feasibility study on the proposed New Iloilo North Coast Road and New Iloilo South Coast Road from the Iloilo International Port in this city’s Lapuz district. Iloilo City Lone District Rep. Julienne Baronda announced the funding following a meeting with Transportation Secretary Vivencio Dizon during his visit to Iloilo on March 8. According to Philippines News Agency, these projects aim to enhance accessibility to and from the Iloilo International Port and connect seaports, logistics hubs, and municipalities across the province, as stated by Baronda. Dizon visited Iloilo last Saturday

Bicol: The Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO-5) has apprehended 23 individuals and confiscated illegal drugs worth PHP2.4 million during a weeklong operation. According to Philippines News Agency, PRO-5 Director Brig. Gen. Andre Dizon reported that a total of 18 operations led to the seizure of 357.53 grams of shabu and 10 grams of marijuana from March 3 to 9. Camarines Norte recorded the largest drug confiscation, amounting to PHP2.15 million, followed by Camarines Sur with PHP140,294, Albay with PHP114,760, Masbate with PHP13,600, and Sorsogon with PHP4,080. No drugs were seized in Naga City and Catanduanes during this period. Dizon

Ilocos Norte: The province of Ilocos Norte remains free of active private armed groups as confirmed by the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office, two months before the national and local elections. “Residents here continue to enjoy generally peaceful communities with no monitored private armed groups,” said Col. Frederick Obar, the director of the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office (INPPO), in a statement. According to Philippines News Agency, aside from the absence of private armed groups, the province is also free from threats posed by extortion-related election interferences, typically carried out by communist-terrorist groups (CTGs). Col. Obar emphasized that no candidate

Iloilo City: The local government has mandated the automatic suspension of face-to-face classes once the heat index reaches 42 degrees Celsius, requiring schools to shift to an alternative delivery mode (ADM). According to Philippines News Agency, Mayor Jerry Tre±as signed Executive Order 024 on Sunday evening, implementing the new guidelines and protocols effective Monday amid the anticipated high heat index. “Last year, the threshold for suspension of face-to-face classes and shift to alternative modes of delivery was at 42 degrees Celsius, which corresponds to the danger of the heat index chart,” Tre±as said in his order. “The Iloilo City operations

Cotabato City: Newly appointed Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is set to form his official cabinet in the coming days. According to Philippines News Agency, Asnin Pendatun, the spokesperson for BARMM, announced that Macacua, who previously served as governor of Maguindanao del Norte, will be appointing ministers to lead various offices, bureaus, and sub-offices. This move comes after Macacua’s appointment by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on March 3, succeeding Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, who was the first interim chief minister of BARMM since 2019. Pendatun noted that Macacua has not yet