Category: General

La Union: The province of La Union and the municipality of Bacnotan are preparing to host the Region 1 (Ilocos) Athletic Association (R1AA) Meet from March 10 to 15, which will see the participation of 10,000 student-athletes from the region’s four provinces. According to Philippines News Agency, Darius Nieto, Project Development Officer of the Department of Education (DepEd) Ilocos Region’s Education Support Services Division, announced during a forum on Monday that the main competitions will be conducted at Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University in San Fernando City, Bacnotan, and Dagupan City, Pangasinan. The towns of Bangar, Luna, Balaoan, and

Manila: The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has reduced the bookkeeping course requirements for Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) treasurers. They are now only required to complete a two-day online Basic Bookkeeping course instead of the more extensive Bookkeeping NC III, which took approximately 292 hours over a year. According to Philippines News Agency, TESDA’s Public Information Office (PIO) announced this change on Monday, noting that the removal of the Bookkeeping NC III requirement began on January 24. The new basic course is available year-round via the TESDA Online Program (TOP). TESDA stated in a news release that the course

Manila: The Philippine Army is calling for more volunteers to sign up for its Ready Reserve Battalion (RRB) in Negros Oriental to serve during national emergencies and to support regular forces during national security threats. Col. William Pesase, who heads the 703rd Community Defense Center of the 7th Regional Community Defense Group, Reserve Command of the Philippine Army, said on Monday that the current strength of the battalion in the province is not fully complemented yet. According to Philippines News Agency, Pesase hopes that more volunteers will understand the role of Army reservists who will be mobilized to respond to

Manila: The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Monday that it has launched an investigation into allegations of ‘ghost students’ or undocumented beneficiaries within 12 private schools across nine divisions. According to Philippines News Agency, Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized the importance of safeguarding public funds allocated under the Senior High School (SHS) voucher program. He stated, “We take these allegations seriously. Any form of misuse of public funds intended for critical education programs will not be tolerated.” The investigation may lead to the termination of the involved schools’ participation in the SHS voucher program if fraudulent activities are confirmed. Angara

Malolos: Pope Francis has named six priests of the Diocese of Malolos as monsignors. In a social media post Monday, the diocese announced that Bulacan province priests Fr. Narciso Sampana, Fr. Domingo Salonga, Fr. Leocadio de Jesus, Fr. Florentino Concepcion, Fr. Javer Joaquin, and Fr. Dario Cabral have been named ‘Chaplain to His Holiness’ and given the title of monsignor. According to Philippines News Agency, Malolos Bishop Dennis Villarojo expressed that it is an honor given to the presbyterium. He noted that it is part of how the Church recognizes its ministers and also serves as a call to greater