Category: General

Manila: President Ferdinand Marcos R. Jr. on Thursday stated that he needs to review the latest version of Senate Bill (SB) 1979, known as the proposed Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act, before reconsidering the proposal that mandates the implementation of the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) Program. According to Philippines News Agency, the President’s remarks came in response to a media question regarding his stance on the teenage pregnancy bill, which he previously criticized for containing elements he deemed inappropriate for young children. Marcos emphasized the need to read the substitute bill, as quoted by Presidential Communications Office Acting Secretary Cesar

Sibalom: The sixth pumping station of the Sibalom Water District (SWD) is set to provide potable water to approximately 2,000 households in the municipality of Sibalom. The construction of the PHP5.4-million facility in District 4 began with a groundbreaking ceremony. According to Philippines News Agency, SWD general manager Jonathan De Gracia stated that the new pumping station could produce at least 1,500 cubic meters of water daily. He emphasized that the current five pumping stations are insufficient to meet the needs of the growing population and economy of Sibalom. De Gracia highlighted that households in the nearby barangays of Ilabas,

Southern Leyte: Some local government units in Southern Leyte have suspended classes following a magnitude 5.8 earthquake that shook the province. The Southern Leyte Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported that classes have been suspended in Maasin City, the provincial capital, and the towns of San Francisco and Liloan. According to Philippines News Agency, shortly after the ground shaking, Maasin City Mayor Nacional Mercado ordered the suspension of classes at all levels, both public and private. The mayor directed the city engineer and concerned personnel to conduct inspections and assessments of the structural integrity of all school

Manila: The 2025 national budget underwent a thorough and constitutional process and was signed into law without irregularities, a House leader said on Thursday. Deputy Majority Leader and La Union 1st District Rep. Paolo Ortega V made the statement, as he dismissed former president Rodrigo Duterte’s claims of ‘blank appropriations’ in the 2025 budget as misinformation aimed at restoring Vice President Sara Duterte’s controversial confidential funds. According to Philippines News Agency, Ortega criticized the spread of disinformation as a tactic commonly employed by internet trolls to manipulate public perception. He emphasized that people are now more discerning and capable of

Dumaguete: Tourist arrivals in Negros Oriental in 2024 hit the 700,000 mark, surpassing the provincial government’s target of 500,000 for the year, an official said Thursday. According to Philippines News Agency, Woodrow Maquiling Jr., Provincial Tourist Officer and executive director of the Provincial Tourism Board, noted that the number is expected to rise once all reports from industry stakeholders such as hotels, resorts, and local government units are compiled. “As of November last year, the tourist influx was pegged at more than 700,000 and this is a big leap from the 226,000 tourists that arrived in the province in 2023,”