Category: General

Gamay: The town of Gamay in Northern Samar has been certified as a Zero Open Defecation (ZOD) municipality by the Department of Health (DOH). Maria Aurora Dubongco, officer-in-charge of the Northern Samar provincial health office, announced the achievement following a verification process conducted by the DOH regional office. This certification places Gamay alongside other towns in the province, such as Mapanas, Bobon, Mondragon, Catubig, and San Roque, which have also attained ZOD status. According to Philippines News Agency, Dubongco explained that achieving ZOD status signifies that households in the community have ceased open defecation practices and are utilizing functional sanitary

Manila: Ako Bicol (AKB) Party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s efforts to return Mary Jane Veloso from Indonesia to the Philippines demonstrated that compassionate justice exists. In an interview on Thursday, Bongalon described the action taken by the Marcos administration as a positive step in appealing to the Indonesian government for Veloso to serve her sentence in the Philippines. According to Philippines News Agency, Bongalon noted that this development was the result of effective diplomatic relations and consultations between the two governments. “It’s encouraging to know that Mary Jane Veloso will be able to return

Iloilo City: The city government here is projected to have more than PHP4.2 billion budget in 2025, a 14.83 percent hike from this year’s allocation of PHP3.6 billion. The Sanggguniang Panlungsod approved the proposed budget consisting of PHP4.13 billion for the executive budget and PHP81.95 million for the special account of the Local Economic Enterprise Office during its regular session on Wednesday. According to Philippines News Agency, the budget hike is due to the ‘sharp increase in the National Tax Allotment (NTA),’ as reported by the Committee on Appropriations chaired by Councilor Rex Marcus Sarabia. The report notes that the

Bacolod City: With funding from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the University of St. La Salle (USLS) here hosts a research center dedicated to the development of advanced materials that could benefit the sugar industry in Negros Occidental. On Thursday afternoon, the PHP4.9 million Center of Aerogel Technology for Energy and Environment (CATEE) was inaugurated as the first-of-its-kind facility in the province. According to Philippines News Agency, the center focuses on utilizing aerogels, known for their lightweight and insulating capabilities, to create practical applications to improve the environmental and sustainability efforts in Western Visayas. Dr. Mary Ann Torres

Manila: Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez announced the House of Representatives’ unwavering commitment to ensuring the continuation of the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) by securing its funding in the 2025 budget for the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). This declaration underscores the House’s dedication to supporting over 4 million ‘near poor’ Filipinos who have significantly benefited from this initiative. According to Philippines News Agency, Romualdez emphasized the critical role of AKAP as a lifeline for millions of Filipino families who are on the brink of poverty. The program has been instrumental in providing immediate relief to