Category: General

MANILA – Tourists stranded in Batanes due to Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name Trami) are now down to 103 from 140 after 37 passengers were accommodated in two flights on Sunday. In a report on Monday, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said the remaining 103 stranded individuals are all in Basco and are expected to fly out of the island as soon as airline seats become available. ‘All other stranded tourists from previously reported areas all over the country were able to travel onwards to their respective destinations,’ the DOT said. Regular transportation and travel schedules are expected to

MANILA – Senator Imee Marcos reiterated on Monday her call to create a National Resiliency and Disaster Management Authority (NRDMA), which will focus on ‘preparing, giving warnings, responding to and helping communities after calamities.’ In a news release, Marcos highlighted the need for a centralized authority to address vulnerabilities and improve coordination, particularly in frequently affected areas like the Bicol region. ‘Bicol faces the Pacific, has an active volcano, and is subject to numerous accompanying threats. Why hasn’t a synchronized national response been established?’ Marcos said. ‘If we have a centralized authority for disaster management, we would be able to

MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has distributed a total 17,589 family food packs and 86 six-liter bottled drinking water to Ilocos Region residents affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami) as of Monday. Of the total, 4,284 were distributed to Ilocos Norte residents, 1,301 to Ilocos Sur, 5,800 to La Union, and 6,204 in Pangasinan. Some 262 non-food items, including hygiene kits, were also distributed. A total of 93,750 family food packs and 17,066 other food and non-food items have been prepared for Ilocos Region residents affected by Kristine, according to the

MANILA – The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is working on proposals for the development of more regional airports in the country, including the Bohol-Panglao International Airport, Iloilo International Airport, and Davao International Airport. In a Palace press briefing Monday, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the Bohol-Panglao International Airport concession contract may be awarded within the year if Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. (AIC), the lone proponent for the project so far, faces no opposition. ‘Iyong end noong Swiss challenge niya (The end of the Swiss challenge) will be on Nov. 11. So malaman natin (So by then, we will know). If there

MANILA – At least 97 persons were reported dead in the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name Trami), the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Monday. The disaster response body’s latest situation report said of the figure, only 10 have been validated –nine in Bicol and one in Northern Mindanao. The remaining 87 deaths are still undergoing validation –54 in Calabarzon, 30 in Bicol, two in Zamboanga Peninsula and one in Central Visayas. Of the 30 reported missing persons, only one has been confirmed and this was recorded in Central Luzon. The remaining 29