Category: General

LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 5 (Bicol) has provided nearly PHP150 million worth of relief assistance to the families affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami) in the region as of Monday morning. In a report, DSWD-5 disaster response management division information officer Carl James Cabarles said distributions of family food packs and non-food items are being conducted for the disaster victims. He said DSWD has provided PHP147.4 million in humanitarian aid to the hard-hit communities, displaced families, and stranded passengers across various regional ports. “The assistance includes distributing family food packs

TACLOBAN CITY – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has brought its ‘Piso Caravan’ to this city to replace unfit and mutilated bank notes and coins. The three-day caravan that kicked off Monday at the Robinsons Place Tacloban urges the public to conveniently replace their unfit currency with fresh banknotes and coins. Unfit banknotes are paper money that is soiled, limp, stained, or has faded print, obvious writings, or markings. Unfit coins, on the other hand, are those with corrosion or markings, according to Erma Lagarto, BSP-Cebu senior bank officer. Classified as mutilated banknotes are those with adhesive and staple

MANILA – The chairperson of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability is looking at potential grounds for impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, particularly graft and corruption and betrayal of public trust, amid its ongoing probe into her office’s alleged fund misuse. In a news release on Monday, committee chair and Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua said his panel’s probe, which was initially conducted “in aid of legislation”, has revealed serious questions about Duterte’s management of public funds, particularly concerning the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) PHP125 million in confidential funds spent in just 11

TACLOBAN CITY – The Northern Samar provincial government has produced five doctors in the past four years under its medical scholarship program (MSP). Since the launch of the program in 2020, all five who took the Physician Licensure Examination are passers and now serving in hospitals in the province. Governor Edwin Ongchuan said in a statement on Monday that scholars are assured of joining the provincial government health workforce once they complete their medical degree and pass the licensure examination. ‘We look forward to their service to the province. They are our hope to improve health service delivery in our

LEGAZPI CITY – The damage to agriculture and infrastructure in the Bicol region caused by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami) has reached nearly PHP3 billion as of Monday. The Department of Agriculture (DA) 5 (Bicol) reported more than PHP2.1 billion in initial damage to the agricultural sector. In a progress report, DA-5 spokesperson Lovella Guarin said Kristine had impacted about 103,145.54 metric tons (MT) of rice, corn, cassava, and high-value crops across 33,913.72 hectares of farmland. “We have 37,795 farmers and fishermen affected by ‘Kristine’. We are still consolidating reports, and as a progress update, we expect additional