Category: General

Manila: A Chinese national was arrested for allegedly abducting seven foreigners in Pasay City, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said Wednesday. In a report, NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Sidney Hernia said the suspect Zhao Xing was arrested while seven Vietnamese nationals were rescued in an anti-human trafficking operation in Barangay 86 on Tuesday. The rescue operation stemmed from a report by a concerned citizen that several Vietnamese women were being exploited for prostitution by the suspect, who is primarily catering to Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hubs. The suspect would face complaints for violation of Republic Act 10364

LAOAG CITY – Authorities in the Ilocos Region (Region I) on Wednesday ordered the pre-emptive evacuation of residents in flood- and landslide-prone areas to minimize the impact of Tropical Storm Kristine. Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region I acting regional director Carmelita Laverinto, in a virtual press conference with the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said a total of 227 families, composed of 621 individuals, from Bangar, La Union have been pre-emptively evacuated to Bangar Central School and municipal gymnasium. ‘We are advocating for pre-emptive evacuation as early as possible because we can not depend on others because

MANILA: The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday projected a robust rice supply by yearend despite the effects of La Niña and other weather disturbances. Based on the DA’s national rice supply outlook, the country will have 3.83 million metric tons (MT) of rice inventory. In a statement, DA Undersecretary for the National Rice Industry Development Program Christopher Morales said this is enough to cover a 100-day consumption. ‘This projection incorporates updated rice stock data, actual import arrivals, and historical trends, ensuring the country’s rice needs are met despite the production drop,’ he said. The stable supply is expected despite

Western Visayas’ Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) approved Resolution 7, recommending the declaration of a 4-km. permanent danger zone (PDZ) set by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) in Mt. Kanlaon as a strict protection zone (SPZ). ‘Under the law, when this particular area will be categorized as a strict protection zone, meaning to say there will be no human activity except for research and Indigenous People cultural practices,’ Melissa Banias, chief of the operations section of the Office of Civil Defense, said during the RDRRMC full council special meeting in Iloilo City on Tuesday

DUMAGUETE CITY – Residents and emergency responders rescued four fishers in Barangay Maloh, Siaton town in Negros Oriental after their motorboats capsized due to stormy weather on Tuesday. Ronrev Kinilitan, head of the local disaster risk reduction and management office (LDRRMO) of Siaton, told the Philippine News Agency in an interview Wednesday that the fishers were in pairs in two pump boats when they put out to sea Tuesday evening in search for ‘dalupapa’ or giant squid. Kiniltan said huge waves and strong currents carried them to Barangay Maloh, where their motorboats capsized and were grounded in shallow water about