Category: General

GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended “targeted vaccination” instead of mass jab to fight mpox in areas where the virus has been detected. ‘It’s not recommended for mass vaccination; that’s very important. It really needs to be targeted vaccination where the virus is transmitting,’ WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said, adding that the virus is easier to deal with than Covid-19. Noting that the rapid spread of the virus has captured global attention, she said the mpox virus has two genetic types: Clade 1 and Clade 2. Harris expressed concern over the new strain of the virus, Clade 1b,

BACOLOD CITY: Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, the national chairman of the League of Cities of the Philippines, expressed support for the campaign of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) against child abuse and human trafficking amid the Senate inquiry related to the police operation in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) premises in Davao City. ‘I fully support Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. and his efforts to combat child abuse, human trafficking, and sexual exploitation,’ Benitez said in a statement on Wednesday. He added that the leadership of Abalos in these areas, as well as in the various

MANILA: The government has allocated about PHP3 billion for the cash gifts to elderly Filipinos aged 80, 85, 90, 95, and 100 in the proposed 2025 national budget, a lawmaker said on Wednesday. In a statement, Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo said the PHP3 billion proposed allocation for next year would cover the PHP100,000 cash gift for 1,730 new centenarians amounting to PHP173 million, while the remaining allocation will be used to pay for the PHP10,000 grant for octogenarians and nonagenarians. ‘Based on the 2025 National Expenditure Program, the government intends to spend up to PHP3 billion for the initial

MANILA: The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) announced Wednesday its team-up with VolleyStation to elevate the federation’s data collection and competition management. PNVF president Ramon ‘Tats’ Suzara sealed the partnership with VolleyStation Chief Executive Officer Lukasz Wrobel during the Paris 2024 Olympics, which used VolleyStation’s referee systems, according to a news release. ‘As part of the partnership, VolleyStation will provide powerful software for national teams, competition management systems, and players’ database systems. Thanks to an extensive live data presentation system, fans can easily follow accurate information from each match organized by PNVF,’ Suzara said. He said other domestic leagues would

MANILA: The Department of Agriculture (DA) reported Wednesday the opening of a new quarantine office of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) at the Subic Freeport Zone, which is expected to enhance the country’s agricultural biosecurity and address potential risks posed by plant pests and diseases. ‘The establishment of this new office holds significant importance due to its position as a prominent center for trade and logistics,” DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement, referring to the completion of the BPI’s PHP2-million project. He said the Subic Freeport office is also crucial to achieving the administration’s food