Category: General

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

TACLOBAN CITY: A fisheries expert has recommended measures to curb postharvest fish losses after environmental group Oceana disclosed these have reached 38.39 percent in some coastal areas in Northern Samar from harvesting to marketing stages. Based on the report shared by the Northern Samar provincial planning and development office on Wednesday, these losses have been noted in the mainland towns of Allen, Victoria, and San Isidro, as well as the island towns of Capul, San Antonio, and San Vicente. These areas are members of the San Bernardino Local Government Alliance of Northern Samar (SABELANS), the site of the study by

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,

LEGAZPI CITY: At least 500 farmers assisted by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Bicol have been included and provided with additional livelihood through the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers or TUPAD, a program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). In an interview on Wednesday, NIA-Bicol spokesperson Ma. Cleofe Baraera said the initiative is part of the convergence program of the NIA with other national government agencies. “Through this program, we look for interventions that can be done to assist our irrigators’ associations (IAs) in the six provinces to at least provide additional income,” Baraera said. The

TACLOBAN CITY: At least 1,977 parents in Samar province have received cash incentive for attending learning sessions meant to capacitate them to tutor their children. The Department of Social Welfare and Development completed on Wednesday the payout to all recipients under the Tara, Basa (let us read) Tutoring Program in two cities and 19 towns in Samar. Under the cash-for-work component of the program, each parent received PHP4,700 equivalent to the 20-day parents’ sessions they attended from July 1-26. ‘These learning sessions aim to empower parents and guardians with knowledge and skills to support their children’s education and improve family