Category: General

MANILA: The House Committee on Metro Manila Development (MMD) and Manila 2nd District Representative Rolando Valeriano on Thursday called for an immediate committee hearing to assess the massive flooding and extensive damage brought by the onslaught of Typhoon Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon or ‘habagat’. Valeriano said all the House representatives from Metro Manila are automatically members of the said Committee and are expected to actively participate to seek explanations from relevant government agencies during the hearing set on July 31. The Department of Public Works and Highways and Metro Manila Development Authority officials will be invited to enlighten

MANILA: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday ordered the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and other concerned agencies to assess the environmental impact of an oil spill from a massive oil tanker that capsized off the coast of Bataan. In a situation briefing on the effects of Super Typhoon Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon, Marcos called on the DENR, along with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), to lead the assessment and allow the government to prepare for mitigation measures. ‘Can we add an instruction to the DENR to

PALO: At least 720,595 learners in Eastern Visayas have signed up for this new school year as the Department of Education (DepEd) steps up its preparation for the opening of classes on July 29. The DepEd regional office reported that the partial enrollment as of Thursday morning only represented 57.43 percent of the actual number of learners logged in the last academic year. DepEd Eastern Visayas assistant regional director Ronelo Firmo said they expect the figure to go up until the first few weeks of the new school year. ‘The recent trend is decreasing annually, especially for kindergarten and elementary,

TACLOBAN CITY: A top leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) died in a clash between government forces and rebels in the upland Osmeña village in General MacArthur, Eastern Samar on Thursday. The Philippine Army’s 78th Infantry Battalion (78IB) identified the slain rebel as Joel Guarino alias Duran, the squad leader of squad 2 of the recently dismantled Apoy Platoon of the NPA. Lt. Col. Joseph Bugaoan said in a statement that government forces had an armed encounter with a band of seven NPA combatants early Thursday while troops were conducting development and security operations in the upland village of

MANILA: More than PHP11 billion or still half of the government’s calamity fund for 2024 is at its disposal as the country reels from the effects of Typhoon Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon or habagat. According to the Department Budget and Management (DBM), some PHP11.123 billion remains in the calamity fund out of the allocation of PHP22.736 billion for 2024, including a carryover amount of PHP2.236 billion from last year’s budget that may be used until yearend. ‘Our government is prepared. We are ready to support all operations for disaster rescue and relief with the necessary budget. Identified frontline