General

MANILA: Three members of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) were injured in an explosion that resulted from a firecracker disposal that gone awry in Barangay Cabatangan in Zamboanga City on Monday. In an incident report Wednesday, two PCG petty officer third class (PO3) and one Seaman First Class sustained minor injuries in the incident. The victims, who were not named, are members of its K9 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit – Southwestern Mindanao. ‘The Philippine National Police (PNP) report emphasized ‘premature detonation’ that severely wounded five of the 19 affected uniformed personnel who were part of the joint operation,’ it said.

ILOILO CITY: The severely hit hog industry in Iloilo province by the African swine fever (ASF) in previous months is starting to bounce back, with some commercial and backyard farms already resuming swine-raising projects, the Provincial Veterinarian’s Office (PVO) chief said Wednesday. At a press conference, PVO head, Dr. Darel Tabuada said the hog-raising sufficiency level is rising to 71.6 percent after it dropped to its lowest at 36.37 percent at the height of the ASF infection. ‘We have 15 municipalities upgraded from red to pink; we have 13 municipalities in the red zone. In terms of inventory, it is

MANILA: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday expressed optimism about the economic gains that the recently greenlighted Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) Extension Project will provide the country. Speaking at the signing of the concession agreement for the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway or TPLEX Extension Project, Marcos said the project will usher further economic development in northern Luzon. ‘With the signed Concession Agreement for the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway or TPLEX Extension Project, we are now witnessing another milestone that brings into fruition the Build Better More infrastructure program,’ Marcos said. ‘The TPLEX Extension Project exemplifies our dedication to progress, the extension

MANILA: Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has partnered with the current operator of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), in providing a transit lounge at the Terminal 1. PAL president Stanley Ng said the lounge, which was opened Wednesday at the pre-departure area, aims to provide convenience to passengers with connecting flights. While PAL owns a Mabuhay Lounge inside the terminal for its business class passengers, it helped the MIAA to establish the transit lounge that could accommodate around 138 passengers. The airline donated gang chairs, reclining chairs, tables, television sets, and exhaust fans

MANILA: Leaders of the House of Representatives on Wednesday lauded the recent signing of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between the Philippines and Japan as it could serve as building blocks of diplomacy and cooperation for future bilateral agreements with other countries. In a statement, House Committee on National Defense and Security vice-chair Raul Tupas said he expects the Philippines to forge more international agreements with other countries who prefer “cooperation over discord” after the signing of the historic defense pact with Japan. ‘It is possible for the Philippines to have a similar reciprocal access agreement with South Korea,’ Tupas