DAVAO CITY — Provincial government officials of Compostela Valley rallied behind Monkayo town in opposing the entry of large-scale mining companies inside the 8,100-hectare Mt. Diwata mineral reservation area, commonly known as Diwalwal. Compostela Valley Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy noted that the area is being eyed for a mineral industry zone by the Philippine Mining […]
POEA regains authority to license recruitment firms
MANILA — The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has regained the authority to issue licenses to recruitment and placement agencies, over a year after the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) assumed the said responsibility. Through DOLE Administrative Order (AO) 443-2018, issued by DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III, the licensing authority has been given back […]
Filipinos to be registered for nat’l ID in 2-5 years
MANILA — The entire population is expected to be registered at the Philippine ID System (PhilSys) in two to five years, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Wednesday. The PSA will go full swing with a pilot launch late this year and a mass rollout in the beginning of 2019 with a target enrollment of […]
Coast guards rescue crewmen from burning cargo ship in Zamboanga
ZAMBOANGA CITY–Coast Guard personnel and Maritime policemen rescued 16 crewmen from a burning cargo ship off here, an official said Wednesday. Lt. Commander Noriel Ramos, Zamboanga Coast Guard Station Commander, said rescued on Tuesday afternoon were the crew of M/V Buansa II that caught fire while anchored off Barangay Baliwasan. Ramos said the crew were […]
Close to 1K persons with HIV recorded in June
MANILA (July 3)— Almost 1,000 persons in the country were included on the list of reported new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) for the month of June. According to the Department of Health (DOH) June 2018 HIV/AIDS Registry of the Philippines, a total of 993 new HIV cases have been recorded across the country. […]
Ifugao’s post-harvest ritual ‘Punnuk’ amazes tourists, DOT head
HUNGDUAN, Ifugao — “Punnuk”, a post-harvest ritual of the Ifugaos continue to amaze tourists and even local visitors. The rite which has been practiced for decades, passed on from generation to generation, remain an attraction especially with its unique activity called “guyyud”, which means pull. The Punnok ritual is performed among members of the Ifugao communities, […]
Davao City remains top producer of durian fruit
DAVAO CITY – This city may have lost several durian farms in favor of residential developments in recent years, but it remains the top producer of the “king of fruits” as it accounts for 60 percent of the country’s total harvest. Larry Miculob, the president of the Davao City Durian Industry Association (DCDIA), said there […]
Martires to prioritize speedy resolution of cases as new Ombudsman
MANILA — Outgoing Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Martires on Monday said he will prioritize looking into the cause of delays in the resolution of pending cases, as he takes over as the new Ombudsman. “My priorities will be the pending cases, the issue on inordinate delay which has been an issue that has been haunting […]
Stakeholders move to protect thriving dolphins in Sarangani Bay
GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Environment personnel and local stakeholders have stepped up their monitoring and enforcement activities in parts of Sarangani Bay to protect the thriving dolphin population and other fish species in the area. Kristopher Benzonan, technical staff of the Sarangani Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), said Friday they have set regular […]
Maritime police steps up patrol activities vs. wildlife traffickers
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY –– Maritime police authorities up in arms against wildlife traffickers in southern Palawan, particularly along the coastal areas of the province. Police Supt. Greg Togonon, chief of the 2nd Special Operations Unit-Maritime Group (SOU-MG) in Palawan, said their increased vigilance against unscrupulous individuals who collect and attempt to transport wildlife species outside […]
High demand for residential condo in Davao continues
DAVAO CITY — Martial law has not dampened the prospects for residential condominium market, a real estate consulting firm said noting the prevailing high occupancy rates. In a report on Tuesday dubbed “Davao City’s Property Market Highlights 2018 H1,” Prime Philippines chief executive officer Jet Yu said the implementation of martial law in Mindanao bears no […]
Cancer advocacy group hails Duterte’s call for UHC passage
MANILA — A cancer prevention advocacy group on Tuesday lauded President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s call to Congress to prioritize the passage of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Bill. “It shows that the President is true to his word in fulfilling his campaign promises,” New Vois Association of the Philippines president, Emer Rojas, said in an […]
PTFoMS forms task force to investigate broadcaster’s death
BAGUIO CITY — The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) executive director and Communications Undersecretary Joel Egco said a special investigation task group, dubbed “Task Force Llana”, has been formed, less than six hours after the reported killing of Blocktime broadcaster Joey Llana in the morning of Friday, July 20. Egco in an interview […]