Press "Enter" to skip to content

Posts published in “National”

Latest new from all over the Philippines.

76 more OFW arrived from Lebanon who – DMW

Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announce that seventy-six overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) with two dependents from Lebanon arrived safely at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Sunday, October 20, 2024, aboard Emirates EK 334.

This batch of repatriation brings the total number of 636 OFWs and 32 dependents from Lebanon who have been repatriated under the government’s voluntary repatriation program.

Department of Foreign Affairs’ Level 3 travel advisory for Lebanon still stands even though the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has escalated after “Hezbollah confirmed that its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, had been killed in an Israeli air strike on residential buildings in Beirut.”

DFA’s Level 3 travel advisory means repatriation is still voluntary for all OFW in the country.

Source: @dmw.gov.ph

Riyadh City as Seen on Space

European Space Agency;

Situated in the central region of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh serves as the nation’s legislative, financial, administrative, diplomatic and commercial hub, home to over seven million inhabitants.

Covering an area of around 1550 sq km, the city sits at approximately 600 m above sea level on the eastern part of the Najd plateau in the Arabian Peninsula. Like much of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh has a desert climate with extreme summer temperatures that can reach up to 50°C.

The image prominently features the city’s grid-like street system, which consists of square blocks measuring around two km one each side, forming an extensive network across the urban landscape.

Earth from Space: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

It’s hard to get lost when you know that you will always end up on same road if you keep turning right. Also, as beautiful as this picture, the photo of Riyadh at night that NASA released in 2012 is much dramatic and detailed.

PRC announces the October 2024 Physicians Licensure Examination Results

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) just release the result for the October 2024 Physicians Licensure Examination. Out of the 6600 examinee, 3845 passed the board exam, a 58.26% passing rate. PRC also said that they will release the result this Monday, October 21, 2024.

Top performing Schools with more than 100 examinees with at least 80% Passing rate;

  1. UP Manila – 96.97% Passing rate
  2. Cebu Institute of Medicine – 95.31% Passing rate
  3. St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Med – William H. Quasha Mem. Inc. – 95.19% Passing rate
  4. Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila – 95.16% Passing rate
  5. University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Mem Medical Center – 92.92% Passing rate
  6. UST – 89.29% Passing rate
  7. West Visayas State University – La Paz – 87.00% Passing rate
  8. Ateneoi School of Medicine and Public Health – 86.18% Passing rate
  9. Saint Louis Univerity – 83.23% Passing rate

Top 10 Examinees in the October 2024 Physicians Licensure Examination;

  1. Isaac Edron Jones Orig – Davao Medical School Foundation – 89.33%
  2. Rolter Lorenz Mispenas Lee – University of Santo Tomas – 89.25%
  3. Jerickson Rodney Ngo Cua – UP Manila – 89.17%
  4. Nijell Tui Potencioso – Cebu Institute of Medicine – 89.8%
  5. Kiel Christian Dimaculangan Alday – University of Santo Tomas – 88.83%
  6. Ryan Delfin Parungao Encarnacion – UP Manila – 88.33%
  7. Frances Dominique Velasco Ho – UP Manila – 88.00%
  8. Anne Corine Arellano Ramos – FEU Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation – 87.83%
  9. Christian Lloyd Ang Loo – Cebu Institute of Medicine – 87.75%
  10. Chelseah Denise Hernandez Torres – University of Santo Tomas – 87.67%

For the complete list of Physicians Licensure Exam passer, you can click here.

Eight New Electric Bus to arrive in Quezon City to provide Free Transport Services

Eight (8) new electric bus have been acquired by Quezon City to expand its bus fleet to provide free rides to residents and reduce air pollution. The new buses will join the existing fleet of gasoline-powered buses, which serve over 145,000 commuters weekly. This initiative aligns with the city’s broader goal of transitioning to electric vehicles and improving air quality.

This initiative aligns with the city’s broader push towards electrification to combat air pollution, as transportation accounts for 69% of particulate emissions (PM2.5). With Manila’s air quality exceeding WHO recommendations, the electric buses are an important step toward cleaner, healthier air for all.

The new electric buses join a fleet of over 100 gasoline-powered buses currently serving 145,000 commuters weekly. As part of its commitment to sustainable transportation, Quezon City aims to transition its entire fleet to electric vehicles, including e-trikes, in the near future. Charging infrastructure is already in place to support this transition.

Top gear Philippines reports that “The electric buses have a 41-passenger seating capacity, plus space to accommodate standing passengers. Safety features include handrails, fire suppression and emergency equipment, CCTV cameras, and smart TVs. For persons with disability, there are also wheelchair ramps to aid ingress and egress”

This initiative aligns with the city’s participation in the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, its commitment to the Paris Agreement, and its compliance with the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA Law).

Source: Quezon City Local Economic Investment Promotions Office (LEIPOQC)

Law removing mother tongue in K-3 to improve education quality — Romulo

Giselle Ombay, GMA Integrated News;

House Basic Education Committee Chairperson and Pasig lawmaker Roman Romulo on Sunday said that the law discontinuing the use of the mother tongue as a medium of instruction from kindergarten to grade 3 could help improve the quality of education in the country.

I can list a number of countries that uses their “mother tongue” or “native language” as a medium of instruction and they are one of the places in the world that have “high quality of education.”

With Republic Act No. 12027, the medium of instruction shall revert to Filipino and, until otherwise provided by law, English.

Meanwhile, the regional languages shall serve as auxiliary media of instruction.

The best solution for this is to just give the teachers a very competitive compensation, a great career development and incentives if they stay in the profession.

Here’s a comparison, in Thailand in English teacher can earn an average salary of THB 35000 (Thai Baht) or around ₱60k per month, while in the Philippines, Filipino English teachers earn an average salary of ₱23,000 per month.

Classes and Government Work in Manila and Pasay Suspended

Malacañang suspends class and government work in the Manila and Pasay City from Monday to Tuesday, October 14th-15th, to give way to the opening of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).

The announcement was made via Memorandum Circular 66 issued by Malacañang.

Converge announces Netflix and Fiber X bundle

Converge, one of Philippines leading ISP, announced “the new Converge Netflix Bundle, where new and existing FiberX customers will be able to have both an internet and Netflix plan, all in one. The new offering aims to provide countless entertainment options and a better streaming experience for FiberX users.”

The new Converge Netflix Bundle will include a FiberX plan that offers 325 Mbps speeds, a Netflix subscription with a lock-in period of 36 months, a new WiFi-6 Next Gen Modem, and a Converge Xperience Box with Freemium Channels — all put together into one subscription for the convenience of the customer.

The new Converge Netflix Bundle starts at Php 1,798 per month, inclusive of a Converge FiberX plan with boosted speeds of 325 Mbps, a WiFi6 modem, a Converge Xperience Box, and a Basic Netflix subscription that can support one HD stream at a time. Customers can avail of more premium bundles that can support multiple devices streaming at the same time and can offer additional Boost Modes with speeds of up to 200 Mbps. For existing subscribers, the Converge Netflix Bundle is available as an exclusive add-on starting at Php 298 per month.

Filipino executed in Saudi Arabia for murder  

Michelle Abad with reports from Bea Cupin, reporting for Rappler;

A Filipino on death row in Saudi Arabia has been executed, the Philippine government said on Tuesday, October 8.

“We regret to confirm the news that a Filipino has been executed in Saudi Arabia for murder,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.

The Philippine government provided legal assistance and exhausted remedies to save the Filipino’s life, including sending a presidential letter of appeal to Saudi Arabia’s King Salman. But the victim’s family refused to accept blood money in return for forgiveness of the Filipino, and so the death penalty was meted, the DFA said.

According to Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega, the overseas Filipino worker pleaded guilty to the crime. The victim was the OFW’s Saudi Arabian business partner, and the incident happened in 2020.

Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia release the following statement;

A very sad moment for all OFW in Saudi Arabia.

The Rappler also reports that according to DFA there are still “nine Filipinos remain on death row in Saudi Arabia.”

Sandiganbayan dismisses P276-M ill-gotten wealth case vs Marcoses  

Rappler;

The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has dismissed a 37-year-old ill-gotten wealth case against the Marcos family, citing the defendants — which includes Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and wife Imelda — “can no longer be afforded a fair trial” in a “chronology of events” that have contributed to an “inordinate delay.”

Associate Justice Geraldine Faith Econg wrote the 30-page resolution, dated October 4, 2024, noting that the defendants “can no longer be afforded a fair trial.” Associate Justices Edgardo Caldona and Arthur Malabaguio concurred.

So the SC dismisses the case because it was delayed for too long?!

NY Liberty eliminates LC Aces to advance to the WNBA Finals (76 – 62)

ESPN;

Ionescu rebounded from a rare off game to score 22 points, and nearly a year after the Aces ended the Liberty’s dream of a championship, New York returned the favor Sunday afternoon by defeating Las Vegas 76-62 to advance to the WNBA Finals.

It was a masterful performance by the New York Liberties, the team was able to keep their composure and lead despite their key players, Jonquel Jones and Leonie Fiebich, being in the foul trouble for most of the game.

The Liberty was lead by Sabrina Ionescu who scored a team high of 22 points and 7 rebounds, followed by a double-double from Breanna Stewart, who scored 19 points and 14 rebounds. They will face the winner of Game 5 of the Lynx-Sun series this Tuesday, 8th of October. Game 1 of the WNBA Finals is scheduled this Thursday, October 10, 2024 hosted by the NY Liberty in Barclays Center.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese named as one of the 2024 WNBA All-Rookie Team

Together with the announcement of the Rookie of the Year, WNBA also announced the players for the 2024 WNBA All-Rookie Team, that includes Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, arguably the two most popular of the 2024 rookie class.

  • Caitlin Clark (IND)
  • Rickea Jackson (LAS)
  • Angel Reese (CHI)
  • Kamilla Cardoso (CHI)
  • Leonie Fiebich (NYL)

Marcos signs law imposing 12% VAT on Netflix, Spotify, other digital services  

JM Chavaria, writing for Yugatech;

In a move aimed at bolstering government revenue, the Philippines has introduced a 12% value-added tax (VAT) on digital services offered by foreign firms. This includes popular platforms like Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, and Amazon, among other digital service providers (DSPs) — which have previously enjoyed tax exemptions.

Duey Guison, of Unbox.ph explainsRepublic Act 112023, all services provided by resident and non-resident digital service providers regardless if they have a physical presence in the Philippines are subject to an additional 12% VAT. The law also adds a new provision to the Tax Code, where ‘”digital services delivered by foreign digital service providers are considered performed or rendered in the Philippines if the digital services are consumed in the Philippines.’

The law does not only cover streaming service but basically “most” online service like ecommerce, digital platform or online merchant that caters to the Philippine market even if the company does not have any physical store or office in the Philippines.

In a press release, “Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero said the bill imposing a 12-percent value-added tax (VAT) on digital transactions will level the playing field for local and foreign digital service providers (DSPs), streamline tax administration and shore up government coffers by at least P80 billion in revenues.”

“Digital service is defined as any service supplied over the internet or other electronic network with the use of information technology and where the supply of the service is essentially automated. These include online search engines, online marketplace or e-marketplace, cloud service, online media and advertising, online platform, or digital goods.”

The law basically covers every companies doing online transaction.

Connecticut Sun defeated Indiana Fever in their First Playoff Game since 2016 (93 – 69)  

Branden Kaneshiro, writing for The Lead;

The Sun cruised to a 93-69 victory in Game One. Led by a triple-double from Alyssa Thomas and 22 points on 63.6% shooting from DeWanna Bonner, the Sun completely outmatched the Fever.

The offensive firepower was not all that went well for Connecticut in game one. The Sun’s defense was their key to victory on Monday. Connecticut was able to contain Mitchell and Clark to 45% and 23.5% shooting, respectively. If the Sun can replicate their defensive success in game 2 (and the rest of the playoffs) they will be a hard team to beat.

It was not just Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, who had a bad Game 1, as a team Indiana Fever shot 27-67, 40.3%!!! from the field and 6-28, that’s a measly 21.4%, from the three-point line, the Fever did manage to reduce their turnover to just 13 TO.

Game 2 will be this Wednesday, September 25, 2024 at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

German Ambassador Andreas Pfaffernoschke reminds us to be vigilant on “Historical revisionism” regarding the Martial Law in the Philippines  

Ambassador Andreas Pfaffernoschke, as posted on @germanyinphl;

As the country marks the imposition of Martial Law in the Philippines by the Marcos Sr. Administration 52 years ago, we remember the sacrifices made by those who fought for freedom and democracy during this dark period in history.

The distortion of history can pave the way for the return of authoritarianism and the erosion of human rights. It is through a clear understanding of our past that we can build a better future.

Let us honor the memory of those who suffered under Martial Law and work together to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again. By upholding historical accuracy and promoting human rights, we can create a more just and equitable world for all.

#MartialLawAnniversary

On September 23, 1972, then President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. officially proclaim the State of Martial law in the Philippines, it’s formal proclamation is contained in Proclamation No. 1081.

Proclamation No. 1081 started a “14-year period of authoritarian rule, which would include eight years of Martial Law (de jure ending on January 17, 1981, through Proclamation No. 2045), but not de facto : followed by six more years where Marcos retained essentially all of his powers as dictator. Marcos was eventually ousted on February 25, 1986, as a result of the EDSA People Power Revolution.” via wikipedia.

Also on Wikipedia, “This 14-year period in Philippine history is remembered for the administration’s record of human rights abuses, particularly targeting political opponents, student activists, journalists, religious workers, farmers, and others who fought against the Marcos dictatorship. Based on the documentation of Amnesty International, Task Force Detainees of the Philippines, and similar human rights monitoring entities, historians believe that the Marcos dictatorship was marked by 3,257 known extrajudicial killings, 35,000 documented tortures, 737 ‘disappeared’, and 70,000 incarcerations.”

The reasons and justification are also indicated in Proclamation No. 1081.

Qualcomm Approached Intel About a Takeover in Recent Days  

Lauren Thomas, Laura Cooper and Asa Fitch, reporting for WSJ;

Chip giant Qualcomm made a takeover approach to rival Intel in recent days, according to people familiar with the matter, in what would be one of the largest and most consequential deals in recent years.

A deal for Intel, which has a market value of roughly $90 billion, would come as the chip maker has been suffering through one of the most significant crises in its five-decade history.

This is big in so many different levels!

In a report by NY Times, “Qualcomm has not yet made an official offer for Intel.”

Tupperware files for bankruptcy as its colorful containers lose relevance  

Rappler;

Tupperware Brands Corp. and some of its subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday, September 17, giving in to dwindling demand for its once-iconic food storage containers and mounting financial losses.

The company’s struggles resumed after a short-lived pandemic boost, when increased home cooking briefly drove demand for its colorful, airtight plastic containers. A post-pandemic jump in costs of raw materials such as plastic resin, as well as labor and freight, further dented Tupperware margins.

I can still remember those all those sales agents that goes to our house trying to sell us different sets of Tupperware.

You can read the official statement from Tupperware here.

NagaTech announces NAGATECH LAKAN, the company’s first gaming laptop  

Cristina Joy Valerio, writing for Yugatech;

The NagaTech LAKAN features a 15.3-inch QHD+ IPS display with 240Hz refresh rate and 2560 x 1440 resolution. It comes with either a Ryzen 7 8845HS or a Ryzen 9 8945HS processor with two GPU options: either the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 or the RTX 4070.

For storage, it has either a 16GB or 32GB RAM that is configurable up to 64GB while having a 512GB SSD storage that can be upgradable. Windows 11 Home or Pro comes in the laptop.
The NagaTech LAKAN has a starting price of PHP 69,995.

This is the official announcement as posted on NagaTech’s official Facebook page;

Introducing: The NAGATECH LAKAN.
Our first step towards gaming and high performance laptops.
Quick Specs:
QHD+ 2560x1440p 240hz 15.3″ IPS Display
Ryzen 7 8845HS / Ryzen 9 8945HS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 8GB / RTX 4070 8GB
512GB SSD / Upgradable
16 / 32GB DDR5 5600mhz RAM / Up to 64GB
1080p IR Camera + Per-Key RGB Backlit Keyboard
Windows 11 Home / Pro
1-Year full coverage local warranty (parts + labor) + 7 day returns
Starting price: PHP 69,995 (4060/Ryzen7/512/16)

NagaTech, is a Philippine-based laptop maker. The company said that units for their laptops “are arriving end of Sept/start of Oct for local techies to give in-depth reviews.” and they plan to sell “online (directly through our Website) and Shopee this December.”

Last August, the company announced NAGA SIPAG, a high-performance productivity laptop with the following specs;

Intel Core Ultra 5
512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD
16GB DDR5 RAM
14” 2880x1800p 120hz 100% sRGB Display
100w PD Charger + 1080p Webcam

Maya to let Grab users loan up to P30k  

Benise Balaoing, writing for ABS-CBN News;

Maya is partnering with Grab to give users of the ride-hailing and food delivery app access to loans up to P30,000.
….
Aside from this, Grab users can now use Maya Easy Credit to top up their Maya Wallet and easily pay for Grab rides or food deliveries.

It’s interesting that Grab is partnering with Maya to offer loans to its users, even though Grab a offers similar finance service/features called Grab Pay, and it competes with Maya in some markets.

NNIC takes over NAIA, hits the ground running  

San Miguel Corp;

The New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) has officially taken over management and operation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and with it, the task of modernizing the 76-year-old gateway.

NNIC, the consortium that includes San Miguel Corporation (SMC) and Incheon International Airport Corporation, has committed to spend P170 billion to execute its phased but ambitious plan to elevate NAIA to world-class standards. This includes plans to increase passenger capacity from 43 million to 62 million annually and air traffic movements from 42 to 48 per hour.

The government stands to gain about P1 trillion in revenues from the PPP project over the 25-year concession period. This includes the 82.16-percent revenue share to be remitted to the government yearly.

Travelers can expect business as usual, with flights, check-ins, and other services proceeding as normal. The plans for NAIA’s modernization, including terminal reassignments and infrastructure upgrades, will be implemented gradually and strategically in the coming months and years.

NNIC has assured the public that the transition will be seamless, with no disruptions to airport operations.

The things that SMC listed for the Immediate Improvements are things that are supposedly being done by the previous management.

Filipinos can now ride self-driving bus in Clark for free  

Kris Crismundo, writing for PNA;

The country’s first autonomous bus powered by Japanese technology is now plying around New Clark City, Clark Freeport Zone, and Clark International Airport, and commuters can ride the self-driving vehicle free of charge for now.

In a statement Tuesday, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said Zenmov, Inc. and MC Metro Transport Operation, Inc. launched its smart autonomous bus service in New Clark City on Sept. 10.

Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) posted this announcement on their official Facebook Page;

SNEAK PEEK: Former #BCDA Chairman Delfin Lorenzana tests the Philippines’ first publicly accessible, self-driving bus in New Clark City, Tarlac.

Being implemented by Japan-based Zenmov and its local partner MC Metro Transport, the autonomous bus service utilizes a transportation cloud system called Smart Mobility Operation Cloud (SMOC), which helps maximize operational availability while keeping the number of vehicles at a minimum.

Japan’s national research and development agency, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), had appointed Zenmov to implement the smart mobility demonstration program to be conducted until June 2025.

Clark Development Corporation launches its own Bus Transportation System  

ClarkDevelopmentCorp, posted on its official FB page;

Getting in and around Clark, now more convenient with Clark Loop!

Clark Development Corporation is excited to announce the launching of its very own bus transportation system, featuring a cashless payment system ready to take you around Clark starting September 17.

PhilHealth to abolish single confinement policy by end of September  

Kaycee Valmonte, writing for Rappler;

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will soon scrap its single confinement policy.

PhilHealth President Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. told a Senate panel on Tuesday, September 10, that they are committed to making the changes needed “before month-end.”

This is great news to all PhilHealth members.

This means that if a patient was confined due to diarrhea in September and had PhilHealth cover the expenses, the patient has to shoulder the fees if another bout of diarrhea strikes again in October.

Some patients were supposedly told to lie in order to have their hospital bills covered by the state insurer. A mother named Elena Abilar, through a video presented to the Senate panel, recounted her experience with the single confinement rule when her son had pneumonia and had to be hospitalized twice.

PhilHealth did not need to create the “Single confinement policy” in the first place.

Balay Dako, a supposedly pet-friendly restaurant turns away customer with Aspin  

Balay Dako, a purported “pet-friendly” restaurant, is in hot waters after what appears to be a discrimination on the staff’s part for turning away customers with Aspin, a local breed of dogs in the Philippines. a.k.a. Askal.

Ms. Lara L. Antonio posted a 1000 words post on her Facebook account regarding her encounter with the Balay Dako staff and how she and her companion where turned away because of her dog ‘Yoda’ is not a “shit tzus, labradors…” or a “golden retriever”.

Here’s a snippet of her.. now viral post;

We’ve eaten at Balay Dako before – we know it’s pet-friendly. Yoda has, in fact, been here before as well so we went there assuming everything’s okay. We get to the front of house and she hands me a paper with pet guidelines. It basically says small-medium sized dogs only and big dogs are not alllowed. It also says that dogs must be in a diaper, can’t be smelly, etc. and they will be turned away. I see “diaper” and I instantly think oh no we didn’t bring a diaper. So Mon asks the front of house, and she says it’s okay. There are diapers we can buy inside. She sees Yoda and Ari and nothing is amiss (for now).

Yoda, Ari and I are standing in front of the FOH, waiting to be seated and waiting for Mon to come out with the diapers when someone in black – staff – sees Yoda, goes inside, goes back out and then whispers something to the front of house.

Suddenly, FOH tells me that Yoda isn’t allowed inside. I ask “why”, she says “up to medium sized dogs only”. And I said huh? At this point, we’ve been standing in front of they door for over 10 minutes na, people going in and out greeting Yoda and Ari and she didn’t say anything to me. Tapos biglang she says ah bawal na yung isang dog. So I say, “she’s medium sized. We’ve been here before and no issues naman” and then !!! She said “ano pong breed niya?”

According to her Facebook profile, Ms. Lara L. Antonio is the Marketing Manager of Riot Games in the Philippines, Co-founder of Scene PH and a full-time fur-mom. It looks like those at Balay Dako, messed with the wrong fur-mom.

As of posting, Ms. Antonio’s post has more than 127K reactions and has been shared more than 61K times.

Breaking – Police capture Apollo Quiboloy  

Herbie Gomez, writing for Rappler;

Police finally captured fugitive doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy ending a grueling manhunt inside the vast Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) property in Davao City.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos announced in a Facebook post on Sunday, September 8, the arrest of 74-year-old Quiboloy’s who deems himself as the “appointed son of God” and “owner of the universe.”

After a 4-month hunt and 2,000 police later, Apollo Quiboloy is now in the police custody. BBC “In 2021, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) charged Mr Quiboloy with sex trafficking of children, fraud and coercion and bulk cash smuggling.”

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. also posted on his facebook account “NAHULI NA PO SI APOLLO QUIBOLOY.”

OCD: 15 dead due to Enteng  

ANNA FELICIA BAJO, writing for GMA Integrated News;

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Wednesday said 15 people were reported dead due to the impact of Severe Tropical Storm Enteng.

This was disclosed by OCD Director of Operations Service Cesar Idio during a situation briefing presided over by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in Camp Aguinaldo.

Meanwhile, 15 were wounded and 21 are still missing, Idio said.

This is just sad.. specially if you know that there are things that our Government can do to prevent this from happening.

Alice Guo arrested in Jakarta, Indonesia  

Benjamin Pulta, writing for Philippine News Agency;

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday confirmed the arrest of former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, in Tangerang City, Jakarta, Indonesia.

In a statement, the DOJ said Guo was apprehended at 11:58 p.m. on Sept. 3, according to Senior Superintendent Audie Latuheru of the Indonesian Police.

The first question that they need to ask her is “Why did she try to run away/escape?” This stunt just makes her look guilty.

House budget hearing: Sara Duterte’s DepEd accused of ‘rigged bidding’ for laptops  

Dwight de Leon, writing for Rappler;

House lawmakers moved on Monday, September 2, to compel the Department of Education to release all bidding documents in relation to the DepEd Computerization Program in 2022 and 2023, when Vice President Sara Duterte was still head of the agency.

Play VideoHouse budget hearing: Sara Duterte’s DepEd accused of ‘rigged bidding’ for laptops
Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville “Jinky” Luistro introduced a motion to issue a subpoena duces tecum to DepEd, which the appropriations committee approved without objections.

Sara Duterte-led DepEd built only 192 of 6,300 target classrooms in 2023 – COA  

Bonz Magsambol writing for Rappler;

A Commission on Audit (COA) report showed that the Department of Education (DepEd), under the leadership of Vice President Sara Duterte in 2023, was able to build only 192, or just 3%, of the 6,379 target classrooms.

“Only 192 (3.01 percent) out 6,379 classrooms were completed/constructed in CY 2023 due to realignments because of modifications in the projects’ design. A total of 4,391 classrooms are still under construction, and 550 are yet to undergo various stages of procurement,” the COA report said.

Welp!