📰 News & Current Affairs

KABACAN, North Cotabato – Two youngsters drowned while seven others were rescued after they swam on a river dam here Thursday afternoon. Mark Osoteo, the town’s information officer, on Friday said the two fatalities, both 16 years old, are junior high school students. Two others were confined at the hospital and are now in stable condition, while the remaining five are safe, he said. “All of them are minor students and are residents here," Osoteo said, adding that the group went to the river during lunch break. He was unable to disclose to identify the school pending an ongoing query. According to Osoteo, the incident took place around 1:30 p.m. at the river dam of adjacent Sitio Kinudal, Barangay Kilada in Matalam town. "They were...

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) has detected 39 more cases of Omicron XBB.1.91 subvariant, an XBB sublineage. In its latest surveillance report, the DOH said the subvariant was added to the list of variants under monitoring by the World Health Organization on March 30. “The variant was initially flagged due to its increasing global prevalence and higher growth advantage. The variant has been detected in 63 countries or jurisdictions across six continents, according to sequence submissions in GISAID [Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data],” the DOH said. About 199 samples were sequenced by the University of the Philippines - Philippine Genome Center Main and Mindanao branches last April 3 to 11. Out of these, 114 or...

he National Food Authority (NFA) is planning to import over 330,000 metric tons (MT) of rice to replenish the country’s buffer stock of the staple in anticipation of calamities. advertisement In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the NFA is proposing the importation of 330,000 MT of rice “to cover an expected deficit in the country’s buffer stock for the relief operations of various agencies in the event of calamities this year.” On Thursday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who also sits as the secretary of Agriculture, said the Philippines’ rice supply is in “good shape” but the NFA’s buffer stock is currently low and need to be replenished to reach at least nine days worth of buffer stock. The PCO...

© Supreme Court of the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — The passing rate for the 2022 Bar exams — the second one conducted under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic — yielded a passing rate of 43.47%. This means a total of 3,992 new lawyers will be welcomed into the practice after they take their oath on May 2 at the Philippine International Convention Center and sign the Roll of Attorneys. From the initial Bar exam applicants of 10,006, only 9,183 people were able to finish the second-ever digitized and regionalized exams held over four days in November at 14 testing centers across the country. The slump in the turnout of examinees prompted Bar exams chairperson Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa to tell them not to give up. This was the second Bar exams...

MANILA – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) strongly condemned on Thursday Myanmar’s deadly air attack in Pazigyi believed to have killed more than 100 villagers, including children. “All forms of violence must end immediately, particularly the use of force against civilians,” the bloc said in a statement. “This would be the only way to create a conducive environment for an inclusive national dialogue to find a sustainable peaceful solution in Myanmar,” it added. Meanwhile, it reiterated its commitment to continue assisting Myanmar in seeking a “workable and durable solution to the ongoing crisis through promoting the full implementation of the Five-Point Consensus.” The Myanmar Armed Forces reportedly carried out...

MANILA – The Naval Forces West (NFW) on Thursday night announced that Philippine and American ships participating in this year's "Balikatan" exercises have entered the "joint operational area" (JOA) of the Puerto Princesa, Palawan-based Western Command (Wescom). These ships were identified as the Philippine Navy’s (PN) missile frigate BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) and landing dock BRP Tarlac (LD-601), and the US Navy's USS Makin Island (LHD-8). "Said vessels will meet up at the vicinity of Dumaran Island and perform communication exercises while en route for the amphibious raid over the beach of Barangay Samariñana, Brooke’s Point all in the province of Palawan on April 14, 2023," NFW commander Commodore Alan Javier said in a statement. He...

CEBU CITY – The regional police here will make Cebu a pilot province on a new method of combating criminalities this time utilizing “bystanders” and “street people” in crime reporting and prevention. Lt. Col. Mark Gifter Sucalit, deputy chief for operations of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, said the director, Col. Rommel Ochave, has directed municipal and city station commanders to implement Active Bystandership for Effective Response and Intervention (ABERIN) Program of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Central Visayas. The program aims to maximize the presence of people hanging around the streets to report occurring crimes. Bystanders, he explained, would have a huge participation in sustaining peace and order in every...

MANILA – Several areas in Luzon will continue to get dampened with rain showers due to the low-pressure area (formerly Tropical Depression Amang) last tracked 40 km. southwest of Iba, Zambales, the weather bureau said Friday. Scattered rain showers and thunderstorms will prevail over Metro Manila and the provinces of Pangasinan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Zambales, and Bataan. Flash floods or landslides are possible in these areas due to moderate to at times heavy rains, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 4 a.m. weather bulletin. The rest of the country will have isolated rain showers caused by localized thunderstorms. Meanwhile, light to moderate winds and slight to moderate...

MANILA – The amount of rainfall caused by Tropical Depression Amang which has weakened into a low pressure area (LPA) did not raise the water level of dams in Luzon, a spokesperson of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Thursday. "Amang did not cause heavy rains enough to increase the water in monitoring dams in Luzon. In fact, it only caused little to no effect on the dams," Adel Duran of PAGASA said in a public briefing. Monitoring dams in Luzon have decreased by 0.15 to 0.66 meter, she added. Duran said that as of 6 a.m., the water level in Angat Dam decreased by 0.31 meter from the previous day while Pantabangan Dam's water level also dropped by 0.17 meter. Ambuklao...

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is reviving plans to install train platform barriers and screen doors at the stations of Metro Manila’s railway lines, starting with the Metro Rail Transit (MRT 3) on Edsa. This was after a 73-year-old woman died after jumping onto the southbound tracks at the MRT 3’s Quezon Avenue station shortly before noon on Wednesday. The woman was still breathing when emergency responders brought her to East Avenue Medical Center but was pronounced dead about two hours later. The rescue effort prompted an evacuation of passengers and about an hourlong disruption of train operations. At a media briefing on Thursday, Transportation Assistant Secretary Jorjette Aquino made references to the incident as she...

A Pulse Asia survey, which showed that nearly 8 in 10 Filipinos back the revival of the mandatory ROTC program, prompted Sen. Risa Hontiveros to ask: Did it capture the sentiment of the youth? READ: inq.news/Hontiveros-rotc

The Davao Region logs 223 new COVID-19 cases from April 3 to 9, and 26 out of 339 admissions are classified as severe and critical cases, as of April 10.

Fresh graduates in the country tend to lack "soft skills" and job readiness, and are highly vulnerable to scams, a recent report of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) showed. Commission on Human Rights building Commission on Human Rights thumbnail The CHR situation report looked into the situation of the youth in school-to-work transition, as well as their experiences in the context of the implementation of the K to 12 program, and COVID-19 pandemic. It said the new graduates experience “culture shock” upon entering the workplace because “their expectations are different from what they were taught at school.” It also showed that some failed to adjust to their work, adding that “they decided to resign but have a hard time being...

MANILA — The Philippines will pursue its appeal questioning the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) jurisdiction and authority to investigate killings during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’, its top lawyer said on Wednesday. The remarks come after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said last month he would cut off contact with the ICC after it rejected the government’s request to suspend a probe into thousands of killings during the brutal anti-narcotics campaign. “The appeal will not be withdrawn. We’ll pursue it,” Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, who was justice minister under Duterte, told Reuters. Guevarra said the president’s remarks meant the Philippines will “disengage with the ICC after exhausting...

Tumaas ang mga kaso ng food and waterborne diseases sa bansa sa unang tatlong buwan ng taon. Sinasabing tumataas ang kaso ng ganitong mga sakit tuwing tag-init kaya patuloy na pinapaalalahanan ang publiko na maging maingat. Via ABS-CBN News

Dost_pagasa| Thunderstorm Advisory No. 6 #NCR_PRSD Issued at: 7:07 PM,13 April 2023 Moderate to Heavy rainshowers with lightning and strong winds are expected over #Tarlac within the next 2 hours. The above conditions are being experienced in #MetroManila(Valenzuela, Navotas, Malabon, Caloocan, Manila, Pasig, Paranaque, Taguig), #Bulacan(Norzagaray, Angat, Pandi, SanJoseDelMonte, SantaMaria, Hagonoy), #Quezon(GeneralNakar), #Pampanga(Masantol, Sasmuan, Macabebe, Arayat, Magalang, AngelesCity, Mabalacat, Porac), #Cavite(CaviteCity, Kawit, Noveleta), #NuevaEcija(Cabiao), #Zambales(SanMarcelino, Botolan), #Bataan(Limay, Orion, Pilar), #Rizal(Rodriguez) which may persist within 2 hours and may affect nearby areas.

ICYMI: The management of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 explained that it has long intended to install platform barriers near its train tracks, but it lacks the budget to do so. READ: trib.al/l2bopy3

Narito ang mga siyudad kung saan unang ipatutupad ang single ticketing system bago tuluyang ipatupad sa buong Metro Manila. Sisimulan ang bagong sistemang ito sa Mayo. Ito ay matapos lagdaan ng ilang alkalde sa National Capital Region (NCR), Land Transportation Office (LTO), at Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) ang kasunduan sa bagong sistema kung saan iisang presyo na lamang ang ipapataw sa mga traffic violation. #News5

Fully operational na ang lahat ng mga estasyon ng LRT-1, mula Baclaran hanggang Roosevelt (at vice versa), as of 5:15 p.m. Ito ay matapos magpatupad ng limitadong mga biyahe kanina dahil sa napaulat na power failure sa Baclaran station kanina. #News5 | via Gerard de la Peña

MANILA, Philippines — The low-pressure area (LPA) which was once Tropical Depression Amang is expected to dissipate within the next 24 hours, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) on Thursday. Pagasa has also lifted all tropical cyclone wind signals. “The remnant circulation of ‘Amang’ is forecast to track generally northwestward or west-northwestward towards Polillo Islands and northern mainland Quezon. This weather disturbance may dissipate in the next 24 hours,” said Pagasa in its 11:00 a.m. weather advisory. The LPA, currently over the coastal waters of Polillo Islands, is moving west-northwestward at 10 kilometers per hour. It is expected to trigger rain in...

A Muntinlupa court has ordered the arrest of former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag in connection with the death of Jun Villamor, the alleged middleman in the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid. Also ordered arrested by the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 206 is former BuCor deputy officer Ricardo Zulueta. The arrest warrant — dated April 12, 2023 and signed by Presiding Judge Gener M. Gito — said murder is non-bailable. GMA News Online has reached to Bantag's lawyer, Atty. Rocky Balisong, for his comment, but he has yet to respond as of posting time. Zulueta's legal counsel, Atty. Lauro Gacayan, said they have yet to receive the arrest warrant. "I have not talked to my client also," he added. On March 14, the...

Pansamantalang walang biyahe ang LRT-1 sa ilang mga estasyon nito dahil sa napaulat na power failure sa Baclaran Station, as of 1:30 p.m. ng April 13. Mula Roosevelt hanggang Vito Cruz stations lang ang biyahe pa-southbound, habang mula Gil Puyat hanggang Roosevelt naman ang biyahe pa-northbound. Bibigyang-daan ng limitadong mga biyaheng ito ang pagsasagawa ng full assessment at site repairs ng Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC). "Rest assured that our team is working fast to resolve this issue and safely resume normal operations," pahayag ng LRMC. #News5 | via Gerard de la Peña

Dost_pagasa| Thunderstorm Advisory No. 4 #NCR_PRSD Issued at: 1:15 PM,13 April 2023 Moderate to heavy rain showers with lightning and strong winds are expected over Metro Manila, Cavite, Batangas, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan within the next 2-3 hours. The above conditions are being experienced in Quezon (Mauban, Real), Laguna (Pakil, Pangil, Paete, Kalayaan, Lumban, Mabitac, Siniloan), Rizal (JalaJala) which may persist within 2 hours and may affect nearby areas.

WARNING (Thursday April 13 4PM): LPA na dating si #AmangPh possible dumadaan na ngayon malapit sa Metro Manila at kalapit na mga lugar, possible pa magpatuloy ang maulan na panahon hanggang sa mga susunod na mga oras. Patuloy po magingat dahil meron pa rin possibilidad ng pagbaha

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday welcomed Singapore’s Temasek Foundation programs to help in efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change and boost food security in the Philippines. Read: News Releases - PBBM welcomes Temasek programs to help in climate change, food security in PH

BREAKING: Muntinlupa court orders the arrest of ex-BuCor chief Gerald Bantag and former deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta over the death of middleman Jun Villamor. | via CNN Philippines senior correspondent Anjo Alimario Read more: bit.ly/3oam4gb

After over four months since the examinations were held in November 2022, the results of the last Bar Exams will be released tomorrow, April 14. #GetThatBar2022 #Bar2022

Here is the list of canceled flights due to unfavorable weather conditions on Thursday, April 13. #AmangPH As of 1:33 pm: CebGo (DG) DG 6047/6048 Manila-Busuanga-Manila DG 6117/6118 Manila-Naga-Manila PAL E×ρréšš (2P) 2P 2963/2964 Manila-Busuanga-Manila

Trigger warning: Death The 73-year-old female passenger who allegedly jumped onto the southbound tracks of the MRT3 Quezon Avenue Station on Wednesday morning, April 12, was declared dead as of 2:20 pm. | via Lance Yu/Rappler rplr.co/nati on

ADVISORY: Starting 12 noon, MRT-3 has implemented a provisionary service between the Shaw and Taft Avenue Stations after a passenger jumped onto Quezon Avenue Station’s southbound tracks.

TROPICAL CYCLONE BULLETIN NO. 5 Tropical Depression “#AmangPH” Issued at 2:00 AM, 12 April 2023 Valid for broadcast until the next bulletin at 5:00 AM today THE CENTER OF “AMANG” CONTINUES TO TRACK WESTWARD AND IS NOW OVER NORTHEASTERN CAMARINES SUR. Location of Center (1:00 AM) The center of Tropical Depression “AMANG” was estimated based on all available data in the vicinity of Presentacion, Camarines Sur (13.7°N, 123.9°E) Intensity Maximum sustained winds of 45 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 60 km/h, and central pressure of 1006 hPa Present Movement Westward at 20 km/h Extent of Tropical Cyclone Winds Strong winds extend outwards up to 200 km from the center TROPICAL CYCLONE WIND SIGNALS (TCWS) IN EFFECT TCWS No. 1...