Villar pushes for new, expanded protected areas

SENATOR Cynthia A. Villar is pushing for the passage of several bills that will create new protected areas and expand declared sites to remove the Philippines’ tag as a biodiversity “hotspot” where ecosystems are under serious threat by human activities.     “Hotspots are also considered to be significantly threatened due to man-made exploitation and by climate […]

Microgrid firms, NEA in talks over off-grid power crisis

THE National Electrification Administration (NEA) said it is in talks with the Department of Energy (DoE) to allow microgrid operators to step in and help resolve the looming power shortage in off-grid areas caused by high diesel prices. “A lot of private parties have approached the NEA office. We are in talks with the DoE […]

DICT eyes combining SIM card registration with national ID biometrics  

THE DEPARTMENT of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Wednesday said it will study the possibility of simultaneously capturing biometrics for the government’s national ID system while registering subscriber identity module (SIM) cards, especially in remote areas.    “We will be coordinating with the Philippine Statistics Authority on this,” DICT Undersecretary Anna Mae Y. Lamentillo said […]

Napocor to cut service to SPUG areas due to high diesel prices

THE National Electrification Administration (NEA) said on Thursday that National Power Corp. (Napocor) will reduce services to areas served by its Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) due to the high price of diesel fuel. “Starting Feb. 1, Napocor will implement the reduction of electricity service in SPUG areas due to fuel shortages and the delay […]

Bill mandates setting up an evacuation center in each town, city

A SENATOR has filed a bill that seeks to establish an evacuation center in every city and municipality in the Philippines.   Senator Rafael “Raffy” T. Tulfo filed Senate Bill 1652 to mandate local governments to set up a facility that is adequately equipped to accommodate displaced residents during disaster and emergency situations.   “When disaster and […]

Pfizer to scale down early-stage rare disease research

US pharma giant Pfizer Inc. said on Thursday it is planning to realign its early-stage research into treatments for rare diseases and oncology, to focus on areas like rare and benign hematology. Pfizer will also move away from having a rare disease research unit to align important rare disease programs to areas across its research units. “We are refocusing our approach to early discovery and development research in rare disease and oncology,” a spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters, adding that the company will explore externalization […]

Rural women denied opportunity due to connectivity shortcomings

LACK of access to technology is holding back rural women from pursuing job opportunities, according to a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS). “Limited access to devices, erratic power supply, connectivity issues, and digital anxiety among users hound efforts to make rural areas and their residents digitally ready for online jobs. Some […]

DoT launches 7th tourist rest area in Pagudpud

THE DEPARTMENT of Tourism (DoT) launched the seventh tourist rest area in the country on Dec. 12 at Saud Beach in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte as part of the government’s aim to improve overall tourist experience.    “The tourist rest area in Saud Beach aims to provide convenience to tourists, especially to those making the roadtrip to […]

Several storm-hit areas still without power supply

POWER SUPPLY in several areas affected by Tropical Storm Nalgae, locally named Paeng, have yet to be restored as of Tuesday, according to reports from electricity distributors.    Three electric cooperatives — covering Aurora, Nueva Ecija and Busuanga — were still under total power interruption, based on reports submitted to the National Electrification Administration (NEA).    Twelve […]

House panel OK’s bill on construction of schools in remote areas

A BILL that seeks to establish public schools in remote areas has been approved by the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture on Wednesday. The proposed measure, which consolidates House Bills 650 and 1947, aims to make education accessible to all by constructing schools in geographically isolated, disadvantaged and conflict-affected areas, including access roads […]

People in northern Luzon flee from storm; classes suspended

MORE than 500 people in the Philippines were evacuated on Tuesday, according to the state disaster agency, as Tropical Storm Ma-On, locally named Florita, pounded Northern Luzon. President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. suspended government work and classes in public schools in the capital region and nearby provinces on Tuesday afternoon until Wednesday. Ma-On, the Philippines’ […]

Covid test required for unvaxxed onsite workers in Level 2 areas

UNVACCINATED workers who are required to work onsite in private and government entities in areas under Alert Level 2 and above must undergo coronavirus disease (Covid-19) RT-PCR testing once every two weeks or a weekly antigen test.Government agencies and local government units may cover the cost of Covid-19 testing of their unvaccinated employees, subject to […]

Consolacion to spend P1M to hire ‘decloggers’

THE Municipal Government of Consolacion in northern Cebu has allocated P1 million to be used as “cash for work” incentives for those involved in declogging flooded areas in the town.Danilo Capangpangan, Consolacion’s Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (LDRRMO) head, told SunStar Cebu on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, that the “cash for work” program […]

Comelec: House-to-house visits still not allowed

EVEN if candidates are no longer required to secure permits from the Comelec to conduct physical campaign sorties in areas under Alert Level 1 and 2, they are still not allowed to conduct house-to-house visits regardless if they get consent from house owners.Candidates are also prohibited by the Commission on Elections from distributing food and […]

Summary of Honda Briefing on Automobile Electrification Business

TOKYO, Apr 12, 2022 – (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) – Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today held a press briefing on its initiatives in automobile electrification business that included participation of the following Honda executives: – Toshihiro Mibe, Director, President and Representative Executive Officer– Kohei Takeuchi, Director, Executive Vice President and Representative Executive Officer– Shinji Aoyama, […]