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    MANILA, Philippines --- Two bidders for the online voting and counting system for overseas voting in the 2025 midterm elections were issued notices of ineligibility by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday. They were Indra Soluciones Technologias de la Information, SLU and We Are IT Philippines, Inc. READ:Comelec starts bid for online voting https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1891634/comelec-starts-bid-for-online-voting According to the copy of notices sent by the Comelec to reporters, Indra Soluciones Technologias de la Information, SLU was ineligible to bid due to the following reasons: Non-compliant net financial contracting capacit...

Keep on reading: Bidders for overseas online voting system ineligible – Comelec

      NAGA CITYCiting the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services (Pagasa) advisory, the Department of Health (DOH) Bicol regional office warned the public of the harmful effects of the prevailing El Nio phenomenon on Tuesday. DOH - Bicol Center for Health Development advised the public to take precautions against diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, cholera, heat stroke, typhoid fever, paralytic shellfish poisoning, and leptospirosis amid the strong El Nio season. Recently, it was reported by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources that the coastal waters in the town of Milagros, Masbate are positive for paralytic shellfish ...

Keep on reading: DOH – Bicol: Watch our El Niño – related illnesses

MANILA, Philippines --- Environmental activists Jhonila Castro and Jhed Tamano have posted bail on Wednesday after a Bulacan court ordered their arrest last February 2 for grave oral defamation. Bail was set at P18,000. "Finding the said bail bond to be in order, the same is hereby approved and accepted," the release order of the Municipal Trial Court of Doa Remedios Trinidad read. Meanwhile, the same court set the arraignment and pre-trial of Castro and Tamano on March 15. In January, the Department of Justice approved the filing of charges against Castro and Tamano after the two claimed in a press conference that they were abducted by members of the military, whil...

Keep on reading: Environmental activists Castro, Tamano post bail

  BACOLOD CITY---Fourteen passengers died while three others are in critical condition when a truck plunged into a 40-meter deep ravine in Mabinay, Negros Oriental on Wednesday. The victims, who are form one family, were bound for Bayawan City to purchase cattle for their farms in La Libertad town when the accident happened, said Mabinay police chief Maj. Nelson Lamoco. The driver, according to Lamoco, lost control of the truck which plunged into a ravine in Sitio Tubod, Barangay Bulwang, some 50 kilometers away from their destination. "The area is really accident-prone. Because the road is a curve, there have been several accidents that happened in that area," Lamoc...

Keep on reading: 14 dead, 3 critically injured in Negros Oriental road mishap

MANILA, Philippines--Angeline Poyos settled in comfortably on her second outing with University of Santo Tomas, spearheading the Tigressess' 18-25, 25-19, 25-17, 25-22 win over the University of the East Lady Warriors on Wednesday evening at the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball. "I was really pressured during my first game. Now, I can say that I have adjusted and I hope to be consistent in our succeeding games," said Poyos after delivering 19 attacks out of a game-high 24 points on top of two blocks, three aces and 11 receptions. The Tigresses picked up win No. 2, but not after weathering the UE tempest anchored on Casiey Dongallo. SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 86 volleyball first ro...

Keep on reading: UAAP volleyball: Poyos leads UST past Dongallo-led UE for 2-0 start

UBS Global Wealth Management said it now expects the U.S. Federal Reserve to start lowering interest rates in June, compared to its prior view of cuts beginning in May. The economy has been "resilient" in the face of tighter monetary policy, which has led the brokerage to push back its earlier forecast of a 25 basis points cut in May to June. READ:Fed signals 'patience' on rate cuts as data disappoints "Given the upside surprises to both payrolls and inflation, we now expect the Fed to wait a bit longer before cutting rates," UBS economists said in a note dated Feb. 20. U.S. consumer prices rose more than expected in January amid a surge in the cost of rental housing, rec...

Keep on reading: UBS Wealth Management pushes back Fed rate-cut forecast to June

BRIDGEPORT, Texas - For nearly a year, U.S. natural gas producers have slammed the brakes on production as prices fall. But relentless output gains including from oil companies that pump gas as an oil byproduct have unleashed record supplies. In the oil versus gas contest, gas producers are losing out. Some are shutting in wells, canceling projects or selling themselves to rivals to avoid losses. Natural gas prices this month fell to an inflation-adjusted 30-year low of $1.59 per thousand cubic feet, benefiting consumers of the fuel like utilities, but hurting producers who are selling at nominal prices as low as they were in the depths of the COVID-19 downturn. Nowhere is the ...

Keep on reading: Tumbling US natural gas prices unstoppable, hurting producers

MANILA, Philippines --- The 2023 proposed budget for the government's conditional cash transfer program was above what Senator Imee Marcos preferred because the government was expecting to assist more poor families, 4Ps party-list Rep. JC Abalos said on Wednesday. Abalos in a press briefing at the House complex explained that under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the Listahanan 3 or the process of identifying beneficiaries was supposed to start in 2019, but two fortuitous events prevented it --- a reenacted budget in 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. This forced the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) --- which implements the 4Ps --- to dist...

Keep on reading: Solon: Imee move to cut 4Ps fund didn’t expect more beneficiaries

MANILA, Philippines --- Continuous dialogue with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will fast-track the completion of major railway projects in the country, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on Wednesday. During a bilateral meeting between the DOTr, JICA, and the Japanese Ministry of Land Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista suggested that concepts and ideas raised at the meeting should be brought to the frontlines of rail projects. READ: Jica lauds DOTr for completing overhaul of 72 LRVs for MRT-3 These projects include rail lines, depots, and stations. "Let us move beyond table-top discussions. Let us cascad...

Keep on reading: DOTr discussions with Jica to bring out better rail system projects

MANILA, Philippines --- An executive order (EO) institutionalizing the "Makabata Helpline" as the main line for reporting sexual abuse and exploitation of children in the country is being pushed, said the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) on Wednesday. The Makabata Helpline, launched in 2022, is the CWC's hotline aiming to provide a means of reporting abuses, exploitation, and neglect of children. READ: At least 17,600 children suffered violence and abuse in 2023, says PNP According to CWC executive director Usec. Angelo Tapales, the institutionalization of the Makabata Helpline will fall under the launch of a certain "Pagasa" program with the proposed EO. "'Pag '...

Keep on reading: CWC wants child welfare hotline institutionalized

  MANILA, Philippines --- The Marian image of the Nuestra Seora de Fatima de Marikina was honored with a canonical coronation by Pope Francis. In a statement Tuesday, the Shrine and Parish of St. Paul of the Cross said the canonical coronation rite will be held on May 12, 2023 and will be presided over by Diocese of Antipolo Bishop Ruperto Santos. Novena masses are set from May 3 until 11. "The canonical coronation is the highest honor given by the Catholic Church to an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary," the statement read. A canonical coronation is a papal honor bestowed upon an image of Jesus, Mary or Joseph. According to the Diocese of Antipolo on Sunda...

Keep on reading: Canonical coronation for Nuestra Señora de Fatima de Marikina

TOKYO ---Japan's two biggest airlines admitted that subsidiaries allowed employees to cheat on written driving exams, according to a statement and local media, the latest embarrassing episode for the country's aviation sector. Japan Airlines (JAL) said that 11 employees from two of its subsidiaries "engaged in the malpractice of answering questions while looking at textbooks" between 2022 and 2024. Their driving permits have been returned to authorities, JAL said, adding that five test supervisors were also involved in the cheating. Bloomberg reported that the workers who cheated had driven baggage cars and catering vehicles at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. The misconduct is "a com...

Keep on reading: Japan Airlines admits subsidiaries cheated on driving tests

MANILA, Philippines --- Lyka De Leon admitted it's not easy filling in the big shoes left by former libero Justine Jazareno. De Leon, however, vows to but she vows to be at her best in protecting the floor to help the La Salle Lady Spikers in their UAAP volleyball title defense. "With the sudden departure of [Justine Jazareno], it felt like I was forced to step up out of the blue," said the sophomore libero in Filipino. "At first, I was really having a hard time but my coaches guided me through it and my teammates supported me and told me I can do it. Slowly, I'll get there." SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 86 volleyball first round Although she is facing a bigger challenge and respons...

Keep on reading: UAAP volleyball: Lyka De Leon stepping up for La Salle

Maris Racal admitted the first two years of her relationship with Rico Blanco away from the limelight were the "happiest," but her desire not to keep the "love of her life" hidden from the world forever made her decide for them to finally come out in the open. Sitting down for Dr. Vicki Belo's latest vlog, the "Can't Buy Me Love" actress shared that she and Blanco used to go abroad just to date each other, which went on for two years as they tried to shy away from the spotlight. "I kept it for two years," she said, "'Yung quiet nung two years na 'yon it was one of the happiest years na na-experience ko kasi totoo lang siya. There are no pretensions. Masaya lang kami. We never d...

Keep on reading: Maris Racal recalls how she, Rico Blanco kept their relationship ‘secret’

MANILA, Philippines - The State of Kuwait's Appeal Court has affirmed the guilty verdict and conviction of the killer of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Jullebee Ranara in Kuwait, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced Wednesday evening. In a statement, DMW said the State of Kuwait's Appeal Court fully adopted the guilty verdict and sentence against 17-year-old Turki Ayed Al-Azmi of 1 year imprisonment for driving without a license and 15 years imprisonment for murder The body of Ranara, a household service worker, was burned and buried in the desert on January 21, 2023. Autopsy reports likewise showed that she was pregnant. "We have informed...

Keep on reading: Kuwait appellate court affirms conviction of OFW Ranara’s killer

https://youtube.com/live/gJgo0z3fsN8   Here's a quick roundup of today's top stories: Quiboloy on rape: Too many women fight over me, 'pinag-aagawan ako' Pastor ApolloQuiboloy has refuted the sexual abuse allegations made by former members of his religious sect. He made his denial in a 36-minute video statement on Wednesday.   Quiboloy admits he is in hiding amid kill plot Amid pressure from both the Senate and the House of Representatives for him to face their hearings, Apollo Quiboloy, a pastor of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) based in Davao City, admitted being in hiding due to a supposed plot to have him killed. In a 36-minute voice message uploaded o...

Keep on reading: INQToday: Too many women fight over me, ‘pinag-aagawan ako’ – Quiboloy on rape

  MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) is determined to take action against reported cases of cyanide fishing by Chinese fishermen in Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal in the disputed West Philippine Sea. "Under the leadership of President Marcos Jr., the Philippines will not tolerate any actions that harm our environment or deprive Filipino people of their right to its use and beauty," Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said in a statement Wednesday. Remulla said the DOJ will support agencies gathering pieces of evidence and building a case behind cyanide fishing. "The impact on these coral reefs is devastating," said Remulla. "These ecosystem...

Keep on reading: DOJ to act on alleged cyanide fishing in WPS

MANILA, Philippines --- La Salle players on Wednesday wore a black armband during their game against Far Eastern University in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament. The armband, apparently, isn't just any other accessory as it is a recovery-focused fitness tracker that monitors the physical loads and measures the severity of strains during the game. La Salle assistant coach Noel Orcullo and reigning MVP Angel Canino said they use it to monitor the Lady Spikers' recovery. SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 86 volleyball first round "It tracks the performance and recovery of the body," said Canino, who had 13 points and seven excellent receptions in La Salle's 25-20, 25-17, 25-2...

Keep on reading: UAAP volleyball: La Salle explains armband used in win over FEU

Gwendolyne Fourniol set foot in India with a clear goal of bringing home the Philippines' second Miss World crown, as can be seen in her glamorous ensembles before the pageant's preliminary competition and coronation night. Almost two years had passed since Fourniol's coronation as the country's representative to the 71st Miss World competition after the pageant's repeated changes in schedule. She ultimately flew to New Delhi in India weeks ahead of the coronation on March 9 (March 10 in the Philippines). Her long wait was worth it as Fourniol stunned fans with a colorful national costume by Louis Pangilinan, which is a tribute to "Hiligaynon's authentic Ilonggo textiles," as s...

Keep on reading: Miss World 2024: Gwendolyne Fourniol dazzles in pre-pageant fashion

MANILA, Philippines --- Senator Imee Marcos denied on Wednesday allegations that her proposed budget realignments in 2023 led to 4.3 million poor Filipinos not getting their aid through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). In a statement, Marcos noted that in September 2022 hearings for the 2023 budget, the Department of Social Welfare and Development admitted that per financial reports only 45 percent of the 4Ps budget had been spent. According to Marcos, to avoid the "threatened return" of unspent 4Ps allotment, she recommended that the balance of P8 billion instead be realigned to "quickly implementable" DSWD projects instead. "So it was divided among supplemental f...

Keep on reading: Marcos refutes solon’s claims on budget realignment affecting 4Ps funds