Author: Jericho Zafra

MANILA, Philippines — Due to bad weather, the oil recovery of the MV Mirola 1 that was run aground in Bataan last week was postponed, the Philippine Coast Guard said. In a status report, PCG told reporters that the recovery of sludge oil, or the combined oil from the machinery, engine oil, and diesel, was later suspended following the start of oil recovery after experiencing bad weather conditions. The manual scooping will resume once the weather conditions are reportedly okay, the PCG said. On Thursday, the PCG said oil recovery operations in the aground vessel will be conducted manually. “The…

MANILA, Philippines — The European Union has given EUR1.2 million, or P76 million, in humanitarian aid for flood victims that struck Mindanao last month. This new aid from the EU came after it donated over EUR3.1 million, or P196.3 million, earlier this year, also for humanitarian assistance. “The beginning of this year’s monsoon and typhoon season is proving very hard for people in the Philippines, and the EU is stepping up its assistance to the most affected populations,” said EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič in a statement. The commissioner said the funding would help address the needs of…

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard ( PCG) said that it has failed to begin its recovery operations into the 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil of the sunken Terra Nova tanker as it has yet to seal all the valves under the sunken tanker due to weather conditions and strong current under the sea. Currently, 18 of the 24 valves of the sunken tanker have been sealed while it projects to finish the remaining six valves before it proceeds to the siphoning today, Wednesday, July 31. Asked why the authorities had yet to start siphoning the industrial…

IT would have been a typical, simple dinner, good for two or three close friends. Or so thought lawyer Vic Rodriguez, the man behind “Kingmaker, The Hardcopy” the book that chronicles the struggles and battles fought to make candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. win in the May 2022 elections. Businessman Elmer Ngo invited Rodriguez to the dinner, weeks after he published the book, both wanting to find out how each other was doing, especially to talk more about the book. But when he showed up for the dinner at a restaurant in Greenhills, Rodriguez got surprised when Ngo ushered him into…

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education has reminded school administrators of both public and private educational institutions that selling of tickets and collection of contributions from students and teachers are prohibited In a memo released over the weekend, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized that public elementary and high schools should not collect any fees. This is based on Republic Act No. 4206, which bans selling tickets or collecting contributions from students and teachers in public and private schools, colleges, and universities, and as amended by RA 5546. If someone does not follow this rule, they can be fined, jailed…

MANILA, Philippines — The local government of Cavite on Wednesday declared a state of calamity in eight areas of the province after the Bataan oil spill reached the Cavite coastline. In a situation report, Cavite governor Jonvic Remulla shared a video where the shellfish caught by the fishermen were seen coated with oil allegedly from the leakage of the sunken tanker Terra Nova. “Kumalat na po ang oil spill sa baybayin dagat ng Cavite,” Remulla said in his report, following a declaration of a state of calamity in eight areas of the province. According to the official, affected municipalities by the…

MANILA, Philippines — Following the removal of 75 cops assigned to her security detail, Vice President Sara Duterte said Tuesday that the public doesn’t have to worry about her and said this is part of her service as a government official. “Don’t worry about me. And you don’t need to contribute money for my security. Working in the government is a dedication of life for the country. We all know that this is part of the service,” Duterte said in Filipino. This came a day after she posted an open letter to General Rommel Francisco Marbithe, chief of the Philippine…

MANILA, Philippines — Ad agency “Gigil, the mind behind the viral “Gil Tulog Ave.” campaign of wellness supplement brand Wellspring has apologized to the Puyat Family days after the campaign struck a nerve with several officials including the family of former Senate President Gil Puyat itself. In a statement Tuesday, the advertising agency said they have already reached out to the family of former Senate President Puyat to “convey their regrets” over the viral campaign. “Understanding the distress the project caused, we have personally reached out to members of the Puyat family to convey our regrets and express our respect…

MANILA, Philippines — Following a series of threats from the Chinese government about the Philippines’ alliance with the United States, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. met with US State Secretary Anthony Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III in Malacanang on Tuesday. The officials met ahead of the Foreign and Defense Ministerial Dialogue (2+2) of the Philippines and the US. Marcos said he was “very happy” with the US officials communicating openly regarding several issues including the West Philippine Sea dispute. “I am always very happy that these communication lines are very open so that all the things that…

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is not keen on giving special adjustments for foreign workers with families and kids who are employed under the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). “As of now, we do not have room for any adjustments in the procedure. They would have to leave the country,” BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said in a televised public briefing. Sandoval said that approximately 20,000 foreign workers, primarily Chinese nationals, will need to leave in light of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s declaration of a complete ban on POGO and internet gaming licensee operations during his third…