(Photo courtesy of DOTr) MANILA - Pursuant to the order given by Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Art Tugade to establish more crew change hubs across the country, three more centers became operational in the ports of Zamboanga, Iloilo and in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. The new crew change hubs were activated on March 14, March 21 and April 8, 2022, respectively. The DOTr Maritime Sector led the opening of the new crew change hubs, composed of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), the Office of Transportation Security (OTS), and the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), together with other concerned government agencies. With the additional crew change hubs, the Philippines now has nine active crew change hubs joining the Manila South Harbor, Port Capinpin in Orion, Bataan, Sasa Wharf in Davao, and Batangas, under the PPA. The other two crew change hubs are located in Subic and Cebu. The country introduced the crew change hubs to process the documents needed to facilitate the
Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs hearing on missing cockfight aficionados chaired by Senator Ronald Dela Rosa (front, center) (Photo courtesy of Sen. Dela Rosa Facebook) MANILA - The Senate will continue to find ways to locate the missing sabungeros (cockfight aficionados) and the families can trust the government to do its work. During the third hearing of the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs on Monday, chair Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa said there are crooks everywhere but not everyone in the government is like them. One of those who participated in the probe was Princess Montanes-Lasco, wife of missing breeder and online agent Ricardo "Jon Jon" Lasco Jr. The 44-year-old sabungero was reportedly abducted at their house in Barangay San Lucas 1, San Pablo City, Laguna on Aug. 30, 2021 by 15 armed men who posed as law enforcers. The wife said they continue to be harassed by anonymous callers and shunned by friends following the abd
(File photo) MANILA - Metro Manila, along with 47 other areas in several parts of the country, will remain under Alert Level 1 until March 31, Malacanang said on Tuesday. This, after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approved the new alert level classifications in the country, acting Presidential Spokesperson and Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in a press statement. "The Inter-Agency Task Force on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, placed the National Capital Region, along with 47 other areas, under Alert Level 1, effective March 16, 2022 until March 31, 2022," Andanar said. Only Metro Manila and 39 other areas have been placed under the most lenient Alert Level 1 for the first half of March. The provinces of Nueva Ecija, Zambales, and Batangas, as well as the cities of Lucena, Cebu, Ormoc, Tacloban, and Butuan have been added to the roster of places in the country where Alert Level 1 will be implemented from March 16
(Image grabbed from PAGASA's Facebook page) MANILA - Typhoon Odette has further intensified as it made landfall over Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. In a bulletin posted at 3 p.m., the weather bureau said Odette now packs maximum sustained winds of 195 km. per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 240 kph. Heavy to torrential rains over will continue over Caraga, Central Visayas, Misamis Oriental, Camiguin, Southern Leyte, and Negros Occidental. Moderate to heavy, with at times intense rains persist over Leyte, the southern portions of Eastern Samar and Samar, Zamboanga del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, and the rest of Northern Mindanao. Light to moderate, with at times heavy rains are forecast over Bicol Region, Quezon, and the rest of Visayas, the rest of Zamboanga Peninsula, and mainland Bangsamoro. Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 4 remains hoisted over Southern Leyte, the southwestern portion of