RAINY DAY FIRE. A bungalow in Barangay Canaan, Badoc, Ilocos Norte is razed by a fire on a rainy Tuesday evening (July 12, 2022). While no one got hurt, it took responding firefighters more than two hours to put out the fire, with initial estimated damage estimated at PHP500,000. (Contributed photo) LAOAG CITY - A resident of Badoc, Ilocos Norte was left in shambles after fire broke out in their house on a rainy Tuesday evening and razed everything in it, including the money he has been saving for his son's medical checkup. Senior Fire Officer 3 Bernard Agcaoili, acting municipal fire marshal of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Badoc town, said Wednesday that based on the initial investigation, the fire at the house of Edmar Salvador in Barangay Canaan stemmed from the overcharging of mobile phones and at least three rechargeable electric fans in one of the rooms at about 6:15 p.m. Initial damage was estimated at PHP500,000, including the PHP300,000 cash that Salvador was goi
BETTER COMMUNICATION. Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) President Rosendo So (right) says there will be better communication with the agriculture department and the private sector if President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will stay as the concurrent Agri chief until the end of his term. In his interview in PTV's Rise and Shine Pilipinas on Wednesday (July 6, 2022), So said this setup will "immediately" address concerns on the food price crisis. (Screengrab) MANILA - President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, should continue to be the concurrent agriculture chief until the end of his term, the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) said on Wednesday. In an interview with PTV's Rise and Shine Pilipinas, SINAG President Rosendo So believes this is the best way to streamline agricultural resolve against the global food crisis. "Mungkahi namin na buong term niya siya ang concurrent secretary ng Department of Agriculture (DA), in which n
31st Southeast Asian Games opening ceremonies in Hanoi, Vietnam (Photo courtesy of PSC) HANOI - Except for some minor hitches, national team chef de mission Ramon Fernandez on Wednesday gave the thumbs-up to the Vietnamese hosts for the organization of the 31st edition of the Southeast Asian Games. "The Vietnamese SEA Games hosts have been warm, hospitable and run a tight ship. The accommodations of our athletes, coaches and other staff of the Philippine team are comfortable. We have been treated well. There have been no major complaints," Fernandez said. He said the one problem he has heard so far was the transport from the hotels of the participants to the training and competition venues, which was understandable since Vietnam, like the rest of the region, was still coping with the Covid-19 pandemic. "The organizers have been apologetic about this issue and have addressed our concerns as soon as they can whenever the transport problems crop up," Fernandez, also a
Baguio CIty Hall. (PNA file photo) BAGUIO CITY - The city government is looking for other ways to generate income for the city's development projects aside from being dependent on taxes for its funds. "The city government is eyeing several projects that will allow it to raise about PHP600 million per year," said Aileen Refuerzo, chief information officer of the city, in an interview on Monday. She said among these projects include a parking facility, an intermodal transport terminal, market development, and a digital transformation center, which could give the city government a steady source of income. The officer said that amid the pandemic, the city government has also approved the increase in the fair market value of real properties which would also increase the tax dues, something that several sectors have assailed for being "untimely," with many, if not all, property owners financially affected by the pandemic. She said that officials have said that the eco