One out of every four blood units donated to the government in June tested positive for the highly contagious human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), according to the Department of Health (DoH). Based on the department’s HIV/AIDS registry report last month, 27 percent, or 32 out of the 118 donated blood packs, were found to be contaminated [...]
A group of young Filipino numbers aces—mostly elementary and high school students from Metro Manila—did the country proud when they won a total of 82 medals and placed third overall in the just-concluded 2011 Singapore International Mathematics Competition (SIMC). The 123-member Philippine team bagged 13 golds, 25 silvers and 44 bronzes in the 10-nation contest, [...]
Discontented with the government’s response to the rising number of car theft cases, a crime watch group has formed its own task force against car thieves. The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) on Sunday announced the creation of its Vigilantes Against Carnappers task force during a media forum in Sampaloc, Manila. “We organized this [...]
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) remains committed to making the capital smoke-free despite the challenge to its newly implemented ban on public smoking at the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court. “They will not stop the MMDA from implementing [the smoking ban] especially [since it] has the blessing of all the mayors of Metro Manila,” MMDA assistant general manager for planning Tina Velasco said in a radio interview Sunday.
Today, August 1, is the death anniversary of former Presidents Corazon Aquino and Manuel Luis Quezon. Aquino, an icon of democracy, passed away due to colon cancer in 2009 while Quezon died of complications due to tuberculosis in 1944.—Schatzi Quodala, Inquirer Research
Since tropical storm “Juaning” struck on Tuesday, residents in Barangay (village) Balza here have to bear with the scant water supply for drinking, cooking and cleaning.
BORACAY Island, Philippines—Hundreds of residents of Boracay Island and Aklan joined a protest rally here on Saturday against plans to put up casinos on the island resort. Bearing placards saying “Casino salot sa Boracay,” the protesters called on the government to reject any application to operate “all forms of casinos” on the island. The protest [...]
KIDAPAWAN City, Philippines—Tilapia fish vendors have complained of slow sales here starting Thursday following a massive fishkill in Lake Sebu in South Cotabato. South Cotabato Governor Arthur Pinggoy told the Inquirer in Koronadal City that the fishkill from July 24 to 27 left fish in over 50 cages dead. Fish wasted The South Cotabato provincial [...]
SEOUL—Heavy rains that left 59 people dead in South Korea last week also affected the North, flooding farmland, destroying bridges and damaging roads and railways, Pyongyang’s state media reported Sunday. Korean Central Television and Korean Central Broadcasting Station said Chongdan County in South Hwanghae province had received 522 millimeters (more than 20 inches) of rain [...]
SYDNEY—A 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Vanuatu on Monday, the US Geological Survey said, but no tsunami warning was issued. The quake struck at 1:34 a.m. (1434 GMT Sunday) around 360 kilometers (220 miles) east of Port Vila, the capital of the Pacific island nation, with the epicentre 19 kilometers deep. Vanuatu lies [...]
TAGUM City, Philippines—As shots rang out early morning Saturday, policewoman Charity Galvez grabbed her baby and made sure her infant and her nanny were safe. Galvez then picked up her gun and joined her colleagues in fighting dozens of communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels, who had stormed the police station of Trento, Agusan del [...]
CAGAYAN DE ORO City, Philippines—Former Elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano had never denied his closeness to former Philippine National Police chief Hermogenes Ebdane, one of his counsels said on Sunday. Lawyer Ed Tamondong said Garcillano “had long known Ebdane through his wife” and they were close friends. Garcillano affirmed this. “Ebdane’s wife is from a neighboring [...]
COLUMBIA, Missouri—For six years, Rene Tacastacas juggled his time as a student and as a priest in the United States. He read the Bible and his university books and, besides celebrating Holy Mass and ministering to the faithful, he was participating in class discourse or conducting research for his dissertation. “The experience was very enriching,” [...]
