INQToday: Angara is new DepEd chief; P35 wage hike in Metro Manila ‘insufficient’, senators say

Here’s a quick roundup of today’s top stories:

Angara is new DepEd chief

Senator Sonny Angara will be replacing Vice President Sara Duterte as the new Education Secretary, the Palace announced Tuesday.

The Presidential Communications Office said in a statement that Angara will take the helm of the Department of Education (DepEd) starting July 19.

China Coast Guard no help to distressed fishers near Panatag, survivors say

Fishermen who survived their boat’s explosion off the disputed Scarborough Shoal, locally called Panatag Shoal, in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) recalled not getting help from the nearby China Coast Guard (CCG), even as they were struggling in the water, with two of them injured.

Although a CCG ship was in the area when the boat explosion occurred on Saturday, its crew did not help except to throw life vests at them, even hitting one of the fishers in the process, they said.

P35 wage hike in Metro Manila ‘insufficient’, senators say

The P35 wage hike for private sector workers in Metro Manila is “insufficient” to meet the real needs of the people, senators said Tuesday.

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero pointed out that the approved daily wage increase of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) is too small, considering the skyrocketing prices of essential goods.

Hontiveros: I’m not yet considering running for president in 2028

Running for president in 2028 is not yet part of her plan, according to Senator Risa  Hontiveros.

What she is certain for now is that the opposition will field its senatorial bets in the 2025 midterm elections and probably a full slate in 2028.