he 28 state-of-the-art Bagong Pilipinas mobile clinics will bring immediate and high-quality healthcare services to geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) nationwide, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Friday.
Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos led the turnover of the 28 Bagong Pilipinas mobile clinics in a ceremony at
T
the Manila North Harbor Port in the city of Manila.
In his speech, Marcos lamented that
people from underserved and remote areas in the country have limited access to healthcare.
“Para sa ating mga nakatira sa lungsod o bayan, madaling sabihin na ang pagpunta
sa ospital o sa clinic ay isang mabilis na biyahe lamang. Pero sa ibang bahagi ng bansa, ang pagpunta dito ay parang isang masalimuot na paglalakbay (For those of us who live in the city or town, it's easy to say that going to the hospital or the clinic
is just a quick trip. But in other parts of the country, getting there is like a complicated journey),” Marcos said.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara remains optimistic about having more “creative and innovative” Filipino learners in the country, the Department of Education (DepEd) said on Friday.
During the 4th Philippine-Singapore Business and Investment Summit (PSBIS) in Singapore on Thursday, Angara highlighted plans to “integrate technology and digital literacy” in the basic education curriculum to help learners acquire employable skills, in accordance with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directives.
“Our biggest asset is our people. Under President Marcos Jr.'s leadership, we are envisioning a more creative and innovative Filipino learner, which will be a significant boost to industry,” Angara said in a speech.
"We are working to incorporate coding into our curriculum and are
utilizing educational technology, such as analytics, to assess learners in real time. This will allow teachers to focus more on teaching and less on administrative tasks, ultimately improving the quality of education," he said, citing efforts to learn from Singapore.
This year marks the 55th year of bilateral relations between the Philippines and Singapore, highlighting corporations on education and technology.
The PSBIS provides the partner countries a platform for high-level discussions on innovation and sustainable growth within the region. (PNA)
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday called on journalists to uphold integrity as they seek innovative ways in reporting the truth with the advent of advanced technology.
During the 50th anniversary celebration of the Publishers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PAPI) at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, Marcos said his administration stands with the media in bringing out the truth.
“Together, let us foster responsible journalism for we know that more than a democratic ideal, it is a necessity for an informed and empowered citizenry to make the proper, intelligent, well-informed decisions about their leaders, about their situation, about their condition,” Marcos said.
“As we mark this golden milestone, I urge you to keep pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a journalist. Innovate. Adapt. But never compromise your principles,” he added.
Marcos said his administration shares the same aspiration with the media in fighting
false information, considering that social media platforms have become “the new battlegrounds” where anonymous troll farms tend to manipulate public opinion.
He added that “the relentless pressures of the digital age have added layers of complexity in ensuring press freedom.”
“So, I call on every Filipino: Do not just fight. Lead the change. Verify, question, [and] hold the line. We have a duty to protect the sanctity of facts, not just as citizens but as guardians of our shared reality,” Marcos said.
Marcos said the government has launched a media and information literacy campaign to equip the public, especially the youth, with skills to evaluate information and fight misinformation and disinformation.
“Be assured that we are doubling down on our commitment to protect our journalists
and to uphold press freedom. We stand with you hand in hand in this fight,” Marcos said.
“This administration is here to support you in shaping our narrative as a people not just for today’s headline but for the history that we are yet to create. Let us continue to tell the stories that truly matter. Let us keep that light steady, no matter how fierce the storm,” he added.
Marcos lauded the PAPI for transforming into a “formidable organization that has been the vigilant vanguards of our communities and the tireless defenders of press freedom.”
PAPI was founded in 1974, with a mission to promote the welfare of local newspapers, defend press freedom and journalists, and uphold the dignity of journalism and publishing in the Philippines.
To date, PAPI is the largest media organization in the country, consisting of-
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday expressed optimism that the Philippines’ relations with Indonesia will be “stronger and deeper” under the leadership of Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto.
In a meeting at Malacañan Palace in Manila, Marcos and Prabowo affirmed their vision for the two nations’ greater ties.
“I think it bodes well for our two countries that you have come to visit with the Philippines and (it) shows that the growing relationship between our two countries has been at a very strong level for many many years and many many aspects of the people-to-people, on the political, on the diplomatic,” Marcos told Prabowo who paid him a courtesy call at Malacañan.
“I think your visit here today will certainly bring a new impetus to making that relationship between
Indonesia and the Philippines stronger and deeper,” he said.
Prabowo thanked Marcos for welcoming him despite the short notice of his visit to Malacañan.
He said his courtesy call on Marcos is a custom of meeting Indonesia’s “friends” before his inauguration in October this year.
Prabowo assured Marcos of his commitment to strengthen the close relationship between the Philippines and Indonesia.
“We have common roots, cultural, historical, and by the fact that we are very close neighbors, it behooves us,
I think, to always support each other and to work together closely in all fields,” Prabowo said.
Prabowo’s five-year term will start on Oct. 20. (PNA)
“We have common roots, cultural, historical, and by the fact that we are very close neighbors, it behooves us, I think, to always support each other and to work together closely in all fields,” — Prabowo.
The militaries of the Philippines and Singapore held a table-top exercise aimed at beefing up their coordination and interoperability during humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions.
The activity, which ran from Wednesday to Thursday, took place at the Office of Civil Defense headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said in a statement Friday.
He said the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF)'s Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre (RHCC) joined the exercise.
"The exercise aimed to strengthen coordination and enhance interoperability during HADR operations between the AFP, RHCC, and other participating agencies," Trinidad said.
The motion to terminate discussions on PCO's proposed budget for 2025, which is 24.37 percent lower than the 2024 allocation of PHP3.016 billion, was met without opposition.
AKO BICOL Party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon, the budget sponsor, underscored the importance of the PCO as the government's lead communications arm.
He further highlighted its critical role in conveying the administration’s messages to the public.
"The Presidential Communications Office is the lead communications arm of the government, the primary source of the administration's messages for an informed and empowered citizenry," Bongalon said.
He cited Executive Order (EO) 16, series of 2023, as the legal basis for the PCO's
The House of Representatives quickly terminated plenary deliberations on Friday for the proposed PHP2.281-billion budget of the Presidential Communications Office for 2025.
mandate to manage and coordinate the messaging of the Executive Branch and the Office of the President.
"By virtue of Executive Order No. 16, series of 2023, the agency is responsible for crafting, formulating, developing, enhancing, and coordinating the messaging system of the Executive Branch and the Office of the President," Bongalon said.
For 2025, the proposed appropriations for the PCO and its attached agencies and corporations amount to PHP2.281 billion, a PHP735.152 million decrease from the previous year's PHP3.016 billion.
Despite the budget cut, APEC Party-list Rep. Sergio Dagooc expressed his full support for the PCO's role and suggested that the office deserves more funding.
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The second batch of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who availed of the amnesty program of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 in Parañaque City on Friday.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said the batch consisted of 17 OFWs with three children from Dubai and 25 from Abu Dhabi.
Last week, 64 OFWs who also availed of the program arrived in the country.
At least 2,000 Filipinos have applied for
the program that started on Sept. 1.
The repatriation of these OFWs was in coordination and joint efforts of the Philippine Embassy in UAE, DMW Migrant Workers Offices in Dubai and Abu