KAKAMMPI News

The Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines urged Filipino workers in South Korea to be careful when accepting businesses and investments to avoid scams. In a statement, the Embassy warned workers to be careful and critical of businesses and investments promising quick and "risk-free" profits. “Magtanong at siyasatin nang maigi ang background at record ng kumpanya at personalidad sa likod ng mga transaksyong ito, at alamin kung ito ay may kaakibat na dokumento, rehistro, o business permit mula sa mga awtoridad, upang maiwasang maging biktima ng “scam” o pandarambong,” it said. (Ask and thoroughly investigate the background and records of the company and the personality behind these transactions. Find out if it has the necessary documents from authorities to avoid becoming a victim of a "scam".) The Embassy also warned those who use or attempt to use the name or image of staff and offices of the Republic of the Philippines without express permission for pers

The French government has evacuated a number of Filipinos stranded in Sudan via sea amid the ongoing violence in the African state, its embassy in Manila said Wednesday. "France continues its evacuation operations launched in Khartoum for French nationals and citizens of other countries, including the Philippines, wanting to leave Sudan," the embassy said without specifying the number of Filipinos. The French navy frigate Lorraine also assisted the United Nations in the evacuation operation underway in Port Sudan. Since the start of the operation, France said a total of 538 people have been evacuated, including 209 French nationals and foreign nationals from 41 other countries. France had evacuated a significant number of citizens from other countries, in particular from European Union - 12 member states, Great Britain, three European Economic Area countries and Moldova. It has also assisted nationals from the African states of South Africa, Burundi, Ethiopia, Lesoth

According to Dano Tincungco's report on "24 Oras", Nikkei reported that Japan is studying increasing to 12 the number of industries which may renew the resident visas of their foreign workers. advertisement Japan aims to increase its skilled workers amid a slow population increase compared to the aging population. It is also studying to grant them permanent resident status and allow their spouses and children to join them in Japan. GMA Integrated News is still trying to get a comment from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) regarding this matter. Industries in Japan with five-year SSW visas for foreign workers include nursing, machine parts and tooling, industrial machinery, electric electronics and information, construction, shipbuilding and ship machinery, automobile repair and maintenance, aviation, accommodation, agriculture, fishery and aquaculture, and food and beverage service. Those in construction, shipbuilding, and nursing may get resident visas. The pl

The Philippine government is preparing to evacuate more Filipinos during the 72-hour ceasefire between Sudan's warring factions, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said on Tuesday. advertisement According to the President, the government wants to take advantage of the ceasefire to bring home more Filipinos. "Right now, we are hoping that the 72-hour ceasefire that has been declared will hold and we will... we are preparing ourselves. In fact, Secretary Ople is on her way to the area para kung sakali matuloy man 'yung ating 'yung sinasabing 72 hours na ceasefire, eh makapagtake advantage tayo. Mailabas natin ang mga tao natin. So that's what we're working on now," Marcos said in a video message. (Sec. Ople is on her way to the area so if the ceasefire holds, we can take advantage and bring more Filipinos out.) Marcos pointed out that the government is considering the safety of Filipinos as some land routes are unsafe and the airports we

Fifty Filipinos were evacuated out of Khartoum, Sudan on Monday night amid the ongoing clashes between the Sudanese military and a paramilitary group, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday. DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said the first batch of Filipino evacuees left Khartoum by land at 8 p.m. (Manila time) yesterday. From there, the Filipinos were expected to reach Aswan in Egypt, and then its capital, Cairo. The DFA said Monday that 156 Filipinos in Sudan have sought the Philippine government's help for their repatriation. Earlier, three Filipinos, through their employers and the Saudi Arabian government, were evacuated from the conflict-torn country to Jeddah. The violence in Sudan erupted between the forces of the two generals who seized power in a 2021 coup: the army chief and his deputy, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said on Monday it agreed to a US-mediated 72 hour tr

WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Joe Biden and South Korea's Yoon Suk Yeol unveiled a new plan Wednesday to counter North Korea's nuclear threat, with the US leader issuing a blunt warning that such an attack would "result in the end of whatever regime" took such action. The new nuclear deterrence effort calls for periodically docking US nuclear-armed submarines in South Korea for the first time in decades, bolstering training between the two countries, and more. The declaration was unveiled as Biden hosted Yoon for a state visit at a moment of heightened anxiety over an increased pace of ballistic missile tests by North Korea. "A nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies and partners is unacceptable and will result in the end of whatever regime were to take such an action," Biden said during afternoon Rose Garden news conference with Yoon. Yoon said that the new commitment by the "righteous alliance" includes plans for bi

UNITED STATES President Joe Biden will welcome Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the White House on May 1 in a sign of a warming bond between the two nations amid US tensions with China over Taiwan. Biden will reaffirm Washington's "ironclad commitment to the defense of the Philippines, and the leaders will discuss efforts to strengthen the long-standing US-Philippines alliance," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. The White House announcement comes a week after the largest-ever joint US-Philippine Balikatan military exercises in the disputed South China Sea in the face of China's growing assertiveness in the region, particularly over Taiwan, the self-governing island it claims as its own. Last week, the US secretaries of Defense and State met with their Philippine counterparts in Washington in a high-level summit, days after the US gained greater military access in the Philippines. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned of "a troub

AT least 409 Filipinos from conflict-torn Sudan have been safely evacuated and are currently in "safe zones" amid the 72-hour ceasefire there, Malacañang said Thursday. In a statement, Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said that of the 409 Filipinos, some 335 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and family members left Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, on Wednesday, April 26, for Egypt via Wadi Halfa Highway. "Another 35 OFWs and 15 students were safely evacuated to Egypt with the help of Filipinos in Sudan as well as personnel from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW)," Garafil said. DMW Secretary Susan Ople and Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac are currently in Cairo, Egypt, to assist in the government's evacuation efforts and lead the distribution of welfare assistance to the affected OFWs, she added.

Agence France-Presse BANGKOK — Thai police have arrested the wife of a senior officer on suspicion of murdering 9 people by poisoning them with cyanide, officials said Wednesday. The woman, aged in her 30s, was arrested in Bangkok on Tuesday over the killings, which took place over several years. Investigators believe money was the motive in the killings, Royal Thai Police spokesperson Archayon Kraithong told AFP. Surachate Hakparn, the deputy national police chief told reporters that a 10th victim had survived after vomiting. "The suspect went to have dinner with (a woman), who threw up but survived. She is also the wife of a policeman," Surachate said. Police said the woman denies all the allegations against her. "The autopsy has found out that there is cyanide in the bodies," Surachate told reporters. "So it means that the victims have taken the poison by mouth." Police initially suspected the woman of murdering her friend in Ratchaburi prov

GENEVA - The World Health Organization said Wednesday that Covid-19 deaths had dropped by 95 percent since the start of the year -- but warned the virus was still on the move. WHO said Covid-19 was here to stay and countries would have to learn how to manage its ongoing non-emergency effects, including post-Covid-19 condition, or Long Covid. "We're very encouraged by the sustained decline in reported deaths from Covid-19, which have dropped 95 percent since the beginning of this year," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference. "However, some countries are seeing increases, and over the past four weeks, 14,000 people lost their lives to this disease. "And, as the emergence of the new XBB.1.16 variant illustrates, the virus is still changing, and is still capable of causing new waves of disease and death." Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead on Covid-19, said XBB sub-lineages were now dominant worldwide. They have an inc

KHARTOUM, Sudan -- A Sudanese war crimes suspect has escaped jail amid heavy battles that have rocked the country, along with other members of the Islamist regime ousted in 2019, heightening fears for a fragile ceasefire amid new clashes Wednesday. Anti-aircraft guns targeted fighter jets over Khartoum's sister city of Omdurman, witnesses told AFP, after the army launched air strikes against rival paramilitary forces in the capital late Tuesday. Amid the chaos -- which has killed hundreds, sparked a mass flight of terrified foreigners and Sudanese citizens, and deepened a humanitarian crisis -- Ahmed Harun, a leading figure of the regime of deposed dictator Omar al-Bashir, said he had escaped prison. Harun, who led the regime's infamous counter-insurgency campaign in the western Darfur region in the mid-2000s and is wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court, said he had broken out of the capital's Kober prison. After being trapped in the empty jail in &

MANILA — Metro Manila's COVID-19 positivity rate or the percentage of tests turning out positive for the virus climbed this week, a think tank said Thursday. According to Dr. Guido David of OCTA Research, the capital region's positivity rate increased to 12.3 percent on April 25 from 8.1 percent recorded on April 18. "Medyo significant 'yung itinaas ng bilang ng kaso," he told TeleRadyo's "Sakto". The World Health Organization recommends a 5-percent threshold for COVID-19 positivity rate. David cited multiple reasons for the possible uptick in coronavirus infections, including waning immunity, decreased compliance to health protocols and increased mobility. He also raised concern on the possible spread of omicron subvariant XBB.1.16, known as "Arcturus". XBB.1.16 is a descendent lineage of XBB, a recombinant of two BA.2 descendent lineages. According to the Department of Health, the new COVID-19 variant has the ability to evade immun

TOKYO - Japan is making arrangements to bring forward the lifting of its current COVID-19 border control measures to Saturday in anticipation of an increase in overseas travelers during the Golden Week holidays, government sources said Wednesday. The government had originally planned to end the border measures on May 8, the same day the legal status of the novel coronavirus will be downgraded to common infectious diseases such as seasonal influenza. But it coincides with the end of the holidays starting this weekend. Currently, all entrants are required to present certification of at least three COVID-19 vaccination doses or a negative coronavirus test taken within 72 hours of departure. While the requirement is now expected to be dropped from midnight Friday, the government is planning to introduce a voluntary testing system targeting entrants with symptoms such as fever at five airports, with the aim of detecting new infectious diseases. After the reclassification, COVID-19 patie

POPCOM chief at the UN-CPD’s 56th Session: The Philippine government’s thrust to pursue transformative education and lifelong learning will be crucial in improving the country’s potential for growth through economically productive workers, thus heralding the country’s “future economy.” This was emphasized by Undersecretary for Population and Development (POPDEV) Lisa Grace S. Bersales, Ph.D. on April 11 at the 56th Session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD 56), where she delivered the national statement before global stakeholders based on this year’s theme of population, education and sustainable development. During the session, POPCOM’s executive director imparted the country’s current demographic conditions that are providing critical opportunities for accelerating its human and socioeconomic development. As she cited the Philippines’ significant total fertility rate decline of 1.9 in 2022, which is already below replacement level, the POPCOM chief said th

At least three Filipinos, through their employers and the Saudi Arabian government, were evacuated from conflict-torn Sudan, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday. advertisement Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega of the Migrant Workers Concerns said these three Filipinos were employees of Saudia Airlines which was initially stranded in Sudan where hostilities between the country’s two military forces, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, are ongoing. “Saudia Airlines was stranded in Khartoum (Sudan’s capital), and they were brought by bus by their employers to Port Sudan where they were fetched by a military vessel provided by the Saudi Arabian government. From there, they will be taken to Jeddah where our team will meet them,” De Vega said during the public briefing. “We thank the Saudi Arabia government, and we are also appealing to them that for our future repatriation, maybe we can board their military vessel... and it lo

BEIJING—China and Singapore will hold joint naval drills this week, Beijing's defense ministry said on Monday. The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy will dispatch its frigate Yulin, as well as the Chibi minesweeper for the drills, which will take place around Singapore from "end-April to early May", the ministry said in a statement. The two countries agreed last year to hold the drills at a meeting of defense ministers, though details were not announced at the time. Singapore regularly conducts drills with countries from the region and around the world, with personnel from the city-state taking part in the massive Cobra Gold exercises with US soldiers in Thailand in March. The announcement comes days after the US Commander of the Pacific Air Forces met with Singapore's defense minister Ng Eng Hen to discuss enhanced cooperation in military training. Chinese Navy representatives will also participate in the IMDEX Asia naval and maritime defense expo in Sin

KHARTOUM, Sudan — A US-brokered 72-hour ceasefire between Sudan's warring generals officially came into effect Tuesday after 10 days of urban combat killed hundreds, wounded thousands and sparked a mass exodus of foreigners. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to the ceasefire "following intense negotiations", Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement shortly before the truce took effect from midnight (6 a.m. Tuesday in Manila). Previous bids to pause the conflict failed to take hold, but both sides confirmed they had agreed to the three-day halt. "This ceasefire aims to establish humanitarian corridors, allowing citizens and residents to access essential resources, healthcare, and safe zones, while also evacuating diplomatic missions," the RSF paramilitary tweeted. In a statement on Facebook, the SAF said it would also abide by the ceasefire on condition its rivals did so. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guter

INDONESIA - Nakiisa sa pagdiriwang ng Eid'l Fitr ang ilang Pinay sa Jakarta, Indonesia. Nagpa-convert na sa Islam ang ilang Pilipina nang makapangasawa ng Indonesians kabilang na sina Zeny Zacadipura at Aloha Delima Antivo-Setyadi. “We got married here so I officially converted here in Jakarta to Muslim. So then I started na to, you know, do my responsibility as a Muslim like doing the fasting during Ramadan. We fast like 13 hours a day in like 30 days,” kwento ni Sacadipura. “We got married here in Indonesia. And then after that, I converted to become a Muslim because it is not allowed to have a different religion. So, I’m the one who adjusted. Nagstudy ako ng religion nila. Basically, nagustuhan ko din so yun nagconvert ako,” sabi ni Delima Antivo-Setyadi. Aminado silang noong una'y nahirapan sila sa pag-aayuno. “Ang challenges ng fasting is mahirap po. Hindi ka pwedeng kumain, hindi ka pwedeng uminom, hindi ka din pwedeng magalit. Hindi ka pwedeng makipag-gossip

League of Filipino Students The League of Filipino Students stands in solidarity with the Taiwanese people in resisting US intervention and Chinese militarism, and in fighting for a peaceful resolution to their conflict with China. An inter-imperialist war, which will only serve the interests of both the US and China and cause immense suffering to the people of Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific, must be avoided at all costs. Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian’s statement about “Taiwan Independence,” Filipino OFWs, and US military presence in the Philippines is flawed. While it is true that the rising tensions in the Asia-Pacifc are in large part due to US military provocations, the Filipino people are not laboring under a dilemma between the US and China. The choice is clear from the start: we stand for national sovereignty and a genuine independent foreign policy. China’s military expansion in the Asia-Pacific region, which violates the national sovereignty of much smaller nations s

On International Workers’ Memorial Day, 28 April, trade unions are promoting the role that organising plays in making workplaces safer and healthier as we remember all working people who have lost their lives to workplace accidents and disease. Workers’ unions are planning to use the new ILO fundamental right to a safe and healthy working environment to tackle the shocking death toll of three million workers who die each year because of their work, with tens of millions more suffering life-changing injuries and ill health. Trade unions will use organising to ensure that the new fundamental right is put into practice and makes a positive difference to the daily lives of working people. The two ILO Conventions (155 and 187) provide backing for union organising, through the creation of workplace safety committees with worker representation, and worker safety representatives in workplaces. This organising can improve the working environment through the right to refuse dangerous wor

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Monday said he trusts the newly-appointed chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to "calm" the police force as it faced several issues. Marcos said he chose Maj. Gen. Benjamin Acorda to head the PNP because "he is well-recognized in the police force." "Sabi ko siguro siya ang pinakabagay sa ngayon para pakalmahin natin ang sitwasyon ngayon na umiiral sa police," Marcos said in an interview with former Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo and broadcast journalist Nina Corpuz after the PNP's change-of-command ceremony. "Dahil nga maraming nangyayari sa ating kapulisan, marami tayong tinitingnan... nagkakaproblema tayo kaya’t kailangan na kailangan ay maglagay tayo ‘yung maaasahan natin na commander ay ‘yung ating bagong PNP Chief si Benjie Acorda, [who] is somebody who is well-known to me," he added. (I said perhaps he is the most suited for the role right now to calm the situation amo

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said he plans to retain former Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo in his administration, but not as one of his advisers. Tulfo was earlier bypassed by the Commission on Appointments (CA) due to questions about his citizenship, and his libel conviction when he was still working as a journalist. “It’s not part of the plan for Erwin,” Marcos Jr. told journalists when asked if he plans to appoint Tulfo as a presidential adviser. “We have other plans for him, not as presidential adviser,” he said. “The time he was running the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), he did a very good job so we cannot lose that kind of asset. We will take advantage of his good instincts when it comes to public service,” he said. Marcos Jr. did not say which position would be given to Tulfo. The President also did not disclose who will replace the former broadcaster as DSWD Secretary.

Schools may suspend face-to-face classes and shift to modular distance learning due to extreme heat and power outages experienced in several parts of the country, the Department of Education (DepEd) reminded school heads on Sunday. DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa showed a copy of a memo issued to public and private school heads dated April 20, reminding them of their authority and responsibility to suspend in-person classes and switch to alternative delivery modes (ADM) “in cases of unfavorable weather and environment such as, but not limited to, extremely high temperatures which may considerably affect the conduct of classroom learning and put the learners’ health and wellbeing at risk.” “Iba-iba po kasi ang situation ng ating mga paaralan. Kaya school heads po ang magde-determine. Ayaw rin po nating makaapekto sa kalusugan ng ating mga learners ang napakainit na panahon, kaya po pinaalalahan natin ang mga school heads na maaari silang mag-switch agad sa ADMs,” Poa told reporters on

More than 150 Filipinos in Sudan have sought the Philippine government's help for their repatriation amid the ongoing clashes there between the Sudanese military and a paramilitary group, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday. advertisement DFA Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega said despite the fact that only around 300 Filipinos are registered living in Sudan, the embassy has already received messages from over 500 people. He said there could be up to 700 Filipinos in the battle-scarred country, most of them undocumented. "Ang sabi ng ating embassy, over 500 na ang nag-message sa kanila. Out of the 500 plus, 156 ang handa at any moment na umuwi na. Meron silang passport at visa. Hindi sila illegal sa Sudan, hindi sila mga undocumented," De Vega said in an interview on GMA Integrated News' Unang Balita. (Our embassy said that over 500 Filipinos have messaged them. Of them, 156 said they are ready to go home at any moment. They have passports and

Travelers are now required to register at an online platform instead of filling out departure paper cards or forms at the airport. Called the eTravel System, it is a website that requires all passengers’ passport details and other travel information before arriving or departing to and from the Philippines. The Bureau of Immigration (BI) rolled this out last Saturday, April 15. The bureau described it as “a single data collection platform for arriving and departing passengers for purposes of establishing an integrated border control, health surveillance, and economic data analysis.” It should be noted that registering for the eTravel System is not an additional airport procedure. It only replaces the manual filling out of paper form departure cards that are presented to the immigration counters. Here are the steps for arriving passengers: Arriving passengers can register within three days at their convenience before their arrival date in the Philippines. Registration can still be d

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health on Tuesday said it is not considering the return of face mask rules even as COVID-19 cases continue to increase. The department had argued against lifting the mask mandate in late 2022, saying it was too soon to do so even if cases were down. After President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. made wearing masks in public optional, it advised their use in schools to protect children from the virus. "We are not considering the return of mask mandates," Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a briefing. Vergeire nonetheless encouraged Filipinos to wear masks in crowded areas and places with poor ventilation. The health official also advised masks for senior citizens and people with comorbidities. The city government of Manila earlier said it may review its policy on the use of face masks indoors and outdoors after it observed a surge in COVID-19 infections. The Philippines recorded 2,386 additional COVID

Walter Bollozos MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said Tuesday that the government itself is defeating the purpose of the K to 12 law as it continues to lump together senior high school students with graduates of the old high school curriculum in its job hiring process. At a joint Senate hearing led by the basic education committee, which Gatchalian chairs, the lawmaker questioned a representative from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) over the qualifications it requires in entry-level government positions, which accepts both graduates of senior high school and the 10-year high school curriculum. “Government is the one that is not accepting senior high school students. And this is actually the most unfair practice being done by the government. Because government mandated senior high school, they promised them employment, but (they are) not even hiring senior high students,” Gatchalian said. “Government itself is the greatest violator of the K to 12 law,” Gatchalian adde

MANILA, Philippines — The high cost of treatment and services, and stigma are hindering Filipinos from seeking mental health care, a study of Harvard University’s humanitarian research center showed. Local mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) providers reported costly treatment and services (40%) as the top barrier to accessing mental health care in the Philippines, according to a recently published study by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative Resilient Communities program. China expressed concern and strong disapproval of a joint Philippines-US statement against Beijing’s activities in the South China Sea and the swift operationalization of four new Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites, warning that “pandering” to forces outside the region could backfire on Manila. Senators, meanwhile, said the government must be ready with measures to protect or even repatriate Filipinos in Taiwan in the event of armed conflict in the area. Sen. Francis Tolentino yesterda

MANILA, Philippines — The remarks of China’s top diplomat in the Philippines against supporting Taiwan are not a cause for concern as the situation remained “very normal” and the welfare and interest of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are “well-protected,” the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) said yesterday. In an interview on ANC, MECO chairman Silvestre Bello III gave assurance that OFWs in Taiwan are in “good condition.” “I would like to assure the relatives, parents, wives or husbands of our OFWs that the condition of our OFWs there is excellent,” Bello said, adding there is no cause for alarm. The former labor secretary said there are around 200,000 OFWs in Taiwan. “I would be the first one to tell you in case there is an emergency situation, but right now, no tension. Taiwan is very normal. All our Filipino community members are prepared for any exigency,” Bello said. The Chinese embassy in Manila said Ambassador Huang Xilian’s remarks about OFWs in Taiwan were mi

Motorists will get a slight reprieve starting Tuesday, as oil firms are set to roll back pump prices of petroleum products after three straight weeks of increases for both gasoline and kerosene. In separate advisories, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. and Seaoil Philippines Corp. said they will cut down prices per liter of gasoline by P1.40, diesel by P0.70, and kerosene by P0.20. Cleanfuel and Petro Gazz will implement the same changes, excluding kerosene which it does not carry. The changes will take effect at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, April 25, for all the firms except for Cleanfuel which will adjust prices at 12:01 a.m. the same day. Other firms have yet to make similar announcements for the week. Members and partners of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) earlier this month announced a production cut of 1.16 million barrels per day, which they said aims to support the stability of the market. Oil firms last week hiked prices per liter of gasoline and kerosen

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said the government is studying reverting school vacation back to March. advertisement In a radio interview on Monday, Marcos was asked if the government would bring back the school vacation to March instead of having it from June to July. To recall, the month of school vacation was adjusted because of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Pinag-aaralan natin ng mabuti 'yan dahil nga marami ngang nagsasabi pwede na, tapos na 'yung lockdown. Karamihan na ng eskwela, face-to-face na, kaunti na lang 'yung hindi na," Marcos said. (We are carefully studying that because a lot of people are suggesting it since the lockdown is over and most schools are already implementing face-to-face classes.) "'Yung ating ginagawa na sistema na hybrid system na mayroong may pumapasok, mayroong nagzozoom o kung anong klaseng pagpromote na pag-attendance, ay lahat gusto talaga na makapag-attend dahil iba talaga 'yan," Marcos a

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Filipinos are among the more than 150 people, including foreign diplomats and officials, rescued from battle-scarred Sudan who arrived Saturday in Jeddah, the Saudi foreign ministry said, in the first announced evacuation of civilians since fighting began. advertisement The evacuation was carried out by the kingdom's naval forces with the support of other branches of the army, the foreign ministry said in a statement. It announced the "safe arrival" of 91 Saudi citizens and around 66 nationals from 12 other countries — Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada and Burkina Faso. The foreigners included "diplomats and international officials", the ministry said without giving further details. Saudi Arabia "worked to provide all the necessary needs of foreign nationals" ahead of their departure to their respective countries, the statement added. Saud

Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. vowed Monday to continue the cleansing of their ranks as he assumed his post as the new chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP). advertisement “To my predecessor, Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr., thank you for the wisdom and exceptional legacy you have imparted in the organization,” Acorda said in his speech during the change of command ceremony in Camp Crame. “Rest assured, Sir, that I will continue your advocacy in cleansing the PNP,” he added. Acorda said that no police officer should be involved in using, pushing, or whatever means in the illegal drug trade and those who do will face charges and removal from service. “You will be charged and removed from the service. This is my warning to each and everyone of you. Our fight will be holistic in prevention and aggressive in operations,” he said. According to him, the PNP will be relentless in anti-criminality campaigns through intensive police visibility and sincere police presence.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. admitted on Saturday the challenges of moving Filipinos out of conflict-torn Sudan. advertisement “Malaking problema natin sa (We have a big problem in) Sudan. We have about 300 people in Sudan. Unfortunately, none of the airports are functioning. They are still under fire. Also, we cannot ascertain a secure land route for them to leave,” the President said. "It is a long road from Khartoum to Cairo which is where our embassy is, that is in charge also of Khartoum and Sudan. But we are already preparing the assets that might be involved. We are just waiting to get better information as to whether or not it will be safe to bring our evacuees out of Khartoum, perhaps into Cairo,” he added. Filipinos in Sudan earlier appealed for help from Philippine authorities as they were running out of food amid the ongoing clashes, Katrina Son reported Friday on “24 Oras.” Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs said its priority was

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday that they expected to start repatriating Filipinos out of a conflict-hit Sudan next week. advertisement DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega, in a Balitanghali interview, said the repatriation of Filipinos would take time because airport transfers were not possible amid the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. “For the repatriation, we already have authorization [to do that] given proper conditions. It should be land evacuation, not by plane, because the airport is not operational. We hope it can be done next week,” de Vega said. “We wil update you as soon as our team is able to enter Sudan. There is power supply and internet connection, and initially, Filipinos there on record are just around 250. Now, it is almost 500 since others were not registered, so we are asking them to reach out to us,” de Vega added. As this developed, de Vega called on Filipinos

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday said no Filipinos were hurt in the collapse of a garage structure in New York City's lower Manhattan on Tuesday. advertisement Interviewed on Unang Balita, DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs Eduardo Jose de Vega said this was according to the report submitted by Philippine Consul General in New York Senen Mangalile on Wednesday. “Wala po sabi ni Consul General Mangalile. Nagpadala siya ng report kahapon at nakausap ko siya... Wala raw Pilipino kahit isa,” De Vega said. (Consul General Mangalile said there are no Filipinos hurt in the incident. He sent a report and I talked to him. No Filipinos, not even one.) One worker was killed and five others were injured after the second floor of the garage structure collapsed onto the first, according to a Reuters report. Police said they had no reason to believe the incident was anything other than a structural collapse. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA Integrated News

A Filipina, who was scammed into working for an online company in Myanmar was finally released after paying her ransom, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Saturday. advertisement Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the repatriated Filipina arrived from Bangkok at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 last April 4. He said the Filipina victim was recruited through Facebook. She had been promised a salary of $1,000 working as a customer service representative in Thailand. Tansingco said the victim was instructed to pose as a tourist during immigration inspections. When she arrived in Thailand, a private car fetched the Filipina. After traveling for several hours, she arrived at a river crossing to Myanmar. The victim said she was forced to work for almost 16 hours a day without a day off and proper compensation as a marketing scammer targeting Indian nationals. She was supposed to get her victims to invest in a platform known as “Pacific Mall.” Ta

By JOVILAND RITA, GMA Integrated News The Philippine Embassy in Egypt has received 87 requests for evacuation and repatriation from Filipinos who are affected by the ongoing violence in Khartoum, Sudan. advertisement Interviewed on Unang Balita, DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Affairs Eduardo Jose de Vega said Philippine Ambassador to Egypt Ezzedin Tago is handling the matter as honorary consul for Sudan. “Naka-receive na siya ng at least 87 requests na tulungan silang makaalis. Yung iba gusto narin umuwi,” De Vega said. (Tago already received at least 87 requests for assistance in leaving Sudan. Some of the requests were for assistance to the Philippines.) De Vega said land travel from Khartoum to Egypt may take around nine hours. According to De Vega, there are around 400 Filipinos recorded in Sudan, adding the number of Filipinos who have registered increased from 250 as the clashes erupted. He said Filipinos in Sudan are advised to stay at home as the Philippine Embassy in Eg