(UPDATE) PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed to further improve the quality of jobs in the Philippines following the drop of the country's unemployment rate in April. "The number of employed Filipinos rose to 48.06 million this April. This is a big opportunity to strive harder to create quality jobs that we could offer to our countrymen," Marcos said in a statement. File PhotoThe PSA report said the number of unemployed Filipinos in April 2023 was estimated at 2.26 million, down from the 2.76 million in April last year. The number of employed Filipinos rose to 48.06 million, an increase of 5.32 million from 45.63 million in April 2022.

BOGOTA — Four indigenous children who were missing for more than five weeks in Colombia’s southern jungle, after surviving a plane crash which killed their mother, are in an “acceptable” state of health, the government said on Saturday. “In general the boy and the girls are in an acceptable state. “We never expected to find them so well.”Velasquez recognized the eldest of the siblings, a 13-year-old girl, for her bravery. The youngest of the children turned one while in the jungle, while her brother had his fifth birthday, he said. Three adults, including the pilot and the children’s mother, died in the crash and their bodies were found inside the plane.

Losing good peopleListen to the complaints of employees against their bosses:“I asked my boss for a raise... Yet successful organizations and businesses agree that to stay successful and competitive, companies must attract new promising talents and retain the good ones. Simple gestures like “thank you” and “good job” is appreciated, but employees seek more meaningful and frequent recognition. Many egos, power tripping, credit grabbing and lack of people skills push good people away. Good people do not have time for drama like this; they are always the first to go because they are good.

(UPDATE) THE trajectory of Typhoon "Chedeng" (international name: "Guchol") remains far from Philippine landmass as it starts to change direction today, Saturday, the Philippine Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said. "Within the day, Typhoon Chedeng is forecast to move northward or north-northeastward. This would be the period where the typhoon recurves," Pagasa weather forecaster James Villamil said. As of 4 a.m. today, Chedeng was seen some 875 kilometers east of Northern Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of 185 kph. Meanwhile, chances of downpour are likely in Metro Manila, western section of Luzon and the Visayas also due to the Southwest monsoon.

Celebrating Independence DayThe annual Philippine Independence Day parade in New York is said to be the biggest event to commemorate our national day in this part of the US. The parade held a week ahead of our exact national day when Manhattan’s streets are less crowded started from the 38th Street of Madison Avenue and ended at 27th Street. While posted in Beijing, a festive celebration with the Filipino and diplomatic communities was planned to mark our 110th national day. However, a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake that claimed more than 60,000 lives struck Sichuan province exactly one month before our Independence Day. Having a theme fortifies the profundity of every Independence Day celebration.

Police rolled out more details regarding the pursuit on Princess Margaret Road on Saturday morning, where two officers shot a car once to subdue and arrest the 25-year-old driver. About 10 minutes later, police successfully located the car on Princess Margaret Road near Hung Hom Police Station. Officers intercepted the vehicle and gave multiple verbal warnings to the driver, who refused to exit the car. Yet, the driver hit the gas and crashed into the police vehicle in front of it. He was arrested for trafficking in dangerous drugs, driving without a license, dangerous driving, driving without third-party insurance, and using false documents, Chung said.

(UPDATE) HEAVY rains failed to dampen the holding on Saturday of the first Spogomi Philippines qualifying tournament at the Baseco Beachfront Park in Manila. Spogomi, a combination of ‘sports’ and ‘trash’ in Japanese, was first held in Japan in 2008 to clean up the coastlines. Spogomi, a combination of 'sports' and 'trash' in Japanese, was first held in Japan in 2008 to clean up the coastlines. Spogomi, a combination of 'sports' and 'trash' in Japanese, was first held in Japan in 2008 to clean up the coastlines. Spogomi, a combination of 'sports' and 'trash' in Japanese, was first held in Japan in 2008 to clean up the coastlines.

The incident occurred around 11.45 am today when a private car driver was traveling towards Kowloon in Lion Rock Tunnel and spotted another car with the same license plate. The private car driver then filed a police report, and officers from West Kowloon traffic headquarters soon initiated a pursuit. The driver of the suspicious car later found he was being tailed by police and sped up. Yet, the driver hit the gas, rammed the suspicious car into the police vehicle, and crashed into the fence railing on the roadside. Other armed officers soon rushed to the scene to provide backup and aid investigations.

Among the first policy pronouncements he made since taking office is his disinclination to resume “peace negotiations” with the Maoist CPP-NPA-NDF. The matter of the “peace negotiations” requires a more elaborate discussion. By way of disclosure, I served the GRP negotiating team in a very marginal role in the mid-nineties, during the Ramos administration. It was clear from then on that, without a major political concession from the communists, the talks will never be restarted. As the guerrilla units are taken out one by one, the battlefield situation is bound to change dramatically against the communists.

Woman caught smuggling tobacco into BilibidMANILA, Philippines — A woman was reportedly caught attempting to smuggle tobacco products into the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City on Thursday. Leilani Tividad was visiting an inmate in the maximum security compound when prison guards caught her with contraband during mandatory frisking. Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director general Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said 32 bars of tobacco inside a black kneepad were seized from Tividad. Apart from the filing of criminal charges, the BuCor has banned Tividad from entering the prison facility again. Angelina Bautista, BuCor deputy director for operations, said they have intensified their campaign to rid the NBP of contraband brought in by visitors and even by their own personnel.

MANILA, Philippines —Evacuation has begun in the town of Camalig in Albay on Friday due to Mayon volcano’s possible eruption, according to the Albay Provincial Information Office (PIO). ADVERTISEMENTFour barangays within Mayon’s permanent six kilometer danger zone have been ordered by Camalig town Mayor Carlos Irwin Baldo Jr. to evacuate. “Immediate mandatory evacuation is ongoing today for barangays Sua, Tumpa, Quirangay, and Anoling with an estimated 1,400 families,” said Albay PIO in a Facebook post. Albay had declared on Friday a state of calamity after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised Alert Level 3 on Mayon. According to Phivolcs’ website, this alert level means there is “relatively high unrest.”RELATED STORIES:Mayon: Alert Level 3 up as rockfalls increase; ‘explosive activity’ seen in weeks- PhivolcsLIVE UPDATES: Mayon VolcanoAPLYour subscription could not be saved.

LONG-time swimming patron Michael 'Miko' Vargas was elected president of Philippine Swimming, Inc. (PSI) during the PSI National Congress and Election held on Thursday at the East Ocean Restaurant in Paranaque City. The 11-man Board of Trustees unanimously install the 43-year-old Vargas, the second of the three children of former POC president and Boxing Association chief Ricky Vargas, to lead the association in the 'transition year' before the regular election in 2025. From left: Marie Dimanche, Michael Vargas, Eric Buhain, Jessie Arriola and Bambol Tolentino CONTRIBUTED PHOTO From left: Marie Dimanche, Michael Vargas, Eric Buhain, Jessie Arriola and Bambol Tolentino CONTRIBUTED PHOTO"I'm very happy and proud that you gave me the opportunity to become the head of the swimming association. The new Executive Board was sworn in by POC president Abraham 'Bambol' Tolentino, in the presence of the World Aquatics Electoral Board, Atty. We're very, happy, very democratic everything went through the process, very well represented we really saw the essence of inclusivity," said Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham 'Bambol' Tolentino.

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has expressed confidence that he would be able to report some progress when he delivers his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July. At sa palagay ko naman, meron naman tayo ipapakita (what happened to the plans we mentioned during my first SONA. I think, we will be able to report some progress) and that's what the content of the SONA, I think, will probably be," he added. To recall, it was Marcos who drafted his first SONA delivered at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City on July 25, 2022. In his first SONA, Marcos reported that the state of the nation is "sound," as he had assembled the "best" Filipino minds to help navigate the pandemic.

(UPDATE) THE provincial government of Albay has placed the entire province under a state of calamity due to Mayon Volcano's unrest. Daraga is within the six-kilometer danger zone set by Phivolcs. Meanwhile, the Municipality of Daraga also suspended quarrying activities within the 8-kilometer permanent danger zone around the volcano on Friday. Mayon Volcano is currently under Alert Level 3 by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). Edcel Greco Lagman ordered a preemptive evacuation for residents within the permanent danger zone.

(CC)China's largest naval training ship sailed for the Philippines on Friday, its last stop of a regional "friendly" tour, amid growing unease over Chinese maritime activities in the South China Sea. At the end of its trip, Qijiguang and its crew of 476 navy students and officers would have passed through the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, South China Sea, Gulf of Thailand and West Pacific. The visit also comes immediately after the first-ever trilateral coast guard exercise involving the Philippines, Japan and the United States that ended on Wednesday. The Philippines has ramped up its military ties with the United States this year, conducting more drills and even allowing U.S. access to local military bases. On May 23-25, the training vessel made port in Vietnam, overlapping with the sailing of a Chinese research ship in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) from May 7-June 6.