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The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has launched an investigation into the hacking of the Anti-Red Tape Authority’s (ARTA) Policy Reform, Innovation and Streamlining (PRISM) platform. The breach, which occurred around 8:57 p.m. Tuesday, resulted in the site’s defacement, the DICT confirmed Friday. The agency assured that no sensitive data were compromised and no users were enrolled in …

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed Republic Act (RA) 12290 establishing the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines (VIP), a landmark research hub that will boost the country’s defenses against future pandemics. The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the institute will serve as the national center for research on viruses, pathogens, and vaccine development, enhancing the Philippines’ capacity …

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman on Friday cautioned the public against scammers posing as Department of Budget and Management (DBM) employees and using her name to solicit money. “We strongly condemn this kind of deception. No one is authorized by the DBM to solicit or collect money for any transaction,” Pangandaman said, urging the public to immediately report such attempts to …

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Friday deported 91 Chinese nationals arrested for working in unauthorized Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hubs and illegal mining operations. BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the group left aboard a Philippine Airlines flight to China via Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 in Pasay City on Sept. 19. The deportation was arranged with …

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) announced that 3G networks in the country will be fully phased out by the end of September, while the shutdown of 2G networks is ongoing to prevent their use in scams and other illegal activities. DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said in a press briefing Friday night that DITO Telecommunity and Globe Telecom …

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac on Friday denied rumors that overseas Filipino worker (OFW) lounges in airports will cease operations, assuring instead that the government is set to expand and upgrade the facilities nationwide. “We are denying what is circulating on social media that the OFW Lounge will stop operating. No, these lounges have already served 1.5 million,” Cacdac …

Malaysia is ready to fully support the Philippines in strengthening its halal industry and carving a niche in the multibillion-dollar global market, its envoy to Manila said Friday. Malaysian Ambassador Dato’ Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino lauded the progress of the Philippine Halal Development Strategic Plan during the Foreign Service Institute’s Ambassadors’ Lecture Series in Pasay City. “Malaysia, of course, is …

Malacañang on Friday denounced Vice President Sara Duterte’s remark urging the kidnapping of Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co, calling it both “illegal and dangerous.” “Ang payo niya is pa-kidnap si Zaldy Co… illegal iyon. So, ganoon ba magbibigay ng suggestion ang isang bise presidente – ang gumawa ng iligal? Delikado iyon,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in …

A former lawmaker from Mindanao lauded ex-Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Friday for voluntarily stepping down from his post to preserve the integrity of the House of Representatives and allow the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) to freely investigate alleged anomalies in government projects. Former Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, now Romualdez’s chief communications officer, said the move …

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson on Friday said the Blue Ribbon Committee is waiting for “receipts” to substantiate claims that Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva pocketed commissions from flood control projects. Lacson, who chairs the panel, stressed that former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineer Brice Hernandez must present documentary proof before the Senate or the …