Senator Joel Villanueva encouraged graduates of Bulacan State University (BulSU) to continue learning as new jobs emerge and existing roles evolve due to technological advancements.

Speaking to some 873 graduates from BulSU’s College of Information Communications Technology and College of Science, and their respective faculty members, Villanueva explained that automation through artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics will create a new jobs landscape for them.

“Graduation is only the beginning for you. Never stop learning because life never stops teaching,” Villanueva said in his keynote speech. “What you learned here at BulSU is ‘Volume 1.’ What you will learn in the real world is ‘Volume 2.’ Reskilling, upskilling, and new skilling are the key.”

While an estimated 85 million jobs might be rendered obsolete in 2025 globally because of automation, about 97 million new roles are projected to emerge because of new technologies, Villanueva pointed out, citing data from the World Economic Forum (WEF).

“By 2029 in the Philippines, there will be job growth most significantly for Data Analysts and Scientists with about 95% net growth, and AI and Machine Learning Specialists with around 60% net growth,” the lawmaker continued.

Villanueva said he pushed for a legislation that will serve as framework for lifelong learning to ensure that Filipino workers remain sharp to become highly competitive in the labor market. Senate Bill 2960 which he authored and sponsored, is awaiting the signature of the President.

He reiterated the importance of developing credentials, especially for universities to develop proofs of so-called “microcompetencies, microcredentials, or digital certificates.”

“Hindi po ito imposible o unrealistic dahil ginagawa na po ito sa maraming bansa. The laws that we have passed will serve as building blocks of our vision for Philippine education in the age of AI – a Supermarket of Competencies,” Villanueva said.

Villanueva underscored the importance of education for Bulakenyos, recalling an incident in the province’s history where 20 young women from Malolos petitioned before Governor General Valeriano Weyler to put up a night school so they could study Spanish.

“Noon, kailangang manikluhod at makipaglaban ng mga Bulakenyo para matuto at makapag-aral. Ngayon, malawak na ang access n’yo sa education at training,” he said. “Graduates, tulad ng pinakita ng 20 kababaihan ng Malolos noon, manatili rin sana kayong uhaw at gutom sa kaalaman. Stay hungry for knowledge.”

Through the Doktor para sa Bayan law which he principally sponsored and authored in the 18th Congress, Villanueva helped establish the first publicly-funded School of Medicine in Region III at BulSU. He has likewise facilitated the construction of several additional facilities in BulSU to support the growing needs of the state university.

The lawmaker appealed to graduates to use their knowledge and skills they gained in college to shine a light on others.

“Graduates, ang inyong edukasyon ay hindi lang para sa inyong sarili, kundi para sa inyong pamilya, kapwa, at higit sa lahat sa ating minamahal na bayan,” Villanueva said.

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SAN MIGUEL, Bulacan—The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) upgraded the Madlum hanging bridge in this town after typhoons in 2022 destroyed the structure. 

Originally, residents including children going to schools braved crossing the river in Barangay Sibul in this town through a hanged cable wires above the river. 

But few years after the 2014 infamous Madlum Tragedy where seven Bulacan State University (BSU) students drowned because of flashfloods while in a tour in Madlum Cave, the government constructed a sturdy wooden-made hanging bridge. 

Barangay Councilor Beverly Ligon said the wooden structure had remained safe for everyone including among the tourists who come to the place often. 

However, the flashflood in 2022 brought by typhoon Karding destroyed the bridge. 

The level of water in the river reached the hanging bridge and wrecked it. At least five rescuers from the Bulacan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) were killed while in a rescue mission during that flashflood in typhoon Karding. 

By Camille N. Gavino

CABANATUAN CITY (PIA) — The National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) is bringing the Police Entrance and Promotional Examinations closer to Central Luzon applicants to make the application process more accessible.

The regular paper-and-pencil Philippine National Police (PNP) entrance and promotional examinations will be conducted on October 19, 2025, across 35 testing centers nationwide, including two key sites in the region.

It includes Pampanga High School in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga, and the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology Sumacab Campus in Cabanatuan City.

The PNP Entrance Examination is open to all Filipino citizens who are not less than 21 years old or more than 30 years old and who hold a bachelor’s degree.

On the other hand, the promotional examination is for in-service police officers 1st class to 4th class seeking career advancement within the PNP.

NAPOLCOM Regional Director Evangeline Almirante reminded that aspiring examinees should register to the online scheduling system before processing their application through the NAPOLCOM website, www.napolcom.gov.ph.

“Only applicants with confirmed scheduled appointment and complete requirements shall be accepted for processing,” Almirante added.

Registration for the online scheduling system will be available from August 18 to August 22, 2025.

Interested applicants for the PNP entrance exam need to submit a copy of the notice generated after registering online, two colored recent passport-size photos, one valid government-issued ID with applicant’s date of birth, photocopy or certified xerox copy of any of the transcript of records, diploma and certificate of graduation, one legal-size window envelope with mailing stamp and the exam fee of four hundred pesos. 

For promotional exams, the requirements are copy of the notice generated after registering online, two colored recent passport-size photos, one legal-size window envelope with a mailing stamp, and an examination fee.

Almirante urges all interested applicants to register early, ensure the completeness of their requirements, and monitor the official Facebook page NAPOLCOM Central Luzon for updates.

The evaluation and processing of applications will be conducted from August 19, 2025, to September 19, 2025, at the NAPOLCOM Regional Office 3, Diosdado Macapagal Government Center, Maimpis, City of San Fernando, Pampanga. (CLJD/CNG, PIA 3-Nueva Ecija)

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HAGONOY, Bulacan-The family of the 40 year old man who died of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) due to existing heart condition while waiting for his turn to receive the government’s Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) is not blaming anyone over the incident.  

At the wake of Walfredo Ople Catajan, Jr. at Saint Anne’s National Shrine and Parish church  in this town on Monday, his aunt Luzvininda Ople and other members of the family expressed their understanding of what happened and that it was not intentional nor caused by anybody. 

“We are not blaming or putting blame and accusations against anyone. We understand what had transpired. Our nephew was eager to receive the cash assistance for him and his two siblings. We will be really thankful of the help and assistance anyone could extend to our family in this hour of grief and sorrow,” she told NEWSCORE Bulacan. 

She said, her nephew was among those in the priority lines and seats when the Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium opened its main entrance door for the P5,625 worth of ECT distribution to beneficiaries from Hagonoy town on Saturday. 

But at around 10:30 a.m., while seated and waiting for his name to be called, Catajan suddenly experienced chest pains, difficulty in breathing and other discomfort. 

Ople said her nephew has an existing heart ailment and is taking maintenance medications. 

“He was excited to personally receive the ECT. It was named after him as a beneficiary, he was a Person With Disability (PWD) because of his heart ailment. 

We appreciate the Provincial Government of Bulacan’s full effort in providing all medical attention to our nephew from the Capitol Gym to the hospital. They really gave their best, but, it was unfortunate that our loved one expired despite all the efforts given to him,” she said. 

Government responders immediately rushed him to the Bulacan Medical Center just within the Provincial Capitol grounds where he was immediately attended to and was given cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and other tests, including an ECG (electrocardiogram), to check his heartbeat. However, the center’s medical team was unable to revive him. Catajan was declared dead at about 11:05 a.m. 

According to Dr. Cris Carlo Pedrosa, the Internal Medicine doctor in BMC, the cause of death was acute coronary syndrome. The American Heart Association, on its website, explains that ACS happens when the heart muscle suddenly stops receiving blood.

The Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium is a fully airconditioned facility and ECT beneficiaries are all sitted in the chairs provided at the center floor and at the plenary. PWD, senior citizens, pregnant women are placed in the priority lanes. 

Catajan according to her was a former teacher and had worked in a lending firm. He was the eldest of three children. Both their parents have died since 1991. 

Gov. Daniel Fernando, Vice Gov. Alexis Castro and Rowena Joson Tiongson, head of the Bulacan Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), extended their sincerest sympathy to the family of Catajan.

“The unexpected incident pains us so much in the PSWDO and the whole of the Provincial Government of Bulacan. Our only intention in all the programs of the Provincial Government of Bulacan through the leadership of our Gov. Daniel Fernando is to bring immediate help and assistance to help ease the daily lives of our fellow Bulakenyos particularly the ones in need,” Joson said in a statement on Sunday. 

She assured other beneficiaries of the ECT program would continue and that the PSWDO would be implementing measures to prevent a similar incident. 

On Sunday, Tiongson, accompanied by Provincial Administrator Antonette Constantino, visited the wake of Catajan and personally extended the provincial government’s condolences to his family.

Senator Joel Villanueva on Monday urge government agencies, especially the DSWD to continuously review and improve their payout systems to ensure they are safe, efficient, and accessible for the elderly and persons with disabilities.

In a statement, the senator who hails from Bocaue town in Bulacan said that thete is also a need for closer coordination and proper planning with concerned Local Government Units to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the family of Walfredo Ople Catajan Jr. of Hagonoy, Bulacan. We call on the concerned agencies to provide all necessary support and assistance to his loved ones during this difficult time,” he said. 

“Nakakalungkot po ang pangyayaring ito. Hindi na niya mararamdaman ang tulong na dapat sana’y pantawid sa gitna ng kahirapan,” (This is really saddening. He can no longer experience the help that is supposed to provide for him for his daily life), the senator added. 

While financial assistance is a critical lifeline for our most vulnerable kababayans, it must never come at the cost of their safety or lives, the senator added. 

By Camille N. Gavino

SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ, Nueva Ecija (PIA) — The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), in partnership with the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), is advancing its efforts to modernize the country’s rice seed system through the nationwide implementation of the Rice Seed Information System (RSIS).

RSIS is a digital platform designed to enhance the monitoring, certification, and distribution of quality rice seeds.

It aims to establish a centralized and integrated platform that connects all registered seed growers, producers, certification bodies, and storage facilities nationwide. 

Once fully implemented, it will enable real-time tracking of seed production, inspection, inventory, and movement, improving transparency, coordination, and decision-making across the entire supply chain.

“The RSIS is not just a record-keeping tool. It’s a game-changer that will enable faster, more transparent decisions in seed production and distribution. We are committed to guiding our stakeholders as we scale up,” PhilRice Business Development Division Head and RSIS Project Lead Fidela Bongat said. 

This project, piloted in 2022, was granted to PhilRice as an Official Development Assistance (ODA) from South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (MAFRA). 

It is funded through the Korea Rural Community Corporation (KRC) and implemented through the Global Agriculture Policy Institute (GAPI). 

From May 2024 to May 2025 alone, 1,309 individuals were trained on the system including over 1,000 seed growers and hundreds of inspectors and institutional representatives.

It has also engaged 75 seed grower cooperatives and associations across 16 regions.

By 2027, RSIS will incorporate advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and automation technologies, making it one of the front-runners in agricultural data systems in Southeast Asia.

DA Undersecretary for Rice Industry Development Christopher Morales emphasized that technology must go hand in hand with yield improvement.

“Achieving the highest palay yield is not enough. Our seed systems must be resilient, responsive, and adaptive,” Morales said, citing the need for integrated facilities and digital tools to ensure high-quality seeds are viable and accessible when farmers need them most.

PhilRice and BPI have prepared a joint proposal aimed at institutionalizing RSIS through continued infrastructure support and policy development that will strengthen the country’s rice seed supply chain by ensuring that certified seeds reach Filipino farmers more efficiently, boosting productivity and food security for the nation. (MJSC/CNG, PIA 3-Nueva Ecija)

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The Government of Canada is investing more than PhP 1 billion in grant financing to promote integrated climate action and disaster resilience in the Philippines.

During the Philippines-Canada Partnership Forum held on July 10 at The Westin Manila in Mandaluyong City, the Embassy of Canada highlighted its portfolio of over CAD$30 million (approx. PhP 1.2 billion) dedicated to fund initiatives on climate adaptation and resilience.

“Canada’s substantial contributions to disaster risk reduction and climate resilience in the Philippines are a fitting example of the growing breadth and depth of Canada’s bilateral partnership with the Philippines,” said Ambassador of Canada to the Philippines David Hartman.

Close to 200 government leaders, development partners, the private sector, civil society organizations, and members of the diplomatic community attended the forum to discuss solutions to the growing threats posed by natural disasters and climate change.

“Canada is working with Canadian, local and international organizations to unlock financing for climate adaptation, and implement locally-led nature-based solutions in vulnerable communities,” Ambassador Hartman added.

The grant financing also supports ecosystem restoration, including through natural capital accounting, and assisting local governments to assess, plan for, and implement disaster resilience and climate adaptation measures.  The financing also seeks to improve integrated water resource management in partnership with the private sector.

“Canada’s investments target the needs of communities across the three main island regions while tackling the differential impacts of climate change on vulnerable and marginalized populations, including women, girls, and Indigenous Peoples,” Ambassador Hartman explained.

By working with national and local governments and coordinating with other development actors, these initiatives seek to contribute to the priorities and objectives set by the Government of the Philippines, consistent with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

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