Nagpahayag ng buong suporta ang mga senador kay Majority Leader Joel Villanueva sa gitna ng walang patid na pag-atake sa kanya kaugnay ng ginawa niyang pagbubunyag sa pekeng people’s initiative.

Inilarawan ng mga senador si Villanueva bilang masipag, epektibo at tapat na public servant na nais lamang gawin ang tama para sa mamamayang Pilipino.

Sabi ng mga senador, hindi dapat ilayo ng mga kritiko ang totoong isyu at sa halip ay harapin na lang nila si Villanueva.

“I hope our friends in the House are circumspect. Hindi maganda ang mga paratang na ganyan. It is not good for inter-parliamentary courtesy. Tayo po rito ay nagtatrabaho,” sabi ni Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Ayon naman kay Senadora Pia Cayetano, kilala si Villanueva bilang “outspoken” at “vocal” sa mga isyung may kinalaman sa publiko.

“Kung naglabas siya ng ebidensya, bakit hindi siya sagutin nang maayos? Tayo ay naninindigan at nagbibigay ng suporta dahil ang gustong gawin ng ating kaibigan ay trabaho,” saad ni Cayetano.

Iginiit naman ni Senador Sonny Angara na hindi dapat palagpasin ang mga pag-atake laban kay Villanueva na nagsusumikap para sa interes ng taumbayan.

Pinuri rin ni Angara ang kanyang kaibigang si Villanueva sa pagkuwestiyon sa people’s initiative signature drive para amyendahan ang 1987 Constitution.

Aniya, hindi dapat magkaroon ng “fastbreak” pagdating sa pagrebisa ng Charter at kailangan ng masusing konsultasyon at partisipasyon ng karamihan tulad ng idinidiin ni Villanueva.

“It’s not something to trifle with. Hindi po biro, seryosong usapan ito. I would like to pay tribute to our Majority Leader for fighting for our institution, but more than that, for fighting for the Filipino people,” ani Angara.

Sinabi naman ni  Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor Ejercito na saksi siya sa kasipagan sa trabaho ni Villanueva at madalas aniya nilang pinag-uusapan ang tungkol sa isyu ng korapsyon at kahirapan.

Payo naman ni Senador Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa sa mga kritiko ni Villanueva: “To those who want to attack Sen. Joel Villanueva, please attack him on the issues that we are tackling. Do not attack him personally, because kung personal na attack-an na ito, they will be attacking the 23 senators who are solidly behind Sen. Joel Villanueva. This is how we do it in the Senate.”

Sa bahagi naman ni Villanueva, pinasalamatan niya ang kanyang mga kapwa senador sa kanilang suporta, na isang pagpapakita ng pagkakaisa ng mataas na kapulungan ng Kongreso.

“Nakakataba po ng puso ang suporta ng ating mga kasamahan sa Senado kaya mas lalo po tayong nagkakaroon ng lakas ng loob na manindigan at makipaglaban hindi lamang po para sa institusyon kundi lalong-lalo na para sa ating mga kababayan,” sabi ng Majority Leader.

“Marami na pong nagawa ang inyong Senado, pero kulang pa at alam ko po bilang miyembro ng institusyong ito na maraming-marami pa tayong magagawa para sa bayan. Kaya magtrabaho na po tayo,” pagtatapos pa ni Villanueva.

CITY OF BALIWAG—The mountainous Dona Remedios Trinidad (DRT) town, named after the grandmother of President Marcos can rather host a national penitentiary facility and become the key to its development rather than mining activities in the town’s natural resources like tea rose marble and other minerals continue but without bringing the much needed progress to the town, according to Senator Imee Marcos, senate chair in social justice, welfare and rural development committee.

The senator in a media interview in this city on February 6 said progress and development in DRT is long overdue and that a Bureau of Correction (BuCor) facility which would be given a budget to be constructed could pave the way for the long awaited progress in the town.

She said DRT has a cold and better climate and still has a pristine environment that’s why it is being branded as the “Tagaytay of the North”. However, she said, roads still have to be improved. The town, she also said, has a very vast land which even the New People’s Army (NPA) had given up to stay.

“Palagay ko malaking bagay rin na magkaroon ng development doon kasi alam naman natin napakalawak ng lupa doon at napakaganda. Imbes na magkairingan sa tea rose marble at mining at kung anu ano, na hindi naman na develop ang lugar ay mas maganda ng madevelop ito, bagsakan ng budget para sa bilanggo at kulungan at the same time mga kalsada. Maganda ang klima doon, malamig kaya nga tinatawag na Tagaytay of the North. Chance na ito na magkaroon ng budget for development at mabuo ang iba pang mga kalsada. Kulang na kulang pa ang development sa kalayuan at sa hirap marating ng lugar ay sinukuan na rin ito pati ng NPA kaya palagay ko panahon na para madevelop ito, overdue na kung tutuusin,” she said.   

Marcos visited the city and distributed P6-million worth of Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to displaced public market vendors and city force multipliers.   

She told officials and residents in this city that she is a full Baliwagenya because her grandmother, the mother of former First Lady Imelda Marcos, Dona Remedios Trinidad hails from Baliwag. DRT was established in 1977 as the 24^th town of Bulacan after Valenzuela (then named Polo town) was declared part of Metro Manila during the term of the former First Lady as Metro Manila Commission Governor.

The senator is the eldest sister of the President.

Free use of Bulacan Capitol’s lot property

Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando earlier offered a free use of a provincial government owned lot property in DRT to become one of the future sites of a major Luzon prison facility of BuCor to help decongest the national penitentiary. 

Fernando told the media in an earlier interview that the Provincial Government of Bulacan (PGB) owns more than 1,000 hectares of land in different areas in DRT. 

He said while the Breeding and Productivity Center of PGB will be constructed in an area within a separate lot property of the PGB in DRT, there is still more than 1,000 hectares that could be used for other major projects. 

The governor told NEWS CORE that with the national government providing the budget for the prison facility, it could use the PGB lot for free and without needing to buy or acquire the property. The governor said that there will be a memorandum of agreement for the land usage. 

“Meron ang PGB na 1,000 hectares sa iba’t ibang lugar sa DRT. Kung bubudgetin nila walang problema. Pwede naman nating I-offer yung provincial lot, hindi naman ibebenta, mag-MOA tayo sa kanila,” the governor said. 

BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. in a recent decongestion summit presentation presents DRT as the first Luzon penal facility other than the already existing Sablayan colony in Occidental Mindoro under the Long Term Development Plan 2023-2040 to help decongest the national penitentiary facility in Muntinlupa City. 

The facilities will include one in Bacolod City in Negros Occidental for the Visayas and one in Bukidnon in Northern Mindanao for Mindanao. 

The facilities will be called “Supermax” for inmates convicted of heinous crimes. 

The National Decongestion Summit was spearheaded by the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) comprising the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice and the Department of Interior and Local Government which seeks to tackle jail overcrowding and foster a more humane criminal justice system. 

The summit is jointly sponsored by the European Union’s Justice Sector Reform Programme: Governance in Justice II (GOJUST II) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with funding from the Australian Government and the European Union. Dec. 6-7 in Manila. 

Catapang has been promoting BuCor’s “Sa Likod ng Rehas, may Panibagong Bukas,” thrust for the inmates. 

P4-B worth Provincial Jail

The governor said there is also a proposed P4-billion worth Bulacan Provincial Jail facility the PGB submitted to the Office of the President last year to address the congestion in the province’s main local jail facility.

According to Bulacan Provincial Warden Rizalino Andaya, the proposed P4-billion jail facility in DRT will be constructed in a 10-hectare lot property which can accommodate 5,000 detainees. 

Andaya, a retired police colonel said the new jail facility of the province will be a state of the art structure complete with hospital, receiving area and a diagnostic center.

The Bulacan Provincial Jail also known as “Lex” which was built more than 6 decades ago can only accommodate more than 1,000 inmates but has been filled with up to nearly 5,000 detainees particularly during the recent years. It now hosts

The pandemic in 2020 caused the number of detainees to decline including the plea bargaining on drug cases and also due to regional trial court efforts to hasten up the hearings of the charges against the detainees.  Today, Lex has only 1,581 detainees, 1,396 male and 185 female.   

Bulacan with more than 3.7 million in population is the largest province in Central Luzon. 

“First term ko pa lang gumawa na ako ng proposal na ilipat ang provincial jail natin sa lupa ng Kapitolyo sa DRT para matanggal na dito iyong kulungan, o iyang ating Lex dahil ang gusto ko maging kapaki-pakinabang ang mga detainees natin, maging involve sila sa agriculture, mag-alaga sila ng mga hayop, kambing, kalabaw, baboy, bibe, manok at hindi handicrafts lang tulad ng ginagawa nila ngayon. Nagkakasakit din ang mga preso dahil hindi sila naarawan. Pero kailangan natin ng budget,” the governor said. 

DRT because of its pristine nature and mountainous sites, various falls and rivers is considered the tourism capital of Bulacan. It is a favorite mountain trekking, camping, glamping, hiking, swimming and other nature-adventure destinations and activities. 

Bulacan provincial tourism officer Eliseo Dela Cruz said DRT which is about 60 km east of Metro Manila and has a land area of 932.96 square kilometers or 360.22 square miles which constitutes 33.52% of Bulacan’s 279,610 total area is known over the years as the “Tagaytay of the north”.  

DRT is 31km east from the Bulacan Capitol in the City of Malolos. 

CLARKFIELD, PAMPANGA–The sophisticated DC-8 laboratory aircraft of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and environmental experts from Korea, Thailand and Malaysia is flying the Metro Manila air space four times from February 4-15 to study the air quality in the major urban areas in the country as part of the Airborne and Satellite Investigation of Asian Air Quality (ASIA-AQ) mission aimed at improving the air quality in the Asian region.

During the official launch of the “Science Mission” held at Hilton Clark Hotel here on Thursday, (FEB. 8), DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga said the study and research will provide important support for policy development and decision making processes related to air quality management processes in the Philippines.

The project, she said, can help policy makers and government agencies to advance research findings and analysis enabling evidence in policy making and targeted interventions.

“In strengthening the air quality regulation and legislation, the implementation of effective emission control measures and the development of sustainable strategies as well are made possible by the improvement of our knowledge about air quality in the country. In conclusion, the project represents an incredible opportunity for the Philippines and our partners in this ASIA-AQ project by utilizing the data and knowledge,  provided and gathered in this mission and we can enhance, the air quality monitoring system to develop evidence that will form as policy and implement the measures we need to improve public health and the quality of life for all Filipinos while combating climate change,” she said.

Barry Lefer, Tropospheric Composition Program Manager of NASA said the fly mission aims to understand where the pollution in Metro Manila might be generated from. He said there are signs of emissions that could determine them if they came from combustion activities, traffic, power generation, industrial activities, construction, etc.  

“There are contributions on the ground from the Philippines, contributions from space and the third contribution that is in atmospheric space will be detected by the NASA aircraft. Combining satellite, ground-based, and airborne observations in the region for the first time, the campaign seeks to understand local air quality issues as well as common challenges in the interpretation of satellite observations and modeling of air quality,” Lefer said.

The DC-8 aircraft has different equipment, one of them is the Whole Air Sampler which determines the types of particles and gas in the air in a particular location, Donald Blake, a professor of chemistry at the University of California, Irvine who handles the gas sampling function told NEWS CORE.  

Initially, they already had two flights. The NASA DC-8 Aircraft which has been conducting earth science missions for more than 25 years is  temporarily stationed at Asian Aerospace here in Clark for this two weeks mission.

According to Lefer, results of the study are very important in health and respiratory issues.

Health issues

Health Undersecretary Eric Tayag who also attended the program launch told the media during an interview that all cancers are the number one cause of deaths in the country and on top of this is lung cancer. That’s why, he said, they are strengthening the campaign against cigarette smoking including vaping.

But he said, air pollution also contributes a lot to lung ailments and is the number one cause of respiratory sickness.

“We want to see the air pollution contribution to influenza during rains and cold season and to see the new technology brought to us by NASA, it will give us more deeper research to determine how we could lessen and avoid respiratory ailments from affecting the people,” he said.

Clean air 

Maria Obiminda Cambaliza, Research Scientist, Air Quality Dynamics Laboratory from the Manila Observatory said that there are roughly 7 million people globally who die each year due to air pollution or poor air quality and one third of this is in Asia. She said in the Philippines, 100 people per 100,000 died each year due to air pollution.

She said over the recent years, the air quality in the country has improved because of the DENR’s new policies and thrusts implemented through different administrative orders. But still, there is large research and study gaps needed to be done and that the campaign and the ASIA-AQ project is very important in addressing the concern, she said.

“We have been monitoring since 2000, the number is going down, it is really promising. This happens because of very administrative orders of the DENR. In 2015 the department administrative order required everyone to shift from Euro2 to Euro 4 standards and at the Manila Observatory, we have seen a decline, a decrease in 2017. The administrative orders actually work. But, We have so much research and knowledge gaps in terms of air pollution. We have so much work to do,” said.

After the mission in the Philippines, the ASIA-AQ project will also be launched in Korea, Thailand and Malaysia to improve the understanding of the factors controlling the air quality across Asia through multi-perspective observations and modelling.

These countries will openly share data during all phases, conduct joint analysis with local scientists and air quality agencies and report findings to local governments

LUNGSOD NG MALOLOS – Totoo sa taguri dito bilang “Mother of All Fiestas in Bulacan”, naiuwi ng Singkaban Festival 2023 ang parangal bilang Most Outstanding Festival (Province) award sa Tourism Recognition for Enterprises and Stakeholders (TRES) Awards ng Department of Tourism Region III na ginanap sa Hilltop, Quest Plus Conference Center, Clark, Pampanga kamakailan.

Ang taunang inaabanganang Singkaban Festival na kilala din bilang “Sining at Kalinangan ng Bulacan” ay arko o arkong kawayan na sumisimbulo sa diwa ng pagkakaisa at pagiging malikhain ng mga Pilipino. Gayundin, ang “singkaban” ay kinayas na arkong kawayan  na ginagamit bilang tradisyunal na palamuti ng mga Pilipino.

Nasungkit ng Singkaban Festival ang parangal matapos maipasa ang mga pamantayan kabilang ang Creativity and Innovation (30 pts), Cultural Significance (25 pts), Community Involvement (20 pts), Promotion and Marketing (15 pts), at Sustainability (10 pts).

Gayundin, hinirang ang Bulacan na second runner up para sa Most Creative Tourism Marketing Collateral for Print Material para sa Discover Fun in Bulacan Brochure kung saan nakalap nito ang mataas na puntos sa Creativity and Innovation (30 pts), Information Content and Clarity (25 pts), Relevance to Tourism Promotion (20 pts), at Design and Layout (25 pts).

Ang nasabing brochure na may titulong Discover Fun in Bulacan at may nakasulat sa harap na ‘Love The Philippines’, #BulacanBabalikBalikan’, ay naglalaman ng kumpletong paglalarawan ng mga maaaring makita sa Bulacan kabilang ang mga lokal na pasyalan, mga natatanging makasaysayang lugar, kapistahan, natural wonders, mga simbahan at dambana, direksyon gayundin ang mga detalye ng Provincial History, Arts, Culture and Tourism Office (PHACTO) at QR code upang makita ang listahan ng mga  akomodasyon, resort, restawran, agri-tourism farms, spa at wellness centers, travel agencies, event suppliers, accredited tour guides, at City/Municipal Tourism Officers.

Nagpahayag ng kanyang pasasalamat si Gobernador Daniel R. Fernando at binati ang mga taong nasa likod nang pagkamit ng karagdagang pagkilala para sa Bulacan.

“Isa pong malaking karangalan para sa lalawigan na kilalaning pinakamahusay ang pagdiriwang natin ng Singkaban Festival dahil sa pamamagitan nito, higit nating naitatanghal ang makulay nating kultura at tradisyon na sisikapin nating mapanitiling buhay upang mamalas pa ng mga susunod na henerasyon,” ani Fernando.

Kinikilala ng DOT TRES Awards ang mga pangunahing gampanin ng pamahalaang lokal sa paghubog sa tourism landscape ng rehiyon.

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija – A gift-giving and feeding activities benefited a total of 88 students from an Indigenous People’s Community conducted by the Department of Agrarian Reform -Tarlac and the soldiers of 3rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion at Tala Elementary School, Barangay Burgos, San Jose, Tarlac last February 8, 2024.

Apart from giving slippers and school supplies, the group also gave solar lights to the beneficiaries.

Marlon Linda, Officer-in-charge of Tala Elementary School, expressed his gratitude to the joint efforts of the Army and DAR-Tarlac led by Mr. Gerald Fontanoza for choosing their school as a beneficiary of the activities.
“Kami po ay lubos na nagpapasalamat sa inyong inihandog sa aming mga mag-aaral, Nawa’y ipagpatuloy pa ang magandang adhikain at pagtulong ninyo sa mga kabataang mag-aaral lalong-lalo sa mga katutubong pamayanan,” Mr. Linda said.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Jeszer M Baustista, the Commanding Officer of the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion, emphasized the continuous partnership of the government and stakeholders in helping the students, particularly in Geographically Isolated and Conflict Affected Areas in Tarlac.

“Ngayon hindi lamang ang kasundaluhan ang gustong pumunta sa mga malalayong lugar at umakyat sa mga kabundokan upang magpaabot ng tulong lalo na sa mga katutubong pamayanan, marami na tayong katuwang. Ito’y nagsisilbing daan upang maipadama natin sa mga mag-aaral lalo na sa mga liblib na lugar ang patuloy na suporta ng gobyerno maging sa mga pribadong sektor na gustong tumulong sa mga ibat-ibang sektor ng lipunan,” Lt. Col. Bautista said.

The Commander of the 7th Infantry (Kaugnay) Division, Philippine Army, Major General Andrew D. Costelo PA, commended the continued collaboration of the Army and its local stakeholders as they extended assistance to the IP students in Tarlac.

“By having collaborative efforts like this, we will be able to reach more communities who need assistance. Itong simpleng pagbibigay ng mga regalo sa mga bata ay nakakatulong sa pagpapatuloy ng kanilang pag-aaral. Our gratitude, of course, to DAR-Tarlac for their consistent support of our activities that benefit the communities in far-flung areas, maraming salamat,” MGen. Costelo said.

Also present during the activity were Irene Lagman, Marketing Officer of Expression Magic Star Mall; Janette Tarroza, IP Representative of DAR; Mobile Community Support Sustainment Team (MCSST) led by Staff Sergeant Eric C. Dela Cruz; and teachers of said school.

Philippine delegation served tobacco company interests with ‘delaying tactics’, says doctors’ group

MANILA, Philippines — For the second Conference of Parties (COP) in a row, the Philippines delegation was cited for promoting tobacco industry interests after it caused substantial delays in proceedings, which a doctors’ group slammed as proof of the government’s subservience to the industry.

According to observers present at the COP 10 to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), only a fourth of the Philippine delegation were clearly pro-health. The remaining members often questioned expert groups and committees and caused a delay of up to three hours in the official proceedings, which ensured no substantial resolutions and improvements to the treaty.

“History is repeating itself before our eyes. That the Philippine delegation once again parrotted the narratives of the tobacco industry and derailed what should have been a public health event should tell us all we need to know. Big business prevailed over public health today,” public health reform advocate and former DOH special adviser Tony Leachon said, adding that such actions only benefit the tobacco companies seeking to sell more addictive, harmful products.

“Our representatives promoted viewpoints and changes in key decisions at the COP which would weakened regulations for harmful tobacco and nicotine products, and the calls of civil society fell on deaf ears. The award is proof that the industry has tricked our representatives into believing that  vapes and heated tobacco are  effective alternatives to smoking. These are harmful, addictive products that are risking our youth and therefore our future.”

At the conference in Panama from February 5 to 10 the Philippine side promoted a “tailored” and “multi-sectoral approach” in implementing FCTC, never mentioning the huge rise in e-cigarette use among youth. According to the latest Global Youth Tobacco Survey, 14% of Filipino adolescents aged 13-15 years currently use e-cigarettes, while 24.6% had ever used e-cigarettes, more than double the percentage recorded in 2015.

A coalition of over 300 groups from 100 countries advocating for tobacco control, the Framework Convention Alliance awards “dirty ashtray” recognition to “parties acting on behalf of big tobacco and other bad behavior.” At the COP 9 in 2021, the Philippines received the most dirty ashtray recognitions for demanding amendments “with unhelpful and often confusing wording,” effectively obstructing the conference. It was also cited for using COVID-19 to “ignore” the WHO FCTC. At the time, the Departments of Health and Foreign Affairs, who were among the country’s representatives at COP 9, failed to come to a consensus about electronic tobacco products.

Riz Gonzalez, chair of the Philippine Pediatric Society Tobacco and Nicotine Control Advocacy Group called for accuracy and transparency when communicating with the public about the tobacco epidemic.

“Drops in smoking prevalence are a result of sin tax law reforms. To frame this as a victory of the Vape Law is yet another layer of disinformation. These displays before the international community are a painful reminder that our children’s health is being traded for economic gain.

Moreover, the public deserves to know who in the delegation is pushing the agenda of tobacco companies and why. We cannot allow the tobacco industry to dictate public health policy through our government representatives. The Filipino people deserve better.” she said.

NLEX Corporation recently inaugurated the NLEX Road Traffic Safety (RTS) Hub and Park in Dau, Mabalacat, Pampanga to further strengthen the company’s road safety advocacy campaign.

With its mission of providing safe travel to their stakeholders and continuously minimizing the number of road-related incidents, the tollway company has partnered with several organizations and government agencies like UNICEF, LTO, TRB, UP-NCTS, Imagine Law and local government units in pursuing various road safety projects and programs such as the new RTS Hub & Park.

This facility, which used to be the old NLEX Dau Toll Supervision Building, was converted to provide an avenue for safety training seminars and to allow NLEX’s key stakeholders to be exposed to and educated on safe road practices and responsible driving. Equipped with road safety gear, traffic safety devices and learning materials, guests learn about road discipline in an experiential manner.

“This RTS Hub and Park for me is a symbol of hope. It is both an image and representation of our aspiration and commitment to elevate road safety in our expressway network. I am glad that we were able to transform this asset into something more valuable for our road safety advocacy,” said NLEX Corporation President and General Manager, J. Luigi L. Bautista.

The opening ceremony was led by NLEX President and GM J. Luigi Bautista, LTO NCR Regional Director Roque Versoza III, TRB Deputy OIC of Regulation Division Joz Ordillano, Imagine Law’s Atty. Daphne Marcelo, UP NCTS Engr. Aileen Mappala and MPTC Chief Corporate Governance & Risk Officer Atty. Cynthia Casiño.

Elementary students from EPZA Resettlement Elementary School in Angeles, Pampanga were also among the first guests of NLEX Corporation’s first Road Traffic Safety Hub and Park (RTS Hub and Park). They were exposed to road safety trainings and were taught about road discipline through fun and engaging activities.

NLEX Corporation is a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), the toll road arm of the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC).

By: Lota M. Yasa

DTI Bulacan organized a virtual briefing on February 5, 2024, regarding the DTI-DPWH Convergence Program on ROLLIT 2.0 LETS EAT. The event was attended by fifty-four representatives from the Provincial, City, and Municipal Local Government Units, as well as the DPWH Bulacan District Engineering offices. The event served as an orientation session to familiarize the LGU representatives with the objectives and mechanisms of the DTI-DPWH Convergence Program.

ROLLIT, which stands for Roads Leveraging Linkages for Industry and Trade, is a flagship initiative aimed at improving connectivity between production areas and market centers. By facilitating better road infrastructure, the program seeks to enhance access to trade, attract investments, and create employment opportunities. With a focus on supporting trades, industrial zones, manufacturing sites, and economic zones, ROLLIT plays a vital role in driving economic development.

During the briefing, Ms. Lota Yasa, the focal person for ROLLIT, provided insights into the pre-qualification criteria, priority commodities, and various road project scenarios under the program. The DPWH counterpart, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of right-of-way clearances to facilitate the approval of the road project proposals.

Bulacan, known for its rich agricultural heritage and thriving trade industry, stands to benefit significantly from the ROLLIT 2.0 LETS EAT Program. By enhancing transport infrastructure and streamlining logistical operations, the program is poised to unlock new growth opportunities, improve market access for local producers, and contribute to the overall economic advancement of the province.

Quezon City, Philippines (13 February 2024) Happy International Condom Day! Let’s celebrate by
sharing the great news that condoms remain the optimal choice for ensuring safer and more enjoyable
intimate moments with your partner. This year, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Philippines will
host a month-long celebration in honor of International Condoms Day. The aim is to educate on
condom use, distribute free condoms, and encourage everyone to either start or continue using
condoms consistently.

AHF Philippines’ ICD event will feature a series of activities emphasizing the importance of safe sex
practices, promoting consistent condom usage, and providing educational resources on sexual health.
The various events hope to reach over 10,000 people, including a Condom Distribution Drive that
involves refilling condom dispensers at partner locations, a Condom Workshop Booth conducting
educational workshops on safe sex practices, a Condom-Themed Photo Booth engaging participants
in a fun and educational experience, and spreading awareness on social media using the official
hashtag, #ICD2024. Additionally, Love (the Condom Mascot) will be on tour, helping promote safe sex
through a mascot at various outreach events and much more!

Ms. Nenet L. Ortega, the Country Manager of AHF Philippines, shared that according to the World
Health Organization, over 1 million people globally acquire an STI every day, and thanks to condoms,
117 million new HIV infections have been averted since 1990. This is why, on ICD and beyond, the
world must remember—condoms are safe, sexy, and essential to ending HIV/AIDS.

Observed annually on February 13, International Condom Day gives people worldwide the chance to
receive free condoms and essential information about proper condom use and other sexual health
issues. On ICD 2024, we urge everyone worldwide to remember that condoms save lives and remain
the best option for preventing HIV, other sexually transmitted infections, and unplanned pregnancies.
For more information on this initiative, contact Ms. Nenet L. Ortega of AHF Philippines at 01975121956.
Visit LOVEcondoms.org to learn more.

While gestures of love continue to evolve through time, the traditional way of giving cakes and flowers remains one of the most timeless and sweetest means of expressing one’s affection. To keep the love alive, SM malls in Marilao, Baliwag, and Pulilan share some tips on specialty cakes and flowers you can give your dearest this Valentine’s Day.

Nothing comes close to the delightful feeling of eating a slice of cake this love season. In SM City Marilao, established cake brands such as Conti’s, Kumori, Remilly’s Yema Cake, and Hearts & Bells continue to be crowd favorites. SM City Baliwag takes pride in its homegrown brand, Sweet EsCakes, and offers masterfully crafted cakes from Clyde’s Breads and Pastries. Meanwhile, Mary Grace at SM Center Pulilan never ceases to make moments a lot more special with their wide selection of classic and celebration cakes. Moreover, SM Bulacan malls wouldn’t be complete without the cake brands we grew up with, such as Goldilocks and Red Ribbon.

Because nothing beats expressing love through flowers, SM Home at SM Bulacan malls carries a selection of beautifully arranged dried flowers that last through time. Additionally, GT Fleurs Gifts and Flowershop at SM City Marilao and SM Center Pulilan offers fresh and dried flower bouquets for moments worth remembering.

For the ultimate Valentine’s Day experience, surprise loved ones this February with the perfect gift from a wide selection of variants to choose from at the Luck in Love Fair. From novelty items, unique gifts, boxes of chocolates, and customized flowers, the fair will give you creative ideas and lots of options to make your loved ones feel extra special this luck and love season.

To add good vibes, shoppers can also enjoy sweet melodies during the Love Playlist session, with live musical performances on Valentine’s Day.

Let love be felt with the series of gifts, attractions, and activities SM Bulacan malls have in store for February. Visit the official social media pages of the malls for updates.