Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario

DISASTER RESPONSE. World Bank Group managing director Anna Bjerde (left) and Finance Secretary Ralph Recto sign the Rapid Response Option agreement on April 20, 2024 in Washington, DC. The Philippines is the first country to sign the agreement with the World Bank. (Photo courtesy of DOF) MANILA – The Philippines recently signed the …

Senator Risa Hontiveros  Senator Risa Hontiveros on Sunday described as “alarming” the reported huge number of Chinese students in Cagayan, saying it is another “pastillas” scam. Under the scam, airport personnel from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) were receiving P10,000 in bribes to allow foreigners–mostly Chinese–to enter the country without …

President Marcos has ordered the Department of Agriculture (DA) to promote ease of doing business in their procedures, particularly to remove non-tariff barriers on the importation of agricultural products, to lower prices, and to ensure supply. File photo  Marcos said this in his Administrative Order (AO) No. 20, signed by …

A US soldier loads an Avenger surface-to-air missile system during the US-Philippines Balikatan joint military exercise at San Antonio in Zambales, north of Manila on April 25, 2023. (AFP / Jam Sta Rosa)  MANILA, Philippines — Two Chinese maritime militia ships were reportedly seen some 30 nautical miles from the …

EXPANDED CAROUSEL ROUTE. Buses at the EDSA bus carousel in this undated photo. The government will “expand and extend” the EDSA bus carousel routes and prioritize the promotion of active modes of transportation to ease traffic congestion in Metro Manila, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said. (File photo) MANILA – The government …

George Erwin Garcia Chairman, COMELEC (STAR / File) MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is eyeing a shorter list of party-list groups participating in the May 2025 elections. Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the poll body wants to cut down the number of groups who would be fielding …

The Supreme Court (SC) has stepped up its efforts to develop the protocol or the procedures in the handling of cases of women in conflict with the law (WICL). Through Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh, the SC visited the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) on Mandaluyong City to gather …

The U.S. House of Representatives swiftly approved $95 billion US in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies in a rare Saturday session as Democrats and Republicans banded together after months of hard-right resistance over renewed American support for repelling Russia’s invasion.  Action on Saturday follows months of …

The overnight attacks, which were confirmed by the Defence Ministry in Moscow, came amid a Russian airstrike campaign that has battered Ukraine’s energy system and pounded its cities in recent weeks.  Kyiv hits fuel depot, power substations as it targets Russia’s energy system in response to ongoing airstrikes. Ukraine attacked …

It appears that Israel has retaliated against Iran for its massive missile attack last weekend, but heeded international calls to avoid escalating the crisis further. Iran says it has no plans to retaliate.  Iran says it has no plans to retaliate after drones, presumably launched by Israel, are shot down. …