FORT BONIFACIO, Taguig City – Philippine Army Chief Lt. Gen. Antonio G. Nafarrete graced the 2-day Suppliers Forum for the Calendar Year 2025 as the Closing Ceremony’s keynote speaker at the Headquarters Philippine Army, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on October 8, 2025. The CGPA zeroed-in on maintaining an Army that is free from any forms of corruption.

In his remarks, Lt. Gen. Nafarrete stressed that at a time when the nation is shaken by corruption issues, the Philippine Army remains accountable to every transaction that represents public trust. “We owe it to our soldiers and to the Filipino people to make sure that every peso is spent wisely, every project is delivered on time, and every partner we engage with upholds integrity.”

He urged the Army units and partner suppliers to embrace potential policy changes as the forum closes, citing that transparent and efficient procurement is key to the Army’s operational readiness. “When processes are clear, fast, and accountable, we can deliver what our soldiers need, on time, and with quality.”

The 2-day Suppliers Forum is part of the Philippine Army’s adherence to the Army Chief’s guidance on transparency and resource allocation. It is also a testament of the organization’s commitment to religiously adhere to the standard monitoring, assessment and procurement guidelines of the government. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY – The National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) has already trained 19,550 active and aspiring seafarers for the first three quarters of the 2025.

This represents 98 percent of the 19,851 total number of enrollees both in NMP Tacloban and Manila Liaison Office from January to September, nearly exceeding the 19,652 successful trainees reported for the entire CY 2024, indicating a sustained training performance.

“This is a manifestation of NMP’s unwavering dedication in upholding its mandate to produce globally-competitive Filipino seafarers. We will continue to enhance our training capacities to meet international standards and sustain the country’s position as the world’s leading supplier of maritime professionals,” said Victor Del Rosario, NMP Executive Director.
Since the pandemic, the state-run maritime institution has seen a significant increase in the number of enrollees, serving a total of 34,374 successful trainees in 2023 and 2024 alone.

This figure is substantially higher than the combined enrollment of 28,674 trainees recorded over the entire three-year period from 2020 to 2022, which was constrained by Covid-19 restrictions.

At present, NMP offers a total of 56 maritime training courses both mandatory and non-mandatory which includes deck courses, engine courses, specialized courses, professional development courses, and safety, security, and medical courses.

In the country, there are 91 MARINA-accredited maritime training institutions (MTIs) as of August 2025 and NMP stands out as the only government-owned and operated that offers subsidized quality training, with 32 of its courses available for free. To date, NMP has trained a total of 464,434 aspiring and active Filipino seafarers since its training operations in 1983.(PR)

DULAG, Leyte – The Philippine Statistic Authority (PSA) Leyte in line with the National Identification System program’s goal to provide a universally accepted and accessible National ID for all Filipinos. The Burauen Registration Team conducted a special registration and issuance of National ID in paper form activity dedicated to Senior Citizens in Dulag, Leyte.

The outreach activity resulted in the successful registration of 53 Senior Citizens, 60 for updating, and 93 issuances of National ID in paper form.

Spearheaded upon the request of the President of the Senior Citizens Association of Dulag, the activity was made possible through the strong support and coordination of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Dulag, and the Local Civil Registrar Office (LCRO), who helped in identifying the target individuals and ensuring the smooth conduct of operations.

This initiative forms part of the broader efforts of PSA to fast track the implementation of the National Identification program and ensure that even those in far flung areas can enjoy the benefits of having National ID.

PSA Leyte encourages all unregistered individuals to visit the nearest registration center and take part in this important national initiative. The National ID will serve as a valid proof of identity for both public and private transactions, making access to government services faster, more efficient, and more inclusive.

For more information on the National ID registration and schedules, individuals may visit the nearest PSA office in Leyte. Moreover, stay updated by following official PSA Leyte’s FB Page: facebook.com/psaleyte2/ or reach us through our email address: leyte@psa.gov.ph. (PR)

ORMOC CITY— A 43-year-old woman working as a ‘swertres’ usher was arrested after she was caught selling suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation conducted by the City Drug Enforcement Team (CDET) of the Catbalogan City Police Station on Friday afternoon, October 3, in Barangay 12, Catbalogan City.

Police identified the suspect as alias “Chacha,” a resident of Barangay Canlapwas of said city.

According to Lt. Col. Norman Ala, officer-in-charge of the Catbalogan City Police, the suspect sold one sachet of suspected shabu worth P500 to an undercover police operative. A subsequent body search, conducted in the presence of barangay and media representatives, yielded four additional sachets of suspected shabu kept in a small transparent plastic container.

The total weight of the confiscated suspected shabu was approximately 0.39 grams, with an estimated market value of P2,652, police said.

The suspect was informed of her constitutional rights and is now detained at the Catbalogan City Police Station’s lock-up facility.

Police have filed charges against her for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office in Catbalogan City.

(ROBERT DEJON)