Latest news with #BagongPilipinas
GMA Network
a day ago
- GMA Network
'Free WiFi for All' program to boost internet access for last mile schools
Teachers and students in geographically isolated and underserved public schools are expected to benefit from improved internet connectivity under the government's ongoing "Free WiFi for All" initiative. The Digital Bayanihan Project is a joint effort by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Education (DepEd). The project aims to expand internet access across schools in remote areas as part of the government's digital inclusion efforts for Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) communities. Among the Last Mile Schools that now have internet access are: Radagan Elementary School, Ilocos Norte (Region I) Chanarian Elementary School, Batanes (Region II) Tibagan Elementary School, Bulacan (Region III) Caigdal National High School, Quezon (Region IV-A) Ulanguan Elementary School, Marinduque (Region IV-B) Lipata Integrated School, Camarines Sur (Region V) Bay-ang National High School, Iloilo (Region VI) Salamanca National High School, Cebu (Region VII) Tigbawan Integrated School, Leyte (Region VIII) Pag-asa Elementary School, Tawi-Tawi (Region IX) Dalingap Elementary School, Misamis Occidental (Region X) Malungon Elementary School, North Cotabato (Region XII) Cabawa Elementary School, Surigao del Norte (Region XIII) Datu Saldong Domino Elementary School, Agusan del Norte (Region XIII) Tangalan National High School, Apayao (CAR) Previously having limited or no internet connection, these schools are now included in a growing network of connected schools through infrastructure support under the government's Bagong Pilipinas campaign. 'Marami talagang magagawa kapag may internet na. Pararamihin pa namin ito, especially sa GIDA areas—yung mga isolated at underserved,' said President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. (There's so much more that can be done when there's internet. We will expand this further, especially in GIDA areas—those that are geographically isolated and disadvantaged.) Education Secretary Sonny Angara took part in the same virtual event while visiting Datu Saldong Domino Elementary School in Agusan del Norte. The school, previously without electricity, now runs on solar power provided by the National Electrification Administration (NEA). It also received digital learning tools such as Starlink internet, tablets, smart TVs, electric fans and school supplies from the National Electrification Administration and FDC Misamis Power Corporation. 'This is digital bayanihan in action. Kapag kinokonekta natin ang mga paaralan, kinokonekta rin natin ang mga estudyante sa mas magandang kinabukasan,' said Angara. (This is digital bayanihan in action. When we connect schools, we also connect students to a better future.) DICT Secretary Henry Aguda reiterated the department's goal: to connect all public schools to the internet before the end of 2025. Through the Free Public Internet Access Program, Bayanihan SIM, and continuous infrastructure deployment, coupled with DepEd's digitalization efforts, the initiative seeks to close the digital divide and support learning across all regions. —Sherylin Untalan/RF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Marcos: Partido Federal now a formidable force
Because of our concerted efforts, we have become a formidable force in public service, Marcos says of his political party, Partido Federal ng Pilipinas. (Screengrab from PCO post President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. said Monday that his political party, the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), has become a formidable force in public service. The President, in a statement made more than a month after the May 12 midterm polls, said the PFP members are now 'agents of meaningful growth and progress in the country.' 'I convey my most heartfelt greetings to my fellow members of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas. Thank you all for your continued support, unwavering commitment, and solidarity in uplifting the lives of Filipinos. I am truly proud of what we have accomplished in the past years. Because of our concerted efforts, we have become a formidable force in public service,' he said in a video message. 'This is proof that our vision and everything we stand for as a movement and as a party resonate loudly with our people. That is why we must continue to sustain the party's brand of governance that Filipinos have come to expect from us and make sure that our actions are transparent, effective, and responsive to the needs of our citizens,' Marcos added. He then called on his party mates to serve their terms with renewed vigor and strength towards realizing Bagong Pilipinas 'where every individual is empowered with greater opportunities.' 'Let us commit ourselves to a higher level of excellent leadership and be the visionaries, the trailblazers, and changemakers that society calls for and deserves,' he said. In the May elections, PFP fielded three Senate bets but all of them lost: former Senator and Filipino boxing Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao, Senator Francis Tolentino and former Secretary Benhur Abalos of the Department of Interior and Local Government. —LDF, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
27-02-2025
- Business
- Filipino Times
Pag-IBIG Fund announces record P55.65B dividend in 2024; Regular savings earn 6.6%, MP2 yields 7.1%
Pag-IBIG Fund declared the highest-ever amount of dividends for its members' savings at the Chairman's Report 2024 held Thursday at the Philippine International Convention Center. For 2024, Pag-IBIG Fund reported ₱55.65 billion in total dividends, marking the largest payout in the agency's 44-year history. As a result, the dividend rates for the Regular Savings climbed to 6.6%, while the agency's popular Modified Pag-IBIG 2 (MP2) Savings rate rose to 7.1%. 'For nearly five decades now, this institution has empowered individuals and families to find, acquire, and build the homes they aspire for—all in a system founded on trust, integrity, and shared opportunity,' President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said in a message. 'This Chairman's Report 2024 stands as proof of how your unwavering commitment has grown the contributions entrusted to your care, enabling every hardworking Filipino to achieve their dream homes. Let us remain steadfast in creating a strong, secure, and inclusive Pag-IBIG Fund that uplifts communities and ensures no Filipino is left behind in this era of Bagong Pilipinas.' Pag-IBIG Fund recorded another banner year, with its 2024 net income reaching ₱67.52 billion—a 36% increase from ₱49.79 billion in 2023. The agency also surpassed the ₱ 1 trillion mark in total assets, closing the year at ₱1.069 trillion, another all-time high. Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar, who chairs the 11-member Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees, underscored the agency's outstanding performance and robust financial standing. 'Pag-IBIG Fund has once again marked 2024 as one of its best-performing years, achieving record highs in both total assets and net income. This accomplishment directly benefits our members, as we declared ₱55.65 billion in dividends—equivalent to 82.71% of our net income, exceeding the 70% dividend requirement by law,' Acuzar said. 'With our strong performance, sound investments, and robust finances, we are well-equipped to continue providing our members with responsive benefits, and advance our efforts under the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program, ensuring that more Filipino workers can access affordable homes.' Meanwhile, Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Marilene C. Acosta highlighted the agency's record-setting performance in 2024. She noted that Pag-IBIG released ₱129.73 billion in home loans, helping 90,640 members acquire new or better homes. The agency also collected a total of ₱132.81 billion in membership savings—₱73.74 billion of which were voluntarily saved under Upgraded and MP2 Savings—and disbursed ₱70.33 billion in cash loans to assist more than 3.2 million members. 'Truly, when Pag-IBIG Fund performs well, our members benefit the most,' Acosta said. 'We take great pride in our record-high achievements in 2024, which reflect our commitment to helping members achieve their dream of homeownership, find relief in trying times, and save for a brighter future. We remain steadfast in safeguarding our members' contributions and ensuring they yield the best possible returns—because our members deserve nothing less than the highest level of public service and the most prudent stewardship of their hard-earned savings.'
South China Morning Post
14-02-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Why South China Sea row is an election hot-button issue for the Philippines
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr's playing of the China card this week urging a sweeping victory for his Senate allies marks the first time a political leader in the country is using a foreign policy issue to win votes. In front of an adoring crowd during the kick-off rally of his Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines) party in his hometown province of Ilocos Norte on Tuesday, Marcos Jnr said in Tagalog: 'Will we consent to return to that period when our leaders want us to become a province of China?' It was a veiled allusion to a joke made by former president Rodrigo Duterte in 2018 when he told a roomful of ethnic Chinese businessmen with the Chinese envoy to Manila present: 'Would you like to just make the Philippines a province of China, like Fujian? Then we will no longer have a problem. Everything will be free.' During Tuesday's campaign speech, Marcos Jnr assured the crowd that none of his senatorial candidates 'are rooting for China and expressing delight when our coastguard is being bombarded', referring to multiple clashes between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the disputed South China Sea. Amid cheers and applause, he urged voters to 'let us deliver a 12-0 result for the Senate' in the May midterm elections. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr (centre) reacts during a rally in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, about 500km north of Manila, on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE Twelve of the 24 Senate seats are up for grabs, along with 18,200 local executive positions – from provincial governor down to city and town mayors, along with all seats in local legislative councils.
