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Metro Manila, Philippines –  Raising transport fares should be the last resort, Malacañang said Tuesday, Sept. 22, as bus operators and jeepney groups called for relief from rising fuel costs. Palace press officer Claire Castro said the government wants to help drivers and operators without adding to the commuter burden, even as the administration is studying the requests and has not ruled out a fare increase. “Hangga’t kakayanin lang po na ibigay muna ang tulong sa ating mga tsuper sa transport sector nang hindi tataas ang pamasahe, iyon po muna ang ginagawa ng administrasyon,” Castro said. [Translation: For as long as we can provide assistance to drivers and the transport sector without raising fares, that is what the administration will do first.] Bus company Victory Liner has called for the lifting of a suspension on a previously approved fare increase. It said fuel now accounts the majority of operating cost,…

Metro Manila, Philippines – The government will embark on a nationwide campaign on safety in the virtual space and on school grounds in response to recent cases of campus violence, the Malacañang said on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Palace press officer Claire Castro said the Department of Education will lead in the “Digital School Safety Campaign,” which aims to empower and guide young users in navigating online environments, exercising responsible social media use, and identifying inappropriate and harmful content. The topics will cover safe chatting and online behavior, grooming and online child exploitation, cyberbullying and online harassment, privacy, scams, and protecting personal information online. “Gagawing praktikal at madaling maintindihan ang mga lessons sa nasabing digital safety campaign para sa kapakanan ng learners, teachers, and parents,” Castro said. [Translation: The lessons in the digital safety campaign will be made practical and easy to understand for the welfare of the learners, teachers, and…

Metro Manila, Philippines –  The departments of the Interior and Local Government and Education are preparing an agreement to deploy female barangay tanod or security in school grounds to help monitor campuses after a shooting in South Cotabato killed two students. Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said Tuesday, Sept. 22, said the agencies could finalize an agreement as early as next week. She announced the proposal in response to the remarks of Vice President Sara Duterte that the administration had failed to protect children, adding that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. found the shooting at Banga National High School “very disturbing” and wanted the incident addressed. A 16-year-old student shot and killed two schoolmates and wounded eight others before taking his own life, local officials said. The gun was from the suspect’s father, a DepEd employee. Castro said the Department of Social Welfare and Development is also working on programs to help…

Metro Manila, Philippines –  Malacañang questioned criticisms that its ₱500-million grant to Naga City was meant to gain political support, pointing out that Mayor Leni Robredo is not an ally of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Palace Press officer Claire Castro made the argument Tuesday, Sept. 22, after Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice suggested the funding could be politically motivated. “Kasi kung sinasabi pong pamumulitika po ito, hindi po ba dapat hindi si Mayor Leni ang binigyan dahil hindi sila magkaalyado?” Castro said. [Translation: If this were political, wouldn’t Mayor Leni have been denied the funding because they are not allies?] Castro said the city received funding because it submitted a request that was reviewed by the Department of Budget and Management, adding that political affiliation is not a criterion in approving local government projects. Local governments seeking support must submit their proposals and documents directly to the agency, which assesses…

Metro Manila, Philippines –  Malacañang said the legal restrictions on top officials doing business must be followed, referencing corporate records presented at Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial that listed her as a company director and shareholder. “No one should be above the law,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said Tuesday, Sept. 22, when asked whether the constitutional prohibition on the president, vice president and Cabinet members participating in business management should be strictly observed. “May batas po. Maliwanag ang batas.So, kung ano po iyong nasa batas iyon lang dapat po ang sundin,” Castro said. [Translation: There is a law. The law is clear. Whatever the law says must be followed.] Castro did not say whether Duterte had violated the Constitution as the corporate positions have been held while she is vice president, deferring instead to the Senate, sitting as impeachment court. A Securities and Exchange Commission official testified Monday that…