New infrastructure to strengthen connectivity for students, communities, local businesses, and public institutions   LUCENA CITY, Philippines — Globe and Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation (MSEUF) formed a strategic partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for Globe to build its first on-campus cell site in Lucena.  This marks a significant step in expanding reliable connectivity in Southern Luzon and supporting digital inclusion in the local communities. Globe’s new investment will improve network coverage within the MSEUF campus and surrounding areas, providing stronger and more reliable connectivity for students, educators, residents, businesses, and public institutions that increasingly rely on digital access for everyday activities. MSEUF, regarded as one of the top universities in Quezon Province, is known for its accredited academic programs, strong information technology and criminology education, and its role in advancing innovation and academic excellence in the Southern Tagalog region. It also boasts of having the largest library in the region, a unique distinction of the university. The MOA signing was attended by MSEUF President and Chief Operating Officer Naila E. Leveriza, Globe Territory 5 team representatives, and Globe partners. The on-campus cell site is expected to help create a more connected learning environment where students and faculty can better access online learning platforms, research tools, cloud-based applications, artificial intelligence, and communication channels essential for modern education. Reliable internet connectivity has become a critical enabler of academic continuity, collaboration, skills development, and future-ready learning, particularly as schools continue integrating digital technologies and artificial intelligence into classrooms and student services. For students, improved connectivity can support access to virtual classes, digital libraries, online examinations, learning management systems, and research resources. Enhanced network access can also strengthen communication between students, teachers, and administrators for academic requirements, announcements, and campus services. Beyond the campus, the project is expected to benefit nearby communities by improving mobile connectivity for residents, workers, commuters, parents, and visitors who rely on mobile internet for communication, online transactions, remote work, and access to information and emergency services. The initiative also supports local government units and public institutions in strengthening digital public service delivery, emergency response coordination, disaster preparedness, and community information dissemination through more reliable digital communication channels. Small businesses and micro-entrepreneurs around the university community may likewise benefit from enhanced mobile connectivity. Improved internet access can help sari-sari stores, food vendors, transport operators, and local merchants adopt digital payments, manage online orders, access e-commerce platforms, and communicate more efficiently with customers. “We are happy with the support of MSEUF to allow its students and faculty to  bring 21st century learning to Lucena.  The infrastructure we bring will deliver reliable connectivity to where it matters most: schools, communities, businesses, and young Filipinos preparing for the future,” said Darius Delgado, Chief Commercial Officer at Globe. “We are building stronger network access in Lucena and laying the foundation for digital learning, local economic growth, along with youth empowerment.” The partnership reflects Globe’s broader efforts to expand connectivity across different parts of the Philippines, particularly in communities where digital access plays an increasingly important role in education, livelihood, public service, and economic participation. Supporting future-ready talent and digital citizenship Beyond network expansion, Globe and MSEUF will also explore future collaboration opportunities in next-generation networks, cybersecurity, data analytics, internships, mentorship programs, industry projects, and curriculum support. These initiatives aim to help bridge academia and industry while preparing students with skills relevant to the evolving digital economy. The MSEUF campus will also be integrated into Globe’s Digital Thumbprint Program (DTP) and its youth-led initiatives. Through DTP, Globe promotes responsible digital citizenship, cybersecurity awareness, online safety, and the responsible use of technology among students. The partnership underscores Globe’s commitment to advancing digital inclusion, strengthening community connectivity, empowering the youth, and supporting local development through technology.    

PUERTO GALERA. Oriental Mindoro — Nagsagawa ng final inspection ang mga opisyal ng Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) sa Hyperbaric Chamber ng Puerto Galera, isang mahalagang pasilidad na inaasahang magbibigay ng agarang serbisyong medikal para sa mga diver at magpapalakas pa sa katayuan ng bayan bilang Diving Capital ng bansa, June 5, 2026. Pinangunahan ang inspeksyon nina Engr. Gregory A. Oller, Assistant Chief Operating Officer for Architectural and Engineering Services Sector; Rodolfo E. Ancheta, Assistant Chief Operating Officer for Assets Management Sector; at Engr. Micha Evangelista, Project Engineer ng TIEZA. Kasama rin sa isinagawang inspeksyon si Engr. Geraldin Bacay, Municipal Engineer ng Puerto Galera. Ang Hyperbaric Chamber ay isang napakahalagang pasilidad para sa Puerto Galera, na kilala bilang isa sa mga pangunahing destinasyon para sa diving tourism sa Pilipinas. Sa oras na maging ganap na operational, makatutulong ito sa mabilis na pagtugon sa mga diving-related emergencies at sa pagbibigay ng kinakailangang paggamot sa mga diver, na magdaragdag ng seguridad at kumpiyansa sa mga lokal at dayuhang turistang bumibisita sa bayan. Matapos ang final inspection, nagtungo rin ang grupo sa Tamaraw Falls upang inspeksyunin ang lugar na inaasahang paglalagyan ng Tamaraw Viewing Spiral, isang iminungkahing tourism infrastructure project na naglalayong mapaganda ang viewing experience ng mga turista habang pinapangalagaan ang likas na kagandahan ng isa sa mga pinakatanyag na atraksyon ng Puerto Galera. Ang mga proyektong ito ay patunay ng patuloy na pagtutulungan ng TIEZA at ng lokal na pamahalaan ng Puerto Galera sa pamumuno ni Mayor Robinhood D. Ylagan at Vice Mayor Rocky D. Ilagan sa pagpapaunlad ng turismo, pagpapahusay ng mga pasilidad, at pagbibigay ng ligtas at de-kalidad na karanasan para sa mga bumibisita sa bayan.      

By Danny Estacio   PAGBILAO, Quezon, Philippines – The Aboitiz Power subsidiary Therma Luzon, Inc. (TLI) and Aboitiz Foundation, Inc (AFI), presidents of Pagbilao local fisherfolk associations and the Pagbilao LGU officially kicked off the second year of “Alon at Ani” recently, in this town. The event aims to be a venue for dialogue where the challenges faced by the community and the hopes and aspirations of the fisherfolk are heard as part of TLI’s efforts to collaborate with local communities. The activity included storytelling, local entertainment, and casual consultations, laying the groundwork for longer-term action. It goals to award and recognize the hard work of local fisherfolk communities, expanding the event’s reach this year to support over 450 local fisherfolk. This renewed agreement solidifies a shared commitment to boosting sustainable livelihoods, strengthening community ties, and protecting the marine environment of Pagbilao Bay.              

By Danny Estacio   CITY OF STO. TOMAS CITY, Batangas, Philippines – About 41,000 incoming students will ensure a conducive learning space after the city government and the Department of Education (DepEd) launched a citywide Brigada Eskwela, said City Mayor Arth Jhun Aguilar Marasigan on Monday. Marasigan ensured conducive classrooms for 41,025 registered students for the school year 2026-2027 More than 1,500 city hall employees were deployed for the early execution of “Brigada Eskwela” of the city’s Schools Division Office (SDO) on May 28. As part of the city’s alternative work arrangement where city hall personnel were tasked to do community work to stay productive, dispatched local government staff were stationed in the city’s 33 public schools; 27 elementary schools, four junior high schools, an integrated school, and a senior high school, with 746 classrooms to help clean education premises and teaching corners. Marasigan said that the importance of a solid alliance between the city officials, educators, and stakeholders in shaping the future of Tomasino students. He is confident that the local government’s initiative will surely ignite the already established teamwork into a much stronger partnership, better participation, and solidarity among duty-bearers, stakeholders, and the community. He also pledges to a yearly conduct of the LGU-initiated city-wide “Brigada Eskwela” program. Marasigan said securing proper education for young learners is one of his priorities, ensuring no one is denied equitable access to learning opportunities and formulating policies to guarantee quality education for young Tomasinos. School Divisions Office Head Dr. Neil G. Angeles, expressed his sincere appreciation and gratitude to the local government for its unwavering support in providing school essentials to address education challenges. Aside from school clean-up operations, city hall employees simultaneously conduct mentorship and guided reading sessions to advance literacy development and encourage students to make reading part of their daily routine – a habit-forming initiative. The City of Sto. Tomas Division of City Schools ranked number 1 in the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA) conducted at the beginning of SY 2025-2026, posting the lowest percentage of 23.43% of struggling readers, a significant milestone that cannot be achieved without the help of the local government, Angeles added.              

By Ace Sapit   CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines — More than 150 residents of Barangay Wawa here availed themselves of various government services during the “Barangay Information Caravan with One-Stop Shop of Government Services” held on May 27. The activity was spearheaded by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Oriental Mindoro to bring essential government information and frontline services closer to the community. According to PIA Oriental Mindoro, led by Information Center Manager Gene Ace Sapit, the program aims to make government services more accessible, especially for residents who experience difficulty traveling to government offices. Through the caravan, government services, information, and programs that address the daily needs of the public were delivered directly to the barangay, Sapit said. Participating agencies included the Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG Fund, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) together with the Small Business Corporation, Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Agricultural Program Coordinating Office, Philippine National Police (PNP) Oriental Mindoro Police Provincial Office and Calapan City Police Station, as well as the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). The agencies provided consultations, information about their programs and various frontline services to residents. The police also offered free haircuts, while the DA distributed free vegetable seeds. Meanwhile, the Barangay Government of Wawa expressed gratitude to the PIA, saying the initiative greatly helped bring government services closer to the people and allowed residents to immediately address some of their concerns without needing to travel to the city or other government offices. “Kami’y lubos na nagpapasalamat naman sa PIA dahil sa unang pagkakataon ay pinagsama-sama nila ang mga ahensya ng pamahalaan upang dalhin dine sa aming barangay. Sa ngalan po ng aming Kapitana ay lubos ang aming pasasalamat at kahit na malayo kami sa bayan ay pinuntahan niyo po kami,” Barangay Councilor Gemma Carena Magsino said. (AS/JBG/ PIA MIMAROPA-Oriental Mindoro)

By Bhaby De Castro   LUNGSOD NG BATANGAS, Pilipinas (PIA)—Matagumpay na isinagawa ang magkatuwang na pagbababa ng iba’t-ibang serbisyong pampubliko mula sa Capitol on Wheels na hatid ng Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ng Batangas at Ease of Doing Business Grand Fair ng Anti-Red Tape Authority(ARTA) na ginanap sa New Calaca People’s Hall sa Calaca City Global College noong ika-18 ng Mayo. Libong Calacazens ang nakinabang sa mga serbisyong medikal kung saan may 1,258 ang kabuuang naserbisyuhan sa Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, OB-GYN, serbisyong dental, libreng tuli at minor surgey. Nagkaroon din ng libreng x-ray, ECG, RBS, hemoglobin, blood typing, dengue NS1, pregnancy test, HIV Testing, Syphilis testing at urinalysis. Alinsabay nito, napagkalooban din ang 420 scholars mula sa naturang lungsod ng educational assistance na nagkakahalaga ng P5K bawat isa. Iba’t-ibang mga uri naman ng pananim na gulay ang naipamahagi ng Office of the Provincial Agriculturist katuwang ang Department of Agriculture tulad ng pechay, mustasa,okra,labanos at sitaw. Upang mapalawig ang oportunidad at mas mapatatag ang kabuhayan ng mga kooperatiba, nagkaloob din ang Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ng serbisyo para sa Balayan Agriculture Cooperative gayundin sa 137 Individual Livelihood Assistance applicants. Ayon kay Fel Favorito, isang senior citizen sa naturang lungsod, malaki ang kanilang pasaalamat sa paglalapit ng mga serbisyong ito sa kanila. “Mas madali matapos angmga pangangailangan namin tulad sa pagrerehistro sa Philhealth YAKAP at pag-uupdate sa SSS dahil sila na mismo ang pumunta dito, hindi na naming kailangang mag-sadya sa kanilang mga tanggapan at mamasahe. Mas maalwan para sa mag tulad namin na senior citizen,”ani Favorito. Sa bahagi naman ng National Government Agencies, nagkaloob din ang mga ito ng iba’t-ibang serbisyo batay sa pangangailangan ng mga mamamayan kung saan kabilang sa mga nakilahok dito ang Philhealth, Social Security System(SSS), Pag-IBIG Fund, Philippine Statistics Authority(PSA), Land Transportation Office(LTO), Department of Trade and Industry(DTI), Bureau of Internal Revenue(BIR), National Bureau of Investigation(NBI), Professional Regulation Commission(PRC), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration(OWWA), Department of Science and Technology(DOST), Department of Labor and Employment(DOLE),Cooperative Development Academy(CDA), Department of Information and Communications Technology(DICT), Department of Agrarian Reform(DAR) at ARTA.   Ayon kay ARTA Sec. Ernesto Perez, ang EODB Grand Fair sa pakikipagtuwang sa Capitol on Wheels ay isang programa hindi lamang upang ipagdiwang ang Ease of Doing Business Month kunsi upang iparamdam sa mga kababayang Batangueno na ang pamahalaan ang lumalapit sa tao. Ito ay batay na din sa direktiba ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos na dapat lahat ng Pilipino ay mabigyan ng tama at sapat na serbisyo. “Sama sama po tayong magtulungan para sa isang mas produktibo at transparent na bagong Pilipinas. Kasabay ng ating pagtupad sa ating mandato para maging mas accountable sa publiko,”ani Perez.(MPDC-PIA Batangas)

By Dennis Nebrejo   BOAC, Marinduque, Philippines (PIA) — Authorities have returned 11 endangered coconut crabs to their natural habitat on Gaspar Island in Barangay Pinggan, Gasan town, after a resident allegedly attempted to sell the protected species to an undercover operative. According to Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Marinduque Provincial Fishery Officer Joel G. Malabanan, the operation stemmed from information relayed by the Maritime Police regarding an individual from Gaspar Island, who was allegedly selling coconut crabs (Birgus latro), a species considered endangered. “The Maritime Police informed me that an individual from Gaspar Island attempted to sell 11 coconut crabs, which are considered an endangered species,” Malabanan said in an interview with PIA. Acting on the report, the Maritime Police conducted an entrapment operation in the morning of May 14 in coordination with personnel from the Gasan Municipal Police Station to verify the complaint. During the buy-bust operation, authorities arrested a male suspect inside his residence in Barangay Pinggan, where the transaction involving the sale of the captured crabs allegedly took place. Malabanan said the confiscated coconut crabs had a combined weight of nearly four kilograms and were reportedly being sold for P800 per kilogram. Under Section 102, paragraphs A and B of Republic Act No. 10654, the catching, possession, transport, sale, or exportation of rare, threatened, or endangered aquatic species carries administrative liabilities, including fines amounting to five times the value of the confiscated species or ranging from P500,000 to P5 million, whichever is higher, along with confiscation of the catch. Authorities said an investigation into the incident is ongoing while administrative charges are being prepared against the suspect, who remains under police custody. Malabanan also appealed to the public to refrain from catching, selling or harming endangered wildlife species, citing the important role these animals play in maintaining ecological balance. The coconut crab, locally known for its large size and unique appearance, is among the species facing threats from illegal wildlife trade and habitat loss. (DN/AS/JBG/PIA MIMAROPA-Marinduque)

PUERTO GALERA, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines — Puerto Galera continues to demonstrate a strong tourism recovery and sustained growth after the municipality recorded high tourist arrivals during the first four months of 2026. Based on data from the Municipal Tourism Office, nearly 150,000 tourist arrivals were recorded from January to April 2026, showing continued growth compared to the same period in 2024 and 2025. Tourism arrivals in 2026 surpassed the figures recorded in 2025 and showed a significant increase from 2024, reflecting the municipality’s steadily improving tourism performance in recent years. The highest number of arrivals this year was recorded in April with close to 60,000 visitors, highlighting the continued influx of tourists during the peak summer season. The latest figures also show a major improvement compared to the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, when travel restrictions and health protocols significantly affected tourism activities nationwide. Since the gradual reopening of tourism in 2022, Puerto Galera has continued to experience steady growth in visitor arrivals, with tourism numbers consistently improving each year. Despite ongoing global economic challenges and the effects of the continuing conflict in the Middle East, Puerto Galera’s tourism industry has remained resilient, with travelers continuing to choose the municipality for leisure, adventure, and summer getaways. According to Vice Mayor Rocky D. Ilagan, the increase in tourist arrivals can be attributed to ongoing infrastructure developments, especially those funded by TIEZA, continuous tourism promotions, major tourism-related events, improved accessibility, and the collaborative efforts of the local government and tourism stakeholders in ensuring a safe, organized, and enjoyable experience for visitors. Under the leadership of Mayor Robinhood D. Ylagan and the local government unit of Puerto Galera, efforts remain focused on maintaining a meaningful experience, cleanliness, peace and order, and world-class hospitality, key factors that continue to make Puerto Galera a favorite destination among both local and international tourists. (PIO Puerto Galera)

By Danny Estacio   LUCENA CITY, Philippines  – The Sanguniang Barangay 8 of this city distributed to legitimate tricycle drivers with franchises fuel cash assistance on Wednesday, May 13, in this city. Village chairman Saymon Dy personally released the cash subsidy to the tricycle drivers at the barangay covered court. The fund was allocated by the Barangay council in support of their residents’ tricycle drivers. May this small amount of aid help you in your daily work and continue to support your efforts for your family and community, said Dy. Dy added that the program of the Sangguniang Barangay 8 is part of continued service and assistance to the residents. Recipients expressed thanks to Dy and the members of Sanguniang Barangay for their concern because of high petroleum prices.