Senator Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian on Wednesday said the salary increase for public school teachers is already overdue and should be the priority of the next administration.

Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts, and Culture, is pushing to raise the salary of Teacher I from Salary Grade 11 (PHP25,439) to Salary Grade 13 (PHP29,798) or Salary Grade 14 (PHP32,321).

Some five cities in the National Capital Region (NCR) have logged zero new coronavirus cases on April 19, the OCTA Research Group said Wednesday.

Over Twitter, OCTA Research Group fellow Dr. Guido David said the five cities are Malabon, Muntinlupa, Pasig, Navotas, and Valenzuela.

The increase in Covid-19 cases in 14 areas under Alert Level 1 may be temporary upticks only, OCTA Research Group said Wednesday.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Wednesday reported initial 11,279 houses were damaged by Tropical Depression Agaton in eight regions, which battered a large part of the country last week.

These areas are in Regions 5,6,7,8, 10, 11, 12, and the Caraga.

“It is an easy thing for one whose foot is on the outside of calamity to give advice and to rebuke the sufferer.”

—Aeschylus

“If we desire a society of peace, then we cannot achieve such a society through violence. If we desire a society without discrimination, then we must not discriminate against anyone in the process of building this society. If we desire a society that is democratic, then democracy must become a means as well as an end.”

—Bayard Rustin

Philippines' Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the need to exercise restraint to maintain peace in the South China Sea, Manila's presidential office said on Saturday.

The two leaders held an hour-long telephone summit on Friday, discussing a broad range of topics including concerns over the Ukraine crisis and COVID-19 pandemic responses.

Japan and the Philippines agreed on Saturday to consider further expanding defence cooperation against a backdrop of regional tensions and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The meeting in Tokyo of the two Asian nations' foreign and defence ministers was the first in the "2+2" format between the key U.S. allies.