Dateline Kamuning: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to speed up the distribution of Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs) to qualified farmer-beneficiaries. Marcos issued the order during the Cabinet meeting when DAR presented its accomplishment report for 2022 and targets for 2023. DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III assured the chief executive they will bring government programs to farmer-beneficiaries, according to a news release of the Presidential Communications Office. “For 2023, DAR will deliver as expected and we will continue to bring government closer to the people,” Estrella said.     During his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July 2022, Marcos vowed to provide support services, implement land distribution and improve the living conditions of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs). Among the targets of DAR this year is the complete subdivision of about 34,500 collective CLOA involving 345,089 hec

Dateline Kamuning: The number of Philippine-educated nurses that took US licensure exam for the first time in 2022 was the highest in 14 years A total of 18,617 nursing graduates from the Philippines took the US licensure examination for the first time in 2022, in hopes of practicing their profession in America, Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo, vice chairperson of the House committee on higher and technical education, said in a news release on Sunday. “In 2022, we had the highest number of Philippine-educated nurses taking the NCLEX in 14 years, in terms of first-time takers,” Rillo said, citing figures from the US National Council of State Boards of Nursing Inc. (USNCSBN).   The USNCSBN administers the National Council Licensure Examination, or the NCLEX, for registered nurses in America. The 18,617 represents a surge of 90 percent compared to the 9,788 Filipino nursing graduates that took the NCLEX for the first time in 2021, without counting repeaters, Rillo said. “The numb

Dateline Kamuning:     The Department of National Defense congratulated the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for its excellent public satisfaction rating for 2022, as reported by the recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) Survey. "On behalf of the entire One Defense Team, I proudly and warmly congratulate our Armed Forces for once again garnering the unequivocal support of the Filipino people with their performance," Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. said.     In the December 2022 survey of the SWS, the AFP achieved an "excellent +76" net score for its performance, an increase of nine (9) points from the net of +67 in December 2021. Conducted with 1,200 adult respondents, the SWS survey also showed the AFP maintaining high confidence scores in addressing internal and external threats to the country's peace and stability. "Amid the complex challenges to our national security, the AFP continues to rise to the occasion and serve the people with integ

Dateline Kamuning  The Philippine Army conducted a blessing ceremony for the Ammunition Dump (Igloo-Type) at the Headquarters Armor Division, Camp O'Donnell, Brgy. Sta. Lucia, Capas, Tarlac last January 25, 2023. Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner, Jr., said that the newly-built ammo dump will help in packaging properly and safely all various weapon ammunitions to avoid ammo wastage in the Army. The facility will be used by the military to have ready access to supplies when needed.     Likewise, Gen Brawner expressed that the Army will continue to provide and support the command’s modern warfare assets to improve the capacity of the Armor “Pambato” Division of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. (PA)