00:00A blue and somber Thursday evening to all, your mournful and homegrown host here for PTV News Now.
00:09Kick-starting our set of stories tonight.
00:12Late November last year, a grumpy vice president, Sara Duterte, ripped the government she's a part of over its inability or failure to make good on a campaign promise of a 20 pesos per kilo of rice to Filipino consumers.
00:25Yesterday, Aggie Chief Secretary Francisco Tulaurel Jr. announced the kickoff for the distribution of really cheap rice at 20 pesos a kilo, which the president promised during his stump for the presidency in 2022.
00:39The long-awaited and past-due debut of the 20 peso kilo of rice earlier today in the Visayas region comes at the heels of a face-off between the DA and provincial governors in the Visayas.
00:51A really positive development the farming community welcomed, but had the impeached vice president going bipolar and immediately denouncing the news as nothing but pure deception and gimmickry to cultivate false hopes among Filipinos.
01:06Still, Aggie Chief Secretary Francisco Tulaurel Jr. validated his statements yesterday by citing enough stocks of NFA rice are in storage in warehouses in the Visayas to warrant the pilot distribution that would gradually cover the entire nation before 2028.
01:23For its part, Malacan Young urged all leaders to join hands and do their part to bring to fruition this seemingly impossible initiative the president and his administration has been working so hard to attain amid the challenges brought about by the headwinds of inflation, production costs, and a volatile global market.
01:42And turning to global news, Pope Francis, who picked the Philippines as among the first set of countries for his pastoral visits, is adored and beloved in Asia's most predominantly Christian nation.
01:56And the turnout of Catholics to see and hear him in all the places he visited was massive, culminating in a mammoth crowd of 67 million who came over to join in an open-air celebration of the liturgy in Rizal Park on a rain-drenched Sunday afternoon.
02:12So it comes as no surprise why the president earlier today declared a period of national mourning until this weekend when the beloved pope is laid to rest in Vatican City's Basilica Santa Maria de Maggiore.
02:25As such, government buildings here and abroad will fly the Philippine flag at half-mast in honor and loving memory of Pope Francis.
02:33The president and first lady are set to depart from Rome and the Vatican for the funeral of Pope Francis, who is also the president's counterpart as the head and chief executive of the Vatican City State.
02:45Now, at this juncture, let's lend our eyes and ears to my colleague in PTV's Pine City Studios for what's hot and happening in the Cordilleras.
02:56Brothers, brothers?
02:57Naibag-arabiin.
02:58Naibag-arabiin.
02:59Pimusay titalo alalaki, Ijay Puruk 7, San Julián, Tabuk City, Kalinga, kalpasan ang maatapaan na kirinupakda ka nagiti saan pay ang nabigdig nga individual.
03:10Nagiti biktima katadaan itiligal nga edad.
03:12Can residente itibasaw, Dilag, Tabuk City.
03:15Natanunan dagiti polis, dagiti biktima, anak adasay itiigiti kalsada nga adan itiigam.
03:20Naala itiigot dagiti Pimusay tito ang M16 rifle kenmaysa a shotgun.
03:26Itiimbestigasyon, mapatapataan na kirin nangit dagiti biktima kontra kanagiti saan pay ang nabigbig nga armadong na individual.
03:33Lima pulo ang metro tikadayun na itibalay timay sa kagawad, aginga ang nagturong na iti amyanan na pasepte ili ang nakasarakan kanagiti bangkaida.
