Bangsamoro
President Marcos has appointed former Interior and Local Government chief Mel Senen Sarmiento as presidential adviser on peace, reconciliation and unity, replacing Carlito Galvez Jr. who has retired. Galvez said he is stepping down to attend to his wife's health and spend more time with his family. Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro stated that Sarmiento's background well equips him for the role.
Imeripotiwa na AI
Building on prior sessions at TRAC and MSU-Tawi-Tawi, the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) conducted morning and afternoon voter education sessions on April 12 in Tawi-Tawi for the 2026 BARMM elections. Students from History, Education, Business Management, and Political Science engaged in discussions on the BARMM parliamentary system and electoral challenges like vote-buying and disinformation.
The Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2) released its top 10 findings for 2025, highlighting widespread functional illiteracy affecting 24 million Filipinos and the ongoing exclusion of millions of children with disabilities from basic services.
Imeripotiwa na AI
An independent monitor has warned that violent extremism remains a serious threat in the Philippines despite military operations weakening ISIS-linked groups. The alert follows investigations into a December mass shooting in Sydney by gunmen who had visited southern Mindanao. The watchdog cites rising youth recruitment and increased clashes in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.