00:00 The Philippines experiences an average of 20 earthquakes daily.
00:04 Meanwhile, senior citizens will receive a monthly allowance of a thousand pesos starting next month.
00:10 This and more stories in tonight's national news roundup by Soojin Kim.
00:15 The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology or PHIVOCS reports that the country records an average of at least 20 earthquakes each day,
00:26 with four to five of those having perceivable tremors.
00:29 In a year, the number of earthquakes roughly range from 100 to 150.
00:34 In the last 400 years, a hundred of them considered destructive.
00:38 Active faults in the country include the East and West Valley Fault, the North Bohol Fault, and the Cotabato Fault, among others.
00:45 Beginning February, a thousand pesos will be provided and distributed as monthly stipend for senior citizens who are sick, have a disability, or have no permanent source of income and support.
00:57 There are more than 4 million indigent senior citizens covered by the Social Pension Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development or DSWD.
01:06 Meanwhile, DSWD Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez reaffirmed that the budget for the increased social pensions for indigent senior citizens had been integrated with the agency's annual budget.
01:18 The social pension is meant to relieve a substantial amount of their daily and medical expenses.
01:24 This is in accordance with the Republic Act 11916 or the Act Increasing the Social Pension of Indigent Senior Citizens.
01:32 The Philippine National Police, in its effort to ensure a drug-free police force, has been conducting drug tests at random.
01:39 Of late, six police officers have tested positive for illegal drug use.
01:43 PNP Chief General Benjamin Acorda Jr. said that the appropriate actions will be taken against the personnel who tested positive and that their acts of misconduct will not be tolerated within the PNP.
01:55 The PNP is resolute in its goal of upholding and maintaining integrity and credibility in the war against illegal drugs.
02:02 Soojin Kim, for The Nation.
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