00:00Today on Rappler
00:08The Local Water Utilities Administration, or LUA, investigates prime water services in Luzon.
00:20DAPED begins the revised K-12 curriculum's implementation.
00:24Learning materials are now back on classroom walls, reversing Vice President Sato Duterte's 2023 order.
00:29And, police arrest a suspect in the killing of a top Minnesota lawmaker.
00:36Rust-tasting, foul-smelling, and sandy are how residents describe water coming out of their taps in areas serviced by prime water.
00:44The Local Water Utilities Administration interviewed residents in prime water concessionaires in Luzon, where most of its contracts are.
00:51President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a nationwide investigation into the Villar-owned water firm, which is nearly 100 joint venture agreements with water districts nationwide.
01:02Most of Prime Water's deals were closed during President Rodrigo Duterte's administration when Senator Mark Villar was Public Works Secretary.
01:09LUA personnel visited and inspected Santa Rosa Laguna and discovered gritty sand from the water.
01:15In Lucena, Quezon, residents complain of dirty, foul-smelling, and brownish water.
01:20Residents in Tayabas and Pagbilao, Quezon say their water services have worsened, and the quality and reliability drastically declined since prime water took over.
01:28Meantime, in Central Luzon, residents in Mabalakat, Pampanga, and Gapan, Nueva Ecija complain their tap water tastes and smells rusty, and some report a fishy odor from the faucet.
01:39In La Union and Pangasinan, residents complain about zero to minimal water service for the better part of the day.
01:45LUA Administrator Jose Salonga earlier said Prime Water already submitted a catch-up plan to improve the services.
01:52San Jose del Monte Bulacan had already pre-terminated the joint venture agreement, although the legalities remain uncertain.
01:59The Philippines begins the new academic year with a revised K-12 program's pilot implementation and 889 schools nationwide.
02:09The original program added two years to the country's basic education system and has drawn criticism stemming from inadequate resources, high costs for parents, and poor quality of education.
02:20Under the revised program, core subjects to be taken by all grade 11 students have been reduced from 15 per semester to 5 per year.
02:27This follows a DepEd review that found the curriculum too congested and lacking focus on students' core competencies.
02:35Education Secretary Sonny Angara acknowledged it will still be a difficult year for the sector, citing a shortage of 165,000 classrooms nationwide.
02:44The DepEd expects some 27 million students to be enrolled for school year 2025 to 2026 in over 47,000 public schools nationwide.
02:53The Education Department reverses the order of its former chief, Vice President Sara Duterte, and allows teachers to display decorations, including learning materials, on classroom walls.
03:06DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara says on Monday, June 16, that although the policy has not been officially repealed, the department has not been strictly enforcing it.
03:14Because the other schools that they want, that's the expression of the children. I think we have bigger problems.
03:20In August 2023, Duterte issued an order directing schools to ensure that classrooms, walls, and other facilities remain clean and free of artwork, decorations, tarpaulins, and posters at all times.
03:33The order drew criticism from groups who argue that instructional materials and other visual aids are part of the learning process.
03:39Duterte resigned in June 2024.
03:43The return of classroom decorations was welcomed by teachers.
03:47The suspect in the latest high-profile political violence in the U.S. was arrested Sunday, June 15.
03:53Vance Luther Belter, the suspect in the killing of Minnesota Democrat State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, was apprehended following a manhunt.
04:02Belter also allegedly shot and wounded another Democratic lawmaker, State Senator John Hoffman, and his wife at their home.
04:09Minnesota Governor Tim Walsh says the violence was a politically motivated assassination.
04:14Walsh says Hoffman is recovering after his last surgery.
04:17He was hit by nine bullets.
04:19Authorities discovered three AK-47 rifles, a 9mm handgun, and a list of public officials and their addresses.
04:26Public records reviewed by Reuters reveal he has links to evangelical ministries.
04:31Belter was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder.
04:36Three of the charges are punishable with jail terms of up to 40 years.
04:42And that's today's wrap.
04:43I'm Cara Oliver.
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