00:03A delightful Thursday evening to all of you, this is Patrick De Azulz who's pleased to bring you PTV News
00:10Now.
00:11And we kick off tonight's top stories.
00:14President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led the inauguration of the Hibulangan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project in Villaba, Leyte,
00:24the affirming support for Filipino farmers.
00:26The dam, completed in June 2025, now holds 9.01 million cubic meters of water after undergoing testing and preparations
00:37ahead of the second cropping season.
00:40It is expected to irrigate nearly 2,750 hectares of farmland and benefit over 1,800 farmers, significantly increasing agricultural
00:51productivity and income.
00:54Beyond irrigation, the reservoir also opens opportunities for ecotourism, renewable energy, flood control, and aquaculture development.
01:08The Department of Agriculture is exploring additional funding to cushion farmers and fishers from surging global oil and fertilizer prices
01:18with a total requirement of P96.1 billion.
01:22Agriculture Secretary Francisco Chulaurel Jr. said P28 billion is already available, leaving a funding gap of about P68 billion,
01:34which has been approved in principle by the President's Uplift Committee.
01:40Around P45 billion of the required amount has been committed, with the bulk of funds allocated for fuel and fertilizer
01:50subsidies across key sectors.
01:53The livestock, fisheries, and rice industries are set to receive the largest shares to help ease production costs and sustain
02:02food supply.
02:05He is one of the handful in the U.S. bureaucracy hated by both the right and the left.
02:12U.S. President Donald Trump loathes him for presiding over the investigation on Trump and his links to Russia during
02:20the 2016 elections, which he won.
02:23And by Hillary Clinton and the Democrats for letters sent by Comey to the U.S. Congress expounding on Hillary's
02:31careless use of a private email server for her electronic correspondence,
02:36which led to her defeat in the 2016 presidential polls.
02:41Barely 48 hours have passed since the Justice Department indicted the former FBI chief on a cryptic message of seashells
02:50on the sand,
02:51which reads 86-47.
02:54An alleged message insinuating U.S. President Donald Trump must be assassinated or killed,
03:0286 being a restaurant term for cancelling an order,
03:05and 47 being Trump as America's 47th president.
03:11Comey has since surrendered to the Justice Department and awaits trial,
03:15which many law experts say is such a weak and frivolous charge.
03:23So that's a wrap for tonight's show.
03:26Join us anew next weeknight for another round of stories here and abroad, breaking at the hour.
03:34And remember to always stay connected by catching the news right here.
03:38I'm Patrick DeSus, wishing you all a restful night ahead and thank you for watching PTV News Now.
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