Latest News and Updates in the Philippines

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has suspended the proclamation of former Social Welfare and Development Secretary Erwin Tulfo as ACT-CIS party-list’s nominee next-in-line.In a statement released on Wednesday evening, the poll body said the seven-man panel decided to suspend the proclamation after receiving a petition seeking to disq…

DUMAGUETE CITY – Former members of the New People’s Army in Negros Oriental province who have reintegrated into mainstream society are now embracing a new life as entrepreneurs.The former rebels received Tuesday night their livelihood kits – layering chicken packages – from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) during a small ceremony at t…

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday renewed the Philippines’ “strong and sincere” friendship with Malaysia.In his toast remarks during the official dinner hosted for Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Marcos said the Malaysian leader’s visit to Manila is a reaffirmation of the two nations’ commitment to strengthen their bi…

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday urged fellow Filipinos to support urban farming initiatives to help his administration in addressing threats to food security.Marcos made the call, as he lauded the collaborative efforts of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in la…

MANILA – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) will expedite the use of modern technology in fighting all crimes in the country.In a statement on Wednesday, DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said modern technology will also be utilized to recruit more police officers and review laws pe…

MANILA – There is no need to ask for special powers to ease inflation, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Wednesday, noting that several interventions are already in place to manage the prices of basic commodities.Marcos made the remark a day after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported that the country’s headline inflation could surpa…

COTABATO CITY – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) remains committed to the peace deal it signed with the national government, including the decommissioning of its combatants, a top Bangsamoro region official said Wednesday.

Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim issued the remarks after four of f…

MANILA – Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer has bagged a service agreement to provide support for the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) fleet of six A-29 "Super Tucano" attack aircraft."Staying close to our customers and supporting them in their missions is core to what we do,” Rinaldo Piubeli Prado, vice president of Worldwide Def…

MANILA – The Philippines has been identified as Airbnb’s second-largest women-powered host community in the world, with Filipinas making up 65 percent of its hosts in the country.Mich Goh, Airbnb’s head of public policy for Southeast Asia, said Tuesday that hosts who self-identify as women generated about PHP2.5 billion in 2022 alone.“Women hosts …

TRENTON, Ontario – Canada banned TikTok from all government devices Monday for security reasons and it could be the start of a further crackdown, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said."This may be a first step, it may be the only step we need to take, but every step of the way we’re going to be making sure that we’re keeping Canadians safe,"…

DUMAGUETE CITY – Four former rebels (FRs) of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in Negros Oriental province are the first recipients of the Department of Labor and Employment's (DOLE) chicken egg-laying project for this year.DOLE-Negros Oriental provincial officer-in-charge Maria Theresa Tanquiamco told the Phil…

ANKARA – Argentine superstar Lionel Messi was named the Best FIFA Men's Player of 2022 during The Best FIFA Football Awards 2022 at Salle Pleyel in Paris, France on Monday.The 35-year-old clinched the prestigious award for the third time after 2009 and 2019 in front of his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid's French…

MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) is looking at the possibility of integrating its maritime units with the Philippine Navy (PN) and the Philippine Coast Guard in a bid to strengthen the government’s maritime law enforcement capability.PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said their maritime units' patrols will focus near the shoreline…

MANILA – The Official Gazette has launched a mobile app to make reading government issuances and other announcements easier to read."The Official Gazette is pleased to announce the launch of the PCO Official Gazette mobile app, a tool designed to provide convenient access to government issuances and announcements," the Official Gazette s…

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Armed Forces of the Philippines has deployed 389 additional soldiers to pursue the remaining leaders and members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Sulu province, a top military official said Monday.

Maj. Gen. Ignatius Patrimonio, Joint Task Force-Sulu commander, said the additional force belongs to the Infantry Orientation Cour…

MANILA – The Philippine government continues to provide assistance to Filipinos affected by the earthquake in southeast Turkey, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported Monday.In a statement, the DFA said the Philippine Embassy in Ankara, led by Ambassador Maria Elena Algabre, has completed its second relief and evacuation mission to Adana…

BAGUIO CITY – With over 50,000 visitors who flocked Baguio City to witness the return of the Panagbenga Festival, the Department of Tourism (DOT) teems with the hope that the City of Pines will lead the country towards post-pandemic recovery.In a speech at the Burnham Park Grandstand after the grand float parade on Sunday, DOT Secretary Christina …

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday led the launch of the “Kadiwa ng Pangulo” program at the Cebu Provincial Capitol grounds in Cebu City, the rebranded version of the “Kadiwa ng Pasko” bazaar that sells food and agricultural products at a cheaper price.In his speech, Marcos underscored the importance of extending the program beyo…

MANILA – The northeast monsoon or "amihan" will bring rain showers across Luzon and most of the Visayas on Monday, the weather bureau said.

In its 4 a.m. weather bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said areas that would experience rain showers are Cagayan Valley, Cordillera …

BAGUIO CITY – An estimated 48,000 to 50,000 people converged here on Sunday to witness Cordillera’s unique heritage displayed through Panagbenga Festival 2023, particularly the grand float parade which is the highlight of the famous event.The crowd estimate was provided by the Baguio City Police Office, according to a statement of Evangeline Payno…

MANILA – House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Sunday said he would propose to Malacañang a “one-strike policy” against non-performing collectors of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs.

Collectors who fail to meet their revenue targets should be removed from their posts and replaced by competent ones to ensure collection efficienc…

MANILA – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is boosting efforts to ensure that the Philippines has a pool of highly skilled and educated workforce as more foreign investors decide to do business in the country.In a Bagong Pilipinas episode aired Saturday, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma bared that the DOLE is providing workers with …

MANILA – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said Sunday that USD4.349 billion (about PHP239 billion) worth of investment projects under the Marcos administration are now in the implementation stage.DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. directed him to ensure that the investment pledges are followed through.“A…

BAGUIO CITY – After a three-year hiatus, the revival of the Panagbenga Festival this year is proving this city's resilience from any calamity, the same reason why it was conceptualized nearly 30 years ago."After the killer earthquake in 1990, we thought of a festival that the people of Baguio can participate in and they can own which also…

MANILA— Eight Filipinos deceived into working for an online scamming and catfishing (creating fake identity) syndicate in Cambodia were repatriated to Manila on Saturday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.The DFA said they were rescued by the Cambodian National Police in Oddar Meanchey and Kampot provinces and investigated by the Anti-C…

SAN CARLOS CITY, Pangasinan – Some 42 out of the 74 villages in this city have established their own Farmers Field Schools (FFS) that are aiding the city in the maintenance of farms as well as in the management of pests.City Agriculturist Estrellita Jacaban said in an interview on Saturday that the FFS use biological control (biocon) agents to pro…

NEW YORK – President Joe Biden announced Friday that the US will provide up to USD50 million in aid to refugees affected by the Feb. 6 twin earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.Biden authorized Secretary of State Antony Blinken to provide the funds to meet the urgent needs of refugees affected by earthquakes.To meet unexpected refugee and immigration …

MANILA – Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman George Garcia said authorities have yet to record any untoward incident during the special polls in the 7th District of Cavite.“So far, based on our initial assessment with us and the Philippine National Police (PNP), we do not see any untoward incidents. Also based on the monitoring of our actio…

MANILA – Nine confidential informants received cash rewards totaling PHP7.96 million from the Philippine National Police (PNP) for helping law enforcers arrest nine most wanted persons, including members of the New People’s Army (NPA), a police official said on Saturday.PNP Director for Intelligence Maj. Benjamin Acorda Jr. presented the cash rewa…

MANILA – The northeast monsoon or “amihan” will affect most of Luzon on Saturday, bringing overcast skies and some rains.In its 4 a.m. weather bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the “amihan” will bring cloudy skies with rains to the Cagayan Valley and Cordillera regions, as well…