Philippine News

MANILA, Philippines, May 3 ------ It was good while it lasted. Just fresh from its runner-up finish in the PVL All-Filipino Conference, Cignal has stepped away after a five-year journey in the league that resulted into three runner-up performances and five third-place efforts. “This is to officially announce that the Cignal Super Spikers, women’s volleyball team has filed a leave of absence in the Premier Volleyball League,” said the team in a statement. “This difficult deci

May 3 ------ At a defining moment for Filipino music globally, ABS-CBN announces a joint venture between ABS-CBN Music and ABS-CBN Global, bringing together ABS-CBN Music International (AMI) — a strategic expansion designed to bring Filipino talent from across the globe to the world stage while connecting global talent back to the Philippines. The launch follows the breakout success of culturally-defining pop supergroup, BINI, whose highly anticipated and watched debut at Coa

MANILA, May 3 ------ The government has assured the public that prices of basic necessities and prime commodities will remain unchanged until May 10, as part of ongoing efforts to shield consumers from the impact of rising global fuel costs. Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Undersecretary Joseph Capuno said Wednesday the price stability commitment, relayed by the Department of Trade and Industry, forms part of coordinated interventions under the UPLIF

May 3 ------ Authorities have raised the threat level off Somalia’s coast to “substantial” following a surge in piracy incidents between 21 and 26 April 2026. Taken together, these incidents point to a coordinated resurgence of piracy activity across both the Somali coast and adjacent waters, affecting multiple vessel types including fishing boats, tankers, and merchant shipping. The pattern of hijackings, armed approaches, and attempted boardings over a short period suggests

TOKYO, May 3 ------ Japan's House of Representatives passed a bill to raise the ceiling on fees for immigration procedures, making it likely to be enacted during the current parliamentary session ending in July. The amendment to the immigration control and refugee recognition law was approved by a majority vote at a plenary meeting of the lower chamber of the Diet, with backing from the Liberal Democratic Party-led ruling camp and opposition parties, including the Democratic

MANILA, May 3 ------ The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to help overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) earn college degrees faster by recognizing their years of work experience. In an interview during the MOA signing for the implementation of the Lifelong Learning Education Assistance Program for OFWs (LEAP-OFWs) in Quezon City on Wednesday, OWWA chief Patricia Yvonne “PY” Caunan sa

MANILA, May 3 ------ The Gilas Pilipinas Under-18 team will play in the 19th Filoil Ecooil Preseason Cup, which starts on May 17. This will serve as part of the Gilas Youth's preparations for the FIBA U18 Asia Cup SEABA Qualifiers in Krabi, Thailand. "It's our immense honor to welcome our national team to the premier preseason league," said league chairman Virgil Villavicencio. "This is our own little way of helping the Gilas Youth program prepare for battle, equipping them w

May 3 ------ Legendary singer and actress Bituin Escalante will take on the titular role of Yemaya/Inay in the upcoming theatrical production of “Yemaya,” which is scheduled to open on June 13. Theater production company 9 Works Theatrical announced in a press statement that Escalante will be the anchor of the upcoming play, a Filipino translation of Quiara Alegria Hudes’ “Yemaya’s Belly.” A Gawad Buhay awardee, Escalante is notable for her performances in “Himala Isang Musik

MELBOURNE, Australia, May 3 ------ Australia has proposed taxing digital giants Meta, Google and TikTok a proportion of their revenue to pay for news reporters. The government released draft legislation it intends to introduce to Parliament by July 2 that would create a financial incentive for social media companies to strike deals with news organizations to pay for journalism. The platforms’ criticisms included that the proposal was a “digital services tax” that misundersto

May 3 ------ Not every risk at sea can be measured, but in shipping a route still has to be chosen. Behind every route recommendation is a human judgement call. While weather and performance can be calculated with precision, other risks exist beyond the reach of data, forcing decisions to be made in an unavoidable grey area. In recent weeks, routing decisions in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea have carried a different kind of weight. A route that appears optimal on paper

WASHINGTON/DUBAI/ISLAMABAD, May 2 ------ Donald Trump discussed how to mitigate the impact of a possible months-long US blockade of Iran's ports with oil companies, a White House official said, as the US president urged Tehran to "get smart soon" and sign a deal. Tuesday's talks with oil executives followed a deadlock in efforts to resolve the conflict, which has led the United States to try to squeeze Iran's oil exports with a naval blockade aimed at forcing it to reopen the

MANILA, May 2 ------ The Civil Aeronautics Board has slightly lowered the fuel surcharge level for the first half of May to Level 18 from Level 19. This is expected to slightly lower the cost of flight for airline passengers from May 1-15. Currently, Level 19 means domestic passengers’ fuel surcharges can range from P627 to P1,834. For international passengers, meanwhile, surcharges can range from P2,070.77 to P15,397.15. But at Level 18, the surcharge goes down to between P5

May 2 ------ Jessica Sanchez is set to collaborate with fellow birit queen, Morissette, on the single “Stronger Than Before.” In a teaser on Instagram, the two singers flexed their vocal chops to the pop song. According to the "America's Got Talent" winner, the song is “so deeply special” to her, saying, “This is a reminder that no matter what life brings, we can rise, heal, and come back even stronger.” Jessica added how honored she is to have worked with Morissette, whom sh

May 2 ------ BIMCO has published its latest Dry Bulk Shipping Market Overview & Outlook, highlighting key supply and demand trends alongside the impact of the Strait of Hormuz disruption on the market. According to Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO, the Iran war and the resulting disruptions to ship transits through the Strait of Hormuz have increased uncertainty for both the global economy and the dry bulk market. Around 4% of dry bulk cargoes and ton mile d

May 2 ------ THE Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) has unveiled an initial pool of 27 players for the 2026 AVC Women’s Cup set June 6 to 14 in Candon City, leaning on a mix of Alas Pilipinas mainstays and fresh faces from the PVL, UAAP, NCAA, and overseas. PNVF president Tony Boy Liao did not provide SPIN.ph an official copy of the list when requested, instead pointing to “press releases” circulated to select media outlets. The list offers a clear glimpse of th

BRUSSELS, Belgium, May 2 ------ Meta Platforms’ Facebook and Instagram were charged with breaching landmark EU tech rules and must do more to block children under 13 from accessing the social networks, EU regulators said. The charges or so-called preliminary findings under the Digital Services Act, which requires Big Tech to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content on their platforms, came after a two-year investigation by the European Commission. Meta, which said it dis

MANILA, May 2 ------ The Philippine Army (PA) and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) are looking to deepen cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) and external security operations (ESO). PA vice commander Maj. Gen. Efren Morados and JGSDF vice chief of staff Lt. Gen. Tokunaga Katsuhiko affirmed the strong bilateral ties between the two ground forces during the Japanese military official's visit to Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, following the

May 2 ------ European Union countries agreed on Friday to keep pushing for a global price on shipping's CO2 emissions in U.N. talks next week, setting up another potential clash with the United States over the proposal. Governments at the International Maritime Organization decided last year to postpone the climate plan by a year, after the Trump administration strongly opposed the measure and threatened to impose sanctions and visa restrictions on delegates who supported it.

May 2 ------ Pop superstar Taylor Swift filed trademark applications for two audio clips and one image of herself in what a trademark attorney said is an attempt to protect her voice and likeness from deepfake videos and audio created by artificial intelligence. The applications were filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office on Friday, April 24, and list Swift’s TAS Rights Management as being the owner of the audio clips and image. A spokesperson for Swift did not immedia

MANILA, May 2 ------ The Philippines' hosting of the 7th Asian Beach Games in Cebu in 2028 was made officially, with Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino signing the contract at the Conifer Resort in Sanya, China. Tolentino signed the hosting deal along with OCA President His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani. "We would like to congratulate the Philippines for the hosting of the 7th Asian Beach Games in 2028, in Cebu. Wishing you a pleasa