Philippine News

BEIJING, June 1 ------ China's military and coast guard said they carried out patrols near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, a day after the Philippine defense secretary said Manila remained under threat from Beijing despite a recent easing in US-China tensions. Scarborough Shoal is one of Asia's most contested maritime features and has become a frequent flashpoint between China and the Philippines over sovereignty and fishing rights. The People's Liberation Army's So

MANILA, Philippines, June 1 ------ The Philippines has received 21,000 metric tons (MT) of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shipments from the United States to strengthen energy supply. In a statement, the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) said the LPG shipment was meant to support the country’s emergency stabilization measures and ensure that fuel remains accessible during the current national energy emergency. The PNOC added that the additional 21,000 MT of LPG will reinf

MANILA, Philippines, June 1 ------ Vice President Sara Duterte has until 7 p.m. today to file her formal answer to the Articles of Impeachment. In an advisory, Senate Secretary Jose Luis Montales said Duterte may submit her response from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. personally or through her legal counsel should they not opt for submitting by email. In the event Duterte opts to file the document in person, the Senate has locked down administrative access throughout the building to preven

MALOLOS, Bulacan, Philippines, June 1 ------ The water elevation of Angat Dam, the primary source of potable water for Metro Manila residents, continues to recede, the provincial disaster risk reduction and management office reported. The Bulacan PDRRMO said the dam’s water level was at 172.98 meters as of 6 a.m. yesterday. The record was 7.02 meters below Angat’s minimum operating level of 180 meters and 12.98 meters above its critical level of 160 meters. Sevillo David Jr.,

MANILA, May 31 ------ Japan has pledged to beef up its defense cooperation with the Philippines through the provision of military equipment and technology aimed at enhancing the Philippine forces’ capabilities. The commitment was made after a summit meeting between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo, Japan. In a joint statement, the two nations committed to step up collaboration to facilitate the transfer of defense equipment

MANILA, May 31 ------ Meralco has alerted consumers about a potential increase in power rates the coming June 2026 billing following the series of red alerts in Luzon. The Luzon grid was on red alert from May 13 to May 15 due to a problem in major transmission lines, which caused some generating plants to bog down. The independent electricity market operator of the Philippines said that prices of electricity reached up to P32/kWh during the hours when the red alert was declar

MANILA, May 30 ------ The Department of Energy said there is a high chance of oil price rollback next week. DOE Oil Management Bureau director Rino Abad said the following price decreases may be expected next week based on the four-day trading in the Means of Platts Singapore: • Diesel – P8.00 per liter • Gasoline – P4.00 per liter • Kerosene – P10.00 per liter The director noted however that the energy department has allowed oil companies to submit their price adjustment ran

MANILA, May 30 ------ The Civil Aeronautics Board has slightly lowered the fuel surcharge level for June to Level 13. The fuel surcharge level was at Level 18 from May 1 to 15. This move is expected to lower flight costs for airline passengers from June 1 to 15. For domestic passengers, this means fuel surcharges can range from P423 to P1,237. For international passengers, meanwhile, surcharges can range from P1,396.74 to P10,385.42. CAB also set the forex conversion rate at

TOKYO, Japan, May 29 ------ President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. secured around $3.4 billion or roughly P210 billion in investment commitments from Japanese companies during a high-level business roundtable meeting in Tokyo. The commitments were announced during the President’s meeting with top Japanese business executives at the Imperial Hotel as part of his four-day state visit to Japan. According to the Presidential Communications Office, the investments are expected

MANILA, Philippines, May 29 ------ Sen. Jinggoy Estrada is facing a new charge of plunder, his third, and another case for graft over his alleged involvement in the multibillion-peso flood control scandal. The Office of the Ombudsman charged Estrada, along with former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Manuel Bonoan, before the Sandiganbayan over the alleged P573 million worth of kickbacks from various flood control projects. Others named in the charges

MANILA, Philippines, May 29 ------ Authorities retrieved another dead body from the rubble of the collapsed building in Angeles City, raising the death toll to five. The victim was transported to the City Health Office in Angeles for identification, according to the Angeles City Public Information Office. A cellular phone recovered near the body, which authorities believe belongs to the victim, was also turned over to the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) for investigation

MANILA, May 29 ------ Tropical Storm (TS) Jangmi entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) early Friday and was given the local name Domeng. It is packing maximum sustained winds of 75 km. per hour (kph) near the center, and gustiness of up to 90 kph. The TS was located 1,345 km. east of southeastern Luzon, moving northwestward at 20 kph. No wind signal is hoisted on any part of the country. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administr

TOKYO, May 28 ------ President Marcos called for enhanced defense cooperation and partnerships bound by shared values, saying the present era of disruptions and geopolitical tensions is not a time for retreat but for a “deeper engagement” with like-minded parties. In remarks delivered during a meeting with the Japan-Philippines Parliamentary Friendship League here, Marcos said recent developments have shown that the world cannot afford to have waterways disrupted or placed at

May 28 ------ Former Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero is facing a plunder complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman based on documents obtained exclusively by GMA News. In Escudero’s counter-affidavit filed last Friday, the Field Investigation Office of the Ombudsman recommended on April 16 the filing of plunder, graft, and indirect bribery charges against the senator. The Ombudsman FIO alleged that Escudero had “indirectly received kickbacks of P306 million and P2

MANILA, Philippines, May 28 ------ Law enforcement conducted a manhunt for Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa across Luzon. In a statement, the Philippine National Police - Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) said it searched for Dela Rosa, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), in four locations. The search was conducted by the PNP-CIDG along with the National Bureau of Investigation in Parañaque, Bulacan and Pampanga. In Pampanga, authorities s

MANILA, May 28 ------ The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has partnered with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) to expand its legal support for members and strengthen patient rights. Based on a Wednesday news release, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation signed on Tuesday a two-year Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to strengthen support systems for its members, particularly to address concerns involving

MANILA, May 27 ------ The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported an increase in the number of Chinese vessels monitored in the West Philippine Sea over the past week compared to the second week of May. A total of 36 Chinese navy and coast guard vessels in key maritime features were observed from May 19 to 25, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad (Reserve), AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said. Nineteen Chinese vessels were recorded in Bajo de Masinloc, incl

MANILA, May 27 ------ The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has intensified monitoring of Filipino seafarers aboard vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz as regional tension in the Middle East continues to escalate. In a news release, the DMW said this is to ensure the safety and welfare of Filipino seafarers on board these ships. “As of May 25, 2026, a total of 59 vessels carrying 1,834 Filipino crew members have crossed the Strait of Hormuz from April to May this y

May 26 ------ Motorists will have to pay more for petroleum products this week, as fuel retailers announced another round of pump price hikes to mark the fifth straight week of increases for gasoline, and the second for diesel. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), retailers will hike prices per liter of gasoline by P1.60, diesel by P1.96, and kerosene by P1.45. The adjustments will take effect on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. An industry source earlier projected pump price h

May 26 ------ The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has launched its nationwide Service Contracting Program for the maritime sector at the Batangas Pier. The Layag Alalay ng Gobyerno Program is expected to run for 14 days or two weeks. “Sakop din po ng Service Contracting Program for maritime… ang mga ruta na may high-demand na pasahero… Nasa 11 na ruta po ito with 33 operators at 93 ferries na lalahok dito sa commuter routes na t