Philippine News

MANILA, Philippines, November 18 ------ There is no evidence that the suspects behind the Bondi Beach attack in Australia trained, coordinated, or carried out terror-related activities while in the Philippines, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), citing a prolonged decline in local terrorist groups.   AFP chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said on Tuesday in a chance interview at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City that the military “can’t see” how the men in

MANILA, Philippines, November 18 ------ After months of delays, the rehabilitation of EDSA will push through beginning Christmas Eve, with an eight-month timeline and a much lower budget. The Department of Public Works and Highways has junked the planned two-year EDSA repair and cut the budget from P17 billion to just P6 billion, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said.   Fixing Metro Manila’s busiest thoroughfare will be implemented in two phases of four months each, with the second

MANILA, December 17 ------ Naval and air units from the Philippines and the United States held the 10th bilateral maritime cooperative activity (MCA) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), highlighting the country's growing capability to integrate with allied forces. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), in a statement said the 10th bilateral MCA with the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) took place "specifically west of Zambales within the country’s exclusive

MANILA, Philippines, December 17 ------ The Philippine government has evacuated at least 126 overseas Filipinos so far amid the ongoing clashes between the troops of Thailand and Cambodia, according to Manila's ambassador to Thailand. These Filipinos were pre-emptively relocated "early" and were not caught up in the conflict, Ambassador Millicent Cruz-Paredes clarified in a briefing. "Their situation is good. They are not in danger. They are not caught up or involved in the f

MANILA, Philippines, December 17 ------ The United States and Canada have denounced China's dangerous assault on Filipino fishers last week after China Coast Guard vessels fired high-pressure water cannons and cut anchor lines during a confrontation near Escoda Shoal in the South China Sea. In separate statements, the US State Department and Canada's ambassador said the incident endangered civilians and added to concerns over China’s increasingly aggressive behavior in disput

MANILA, Philippines, December 17 ------ The Bureau of Immigration (BI) yesterday said that the two suspects – father and son – in the Bondi Beach mass shooting incident in Sydney, Australia visited and stayed in the Philippines for almost the entire month of November. According to the BI, both arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Philippine Airlines Flight PR212 from Sydney to Manila on Nov. 1, before boarding a connecting flight to the Davao International Air

MANILA, Philippines, December 16 ------ Motorists can expect slight relief at the pump today as diesel and kerosene prices go down. Gasoline prices, however, will rise for a third straight week, marking another record net increase. Oil firms announced the mixed price adjustments. After remaining unchanged last week, diesel and kerosene prices will go down by P0.20 per liter. Gasoline prices, meanwhile, will increase by P0.20 per liter, bringing the total hike this month to P1

MANILA, December 16 ------ The three fishermen injured in the Chinese vessels' water cannon attack in Escoda Shoal are already "in better condition," the National Maritime Council (NMC) said. The Philippine Coast Guard said the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) and Chinese maritime militia (CMM) ships over the weekend attacked the Filipino boats with water cannons and used dangerous blocking maneuvers near Escoda Shoal within the Philippine exclusive economic zone. The PCG said the t

MANILA, Philippines, December 16 ------ The Philippine embassies in Bangkok and in Phnom Penh had advised Filipinos in the Cambodia-Thailand border to avoid areas affected by the armed conflict between the two countries. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Cambodia has an estimated 10,000–12,000 Filipinos, including 87 in its two border provinces. Thailand has 38,509 Filipinos, with 125 in seven border provinces. Cambodia and Thailand, both members of the Association

MANILA, Philippines, December 16 ------ The Marcos administration is open to tapping an anti-corruption convention of the United Nations to track down fugitive resigned lawmaker Zaldy Co, who has been charged with graft and malversation of public funds over an anomalous flood control project. The suggestion to explore the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) was made by Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, who said it would be easier to find and arrest

MANILA, Philippines, December 15 ------ Another water cannon attack by the Chinese has injured three Filipino fishermen and caused “significant damage” to their vessels, the Philippine Coast Guard reported. In a statement, the PCG said the latest water cannon incident occurred in the vicinity of Escoda (Sabina) Shoal near Palawan last Friday. On the same day, the China Coast Guard (CCG) said it had expelled a Philippine aircraft from the airspace over Panatag (Scarborough) Sh

MANILA, Philippines, December 15 ------ The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Regulatory Office (MWSS-RO) will announce water rate hikes for Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Company Inc. Taking effect in the first quarter of 2026, the rate adjustments are based on the foreign currency differential adjustment (FCDA), an official of the MWSS-RO said. The FCDA reflects gains or losses from foreign exchange fluctuations as water concessionaires repay loans

MANILA, Philippines, December 15 ------ The national government’s outstanding external debt reached a new record high of $149.09 billion as of end-September, following the stronger participation of foreign investors in local capital markets. Based on data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the latest figure was less than one percent higher than the previous quarter’s $148.87 billion. “The Philippines’ outstanding external debt remained broadly stable in the third quarter o

December 15 ------ The supply and pricing of rice are stable despite the importation ban and the devastation caused by recent tropical cyclones, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said. "Kahit nagkaroon tayo ng import ban ay maganda ang supply ng bigas natin. At kahit binagyo tayo, ine-expect natin na naging maganda ang harvest din natin hanggang sa katapusan ng taon," DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said in an interview. "Dahil maganda ang ine-expect nating

MANILA, December 14 ------ Twenty ships of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy and China Coast Guard (CCG) were monitored in features in the West Philippine Sea in the first week of December, the Philippine Navy said. In a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said two PLA Navy warships and five CCG ships were seen in Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal. Additional sightings inclu

MANILA, December 14 ------ While annual new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections and AIDS-related deaths continue to decline globally and in Asia and the Pacific, the cases in the Philippines steadily rise. During hearing of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, the Department of Health (DOH) reported that between 2010 and 2024, the percent change in new HIV infections in the country was at 555 percent, much higher compared to the percent change globally of

MANILA, December 13 ------ The second round of negotiations between the Philippines and France on the proposed Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) successfully concluded the Department of National Defense (DND) said. DND Undersecretary for Strategic Assessment and Planning Ignacio Madriaga, the negotiation committee chair, led the Philippine delegation, while the French delegation was headed by Rear Admiral Jérôme Theillier from the Ministry of the Armed Forces of France. Describ

MANILA, December 13 ------ Gasoline prices will go down in the third week of December, the Department of Energy said. Based on the four-day trade monitoring of the Means of Platts Singapore, DOE Oil Industry Management Bureau Assistant Director Rodela Romero said the following decreases could be expected next week, excluding the cost of businesses. Gasoline – P0.30 per liter Diesel – P0.60 per liter Kerosene – P0.65 per liter Romero explained this came after oil investors shi

MANILA, December 12 ------ Meralco power rates are going down this December. In a statement, the power distributor said electricity rates were falling by P0.36/kwh due to a dip in transmission and generation charges. This means electricity bills may go down by the following amounts. Consumption Decrease 200 kwh P71 300 kwh P107 400 kwh P142 500 kwh P178 Source: news.abs-cbn.com

MANILA, December 12 ------ The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the United States Indo-Pacific Command held their 9th Bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity in the West Philippine Sea on December 9 and 10. The two sides demonstrated operational competence and highlighted their shared commitment to safeguarding regional stability, the Philippine military said in a statement. The AFP said the MCA "reaffirms the enduring defense partnership between the Philippines and