Philippine News

January 6 ------ BARANGAY Ginebra got a huge lift from Ralph Cu and Norbert Torres during a pivotal fourth-quarter stretch to overcome San Miguel, 99-90 in Game One of their PBA 50th Season Philippine Cup semifinals at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. Cu and Torres led Ginebra's bench mob as they combined for six three-pointers, hitting two treys apiece during a 14-6 run which got the Gin Kings ahead for good against a top-seeded and in-form San Miguel squad. With RJ Abarrientos a

MANILA, Philippines, January 6 ------ Filipino-American singer and “America’s Got Talent (AGT)” Season 20 winner Jessica Sanchez expressed excitement about performing at the ASEAN Summit in May 2026 after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. invited her to sing at the regional event. “I will be there. I’m very excited for that. I think I need some time to really plan out what I’m going to be singing because I’ll be representing the Filipinos, so I want to take my time fi

MANILA, January 6 ------ President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr signed into law the PHP6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, vetoing PHP92.5 billion worth of items under the Unprogrammed Appropriations to tighten safeguards on public spending and reinforce fiscal discipline. The signing of Republic Act 12314, or the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2026, was held at Malacañan Palace. In his speech, Marcos said the challenges of 2025, including climate-related disruptions, eco

TOKYO, January 6 ------ Japan's Environment Ministry plans to compile by March an action plan aimed at reducing large amounts of clothing waste from households. The action plan is expected to include measures that should be taken by consumers, local governments and businesses at a time when large parts of used clothes from households are disposed of as waste. The ministry hopes to promote effective use of secondhand clothing and encourage production and consumption of appropr

LOS ANGELES, January 6 ------ Devin Booker drilled the game-winning three-pointer in the final second as the Phoenix Suns rallied to silence the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder 108-105. The Suns erased an early 18-point deficit to avenge the worst defeat in franchise history -- a 138-89 loss to the league-leading Thunder in the NBA Cup quarter-finals last month. Booker scored 24 points and handed out nine assists and Dillon Brooks added 22 for Phoenix -- which had a career

January 6 ------ Russian strikes on Ukraine killed two people and forced night-time evacuations into freezing temperatures, a day ahead of Ukrainian allies meeting in Paris to revive diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting. US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner will attend the Paris meeting, the latest in a US-led push to end the Russian invasion, which began four years ago next month. French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting

MANILA, Philippines, January 6 ------ The Philippines called on the United States and Venezuela to exercise restraint following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro in a US military operation in Venezuela’s capital Caracas. In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the Philippines is closely monitoring the evolving situation in Venezuela. “The Philippines urges concerned parties to resolve disputes through peaceful means, and to exercise restraint to pre

MANILA, Philippines, January 6 ------ Gerald Anderson asserted that he needs to be the best version of himself before entering a new relationship. Following his split with ex-girlfriend Julia Barretto last year, the “Rekonek” star said he’s OK being single right now and focused on his career and growth. “It’s been OK. I’m focused right now on my growth as a person and building my career and building sa pagkatao ko because wala naman sigurong perfect person. So being single ri

MANILA, Philippines, January 6 ------ 90s hit sitcom "Home Along Da Riles" is making a return via film this year. A teaser of the upcoming film was uploaded in the Home Along Da Reels Facebook page. The teaser shows the iconic house of the Cosme family. It also shows photos of the Cosme family headed by main protagonist Kevin, who was played by the late King of Comedy Dolphy. At the end of the teaser, Nova Villa, who played the character Azon, was shown looking at the house.

January 6 ------ The spy chief who led Ukraine’s most audacious behind-the-lines operations in its war with Russia has been forced to resign by Volodymyr Zelensky. Vasyl Malyuk, who was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine last year, reportedly fought to stay in post as head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) but relented at a meeting with the president. Announcing his resignation on the SBU’s official Telegram channel, Malyuk said he would remain in the agency to lead

January 6 ------ RAY Parks is coming to the Japan B.League All-Star break in top form. The Southeast Asian Games gold medalist was instrumental in Osaka Evessa's home sweep of the Kai Sotto-less Koshigaya Alphas at Ookini Arena Maishima​ over the weekend as they head to the midseason classic on a three-game win streak. Parks first put up 16 points on a 3-of-4 clip from deep, to go with seven rebounds, three assists, and one steal in their 86-56 blowout win on Saturday, before

MANILA, Philippines, January 6 ------ The peso slid back to the 59-per-dollar level yesterday as investors turned cautious following fresh geopolitical tensions after the United States launched a military strike against Venezuela over the weekend. Data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines showed that the local currency weakened by 28.9 centavos to settle at 59.13 against the greenback yesterday from its 58.841 finish on Friday. Yesterday’s close was still stronger

January 5 ------ Filipina tennis star Alexandra “Alex” Eala is set to make a landmark homecoming after being named a wild card entry for the first-ever Philippine Women’s Open, scheduled from January 26 to 31, 2026 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila. Eala’s participation, like that of the other players on the entry list, remains subject to results at the Australian Open in Melbourne, as the Philippine Women’s Open coincides with the second week of the season’s firs

January 5 ------ ROYSE Tubino did not stay long on the free-agent market following her surprise exit from Choco Mucho. The 32-year-old soldier-athlete has landed with the Strong Group Athletics (SGA) stable ahead of the 2026 PVL season, the group announced. With the move, Tubino is set to be deployed to either Farm Fresh or ZUS Coffee, SGA’s sister teams, at management’s discretion. “Strong Group officially welcomes Honey Royse Tubino to the family! The veteran brings leaders

MANILA, Philippines, January 5 ------ Philippine ace Miguel Tabuena gets another shot at this year’s LIV Golf League through the third edition of the LIV Golf Promotions slated Jan. 8 to 11 in Lecanto, Florida. Tabuena barely missed out on the two golden tickets to the pro circuit via the International Series Rankings pathway, finishing one notch behind the coveted spots at the end of 2025. But the door remains open for the reigning IS Philippines titlist as he joins a crack

January 5 ------ CAN Carl Tamayo become the first homegrown Filipino to win the MVP honors in the Korean Basketball League? That may become a reality if the Gilas Pilipinas stud continues his fine form in the Land of the Morning Calm. Tamayo has spearheaded the league-leading Changwon LG Sakers to a 20-7 win-loss record at the halfway point of the ongoing tourney and has been commanding in doing so, averaging 16.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. That was the case on Fr

MANILA, Philippines, January 5 ------ Filmmaker Jun Robles Lana lamented the rise of theater prices, claiming it has affected the movie-going experience of Filipino families especially during the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). Lana is no stranger to the MMFF having directed the likes of "Die Beautiful," "Big Night!," and "Kahapon, Ngayon, Bukas," as well as serving as a writer on the late National Artist Marilou Diaz-Abaya's entries "Jose Rizal," "Muro-Ami," and "Bagong B

MANILA, Philippines, January 5 ------ It looks like 2026 is set to reveal a very different Alden Richards. After more than 15 years of often playing the dependable main hero — the romantic lead, the overall good guy audiences root for — the Kapuso star is deliberately exploring unfamiliar and more challenging territory, both as an actor and as a producer, with the upcoming international film project “Big Tiger.” “It’s all so new to me,” Alden admitted during a recent presscon

MANILA, January 5 ------ Is the popular '90s sitcom "Home Along Da Riles" making a return this year? Last December 28, actor-director Boy 2 Quizon uploaded on social media what seems to be a teaser of the upcoming "Home Along Da Riles Da Reunion" movie. The teaser opens with the iconic house of the Cosme family along the riles (railroad). It also shows photos of the Cosme family headed by Kevin Cosme, portrayed by the late King of Comedy Dolphy Quizon. The next scene shows sc

January 5 ------ What everyone can also look forward to this 2026 is watching “Bagets the Musical,” the play adaptation of the hit and iconic ‘80s movie, “Bagets.” It’s a coming-of-age and rite of passage story revolving around five boy characters: Adie, Arnel, Gilbert, Tonton and Topee. Noel Comia Jr. and Tomas Rodriguez play the geeky Gilbert. KD Estrada and Ethan David take on the conyo, rich boy Arnel. Milo Cruz and Migo Valid, on the other hand, portray the barkada leade