Philippine News

December 27 ------ At the star-studded premiere night of "Call Me Mother" in SM Megamall, Shuvee Etrata shared what she learned about motherhood. "Hindi siya sa dugo lang," Shuvee told GMA Integrated News reporter Athena Imperial. "As long as there's love, there's care, andun ang pag-aaruga, anybody can be called a mother," added the MMFF first-timer, who earlier thanked the film's lead star Vice Ganda for the opportunity. In Imperial's report, Vice said it was exactly the mo

December 27 ------ China's government is voicing its opposition to the Trump administration's campaign of tanker seizures off the coast of Venezuela. The U.S. Coast Guard has captured two China-bound tankers full of Venezuelan oil this month, and on Monday, President Donald Trump said that the U.S. government will be keeping both vessels and their cargoes. The first tanker seized, Skipper, was a stateless and sanctioned vessel. It was carrying about 1.85 million barrels of oi

MANILA, Philippines, December 27 ------ It seems the Gilas Pilipinas-Australia matchup will not be the only FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers matchup that will be held at the Mall of Asia on March 1, 2026. The qualifier game between China and Chinese Taipei is also set in the Philippines, a match schedule from the FIBA website bared. The game, according to the FIBA schedule as of December 24 of this year, will be played at the Mall of Asia Arena Arena at 4 p.m on March 1 next y

December 27 ------ The tiny Pacific island nation of Palau has agreed to accept up to 75 non-American migrants from the United States under a deal worth $7.5 million, the two countries have said. President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a promise to expel undocumented migrants, has accelerated deportations and cracked down on border crossings since returning to power this year. Under a new memorandum of understanding, Palau will let up to 75 third-country nationals from the

BOCAUE, BULACAN, Philippines, December 27 ------ The prices of fireworks and firecrackers have surged, in some cases have doubled, as manufacturers and dealers grapple with dwindling supplies less than a week before the traditional New Year celebrations. Buyers from as far as Batangas province, Baguio City, and the Ilocos region flocked to stalls in this acknowledged “fireworks capital” on Christmas Day to take advantage of what remains of the seasonal sale. A family from Lip

December 27 ------ Singer-songwriter Jarlo Base expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the myriad of blessings that have graced his life this year, reflecting on the opportunities and moments of joy that have illuminated his journey. During a recent appearance at the Manila Bulletin Christmas Party, Jarlo expressed gratitude for being part of the Star Magic family. "Marami akong gustong ipagpasalamat pero siguro for 2025, yung pagpasok ko sa Star Magic. At first nakaka-intimid

December 26 ------ The International Flag-State Association (IFA), an association of the world’s three largest registries, Liberia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Panama, has been meeting since 2021. IFA is the first alliance of its kind and was designed to allow its members to have a platform to more formally engage with respect to global challenges, stakeholder insight, and the development and implementation of international instruments to enhanc

December 26 ------ ICTSI’s Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) has handled 3 million TEU in 2025—the first time the terminal has reached that level in a single year. The record container was handled on 22 December, when the terminal serviced the container vessel Ever Bliss, operated by Evergreen Marine, carrying cargo for Universal Robina Corp. “Handling 3 million TEU shows how the MICT has kept pace with rising demand through continued operational improvements and

December 26 ------ Venezuela is having difficulty in getting its oil to market due to U.S. tanker seizures in the Caribbean, multiple officials told the New York Times and Reuters. Two laden VLCC tankers have been captured by the U.S. Coast Guard; another has been "pursued" back into the Atlantic without capture; at least several more have turned around mid-voyage, according to TankerTrackers.com; multiple tanker owners have declined signing new charters for future Venezuela

December 26 ------ A major fire broke out at a small ship repair yard in Nizhy Novgorod, a city on the Volga in western Russia. The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia reported that a fire damaged a floating crane at the Borskaya Ship Repair Company, a commercial river-sea freighter repair yard. Fuel spilled from the vessel and burned over an area of about 1000 square feet, the agency said. Photos provided by the ministry show firefighters applying foam in quantity to

December 26 ------ San Miguel is through to the next round of the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup. The Beermen took down an upset-seeking NLEX side, 101-94, to make it to the semifinals of the all-Filipino tourney on Christmas Day at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. This marked the powerhouse squad's 10th win in a row after starting the tournament with two straight losses. June Mar Fajardo and Don Trollano took turns in powering San Miguel, as the nine-time PBA MVP stuffed t

December 26 ------ Alexandra “Alex” Eala is set to face Mirra Andreeva at the Macau Tennis Masters this weekend in Macau. The 18-year-old Andreeva is currently ranked world No. 9 and has captured two WTA titles this year — the Dubai Tennis Championships in February and the Indian Wells Open in March, both WTA 1000 events. The Russian star will take on Eala in the women’s singles match on Sunday, according to the event's website. Eala will also compete in the mixed doubles eve

December 26 ------ The Philippine women’s football team is hoping that its breakthrough gold medal win in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games could be used as a springboard to put together a stirring performance in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in March. The continental tournament set to be played in Australia will serve as a qualifier for the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup, and coach Mark Torcaso is confident the Filipinas can get themselves in a good position to qualify, given their re

December 26 ------ The Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao bout happened probably five years too late. Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua still haven’t fought. Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani are ready to square off now in what would be the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history. No posturing, just two top pound-for-pound boxers in their prime seemingly willing to give fans what they want. Here’s the catch: They each have one more fight and need to avoid a surprise before their e

MANILA, Philippines, December 26 ------ The 51st Metro Manila Film Festival officially opens this Christmas Day, returning to its traditional eight-film lineup to give more movies a chance at box-office success. “From 10, we returned to eight so that all films would have an opportunity to earn,” said Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair, lawyer Romando Artes, explaining the rationale behind scaling down the entries from last year’s 10 back to eight. “We went back t

December 26 ------ Kim Atienza marked this year’s Christmas by remembering his late daughter, Emman Atienza, as he shared their last complete family photo taken on Christmas Eve last year. In a social media post on Wednesday, Dec. 24, Kim reflected on the photo and expressed how much he missed his youngest daughter, Emman, who died last October. “This was the last photo of all of us together last Christmas Eve. How we miss you, dearest Emmansky,” Atienza wrote. “Thank you, Je

December 26 ------ Celebrity couple Loisa Andalio and Ronnie Alonte are set to welcome their first child after announcing Loisa’s pregnancy. In a joint post on social media, the newlyweds shared their joyful news, describing the baby as a “miracle” they have been quietly cherishing. “Baby Jesus, maraming maraming salamat sa pinakamalaking blessing na ipinagkaloob mo sa amin ni R2. You trusted us with a miracle we’ve been quietly holding close to our hearts,” Loisa wrote in a

December 26 ------ Taylor Swift is spreading the joy this holiday season. Just in time for Christmas, the global superstar donated more than ₱117 million to charitable organizations including Feeding America, the American Heart Association, and MusiCares, all confirming her contributions on December 24 (PHT). Feeding America, the largest non-profit hunger-relief organization in the U.S., shared the news on Instagram, posting a message from its CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot ex

MANILA, December 26 ------ The Philippine Navy this week said it had escorted a Chinese warship out of the country's exclusive economic zone, off Capones Island in Zambales. In a statement, the Philippine Navy said it deployed two vessels — BRP Emilio Jacinto and BRP Diego Silang — near the province after members of the local maritime community there reported on December 17 the presence of a Chinese warship. Beijing's vessel, PLAN Jiangkai II, a class frigate with bow number

MANILA, December 26 ------ The celebration of Christmas has so far been generally peaceful nationwide, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said. In a statement, the PNP reported the peaceful and orderly celebration of the Christmas Eve Mass on Dec. 24, following the successful security coverage of the nine traditional dawn masses or Simbang Gabi held nationwide from Dec. 16 to 24. PNP acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said police personnel were deployed in chu