Philippine News

MANILA, Philippines, December 22 ------ The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) received a significant boost in its budget for 2026 after members of the bicameral conference committee approved a P16.5 billion-worth adjustment to its funding. At a bicam meeting, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian confirmed the budget adjustment made to PhilHealth. He particularly noted that the increase by P16.5 billion is meant to cover the deficiency in the appropriated earmarked reven

BRUSSELS, December 22 ------ European Union leaders agreed to provide a massive interest-free loan to Ukraine to meet its military and economic needs for the next two years, EU Council President Antonio Costa said, but they failed to agree to use frozen Russian assets to raise the funds. “We have a deal. Decision to provide 90 billion euros ($106 billion) of support to Ukraine for 2026-27 approved. We committed, we delivered,” Costa said in a post on social media. The money w

December 22 ------ P-Pop kings SB19 are joining the star-studded lineup of artists in the New Year's Eve countdown of Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig. BGC made the announcement on its social media pages, to the delight of its fans. "You asked for it -- we heard you! SB19 joins us for the NYE countdown to 2026!" the post read. BGC's NYE countdown will be held at 5th Avenue on December 31, starting at 7 p.m. SB19 is the last act revealed as part of the lineup, which also

December 22 ------ The Nordic countries are taking an important step towards decarbonizing maritime transport with the launch of Phase 2 of the “Nordic Roadmap for the introduction of sustainable zero-carbon fuels in shipping: Implementation and realization 2025–2027.” Managed by DNV and supported by partners Everllence, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Icelandic New Energy, Sintef Ocean, and VTT, the program aims to accelerate the transition to emission-free shi

PARIS, France, December 22 ------ The winners of the 2026 World Cup will receive $50 million in prize money as part of a record financial contribution for the tournament from FIFA, world football's governing body announced. The total World Cup prize fund of $655 million (558.5 million euros) represents an increase of almost 50% from the $440 million distributed to teams taking part in the last tournament in Qatar in 2022. However, next year's World Cup—to be held in the Unite

December 22 ------ ABC will continue to broadcast the annual ceremony through 2028. That year will mark the 100th Oscars. But starting in 2029, YouTube will retain global rights to stream the Oscars through 2033. YouTube will effectively be the home to all things Oscars, including red-carpet coverage, the Governors Awards, and the Oscar nominations announcement. “We are thrilled to enter into a multifaceted global partnership with YouTube to be the future home of the Oscars a

December 22 ------ Ahead of the late-night talks in Brussels, the UK government had indicated it was prepared to share the risks with European allies of using frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine. What we've ended up with instead, as we've been reporting overnight, is €90bn for Kyiv via an interest-free loan from the EU. Belgium had been the most concerned about using Russian assets, as most of those frozen since the war began are kept there, and it feared potential future re

December 22 ------ A California-based startup called Clippership, working with a team of established leaders in the maritime community, reports it has completed designs classed by RINA for its first vessel, a wind-powered cargo ship designed for autonomous operations. The first vessel is seen as a demonstration of the company’s unique concept targeting small shippers. Naval architecture for the new vessel was carried out by Dykstra Naval Architects, renowned for innovative sa

December 22 ------ Jacob Cortez has been turning heads from his NCAA days when he anchored San Beda to a Season 99 crown up to his recent feat with De La Salle University in the UAAP. The second one was sentimental for the cat-quick guard. Winning the Season 88 title with the Green Archers was nothing short of spectacular for Cortez as he served the same school his father Mike had suited up before and won two championships with in the early 2000s. “It’s super special that the

MANILA, Philippines, December 22 ------ The International Monetary Fund (IMF) lowered its growth forecast for the Philippines amid an ongoing corruption scandal that has weighed on the economy and magnified the impact of lingering global headwinds. In its latest country report, the IMF said it expected the Philippine economy to grow by an average of 5.1 percent this year, down from its 5.4 percent projection in October, after third-quarter growth fell to a four-year low of 4

BANGKOK, December 21 ------ Olympic medalist Kayla Sanchez made a stunning debut at the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, capping her formidable performance with a haul of three gold and five silver medals in the swimming competition. Sanchez, who previously secured two Olympic medals for Canada at the 2020 Tokyo Games, expressed her pride in representing the Philippines this time around. “It’s very special. I love my teammates, my whole family is here, and I really hope I ma

MANILA, December 21 ------ Cash remittances reached $3.17 billion in October, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said. From January to October, remittances reached $29.20 billion. The BSP said most of the remittances during the period came from the United States, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia. Personal remittances also hit $3.52 billion in October, and $32.49 billion in the first three quarters. The Philippines is one of the largest recipients of remittances. Money sent home

TOKYO, December 21 ------ Hundreds of people across Japan sued the central government, seeking damages for its “unconstitutional” inaction on climate change, the East Asian country’s first such litigation. The landmark lawsuit criticizes Japan’s “grossly inadequate” fight against the climate crisis, saying it jeopardizes the health and livelihoods of the approximately 450 plaintiffs. “We just submitted our complaint and evidence to the court, and our lawsuit has been official

December 21 ------ As the cruise industry embraces LNG, the focus has shifted from proving feasibility to tackling methane slip. New engine technology, independent validation, and how the cruise sector is operating high-profile vessels such as MSC’s World Europa, Princess Cruises’ Princess Sun and Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas are showing how LNG is maturing into a credible, scalable fuel solution for passenger shipping. All of these ships use the latest advanced Wärtsil

December 21 ------ The revived Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) vowed a more aggressive push to protect film workers’ rights and campaign for international recognition, as director general Paolo Villaluna stated that the agency hopes to empower the local film industry. In a launch event for the revamped FAP, Villaluna announced that the agency will be a stronger institution for film workers, guilds, and independent filmmakers, noting that its members “have worked in the

VATICAN CITY, December 21 ------ Pope Leo XIV has sounded the alarm over the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military, saying delegating such decisions to machines was a "destructive betrayal" of the principles that uphold civilization. "Further technological advances and the military implementation of artificial intelligence have worsened the tragedy of armed conflict," he said in his first message for World Peace Day. "There is even a growing tendency among polit

December 21 ------ If you ever find yourself on Macquarie Island – a narrow, wind-lashed ridge halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica – the first thing you’ll notice is the wildlife. Elephant seals sprawl across dark beaches. King penguins march up mossy slopes. Albatrosses circle over vast, treeless uplands. But look more closely and the island is changing. Slopes are becoming boggier. Iconic megaherbs such as Pleurophyllum and Stilbocarpa are retreating. For years, scienti

December 21 ------ Air Supply, the soft-rock duo behind some of radio’s most enduring love songs, will return to the Philippines in January 2026 as part of their 50th Anniversary World Tour. The group has scheduled shows in Pasig City, Iloilo (Jan. 11), Calamba (Jan. 24), Cagayan de Oro (Jan. 25) and Cebu (Jan. 27). The tour marks a rare milestone in pop music longevity, something the duo said they do not take lightly. Graham Russell reflected on their five decades together b

MANILA, Philippines, December 21 ------ The Department of Health – Metro Manila Center for Mental Health Development (DOH-MMCHD) is offering free medications for selected mental health conditions. According to the DOH-MMCHD, Valproic Acid (250mg/5ml, 120ml bottle) medicines are available at their unit as of December 2025. “To take care of your mind, we have free mental health medicine na Valproic Acid 250mg/5ml, 120 ml bottle sa MMCHD,” it said in a Facebook post. DOH-MMCHD s

MANILA, Philippines, December 21 ------ Four of the greatest pool players of all time will see action in the World Nineball Tour (WNT) Legends set for Jan. 22-24, 2026. Filipinos Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante, American Earl “The Pearl” Strickland, and German Ralf “The Kaiser” Souquet will come together in the historic event designed to honor their legacy, rekindle iconic rivalries, and give fans an unforgettable look at the champions who helped ignite p