Philippine News

MANILA, Philippines, December 19 ------ The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Thursday night, December 18, served a warrant of arrest on super contractor Sarah Discaya in connection with the alleged P96.5-million ghost flood control project in Davao Occidental. Discaya is now under NBI custody and is undergoing standard arrest procedures, including the reading of her Miranda rights and a mandatory physical examination, according to One News. It was President Ferdinand

December 19 ------ Malacanang announced that government work will be suspended on December 29, 2025 and January 2, 2026 to allow government employees to celebrate New Year's Day activities in their respective provinces. "In order to provide government employees full opportunity to celebrate New Year's Day activities and allow them to travel to and from different regions in the country, work day in all government offices is hereby suspended on 29 December 2025 (Monday) and 2 J

December 19 ------ The Port of Los Angeles notes that despite all the uncertainties of 2025 and the rapid changes in trade policies, that it will still have one of its top three years of all time, making it again the only North American port to exceed 10 million TEU in a year. Port executives, however, point to uncertainties and a lack of settled trade policies contributing to a challenging year in 2026 that should see slowed import levels. “Even with all the trade uncertaint

December 19 ------ The entry into force of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (HKC) on 26 June 2025 marks a landmark shift in the governance of global ship recycling. It represents the culmination of a long and politically delicate process, one that required not only multilateral coordination but also precise mathematical thresholds. Yet beneath the celebratory messages lies a less visible truth: without Bangladesh

December 19 ------ Connectivity at sea was a luxury just a decade ago, but as cost has dropped and speed has improved, it has become an essential service in many sectors - particularly in the cruise industry. High speed wifi and digitally-enabled shipboard transactions are critical to cruise ship operations and revenue (and passenger satisfaction). A brief outage aboard Carnival Firenze this week suggests that a connectivity issue is enough reason to delay a departure until t

December 19 ------ Spanish bound4blue has completed the installation of what it says is the largest suction sail ever fitted to a general cargo vessel for Dutch shipping company Amasus. Bound4blue and Amasus Shipping completed the installation of a 22-meter eSAIL on the general cargo vessel Fluvius Tavy at Astander Shipyard in Santander, Spain, marking their second such installation. This follows the previous installation on board Amasus’ Eems Traveller, where two 17-metre eS

WASHINGTON, December 19 ------ The Trump administration has announced a massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion that includes medium-range missiles, howitzers, and drones, a move that is sure to infuriate China. The State Department announced the sales late Wednesday during a nationally televised address by President Donald Trump, who made scant mention of foreign policy issues and did not speak about China or Taiwan at all. U.S.-Chinese tensio

TOKYO, December 19 ------ The dollar held gains against its major counterparts as markets positioned for central bank decisions in Britain, Europe, and Japan. Sterling remained lower after an unexpected drop in UK inflation backed the case for a rate cut by the Bank of England. The yen trimmed losses from the previous session as the Bank of Japan starts a two-day meeting that is expected to result in a hike in policy rates to a three-decade high. The dollar took in stride com

December 19 ------ German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Ukraine could receive security guarantees comparable to NATO’s Article 5 following a ceasefire with Russia, describing recent diplomatic talks in Berlin as a major step forward while stressing that key decisions remain unresolved. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF on Tuesday evening, Merz noted discussions with European partners and the US had advanced significantly on how Ukraine could be protected aft

December 19 ------ Oleksandr Syrsky, the commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) said that Russia has concentrated 710,000 troops inside Ukrainian territory for its ongoing winter offensive. Russian attacks continue in the northeastern and eastern sectors, despite heavy losses, with AFU units along the more than 1,000-km (621-mile) front holding their positions, Syrsky said on Telegram. Syrsky’s remarks video conference of senior Ukrainian officials with allies at the

Some people may want to wait for their 13th-month pay or bonuses to start their businesses, but by then, they may already have the opportunities passed. If your money at the bank is not enough to finance your business, you have financing options to choose from, like the ones below: Borrow money from friends and family. This requires no collateral aside from a good relationship with your friends and family. As long as you pay them back based on your agreed terms, there should

Christmas is a big deal for Filipinos — so big that we start celebrating as early as September. That’s why the recent announcement that a Noche Buena meal can be prepared for only Php 500 quickly became a hot topic online. According to the suggested list, Php 500 can be enough to buy simple Noche Buena items like: spaghetti pack and sauce hotdogs loaf bread cheese fruit cocktail all-purpose cream gelatin softdrinks This list focuses on basic dishes like spaghetti and fruit sa

As the holiday season is around the corner and alcoholic beverages may overflow during gatherings, a heart expert has raised the concern of binge drinking and the implications it may bring to health, particularly to the heart. Dr. Maria Encarnita Limpin, a medical specialist from the Philippine Heart Center, characterized binge drinking as the alcohol consumption of five or more standard drinks within two hours. She also noted that this is classified by the number of drinks c

Without fail, in every major meeting and business gathering I have attended lately, the subject of digital technology always came up. Often, it is the focal point of the event, such as the recent Digital Financial Inclusion Awards, at the meeting with the ASEAN Secretariat led by Sec. Gen. HE Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, at the SM Job Fair + Skills e-Hub Holiday Career Fest and at our Go Negosyo BalikBayan Summit. My area of concern when it comes to the discussion of digital technology

December 18 ------ In a historic clash with destiny, the Filipinas carved a new milestone in their legacy, dethroning the powerhouse that has long dominated the Southeast Asian Games podium.   After a grueling 120 minutes that ended in a 0-0 stalemate, the Philippine Women’s National Football Team outlasted four-time defending champion Vietnam, winning 6-5 on penalties to claim the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games on Wednesday at Chonburi Stadium in Thailand.   This latest tr

MANILA, Philippines December 18 ------ For the second time in the last three UAAP seasons, the La Salle Green Archers are men’s basketball champions after again trouncing rival UP in a cardiac 80-72 Season 88 finals Game 3 win at the standing-room-only, 24,000-strong Araneta Coliseum crowd on Wednesday, December 17.   The youngest UAAP school by membership, La Salle now has 11 men’s basketball titles since its first in 1989, and now has three in the last eight years. Most imp

RAYONG, December 18 ------ As their brothers and sisters in arms were still gearing for the day’s grind, the gritty triathletes were already up and about, gamely taking the task of giving Team Philippines a sizzling start. With cold efficiency, the swim-bike-run aces swept up the three relay events played at Laem Mae Phim Beach to get the gold-mining business in Day 8 of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games off and running yesterday.   Six-time SEAG champion Kim Mangrobang, youth s

HONBURI, December 18 ------ Gilas Pilipinas will be facing Indonesia in the semifinals of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games men’s basketball competitions on Thursday in Bangkok.   Indonesia routed Vietnam, 89-66, in Wednesday’s quarterfinals to set up a last four battle with the Filipino cagers at 2 p.m. local time (3 p.m. Philippine time) at Nimibutr Stadium.   It will be a rematch of the semifinal battle in 2023 when Gilas won in Cambodia. Of course, Indonesia famously stunned

MANILA, November 18 ------ ABS-CBN bagged a slew of awards at the 21st Gawad Tanglaw Awards, taking home honors across news, entertainment, and lifestyle categories. Kapamilya news programs and personalities were recognized. TV Patrol was named the Best News Program, and TV Patrol Express was named the Best Innovative News Program.   “Nakita niyo naman po ang ABS-CBN sa kabila ng lahat ng hamon, nandoon pa rin sa kalamidad. Nandoon sa baha, nandoon  sa lindol. Kahit lumiliit

November 18 ------ Proud to be an independent woman since she made the decision to move out to Manila to live on her own, actress Karina Bautista said she also counts being a hardworking college student as one of her proud accomplishments. The former Pinoy Big Brother housemate, who is also part of the cast of the Metro Manila Film Festival horror film entry Shake, Rattle, & Roll: Evil Origins, talked to PUSH ABS-CBN about the challenges of balancing her school and work life