Philippine News

December 11 ------ Rising Gen Z actress Ashtine Olviga underscores the value of respectful dialogue in a politically driven society, saying activism is most powerful “when you speak up with conviction, but also with respect.” Set to make her Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) debut in “Manila’s Finest,” where she plays the outspoken activist daughter of Piolo Pascual, the young star says the role echoes the realities faced by today’s youth who are finding their voices amid soc

December 11 ------ Fans of the SexBomb Girls — or those who refer themselves as “pinalaki ng SexBomb” — had the time of their lives on the second night of the girl group’s reunion concert, which included a surprise performance from Mayonnaise’s Monty Macalino and heartfelt recollection, among other highlights. Dubbed as “Get, Get, Aw!: The SexBomb Concert rAWnd 2,” the second night of the group’s concert was held at the Mall of Asia Arena on Tuesday, Dec. 9, which was attende

MANILA, December 11 ------ The Philippines' unemployment and underemployment rates climbed in October from September, the Philippine Statistics Authority said. October's jobless rate rose to 5 percent from 3.8 percent in September, based on PSA data. This meant that 2.54 million Filipino workers were unemployed, which was higher than the 1.96 million workers jobless in September. The underemployment rate also climbed to 12 percent in October from 11.1 percent in September. Th

MANILA, Philippines, December 11 ------ The maximum suggested retail price or SRP for red onions will be increased to P150 per kilo from P120 due to rising supplier costs, according to the Department of Agriculture. DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. told state-run PTV yesterday that the cost of imported red onions, including those from China, India and the Netherlands went up again. “We are adjusting the max SRP, probably effective tomorrow,” he said. As for white onions,

MANILA, Philippines, December 11 ------ The passport of fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co has been canceled, President Marcos announced, as he ordered agencies to coordinate with embassies to prevent him from further eluding authorities. Co, who resigned as representative of the Ako Bicol party-list, is facing an arrest warrant issued by the Sandiganbayan in connection with a questionable flood control project in Oriental Mindoro. Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro

December 11 ------ Newly extruded dark lava spines were observed at the summit of Mayon Volcano this week, coinciding with a surge in daily rockfall events, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported. “Close-up photographs of the Mayon Volcano summit taken on 8 to 10 December 2025 reveal new spines of dark lava that have been extruded from the summit lava dome,” Phivolcs said. The agency noted that these physical changes at the crater “were obs

December 11 ------ Xeneta, an ocean and air freight rate benchmarking and market analytics platform transforming the shipping and logistics industry, is convinced that the return of container ships to the Red Sea is edging closer, as France’s shipping giant CMA CGM, as a major carrier, reveals a new full-loop service via Suez Canal. After CMA CGM announced its INDAMEX service would transit Suez Canal on fronthaul and backhaul voyages between India/Pakistan and U.S. East Coast

December 11 ------ Lawmakers in France were successful in adding a new tax on cruise passengers to the proposed 2026 French state budget. They contend the tax is to counter the environmental impact of cruises on coastal France. The senators presenting the measure assert it is a “polluter pays” tax, singling out the emissions of cruise ships while in ports. They argue that it would not harm the attractiveness of the sector but would provide additional finances to protect and e

December 11 ------ Despite a year of turbulent trade policies and interruptions, China’s container volumes are continuing to surge. Two of the country’s largest port complexes have set new records after just 11 months, combined handling over 90 million TEU so far in 2025. The Port of Shanghai, which highlights that it has maintained the top global ranking for 16 years, has once again surpassed the 50 million TEU threshold. It is the second consecutive year the port complex re

December 11 ------ A bulker southbound in the Red Sea reported to authorities that it had been approached and exchanged gunshots with the unknown boats. The ship is safe and continuing on its way while analysts speculate over the events. The Barbados-flagged vessel Bobik (31,896 dwt) reported the incident to UK Maritime Trade Operations. The vessel is Turkish-owned and reports coming from Georgia after having made a port call in Ukraine. The ship was built in 2006 and is 175.

SINGAPORE, December 11 ------ Oil prices held steady after falling about 1% in the previous session, as investors watched for progress in Russia-Ukraine peace talks and awaited a decision on U.S. interest rates. Brent crude futures were up 19 cents, or 0.3%, to $62.13 a barrel at 0645 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $58.44 a barrel, up 19 cents, or 0.3%. "Oil markets are currently struggling for direction as far as we can see, with a minor lift from falling U.S

SAMRAONG, Cambodia, December 11 ------ Half a million evacuees in Cambodia and Thailand were sheltering in pagodas, schools and other safe havens after fleeing renewed fighting in a century-old border dispute in which US President Donald Trump has vowed to again intercede. At least 11 people, including Thai soldiers and Cambodian civilians, have been killed in the latest spate of fighting, officials said, while more than 500,000 have fled border regions near where jets, tanks

KYIV, Ukraine, December 11 ------ President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was 'ready' to hold new elections if security was ensured for the poll in the war-torn country. His comments came after US President Donald Trump accused Kyiv of "using war" to avoid elections, which have been postponed after martial law was imposed in the country following Russia's invasion in February 2022. "I am ready for the elections," Zelensky told journalists during a virtual media briefing. He adde

December 11 ------ Japan has reportedly rejected an EU appeal to join its plan to use frozen Russian state assets to support Ukraine, delivering another setback to Brussels’s plan to finance Ukraine. Politico, citing sources, said Tokyo dismissed the EU’s request to replicate its model of sending Ukraine the earnings from Russian sovereign assets held at Euroclear in Belgium at a meeting of G7 finance ministers on Monday, Dec. 8. Two EU diplomats told the outlet that Japan si

The Department of Health (DOH) has warned the public against the leading causes of illness or injury during the holidays: road traffic accidents, firework-related injuries, and heart disease. Teodoro Herbosa on Saturday said he will personally inspect public and private hospitals during the holiday season to assess how they are responding to holiday-related health issues, such as injuries from road crashes, fireworks, and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). “Preparedness is import

Kawaling Pinoy Recipe Blog has offered a 500 PHP Noche Buena Challenge is not meant to prove DTI right, but a testament to our creativity and adaptability. This suggestion came from Jenny Jayne I think I will go for the classic Pancit and Lumpia combination. Pancit Bihon • Noodles (1/2kg) - 45 • Cabbage - 20 • Carrots - 20 • Lasona - 20 • Bawang - 10 • Oyster Sauce - 10 • Calamansi - 10 • Toyo - 10 • Chicken Bouillon Cube - 5 • Chicken leg quarter - 40 (Total: 190 pesos) note

The Christmas season is indeed the most wonderful time of the year. Colorful lanterns light up streets and homes at night, joyful Christmas melodies can be heard on every corner, celebrations overflowing with food happen left and right, and gifts are exchanged among friends and families. This season is also a great opportunity for businesses. After all, employees receive their 13th-month pay and Christmas bonus during this season, so they have extra money to spend on products

The corruption scandal still weighed heavily on my mind last Saturday. It was no ordinary Saturday as it was the day of Go Negosyo’s BalikBayan Summit 2025, where we celebrate our overseas Filipinos and help them and their families become successful entrepreneurs here in the Philippines. With the scale of the corruption running into the billions and the thieves unmasked as government officials, it was understandable how some of our overseas Pinoys would be hesitant to trust t

December 10 ------ Largely unremarked upon in the Western press, southern and eastern areas of Yemen which are not occupied by the Houthis are undergoing a political realignment which is likely to impact the threats posed to shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden areas. Simply put, the threat to shipping will persist while those posing the threat have a secure base from which to operate. While the Houthis are preoccupied by internal divisions and concerned that their senior

December 10 ------ A new study seeks to quantify the beneficial impact of adding wind-assisted propulsion to vessels while also establishing a framework for assessing the technology’s benefits in reducing fuel consumption and emissions. The study, which took place on the Eastern Pacific Shipping product tanker Pacific Sentinel (50,322 dwt), was conducted in association with the Global Center for Maritime Decarbonization in Singapore. The authors of the study highlight that