Philippine News

MANILA, Philippines, November 2 ------ The government still disallows Filipino workers from seeking employment in Myanmar, according to the Overseas Workers and Welfare Administration. The OWWA said the deployment ban remains in effect amid the rising number of Filipino victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment in Myanmar. Most of the illegal recruitment victims were offered jobs as customer service representatives but ended up in scam hubs, the OWWA said. “Avoid j

LINUM, Germany, November 2 ------ In a spot outside Berlin that's usually a paradise for birdwatchers, volunteers have recovered nearly 2,000 dead cranes in recent days as bird flu has hit the migrating birds hard. Linum, a small village about an hour's travel from the German capital, is known in summer for its many nesting storks. In the fall and spring, it's a popular resting spot for thousands of cranes as they migrate between the Baltic and Nordic regions and southern Eur

November 1 ------ GILAS Pilipinas will play a home game at the refurbished Blue Eagle Gym on December 1 when it takes on Guam in the Fiba World Cup Asian qualifiers. The Nationals will see action in the facility located inside the Ateneo de Manila campus that recently played host to UAAP games following its renovation. The December 1 tiff is the second for the Philippines after their road showdown against Guam on November 28 in their bid to qualify for the FIBA Basketball Wor

November 1 ------ The voice cast for the DreamWorks animation "Forgotten Island" is out! Lea Salonga, H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Manny Jacinto, Dave Franco, and Jenny Slate were announced as the stars of the upcoming action-adventure comedy, which is scheduled for release on Sept. 25, 2026. To be released under Universal Pictures and directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the film follows lifelong best friends Jo (voiced by H.E.R.) and Raissa (portrayed by Soberano) as the

SYDNEY, Australia, November 1 ------ Instagram owner Meta and other social media firms said on Tuesday they would comply with a ban on users younger than 16 years old, adding that they would start deactivating accounts once the law takes effect on Dec. 10. In parliament, Meta, TikTok owner ByteDance, and Snapchat owner Snap said they continued to believe the ban would not protect young people, but they would soon reach out to owners of more than a million underage accounts to

November 1 ------ More than 80 percent of the world’s goods, measured by volume, are transported by ship. This transport accounts for three percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). “Many people probably think that we can simply switch fuel types or perhaps completely electrify these large ships, but as of today, technology has not come that far. The battery packs alone would have to take the place of all the goods that wo

November 1 ------ President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said that the signing of the upgraded ASEAN - China free trade agreement would boost employment for Filipinos. "This upgraded agreement supports our MSMEs, strengthens supply chains, and creates new opportunities in the digital and green economy," Marcos, who is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, said. "It paves the way for more jobs and growth for our people. Here’s to a stronge

November 1 ------ Antwerp's giant container port is notorious for cocaine smuggling, and for all of the ills that go with it - gangs, violence, bribery, and corruption. These vices have seeped out into the surrounding community for years and have gotten so bad that one investigator warns that the city could turn into a "narco-state" - an economy dominated by the illicit influence of traffickers and lacking the rule of law. In an open letter published Monday on the website o

November 1 ------ It was all love, lights, and fanfare for Gladys Reyes, 23, as she took center stage at the premiere of her latest film, “The Heart of Music,” at the SM Megamall Cinemas. The award-winning actress, best known for her powerful kontrabida roles across decades of film and television, was visibly radiant and grateful — not just for the moment, but for the challenge it brought her way. The night marked Reyes’ first lead role in a full-length musical — a rare and e

MANILA, November 1 ------ The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) reminded members that benefits for the treatment of influenza and influenza-like illnesses are fully covered under its existing benefit packages. In a statement, PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Edwin Mercado urged members who experience flu-like symptoms to visit their assigned YAKAP (Your Advanced and Kind Access to Primary Care) Clinics for immediate consultation. The PhilHea

November 1 ------ Interim titleholder Nonito Donaire finally gets his much-awaited shot at history as he takes on "champion in recess" Seiya Tsutsumi to become the full-fledged World Boxing Association bantamweight champion – and the oldest ever in the division. The Donaire-Tsutsumi bout will headline the expected tripleheader in Tokyo on Dec. 17 – an event that is promoted by Teiken Promotion, according to multiple reports. Tsutsumi, who sports a perfect 12-0-3 record with 8

SINGAPORE, November 1 ------ The manufacturer of a popular Thai herbal inhaler has recalled a batch of the product after it failed health quality tests due to microbial contamination. Thailand’s food and drug administration (FDA) said on Tuesday (Oct 28) that a batch of Hong Thai Herbal’s Formula 2 brand of herbal inhaler failed to meet the required standards in microbial contamination tests, specifically microbial counts, combined yeasts and mold counts, and the presence of

NEW YORK, October 31 ------ The dollar gained after the US central bank lowered rates as expected, but Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell pushed back against market pricing for another rate cut at the December meeting. The rate cut drew dissents from two policymakers, with Governor Stephen Miran again calling for a deeper reduction in borrowing costs and Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid favoring no cut at all, given ongoing inflation. "The dissent from Schmid is hawk

LOS ANGELES, October 31 ------ Trey Yesavage set a World Series rookie record with 12 strikeouts, and the Toronto Blue Jays opened Game 5 with back-to-back homers in a 6-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers that moved them within one win of their first championship since 1993. Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered on Blake Snell’s first and third pitches, the first consecutive homers to start a Series game. Yesavage, a precocious 22-year-old right-hander who sta

October 31 ------ The Seafarer Happiness Index (SHI) report for Q3 2025 from the Mission to Seafarers does not make particularly comfortable reading with deep-rooted challenges surfacing across the profession. Overall, the index fell to 7.05 out of 10 in the third quarter from 7.54 in the second quarter of the year, with growing dissatisfaction from seafarers across almost all key metrics that the index measures. “The data paints a particularly alarming picture: nearly every

October 31 ------ For several editions already, the Miss International pageant has been highlighting the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations (UN), and the delegates are working on projects that aim to achieve them. Adopted in 2015, the SDGs serve as an urgent call to action for all countries to help attain peace and prosperity for the people. These goals are to be met by 2030, just five more years to go. “With all the ladies from different pa

October 31 ------ As Undas approaches, local authorities have issued advisories to ensure a smooth and orderly period despite the expected influx of visitors in different cemeteries. Cemetery schedules Here are the schedules of various cemeteries during the Undas 2025 holiday: Caloocan cemeteries Oct. 30: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 31 to Nov. 1: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Nov. 2: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pasig Catholic Cemetery: Oct. 31: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Nov. 1: 6 a.m. 24 hours Nov. 2: 6 a.m. to

TOKYO, October 31 ------ Japan's government saw that the economy in October was recovering moderately because of solid capital expenditures in a monthly report issued. The government report also reiterated its cautiously optimistic outlook that the economy, the world's fourth largest, is expected to recover gradually, led by improving employment conditions, but warned of downside risks from U.S. trade policies. "Although the impact of the U.S. trade policies is primarily affe

MANILA, Philippines, October 31 ------ President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed into law a measure banning all offshore gaming operations in the Philippines, as well as other related activities. Republic Act No. 12312, also known as the Anti-Pogo Act of 2025, was signed into law by the President on Oct. 23 but was published only on Oct. 29. The new law makes permanent the executive order Marcos issued on Nov. 5 last year that imposed an immediate ban on all Philippine offsho

October 31 ------ Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets posts up against Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans during the third quarter at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. Nikola Jokic bagged his fourth straight triple-double to start the NBA season on Wednesday to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 122-88 rout of the New Orleans Pelicans. Serbian star Jokic, a three-time NBA Most Valuable Player, joined Oscar Robertson in 1961 and Russell Westbrook in 2020 as the only players to