Philippine News

MANILA, October 23 ------ Remnants of structures found at Bajo de Masinloc, or Scarborough Shoal, are part of the Philippines' past attempts to build there, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said. Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said the structures were part of earlier Philippine efforts in the area in the 1980s and 1990s. “This was not established or built by any foreign power on Scarborough Shoal,” Trinidad said

MANILA, October 23 ------ President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr congratulated Sanae Takaichi for being named Japan's first woman prime minister, saying he looks forward to working with her and boosting Manila and Tokyo’s ties. In a post on social media, the President said he is anticipating working with her in commemorating the two countries’ 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year. He is also looking forward to cooperating with the Japanese prime minister for the Strengthened

MANILA, October 23 ------ The Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday announced the implementation of a wellness break for teachers and learners from October 27 to 30, where schools are encouraged to give teachers recovery time during this period. Schools are likewise encouraged to adjust the conduct of the midyear In-Service Training (INSET) after the break.Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the decision aims to give teachers and learners "a much-needed pause to reco

October 23 ------ The Embassy of the Philippines located in Washington, D.C., issued a statement on October 21, reporting that it has been in contact with the U.S. authorities over the reports of denial of entry encountered by Filipino seafarers at U.S. ports. There have been multiple reports of incidents involving seafarers with work visas since the Trump administration began its crackdown on illegal immigrants in the United States. The embassy says it has been in touch with

October 23 ------ There had been reports that companies were considering restructuring steps in the face of the uncertainties created by the special port fee programs introduced by the U.S. and China. Several companies, based on recent stock exchange filings, have quietly taken several steps targeting their ownership profile and composition of their boards to reduce the risk of being deemed a “U.S.-controlled” company by the Chinese authorities. Lawyers pointed to the ambigui

October 23 ------ There was some mystery in mid-October when most Iranian-owned tankers simultaneously turned on their AIS location systems, having mostly travelled in the “dark” since 2018 when the United States re-imposed sanctions. The Iranian leadership remains in a highly nervous state after the 12-Day War in June, issuing a flow of contradictory statements and evidently fearing a resumption of Israeli and American attacks. But it was difficult to see the logic in Irania

October 23 ------ The Los Angeles–Long Beach–Shanghai green shipping corridor, a “first-of-its-kind” initiative connecting ports between California and China, has achieved new milestones. As disclosed, the green shipping corridor, which is facilitated by C40 cities (a global network of mayors working to tackle the climate crisis by endeavoring to slash greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030), has delivered on its envisioned phase I targets. The milestones include the expans

WASHINGTON, United States, October 23 ------ US President Donald Trump confirmed that the White House's iconic East Wing is being torn down in its entirety to make way for a huge $300-million ballroom — a far more extensive demolition than previously announced. Trump told reporters at an Oval Office event that he had decided after consulting architects that "really knocking it down" was preferable to a partial demolition. The president was asked about the work at an event alo

ROME, Italy, October 23 ------ King Charles III landed in Rome for a state visit to the Vatican, where he will meet Pope Leo XIV and make history as the first British monarch to pray publicly with the pontiff since the Church of England broke away from Catholicism 500 years ago. The visit comes at a delicate time for the British king following new revelations about his brother, Prince Andrew, who is mired in a scandal surrounding late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. After la

October 23 ------ Russian drones and missiles have pounded the Ukrainian capital and other cities, hours after the cancellation of a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, killing six people including a six-month-old baby, a 12-year-old girl and a woman, and damaging key energy facilities and several high-rise residential buildings. The attacks, involving over 400 drones and 28 missiles, lasted most Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning as Kyiv was hit by at leas

KYIV, Ukraine, October 23 ------ Ukraine’s state security service has unveiled an upgraded sea drone it says can now operate anywhere in the Black Sea, carry heavier weapons and use artificial intelligence for targeting. Ukraine has used the unmanned naval drones to target Russian shipping and infrastructure in the Black Sea. The Security Service of Ukraine, known by its Ukrainian acronym SBU, has credited strikes by the unmanned vessel known as the “Sea Baby” with forcing a

I had a very productive Wednesday last week at the meeting with some of the country’s leading business leaders and private sector organizations. They were there in full force, all 80 of the heavy hitters representing various sectors and companies, to find out how they can engage with the region next year, when the Philippines hosts the ASEAN Summit and related meetings, and is chair of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), the private sector body tasked to advise g

Whether you're working in an office, a shop floor or some other setting, it's important to stay motivated during busy periods. Many people use music to keep themselves motivated and improve their productivity at work. Over the years, studies have demonstrated that, for some people, music is an effective motivator. In this article, we explore why so many people use music for motivation and list some of the best songs to listen to when you want to stay motivated. Why is music f

Whether you're working in an office, a shop floor or some other setting, it's important to stay motivated during busy periods. Many people use music to keep themselves motivated and improve their productivity at work. Over the years, studies have demonstrated that, for some people, music is an effective motivator. In this article, we explore why so many people use music for motivation and list some of the best songs to listen to when you want to stay motivated. Why is music f

‘Tis the season to be extra cautious as we hit the last few months of the year, also known in the Philippines as –Ber months. Since the months of September, October, November, and December fall under the wet or rainy season, the weather can get a little colder than usual. Unfortunately, it also means the onset of several diseases that are common in tropical climate, which refers to the intermittently wet and dry days. Thus, the shift from the dry to the wet season is consider

Emergency funds, retirement, debt payoff, college costs - overwhelming is an understatement when it comes to how we should prioritize our savings. We know we should be saving, but where and how much? The good news is if you are stressing about whether or not you are saving in the "right way" - at least you are saving! Exactly how you should prioritize depends on your specific financial situation. While some financial experts may disagree on the order, most would agree the bel

MANILA, Philippines, October 22 ------ P-pop powerhouse SB19 reigned supreme at the inaugural Filipino Music Awards (FMA) bagging six major awards during a star-studded ceremony held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Dubbed the "Kings of P-pop," the group swept multiple categories, including Pop Song of the Year for “Dungka!”, People’s Choice Artist, People’s Choice Song (also for “Dungka!”), Tour of the Year and Concert of the Year for “Simula at Wakas,” and the coveted Artist o

October 22 ------ Apl.De.Ap. has piloted his coconut project in Liliw Laguna last week, an ambitious project of planting 100M coconut trees across the Philippines, that he first shared with GMA News Online in July. Together with some 20 farmers from across the province, the popstar displayed his know-how of intercropping, an old farming practice of planting different crops on the same land. At the 30-plus-hectare Esmeris Farm in Liliw, Apl planted various seedlings of malunga

October 22 ------ Kathryn Bernardo appears to be the next in line to get immortalized as a wax figure at a museum in Hong Kong, based on the teaser Madame Tussauds posted on its social media pages. Madame Tussauds Hong Kong has sparked speculation that Bernardo will soon join its lineup of celebrity wax figures after it posted a teaser on Instagram on Monday, Oct. 20, with clues fans say point to the Filipino actress. “Someone special is joining Madame Tussauds Hong Kong’s re

MANILA, October 22 ------ Joaquin Arce and Sofia Pablo are the first two housemates joining "Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0," which is another collaboration between ABS-CBN Studios and GMA. On Tuesday, October 21, the newest housemates from ABS-CBN's Star Magic and GMA's Sparkle were revealed during the broadcast of "24 Oras" on GMA-7. Young and fierce are the traits of the two new housemates. Arce, the son of businessman Neil Arce, who's the husband of actres