Friday, September 25, 2026 · 92 stories
MANILA, Philippines — Surigao del Norte 1st District Rep. Francisco “Lalo” Matugas is pushing for the passage of a National Land Use Act as the Senate continues deliberations on proposals seeking to establish a…
MARKING its third overall win and second consecutive title, Calamba City was named the Top Model City at The Manila Times Philippine Model Cities and Municipalities 2026. Bacnotan, La Union, was named Top Model…
AN El Niño phenomenon is expected to turn very strong and last until the middle of next year, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said. Pagasa said a strong El Niño…
THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has arrested a person allegedly linked to the recent school shooting in South Cotabato and a suspected online groomer in Cebu, NBI chief Melvin Matibag said on Thursday. During…
THE Philippines finally tallied its first gold medal on Day 5 of the 2026 Asian Games, courtesy of the two-time Olympic champion gymnast Carlos Yulo. Yulo delivered a near-perfect performance of 14.666 points on…
THE Department of Justice (DOJ) will continue prosecuting the cases involving the missing sabungeros, or cockfight enthusiasts, even as several victims’ families have stopped communicating with prosecutors. Prosecutor…
PUBLIC Works Secretary Vince Dizon on Thursday called for a shift to nature-based hybrid solutions in the government’s approach to flood control. Dizon said that the goal of the Department of Public Works and Highways…
THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said Thursday that certain social aid programs connected to transportation would continue through the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE)…
SENATE Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano urged government agencies involved in projects around Laguna Lake to resolve reclamation issues in a dialogue. During a recent Senate Finance Subcommittee hearing on the…
Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson on Thursday pushed for a bigger slice of revenues generated from the income-generating activities of the Department of Justice (DoJ) and its attached agencies. During the Senate finance…
HEALTH experts highlighted the need for personalized medicine as the Philippines grapples with a lack of commercially available medications for specific illnesses. Speaking at the launch of Ascend Rx at the Philippine…
THE bill that seeks to postpone the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) has been transmitted to Malacañang for the president’s signature, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said Thursday. Senate Bill…
SOME outstanding employers and partners including the media that have helped the Social Security System (SSS) provide social security protection to Filipino workers were honored during an awarding ceremony held in the…
SEN. Loren Legarda has renewed her call for international climate justice, urging major greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters to fulfill their obligations as global efforts to limit warming fall short and vulnerable nations…
SEN. Bong Go has called for adequate funding for the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in 2027 to ensure continued assistance to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) facing emergencies, particularly those in conflict…
SEN. Risa Hontiveros on Thursday called for stronger economic buffers and comprehensive policy reforms to prevent Filipino families from falling back into poverty amid rising inflation and slowing economic growth…
MANILA, Philippines — Diesel and gasoline prices are estimated to go down next week, amid hopes that recent talks between the US and Iran at the UN would ease the conflict, local industry sources said. They said that…
SAN FRANCISCO, California — Meta shares bounced back to their summer 2025 highs this week, riding a wave of investor excitement about Muse, the social media giant's AI agent which presents an opportunity to generate…
THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has ordered Credladder to immediately stop its lending operations after it continued to offer loans despite an earlier warning. The regulator also warned the public against…
KUALA LUMPUR — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) plans to bring as many as 20 Philippine companies to the 2027 Malaysia International Halal Showcase (Mihas), expanding efforts to connect local businesses with…
ONLINE brokerage DragonFi Securities Inc. has started testing a financial product that will allow eligible Philippine-based investors to gain access to selected US stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The Securities…
THE government has approved P19.16 million in advisory support to evaluate and prepare a proposed public-private partnership (PPP) for the modernization of the country’s Fuel Marking Program. The Project Development and…
THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is piloting a digital document management system to make its internal processes more efficient and improve services for taxpayers. The Document Tracking and Management System (DTMS)…
FARMERS’ group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) on Thursday warned that pork imports could exceed 1 billion kilograms (kg) this year, further hurting local hog raisers. Sinag executive director Jayson Cainglet…
THE information technology-business process management (IT-BPM) industry expects revenue to grow faster than employment through 2028, as companies use artificial intelligence (AI) and move toward higher-value services…
WE HAVE become exceptionally fluent in talking about national progress through the cold geometry of systems. We dissect macroeconomic forecasts, map digital infrastructure nodes, trace global supply chains and debate…
CEBU Pacific is eyeing additional flight entitlements to Singapore from the Philippines amid growing travel demand. The Gokongwei-led airline has filed a petition with the Civil Aeronautics Board for the allocation…
FIRST Gen Corp. has partnered with Cebu-based property developer Oakridge Realty Development Corp. (ORDC) for two rooftop solar projects. First Gen will install a 648-kilowatt-peak (kWp) rooftop solar facility at the…
RECENTLY, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) projected that our palay production was set to decline by 15 percent to around 3.9 million metric tons (MMT) in the third quarter of this year — the July-September…
THE Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) will be offering at least P30 billion worth of new 2.5-year retail treasury bonds (RTBs) due 2029 to investors beginning next week. The peso-denominated RTB 32 issue will have a minimum…
BUDGET authorities are proposing P228.92 million for the government’s electric vehicle (EV) program in 2027 to support the country’s shift toward cleaner transportation. The proposed allocation under the 2027 National…
THE Philippines has received an additional US raw sugar export quota of 9,151 metric tons raw value (MTRV) for the period Oct. 1, 2026-Sept. 30, 2027, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)…
ONE of the basic tools of credit analysis is the 5Cs: character, capacity, condition, capital and collateral. Of these, perhaps the most difficult to measure is character. Character refers to a borrower’s willingness to…
THE country’s rice imports totaled 3.89 million metric tons (MT) as of Sept. 17, up 19 percent from 3.27 million MT a year earlier, according to data from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI). The increase is not an issue…
THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has authorized the release of P6.2 billion in farm and fuel assistance to help farmers and fisherfolk prepare for the expected El Niño, the Department of Agriculture (DA)…
MYNT Inc., the parent company of GCash, has secured commitments from over 20 global and domestic institutional investors for nearly 68.8 percent of the shares to be offered under a planned initial public offering (IPO)…
THE Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) extended its losing streak to five sessions on Thursday, plunging by 1.12 percent to 5,730.02, its lowest close since Nov. 14, 2025, as fresh downgrades to the country’s growth…
ALTERNERGY Holdings Corp. posted a 1.82-percent increase in consolidated net income to P168.2 million from P165 million for the fiscal year ended June 2026, driven by its strong renewable energy portfolio. In a…
TOKYO — Tech investor SoftBank Group is issuing $11.1 billion in dollar- and euro-denominated bonds, set to be the largest high-yield corporate bond sale globally on record as it seeks to fund its mammoth bet on OpenAI…
NEW YORK — McDonald’s unveiled plans on Wednesday to steer $8.5 billion to franchisees for restaurant remodels and technology upgrades as it prepares for an inflation-challenged consumer economy for the foreseeable…
TURKISH Airlines announced on Wednesday that it has finalized firm orders for 100 Boeing 737-8 MAX jets, with options for another 50. The deal also allows the airline to switch orders to the larger 737-10. The jetliners…
QANTAS airport workers launched a 24-hour strike on Thursday at the Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth airports demanding higher pay, more secure jobs and improved safety standards, the Australia’s Transport Workers’…
MENLO PARK, California — Meta unveiled several new wearables powered by its AI models on Wednesday, including an audio-only, camera-free version of its smart glasses, amid global concerns about privacy and the filming…
DISNEY will raise prices on several streaming subscriptions, including its flagship ad-free Disney+ plan, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Major streaming platforms have…
THE government’s budget deficit widened in August as spending rose and revenues dipped, Bureau of the Treasury data showed on Thursday. The month’s P161.3-billion shortfall rose from July’s P106.3 billion and was also…
LAWRENCE Cruz has been a car enthusiast for as far back as he can remember. In 2009, he channeled that passion into a career, working as a service advisor for Mercedes-Benz and later moving to the brand’s auxiliary…
James Copenhaver, one of three campaign rally attendees shot in 2024 during an assassination attempt on then-candidate Donald Trump, has died in Pittsburgh, his lawyer said Thursday. He was 76. Copenhaver was in the…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday asked the US Supreme Court to lift restrictions on the deportations of undocumented immigrants to third countries. Last week, a federal appeals…
ROME — Pope Leo XIV flies to France on Friday for the Vatican's first state visit to the European nation in 18 years, with artificial intelligence and young believers near the top of his agenda. Church bells around the…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met for high stakes talks on Thursday at an urgent moment for the US-China relationship, with the world’s preeminent powers divided on the war in Iran and still…
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley called on world leaders on Thursday to turn knowledge into action, reform international institutions and ensure that new technologies and global wealth benefit everyone. Addressing…
The Vice-President of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, Abdullah Al-Alimi Bawazir, told the UN General Assembly on Thursday that his Government had engaged “responsibly and positively” with regional and…
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used his address to the UN General Assembly to defend Israel’s strikes against Iran as a matter of national survival and describe the violence in the West Bank as the work of few…
WASHINGTON — Eight sailors attempted suicide while deployed with the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group, which spent a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea supporting the Iran war, the Navy's top…
NAGOYA, Japan — Several teams rounded on the organization of the Asian Games in Japan on Thursday, with Thailand likening it to a "chaotic" game of "musical chairs" and South Korea saying "they deserve a failing grade."…
PARIS, France — An ancient wall discovered in central Paris was hailed as a "major breakthrough" on Wednesday, as the archaeological find may have settled a long-standing debate about the location of the city's original…
NEW YORK — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Mayor Zohran Mamdani of endangering Jewish New Yorkers with his criticism of Israel's military actions in Gaza, saying during a speech at the United Nations…
NEW YORK — Movie star Susan Sarandon and "Hacks" actress Hannah Einbinder were among people detained by police in New York as they moved in to break up a protest against Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday. AFP footage shows…
BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping urged cooperation with the United States, Beijing’s state media reported, hours after being greeted in Washington on Wednesday evening local time by President Donald Trump. “Our…
KATHMANDU — Nepal’s rapper-turned-prime minister swept to power six months ago on a wave of youth-led anti-corruption protests, buoyed by optimism for change. Now Balendra Shah faces his biggest test as his country’s…
UNITED NATIONS — Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing a difficult reelection campaign at home, addresses the United Nations on Thursday, where he is expected to lash out at both enemies as well as allies…
UNITED NATIONS — Iran’s president struck a defiant tone at the UN on Wednesday, where he spoke for the first time since Washington and Israel launched an all-out war on his country, vowing Tehran would never “bend at…
SYDNEY — A rogue OpenAI model bypassed safeguards during training and hacked an Australian government website, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said as he admonished the ChatGPT creator over an “obviously unacceptable”…
UNITED NATIONS — Outgoing UN chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday hailed the “unstoppable” rise of renewable energy and urged countries to develop firm plans to quit fossil fuels in his final climate meeting at the world…
SEOUL — North Korea will keep its nuclear weapons “forever,” its foreign minister vowed Thursday, dismissing the South Korean president’s renewed calls for a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang has legally…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration must immediately reinstate White House access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, a United States federal judge ordered on Thursday, after their reporters were banned from the…
ISLAMABAD — Authorities in Pakistan’s capital blocked main access routes to the city with double-stacked shipping containers Thursday ahead of a weekend demonstration by supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran…
GENEVA, Switzerland — The Swiss will vote on Sunday on a heavily debated proposal to tighten their country’s traditional neutrality, amid fears that an expected “no” could be interpreted abroad as abandoning the…
Filipino skateboarder Mazel Paris Alegado placed fifth overall in the women’s skateboarding park events at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan on Friday. The 12-year-old posted her best mark of 80.65 in her fourth and…
MANILA, Philippines — A busy triple-header playdate opens the exciting collegiate volleyball action of the 2026 Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Unity Cup on Friday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. Adamson University begins…
LEXINGTON, Kentucky — The Jockey Club has ruled that a racehorse known as Austrian Painter has been renamed Merrylegs after a review of a complaint that alleged it was a reference to Adolf Hitler. The horse’s name drew…
SAN Miguel Beer solidified its backcourt depth by signing shooting guard Jerrick Ahanmisi to a three-year extension deal. “Jerrick is a young and talented player, and we definitely see him as an important part of SMB’s…
Nagoya, Japan — China's 13-year-old swimming prodigy Yu Zidi sealed a hat-trick of Asian Games titles on Wednesday, as North Korea won their first two golds thanks to their powerhouse women weightlifters. Towards the…
THE Alas Pilipinas men’s national volleyball team, bannered by Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas, arrived in Nagoya, Japan on Thursday for the 2026 Asian Games. Slated in Pool D, Team Philippines will be tested early as it…
BARANGAY Ginebra is bringing in a new import, Jordan Murphy, when the team resumes its title chase in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup in October. The Puerto Rican forward has built a professional career overseas…
BAGUIO CITY — Team Lakay fighters Jean Claude “The Dynamite” Saclag and Carlos “The Limitless” Alvarez carried the fight for the Philippines after winning silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the mixed martial…
FORMER Olympic medalist Eumir Marcial recently secured the most impressive victory of his six-year professional boxing career by knocking out Omar Ulises Huerta in three rounds in San Diego, California. Huerta showed up…
MAJOR League Baseball’s postseason is rapidly approaching, with the Los Angeles Dodgers seeking a third straight World Series title. It remains to be seen how much some of the game’s biggest stars will be able to…
NEW YORK — New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart will undergo knee surgery and miss the remainder of the L regular season, head coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday (Thursday in Manila). It is a severe blow to the…
KAWHI Leonard and the Toronto Raptors have agreed on a two-year contract extension that could be worth $115 million if he plays both seasons, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations. The second year of…
LONDON — Grand Slam champion Alexander Zverev and American legend Andre Agassi led a staunch defense of the Laver Cup ahead of the latest edition of the polarizing event in London this week. In the midst of the packed…
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is “seriously considering” an absolute pardon for Mary Jane Veloso, the former migrant worker who has spent nearly 17 years in prison and was on the brink of being executed in Indonesia…
WHILE Marcos’ minions in the Senate are ecstatic over having succeeded in reducing the number of votes required to convict Vice President Sara Duterte, this attack on the Constitution has only revealed the real nature…
AMERICAN investigative journalist Sterling Seagrave published in 1988 the book “The Marcos Dynasty,” just after EDSA forced dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. out of power. Political science and public administration…
“EACH one heard them speaking in his own language.” This verse from the Acts of the Apostles (2:6) comes from the familiar story of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles, and they began to speak in…
I HOPE you watched or watch my interview with Phinma Education’s CEO Chito Salazar, which aired last Friday and is available on YouTube. I learned a lot in that interview and thank Chito again for his many insights into…
LAST Sept. 17, Information and Communication Technology Secretary Henry Aguda walked away from the budget hearing in Congress disappointed after lawmakers decided to defer approval of the more than P18-billion budget he…
WHILE we are bogged down in traffic, hoping for solutions to our mobility problem in the way that progressive cities have done — providing affordable and efficient mass public transportation like trains, subways, and…
THERE is a town in Camarines Sur, about 50 kilometers from Naga City, that many of us mention in passing but rarely stop to understand. Its name is Tinambac. It is less than an hour’s drive from the capital city, yet…
Headlines and excerpts come from The Manila Times's public news feeds. Full stories are on The Manila Times's own site.