LEGAZPI CITY — The Iriga City government distributed metal detectors to 51 public schools on Monday to strengthen security and prevent prohibited or potentially dangerous items on school campuses. Mayor Wilfredo Rex Cuba Oliva led the distribution during the Department of Education (DepEd) Iriga City Division Management Committee meeting. Oliva turned over the devices to

BACOLOD CITY — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has disbursed P677.8 million so far under its Uplift Disaster Assistance Program to assist small sugarcane farmers and laborers across the Negros Island Region (NIR) affected by the red-stripe soft-scale insect infestation. DSWD-NIR Regional Director Arwin Razo said the agency’s Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information

MANILA, Philippines —Former Department of Public Works and Highways chief Vince Dizon on Tuesday turned over to his successor documents of DPWH personnel linked to corruption.  Dizon on Monday was reassigned as transportation secretary, replacing Giovanni Lopez, who in turn took over Dizon’s DPWH top post. During the DPWH turnover ceremony, Dizon handed Lopez a

MANILA, Philippines — Former Budget and Management chief Amenah Pangandaman was supposedly aware of the so-called “leadership fund” within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget for 2025, while President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was not. A witness gave this testimony to the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division on Tuesday. Ex-DPWH chief Manuel Bonoan made the

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – By implementing programs and projects aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Pangasinan provincial government raised its SDG score from 50 in 2019 to 89 in 2024, out of a targeted score of 102. This was the main finding of the Pangasinan SDGs Report, a study conducted by researchers

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate of the Philippines and the Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC-13) on Tuesday launched Senate TV, a channel dedicated to broadcasting the upper chamber’s proceedings. In a speech during the channel’s launch, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said that Senate TV will give Filipinos better access to information about Senate affairs. READ: Senate

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — At least 6,400 police officers, security forces, and civilian volunteers will be deployed across Caraga (Region 13) to ensure public safety during the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, or Undas 2026, a top official said. Brig. Gen. Rolindo Suguilon, Police Regional Office 13 (PRO-13) director,

CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — Mangyan artisans and educators called for stronger protection of their indigenous crafts, traditional knowledge, and cultural identity, stressing that preserving their heritage also means protecting ancestral lands and sustaining community livelihoods. They made the call during the fourth Agkatipon Pagkaruwan Mangyan: Indigenous Peoples’ Summit 2026 held at the Divine Word

VALENCIA CITY, Bukidnon — Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go has appealed anew to supporters of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte to pray for his health and eventual return to the country. Duterte has been detained by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, on charges of alleged crimes against humanity in connection with his administration’s,

MANILA, Philippines —Sen. Jinggoy Estrada has over P7 billion in “congressional initiatives” in the 2025 budget, former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan said in written testimony submitted to the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division Tuesday. The anti-graft court is currently conducting a hearing on Estrada’s bail petition where Bonoan stands as a witness. READ: Jinggoy declines to enter

MANILA, Philippines — The Visayas grid will once again be placed under red and yellow alerts on Tuesday, Oct. 27, due to insufficient power supply, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said. In an advisory, the NGCP said the red alert would be in effect from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., while yellow

TACLOBAN CITY — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has warned the public against the gathering, selling, and eating of shellfish from Carigara Bay in Leyte after seawater samples tested positive for a red tide-causing organism, while a shellfish ban remains in effect in two other bays in Samar and Eastern Samar. In

The storm, Arnab, is forecast to make landfall Wednesday on the country’s eastern coast and then cut inland and head north toward Nepal.

A court in India has ordered the ⁠takedown of an online documentary posted by Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and billionaire Gautam Adani of cronyism, after Adani Enterprises sued, calling it defamatory. Adani’s flagship firm, Adani Enterprises, told the High Court in the eastern city of Kolkata that the documentary, which garnered millions of views on social media in recent days, was riddled with false content and had prompted ‌inquiries from some...

MANILA, Philippines — Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano clarified on Tuesday that his colleagues in the upper chamber remain free to make their own decisions should they be offered the role of vice president. This comes after Sen. Panfilo Lacson criticized Cayetano’s call for their colleagues to reject any nomination to replace Vice President

MANILA, Philippines — Motorists using the seven-kilometer Cavitex R1 Extension (Zapote to Kawit) will be charged higher toll rates starting Wednesday, Oct. 28. The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) approved the collection of the second-tranche toll rates following petitions filed by Cavitex Infrastructure Corp. (CIC) and the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA). The petition covers the toll

KORONADAL CITY — Thirteen children here were hospitalized after experiencing vomiting, dizziness, and stomach pain several hours after eating the fruit of a tuba-tuba plant (Jatropha curcas) in Barangay Topland, Koronadal City, on Monday night. The children, all from Sitio Kolondafok, were taken to the South Cotabato Provincial Hospital for medical treatment. Barangay Topland chairperson

Indonesia could gain critical defence technology, investment and export opportunities through a new multi-nation defence pact with Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan, but analysts warn its success hinges on turning high-level ambition into concrete projects. The four Muslim-majority nations signed the Badr Memorandum of Understanding in Doha on Wednesday. The agreement outlines a framework for defence “cooperation and integration” across joint research and development, training exchanges and industrial...

MANILA, Philippines — Oil prices at local pumps will have a mixed adjustment Tuesday, with diesel and kerosene prices rising while gasoline prices drop amid continued volatility in the global oil market. The Department of Energy (DOE) said gasoline prices would decrease by 30 centavos per liter, while diesel prices would increase by P1.20 per

TACLOBAN CITY — Police arrested a 59-year-old barangay councilor from Barugo, Leyte, after officers discovered two sachets of suspected “shabu” (crystal meth) during a checkpoint operation in Barangay Cayare, San Miguel, Leyte, on Monday. Police stopped the suspect, identified only by the alias “Aldo,” for allegedly riding a motorcycle without a helmet, according to the

COTABATO CITY – A 10-year-old Indigenous girl was found dead, naked, with her hands and feet bound and tied to a tree in a remote village in South Upi, Maguindanao del Sur, police said Tuesday. Capt. Steffi Salanguit, spokesperson for Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), identified the victim only as alias “Cyll,” a Grade 5

The collision of two Philippine Air Force training aircraft that killed four pilots has raised questions about whether the service’s training, maintenance and safety systems can keep pace with Manila’s ambitions to acquire more advanced combat aircraft. The crash, which occurred during a fly-by rehearsal at Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas province, south of Manila, on Friday has renewed calls for a comprehensive review of the Air Force’s ageing fleet, pilot instruction, maintenance...

KIDAPAWAN CITY —The Diocese of Kidapawan has mourned the desecration of a parish church in M’lang town, after unidentified thieves robbed its tabernacle and dishonored the Blessed Sacrament. In a decree issued on Monday, Kidapawan Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo directed the suspension of Masses and other sacramental celebrations at the Sta. Teresita del Niño Jesus

CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — The Department of Tourism (DOT) in Mimaropa encouraged all tourism establishments in the provinces of Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan to implement water-saving measures and protect guests and personnel from extreme heat as the El Niño phenomenon threatens water supplies and normal operations. In Advisory No. 2026-10-004,

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s wife, Nancy dela Rosa, has pleaded to the “powerful few” not to use her husband for their personal agenda, stressing the senator needs help, not persecution. She also thanked dela Rosa’s supporters, saying they have helped her realize “that there are millions who still believe and support”

In one of the world’s least affordable housing markets, high-density housing is a backdrop for exploring superstition and socioeconomic anxiety.

LUCENA CITY — The body of a missing 9-year-old boy was recovered from the Pansipit River near the municipal boundaries of Agoncillo and Lemery in Batangas on Monday afternoon (Oct. 26), a day after his disappearance was reported. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Batangas said the boy’s body was found near Palanas Bridge in Lemery

South Korea’s embrace of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs appears particularly pronounced among younger adults, with roughly one in six Gen Z respondents reporting they had used or been prescribed the medication in 2025, according to a new report. The 2026 Korea Wellness Report, released by KB Financial Group on Sunday and cited by The Korea Times, surveyed 2,000 men and women aged 25 to 69 between July and August. Across all age brackets, the overall uptake stood at 10.3 per cent. Gen Z adults – defined...

MANILA, Philippines — Overcast skies and light rain are expected in parts of northern Luzon on Tuesday due to northeasterly wind flow, the state weather bureau said. According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), a strengthening northeasterly wind flow signals the approaching amihan season, or northeast monsoon. READ: PH Weather Updates

A bus fitted out ⁠with oxygen tanks is ⁠providing a sanctuary in a ⁠city on Indonesia’s Borneo island, where people are choking from forest-fire-induced haze and the blazes show no sign of letting up. Indonesia regularly battles seasonal forest fires, predominantly on Sumatra and Borneo islands, but this year the infernos are the most intense in ‌more than a decade. An intense El Nino weather phenomenon has driven up temperatures, leaving the country’s vast forests and peatlands more vulnerable...