Hagonoy, Bulacan folk march anew vs flooding woes

Inquirer.net - Sep 20, 2026

HAGONOY, Bulacan — More than 300 residents marched through the streets of this municipality early Sunday to mark the first anniversary of Tindig Hagonoy, renewing their call for justice over alleged corruption in flood control projects and for concrete solutions to the town’s chronic flooding problem. The protesters also called for accountability over the alleged

Read full article

MORE NEWS

Parental leave benefits for foreign workers double last year

Sep 20, 2026

Parental leave benefits for foreign workers double last year

Parental leave benefits paid to foreign workers in Korea doubled over the past year, data showed Sunday. The data, submitted to Rep. Park Soo-min of the People Power Party by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, showed total payments reached 36.45 billion won last year, up from 18.15 billion won the year before. The number of recipients rose more than 50 percent to 2,031 from 1,354. Through July of this year, 1,476 foreign nationals have already received 26.71 billion won in benefits. Foreign nationals made up 1.2 percent of the total recipients as of July, up from 1.1 percent last year and 1 percent two years ago. Ethnic Korean Chinese received the most support, with 1,154 recipients sharing 22.56 billion won, followed by Vietnamese with 895 recipients and 12.87 billion won. Besides the top two groups, 652 Chinese nationals claimed 11.54 billion won in benefits, 366 Americans received 5.78 billion won, 261 Japanese received 4.99 billion won and 177 Canadians claimed 3.08 billion won. Under Korean labor laws, foreign workers holding relevant visas, like E-9 or H-2 visas, can enroll in em

Military duty alternative revives for large conglomerates after 14 years amid AI drive

Sep 20, 2026

Military duty alternative revives for large conglomerates after 14 years amid AI drive

The assignment of expert research personnel to large conglomerates is expected to resume for the first time in 14 years, this time in the artificial intelligence (AI) field, helping prevent research career interruptions and the outflow of workers abroad. According to data submitted by the Ministry of Science and ICT to Rep. Hwang Jung-a of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Sunday, the ministry recommended LG Electronics, HD Hyundai Robotics, Samsung Medison and Samsung Electronics to be designated for hosting expert research personnel, with their nine research institutes needing 81 personnel. The expert research personnel program lets science and engineering graduates with master's or doctoral degrees work at research sites for three years instead of serving 18 to 21 months in the regular military, depending on the branch. However, new assignments to large conglomerates were suspended in 2013 to secure research and development personnel for small and medium-sized enterprises, closing off the path to military service at large conglomerate research institutes and drawing criticism f

Inside the Seo Hui: A look at Korea's newest submarine

Sep 20, 2026

Inside the Seo Hui: A look at Korea's newest submarine

GEOJE, South Gyeongsang Province — Wearing gloves, reporters ducked beneath a canvas cover and descended a ladder into the Seo Hui, a 3,600-ton submarine under construction at Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard. At the bottom was a narrow passage, barely wide enough for two adults. Pipes and equipment remained exposed, while stickers reading “painting inspection completed” showed that work was still underway. Hanwha Ocean opened the interior of the Seo Hui, the second Jangbogo-III Batch-II submarine, to the media for the first time Tuesday. Its launch ceremony is tentatively planned for November, although the timing could change depending on the Navy’s schedule. The contract stipulates that delivery is set for December 2027. Measuring about 89 meters long, the Seo Hui is larger than the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho-class submarines of Batch-I. Its combat management and sonar systems have been upgraded to improve data processing, target detection and land attack capabilities. Its overall localization rate is about 80 percent. In the torpedo room in the bow, horizontal launch tubes were arrange

Shark sightings draw crowds at Busan's North Port

Sep 20, 2026

Shark sightings draw crowds at Busan's North Port

Repeated shark sightings at a waterfront park in Busan’s North Port have drawn crowds of curious visitors, prompting city authorities to step up safety measures while monitoring the sea creature’s return to open waters. A shark estimated to be at least 3 meters long was first spotted at around 8:57 a.m. on Friday in a waterway at the port’s Waterfront Park, according to city officials. Another shark sighting was reported at around 1:05 p.m. the following day. The creature was believed to be a basking shark, a species found in subtropical waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, including waters off the Korean Peninsula. Although the species is not known to be aggressive, city officials said it could still pose a danger if provoked or approached too closely. The Korea Coast Guard initially tried to guide the shark out of the narrow waterway. But it suspended the effort after the National Institute of Fisheries Science advised that forcing the animal away could trigger defensive or aggressive behavior. Instead of deterring visitors, the unusual sight quickly turned the park

From royal seals to water droppers: Korea's museum cosplay contest finale thrills onlookers

Sep 20, 2026

From royal seals to water droppers: Korea's museum cosplay contest finale thrills onlookers

A giant golden royal seal swayed down a red carpet to pounding music, along with two women — one dressed in a Western-style uniform from the Great Korean Empire period, the other in a green Joseon era official’s robe and sunglasses. “Where did the state seal go?” they called out as thousands of spectators cheered at the National Museum of Korea’s open plaza in Seoul on Saturday afternoon. The seal, handcrafted from a barbecue restaurant exhaust hood and a large box spray-painted gold, represented "Jegojibo," the royal seal used for imperial decrees. Looted and taken to Japan in 1911 during the colonial occupation, the seal returned home decades after Korea’s liberation. Their entrance set the tone for the final round of “Dress Like a Museum Exhibit,” the National Museum of Korea’s increasingly popular artifact cosplay contest. What began in 2024 as a small program has grown into a nationwide heritage fan event, drawing 275 teams and 643 participants this year — more than three times last year’s 83 entries. More than 2,000 people registered in advance to attend. The s

PNP backs task force, vows thorough probe into Palawan ferry blaze

Sep 20, 2026

PNP backs task force, vows thorough probe into Palawan ferry blaze

MANILA, Philippines—With the death toll at 77 and eight other passengers still unaccounted for, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has backed a proposed inter-agency task force to investigate the circumstances behind the tragic MV June Aster ferry fire. The MV June Aster, operated by Atienza Interisland Ferries, was en route to Palawan from Manila when

[Inside the Newsroom] The tip that led us inside a non-consensual porn forum

Sep 20, 2026

[Inside the Newsroom] The tip that led us inside a non-consensual porn forum

Since the investigation on NSFWPH came out, more people have started sending us their own cases

Akbayan welcomes SC decision on anti-political dynasty law

Sep 20, 2026

Akbayan welcomes SC decision on anti-political dynasty law

Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno on Sunday welcomed the Supreme Court"s (SC) directive for Congress to enact an anti-political dynasty law.

Man shot dead in Bukidnon

Sep 20, 2026

Man shot dead in Bukidnon

VALENCIA CITY, Bukidnon — A 33-year-old man was shot dead while walking along a road at Purok 4, Sitio Pantaron, Barangay Banlag here on Saturday evening. Initial investigation showed that the incident occurred at approximately 7:00 p.m. when the victim was using his cellphone while walking home. An unidentified suspect approached and shot him three

NIA assures sufficient water supply as strong El Niño draws near

Sep 20, 2026

NIA assures sufficient water supply as strong El Niño draws near

The National Irrigation Authority (NIA) said on Sunday that adequate irrigation water is available as a strong El Niño approaches, adding that it will maintain a double dry cropping calendar to maximize the dry season.

Kendra Kramer becomes Most Outstanding Swimmer at DLSZ Invitational Swim Meet

Sep 20, 2026

Kendra Kramer becomes Most Outstanding Swimmer at DLSZ Invitational Swim Meet

Kendra Kramer has achieved one of her goals in a swimming competition: taking home the Most Outstanding Swimmer award.

Chel Diokno: Prosecution to respect court's voting threshold decision

Sep 20, 2026

Chel Diokno: Prosecution to respect court's voting threshold decision

The prosecution team will respect whatever decision the Senate impeachment court makes on the voting threshold needed to either convict or acquit Vice President Sara Duterte in her impeachment trial, Akbayan Party-list Representative Chel Diokno said on Sunday.

RECOMMENDED

The Life Voyager

The Life Voyager puts travel news into perspective, bringing you unique and secluded side to popular travel destinations you never know exist.

ABOUT US
NEWSLETTER

Copyright © 2015 - 2026 The Life Voyager. All Rights Reserved.