SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — A total of 28 firearms were surrendered to various police units across Caraga (Region 13), as authorities ramped up operations against unregistered weapons. Brig. Gen. Rolindo Suguilon, Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) director, reported that 21 loose guns were voluntarily surrendered, while seven others with expired licenses were

MANILA, Philippines —San Juan City, in cooperation with the Caring Keri Foundation, launched its Breast Cancer Awareness Month celebration on Oct. 5 at the Makabagong San Juan Theater inside the Makabagong San Juan National Government Center. The event, with the theme “Wellness and Wisdom: A Journey of Strength and Survivorship,” brought together 236 breast cancer

KORONADAL CITY — Farmers in upland communities in Tupi, South Cotabato, are finding it easier to travel and bring their agricultural products to market following improvements along the P3.9-billion Banga-Tupi-Malungon Road. The road project, which connects parts of South Cotabato and Sarangani provinces, has improved access to farming communities where residents previously had to walk

CEBU CITY — At least 41 women, including 10 minors, who were allegedly prostituted by a syndicate, were rescued during two simultaneous operations conducted in Barangays Pajac and Punta Engaño in Lapu-Lapu City last Saturday, October 10, that led to the arrest of five suspects. The said operations were jointly conducted by the National Bureau

MANILA, Philippines — An intensifying El Niño could further complicate the Philippines’ fight against inflation, with a severe episode potentially pushing price growth above 8 percent while adding to the strain on an already weak economy, according to Chinabank Research. In a commentary, Chinabank said El Niño could add 0.25 percentage points (ppt) to headline inflation

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) has issued the guidelines for the 2026 National Literacy Awards (NLA), reaffirming its commitment to recognize partners helping advance literacy in communities nationwide. DepEd issued Memorandum No. 062, s. 2026, which contains the guidelines, through the Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC). According to a DepEd statement issued on

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday launched new employment programs aimed at helping Filipinos develop their skills, access job opportunities, and build sustainable livelihoods. Speaking at the 26th National Public Employment Service Office Congress in Cebu, Marcos introduced the Trabahong-Dagat, SkillPass, and Sagip-Trabaho programs as part of the Department of Labor and

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday said Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. had ordered the revocation of the sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance for a vessel carrying suspected smuggled rice before it arrived in the Philippines. According to the DA, the decision came after Tiu Laurel received “derogatory” information about the

MANILA, Philippines — New public school buildings will be required to meet updated accessibility and disaster-resilience standards beginning in fiscal year 2027 under a Department of Education (DepEd) policy welcomed by the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA). In a statement, the NCDA said DepEd Order No. 022, series of 2026, establishes enhanced minimum performance

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday disputed the claim that the Senate is spending P25 million daily in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying the amount represented the operating costs of the entire chamber. According to Gatchalian, “The claim that the impeachment trial costs the Senate P25 million a

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Sandiganbayan over the insufficient documentation of the foreign travels undertaken by its officials and employees. In its 2025 audit report, COA noted that a total of P11.87 million worth of cash advances were granted last year to the Sandiganbayan for the foreign travels of

MANILA, Philippines — A resolution seeking an investigation into the implementation of the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) to ensure fairness to motorists cited for traffic violations despite poor road infrastructure has been filed in the Senate. Senate Resolution No. 732, filed by Sen. Robin Padilla on Oct. 12, seeks an inquiry into fairness and

MANILA, Philippines — El Niño has affected more than 451,000 people across the country, including over 215,000 farmers and fisherfolk, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Wednesday. In its situational report as of Oct. 14, the NDRRMC said 121,185 families, or 451,889 individuals, are affected in Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Mimaropa,

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate will conduct an independent review of the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027 and correct its own version if the review finds problems in the House-approved bill. Sen. JV Ejercito, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, gave that assurance in a statement on Tuesday. The House has approved the General

KORONADAL CITY — A 35-year-old worker lost his right leg after an oxygen tank exploded while he was refilling it at a house in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat, on Wednesday, police said. The Police Regional Office 12 (PRO-12) said the incident happened around 11:20 a.m. in Purok 8, Barangay Poblacion. Based on the initial police

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Wednesday rejected Vice President Sara Duterte’s call for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to resign, as she faces an impeachment trial that could remove her from office and disqualify her from seeking the presidency in 2028. “If she does not want to resign, that is her decision. But her call for

ILAGAN, Isabela—The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) has earmarked P59.8-million fund for three tourism infrastructure projects in Ilagan City. This was made certain by TIEZA Chief Operating Officer Mark Lapid who visited Ilagan to sign a memorandum of agreement over the projects on October 13. Lapid announced that his agency will financially support

MANILA, Philippines — Senate finance panel chairperson Sen. JV Ejercito said the Senate will scrutinize the budget realignments in the House General Appropriations Bill, which cut budgets on major government programs. In a press briefing, Ejercito confirmed major changes in the House GAB including the P130 billion cut on the Foreign Assistance Projects and a

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The fate of Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense strategy now hangs in the balance, caught between the prosecution’s potential objections and the final rulings of the Senate impeachment court, according to former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio. His pronouncement follows the Senate impeachment court’s decision, led by presiding

(Satellite image from Pagasa) MANILA, Philippines — Occasional rain showers triggered by the northeasterly wind flow and intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) are expected in several parts of the country on Thursday, according to the state weather bureau. In its 4 p.m. weather advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that cloudy

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Audit (COA) has commended the Office of the President (OP) for utilizing its P4.2 billion socio-civic projects fund (SCPF) to procure hospital equipment. In its annual audit report for 2025 published on COA’s website on Tuesday, the agency said OP made total fund transfers amounting to ₱4,217,259,693.10 in calendar

MANILA, Philippines—A former soldier and an active police officer were arrested in Pangasinan for allegedly trading firearms, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said on Wednesday. The CIDG Pangasinan Provincial Field Unit, along with the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) Luzon Field Unit and the Villasis Municipal Police

MANILA, Philippines — Senate deputy majority leader Sen. Joel Villanueva on Wednesday asked Vice President Sara Duterte’s spokesperson Atty. Paolo Panelo if he should have thrown a fit over the prosecution’s move to drop three of the four articles of impeachment against Duterte. Panelo, in a statement, questioned the “lack of outrage” of the Senate

CALAPAN CITY — Residents of the Marinduque towns of Santa Cruz and Torrijos will enjoy shorter, cheaper trips when the P300-million Balogo Port opens in June 2027, providing an alternative docking facility to Balanacan Port in Mogpog. Marinduque lone district Rep. Reynaldo Salvacion said the new port would make sea travel more convenient by cutting

MANILA, Philippines — Local stocks fell on Wednesday as a sharp decline in index heavyweight International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) pulled the benchmark index lower, while foreign selling and persistent economic headwinds weighed on sentiment. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) dropped 1.48 percent, or 84.31 points, to close at 5,617.23. READ: Red hot inflation

Senator Panfilo Lacson wants the spokesperson of Vice President Sara Duterte to correct his claims that the Senate spent P500 million for the impeachment trial, questioning how the latter even came up with the number.

Family members and peers from PISTON pay their final respects to the late jeepney driver and activist Elmer Cordero

There were no winners of the P271 million Grand Lotto 6/55 and P110 million Megalotto 6/45 jackpot draws on October 14, 2026 a, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) announced on Wednesday.

Today’s headlines: Sara Duterte, Chiz Escudero, Rodrigo Duterte

The pending complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte before the Ombudsman make the testimonies of prosecution witnesses before the impeachment court valuable even after the dropping of the related articles of impeachment, a private prosecutor said on Monday.