Author: WWC NEWSDESK

Lifestyle

Filipino Rice Farmers Are Still Fighting for Their Future—But This Government Support Could Change What Happens Next

For many Filipino farmers, every planting season is a gamble. They put seeds into the soil without knowing exactly what the next harvest will bring. Weather can destroy a crop. Production costs can eat into already-thin earnings. And when farmgate prices weaken, months of hard work can translate into little income for the families who depend on the land. That uncertainty is at the heart of the Philippine Information Agency's latest feature, “Kwentong Butil: Sa kinabukasang hindi matanaw, tulon

August 20, 2026

Politics

Rowena Guanzon Blasts Orly Guteza After He Recants Romualdez Testimony—But His New Affidavit Raises an Even Bigger Question

MANILA, Philippines — Former Commission on Elections Commissioner Rowena Guanzon has launched a blistering attack on retired Marine Orly Guteza after he dramatically withdrew his earlier testimony linking former House Speaker Martin Romualdez to alleged cash deliveries connected to the country’s flood-control corruption controversy. But Guteza’s reversal has opened an even bigger question: Which version of his story can investigators—and the public—believe? Guanzon rejected Guteza’s latest cla

August 20, 2026

Philippines

Nine Rare Nicobar Pigeons Spotted Together in Palawan—What Their “Reunion” Could Mean for Conservation

Nine Nicobar pigeons were recently spotted resting together on a single tree at the Ursula Island Game Refuge and Bird Sanctuary in Bataraza, Palawan, in what local wildlife personnel described as an extremely unusual sight. The discovery was made during wet-season biodiversity monitoring by forest rangers and personnel from the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of Brooke’s Point. According to GMA News, the team initially noticed what appeared to be a lone dark-colored

August 20, 2026

Business

US Dollar Sinks to 3-Month Low After Treasury Steps Into Bond Market—but the Bigger Debt Problem Hasn’t Gone Away

The U.S. dollar has fallen to its weakest level in roughly three months, after an unusual move by the U.S. Treasury helped calm a violent selloff in government bonds that had pushed long-term borrowing costs to levels not seen in nearly two decades. But while the intervention gave financial markets some breathing room, analysts are warning that it does little to solve the much larger problem hanging over the United States: rising government debt, persistent inflation risks and growing investor

August 20, 2026

Philippines

₱11.6-M SHABU FOUND INSIDE CAR PARTS AT CLARK — BUT THE X-RAY REVEALED WHAT WAS HIDING WITHIN

CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Pampanga — What appeared to be an ordinary shipment of car parts turned into an ₱11.6-million drug interception after Bureau of Customs personnel detected suspicious contents inside the cargo at the Port of Clark. The Bureau of Customs–Port of Clark, working with the Clark Inter-Agency Task Force Against Illegal Drugs (CRK-IATFAID), intercepted approximately 1,706 grams of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, commonly known as shabu, concealed inside imported automotive

August 20, 2026

Philippines

MIMAROPA Just Took a Major Leap in 3D Printing—Here’s What WPU and DOST Are Building in Palawan

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, PALAWAN — A new chapter in regional technology and manufacturing is taking shape in Palawan as Western Philippines University (WPU) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) launched the Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMCen) MIMAROPA at the university’s Puerto Princesa Campus on August 17, 2026. The facility is expected to give researchers, students, innovators, entrepreneurs, and local industries in Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan greater access to tec

August 20, 2026

Business

Australia Forces Big Tech to Pay for News Under New 2.5% Levy Law

SYDNEY — Australia has escalated its long-running battle with the world’s biggest technology companies, passing a landmark law that could force Meta, Google, TikTok and LinkedIn to pay millions of dollars to support Australian journalism — or face a hefty levy on their advertising businesses. The Australian Parliament passed the News Bargaining Incentive on Thursday, August 20, introducing a system designed to push major digital platforms into commercial agreements with local news publishers ra

August 20, 2026

Philippines

ROBOTS ARE COMING FOR ROMBLON’S MARBLE INDUSTRY—BUT THE REAL REASON MAY SURPRISE YOU

ROMBLON, Philippines — The Philippines’ “Marble Capital” is preparing for a major technological shift as the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) moves to bring robotics, automation, mechatronics and artificial intelligence (AI) into Romblon’s traditional marble industry. The initiative is designed to help local marble businesses increase production, improve consistency and compete in larger domestic and international markets—while keeping the craftsmanship and cultural identity that hav

August 20, 2026

Philippines

MMDA Suspends Number Coding on August 21 for Ninoy Aquino Day—But Motorists Are Still Being Warned About One Thing

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila motorists will get a break from number coding on Friday, August 21, 2026, as the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority suspends the Expanded Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program in observance of Ninoy Aquino Day. The MMDA confirmed Thursday that the number-coding scheme will not be enforced across areas covered by the agency’s program because August 21 is a special non-working holiday. Under the MMDA’s policy, number coding is automatically suspended

August 20, 2026

Philippines

IFUGAO TIGHTENS WAR ON TRASH: Provinces’ New Waste Push Could Change How Every Household Handles Garbage

LAGAWE, Ifugao — Ifugao is stepping up its fight against improper waste disposal as the Provincial Solid Waste Management Board intensifies coordination with municipal governments on segregation, collection, recycling, disposal and other ecological solid waste management measures. The push gained momentum during the board’s second-quarter meeting, where officials reviewed municipal waste programs and reminded local government units to renew their respective 10-year Solid Waste Management Plans,

August 20, 2026