Category: Philippines

Business

Digital Payments Just Hit 64.7% in the Philippines—But One Change Could Push Cash Aside Even Faster

MANILA — The Philippines’ long-promised cashless future may no longer be a distant goal. Digital payments reportedly accounted for 64.7% of Philippine retail transactions in 2025, according to a Nikkei Asia report, pushing the country deeper into territory once considered ambitious for an economy where cash, over-the-counter payments and physical bank branches dominated everyday transactions for decades. If sustained, the shift would mean nearly two out of every three retail-payment transactio

August 20, 2026

Philippines

Neneng Is Moving Away From the Philippines—So Why Could the Worst of the Rain Still Be Far From Over?

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Depression Neneng is moving away from the Philippines and could soon exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility, but for millions of Filipinos enduring another day of rain, the bigger threat is not the storm itself. It is the southwest monsoon, or Habagat. Persistent monsoon rains continued to soak Metro Manila and large parts of Luzon on Thursday, August 20, as authorities dealt with flooding, evacuations and a mounting human and economic toll from weeks of seve

August 20, 2026

Philippines

Marcos Says 13 Pumping Stations Could Help Fight Metro Manila Floods by Next Year—But One Problem Could Still Render Them Useless

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is pushing for the completion of 13 pumping stations in and around Metro Manila as the government races to strengthen the capital region's defenses against worsening floods—but officials acknowledge that pumps alone will not solve a decades-old problem involving outdated drainage, clogged waterways, garbage and increasingly intense rainfall. Marcos said Thursday that the pumping stations are expected to be completed as part of the government'

August 20, 2026

Philippines

A Road Dike Collapsed in Occidental Mindoro, Isolating Mangyan Communities—But the Bigger Threat Could Be What Happens to Thousands of Rice Fields

STA. CRUZ, Occidental Mindoro — A collapsed road dike in Occidental Mindoro has cut off Mangyan communities and placed vast rice-growing areas at risk, raising fears that the damage from weeks of severe weather could spread from flooded roads to farms, food supplies and rural livelihoods. ABS-CBN News reported on August 20 that the damaged structure has left Indigenous Mangyan communities isolated while threatening thousands of rice fields in Sta. Cruz, Occidental Mindoro. The incident comes as

August 20, 2026

Philippines

Guteza Takes Back Romualdez Cash Claims—Then Names Marcoleta and Defensor in New Affidavit

MANILA, Philippines — The flood-control corruption investigation has taken another dramatic turn after former Marine and ex-security aide Orly Guteza withdrew his earlier testimony linking former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez to alleged cash deliveries, prompting Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Sen. Erwin Tulfo to suggest that the witness may have had a change of heart. Guteza’s recantation emerged after months of controversy surrounding his September 2025 appearance before the

August 20, 2026

Philippines

Mikee Romero Retires From the AFP Reserve Force After Questions Over His Medals—But the Military Review Isn’t Over

Former congressman and businessman Michael “Mikee” Romero has retired from the Armed Forces of the Philippines Reserve Force, just as controversy over the medals, badges and decorations displayed on his military uniform pushed the Philippine Air Force into a broader review of how reservists receive promotions and awards. Romero formally relinquished his position as wing commander of the Tactical Operations Wing Reserve–Northern Luzon, with his retirement taking effect on August 19, 2026, accord

August 20, 2026

Philippines

PNP Moves to Erase Ateneo de Zamboanga Shooting Videos Online — But Investigators Are Now Following a Digital Trail

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is intensifying efforts to remove photos and videos related to the deadly shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University’s junior high school campus, as investigators widen their probe into the attack and how sensitive footage spread online. PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) to strengthen its cyberpatrol operations and coordinate with social media platforms to take down images, videos and other online material conn

August 20, 2026

Philippines

Mikee Romero Retires From AFP Reserve Force as Military Reviews His Awards—What Happens to His Medals Next?

MANILA, Philippines — Former lawmaker and businessman Michael “Mikee” Romero has retired from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Reserve Force, ending his stint as commander of the Tactical Operations Wing Reserve Northern Luzon as the Philippine Air Force (PAF) continues an investigation into its policies governing reservist promotions, awards and military badges. Romero formally relinquished his duties and retired from the Reserve Force effective August 19, 2026, according to a stateme

August 20, 2026

Entertainment

Claudine Barretto’s Name Is Being Used by Fake Accounts—Now the NBI Is Involved, and Her Earlier Warning Reveals a Bigger Problem

MANILA, Philippines — Claudine Barretto is taking her battle against social-media impersonators beyond Facebook warnings, with the actress saying authorities have been alerted over accounts allegedly using her identity and potentially misleading her followers. The veteran actress, widely known as the “Optimum Star,” has repeatedly warned fans to be careful with Facebook profiles and pages carrying her name, stressing that people should verify an account before believing messages or transactions

August 20, 2026

Philippines

Remulla Blames the ‘Robin Padilla Law’ for Gun Crime Surge—But One Detail About the 1997 Law Changes the Story

MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla has reopened a decades-old debate over Philippine gun laws after blaming what he called the “Robin Padilla Law” for a rise in crimes involving loose firearms—and calling on Congress to tighten the rules following another deadly school shooting. But behind the politically explosive label is a more complicated legal history. Remulla urged lawmakers to revisit Republic Act No. 8294, a 1997 law that reduced penalties for certain illegal-firea

August 20, 2026