Philippines

PAGASA Says Habagat May Finally Fade by Late September — But September Still Has One Dangerous Wild Card

MANILA, Philippines — After weeks of flooded roads, suspended classes, canceled sea trips and repeated heavy-rain warnings, millions of Filipinos are asking the same question: When will Habagat finally end? The answer from the country's weather bureau is encouraging—but it comes with a major warning. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration expects the Southwest Monsoon, locally known as Habagat, to persist until roughly the end of September 2026. PAGA

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Philippines

Sara Duterte Has Posted ₱360,000 Bail in Grave Threats Case — But Ortega Says the Hard Part for the VP Starts Now

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte has avoided detention after posting bail over three criminal charges arising from her controversial 2024 remarks about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. But one of her most persistent critics in the House says the legal battle has now entered a much harder phase. Answering the allegations in court. House Deputy Speaker and La Union Rep. Francisco Paolo Ortega V said Dutert

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Philippines

Sara Duterte Says She Doesn’t Trust the Police — Then Remulla Reveals Authorities Already Knew Where She Was

MANILA, Philippines — What began as a routine court appearance to post bail has turned into a far broader confrontation over police trust, surveillance, security and political neutrality at the highest levels of government. Vice President Sara Duterte says she no longer trusts the police tasked with protecting and enforcing the law around her. The Philippine National Police says the institution remains professional, impartial and committed to protecting her like any other Filipino. And now on

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Entertainment

Nadine Lustre Teams Up With Apl.de.Ap for “Donuts” — But This Unexpected Music Collab Is Turning Heads

MANILA, Philippines — Nadine Lustre is kicking off another chapter in her music career with an unexpected international collaboration, joining forces with Filipino-American rapper and Black Eyed Peas founding member Apl.de.Ap for the new single “Donuts.” Released on September 4, 2026, the track pairs Lustre’s vocals and rap-driven delivery with Apl.de.Ap’s signature hip-hop presence, creating a fast-paced, genre-blending track that gives fans another glimpse of the actress-singer’s evolving mus

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Philippines

Filipino Athletes Could Soon Keep 100% of Their Rewards — But a Major Hurdle Remains

Filipino athletes who bring home medals and international honors could soon get to keep more of the rewards they earn. A proposal in the House of Representatives seeks to exempt qualified incentives, rewards, bonuses and other financial benefits received by national athletes and their coaches from national and local taxes. But while the proposal could mean bigger take-home rewards for Filipino sports heroes, the measure still has to overcome the legislative process before it becomes law. A P

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Philippines

Jinggoy Vows to Fight On After Bonoan Is Dropped—What Happens Next in the P573-M Case?

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Jinggoy Estrada has vowed to pursue all legal remedies available to him after the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division approved the removal of former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan as a co-accused in the plunder and graft cases linked to an alleged P573-million flood control kickback scheme. Estrada said he respects the anti-graft court's decision but stressed that the development does not end his own legal battle. “While I respect the decision of the Sandiganbayan,

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Philippines

The “Constant Stranger” at Cebu Bookstores: The Quiet Life of National Artist Resil Mojares

CEBU CITY — Long before his name became synonymous with Philippine cultural history and before he was formally recognized as a National Artist, Resil Mojares could often be encountered in an unexpectedly ordinary setting: quietly browsing bookshelves. For some readers, he was the distinguished scholar whose books helped explain Cebu and the Philippines. For others, he was simply the familiar yet almost mysterious man they occasionally spotted at bookstores or seated quietly in a coffee shop, ab

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Philippines

MIDNIGHT DRUG BUST: Police Seize Over P103,000 Worth of Suspected Shabu in Bukidnon—Then This Happened

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon — A predawn anti-drug operation in this city ended with the arrest of a 48-year-old man and the seizure of more than P103,000 worth of suspected shabu, according to police. The operation was carried out at around 1:20 a.m. on Sunday, September 6, in Purok 6, Barangay Casisang, where operatives from the Malaybalay City Police Station Drug Enforcement Unit, the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company, and the Provincial Intelligence Unit conducted a buy-bust operation. Poli

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Philippines

NFA Says It Has Bought Just 22–23% of Its 2026 Palay Goal — But One Number in the Report Doesn’t Add Up

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — The government has money to buy rice from Filipino farmers. It has raised its buying price. It is building new warehouses and mechanical dryers. Yet as the country's crucial wet-season harvest gets underway, the National Food Authority is still far behind its 2026 palay procurement target—and bad weather is exposing one of the weakest links in the Philippine rice system: what happens to freshly harvested grain when farmers cannot dry it. NFA Administrator Larry Lac

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Philippines

Metro Manila Opens 7,500 New Ride-Hailing Slots — But Gas Cars Are Shut Out of the Biggest Batch

MANILA — Thousands of new ride-hailing slots are coming to Luzon. But if you're hoping to enter the biggest market with a conventional gasoline-powered car, there is a problem. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has approved 8,750 additional Transport Network Vehicle Service slots covering Metro Manila, the Ilocos Region and the Bicol Region as the government tries to address growing demand for app-based transportation. Of that number, 7,500 slots are allocated to Metro

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