Philippines

₱300K Ransom, Blindfolded Video, and a Terrifying Plea—Then Police Discovered Who Was Really Behind the ‘Kidnapping’

LIPA CITY, BATANGAS — What began as a terrifying kidnapping report ended with an unexpected arrest after a 19-year-old college student allegedly staged his own abduction and demanded ₱300,000 from his parents. The student’s family reportedly received messages and videos showing him blindfolded and appearing distressed, creating the impression that he had been abducted and was being held by kidnappers. According to reports, the alleged kidnappers gave the family only two hours to produce the ₱3

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Philippines

Haze Is Blanketing Parts of the Philippines—But Is Your Face Mask Really Protecting You?

What looks like ordinary mist or smoke in the air could be carrying particles small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs—and health authorities are urging Filipinos to take the haze seriously. Parts of the Philippines have recently experienced transboundary haze linked to wildfires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, with prevailing winds carrying smoke and fine particles toward parts of Luzon and the Visayas. The haze has raised concerns over respiratory health, particularly as some areas have recor

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Philippines

Puerto Galera Covered in Haze as Indonesia Fires Send Smoke Across PH—Here’s What Residents Need to Know

PUERTO GALERA, Oriental Mindoro — Residents and visitors are being urged to take extra precautions as haze linked to forest and peatland fires in Indonesia continues to affect parts of the Philippines, including Puerto Galera. The Puerto Galera Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) warned that what may appear to be ordinary mist is actually a concentration of fine particles and pollutants in the air. The advisory comes as smoke from fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, is

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Business

Fake Goods Keep Coming Back Online Despite Aggressive Takedowns — Now the Fight Is Shifting to the Sellers Behind Them

MANILA — Philippine e-commerce platforms are removing counterfeit listings at increasingly high rates. Government agencies are issuing hundreds of takedown orders. Police and Customs are seizing billions of pesos worth of illicit products. Yet consumer advocates say the fake-goods problem is far from solved. Consumer advocacy group Malayang Konsyumer has urged the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, or IPOPHL, to intensify enforcement against counterfeit and unregulated products s

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Philippines

₱17.27-B Health Projects Flagged: Gatchalian Uncovers 488 HFEP Problems—Then This Bigger Issue Emerged

MANILA, Philippines — Hundreds of government-funded health infrastructure projects have been flagged for implementation problems, raising fresh questions over how billions of pesos intended to improve public healthcare facilities are being used. Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian raised the alarm over 488 infrastructure implementation deficiencies under the Department of Health's (DOH) Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) during the agency's 2027 budget briefing at the Senate on Friday

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Business

Sulu Sea Gas Prospect Triples to 8 Tcf as Tetragon Hunts for Global Partners — But the Biggest Test Still Lies Beneath the Seabed

MANILA, Philippines — A little-known gas prospect beneath the Sulu Sea has suddenly become one of the most closely watched exploration plays in the Philippines after its estimated mid-case resource more than tripled to 8 trillion cubic feet. But there is a catch. The company leading the project is now looking for international oil and gas partners willing to help finance the expensive drilling campaign needed to determine whether the enormous gas estimate actually exists underground in commerc

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Business

PH Business Confidence Sinks Back Below Zero as Inflation and Oil Risks Rattle Firms — But One Signal Says Companies Haven’t Given Up

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine businesses have turned pessimistic again, reversing a brief improvement just one month earlier as high inflation, oil-price risks and renewed Middle East tensions cloud the outlook for companies already facing a slower domestic economy. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ latest Business Expectations Survey showed the overall business confidence index plunging to -20.3 percent in July from 0.0 percent in June. A negative reading means pessimists outnumber optimist

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Philippines

Duterte Camp Makes New Move Before ICC Trial—And It Could Put Digital Evidence Under the Microscope

MANILA, Philippines — The legal battle surrounding former President Rodrigo Duterte’s International Criminal Court (ICC) case is taking another turn, with his defense team asking judges to impose stricter verification requirements on digital evidence before his trial begins. Duterte’s lawyers have asked the ICC Trial Chamber III to amend its E-Court Protocol, particularly for open-source and user-generated materials that could be presented as evidence in the case. The defense argues that simpl

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Business

SM Cares Set to Make Waves With Its Biggest Coastal Cleanup Yet—32 Malls Join Nationwide Drive

MANILA, Philippines — A massive nationwide push to protect the country’s coastlines is about to get even bigger as SM Cares prepares to bring together volunteers from 32 SM malls for this year’s International Coastal Cleanup. The initiative, scheduled for September 19, 2026, is expected to become one of the largest mall-led coastal cleanup efforts in the country, building on SM Cares’ growing environmental campaign and its record participation in the previous year. The 2026 International Coast

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Business

GCash Gets Green Light for Record ₱92.3-Billion IPO — But Most of the Money Won’t Actually Go to GCash

MANILA — The long wait is almost over. GCash is preparing for what could become the biggest initial public offering the Philippines has ever seen, after regulators cleared a share sale worth as much as ₱92.32 billion. The Securities and Exchange Commission has approved the registration statement of Mynt Inc., the company behind GCash, bringing one of the country’s most valuable financial-technology businesses within weeks of a planned Philippine Stock Exchange debut. Under the latest timetable

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