Category: Philippines

Business

TESDA Is Expanding to 18 High-Tech Skills Centers — But Building Them May Be the Easy Part

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government is moving to expand and recalibrate a major TESDA modernization program designed to prepare Filipino workers for higher-skilled, technology-driven jobs, with a newly proposed training hub in the Negros Island Region set to bring the nationwide network to 18 Regional TVET Innovation Centers. The Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee (ICC-CC) has recommended key adjustments to the Supporting Innovation in the Philippine Technical and V

6d

Philippines

Whirlwinds Tear Through Ilocos Sur, Leaving Dozens of Homes Damaged—Now Aid Is Reaching Families

ILOCOS SUR, Philippines — Families whose homes were damaged by powerful whirlwinds in Ilocos Sur are beginning to receive government assistance as authorities step up recovery operations following a series of weather-related incidents that tore off roofs, damaged structures and sent debris flying across several communities. The municipal government of Magsingal has distributed housing materials to affected families to help them repair their homes, according to the latest report from the Philipp

6d

Philippines

Bonoan Pleads Not Guilty in Flood Control Graft Case—But the Bigger Legal Battle Is Just Beginning

MANILA, Philippines — Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan pleaded not guilty on Friday, September 4, to the remaining graft charge against him before the Sandiganbayan Second Division, as the legal fallout from the government's sprawling flood control corruption investigation continues. Bonoan personally entered his plea during his arraignment after his lawyer, Stephanie Ong, waived the reading of the formal charge. The court then proceeded with prelimi

6d

Philippines

Woman Robbed of ₱135,000 After Leaving Bank in Cotabato—Then Gunfire Erupted on Her Way Home

COTABATO CITY, BARMM — A routine trip home after withdrawing money from a bank turned violent Friday afternoon when a woman was robbed of ₱135,000 and shot, with the motorcycle-for-hire driver carrying her also wounded in the attack. The incident happened at around 3:10 p.m. on September 4 along Climente Alino Street in Barangay Rosary Heights 2, Cotabato City, according to the Cotabato City Police Office. Police Director Col. Jibin Bongcayao said the victim, identified only as “Mercy,” had wi

6d

Philippines

Duterte Defense Sounds Alarm Over ICC Evidence—What It Wants Judges to Check Before Trial

MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s defense team is asking the International Criminal Court (ICC) to tighten its procedures for handling digital evidence, warning that online material can be difficult to authenticate and may include manipulated, duplicated or unreliable content. The request comes less than three months before Duterte’s scheduled November 30, 2026 trial in The Hague, putting the handling of electronic evidence at the center of another pre-trial dispute. In

6d

Business

Women Drove 98% of America’s Job Growth in August — But the Number Hides a Surprising Catch

WASHINGTON — America’s surprisingly strong August jobs report came with an extraordinary statistic buried beneath the headline: women accounted for virtually all of the net jobs added to U.S. payrolls. Women’s nonfarm payroll employment jumped by 158,000 positions in August, representing roughly 98% of the economy’s total 162,000-job increase, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data analyzed by CNBC. Men, by comparison, accounted for a net gain of only about 4,000 jobs. The imbalance is s

6d

Business

BOI, NDC Bring Investment Services to Marikina’s Startup Hub — But the Bigger Opportunity Could Come After the Kiosk Goes Live

MANILA, Philippines — Marikina’s push to become a bigger center for startups and investment is getting another boost, with the Board of Investments (BOI) and National Development Company (NDC) moving to bring government investment services directly inside the city’s Philippine Innovation Hub. Under a newly signed memorandum of understanding, the two agencies will establish a government One-Stop Shop through a self-service digital kiosk at the Philippine Innovation Hub–Marikina Enterprise Center

6d

Philippines

CWC Pushes Tougher Online Rules for Children—Why Parents Alone May No Longer Be Enough

MANILA, Philippines — Protecting children in the digital age cannot rest on parents alone, according to the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), as calls grow for stronger government regulation and greater accountability from social media and gaming platforms. The issue has gained renewed urgency as Filipino lawmakers and government agencies debate how far the state should go in regulating children's access to social media and shielding minors from harmful online content. The CWC has bee

6d

Philippines

DOJ Takes Anti-Bullying Campaign to Taguig School—But an Earlier Investigation Raised a Bigger Concern

TAGUIG CITY, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) has brought its anti-bullying campaign directly to the classroom, leading a student awareness seminar at Bagong Tanyag Integrated School in Taguig City on Friday, September 4. DOJ Undersecretary Ian Norman Dato spoke to students during the seminar, which focused on preventing bullying and strengthening awareness of the consequences of harmful behavior among young people. ABS-CBN News reported the activity in a September 5 report. The a

6d

Philippines

GUNS AT MILF ASSEMBLY? Ex-Commander Demands Comelec Clarification as BARMM Polls Near

COTABATO CITY, BARMM — A former official of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front's (MILF) armed wing is questioning why heavily armed members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) were seen at an MILF gathering in Camp Darapanan despite an election gun ban being enforced across the Bangsamoro region. Abunawas Maslamama, a former BIAF spokesperson who used the name Von Al Haq, criticized the reported display and carrying of firearms during the BIAF Grand Assembly held at the MILF headquarte

6d