Category: Politics

Politics

Ateneo de Zamboanga Shooting Leaves 2 Students Dead—But One Question Is Now Raising Alarm Across Philippine Schools

ZAMBOANGA CITY — A shooting at the Junior High School campus of Ateneo de Zamboanga University on Tuesday morning, August 18, left two students dead, including the alleged shooter, according to university officials and multiple independent reports. The incident triggered an immediate security response at the school, while authorities worked to secure the campus and establish what led to the attack. Ateneo de Zamboanga University confirmed that there were two fatalities and said there was no lo

August 18, 2026

Business

DOLE Issues August Holiday Pay Reminder: Workers May Get Up to 260% Pay—Here’s Who Qualifies

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino workers and private-sector employers are being reminded to get their payroll calculations right as two nationwide holidays arrive this August, with different pay rules applying to August 21 and August 31. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said employers must observe the proper wage rules for Ninoy Aquino Day on Friday, August 21, 2026, and National Heroes Day on Monday, August 31, 2026. The reminder is particularly important for employees who are sche

August 18, 2026

Politics

‘NO ROOM FOR MOCKERY’: Lawyer Warns Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial Could Cross the Line—Then the ₱125-M Question Takes Center Stage

MANILA, Philippines — As the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte grows increasingly combative, lawyer Antonio “Audie” Bucoy is urging both the prosecution and defense to draw a clear line between aggressive legal argument and personal attacks. Bucoy, a member of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) and former spokesperson of the House prosecution panel, said insults, mockery and personal attacks have no place in an impeachment proceeding—or in any court. His remarks came amid he

August 18, 2026

Politics

₱125 Million Went to Sara Duterte’s Security Chief—Then the Impeachment Trial Asked the Question Nobody Could Easily Answer

Former Office of the Vice President special disbursing officer Gina Acosta told the Senate impeachment court that Vice President Sara Duterte personally ordered the release of ₱125 million in confidential funds to then-Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group chief Col. Raymund Dante Lachica in December 2022, putting one of the most controversial transactions in the OVP’s confidential-fund controversy back at the center of the impeachment trial. Acosta made the disclosure on August 17, 2

August 18, 2026

Politics

Marcos Gives DPWH 6 Months to Fix Valenzuela’s “Sungkaan-Like” Maysan Road—But There’s a Catch for Motorists

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to complete the rehabilitation of the badly deteriorated Maysan Road in Valenzuela City within six months, as authorities move to address the road’s deep potholes and hazardous driving conditions. DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the repair will be carried out on a 24/7 basis to meet the six-month target, following an inspection of the road with Valenzuela City Mayor Wes Gatchalian

August 18, 2026

Lifestyle

Habagat Floods Metro Manila, Gov’t Rolls Out Free Rides—Here Are the 14 Routes Commuters Need to Know

MANILA, Philippines — Commuters facing flooded roads and difficult travel conditions across Metro Manila can turn to government-provided “Libreng Sakay” services on Tuesday, August 18, as the southwest monsoon or Habagat continues to bring heavy rains over the capital. The Department of Transportation (DOTr), together with several government agencies, has deployed government vehicles to help stranded passengers get to their destinations safely amid flooding and disrupted public transportation.

August 18, 2026

Lifestyle

1,651 Sabangan Residents Get Free Rice—But Thousands More Are Still Waiting for Their Share

SABANGAN, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE — Relief reached thousands of families in Sabangan as 1,651 residents from nine barangays received 25 kilograms of rice each through the national government’s Local Government Support Fund-Financial Assistance to Local Government Units (LGSF-FALGU) on August 14. The first batch of the rice assistance was distributed simultaneously in Lagan, Tambingan, Supang, Data, Poblacion, Losad, Bao-angan, Bun-ayan, and Pingad, giving vulnerable households additional food supplie

August 18, 2026

Lifestyle

CMU Gets Free-Tuition Lifeline Back: What Malabon Students Can Now Expect After UniFAST Approval

MALABON CITY, Philippines — Thousands of students and families in Malabon have gained renewed access to the country’s free higher-education system after the City of Malabon University (CMU) was approved for inclusion under the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST). The UniFAST Board approved CMU’s inclusion during its 54th Regular Meeting on August 13, 2026, placing the local university back among institutions eligible to participate in programs establishe

August 18, 2026

Politics

Rice Assistance Reaches 16 Barangays in Merida—What Leyte Families Can Expect Next

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte — Rice assistance under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Bawat Bayan Makikinabang (BBM) / Bagong Pilipinas Rice Program has reached families in Merida, Leyte, bringing the national government’s food assistance initiative directly to communities across the municipality. The fourth-class municipality in Leyte’s fourth district has begun distributing rice to qualified beneficiaries through its Food Assistance–Rice Distribution Project, funded under the Local Government Support

August 18, 2026

Lifestyle

PhilHealth Makes a Push in Basilan—But the Real YAKAP Challenge May Be What Happens Next

ISABELA CITY, Basilan — PhilHealth is turning to an unlikely but powerful partner in its effort to bring its Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) closer to more Basilanos: the media. During a Media Partners and Information Officers Forum on YAKAP held in Isabela City, PhilHealth Basilan called on journalists, government information officers and communicators to do more than simply report government activities. The agency wants them to help communities understand how YAKAP can affect their everyda

August 18, 2026