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The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) expects the number of air passengers flying during the Christmas travel rush to breach the one million mark. CAAP said in a statement they project at least 960,000 passengers this year, a seven percent increase from the 895,000 passengers counted last year. To cope with the traditional airport congestion throughout the country, …

Acting Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., directed the entire police force to maintain enhanced security measures and increased police visibility at all transport hubs – airports, seaports, bus terminals, etc. – across the country during the traditional Christmas holiday travel exodus. A nationwide deployment of more than 100,000 police officials – higher than last …

Local air passengers should expect no increase in airfares at the beginning of 2026 as fuel surcharge remain stable, according to the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). The CAB maintained a Level 4 status on passenger and cargo fuel surcharge for domestic and international flights in January 2026. Under Level 4, fuel surcharge ranges from P117 to P342 per passenger on …

In the early hours of December 17, operatives from the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) Special Division together with other units of the Philippine National Police (PNP) intercepted two trailer trucks at G. Araneta Avenue in Quezon City while about to transport a shipment of suspected smuggled cigarettes worth more than ₱143-million. According to HPG director Brigadier General Hansel Marantan, the …

Defense lawyers of former president Rodrigo Duterte want the findings of a team of doctors appointed by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to be voided, after determining that Duterte is medically fit to participate in his trial. The lawyers said the medical report is filled with contradictions and failed to address the claim that he is unable to meaningfully interact …

The International Criminal Court (ICC) Registry has received a total of 303 applications for victim participation in the trial of former president Rodrigo Duterte, which the ICC considered way below the number of drug war victims. According to the report submitted to Pre-Trial Chamber I dated December 19, 2025, the low number of applications was largely due to the absence …

The Department of Health (DOH) plans to expand the zero balance billing program to include semi-private rooms in government accredited hospitals for the benefit of barangay health workers. DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa said they plan to admit barangay health workers in semi-private wards of its hospitals for free. This would convey DOH’s gratitude “for their dedication in delivering health programs …

Illegal recruitment of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) through social media has seriously proliferated over the last four years, rendering efforts by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to curb the practice ineffective. Four years since DMW was established, the department was able to close 170,140 pages on Facebook and TikTok that were conducting illegal recruitment activities such as online direct …

The congratulatory sound bites celebrating the on-time passage of the 2026 national budget were never really about reform. They were political anesthetics, carefully administered to dull public outrage over the shameful revelations of corruption involving public funds. By beating the deadline, lawmakers projected efficiency and responsibility, but speed alone does not cleanse a P6.793-trillion budget of the rot that has long plagued its …

LOVE FOR ALL​By: Virginia Rodriguez The holiday season in the Philippines is often described as a time of abundance—tables filled with food, homes warmed by laughter, and communities bound by shared traditions. Yet for many street dwellers and informal settlers, the season can sharpen the pain of scarcity. It is against this backdrop that the government’s Walang Gutom Kitchen program, …