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President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed a new law extending the period foreign investors may lease private lands in the Philippines, a move seen to boost investor confidence and long-term capital inflows into the country. Republic Act (RA) 12252, which amends the Investors’ Lease Act of 1994 (RA 7652), was signed on September 3. It allows foreign investors to …

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced Friday that 1,716 local Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (ADACs) will undergo a nationwide audit this year to gauge their effectiveness in the fight against illegal drugs. The evaluation will cover councils in 82 provinces, 149 cities, and 1,485 municipalities, measuring their performance for 2024. Eight key indicators will be reviewed: council …

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) on Friday urged Congress to pass a law that would outlaw the creation, sharing, distribution, or possession of pornographic materials generated through artificial intelligence (AI) technology, commonly known as “deepfakes.” CICC chief Undersecretary Renato “Aboy” Paraiso, in an interview on PTV’s Bagong Pilipinas, said current laws do not adequately cover AI-generated pornography, leaving …

Cebu Pacific (CEB) is taking its commitment to Philippine aviation a step further by partnering with De La Salle University (DLSU)–Manila to help shape the next generation of aircraft engineers. The low-cost carrier on Friday announced the signing of a five-year collaboration that will give engineering students hands-on experience in tackling real-world challenges in airline operations. For its pilot run, …

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) is preparing to file charges against protesters who vandalized property owned by controversial contractor couple Pacifico and Sarah Discaya, amid an ongoing probe into alleged irregularities in flood control projects. NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberin said Friday that protesters staged a lightning rally on Thursday in front of St. Gerrard Construction in …

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday announced that the registration of overseas voters for the 2028 national and local elections will reopen on December 1, 2025, and run until September 30, 2027. In a social media advisory, the poll body said all qualified Filipinos abroad may apply, provided they are at least 18 years old on election day and …

Successive storms and heavy rains have disrupted farms and fishing grounds, driving up the prices of vegetables and fish and pushing overall inflation higher in August, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Friday. Inflation quickened to 1.5% in August from 0.9% in July, with food inflation recorded at 0.6%, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel …

The Sandiganbayan has dismissed graft and malversation charges against a non-government organization (NGO) official implicated in the alleged misuse of a former lawmaker’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) more than a decade ago. In a 22-page decision promulgated on Sept. 2, the anti-graft court’s First Division acquitted Marilou Ferrer, corporate secretary of the Kabuhayan at Kalusugan Alay sa Masa Foundation, …

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday declared that Siquijor’s power supply is now sufficient, less than two months after he vowed in his 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA) to resolve the island’s chronic power shortage. Marcos led the ceremonial switch-on of the 17.8-megawatt Siquijor Power Plants at the Province of Siquijor Electric Cooperative (PROSIELCO) facility in Larena …

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has dismissed Henry Alcantara, former head of the Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office, after finding him guilty of involvement in anomalous flood control projects in the province. In a statement Friday, DPWH Secretary Vivencio Dizon said Alcantara was held liable for disloyalty to the Republic and the Filipino people, grave misconduct, gross …