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5 January

8-M+ devotees expected at Nazareno fiesta

Poong Nazareno devotees who will participate in the procession of the image of Jesus the Nazarene on Jan. 9 are expected to exceed the eight million participants recorded last year, according to Quiapo church officials. Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno technical adviser Alex Irasga said the event will no longer be called Black Nazarene or Traslacion. “The …

5 January

PNP vows heightened law enforcement in ‘26

Police Lt. Gen. General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr., acting chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) directed police commanders throughout the country to maintain strategic deployment of police personnel and other crime prevention measures so as to sustain the decrease in crime incidents achieved in 2025. Recently, the PNP reported a 12.4% decline on focus crimes throughout 2025, compared …

5 January

Addressing corruption key to restoring investor trust

The country’s economic slump might continue in 2026 if concrete reforms are not instituted to address corruption and governance issues, according to former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) deputy governor Diwa Guinigundo. “Unless the government is able to resolve the issue of corruption and bad governance, it will be very difficult to restore the trust of investors and businesses in …

5 January

Tourism needs a facelift

The Philippines has lost its viability, based on recent tourism figures in Southeast Asia. Data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed that the Philippines attracted 5.235 million tourists from January to November last year, a 2.16% drop from the 5.35 million recorded in the same period in 2024. With 7,641 islands offering diverse cultures and sights – including Boracay and Palawan -and surfers continuing to flock to Siargao, the country should easily …

5 January

When regulation undermines the law itself

The Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA) of 2022 was enacted to promote the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the Philippines, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and democratize access to cleaner transportation. Yet barely years into its implementation, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) appears to be undermining both the spirit and the letter of the law by pushing to …

5 January

China’s 2026 Work Plan to help PH recovery

By HERMAN TIU LAUREL China has concluded its annual Central Economic Work Conference in Beijing, held from December 10, setting the economic direction for 2026—the opening year of the People’s Republic of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030). After 75 years of sustained development, China’s economic planning remains consequential not only for itself but also for developing economies across Asia, Africa, …

5 January

SSS announces pension hike in 2026

THE Social Security System (SSS) announced last Saturday that it has set various programs up for implementation in 2026 primarily aimed at benefiting its millions of members nationwide. By September next year, the System will carry out the second to the last tranche of the Pension Reform Program for another round of pension increase. This was announced by SSS President …

5 January

DOE encourages more RE investments

The bid to ensure the availability of clean and sustainable power gained traction this year as the Department of Energy (DOE) pursued programs that encourage more investments into renewable energy (RE). The share of RE to the total energy mix is already around 32 percent, near the 35 percent goal by 2030. The target is to further increase this to …

5 January

Int’l Investment Position improving — BSP

The Philippines posted an improvement on its International Investment Position (IIP) as of end-September 2025 after net external liability declined to USD58.2 billion. Data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Monday night showed that the latest IIP of the Philippines is a 13.2 percent improvement from the USD67 billion at the end of the first half of this …

5 January

Manila Water complies with gov’t wastewater rules

Manila Water said on Friday it continues to meet government wastewater standards across all its sewage treatment plants, posting 100-percent compliance in November 2025 and consistently surpassing the 95-percent regulatory target. This achievement underscores its commitment to safeguarding rivers and communities through responsible wastewater management, the company said in a statement. The standards cover key indicators such as biochemical oxygen …

TimeLine Layout

January, 2026