Scammer impersonates PNP official to solicit moneyIn a statement, the PNP said the scammer is using Banac’s name and falsely presenting a PNP Academy Class of 1992 seal in asking for money through the messaging app Viber. MANILA, Philippines — Scammers are using the name of Lt. Gen. Bernard Banac, the second highest ranking officer of the Philippine National Police, to solicit money from unsuspecting people, the PNP warned. In a statement, the PNP said the scammer is using Banac’s name and falsely presenting a PNP Academy Class of 1992 seal in asking for money through the messaging app Viber. It also urged the public to ignore and report unsolicited messages requesting money using the identities of police officials. The Anti-Cybercrime Group and PNP intelligence units are investigating to identify the people using Banac’s name.

The OG of marketingIn an age of AI, growth hacks and endless “hacks,” it’s easy to forget that marketing had a working system long before algorithms and large language models appeared. That’s why I’ve been following the work of Mark Schaefer, one of the world’s most respected marketing thinkers. In a recent episode of his podcast The Marketing Companion with Andy Crestodina, he revisits what he calls the “OG fundamentals” of marketing – timeless ideas that still drive results, even as tools and platforms change. We now optimize for everything – Google, social media, conversion, open rates – but as Schaefer points out:“The soul of marketing is still your brand.”Tactics change weekly. When you gather customers, partners, and peers in a room, you’re not just “doing marketing.” You’re building trust, memory and belonging.

‘GenAI reshaping IT-BPM industry’BSP warns of urgent need for reskillingMANILA, Philippines — Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is expected to augment rather than displace jobs in the Philippine information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry in the near term, according to a report by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The IT-BPM industry remains a major pillar of the Philippine economy. Of the total, 1.6 million workers or 88.5 percent were employed in contact center and business process services. But industry data suggest a more nuanced impact. Proper investments in technology and human capital will be critical in allowing the IT-BPM industry to move up the value chain amid rapid technological change.

First Gen supplies renewable energy to pharma distributorFirst Gen has signed an agreement to supply at least 145 kilowatts of geothermal energy to Dyna Drug Corp.’s warehouse facilities in Pasig and Quezon City. MANILA, Philippines — A pharmaceutical wholesaler and distributor has tapped the Lopez family’s First Gen Corp. to power its two facilities in Metro Manila with renewable energy. First Gen has signed an agreement to supply at least 145 kilowatts of geothermal energy to Dyna Drug Corp.’s warehouse facilities in Pasig and Quezon City. “It is our privilege to support Dyna Drug in achieving their sustainability goals. “We are committed to deepening our partnership with Dyna Drug as they continue their decarbonization journey,” Vega added.

Chilling effectA bill has been introduced in the Lower House by ACT Teachers Party List Rep. Antonio Tinio and Kabataan Party-List Rep. Renee Louise Co decriminalizing libel. With the passage of RA 10175, and its criminalization of cyberlibel, the threat to the people’s right to free expression and free press has even become more serious and real,” it said. There is very little to support the majority view that the law will not continue to have this effect on speech. It said that the right to free speech empowers citizens to hold public officers accountable because public office is a public trust. “Being sensitive has no place in this line of service, more so when allowing otherwise has the potential to create a chilling effect on the public, that is, citizens will be afraid to criticize public officers.

Marcos warned: P633-B 'hard, soft, shadow pork' in 2026 budgetMANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has two days to decide on the P6.793-trillion national budget, with watchdog groups warning that over P633 billion could fuel corruption or patronage politics without a veto or executive order. In a letter addressed to Marcos himself, the People’s Budget Coalition and Roundtable for Inclusive Development said the 2026 national budget is riddled with three types of pork: hard, soft and shadow pork. The “hard pork,” they said, involves roughly P180 billion worth of infrastructure projects that are at risk of being repeated or overpriced. Soft pork to rights-based programsFor “soft pork,” which they define as politician-mediated and discretionary programs, the watchdogs urged that the P210 billion in “ayuda” or cash dole-outs be redesigned as rights-based and rules-based programs. Still, the reforms must go further, including stronger civil society participation and the creation of an Open Budget Transparency Server, an idea already partly realized through BetterGov’s public budget dashboard, the group noted.

2026: Year of the big fish? Is 2026 going to be the year of the big fish? Imagine if more big fish go into hiding. First, the President should once and for all arrest and jail all the big fish implicated in the flood control corruption scandal. Will 2026 finally be the year you actually catch the big fish, or the year you spectacularly free-fall?

Without hope, there can be no peace in an increasingly armed worldTo many of us diplomats in Washington, DC, the continuing war in Ukraine remains one of the most sobering reminders that peace, once taken for granted in much of the world, is never permanent. Like my diplomatic colleagues, I continue to hope that a peace pact can still be achieved. Shaped by the trauma of World War II, postwar Germany built its identity on economic strength, diplomacy and a deliberate reluctance to project military power. Full?scale world war is no longer an abstract concept confined to history books – it is a possibility that responsible leaders must work tirelessly to prevent. Hope alone is not a strategy – yet without hope, there can be no peace at all.

More surprises ahead? The Finals will feature one of four possible clashes – Ginebra against Meralco, TNT against Ginebra, SMB against TNT or Meralco against SMB. Ginebra has beaten Meralco in four Finals so far with coach Tim Cone claiming the 2015-16 Governors’ Cup, 4-2, 2016-17 Governors Cup, 4-3, 2019 Governors’ Cup, 4-1 and 2021 Governors’ Cup, 4-2. 1 in defense, fastbreak points allowed, bench points allowed and FTs allowed. 1 in blocked shots, field goal percentage allowed, perimeter points allowed and assists allowed.

Ombudsman calls for graft watch on all government branchesMANILA, Philippines — Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday urged the public to remain vigilant over all branches of government, saying graft and corruption are rampant not only in the executive and legislative branches but also in the judiciary. “All of us, the entire country, I am asking you to help us with graft watches. So, let us all watch the judges, the justices, let us closely watch all of them,” Remulla said. “Just think about it – this PDAF scam – do you really believe that all those who were acquitted were innocent? To strengthen prosecution efforts, Remulla said the Office of the Ombudsman will hire 20 new lawyers by Jan. 15.

Nazareno participants expected to exceed 8 millionThousands of devotees of Poong Jesus Nazareno flock to Quiapo, Manila on January 3, 2026 as members of the Minor Basilica & National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno hold a procession and blessing of replicas of the said image of Christ. In an interview over dzBB, Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno technical adviser Alex Irasga said the event will no longer be called Black Nazarene or Traslacion. “Our name here is the Feast of Jesus Nazarene or Jesus Nazarene Feast. We want to remind everyone that what we are celebrating here is not the color, not the procession, but the image of Jesus Nazarene,” Irasga said. We also have three major intersections that will be closed,” Irasga added.

Tulfo files bill seeking to raise minimum salary for nursesSenator-elect Erwin Tulfo participates in the orientation for neophyte senators in Pasay on June 19, 2025. MANILA, Philippines — A proposal to raise the minimum salary grade of nurses in public health institutions has been filed in the Senate, as lawmakers seek to address persistent understaffing and uncompetitive pay in the health care sector. “Our country continues to face a growing shortage of nurses, driven largely by low salaries and the lack of competitive opportunities in the local health care system. Improving their compensation is necessary to retain skilled nurses, strengthen health care services and ensure that quality care remains accessible to all Filipinos,” the bill read. Tulfo said the proposed increase in salary grade – from salary grade 15 to 19 – is intended to help retain skilled nurses, strengthen the public health care system and ensure continued access to quality care for patients.

Move away from ‘Filipino time’MANILA, Philippines — As Filipinos make their resolutions for the new year, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is intensifying its campaign to promote the value of punctuality against the long-standing tradition of “Filipino time.”The habit of being late for meetings and events – sometimes by hours – has become a source of frustration for those Filipinos who value time. Through its “Oras Pinas: Filipino, Time Ka” campaign, the DOST reminds the public, via giant LED displays and pre-movie commercials, that breaking the habit starts with synchronizing clocks to the country’s official time. Public historian Xiao Chua said in a recent radio interview that the culture of “Filipino time” dates back to the Spanish colonial period. Despite this, it took the government 37 years to pass a law requiring all government offices to synchronize their timepieces with the official standard, as compliance remained largely voluntary for decades. Chua advised Filipinos to be more mindful of how they use their time, stressing that poor time management undermines productivity.

P7 million Ecstasy tablets seized in ClarkThe tablets were found in two parcels during a routine x-ray screening conducted by personnel of the Bureau of Customs. MANILA, Philippines — Up to 4,124 tablets of suspected party drug Ecstasy valued at P7 million have been seized by anti-narcotics agents at the Clark Freeport in Pampanga on Friday. The tablets were found in two parcels during a routine x-ray screening conducted by personnel of the Bureau of Customs. This prompted authorities to open the parcels, which revealed 4,124 tablets suspected to be Ecstasy. The first parcel contained 2,693 purple tablets valued at P4.6 million, while the second had 1,431 tablets of different colors and valued at P2.5 million.

BI reminds foreigners of annual report requirementThe BI said under Republic Act 562, or the Alien Registration Act of 1950, all registered aliens are required to submit to the annual requirement in person. The BI said under Republic Act 562, or the Alien Registration Act of 1950, all registered aliens are required to submit to the annual requirement in person. For the BI main office in Intramuros, the annual report will be conducted at Robinsons Place Manila from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on all working days. Failure to comply with the annual report requirement may result to administrative fines or prosecution, the bureau added. Stressing that the annual report remains a vital component of effective alien registration and immigration monitoring, the BI reiterated its call for strict compliance.