Philippines secures P165 million in sales at resort, travel showMANILA, Philippines — The Philippines secured P165 million in sales leads and bookings during the three-day Dive Resort and Travel (DRT) Show Hong Kong 2025. According to the Philippine consulate general in Hong Kong, the country registered a highly successful participation in the event, held recently at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Hong Kong edition continues to serve as a hub for industry exchange, featuring exhibitors from the Maldives, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Japan, Egypt, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, with strong participation from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Among those represented were Buceo Anilao Beach & Dive Resort, Casa Escondida Anilao Resort & Dive Center, Porto Novo Anilao Dive and Leisure Resort and Solitude Acacia Resort in Batangas; Garden of Eden Dive Resort, Edgewater Dive & Spa Resort, Lalaguna Villas Luxury Dive Resort & Spa and Casalay Boutique Villas and Dive Resort in Puerto Galera, Mindoro; Silver Reef Dive Resort, ALDIVE Resort, and Atmosphere Resorts & Spa in Dauin, Negros Oriental; Kasai Village Dive Resort in Moalboal and Slam’s Garden Dive Resort in Malapascua, Cebu; Club Aquasports in Panglao, Bohol; Easy Diving Philippines in Sipalay, Negros Occidental; Sea Explorers Philippines with multiple bases across the Visayas; Ticao Island Resort in Masbate; Narayana Philippine Liveaboard in Palawan; Earth Explorers Travel and Tours as a national operator and Atlantis Dive Resorts and Liveaboards with properties in Dumaguete and Puerto Galera. Around 100 to 120 participants attended the event, evenly divided between Philippine sellers and Hong Kong buyers, reflecting strong interest in expanding dive tourism partnerships.

Letters to Santa continue, although fewer this yearFacebook group Santa Claus_PH received around a thousand letters and postcards this year, said “John” who is one of the group’s “elves.”MANILA, Philippines — The typhoons that hit the country in the past year did not dampen the Christmas cheer brought by a group that encouraged people to write letters about their wishes and hopes to Santa Claus. Facebook group Santa Claus_PH received around a thousand letters and postcards this year, said “John” who is one of the group’s “elves.”Asked by The STAR why fewer letters came in 2025 compared to last year, he said it might be because of the typhoons. He also said they held Santa Claus_PH exhibits in Manila, Cebu and Davao in 2024, which they failed to carry out this year. They are all cheering for the betterment of the Santa Claus_PH project.”Letters to Santa Claus_PH were sent to Santa Box 12-25, Tiwi Post Office 4513, Albay, Philippines. The enthusiasm showed by thousands in joining the Christmas mail campaign for the past five years has kept Santa Claus_PH going John said.

DND on alert for holidays“We will continue to be alert against all threats, whether natural or man-made,” Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said. MANILA, Philippines — The Department of National Defense yesterday gave assurance that despite the holiday break, the DND is ready to respond to any incident nationwide. “We will continue to be alert against all threats, whether natural or man-made,” Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said. He expressed gratitude to “all of those who have given their all to keep others safe, and we will continue to look after their families as we do all our veterans.”“We pray for the victims of this year’s calamities, both here and abroad, and resolve to work harder in order to help prevent the same from recurring,” Teodoro said.

14,600 cops secure Metro for holidays“We have not monitored any major incident,” Metro Manila police spokesperson Maj. Hazel Asilo told The STAR yesterday. MANILA, Philippines — About 14,600 police officers in Metro Manila have been deployed to secure the capital during the holiday season. “We have not monitored any major incident,” Metro Manila police spokesperson Maj. Hazel Asilo told The STAR yesterday. Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberin, police chief in Metro Manila, on Tuesday inspected the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) and bus terminals in Cubao, Quezon City. “Through early preparation, inter-agency cooperation and visible police presence, our goal is clear: to protect every devotee and ensure a generally peaceful and safe traslacion,” Aberin said.

House OKs 12 LEDAC billsLawmakers voted 270-8 with two abstentions during plenary deliberations stamping their approval to House Bill 6636, an act institutionalizing AICS under the DSWD. MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives passed several bills on third and final reading this week, including the 12 priority measures of President Marcos listed by the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), before going on Christmas break. Topping the LEDAC list was the measure that aims to institutionalize the controversial Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations. Lawmakers voted 270-8 with two abstentions during plenary deliberations stamping their approval to House Bill 6636, an act institutionalizing AICS under the DSWD. House Bill 22, or the Accessible Internet for All Act.

Socialized housing price cap IRR issuedIn a press statement, the DHSUD said the IRR for Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) 2025-001 was signed by DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling and DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan on Monday. MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) have issued the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for the recalibrated price ceiling of socialized housing units. Issued last Dec. 1, the JMC sets the guidelines for updating the price ceiling for socialized housing, both for house and lot packages and condominiums. Under the IRR, the maximum selling price is set at P950,000 for socialized subdivision or horizontal housing projects and up to P1.8 million for socialized condominium or vertical developments. The DHSUD said the revised price ceiling considers the rising construction and development costs and ensures sustained private sector participation in socialized housing.

Heads up, yuletide commuters! The Philippine National Railway is offering free rides to the public on Dec. 25, Christmas Day! The schedule for free rides is as follows:Naga to Lupi Viejo - 4:29 a.m.Lupi Viejo to Naga - 6:23 a.m. Meanwhile, all commuters can ride the LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3 for free on Christmas Day under the Department of Transportation's #12DaysOfChristmas program. Just queue up at your nearest MRT-3, LRT-1, or LRT-2 station to avail of your free trip.

Senate denies holiday furlough for Curlee, DPWH engineers[Spouses Curlee and Sarah Discaya] arrive at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Padre Faura, Manila, on Friday, Dec. 19, for the preliminary investigation into the P7.1-billion tax evasion case filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue. MANILA, Philippines — Contractor Curlee Discaya and sacked Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineers Henry Alcantara, Brice Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza will spend the holidays in Senate detention after their request for Christmas furlough was denied, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said. The detained resource persons, however, were allowed to attend mass at the Senate and to be visited by family within Senate premises. They will not be allowed to leave Senate custody, Lacson said. While Curlee Discaya is under Senate custody, his contractor wife Sarah has been arrested and is now detained at the Lapu-Lapu city jail for a non-bailable malversation case involving an alleged P96.5-million “ghost” flood control project in Davao Occidental.

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Chinese warship caught loitering in Zambales watersA People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warship loiters off the coast of Zambales on Dec. 17, 2025. MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Navy (PN) responded to a Chinese warship caught loitering in the waters of Zambales, sending two ships to assert the country’s rights over its sovereign waters. In a statement, the PN said that on December 17, it received reports of a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warship within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), off the waters of Zambales. The warship was a PLAN Jiangkai II (Type 054A)–class frigate, bow number 569. After the Navy confirmed the presence of the Chinese warship, the BRP Diego Silang was also deployed as reinforcement.

Blunt force injuries led to Cabral’s death — PNPTrigger warning: suicide, mental health issuesMANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) said that former Department of Public Works and Highways undersecretary Maria Catalina "Cathy" Cabral died of blunt traumatic injuries. According to the medico-legal report, Cabral’s body was examined on December 20, a day after she was found unconscious in a ravine in Benguet. The report concluded: “THE CAUSE OF DEATH IS BLUNT TRAUMATIC INJURIES TO THE HEAD, TRUNK, LEFT UPPER AND LOWER EXTREMITIES DUE TO FALL FROM THE HEIGHT.”The examination revealed extensive injuries across her head, neck, torso and extremities. Extremity injuries included abrasions, contusions and lacerations on her arms, wrists, palms, hands and ankles. In a separate toxicology report by the PNP, Cabral was also found to be positive for anti-depressant drugs.

P21.4M worth of illegal drugs seized in unclaimed parcelsIntercepted unclaimed parcels by the Bureau of Customs on Dec. 15, 2025, which contain illegal drugs. MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs intercepted five unclaimed inbound parcels containing dangerous drugs valued at an estimated P21.4 million. In a statement on Wednesday, December 24, the bureau said that it had seized the unclaimed parcels on December 15 at the Central Mail Exchange Center in Pasay City. Physical inspection revealed the following content:Shabu: 2,928 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride with an estimated value of P19,910,400. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and Republic Act No.

Marcos: If your relatives call you fat this holidays, say ‘ikaw din’MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appears to be in a festive mood this holiday season, quipping that if a relative calls you fat during the holiday reunion, you should say it back to them. In a vlog posted on Tuesday, the day before Christmas Eve, Marcos took questions from social media. One of these questions asked: what do you reply to a relative who calls you fat? Ikaw din’,” Marcos said. However, Marcos also cautioned people from eating too much, as cases of heart attacks can increase during the season.

Cloudy Christmas Eve for LuzonMANILA, Philippines — As the country is gearing up for Noche Buena, Filipinos in the Bicol Region, Quezon and several other Luzon areas can expect cloudy skies with chances of rain on Wednesday, December 24. PAGASA forecasted that the Bicol Region and Quezon can anticipate cloudy skies and scattered rains and thunderstorms due to the easterlies. Metro Manila and the rest of the country are also affected by the eastern winds but with only partly cloudy skies and isolated thunderstorms. Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, the rest of Cagayan Valley and the rest of Central Luzon will experience partly cloudy skies due to the northeast monsoon. State meteorologists forecast that rains across Luzon will ease by Thursday, giving everyone fair weather on Christmas Day.

Citations for Army units in Central Mindanao laudedPresident Ferdinand Marcos personally attached the performance citation streamer to the official banner of the Army's 601st Infantry Brigade during a symbolic rite at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Friday, December 19, 2025. COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Local executives were elated with the president’s grant on Friday, December 19, of streamer awards to the Army’s 6th Infantry Division and its two brigades for having neutralized two terror groups and secured the surrender of hundreds of communist insurgents in Central Mindanao in recent months. “These three big Army units covering Central Mindanao deserved those special streamer awards for having achieved remarkable accomplishments in the government’s anti-terror campaign in Region 12 and in parts of the Bangsamoro region," Mendoza, chairperson of the multi-sector Regional Development Council 12, said. Gen. Michael Santos, commander of the 603rd Infantry Brigade, said on Wednesday that it was for the support of the local communities that their units have succeeded in clearing the towns being secured by their units from NPA presence. Units of the 601st Infantry Brigade have also worked out, with the help of LGUs, the surrender of 715 Dawlah Islamiya and BIFF terrorists in the past 36 months.