ERC orders P31 billion new charges for Meralco customersMANILA, Philippines — Meralco customers face over P31 billion in additional charges starting in March, following the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)’s approval of claims by power producers. In separate orders dated Jan. 26, the ERC authorized the collection of an additional P0.2816 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) from Meralco customers for 12 to 36 months or until the total amount is fully recovered. This covers claims of P29.12 billion by Ramon Ang’s San Miguel Group, P1.75 billion by Ayala-led ACEN Corp. and P380.62 million by Panay Energy Development Corp. of the Meralco Group. Meralco customers will start shouldering the new charges in March, just as the summer months set in – a period when electricity rates usually climb due to high demand caused by hotter temperatures. This comes on top of the P5.1 billion in charges already being billed to Meralco customers, following an earlier ERC order for the initial payment of San Miguel’s cost recovery.

Marcos wants budget reforms after flood control scamMANILA, Philippines — President Marcos is pushing for budget reforms to prevent a repeat of the multibillion-peso flood control scam, which enabled some officials and contractors to pocket huge kickbacks from problematic and non-existent projects. At the same meeting, Marcos emphasized the need for better forecasting, response and adaptation through appropriate and modern technology to address the impact of climate change. Economic managers reported to Marcos that the economy remains strong and that gains have been made in addressing joblessness and poverty. Poverty incidence was at 17.5 million in 2023 – lower than the 19.9 million recorded in 2021, they added. A statement released by Recto’s office said he had emphasized Marcos’ order to ensure that assistance must reach affected families swiftly.

PNP tracking Atong Ang in CambodiaCharlie ‘Atong’ Ang, accompanied by his legal team, arrives at the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor’s Office on July 23 this year to file criminal charges against whistleblower Julie Patidongan and Alan Bantiles for allegedly making false accusations. MANILA, Philippines — Police officers were sent to Cambodia to hunt down fugitive businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced yesterday. Remulla said Philippine National Police personnel were sent to Cambodia to verify information that Ang had fled to the Southeast Asian country. “We coordinated with our counterparts in Cambodia to find out if Atong Ang is really there,” Remulla said in an interview on ANC. Apart from Cambodia, Remulla earlier said Thailand is also being eyed as a possible destination for Ang in evading arrest.

Countdown to CNY: New Year prospects for people born in the Year of the Horse

Rescue efforts under way after Philippine ferry sinks, leaving 18 deadPhilippine Coast Guard personnel assist survivors who were aboard the MV Trisha Kerstin 3, which capsized around the waters of Baluk-baluk Island, Basilan, Philippines, January 26, 2026. Philippine Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERS

Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Kick, YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, Reddit, Threads and X applications are displayed on a mobile phone ahead of new law banning social media for users under 16 in Australia, in this picture illustration taken on December 9, 2025. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/Illustration//File Photo

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte gestures as he delivers a message during the proclamation rally for his political party PDP-Laban's senatorial candidates ahead of the midterm elections, at Club Filipino in San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines, February 13, 2025. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

The Alibaba logo is seen in this illustration taken on January 29, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Countdown to CNY: New Year prospects for people born in the Year of the Horse

Countdown to CNY: New Year prospects for people born in the Year of the Horse

Young couple Nicole Coprada and John Rey Zabella didn’t hire a professional photographer for their 5th-anniversary hike to Mt. John Rey Zabella and Nicole Coprada Courtesy of Nicole CopradaMaking the first move The couple met in 2021. Nicole followed John Rey using Instagram’s suggested friends, but it wasn't until a week later that they started talking. Eventually, they moved to Metro Manila for work—Nicole, 24, working at an automotive company, while John Rey, 25, is a criminology graduate. As they reached the summit, John Rey told their group's drone operator that he would be proposing.

Ex-Fifa chief Blatter joins calls for fan boycott of World Cup in the USSepp Blatter is the latest international football figure to call into question the suitability of the United States as a host country.

Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP This photo taken on January 15, 2026 shows senior tour coordinator Carol Drummond posing for a photo at Dumfries House, headquarters of the King's Foundation near Cumnock, south of Glasgow, Scotland.

Nearly 60 kilos of marijuana seized in Tawi-TawiThe 58 kilos of marijuana seized from cohort Filipino and Malaysian dealers entrapped in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi are now in the custody of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Members of the Bangsamoro parliament are to set up anti-narcotics measures for regional application in support of efforts of the police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in preventing the trafficking of illegal drugs in all five provinces and three cities in the autonomous region. Yacob, who had studied Sharia jurisprudence at the International Islamic University of Madinah in Saudi Arabia, said addiction to illegal drugs is “haram,” or forbidden in Islam. Recites said local executives, among them Gov. Ysmael Sali, officials of different units in Tawi-Tawi of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, and the Navy’s 4th Marine Battalion supported the operation that resulted in the detention of the duo and confiscation of P79.8 million worth of marijuana from them.

Marcos free to attend or forgo House impeachment hearingsMANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. may or may not attend the House justice committee hearings on the impeachment complaints filed against him. Should the justice committee find the complaints sufficient in form and substance, then the panel will submit a committee report to the plenary for voting. If the panel recommends impeaching Marcos, a one-third vote of all House members is required for it to proceed to trial. Since the complaints were already referred to the justice committee, the impeachment proceedings are deemed initiated, and the one-year bar rule has been triggered. This means no other impeachment complaints against the president will be entertained for a year.