MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Bato dela Rosa has not made a public appearance in almost two months, but can the Senate force him to show up to work? Senators have also revealed attempts to call Dela Rosa but received no response, including Senate President Tito Sotto. Sotto said he again tried to contact Dela Rosa before the bicameral deliberations. “The only time that you can force a senator to be present is if you need their vote,” Sotto said in a mix of English and Filipino. He also acknowledged that Dela Rosa had legal issues he was dealing with.

India-US trade deal stalled after Modi did not call Trump, Lutnick saysIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a joint press conference with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 13, 2025. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

10 priests, 1 religious brother pass the 2025 Bar ExamsThe main building of the Philippine Supreme Court in Manila as taken on Dec. 13, 2024. MANILA, Philippines — At least 10 Catholic priests and one religious brother were among the successful examinees of the 2025 Bar Examinations. Marcelo Operiano Jr. – Diocese of TagbilaranFr. Rommel Kiamko – Philippine Air Force (Military Ordinariate)Fr. Gil Rochar Dulay – Bureau of Fire Protection (Military Ordinariate)Fr.

Black Nazarene's Traslacion crowd nears 700,000 by middayDevotees gather around the Black Nazarene during Traslacion 2026 on January 9, 2026. MANILA, Philippines — The number of devotees attending the annual Traslacion of the Black Nazarene was nearing 700,000 by midday Friday, according to officials from Quiapo Church. The Quiapo Church Command Post said that as of 12 p.m., an estimated 487,000 people were at Ayala Boulevard, 194,600 in Quiapo, and 50 at the Quirino Grandstand. As of 1 p.m., the image of the Black Nazarene was reported along Carlos Palanca Street. During the 2025 Traslacion, Quiapo Church officials said the celebration drew 8.12 million devotees.

Tabloid photojournalist dies covering TraslacionMANILA, Philippines (Updated 1:57 p.m.) — A tabloid photojournalist died while covering the Traslacion on Friday, January 9, according to the initial report of the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO). The photojournalist, Itoh Son, worked for daily tabloid newspaper Saksi and was initially found unconscious with no pulse, lying down near the Manila Police District Station 5. According to the Presidential Task Force on Media Security, Son had a heart attack early morning and had already been suffering from the flu over the past days. "Ang kanyang dedikasyon sa kanyang propesyon sa kabila ng kanyang karamdaman ay patunay ng kanyang pagmamahal sa kanyang trabaho at sa paghahatid ng mga mahalagang kaganapan sa publiko. The Traslacion is a yearly procession of the Black Nazarene statue from Intramuros to Quiapo Church.

Road closures, alternative routes for Black Nazarene's Traslacion 2026Catholic devotees climb into a glass-covered carriage carrying the so-called Black Nazarene statue as they try to touch it during an annual religious procession in Manila on January 9, 2024. MANILA, Philippines (First published Jan. 5) — Quiapo Church has released a comprehensive traffic advisory and safety guidelines ahead of the Traslacion 2026, warning motorists of widespread road closures and urging devotees to plan their routes early. In an advisory issued Sunday, January 4, organizers said several major roads will be temporarily closed as the andas, or carriage, of the Black Nazarene passes through Manila. Road closures will remain in place until the conclusion of the Traslacion, except in areas already cleared after the procession has passed. Routes for devotees and motoristsFor devotees heading to the Quirino Grandstand, organizers advised using the following routes:Taft AvenueKalaw AvenueRoxas BoulevardDevotees planning to follow the Traslacion procession were reminded not to meet or block the andas head-on.

Philippines plans 2026 imports of 3.8M tons as supply fears lingerA worker arranges sacks of rice at a local rice store in Quezon City on October 4, 2023. MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture said the Philippines may import as much as 3.8 million metric tons of rice in 2026, as domestic production is expected to remain flat while demand continues to rise. Data from the Bureau of Plant Industry showed that rice importation declined by 30% in 2025, falling to 3.37 million metric tons from 4.8 million metric tons in 2024. Trying to assuage worries of citizens over rice prices, Tiu Laurel said the department is seeking to prevent another surge by expanding the implementation of the P20-per-kilo rice program. Budget support, higher tariffsThe P20-per-kilo rice program is being implemented under the DA’s declaration of a food security emergency, which remains in effect.

Eli blamed loss of confidence across all sectors for our current problems, including the dismal economic growth in 2025. He suggested that other branches of our government, not the BSP, are responsible for the economy’s worrisome vital signs. Are we seeing early signs of structural shifts in labor intensity across sectors?”Joey’s insights: “Worth examining whether IT-BPM is experiencing revenue growth decoupling from headcount growth. “But durable equipment investment grew only 0.6 percent, suggesting private firms aren’t scaling up productive capacity. Our economic vital signs are telling us more than what the optimism of the economic managers would make us believe.

8 luxury vehicles linked to Zaldy Co seized in BGC condoThe Bureau of Customs seizes eight luxury vehicles linked to former Rep. Elizaldy Co at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City on Thursday night, Jan. 8, 2026, after initial findings show import violations and unpaid duties and taxes. MANILA, Philippines — After seizing the Discayas’ luxury vehicles, law enforcement agencies have turned their attention to cars linked to former Rep. Elizaldy Co. Some of the seized luxury vehicles included a Rolls Royce, Toyota Sequoia, Escalade, Lexus and Fortuner, Guiagui said. The eight luxury vehicles seized were first transferred to the parking lot of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI). Authorities are still determining what to do with the seized vehicles if they are deemed illegally imported or unregistered.

Sabalenka extends strong start to season with win over KeysAryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts during her women's singles match against Madison Keys of the US at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia on January 9, 2026. 1 Aryna Sabalenka continued her strong start to the year when she beat Madison Keys in straight sets on Friday to move into the semifinals of the Brisbane International. In a replay of the 2025 Australian Open final won by Keys, Sabalenka took revenge on the American with a 6-3, 6-3 victory. Keys was playing less than 24 hours after her marathon three-hour win over Russia's Diana Shnaider late Thursday. Muchova has won her last three matches against Sabalenka though the last was in 2024 at the China Open.

What happens to guarantee letters under zero-balance billing policy? MANILA, Philippines — For years, a single piece of paper — a guarantee letter from a politician — has been treated as a pass to medical care in public hospitals. Asked whether referral or guarantee letters from politicians would still be accepted under the current rules, Herbosa said they would. However, he stressed that the DOH does not require patients to secure guarantee letters from politicians, especially with zero-balance billing in place at public hospitals. Letters still entertainedHerbosa was less clear on whether a guarantee letter helps patients secure treatment, saying that while the law technically prohibits guarantee letters, “request” letters are still entertained.

DOF's Frederick Go takes seat on BSP Monetary BoardBSP Governor Eli Remolona with Finance Secretary Frederick Go during the latter’s oath-taking as a member of the Monetary Board. MANILA, Philippines — Finance Secretary Frederick Go has joined the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) Monetary Board. In a statement on Thursday, January 8, the BSP said that BSP Governor and Monetary Board Chairman Eli Remolona Jr. administered the oath of office to Go as the newest member of the Monetary Board. Go was designated by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to serve as the Cabinet secretary to the board, succeeding former finance secretary and current Executive Secretary Ralph Recto. The Monetary Board is responsible for formulating and implementing monetary policy and supervising the country’s financial system.

Alex sparkles in Auckland runMANILA, Philippines — Tennis sensation Alex Eala is on a roll in her opening gig in the new season. The Filipina juggernaut stamped her class on fellow rising star Petra Marcinko of Croatia, 6-0, 6-2, and barged into the quarterfinals of the 2026 ASB Classic singles yesterday at the ASB Tennis Center in Auckland, New Zealand. 53 and tournament fourth seed Eala was unforgiving, wiping out the former world junior No. The Chinese duo scored a 6-4, 1-6, 10-5 win over Isabelle Haverlag of the Netherlands and Maia Lumsden of Great Britain. On Tuesday, Eala endured two hours and 40 minutes of battle before getting past another Croatian in WTA No.

In a social media post, it detailed that the scholarship opportunity is for Filipinos who are planning to pursue a master’s or doctoral degree or conduct non-degree doctoral dissertation research in the US. Fulbright Philippines is a binational, non-profit organization established by the United States and Philippine governments to foster educational and cultural exchange between the two countries. For Filipino students looking to take further studies abroad, Fulbright Philippines announced that they're now offering scholarship programs in the US for the year 2027 to 2028. See the dates below:Jan. 10, 2026 – 10:00 a.m. (Zoom)Jan. 24, 2026 – 10:00 a.m. (In-Person)Feb. 12, 2026 – 7:00 a.m. (Zoom)March 14, 2026 – 10:00 a.m. (Zoom)April 11, 2026 – 10:00 a.m. (Zoom)You can register by scanning the QR codes they've provided. The online application portal will accept applications for the scholarship program until April 30.

Around 210,000 devotees join Traslacion earlyHundreds and thousands of devotees flock to Manila to join in the celebration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene on January 9, 2026. MANILA, Philippines — The crowd estimate for Traslacion 2026 reached around 210,000 people on the morning of Friday, January 9. (According to reports and drone-based crowd estimates, the number of devotees participating in the Traslacion has reached 210,000). The Traslacion has historically drawn millions of devotees. In 2025, the total number of devotees who participated in the Feast of the Black Nazarene reached 8.1 million, one of the highest figures recorded since the pandemic.