Marcos admin officials go under CA scrutinyMANILA, Philippines — Former broadcast journalist Jay Ruiz and information and communications technology chief Henry Aguda came under scrutiny by the Commission on Appointments (CA) after their confirmations were bypassed or deferred before the 19th Congress adjourned. Aguda was also bypassed in June 2025, but President Marcos declined his resignation as Department of Information and Communications Technology secretary. His interim appointment was eventually confirmed in October 2025, during the 20th Congress. He was confirmed alongside Sharon Garin, whose appointment as Department of Energy secretary was also approved by the CA that month. Earlier, in February 2025, then Philippine Space Agency director general Joel Joseph Marciano Jr. also failed to secure confirmation after the CA deferred action on his appointment to an unspecified date.

DOH reports sharp rise in firecracker injuriesMANILA, Philippines — A sharp rise in fireworks-related injuries or FWRI has been reported by the Department of Health (DOH), with cases more than doubling as late hospital reports continue to come in. As of Thursday, 235 cases had been logged nationwide since Dec. 21, 2025, but the figure is expected to climb significantly. “We are seeing a possible increase of 300 cases in the 235 FWRI posted yesterday,” DOH spokesman Albert Domingo said in a radio interview Friday. The initial 235 cases were recorded by 62 DOH sentinel hospitals from Dec. 21, 2025 to the early morning of Jan. 1, 2026. Most injuries in the region were caused by boga and kwitis, with four cases each, followed by dynamite with three.

Remulla rushed to hospital? ‘Fake news’MANILA, Philippines — There is no truth to the rumor spreading on social media that Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla was rushed to a hospital, his younger brother Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said yesterday. Remulla said Facebook posts stating that his older brother is in a hospital are false. “Fake news. He just finished playing golf,” the interior chief said in a message on Viber.

Nepali tagged in murder conspiracy nabbedMANILA, Philippines — A Nepali tagged in a plot to assassinate ranking government officials in his country has been arrested in Malolos, Bulacan, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported yesterday. An Interpol Diffusion Notice was issued against Pathak on Dec. 12 for extortion and conspiracy, the BI said. After the riot, he departed and hid in the Philippines,” Sy said. Based on official information received by the BI, Pathak is allegedly a part of a conspiracy to assassinate ranking Nepal government officials. Records showed that Pathak arrived in the country on Aug. 18 and was authorized to stay until Dec. 18.

Over 1 million business names registered in 2025 – DTIDepartment of Trade and Industry on Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati CityMANILA, Philippines — Business names registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reached over one million as of Dec. 23 last year, reflecting continued entrepreneurial activity. Data from the DTI as of Dec. 23 showed that 1.02 million business names were registered with the agency last year. Of the business names registered last year, 879,304 were new filings while 137,053 were renewals. By location, Region IV-A or Calabarzon saw the most business names registered last year at 191,163. For the month of December, registered business names reached 37,721 filings as of Dec. 23.

Spotting HopeMay your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you. 11–19), He alone restores relationships, saves lives, and revitalizes hope. When we do our part as members of God’s care team, however, we can honor Him as the Creator and help others spot hope as they place their trust in Jesus. How can you serve as part of His care team? Loving Creator and Sustainer, help me be a hope-spotter who faithfully serves on Your care team.

DOT denies claims over Frasco magazine coverMANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) has dismissed as “false and misleading” allegations by a production executive regarding the appearance of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco on the cover of a magazine published in English and Japanese. “Philippine Topics independently covered activities related to World Expo Osaka 2025 and used its own coverage in their magazine. Any claim suggesting that the department or the secretary used public office or resources for personal promotion is false, misleading and expressly denied,” the agency emphasized. The DOT feature largely used photos sourced from the department, bearing its logo and the “Love the Philippines” campaign slogan as watermarks. “Misrepresenting official acts, fabricating affiliations or implying improper use of public resources undermines public trust and misleads the public,” the DOT warned.

DA seeks faster approval of long-pending agricultural lawsMANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is urging Congress to fast-track the passage of long-pending agricultural reform measures to address structural bottlenecks and revive growth in the farm sector. Tiu Laurel said Congress has already passed the Animal Industry and Competitiveness Act, which aims to modernize the livestock, poultry and aquaculture industries and provide P20 billion in annual funding over 10 years. The DA is also lining up amendments to commodity-specific laws covering rice, corn and coconut to strengthen value chains and raise farmer incomes, according to Tiu Laurel. Beyond legislative measures, Tiu Laurel said reforms must also focus on strengthening agricultural extension services and expanding cooperative development to improve farmers’ access to credit, markets and support services. Tiu Laurel said P2.4 billion has been earmarked next year for port development, with nearly a dozen agri-port projects in the pipeline to reduce logistics costs and improve inter-island trade.

E-trikes now banned on major Metro Manila roadsMANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Office (LTO) began enforcing the ban on electric tricycles and electric bicycles along several major thoroughfares in Metro Manila yesterday, citing traffic and safety regulations. LTO chief Markus Lacanilao said the move is anchored on road safety considerations, noting that major thoroughfares are designed for faster and larger vehicles. “These primary roads are not suitable for e-trikes due to traffic speed, volume of vehicles and road width. ViolatorsTwenty e-bike and e-trike drivers were flagged down for traversing highways in Manila as the LTO began enforcing the ban on e-trikes and e-bikes along major highways. Limited coverageBicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon lauded yesterday the LTO for its revised coverage of the ban on e-trikes and e-bikes, limiting it to select major thoroughfares in Metro Manila.

US Navy rescues 3 Pinoy fishermenInformation released by the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet said the crew aboard the dry cargo ship USNS Cesar Chavez found the Filipino fishermen off Bolinao, Pangasinan at around 12:45 p.m. aboard their motorized fishing vessel while transiting the SCS. MANILA, Philippines — The United States Navy’s Seventh Fleet came to the rescue of three distressed Filipino fishermen in the South China Sea (SCS) on New Year’s Day. “Upon spotting the distressed vessel, watch standers immediately notified the bridge and the ship launched a rigid-hulled inflatable boat to recover the fishermen,” the US Navy said. The Filipino fishermen told US Navy personnel that their boat’s engine flooded on Dec. 28 due to heavy seas, leaving them adrift. The US Navy said it “coordinated with Philippine government officials to return the fishermen safely to the Republic of the Philippines.”The PCG facilitated the turnover of the rescued fishermen from the US navy ship, at approximately 50 nautical miles west of Bolinao.

The Southeast Asian Olympic leaders have approved the launch of the first youth-focused multi-sport competition in the region, which will be first held in Manila in 2028. Open to athletes aged 17 and below, the Southeast Asian Plus Youth Games is designed to prepare competitors for the Asian Youth Games and the Youth Olympic Games. The 'Plus' element allows for the invitation of at least one non-Southeast Asian nation per edition. Manila will host the inaugural edition, with subsequent events held biennially to maintain alignment with the AYG schedule. According to Tolentino, the goal of SEA Plus YG is to build the strong competitive groundwork these athletes need to challenge for spots on the Summer and Winter Olympic stages.

Aries (March 21 – April 19)The Capricorn stellium crowns your 10th house of career, sparking an undeniable drive for professional dominance. The earthy Capricorn energy stabilizes your grandest visions, making this an ideal month to commit to a course of study or plan a significant journey. This is a "clean house" month where you must look at your budgets and intimate contracts with unblinking realism. Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22)The Capricorn stellium activates your 6th house of health, work, and daily ritual, insisting on a total overhaul of your lifestyle. While Capricorn energy is serious, it helps you turn your artistic hobbies into something with lasting, professional potential.

Elisse Joson is finally setting the record straight regarding rumors that she was a mistress. The actress made the statement in her TikTok post, where she was lip-syncing to the trending audio of Taco Truck x VB and Radio mashup. In her New Year's Day post, Joson talked about how the past year "broke me and quietly rebuilt me." "The year that broke me and quietly rebuilt me. Wishing the new year to be kinder to you in all the ways you need," she captioned her post.

Nana's agency is planning to pursue "every possible civil and criminal legal action" against the robber who filed a countersuit against the actress. In its Jan. 2 statement, Korean agency SUBLIME said that it was aware of the countersuit filed by the robber against its artist, reiterating that the authorities had confirmed that the robber had committed the crime. With this, SUBLIME stated that they plan to take all available civil and criminal legal measures against the robber. In relation to this matter, we will pursue every possible civil and criminal legal action against the perpetrator," it said. "We will continue to respond responsibly and to the very end to ensure our artist suffers no further harm."

Eala makes New Zealand stopover before Australian Open bidMANILA, Philippines — And there goes Alex Eala in Oceania. Alex Eala on Friday arrived in Auckland, New Zealand, before trooping to Melbourne for her much-awaited debut in the Australian Open. Eala earned a direct entry in the 103-player main draw as Top-100 player in the Women’s Tennis Association rankings, placing at No. The Australian Open main draw remains as the only major Eala has not played in after doing it so in the Wimbledon, French Open and US Open last year following her WTA rise. A possible first possible home tournament appearance for Eala—at the Philippine Women’s Open from January 26 to 31 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex—will depend on her campaign in the Australian Open.