DepEd: Budget reenactment won’t affect educationMANILA, Philippines — Teachers and learners will be unaffected by the week-long reenactment of last year’s national budget beginning yesterday, the Department of Education (DepEd) said yesterday. Existing programs are funded under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), ensuring uninterrupted operations, DepEd chief media relations officer Dennis Legaspi said. “Reenactment of the budget would only affect the rollout of new programs and the brief period will be used by the DepEd to finalize the necessary implementation guidelines,” he said. Malacañang has begun a “thorough review” of the 2026 budget, ratified on Monday by Congress as the nation continues to reel from the multibillion-peso flood control scandal. Education Secretary Sonny Angara, meanwhile, said 2025 was a year of action in education.

Flood control scam raps filed; no big fishWhen reports of the diversion of public funds to alleged ghost flood control projects began dominating headlines in the latter half of the year, the ombudsman’s office was without a permanent head, following the end of Samuel Martires’ seven-year term on July 27. He also reversed policies of his predecessor Samuel Martires, notably allowing the release of public officials’ statements of assets, liabilities and net worth. Remulla, a former justice secretary, also deputized prosecutors from the Department of Justice to conduct preliminary investigations into several flood control projects in Bulacan involving public officials with Salary Grade 26 or below. Still, the ombudsman managed to file two sets of cases linked to the flood control scam, although none involved incumbent or former senators or top-ranking government officials. The examination aims to retrieve and authenticate files allegedly detailing budget insertions for flood control projects.

DOT gets flak after Frasco lands on magazine coverMANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) is in hot water again, this time after an advertising and production executive took a swipe at a magazine that prominently featured Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco on its cover. “You made us shoot Region 1 to Region 13… (that’s) almost 320 tourist spots, 236,000 photos, 6,500 video materials. Then this is the one you use, DOT,” wrote Max Abasolo on his Facebook account with around 6,300 followers. The post has since been taken down, but a screenshot of it made the rounds on social media, with comments mostly criticizing Frasco for being the “main attraction” instead of the country’s tourist destinations, based on a report by news website InterAksyon. Pages four to 13 of the magazine featured the DOT and Frasco, as well as the Philippine Pavilion at the Osaka World Expo 2025, the National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028 and the issues and prospects for Philippine tourism from the Japanese traveler market.

3 types of supermarket food to never buy - Risks of food poisoning, dehydration, and even death revealed

The day I quit smoking — cold turkeyMy New Year’s resolution was realized early in May last year. That was also the time I began to meet the strongest version of myself when I quit smoking cold turkey. Back to the LB hospital, I was in high spirits when the radiology attendant took my chest X-ray. I already stopped smoking today; it’s my gift to you because you had long wanted me to stop smoking. But when the disgusting stench in my hands slowly disappeared, I was encouraged all the more to stop smoking.

2 ‘New Year babies’ born in ManilaSally Alburo with her baby boy Yuri, one of two ‘New Year babies’ delivered at the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila. MANILA, Philippines — Two “New Year babies” were born on Wednesday at the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila as the country welcomed the new year. Sally Alburo, 25, of Carmona, Cavite, gave birth to a baby boy named Yuri at 12 a.m. yesterday. After 10 seconds, another baby was born – a girl named Zamara. According to the doctor at Fabella Hospital, both babies were born through normal deliveries.

For the holidays, he also returned to the committee on accounts a check for P2 million, which he described as a Christmas bonus given to each House member. Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno said it was not a Christmas bonus, but additional funds – recorded and subjected to state audit –for “Christmas requirements” in a congressman’s district. Puno said these “requirements” include Christmas parties with barangay captains, health activities and consultations. But if lawmakers want to be generous during the holidays, why should they charge it to taxpayers, to the tune of P2 million each? At least this Grinch stole only his colleagues’ Christmas.

35 trafficking victims back from CambodiaMANILA, Philippines — Thirty-five overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were victims of trafficking in Cambodia returned to the Philippines on Wednesday, the Department of Migrant Workers said. The DMW said the repatriates arrived in three batches at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The OFWs were personally assisted in Phnom Penh by DMW Assistant Secretary Venecio Legaspi, ATN (Assistance-to-Nationals) officer of the Philippine embassy Mike Yturriaga and social welfare officer Dexter Paro. Their repatriation was made possible through the coordinated efforts of the Philippine embassy in Phnom Penh and the Migrant Workers Offices in Singapore and Thailand, according to DMW. “Jobseekers should verify the legitimacy of overseas employment opportunities before accepting any offer,” the DMW said.

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Telcos to lean more on e-wallets for profitIn a Market Talks episode by COL Financial Group Inc., telco analyst Paolo Manansala said connectivity giants Globe Telecom Inc. and PLDT Inc. would have to depend on their e-wallets for profit growth. In a Market Talks episode by COL Financial Group Inc., telco analyst Paolo Manansala said connectivity giants Globe Telecom Inc. and PLDT Inc. would have to depend on their e-wallets for profit growth. Luckily for them, Manansala said these telcos have e-wallets dominating in financial technology. Maya, for its part, recorded a profit of P1.6 billion during the period, contributing P603 million in equity to PLDT. In spite of this, Manansala said online gambling would still be a revenue driver for e-wallets.

PAGASA bares new roster of cyclone namesMANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) will use a new roster of tropical cyclone names for 2026, as it reported the prevailing weather systems and a possibility of one tropical cyclone developing or entering the Philippine area of responsibility this month. For 2026, PAGASA will use Set II of its domestic cyclone names, in the alphabetical order from A to Z, excluding the letter X. PAGASA noted that the names Ada, Francisco, Kiyapo and Pilandok will replace Agaton, Florita, Karding and Paeng, which were retired after inflicting widespread damage in 2022. Names may also be retired when several storms hit in quick succession, intensifying their combined impact. PAGASA warned of rough sea conditions, particularly along the coastal waters of Batanes, making it risky for small seacraft to venture out.

Marcos is scheduled to sign the 2026 budget within the first week of the month. Although this is the first reenacted budget under Marcos, it is not the first time the administration had issues with the spending bill. “For the 2026 national budget, I will return any proposed general appropriations bill that is not fully aligned with the National Expenditure Program (NEP),” the President said. Contrary to the administration’s claims, Makabayan said that the 2026 national budget is not a “pork-free budget.”“This is a brazen lie. The group said that in total, LGU pork in the 2026 budget amounts to P73.2 billion.

On March 12, upon his arrival in The Hague, the ICC confirmed that the Pre-Trial Chamber I had issued an arrest warrant against Duterte for charges of crimes against humanity of murder. In the Philippines, families of drug war victims openly wept as they welcomed Duterte’s arrest. But for his supporters, Duterte’s arrest and surrender to the ICC was nothing but politics. Legal setbacksAt the ICC, Duterte’s lawyers have pursued three different legal remedies to secure his release. The defense has suffered significant setbacks after the challenge to jurisdiction and the request for interim release were denied by the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I.

‘New impeachment vs Sara may include alleged bagman’s affidavit’MANILA, Philippines — Civil society members and complainants in the four consolidated impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte are keen on having the case “re-filed and augmented” after the one-year ban rule lapses next month, a militant lawmaker has disclosed. “The decision will be made by the complainants, there are many of them from civil society. The SC, in a unanimous ruling, declared in July 2025 that the Duterte impeachment was invalid. That’s a fact that we have to consider,” Tinio, part of the four-member Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives, said. Opposition lawmaker Leila de Lima earlier urged Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to check the veracity of the allegations made by Duterte’s alleged bagman.

Cardinal’s New Year message: Strive for peace, hopeMANILA, Philippines — Filipinos should never stop striving for peace and should have hope in their hearts even as “we fail miserably” in efforts to attain progress for the country, Cardinal Jose Advincula of Manila said in his New Year’s message yesterday. “Peace is not achieved by force or fear, but by a disarmed heart and a disarming way of life. “Like most of you, I often feel the scourge of a people who have been wanting peace and progress, but to no avail. We often fail miserably,” he added. Despite the country’s predicament, Advincula said that the people should never lose hope because the Lord would never abandon his people.