Philippine deer spotted again in Marinduque after decades-long absenceThe Philippine deer (Rusa marianna), once thought locally extinct, has been sighted again in Marinduque. MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine deer (Rusa marianna), once thought to have disappeared locally for decades, has been sighted anew in several areas of Marinduque, in what conservation officials described as a "remarkable conservation breakthrough." The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) MIMAROPA – PENRO Marinduque said the sightings were confirmed through sustained monitoring efforts led by the Marinduque Wildlife Sanctuary Protected Area Management Office, in collaboration with local communities. These efforts included Biodiversity Monitoring System activities, installation of camera traps in Barangay Malibago in Torrijos and Barangay Makulapnit in Sta. The agency said the renewed sightings "highlight the success of collaboration among government agencies, local government units and communities."

Build resilience by greenlighting strategic investmentsThe sudden eruption of conflict in the Middle East has once again reminded the world how fragile economic stability can be. At the House of Representatives, House Bill 15, or the proposed “Green Lanes for Strategic Investments Act,” seeks to address this longstanding issue. 18, which established green lanes for strategic investments as an administrative measure. By formally adopting green lanes for strategic investments, the Philippines signals that it understands this reality. Greenlighting strategic investments is one such decision.

Philippines slams China’s radar targeting of Navy ship in West Philippine SeaThe BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG6) conducts a patrol within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone near Sabina Shoal on March 7, 2026, when a Chinese PLA Navy vessel (bow no. 622) allegedly directed its fire control radar toward the Philippine ship. MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines said a Chinese naval vessel directed its fire control radar toward a Navy ship during a patrol in the West Philippine Sea earlier this month, in what it described as a “provocative” maritime encounter. 622) allegedly trained its fire control radar on the ship. The Navy said it immediately issued a radio challenge following standard procedures, after which the Chinese vessel stowed its radar and de-escalated the situation.

Teacher education reform or institutional duplication? Recent policy moves to strengthen teacher education in the Philippines, including the establishment of Teacher Education Excellence Centers (TEECs), reflect a welcome recognition that teacher quality matters deeply for education reform. Many local colleges, city colleges and smaller teacher education institutions in the regions do not have the same infrastructure as large state universities. It could work with graduate schools, teacher education institutions, laboratory schools and professional development bodies to identify high-quality studies, curate useful findings and translate them into practical guidance for teacher education and school improvement. Ultimately, improving teacher education is not a problem of institutional absence but of institutional coherence.

LONDON, United Kingdom — Just a trickle of cargo ships and tankers -- most of them Iranian -- have made it through the Strait of Hormuz since Iranian forces blocked the crucial trade route in the Middle East war. Of these, 71 crossings were by oil tankers and more than half were loaded, Kpler data showed, with most travelling east out of the strait. "But we have seen a bit of an uptick in gas carriers moving over the last week." Iranian, Greek, Chinese shipsMost of the ships passing the strait are owned or flagged in Iran, said Bridget Diakun, an analyst at data company Lloyd's List Intelligence. Lloyd's List said at least nine ships had passed through an apparently Iranian-approved "corridor" close to Larak Island near Iran's coastline for vetting by its authorities.

Gauff rallies to advance at Miami OpenMIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - MARCH 19: Coco Gauff returns a shot against Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy during Day 3 of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 19, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. MIAMI, United States — Reigning French Open champion Coco Gauff advanced to the third round of the WTA and ATP Miami Open on Friday (Saturday, Manila time), rallying to defeat Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. After an early exchange of breaks in the second set, Gauff broke for a 5-4 lead when Cocciaretto hit a forehand long and then held serve for the set. But the American broke back in the third game and took a 3-2 edge when Cocciaretto sent a backhand long. 2 Elena Rybakina, the reigning Australian Open champion who lost last weekend's Indian Wells final to Sabalenka, faces 75th-rated Kazakhstan compatriot Yulia Putintseva in the final Stadium Court match.

Ardina lurks at Epson Tour; Saso crashes out at LPGADottie Ardina of the Philippines looks on from the seventh green during the second round of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican 2024 at Pelican Golf Club on November 15, 2024 in Belleair, Florida. Ardina had difficulty creating birdie chances and failed to capitalize on the few opportunities she had. 6 and 18 but dropped a shot on the fourth hole, ending the day tied for 17th alongside 12 others. Six players, including Sofia Garcia and Liqi Zeng, returned identical 69s, keeping the leaderboard tightly packed in the $250,000, 54-hole Epson Tour event. Saso, whose campaign is also supported by the world’s leading port operator, started strong, birdying Nos.

Pistons top Warriors to clinch NBA playoff berthDETROIT, MICHIGAN - MARCH 20: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors blocks a shot attempt by Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons during the first quarter at Little Caesars Arena on March 20, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. LOS ANGELES, United States — The Detroit Pistons beat the Golden State Warriors 115-101 on Friday (Saturday, Manila time) to become the first Eastern Conference team to clinch an NBA playoff berth. Kevin Durant scored 25 points and Jabari Smith Jr. added 23 points and nine rebounds for the Rockets. Alperen Sengun added 15 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists as Houston bolstered their playoff bid after back-to-back losses to the Los Angeles Lakers. Jakob Poeltl's 23 points led the Raptors, who led by as many as 11 points in the third quarter.

Eala hard as a rockMANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala displayed nerves of steel, coming out on top against the grizzled Laura Siegemund of Germany in the longest match of her rising pro career, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-3, to reach the Round of 32 of the Miami Open at the Hard Rock Stadium yesterday. The 34-year-old Linette, WTA No. 3 and six-time Grand Slam champion, with a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 win. Projections had Eala and Swiatek meeting for the third time after Eala stunned the Polish ace in the Miami Open quarterfinals last year, 6-2, 7-5. Swiatek returned the favor in the Madrid Open months after, scoring a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Eala in the Round of 64.

WNBA, players union confirm agreement on 'groundbreaking' labor dealA'ja Wilson (No. LOS ANGELES, United States — The WNBA and the league's players union said Friday (Saturday, Manila time) they had reached a tentative agreement on a "groundbreaking" seven-year labor deal after months of tense negotiations. "This groundbreaking model provides unlimited upside for players as league and team revenues continue to grow." Under the new deal, the league's top players will gain the ability to sign the first multi-million-dollar contracts in WNBA history. "This agreement reflects that shared commitment, with players owning their value and future alongside a league growing stronger because of it."

SAN FRANCISCO, United States — A federal jury in California found Friday that tech titan Elon Musk misled Twitter shareholders in an effort to drive down the company's share price as he was poised to buy it in a $44 billion deal. Giuseppe Pampena filed the suit against Musk on behalf of people who sold Twitter shares between mid-May of 2022 and early October of that year. The civil complaint accused Musk of driving down Twitter's stock price to gain leverage to renegotiate the purchase price or get out of the deal completely, causing people who sold shares to lose money. Musk abandoned his effort to get out of buying Twitter in late 2022 after the company took him to court to uphold the contract. Musk has since merged the social media platform -- now called X -- with his artificial intelligence startup xAI and his private space exploration firm SpaceX.

NBA champion Thunder say 'timing' prevents White House visit: reportShai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrates with the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player trophy after defeating the Indiana Pacers, 103-91, in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals at the Paycom Center on June 22, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. WASHINGTON, United States — The reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder won't visit the White House while in Washington to play the Wizards on Saturday, citing a "timing" issue, The Athletic reported Friday (Saturday, Manila time). The topic of triumphant teams visiting the White House has become politically charged in recent years. The Warriors weren't invited when they won in 2018 but visited Biden's White House to celebrate their 2022 championship. But Trump hailed the Eagles as "incredible" when they celebrated their 2025 Super Bowl victory at the White House last year.

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on Filipinos to continue practicing compassion, humility, patience and charity even after the observance of Eid al-Fitr. In his message on Saturday, March 21, Marcos joined Muslim Filipinos in celebrating Eid’l Fitr, which he described as both a "solemn and joyous" occasion marking the end of a month of prayer, fasting, reflection and generosity. “The virtues nurtured during this sacred month— compassion, humility, patience, and charity—must not end with the breaking of the fast. The president also paid tribute to Muslim Filipinos, recognizing their resilience, quiet generosity, and unwavering sense of duty even in difficult times. Marcos also acknowledged the example set by Muslim Filipinos, citing their quiet generosity, resilience amid hardship and steadfast sense of duty.

DiscourteousSolicitor General Darlene Berberabe is being discourteous to the Supreme Court. She used as basis for this the Supreme Court ruling in Causing v. People (G.R. In the Ressa case, the prosecution demonstrated continuing publication of the libelous story. The recent experience of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) may help illustrate the complications. The traditional electric cooperative model rests on a fairly simple idea: the consumers are the owners of the utility.

Man held for killing pet catBrig. Gen. Randy Glenn Silvio, QCPD director, said the man, identified only as Virgilio, was seen on closed-circuit TV camera striking the animal on the head with a piece of lumber, causing its immediate death. MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City Police District arrested a 53-year-old man for killing a pet cat in Quezon City on March 16, the QCPD said yesterday. Silvio said the cat owner sought assistance from the QCPD Holy Spirit Station, after discovering the lifeless feline near their residence. Senate President Vicente Sotto III, in reaction to Villar’s speech, urged the public to be responsible pet owners, citing his own experiences in dog bites.