Lover Boy on hot streak
Lover Boy on hot streakKenneth Llover is leaving a trail of broken hearts in his wake as the Lover Boy continues to make opponents wonder if he’ll ever turn from horrific to romantic in the ring. Llover, 22, has stopped his last five opponents in a KO binge that has made him a frightening contender in the bantamweight division. A former two-division world champion, Penalosa is known for his boxing IQ and that’s what he shares with Llover. Last Saturday, Llover was in Tokonama to halt China’s Ayati Saliike in the second round to retain his OPBF bantamweight title. “Hopefully, we’ll get a world title shot for Kenneth in the last week of March and we want to do it in Manila,” said Penalosa.
Source:Philippine Star
December 31, 2025 05:38 UTC
Stroke, heart attack cases spike ahead of New Year
Stroke, heart attack cases spike ahead of New YearMANILA, Philippines — Stroke and acute coronary syndrome cases, including heart attacks, increased this holiday season compared with 2024, according to the Department of Health (DOH). In just one week, the total number of cases of acute coronary syndrome and stroke more than doubled by the morning of December 31. Stroke cases rose from 81 on December 26 to 180, while acute coronary syndrome cases increased from 30 to 77. Seniors aged 60 to 69 are reportedly the most affected, representing about 36% of acute coronary syndrome cases and 29% of stroke cases. Ischemic heart disease alone accounted for one-fifth of the more than 200,000 registered deaths from January to April 2025.
Source:Philippine Star
December 31, 2025 04:34 UTC
China rocket launch may drop debris near 4 Luzon provinces
PhilSA warns of likely debris near Luzon after China's rocket launchMap shows the estimated drop zones of debris from China’s Long March 7A rocket, launched on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. MANILA, Philippines — Possible debris may fall near four Luzon provinces after China launched a Long March 7A rocket into space on the morning of December 31, the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) said. In a Wednesday advisory, PhilSA confirmed that the rocket was launched at around 6:40 a.m. from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan. When a rocket takes off, debris is expected to reenter the earth’s atmosphere, potentially affecting ships, aircraft, and fishing boats within the drop zone. 45 nautical miles from Burgos, Ilocos Norte,67 nautical miles from Dalupiri Island, Cagayan,64 nautical miles from Santa Ana, Cagayan, and76 nautical miles from Camiguin Norte.
Source:Philippine Star
December 31, 2025 04:11 UTC
Breakdown: 4 charges Leviste raised about budget 'allocables,' 'incentives'
What Rep. Leviste is alleging about budget 'allocables,' 'incentives'Rep. Leandro Leviste claims of budget manipulation and pressure on lawmakers during 2026 budget talks. Allegation 1: DPWH allocations exceed the P401.3-billion 'allocable' budgetLeviste alleged that House members receive project allocations beyond the officially acknowledged P401.3 billion “allocable” budget for DPWH projects. The response: Rep. Suansing (Nueva Ecijaa), who heads the House appropriations panel and at the bicameral conference committee, denied offering budget incentives to legislators. Allegation 4: The system disadvantages certain regionsBeyond individual incidents, Leviste argued that the DPWH budget allocation system lacks logic and fairness. Cabral's documents, Leviste said, contained specifics on questionable budget allocations legislators made through the agency.
Source:Philippine Star
December 31, 2025 03:34 UTC
China’s digital yuan to become interest-bearing in 2026
China’s digital yuan to become interest-bearing in 2026BEIJING – Holdings of China’s digital yuan, or e-CNY, will start generating interest income next year under a new framework, state broadcaster CCTV said on Monday, as China steps up efforts to promote the use of its central bank digital currency. “This will help increase users’ willingness to adopt the digital yuan, expand its usage scenarios, and further solidify China’s leading position in the global exploration of central bank digital currencies,” the state broadcaster said. The use of China’s digital yuan is currently limited to some government agencies and state companies. Earlier on Monday, Financial News, a publication run by the PBOC, said the central bank will issue an action plan on digital yuan management. A new framework for digital yuan measurement, management, operation and ecosystem will take effect on Jan. 1, the newspaper said.
Source:Philippine Star
December 31, 2025 01:46 UTC
Teen Turns Walks to Watts, Wins Top Spot at EPIC Junior 2025
Teen Turns Walks to Watts, Wins Top Spot at EPIC Junior 2025EPIC Junior brings the elevator-pitch format of HKSTP’s flagship start-up competition to Hong Kong’s next generation of innovators.
Source:The Standard
December 31, 2025 01:08 UTC
Drive out ignorance
Drive out ignoranceOne superstitious belief that was used as an excuse by Filipinos to light up firecrackers on New Year’s Eve is that the explosion would drive out evil spirits as well as bad luck. I venture that the consequence comes from ignorance or forgetting the spirit behind a cultural value or practice. Circling back to firecrackers, superstition and ignorance, it is interesting to note that firecracker bans have gotten tougher and tougher, but superstition and ignorance persist. We do need to blast away ignorance that feeds superstition, but more importantly, we need to actively work against ignorance in our lives. Many platforms and sources are capitalizing on people’s “selective ignorance” to peddle their political narrative, disinformation or bias.
Source:Philippine Star
December 31, 2025 01:01 UTC
The terno made modern and desirable in 2025
The added bonus was that all the pieces were later exhibited at the National Museum, the better to peruse the artisanal details. What the gowns lacked in flamboyance, however, they made up for with impeccable cuts and draping like DOJ Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez’s terno by Jay Cerezo. Come yearend, the pop-ups Bench x Katutubo at Bench Tower and the ArteFino fair at Rockwell were the places to shop for all the new takes on Filipiniana. At the former, Bench Fashion Week designers were represented, like Daryl Maat with his controversial Pad Paper embroidered barongs and Jo Ann Bitagcol’s easy pieces incorporating her heritage photographs. At the latter, Jor-El Espina, in collaboration with Patis Tesoro, brings her artisanship to the present generation with novel cuts and silhouettes.
Source:Philippine Star
December 30, 2025 23:20 UTC
What I learned from my lola Marina
My lola Marina Reyes Antonio, wife of National Artist for Architecture Pablo Antonio, was a woman who lived her 96 years with passion and purpose. When my lola Marina was a child, their family was abandoned by her father, and she went to live with her paternal grandparents for many years. This is the most important lesson I got from my lola Marina, and not something she taught me outright. My lola taught not by explaining, but by example. “When we do our work well,” said Hannah, “Lola Marina lives on in us.” Love Marina is available at Vicky Veloso-Barrera’s Tiny Kitchen, the FEU bookshop at the university and online, and at Tesoro’s Pasay Road.
Source:Philippine Star
December 30, 2025 23:20 UTC
Arsenal crush Villa to confirm title credentials
Arsenal make it six out of six with easy win over Club Brugge
Source:The Standard
December 30, 2025 22:29 UTC
Marcos: Uphold truth, patriotism
Marcos: Uphold truth, patriotismMANILA, Philippines — As the Philippines continues to be beset by widespread corruption, President Marcos yesterday urged Filipinos to draw inspiration from national hero Jose Rizal by upholding patriotism, truth and responsible citizenship. Marcos led the flag-raising and wreath-laying rites at the Rizal Monument in Manila as the nation commemorated the 129th anniversary of Rizal’s heroism and martyrdom. First Lady Liza Marcos and their children, House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, Joseph Simon and William Vincent, joined the President. The Marcoses hosted a year-end celebration for some 2,000 supporters from the Friends of Imelda Romualdez Marcos or FIRM, led by founding president Artemio Lachica. Marcos and Duterte’s political alliance in the 2022 general elections, dubbed the UniTeam, collapsed in 2024.
Source:Philippine Star
December 30, 2025 22:01 UTC
New golden era
Yulo, extending his glorious reign, and Eala, breaking barriers, serve as powerful symbols of the new golden era characterized, not just by more breakthroughs, but successes that would be inspiration for the next generation. Moreover, Eala became only the second wildcard to slay three or more Grand Slam champions in a single tour-level event after Elina Svitolina at Wimbledon 2023. 75 of the WTA rankings to qualify in all Grand Slam main draws. Then came her homecoming in New York, three years after being the first Filipina junior Grand Slam champion, where she blazed another trail by becoming the first Filipina to play and win a match in any Grand Slam main draw. SEA Games: Philippines cops golds that matterTeam Philippines scooped up 50 gold medals in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand and finished sixth in the medal race.
Source:Philippine Star
December 30, 2025 17:31 UTC
The Righteous City
The Righteous CityMay he produce in you . Nestled inside the copper box were hopeful predictions from some city leaders who expressed visions of prosperity. We’ll often stumble on the journey, yet still we look forward to “the city that is to come” where God’s righteousness will reign (v. 14). How can you encourage others to seek God’s righteousness? Dear God, please work in me what’s pleasing to You.
Source:Philippine Star
December 30, 2025 17:00 UTC
‘Accountability to aid recovery’
‘Accountability to aid recovery’Noting that redeeming trust requires visible compliance, Philippine Institute for Development Studies senior research fellow John Paolo Rivera said key priorities for next year include spending efficiency, tighter procurement and food price stability, among others. Rivera said restoring public trust would require visible accountability, including pursuing cases and enforcing rules, clearer policy communication and consistent implementation across government agencies. And therefore, we have penciled in a gross domestic product growth forecast for 2026 of about 5.6 percent,” he said. The economist said the country could have reached six percent growth if not for inefficiencies in public infrastructure, particularly flood control projects. Former finance chief Ralph Recto also said the economy could have grown by as much as six percent without the economic losses from flood control projects that may have reached P118 billion from 2023 to 2025.
Source:Philippine Star
December 30, 2025 16:46 UTC
US gears up for agricultural trade mission to Philippines
US gears up for agricultural trade mission to PhilippinesMANILA, Philippines — The US is gearing up for an agricultural trade mission to the Philippines next year, as Washington seeks to expand its share in the country’s growing food market. USDA is encouraging American exporters to join the trade mission to explore business opportunities in the Philippines’ “thriving” market and “rapidly” growing economy. “US agricultural exporters have an abundance of new opportunities in the Philippines, thanks to President Trump’s recent trade agreement,” said Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Undersecretary Luke Lindberg. “This trade mission will connect US producers with key buyers in the Philippines, expanding economic opportunities, supporting rural prosperity, and keeping American agricultural products globally competitive,” he added. USDA’s trade mission to the Philippines is part of its broader 2026 export promotion strategy that involves other agribusiness trade missions to Türkiye, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam.
Source:Philippine Star
December 30, 2025 16:46 UTC