Sipalay beach turns pink as small shrimps blanket shoreline

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday said Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. had ordered the revocation of the sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance for a vessel carrying suspected smuggled rice before it arrived in the Philippines. According to the DA, the decision came after Tiu Laurel received “derogatory” information about the

MANILA, Philippines — New public school buildings will be required to meet updated accessibility and disaster-resilience standards beginning in fiscal year 2027 under a Department of Education (DepEd) policy welcomed by the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA). In a statement, the NCDA said DepEd Order No. 022, series of 2026, establishes enhanced minimum performance

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday disputed the claim that the Senate is spending P25 million daily in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying the amount represented the operating costs of the entire chamber. According to Gatchalian, “The claim that the impeachment trial costs the Senate P25 million a

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Sandiganbayan over the insufficient documentation of the foreign travels undertaken by its officials and employees. In its 2025 audit report, COA noted that a total of P11.87 million worth of cash advances were granted last year to the Sandiganbayan for the foreign travels of

MANILA, Philippines — A resolution seeking an investigation into the implementation of the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) to ensure fairness to motorists cited for traffic violations despite poor road infrastructure has been filed in the Senate. Senate Resolution No. 732, filed by Sen. Robin Padilla on Oct. 12, seeks an inquiry into fairness and

MANILA, Philippines — El Niño has affected more than 451,000 people across the country, including over 215,000 farmers and fisherfolk, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Wednesday. In its situational report as of Oct. 14, the NDRRMC said 121,185 families, or 451,889 individuals, are affected in Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Mimaropa,

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate will conduct an independent review of the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027 and correct its own version if the review finds problems in the House-approved bill. Sen. JV Ejercito, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, gave that assurance in a statement on Tuesday. The House has approved the General

KORONADAL CITY — A 35-year-old worker lost his right leg after an oxygen tank exploded while he was refilling it at a house in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat, on Wednesday, police said. The Police Regional Office 12 (PRO-12) said the incident happened around 11:20 a.m. in Purok 8, Barangay Poblacion. Based on the initial police

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Wednesday rejected Vice President Sara Duterte’s call for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to resign, as she faces an impeachment trial that could remove her from office and disqualify her from seeking the presidency in 2028. “If she does not want to resign, that is her decision. But her call for

ILAGAN, Isabela—The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) has earmarked P59.8-million fund for three tourism infrastructure projects in Ilagan City. This was made certain by TIEZA Chief Operating Officer Mark Lapid who visited Ilagan to sign a memorandum of agreement over the projects on October 13. Lapid announced that his agency will financially support

MANILA, Philippines — Senate finance panel chairperson Sen. JV Ejercito said the Senate will scrutinize the budget realignments in the House General Appropriations Bill, which cut budgets on major government programs. In a press briefing, Ejercito confirmed major changes in the House GAB including the P130 billion cut on the Foreign Assistance Projects and a

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The fate of Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense strategy now hangs in the balance, caught between the prosecution’s potential objections and the final rulings of the Senate impeachment court, according to former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio. His pronouncement follows the Senate impeachment court’s decision, led by presiding