TIMELINE: Mary Jane Veloso’s case and road to freedom

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has ordered an investigation into “nefarious” foreign activities in the Philippines, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said Saturday.

MANILA, Philippines — Wage Order No. 28 took effect starting Saturday, Sept. 26, raising the minimum wage in Metro Manila by P60 for workers in both the nonagricultural and agricultural sectors. Under the new wage order, the daily minimum wage for nonagricultural workers increased from P695 to P755, while agricultural workers will receive P718 from

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is targeting an 85 percent reduction in plastic pollution by 2040 under a new national roadmap that seeks to prevent plastic waste at the source while improving collection, recovery and recycling nationwide. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources said the Philippine National Plastic Action Roadmap 2026-2040, launched in Makati

MANILA, Philippines — Severe Tropical Storm Queenie maintained its strength on Saturday morning as it continued to move northwestward over the Philippine Sea, the state weather bureau said. According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) in its latest typhoon bulletin, Queenie was last spotted 600 kilometers (km) east northeast of Ibtayat,

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — A 50-year-old man was shot dead by motorcycle-riding assailants in Sitio Bontong, Barangay Camaman-an here on Friday, Sept. 25, police said. The victim, identified as Marlou Valmoria, a resident of the city’s Barangay Bonbon, was attacked at 11:15 a.m. and sustained a gunshot wound to the head, which killed him

Philippine bet Katrina Anne Johnson is among the early top picks of Missosology for Miss International 2026!

Angelica Lopez just unleashed her Filipino vocal chakra at the Miss Grand International 2026!

MANILA, Philippines — The provincial government of Nueva Vizcaya has documented 68 bird species thriving in its mountains, highlighting the province’s “rich biodiversity.” The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Cagayan Valley said the Provincial Tourism and Culture Office, together with the Wild Bird Photographers, conducted a bird census in selected areas. READ:

LEGAZPI CITY — Sixty-one learners who have been holding classes at the school stage and covered court of Burgos Elementary School in Albay’s Daraga town, will finally have classrooms of their own following the inauguration of a new two-classroom building on Friday (Sept. 25) The P9.65-million building was constructed by the Department of Public Works

CITY OF ILAGAN, Isabela — A Department of Agriculture proposal to harness excess yellow corn would benefit Cagayan Valley farms, which are some of the country’s primary corn growers, said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. in a speech read for him during the 19th Regional Corn Congress held at the Capital Arena on Sept.

Filipino weightlifter Albert Ian delos Santos shatters his junior world and junior continental records on the way to an Asian Games bronze medal

BAGUIO CITY — The “Integrity Chain” portal, that would allow civil society to keep track of public works projects and watch out for multibillion peso flood control anomalies similar to projects that are still being litigated today, should be operational by yearend or the first months of 2027, its developer said here on Wednesday (Sept.