Two days before Christmas, the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu brought the spirit of the holiday season to Filipino fishermen working at the Honolulu Port, reaching out to those spending the festivities far from their families and loved ones. Led by Consul General Arman R. Talbo, the Consulate distributed clothes, care packages, and warm Filipino meals, along with heartfelt messages of encouragement and solidarity. The visit aimed to remind the fishermen that they ar

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to stay out of the investigation into alleged irregularities in flood control projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Lacson made the call during a radio interview when asked if he believes the Marcos administration is being selective about who should be investigated and charged in the controversial flood control scandal. “Honestly, I think that’s possibl

Former Miss Universe CEO Anne Jakrajutatip is facing up to two years in prison after a court in Thailand found her guilty of fraud in connection with a 30-million-baht (approximately ₱56.7 million) corporate bond investment. According to a report by the Bangkok Post, the Bangkok South Kwaeng Court handed down the ruling after Jakrajutatip failed to appear in court, prompting judges to proceed with the case despite her absence. Court records show that the South Bangkok Crimina

Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste has claimed that members of the House of Representatives are set to receive massive incentives once the bicameral conference committee report on the 2026 national budget is ratified on Monday, December 29. Leviste alleged that as much as ₱10 billion has been earmarked for incentives or bonuses for lawmakers, reportedly sourced from the House’s Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE). “On the day of the budget approval

The Makabayan bloc slammed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for failing to jail any high-ranking government officials linked to the controversial flood control scandal before Christmas, despite his earlier promise. The group said Marcos’ self-imposed deadline has passed with no “big fish” arrested, calling the pledge a public relations stunt. “So much for the promise that someone would spend Christmas in jail. The Filipino people were misled,” the bloc said. “The Pre

The Philippine Navy confirmed that it monitored and challenged a Chinese warship spotted “loitering” off the coast of Zambales, prompting a calibrated maritime response. According to the Navy, the vessel was identified as a Jiangkai II–class frigate of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, bearing bow number 569. The ship was detected approximately 41 nautical miles southwest of Capones Island, within waters closely monitored by Philippine authorities. Upon initial detection, th

IT is rare for a high-ranking Filipino public official to commit suicide after being caught in a web of corruption scandal. Except for Angelo Reyes and Maria Catalina Cabral, no other known public official of national stature in the Philippines has chosen the route to perdition to escape prosecution and permanent shame and scandal if they were alive. Reyes, 65, a retired general, shot himself in the head in the cemetery in 2011 after being linked to graft and corruption in th

The Supreme Court of the Philippines has affirmed the murder conviction of three police officers for the killing of Kian delos Santos, a 17-year-old student fatally shot during an anti-drug operation in Caloocan City in 2017. In a Decision written by Associate Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez, the Court’s Second Division found police officers Arnel Oares, Jeremias Pereda, and Jerwin Cruz guilty of murder. The High Court sentenced the three to reclusion perpetua, or up to 40 years in p

Philippine lawmaker Antonio Tinio has called for the immediate return of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan, insisting he must face investigation over alleged large-scale irregularities in flood control projects. Tinio said Bonoan, as DPWH secretary at the time, held ultimate authority over project approvals and funding releases, stressing that no allocation could be approved and no public funds could move without Bonoan’s knowledge

NEW YORK CITY - Top business leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs from across the U.S. Northeast and Midwest converged at the Philippine Center in Manhattan on December 17 as the Philippine Trade and Investment Center–New York (PTIC New York) hosted Impact Social: A Year-End Networking Mixer , an event aimed at strengthening trade, investment, and cross-sector partnerships between the United States and the Philippines. Organized in collaboration with Planet X Studios and Th

Philippine Consul General Arman R. Talbo joined educators, students, and community leaders at the annual Sakada Day celebration held December 13 at the historic Hawaii Plantation Village on Oahu. The event honored the enduring legacy of the sakada Filipino laborers who migrated to Hawaiʻi in the early 20th century and helped shape the islands’ plantation economy. The celebration featured student-led exhibits, interactive booths, a fashion show, and stage performances that exp

Contractor Sarah Discaya and eight engineers from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) are now behind bars after being implicated in a ₱96.5-million “ghost” flood control project in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental. Discaya was escorted by NBI-Central Visayas agents upon her arrival at Mactan Cebu International Airport late Friday night, December 19. Within hours, she and her co-accused were hauled before the Lapu-Lapu City court and ordered detained. Judge Ne

Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez has been thrust into the heart of the explosive flood control scandal, after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) named him among 87 individuals recommended for criminal and administrative charges over allegedly anomalous projects nationwide. DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the agency, working with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI)and the Department of Justice, has formally pushed for the filing of cases be

Authorities are investigating the death of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, whose body was recovered from a steep ravine along Kennon Road an incident drawing heightened public scrutiny given her past role in overseeing major flood control projects that have been the subject of ongoing controversy. Police said Cabral was found at around 8:00 p.m. on December 18, approximately 20 to 30 meters below a highway near the B

Philippine security forces have uncovered a cache of high-powered firearms allegedly belonging to the New People’s Army (NPA) during a joint military and police operation in a remote area of Labo town in Camarines Norte province, authorities said. The operation was led by the Philippine Army’s 16th Infantry Battalion under the 2nd Infantry “Jungle Fighter” Division, in coordination with the 42nd Infantry Battalion of the 9th Infantry “Spearhead” Division. Police units involve

Philippine Congresswoman Leila de Lima has called for an immediate and comprehensive investigation into reports that iron ore extracted from the coastal town of Jose Panganiban in Camarines Norte province may have been shipped to China, raising concerns over legality, environmental impact, and government oversight. De Lima said reports of several vessels positioned near the shoreline allegedly preparing to transport iron ore overseas must be thoroughly examined, stressing th

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) on Sunday called on the bicameral conference committee to make public the complete list of so-called “allocables,” which the group claims are a new form of pork barrel embedded in the proposed 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB). In a statement, BAYAN said transparency is crucial as lawmakers reconcile the differing versions of the national budget approved separately by the House of Representatives and the Senate. The group warned tha

Overseas Filipino groups are urging a temporary pause in remittances during the Christmas season as part of a coordinated pressure campaign they say is already producing visible economic and political impact. The call was articulated by Mr. Ben Repol, OFW-DDS Global Leader based in Austria, who emphasized that padala remains deeply important to Filipino families, especially during the holidays. However, he said the campaign is a calculated and time-bound action aimed at sendi

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has raised a red flag over what he called a ₱33-billion “pork barrel” insertion in the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) 2026 budget this time hidden under farm-to-market roads (FMRs). Lacson blasted the massive allocation, saying the DA proposal fails to identify where the roads will actually be built, as it contains no grid coordinates a red flag he warned mirrors the same scheme used in the now-exposed “ghost” flood-control

NEW YORK - An intersection in Woodside, Queens has been officially co-named in honor of Dr. José P. Rizal, the Philippine national hero, marking a historic recognition of Filipino heritage in one of New York City’s most diverse immigrant neighborhoods. New York City Council Member Julie Won said the co-naming reflects both the growing Filipino presence in her district and Woodside’s identity as a community shaped by immigrants. “It’s an honor to co-name an intersection in Wo