As Marcos downplays Xi orders for China to prepare troops BERLIN—President Marcos said he will meet with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in Manila on Tuesday (March 19) as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation amid the ongoing incursions of China in the West Philippine Sea. “The …

NO CLEARANCE. The Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort built within the Chocolate Hills in Bohol was not issued an Environmental Compliance Certificate. Environment Secretary Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga says in a virtual press briefer on Friday (March 15, 2024) that the owner of the resort faces imprisonment and milions in penalties. (Screengrab from video …

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. held talks with Czech Prime Minister H.E. Petr Fiala to enhance security and economic ties between the Philippines and the Czech Republic. (Presidential Communications Office)  MANILA, Philippines — Czech Republic has doubled the quota for Filipino workers entering their country starting March 2024. The number …

Travelers line up at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on December 20, 2022. (STAR / Ernie Penaredondo)  MANILA, Philippines — Victims of human trafficking don’t all look the same and experience the same type of violence. Adopting this approach, according to the Commission of Human Rights (CHR), has allowed …

At a Glance National government posted a budget surplus of P88 billion in January 2024. Revenue collection increased by 21.15 percent year-over-year, outpacing the 10.39 percent growth in government spending. Total revenue rose to P421.8 billion, with tax collections accounting for 91.31 percent of the total. Bureau of Internal Revenue …

A sample of the Philippine National ID, now a valid proof of identity. (Philstar.com / Irish Lising)  MANILA, Philippines — Still don’t have the printed version of your national ID? The Philippine Statistics Authority said on Friday that it has already completed printing over 60% of the “physical cards” of …

RAP IN LAPU-LAPU. Commission on Elections chair George Erwin Garcia oversees the Register Anywhere Progam program at a gymnasium in Barangay Bangkal, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu on Friday (March 15, 2024). Garcia encouraged Cebuanos to take advantage of the program that makes enlistment hassle-free. (Photo courtesy of Comelec-7 spokesperson Omar Sharif Mamalinta) CEBU …

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has urged the public to file their annual income tax returns (ITRs) on time to avoid penalties that could reach up to P25,000 or more. In a Facebook post, BIR Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr. emphasized the importance of early submission for the 2023 …

The Social Weather Stations (SWS) reported Thursday that President Marcos gained +47 percent net satisfaction ratings among 65 percent of adult Filipinos, boosted by his continuing popularity in all areas in the country except in Mindanao. SWS released its most recent quarterly survey held from Dec. 8 to 11 last …

Bitcoin stock image./Image by Michael Wuensch from Pixabay  LONDON, United Kingdom — Australian computer scientist Craig Wright is not “Satoshi Nakamoto”, the pseudonym used by the creator of the cryptocurrency bitcoin when it launched in 2008, a UK court ruled Thursday. The decision follows a trial in London’s High Court …