Day: July 8, 2025

Manila: Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is seeking to overhaul the country’s civil registration system to prevent foreign nationals from fraudulently acquiring Philippine citizenship, following the controversial case of former Bamban mayor Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping. According to Philippines News Agency, the lawmaker has filed the proposed Philippine Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Act, which aims to establish a modern and streamlined registration system to accurately determine an individual’s identity for administrative and legal purposes. The proposed measure also increases penalties for forging civil registry documents, providing false information during registration, and aiding the production of fraudulent records.

Manila: Senate President Francis Escudero on Tuesday expressed confidence that the upper chamber would carry its legislative momentum into the 20th Congress, citing record gains in bill approvals. Escudero said the Senate, under his leadership since May 2024, made significant strides in clearing the chamber’s backlog of pending measures while maintaining strong oversight of government agencies. According to Philippines News Agency, Escudero noted that during the third regular session alone, the Senate surpassed the combined output of the first and second regular sessions. “We could have done even more if not for the almost four-month adjournment due to the midterm

Quezon city: Forty-nine Chinese warships and coast guard vessels were spotted in three West Philippine Sea (WPS) features in June, a ranking Philippine Navy (PN) official said Tuesday. In a media briefing held in Camp Aguinaldo, PN spokesperson for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad reported the presence of these Chinese vessels from June 1 to 30. According to Philippines News Agency, the Chinese vessels were identified at various strategic features: Bajo de Masinloc witnessed nine China Coast Guard vessels (CCGV) and 14 People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships. Ayungin Shoal saw 12 CCGVs and two PLAN ships, while

Manila: Malaca±ang has clarified that it is not insinuating that former Public Works Secretary and current Senator Mark Villar was behind the joint venture deals entered into by PrimeWater with local water districts. In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro addressed questions regarding the timing of these deals, which notably increased around 2019 when Villar was the head of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), then the supervising agency of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA). According to Philippines News Agency, Castro explained, “Ang pagkaka-describe lang naman natin ay mas dumami noong 2019 at noong ito’y

Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is currently preparing for his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), with focus on presenting a clear and comprehensive report to the Filipino people, Malaca±ang said Tuesday. Marcos is scheduled to deliver his SONA before a joint session of Congress on July 28 at Batasang Pambansa, where he is expected to outline his administration’s progress midway through his term, and reaffirm policy directions including the economy, infrastructure, agriculture, digitalization, and national security. According to Philippines News Agency, in a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said