Day: August 26, 2025

Chengdu: German finswimmer Max Poschart was among the seven elected to the International World Games Association (IWGA) Athlete Committee for the term 2025-2029. He won the men’s 100m, and 4x50m and 4x100m surface relays at the World Games held in Chengdu, China, from August 7 to 17. According to Philippines News Agency, China’s Xiaoxiao (Sunny) Lai (wushu), Spain’s Sandra S¡nchez (karate), Hungary’s Petra Sen¡nszky (underwater sports), Andrea Busa (kickboxing), Yves Martial Tadissi (karate), and Australia’s Catherine Phillips (flying disc) were also elected from a pool of 20 candidates. These candidates were nominated by their respective International Federations and voted for

Manila: Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. has directed the initiation of a tax fraud investigation targeting contractors involved in anomalous flood control projects, as identified by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Lumagui has instructed all BIR offices to closely monitor developments in the President’s investigation and conduct a parallel audit of the concerned contractors. According to Philippines News Agency, Lumagui stated, “The BIR will undertake a parallel investigation of contractors implicated in irregular flood control projects. We will support the President’s crusade by auditing the tax returns and payments of these entities.” He added that any

Bicol: The Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO-5) has activated its disaster response teams as a low pressure area (LPA) continues to bring moderate to heavy rains over the Bicol Region. PRO-5 Director Brig. Gen. Nestor Babagay Jr. directed unit commanders to coordinate with local government units (LGUs), particularly in evacuating residents from low-lying and flood-prone communities. According to Philippines News Agency, a total of 563 police personnel, including 453 from the Reactionary Standby Support Force and 110 from the search, rescue, and retrieval teams, are ready for deployment to the affected areas. The Critical Incident Monitoring Action Team is

Manila: Majority of Filipinos have expressed distrust toward China, considering it as the ‘greatest threat’ to the Philippines, according to the latest survey results released by OCTA Research. Around 85 percent of Filipinos distrust China, while only 15 percent convey the opposite sentiment, OCTA found in a Tugon ng Masa survey conducted from July 12 to 17. According to Philippines News Agency, OCTA noted that Filipinos’ distrust stems mainly from China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Other reasons include the influx of smuggled products from China, the rise in crimes involving Chinese nationals, and job competition from

Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday vowed to accelerate the Philippines’ digital transformation, stressing that technology must be harnessed not only to modernize systems but also to bridge inequalities and improve Filipinos’ lives. Speaking at the Manila Tech Summit 2025, Marcos highlighted the country’s progress, noting that more than half of payment transactions in 2024 were made digitally because of the advancement in financial technologies that made paying bills and sending remittances ‘safer and less burdensome.’ According to Philippines News Agency, he also touted that in 2024 alone, the digital economy reached PHP2.25 trillion, accounting for 8.5 percent