Day: December 11, 2025

Manila: Senator Lito Lapid on Wednesday urged lawmakers to pass a long-awaited measure banning political dynasties, asserting that the reform would create opportunities for young Filipinos aspiring to enter public service. According to Philippines News Agency, Lapid expressed his support for the proposed law, highlighting how many young leaders are discouraged from running for office due to a lack of resources or support from established political families. He emphasized the need for genuine opportunities for the youth in public service, stating, “We need to give young people a real shot at public service. let’s give them a chance.” The senator,

Manila: The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines has placed the Visayas grid on yellow alert from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday due to a low operating margin triggered by an increase in demand. According to Philippines News Agency, the grid’s available capacity is approximately 2,578 megawatts (MW), while the peak demand is around 2,535 MW. A yellow alert is issued when a grid’s operating margin is insufficient to meet the contingency requirement. This alert comes amidst challenging conditions, as 10 power plants in the Visayas are already on forced outage, with one plant having been non-operational since

Mandaluyong city: Senior defense officials from the Philippines and France convened on Wednesday to deliberate on the upcoming military exercises for 2026, as well as other current and emerging areas of collaboration. According to Philippines News Agency, during the 5th Joint Defense Cooperation Committee (JDCC) Meeting in Mandaluyong City, the two nations reviewed activities such as the Multinational Exercise MARARA 2026, Exercise Balikatan 2026, and Exercise SAMASAMA 2026. The participation in these exercises signifies the deepening and sustained defense partnership between the Philippines and France, as stated by Department of Defense (DND) spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong. The JDCC discussions

Iloilo city: Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian has initiated administrative proceedings against 14 barangay officials in Iloilo City. The charges, filed at the Office of the Ombudsman, concern irregularities in the distribution of funds under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program. According to Philippines News Agency, the charges follow a report from DSWD’s Field Office 6 – Western Visayas, submitted to Secretary Gatchalian on November 12. The report highlighted multiple grievances from AICS beneficiaries, alleging that certain village officials unlawfully deducted PHP8,000 from their payouts on November 7, 11, and 12, leaving

Manila: The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have jointly launched a roadmap highlighting the commitment of the two parties in fostering peace in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). According to Philippines News Agency, the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation (TJR) Roadmap “represents a renewed commitment between the national government and the MILF to carry out transitional justice and reconciliation in the Bangsamoro,” Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. said in a statement Thursday. The roadmap outlines the interventions to be carried out by the national and Bangsamoro governments, civil society, and other stakeholders to