Day: December 16, 2025

Manila: The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Tuesday issued an apology for insufficient initial data submitted to the Senate Committee on Finance regarding the application of the updated Construction Materials Price Data (CMPD). According to Philippines News Agency, the DPWH acknowledged that the data provided lacked sufficient information, making it difficult for the committee to determine necessary adjustments for projects that would be affected. The DPWH admitted to providing only the Regional Adjustment Factors, which was inadequate for the committee to accurately assess the specific, project-level adjustments for nearly 10,000 projects that could be impacted. The department

Manila: The Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8) has begun a probe into reports of an alleged drinking session involving on-duty officers at a police station in Eastern Samar province. According to Philippines News Agency, PRO-8 emphasized in a statement on Tuesday that Philippine National Police (PNP) rules explicitly forbid alcohol consumption while on duty and within police premises. The office has initiated an investigation to verify the details of the incident and identify those responsible. If the allegations are confirmed, appropriate administrative and disciplinary measures will be enforced, following existing laws and PNP guidelines. The regional police office affirmed that

Manila: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has processed nearly 1 million applications for voter registration, marking a significant milestone in preparations for upcoming elections. As of December 14, the tally of applications received nationwide stands at 962,615. According to Philippines News Agency, a large portion of these applications, 743,814, are from individuals applying to vote in the village polls, while 218,801 applications are from prospective youth voters. In addition, Comelec has received 262,974 applications from new registrants aged 18 and above. The data further reveals that 277,070 individuals have applied to transfer their registration from another city or municipality, while

Manila: The proposed 2026 budget for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is still at a standstill in the bicameral conference committee, with legislators deciding to first deliberate on the budgets of other agencies. According to Philippines News Agency, Senate Committee on Finance chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian stated that the Senate has not yet reached a decision on the DPWH’s request to reinstate PHP45 billion in budget cuts. The agency recently submitted revised adjustment factors which must be validated and applied to thousands of projects. Gatchalian highlighted that the new submission includes hauling and logistics costs that were previously

Bangkok: A total of 126 Filipinos have been displaced following the ongoing border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand, according to the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok. According to Philippines News Agency, Philippine Ambassador to Thailand Millicent Cruz-Paredes stated in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview that the 126 individuals were among those evacuated from local communities along the conflict-affected borders. Cruz-Paredes assured that the displaced Filipinos are in a stable condition, not in immediate danger, and were evacuated promptly and safely. The ambassador further elaborated that, although these individuals are now dispersed across various areas in Thailand, their current situation remains stable.