📰 News & Current Affairs

In a surprising move, the lawmaker-son of President Marcos yesterday moved to declare the position of chairman of the committee on appropriations of the House of Representatives vacant, just as Congress resumed session after a month-long holiday break. There were speculations that Co had displeased the President, which could have been the reason why it was the younger Marcos who made the move to strip him of the post. No replacement for Co had been named, as of last night’s plenary deliberations. Source: Rep. Zaldy Co out as appropriations panel chairman

The rally of the 110-year-old, 2.8-million-strong Christian church, known for its bloc voting practice, was held at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, Iloilo Freedom Grandstand in Iloilo City, Plaza Divisoria in Cagayan de Oro City, and Rizal Park in Davao City, among other places. The event was held against the backdrop of the feud between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, who both received the INC’s endorsement in the 2022 elections. The church said it was “supporting” Marcos’ call against Duterte’s impeachment. Source: IN PHOTOS: Iglesia ni Cristo opposes Sara Duterte impeachment in nationwide rally

New guidelines released by the Italian Bishops’ Conference on Friday brings the ordination of openly gay men to the Catholic priesthood closer. However, it also went on to say that any gay priests must never have ***, as has always been the case for heterosexual priests. Source: Openly gay men can now become priests, Vatican signals

Flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the South Korean passenger plane that crashed last month stopped recording four minutes before the disaster, the country's transport ministry has said. Investigators had hoped that data on the recorders would provide insights about the crucial moments before the tragedy. The ministry said it would analyse what caused the "black boxes" to stop recording. Source: South Korea air crash recorders missing final minutes

The kitchen is located at Nasdake Building in Pasay City. According to Punay, the expanded program will prioritize areas with high poverty incidence: the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm); the provinces of Leyte and Samar; and the Bicol Region. Source: DSWD eyes expanding ‘Walang Gutom’ Kitchen to provinces in 2025

Frasco said the government projected 7.7 million foreign arrivals for 2024, but the Department of Tourism (DOT) only recorded 5.9 million. She acknowledged that there have been challenges in meeting the target. “Nobody could have anticipated that geopolitics would ultimately seep into arrivals from China considering that the electronic visas for the Chinese market were suspended and this is in stark contrast to the policies of our ASEAN neighbors,” Frasco said. Source: Philippines misses tourism targets as Chinese travelers decline

Source: facebook.com/OfficeOfTheVicePresidentPH/posts/pfbid0XTxuMrG4rgxzcMh7WktAggvaPAMjX2ubQqGsKdtGpTS6JgveoqHSfVBzqt9wLJaRl

At least 126 people have been confirmed dead and 188 others injured in the Tuesday morning quake that struck rural, high-altitude Tingri County, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Mount Everest, near China's border with Nepal. More than 3,600 houses have collapsed and over 30,000 residents have been relocated, the official Xinhua News Agency said, adding that the search for trapped victims is ongoing. The temperature in Tingri is currently -11 degrees Celsius (12.2 Fahrenheit), the China Meteorological Administration said. The county sits at an average altitude of 4,500 meters (14,800 feet) above sea level. Source: More rescue work as China quake toll hits 126

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently named the new chief of the Sandiganbayan, the anti-graft court that handles his family’s ill-gotten wealth cases. Marcos signed the appointment of Geraldine Faith Econg as the new Sandiganbayan presiding justice in an order dated January 7. Notable cases, controversies Econg was part of the Sandiganbayan divisions that handled high-profile pork barrel cases. She was among the associate justices who voted to acquit Senator Bong Revilla of plunder in relation to the scam in 2018. “It is an unpopular decision. I would have loved to be a heroine, that I convicted him, but at the end of the day we are bound by evidence,” Econg said after the promulgation of the ruling that freed Revilla. Econg was...

Neda has yet to provide details on what AWA it intends to push this year, supposedly to boost productivity and adapt to changing work environments while promoting employee well-being. The agency’s stance has been buoyed by the findings of the National Evaluation Portal report that it released in 2023, which recommended modified work setups following the COVID-19 pandemic. The Telecommuting Act of 2019 allows private sector employees to perform their duties remotely, further supporting the shift toward flexible work setups. Among the AWAs being considered are flexible work arrangements that may include variations in hours, work locations and skill sets. Source: Gov’t to push for flexible work setups this year

The Davao City local government unit will suspend face-to face classes and impose a skeleton workforce in government offices on January 13 in light of the nationwide “peace rally” of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC). The city government said Proclamation No. 01, series of 2025 was issued to "avoid inconvenience brought about by the influx of participants in the upcoming National Rally for Peace organized by Iglesia ni Cristo." Source: INC PEACE RALLY: Davao City to suspend classes, impose skeleton workforce on Jan. 13

The latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Wednesday showed that Filipino families who consider themselves “mahirap” or poor rose to 63 percent in the last quarter of 2024, the highest recorded since the 64 percent in November 2003. Conducted from Dec. 12 to 18, 2024, the survey revealed a steady rise in self-rated poverty, with a significant increase from 46 percent in March 2024, to 58 percent in June, inching up to 59 percent in September, and finally reaching 63 percent in December. Source: SWS: Self-rated poverty at 63%, highest since 2003

Four in 10 Filipinos or 41% are supportive of the impeachment or removal from office of Vice President Sara Duterte, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed. The SWS survey, conducted between December 12 and December 18, 2024 and commissioned by advisory and consultancy group Stratbase, also revealed that 35% of Filipinos are against the impeachment of Duterte. At least 19% of the respondents are undecided. Source: SWS: 41% of Pinoys back impeachment of VP Sara

Penned by Associate Justice Jhosep Lopez, the decision by the SC Second Division upheld the conviction of a father for giving violent and excessive discipline to his 12-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son. According to the court, the father beat his children from 2017 to 2018. He pulled his daughter’s hair, struck her with a wooden rod with a nail, hit both children with a dustpan, and cursed at them. The SC said the father got angry at his daughter on September 22, 2017 because she had not eaten her lunch, while he hit them on February 21, 2018 since the money they saved in their coin banks was lacking. In defense, the father said his actions were meant to discipline his children. Source: Excessive discipline that harms child’s...

Jose Antonio Robello, deputy head of Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO), announced yesterday that the road closure will be in effect from 6 a.m. to 12 midnight, spanning from Cottage Road to 15th Street and a portion of 6th Street. He explained that public utility vehicles coming from the south will be rerouted to take a left turn at Cottage Road, then a right turn at Gatuslao Street, continuing to their destinations. Vehicles coming from the north will take a right turn at Ramos or B.S. Aquino Streets to reach their destinations. Robello also mentioned that a one-way traffic scheme will be implemented along Aguinaldo and Gatuslao Streets. He noted that at least 10,000 individuals are expected to attend the event, with the INC...

South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol faces a new and potentially more robust attempt to arrest him on insurrection charges after a top investigator vowed to do whatever it takes to break a security blockade and take in the impeached leader. Protesters both supporting and opposing to the embattled Yoon continued to brave freezing temperatures to stage rallies on the streets around the presidential compound on Wednesday after a court re-issued a warrant to arrest Yoon a day earlier. Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-koreas-yoon-faces-second-arrest-attempt-fortified-compound-2025-01-08/

Trump expounded on a sweeping expansionist vision, with consequences for countries across the world. He repeated his desire for US control of the Panama Canal, Greenland and Canada, while emphasising that “all hell will break out” if captives held in Gaza are not released before he takes office. In one exchange with reporters, Trump was asked if he would rule out the use of military force or economic coercion to take control of the Panama Canal or Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory. He refused. “I’m not going to commit to that,” Trump said. He then pivoted to the canal, an arterial trade route that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The Panama Canal is vital to our country.” He later added, “We need Greenland for national...

Based on the ordinance, the streets of San Pedro, C.M. Recto (also known as Claveria), Pelayo (commonly known as Legazpi), A. Inigo (commonly known as Anda) , C. Bangoy (commonly known as Magallanes) , Rizal, Bonifacio, Palma Gil, Bolton, and City Hall Drive will be partially closed to traffic starting at 9 p.m. on January 11 in preparation for the group’s rally. On January 13, the aforementioned streets will be fully closed to traffic from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. In addition, the Davao City Coastal Road – from Tulip Drive to Bago Aplaya – will also be partially closed to traffic the whole day of January 13. Dionisio Abude, City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) head, said during the deliberations of the ordinance that they will...

"She was in fact invited and attended the National Security Council meeting in July, 2016 together with four living Presidents ( FVR, ERAP , PGMA, PBCA ) at that time during the Duterte presidency," Panelo said. On July 27, 2016, then president Rodrigo Duterte presided over the NSC meeting in Malacañan Palace where former presidents Fidel Ramos (FVR), Joseph Estrada (Erap), Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA), and Benigno Aquino 3rd (BCA) were present, as well as Robredo. Source: Panelo denies advocating Robredo exclusion from NSC

A highly decorated Army soldier who fatally shot himself in a Tesla Cybertruck just before it blew up outside the Trump hotel in Las Vegas left notes saying the New Year’s Day explosion was a stunt to serve as a “wake up call” for the country’s ills, investigators said Friday. Kevin McMahill, sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, called Livelsberger's use of generative AI in planning the attack a "game changer". "This is the first incident that I'm aware of on US soil where ᑕᕼᗩTGᑭT is utilised to help an individual build a particular device," he said. According to officers, the searches indicate he was looking for information on explosive targets, the speed at which certain rounds of ammunition would travel, and...

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has been invited to attend the Sinulog Festival on Jan. 19, Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said Monday. “Perhaps he has an interest in coming here. The President has not attended Sinulog since he took office in 2022. This will be a great opportunity for him to speak to Cebuanos,” Garcia said during a press conference. Source: Cebuanos invite Marcos to grace ‘Sinulog’ | Philippine News Agency

The 23-year-old woman was hit by the stressed animal’s trunk at the Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre in Phang Nga province, according to police. Bathing elephants is a popular activity among visitors in Thailand, where about 2,800 elephants are held for tourism purposes across the country, according to World Animal Protection. However, animal rights groups argue that bathing elephants can cause them distress and some sanctuaries in the country do not allow it. Source: Spanish tourist killed by elephant at Thai sanctuary

The Afghans, who arrived in one batch, will be temporarily housed in an undisclosed US-funded facility. They were supposed to arrive on Saturday, Jan. 4, but bad weather in Kabul delayed their flight to Manila. "This is a long standing commitment we made during the official visit of President Marcos to Washington D.C. in May 2022 that we will do what we can to help in the relocation of Afghan nationals to the United States," Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez said. This is "almost similar to what we did for Vietnamese refugees in the late seventies," Romualdez said in a text message. "It's the right thing to do," he added. Source: 300 Afghans arrive for visa processing

As detailed on their website, the state-run social insurance program has announced an increase in the contribution rate for the Monthly Salary Credit (MSC) to 15%, effective Jan. 1. This applies to MSCs not exceeding P35,000, with employers contributing 10% and employees contributing 5%. Source: SSS contribution rate increases to 15% starting this January

While Marcos did not touch the bicam report’s P1.056 trillion budget for the education sector, the breakdown of the P168.241 billion in vetoed line items under the unprogrammed appropriations reveals cuts to education-related programs. This includes a P5 billion reduction from the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Computerization Program. Source: DepEd loses another P5B for computerization program in Marcos' budget veto

Italy launched its ambitious "Piracy Shield" platform in early 2024, hoping to finally curb the rampant piracy of live sports events. Throughout the year, the system has primarily targeted the domains and IP addresses used by pìrâ†é IPTV providers to stream îllégâl content. Source: Piracy Shield: Top 10 Countries Blocked For Hosting IPTV Pirates in 2024 * TorrentFreak

The Budget Department said that the grant of medical allowance applies to all civilian government personnel in the national government agencies, including state universities and colleges and government-owned and controlled corporations not covered by Republic Act No. 10149 and EO No. 150, s. 2021, regardless of appointment status, whether regular, casual, or contractual; appointive or elective; and on a full-time or part-time basis. Source: P7K medical allowance for qualified gov't workers begins in 2025 —DBM

Almost five million Filipinos benefited from the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) program under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for 2024, an official of the department said. The utilization rate of the P26.7 billion allocation for AKAP in 2024 reached 99.3 utilization during its first year of implementation, DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said. Cagayan Valley (Region 2), Davao Region (Region 11) and Caraga (Region 13) had 100 percent utilization. Source: 5 million near-poor Pinoys get aid from AKAP in 2024 —DSWD

The New York judge presiding over President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money case on Friday set sentencing for 10 days before his January 20 inauguration. The judge said that instead of incarceration he was leaning towards an unconditional discharge –- a far more lenient sentence that would nevertheless have Trump entering the White House as a convicted felon. Source: Judge to sentence Trump before inauguration in hush money case

In scenes of high drama on Friday, Yoon Suk Yeol's presidential guards and military troops shielded the former star prosecutor from investigators, who called off their arrest attempt citing safety concerns. There was a standoff. While we estimated the personnel blocking us to be around 200, there could have been more," an official from the investigation team said Friday on condition of anonymity. Source: South Korea in political crisis after president resists arrest

Drilon challenged the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to disclose the billions of pesos worth of Congress-introduced amendments in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA). He said the P731.4 billion comprises P449 billion in pork barrel funds from the 2024 GAA and an additional P347 billion in the 2025 GAA. "You know, I’ve been a senator for 24 years. It’s only now that I’ve seen pork barrels that big. It’s monstrous,” Drilon said in a radio interview. “My challenge to DBM: publish all the insertions and pork barrel subjects for later release,” Drilon said. “I’m not saying it’s bad. All I’m saying is, tell the people what was added.” Drilon had previously criticized the President’s decision not to veto these amendments...

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has removed Vice President Sara Duterte from the National Security Council (NSC), further diminishing, if not totally eclipsing, her role in his administration following a bitter rift between the two former allies. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin explained the president’s directive was aimed at reorganizing and streamlining the NSC membership. “At the moment, the vice president is not considered relevant to the responsibilities of membership in the NSC." Source: Marcos drops VP Duterte, former presidents in NSC revamp