Author: Jericho Zafra

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Tuesday directed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to cancel the Philippine passports of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and his siblings, including businesswoman Cassandra Ong. In a letter sent to the DFA and the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Office of the President sought the cancellation of the passports of Alice Guo, her siblings Wesley and Sheila Guo, as well as Ong, whom Guo is alleged to have met in Singapore. The DFA previously stated that it was awaiting a court order to cancel Guo’s passport, following Senator Risa Hontiveros’s request on Tuesday…

MANILA, Philippines — The Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Mauro Vieira, is set for an official visit to the Philippines this August 23, marking the first ever visit to the Philippines by a Brazilian foreign minister since the establishment of diplomatic relations nearly 80 years ago, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday. In a statement, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said the Philippines and Brazil delegations are scheduled to have a bilateral meeting. Brazil and Manila will engage in discussions that will assess the current state of relations and consider opportunities to advance the…

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is now considering the filing of another case against China for its “unlawful and aggressive maneuvers that caused a collision in the West Philippine Sea on Monday, the National Maritime Council (NMC) said Tuesday. This time, the NMC is thinking of filing the case before the United Nations. “We are looking at that, especially at the part of the Coast Guard because they know more of how to go about it,” said NMC spokesperson Alexander Lopez in a Palace press briefing. The Philippines has recently filed a diplomatic protest against China after it fired eight…

MANILA, Philippines — Despite China’s ramming of two Philippine-flagged vessels, the government said it will not resort to “kinetic” actions in the West Philippine Sea, the National Maritime Council (NMC) said Tuesday. This, even after China rammed the BRP Bagacay and BRP Cape Engaño resulting in the structural damage of the two vessels. “In line with the President’s directive ‘no, kasi if we will be going beyond diplomatic o peaceful approach, you can just imagine ‘no – maybe if you’re referring to more kinetic actions, that will not be to the best interest of our country and China, and even…

MANILA, Philippines — In case you missed it, the Philippines faced both natural and man-made disasters on Monday, prompting social media users to liken it to the popular line from content creators: “A Day in the Life of a Filipino.” On Monday morning, Filipinos complained about Banco De Oro’s downtime, with some customers reporting that they lost money due to the glitch. The incident trended online and reports from consumers revealed a prolonged downtime of the BDO app, prompting delays in baking transactions in many areas. BDO has issued a statement and said the issue has been resolved as of…

MANILA, Philippines — The United States has slammed China’s “dangerous actions” against the two Philippine Coast Guard ships which led to a collision on Monday in Sabina Shoal saying China “employed reckless maneuvers” in the disputed waters. In a statement Tuesday (Philippine time), the US State Department said Chinese ships “employed reckless maneuvers” deliberately colliding with two PCG ships which has led to “structural damage” and “jeopardizing the safety” of crew members onboard. “These actions are the latest examples of the PRC (People’s Republic of China) using dangerous and escalatory measures to enforce its expansive and unlawful South China Sea…

MANILA, Philippines — Palawan and Boracay were recognized as one of the top island destinations in Asia, an India-based travel website showed. In its report, it described Palawan as “the last frontier of the Philippines due to its unspoiled natural beauty,” where “stunning limestone cliffs and turquoise waters of El Nido and Coron” can be found. The island landed third in the publication’s ranking. Boracay Island shortly came in next, where the travel website said the island “offers various water sports and activities, vibrant nightlife, and numerous dining options.” Placing fourth, the report tagged the island’s White Beach as the…

MANILA, Philippines — The “very unhealthy” air quality reported in the National Capital Region (NCR) is due to vehicular emissions and not from volcanic smog or vog, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said. In its latest Haze Watch Air Quality Technical Bulletin, the DENR said that the air pollution in Metro Manila is mainly caused by heavy traffic emissions and worsened by thermal inversion, which traps pollutants near the ground. The current air pollution levels may be primarily attributed to emissions from heavy vehicular traffic, especially during rush hour, and the effect of thermal inversion which traps…

MANILA, Philippines — The country has detected its first mpox (formerly monkeypox) case since December last year, the Department of Health said Monday. The first case this year was a 33-year-old man with no travel history, raising the total number of mpox in the country to 10, according to the health department “The case is a 33-year-old male Filipino national with no travel history outside the Philippines but with close, intimate contact three weeks before symptom onset,” the DOH statement read. The case was reported on August 18, Sunday, and the DOH only reported the new mpox case on Monday.…

MANILA, Philippines — The Technological University of the Philippines (TUP) is currently under fire online after its alleged “archaic” policy on dress code went viral. In a Facebook post, TUP’s University Student Government, citing a memorandum from its Office of Student Affairs, said that students who are wearing shorts, crop tops, sleeveless, and slippers will no longer be allowed to enter the university premises. Male students who have long hair and colored hair for both male and female students are also not allowed in the university. Cross-dressing, directed to students who are wearing clothes that are traditionally and stereotypically associated…