Author: Jericho Zafra

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will continue to uphold maritime peace in the West Philippine Sea eight years after the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration junked China’s claims in the South China Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo said the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea in favor of the Philippines is a “testament” to the country’s “unwavering commitment” to the rule of law and the peaceful settlements of disputes. “Over the years, the Philippines has continued to demonstrate this commitment to peace even in the face of the unlawful actions which have…

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine-based firms are now open to hiring graduates of K-12 but only fewer work opportunities remain open, a survey by the Philippine Business for Education (PBed) showed. PBEd reported in its 2024 Jobs Outlook for K-12 Graduates Study that there is an increasing willingness among employers to hire K-12 graduates. According to the survey, which involved 299 participants, four out of five companies expressed readiness to hire Senior High School (SHS) graduates. This marks an improvement from a similar survey conducted in 2018, which revealed that only three out of five companies were willing to hire graduates…

AS social media occupies a massive chunk of information dissemination, a number of influencers began to rise and idolize due to their niche and way of storytelling. Not only that, some of them utilize the platform better than any journalist picking up the news and reporting it to the masses. However, not all of them take the space to inform or to say the least, educate, some of these people also tend to become instant superstars with just one video. True enough, video streaming platform TikTok is home to several influencers who are now taking the space of the entertainment…

MANILA, Philippines — The much-awaited Drag Race Philippines is back on the screen for its new season and of course, with a new batch of queens. After the successful staging of seasons 1 and 2, the third season of “Drag Race Philippines is set to premiere starting August 7 on HBO GO and Wow Presents Plus. This season, the drag show showcases 11 new queens who are poised to ignite the stage with new challenges. “Prepare to be fed,” read the drag show’s caption on its two-minute teaser released on Thursday, July 11. For this edition, comedian and actor Paolo…

MANILA, Philippines — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia disclosed Thursday an alleged ouster plot against him as issues of “bribery” in the thick of preparations for the 2025 midterm elections started to unfold. This came after SAGIP Representative Rodante Marcoleta alleged that a Comelec official accepted bribes to favor Miru Systems, a South Korean polling technology firm, which was the sole bidder in the election commission’s procurement of new election machines. Marcoleta did not identify the poll official, but Comelec Chairman Garcia, who believes the lawmaker was referring to him, dismissed the allegations as “baseless.” According to…

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed Thursday that two Chinese vessels struck the capsized boat carrying the fisherman who went missing in the West Philippine Sea after allision. In a Viber message to reporters, PCG Spokesperson, CG Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said they are currently conducting investigations regarding the allision incident. On July 3, the Filipino fishing boat FBCA John Robert was hit by “foreign vessels” and sank approximately 62 nautical miles southeast of Sampaloc Point in Subic, Zambales. Robert Mondoñedo survived after he was rescued on July 6 but his brother Jose Mondoñedo remains missing. Search…

MANILA, Philippines — A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat on Thursday, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). State seismologists reported in an earthquake advisory that the tremor occurred at 10:13 AM, approximately 133 kilometers (km) west of Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat. The tectonic quake had a depth focus of 722 kilometers, it added. In a separate advisory, there is no tsunami threat to the Philippines following the earthquake, the seismology bureau said. PHIVOLCS reported that Intensity IV was felt in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental. Meanwhile, Intensity III was recorded in…

IF you think the Pride march is really over. Think again. Following a successful run last year, queer dating show “Sparks Camp” has returned with surprise sparkles. The latest season of “Sparks Camp” aims to highlight stories of different identities within the queer community, while finding mutual connections among the campers. For its first episode, the show followed the usual setup of “getting to know” the campers stage where campers are introduced one by one to a remote island. However this time, only eight campers have been introduced by the show unlike the previous 10 hopefuls. But the sparks began…

MANILA, Philippines — Following a P10 million worth of reward for any information leading to the arrest of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos urged the embattled preacher to surrender. “I am calling on Pastor [Quiboloy]: Let’s end this. If you have compassion for your followers, for your own sake, surrender now,” Abalos said. Abalos has called on Pastor Apollo Quiboloy to surrender himself to authorities and face the sexual abuse and trafficking charges against him in court if he is innocent. “If he genuinely cares for his followers, let’s bring this to a close. This is a legal…

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. revealed Wednesday that Angat Dam can no longer meet the water supply needs of over 14 million residents in Metro Manila. “Metro Manila and its surrounding areas have constantly grappled with water shortage problems,” Marcos said in his speech at an impounding ceremony of the Upper Wawa Dam in Montalban Rizal. “The Angat Dam, where the metropolis is sourcing a significant bulk of its water, can no longer meet the needs of around 14 million people living in the area,” he said. Around 90 percent of water supply needs in the metro…