In an exciting cross-generational debut, tennis icon Venus Williams and rising star Alex Eala advanced to the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 Bad Homburg Open, defeating Catherine Harrison and Alexandra Osborne 6-3, 6-4.
Posts published in “National”
Latest new from all over the Philippines.
The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced price adjustments for petroleum products effective June 23–29, 2026. These changes reflect international oil market movements amid ongoing developments in the Middle East that continue to impact global supply and pricing. Meanwhile, the DOE remains committed to strengthening the domestic oil supply and protecting public welfare.
Below is the announced rollbacks by DOE;
- Gasoline (91, 95, 97) – ₱3.90 to ₱5.90/liter
- Diesel and Diesel Plus- ₱9.01 – ₱11.04/liter
- Kerosene – ₱9.82 – ₱11.82/liter
Source: @DOEgovph
GCash Parent Mynt Authorizes Filing for Potential Initial Public Offering on Philippine Stock Exchange
via Mynt.com.ph;
Mynt, Inc. (“Mynt” or the “Company”), the fintech pioneer behind the Philippines’ number one finance superapp GCash, today announced that its Board of Directors (the “Board”) and shareholders have authorized the Company’s filing of a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and a listing application with the Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. (PSE) in connection with a potential initial public offering (IPO), with the following terms:
- The offer will be equivalent to 12.0% of Mynt’s total outstanding capital stock post-IPO (“Firm Shares”), with each common share having a par value of P0.03 per common share.
- Firm Shares will consist of both primary and secondary offers.
This same information has been disclosed by Globe Telecom, Inc. in accordance with corporate governance standards and pertinent disclosure rules and regulations.
via PHIVOLCS Tsunami Information:
A major earthquake occurred in offshore Sarangani on 08 June 2026 at 07:37 AM Philippine Standard Time (PST), located at 05.57°N, 124.98°E with depth of 33 km and a magnitude of 7.8. DOST-PHIVOLCS issued a TSUNAMI WARNING for all coastal communities in the provinces of Sarangani, Basilan, Davao Occidental, South Cotabato Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga Del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay. Immediate evacuation in these areas was recommended. Between 07:45 A.M to 9:30 A.M., the following PHIVOLCS Sea Level Monitoring Stations for tsunami confirmed the occurrence of tsunami with preliminary wave heights:
Location Tsunami Height (meters) Kiamba, Sarangani 1.48 Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat 0.84 Maasim, Sarangani 0.48 City of Zamboanga 0.25 City of Mati, Davao Oriental 0.21 City of Tandag, Surigao del Sur 0.09 After the extended two-hour observation period, minor sea level disturbances continued to be recorded; however, these observed wave heights are too small to cause damage. In view of these observations, DOST-PHIVOLCS has now cancelled the Tsunami Warning issued for this earthquake event. In the event of strongly felt aftershocks, coastal communities should recognize the natural signs of an impending local tsunami. These include “shake,” a strong earthquake, “drop”, the sudden rise or fall of seawater, and “roar,” the sound of incoming waves. If ANY of these signs are observed, immediately evacuate to higher ground for safety. This will be the final tsunami information issued for this event.
The cancellation of the tsunami warning was issued two hours after the Province of Sarangani was hit by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that damaged a lot of property and left 19 dead with 12 people still missing.
via Rappler;
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Sarangani province at 7:37 am on Monday, June 8, rocking many parts of Mindanao and triggering a tsunami warning.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) initially put the earthquake’s magnitude at 7.0.
Damage and aftershocks are expected.
Immediately after the earthquake Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) issued tsunami warning for the following coastal areas:
- Sarangani
- Davao Occidental
- Tawi-tawi
- Sulu
- Basilan
- Zamboanga Del Sur
- Zamboanga Sibugay
- Sultan Kudarat
- South Cotabato
Here are some videos and photos that I saw on my social media accounts.
Earthquake aftershocks and tsunami waves are expected to for hours.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has ordered the continued detention of former president Rodrigo Duterte due to persistent risks of flight and obstruction of justice.
In an eight-page decision dated May 22, Trial Chamber III ruled that no significant circumstances justify… pic.twitter.com/cXL6Y5yXyk
— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) May 22, 2026
The irony!
KNICKS WIN!!!!! pic.twitter.com/Ji2CY3iLWI
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 20, 2026
The Cleveland Cavaliers held a commanding 22-point lead over the New York Knicks with just 7:52 remaining in regulation. What followed was pure madness. The Knicks unleashed a furious 30-8 run to close out the fourth quarter and force overtime.
Momentum completely shifted in the extra period. The Cavs ran out of gas, scoring just 3 points, while the Knicks poured in 14 to cap off the largest playoff comeback in franchise history with a 115-104 victory.
Jalen Brunson led the charge for New York, dropping 38 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists, while making his presence felt on the defensive end with 3 steals. He got plenty of help, as every Knicks starter scored in double digits. Mikal Bridges netted 18 points, while OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Josh Hart all contributed 13 points apiece.
For the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell did everything he could, leading the team with 29 points, 5 rebounds, and a monstrous 6 steals. James Harden and Evan Mobley added 15 points each, but the offense stalled late; Max Strus was the only Cavalier to find the bottom of the net in overtime.
Watch the Knicks end Game 1 with their historic 22 – 11 run.
Cleveland will have just a day to review film and figure out what went wrong before the series resumes for Game 2 on Thursday evening at Madison Square Garden.
Jairo Bolledo, reporting for Rappler;
Nicholas Kaufman has requested the International Criminal Court (ICC) to remove him as former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s lawyer in the latter’s crimes against humanity case.
This is big, specially that the next court session will be this 27th of May.
Also, it appears that the request to replace Kaufman was from the Former-President himself.
Joahna Lei Casilao, reporting for GMA News;
In a 50-page document, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I committed Duterte to face trial on the charges as confirmed, and ordered the court registrar to transmit the decision confirmation of charges and the record of these proceedings.
The confirmed charges are the following:
Count 1: Murder as a crime against humanity in Davao City during the mayoral period of at least the 19 victims, between 2013 and around June 2016, through indirect co-perpetration, ordering and/or inducing, and/or aiding and abetting;Count 2: Murder as a crime against humanity of ‘high-value targets’ in locations across the Philippines during the presidential period of at least the 14 victims between around July 2016 and July 2017, through indirect co-perpetration, and/or ordering and/or inducing and/or 25(3)(c) (aiding and abetting); and
Count 3: Murder and attempted murder as crimes against humanity in barangay clearance operations in locations across the Philippines during the presidential period of at least the 45 victims (43 murders and two attempted murders) between around July 2016 and September 2018, through indirect co-perpetration, ordering and/or inducing, and/or aiding and abetting.
From ICC;
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THE CHARGES ARE CONFIRMED?
If the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber finds that there is sufficient evidence to support the charges against Mr Duterte, it will commit the case against Mr Duterte to trial. The Presidency of the Court will constitute a Trial Chamber responsible for conducting the subsequent phase of the proceedings and composed of three judges other than those who sat on the Pre-Trial bench.Promptly after it is constituted, the Trial Chamber will hold status conferences, confer with the parties and participants, in order to set the date of the trial and adopt the procedures necessary to facilitate the fair and expeditious conduct of the proceedings. The Chamber will rule on several preliminary issues, including the language(s) to be used at trial, and the timing and the manner of disclosure of evidence.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s confirmation of charges hearing took place from 23 to 27 February 2026. Duterte’s confirmation of charges comes out days after International Criminal Court (ICC) upheld its jurisdiction over the crimes against humanity case filed against former President Rodrigo Duterte and while VP Sara Duterte impeachment is on going.
Katrina Domingo, reporting for ABS-CBN News;
The International Criminal Court (ICC) upheld its jurisdiction over the crimes against humanity case filed against former President Rodrigo Duterte after the tribunal’s Appeals Chamber on Wednesday junked petitions to halt proceedings against the Philippines’ 16th president.
In its April 22 decision, the Appeals Chamber ruled that while the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in March 2019, preliminary examinations on the situation in the Philippines started in February 2018, a year before the Duterte administration sent a formal notice to pull back from the treaty governing the ICC.
A majority of the Appeals Chamber rejected all four grounds raised by the defense where it argued that the Pre-Trial Chamber had committed errors in law in ruling that the ICC has jurisdiction over the Duterte case.
Having rejected the appeal, it said the related request for Duterte’s immediate release is moot.
This is big… as in big that the Duterte camp needs to shift their strategy, since the court (ICC) has effectively removed the final major legal obstacle preventing the case from moving toward a full trial and the case has a high probability of going to a full trial.
On April 21, 1996, the Chicago Bulls secured their 72nd win of the season, setting a new NBA record for most regular-season victories at the time!
Only one chance in this lifetime…
Like watching sunset at the beach from the most foreign seat in the cosmos, I couldn’t resist a cell phone video of Earthset. You can hear the shutter on the Nikon as @Astro_Christina is hammering away on 3-shot brackets and capturing those… pic.twitter.com/8aWnaFJ69c
— Reid Wiseman (@astro_reid) April 19, 2026
The video was taken by Astronaut Reid Wiseman aboard the Artemis II.
Earlier this month, NASA published an called Earthset, written by Monika Luabeya.
This is great news to all car (with ICE) owner, PUV operator and driver.
𝗥𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗧‼️
₱𝟮𝟬.𝟴𝟵 bawas sa 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘭, ₱𝟰.𝟰𝟯 sa 𝘨𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢, ₱𝟴.𝟱𝟬 sa 𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘦. ⛽️
Hindi tayo titigil. Tuloy-tuloy ang trabaho ng pamahalaan para may tunay na ginhawa sa bawat pamilyang Pilipino.
The announcement was made on the Department of Energy’s (DOE) official FB page; the rollback will take effect this Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
TOP SENATE ABSENTEE
Nakapagtala si Sen. Bato dela Rosa ng 31 absences sa Senado mula July 28, 2025 hanggang March 18, 2026, batay sa attendance records ng Senado na inilabas ni Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri.
Present lamang si dela Rosa sa 27 sa 58 Senate sessions.… pic.twitter.com/DvikJCRGvb
— News5 (@News5PH) April 8, 2026
Pie Gonzaga, reporting for Rolling Stone Philippines;
How much is a senator’s salary in the Philippines? The Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989 assigns senators and congressmen a salary grade of 31. This means that they earn P293,191 to P334,059 per month.
The Senate president and House speaker are assigned a salary grade of 32, which puts their range at P347,888 to P398,686 monthly.
Let’s assume that Sen. Bato dela Rosa’s salary is Php293,191/month, and “July 28, 2025 to March 18, 2026” is 7 months and 18 days, that means that he earned roughly Php76,900 per session that he attended.
If this was in “any” University, you will need to drop the subject and if this is any corporation in the Philippines, tardiness is “ground for disciplinary action and up to termination” of employment.
NASA just dropped the most amazing photo from their first flyby images of the Moon captured by NASA’s Artemis II astronauts
NASA;
The first flyby images of the Moon captured by NASA’s Artemis II astronauts during their historic test flight reveal regions no human has ever seen before—including a rare in-space solar eclipse. Released Tuesday, April 7, 2026, the photos were taken on April 6 during the crew’s seven‑hour pass over the lunar far side, marking humanity’s return to the Moon’s vicinity.
The images are borderline 5K images and are some of the best images of the moon.
The 10 hour Lunar flyby was broadcast from NASA’s official Youtube channel.
“Supergirl,” DC Studios’ newest feature film to hit the big screen, will be in theaters worldwide this summer from Warner Bros. Pictures, starring Milly Alcock in the dual role of Supergirl/Kara Zor-El. Craig Gillespie directs the film from a screenplay by Ana Nogueira.
When an unexpected and ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.
Alcock stars alongside Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, and Jason Momoa.
Supergirl will be in theaters internationally beginning 24 June 2026 and across North America on June 26, 2026.
Warner Bros. also released a new poster for the film.
Betheena Unite, writing for Manila Bulletin;
President Marcos has signed the law giving him emergency powers to suspend or reduce excise tax on petroleum products.
Marcos signed Republic Act (RA) No. 12316 on Wednesday, March 25, fulfilling what he said earlier in the day that he would be signing the measure into law within the day.
Under the law, the President may suspend the imposition of or reduce the excise taxes on fuel when the average Dubai crude oil price based on Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) reaches or exceeds $80 per barrel for one month immediately preceding the issuance of the suspension or reduction order.
You can read the Full text of Republic Act No. 12316 here.
Rappler write a great explainer on “How will suspending fuel excise taxes cushion a big oil price hike?” which is worth reading.
Suspending/reducing excise taxes cushions price hikes by providing immediate relief at the pump. By removing fixed taxes—specifically ₱10/liter for gasoline and ₱6/liter for diesel—the retail price drops instantly. This also triggers a “tax-on-tax” reduction, as the 12% VAT is no longer applied to the excised portion.
Beyond the pump, it helps curb inflation. By lowering transport and logistics costs, it prevents a domino effect on food prices and public transport fares. While this saves consumers money, it results in massive revenue losses (est. ₱136B), potentially forcing the government to reduce infrastructure spending or increase debt.
Raymond Carl Dela Cruz, writing for PNA;
In a Facebook post, the DOTr said there are 137,218 traditional jeepneys registered in the country, and their operators will receive PHP5,000 per unit, while their drivers will each receive PHP1,500.
There are 9,183 modern jeepneys in the country whose operators will receive PHP10,000 per unit, while drivers will each receive PHP1,500.
For public utility buses (PUB) —including point-to-point (P2P) buses— operators will receive PHP10,000 for each unit while their drivers will each get PHP5,000.
On the other hand, minibus operators will receive PHP9,000 per unit, and their drivers will each get PHP5,000.
There is a total of 21,086 PUBs registered in the country, with the same number of drivers; 1,138 minibuses with the same number of drivers; and 824 P2P buses with the same number of drivers.
Meanwhile, there are 4,351 school transport drivers registered throughout the country who will each receive PHP5,000.
For the 46,202 taxis in the country, operators will each get PHP2,000, while the same number of drivers will receive PHP5,000.
For Filcab or Multicab transport, their operators will receive PHP5,000 for each of the 7,659 units registered in the country, while the same number of drivers will get PHP1,500.
For transport network vehicle service (TNVS), operators of each of the 54,745 units registered will receive PHP1,500.
Meanwhile, operators of the 1,348 modern UV Express units in the country will receive PHP10,000 per unit, while each driver will get PHP5,000.
For traditional UV Express, their operators will receive PHP5,000 for each of the 16,057 units in the country, while drivers will each get PHP5,000.
These subsidies will be distributed to operators through fuel subsidy cards, manager’s checks, bank transfers, or e-wallet transfers.
On the other hand, drivers will receive their subsidies through cash or e-wallet transfers.
While fuel subsidy distribution for tricycle drivers in the National Capital Region (NCR) began last week, a total of 723,000 tricycle operators and drivers will get their PHP5,000 subsidy after the Holy Week.
A total of 157,972 registered delivery drivers will also receive fuel subsidies after the Holy Week.
Ayuda for PUV drivers and operators!
The Philippine Embassy in Washington is cautioning Filipino Americans against renouncing their Philippine citizenship in view of a new bill in the US Senate that wants to end dual citizenship in the United States.
READ MORE: https://t.co/y38F62UOcG pic.twitter.com/2Ern2AjiaB
— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) December 7, 2025
For many Filipino-Americans raised entirely in the United States, the decision regarding Philippine citizenship is often a “no-brainer,” favoring practicality and stability over heritage.
This perspective stems from two core factors: a cultural disconnect and practical risk assessment.
First, while they claim Filipino heritage, having spent their whole lives in the U.S., they often know “little to nothing about the Philippines, its people and culture” beyond familial connections. Their primary cultural allegiance and lived reality are American.
Second, the decision is rooted in livelihood. With family, career, and financial stability firmly established in the United States, the rationale is clear: why risk losing a job and uprooting a whole family simply to maintain a citizenship used only for brief, infrequent visits?
The marginal benefit of retaining Philippine citizenship (convenience during a trip every few years) does not outweigh the substantial risk to one’s American life. It is a rational, utilitarian choice to prioritize the stability and security of their life in the U.S. over a largely symbolic connection to their ancestral land.
Today, Netflix announced our acquisition of Warner Bros. Together, we’ll define the next century of storytelling, creating an extraordinary entertainment offering for audiences everywhere. https://t.co/rXPFMNIs1A pic.twitter.com/0pdsMUEob8
— Netflix (@netflix) December 5, 2025
Netflix and Warner Bros. announced that the streaming giant will will acquire Warner Bros., including its film and television studios, HBO, and HBO Max. The cash and stock transaction is valued at a total enterprise value of approximately $82.7 billion (equity value of $72.0 billion).
The acquisition aims to unite Warner Bros.’ iconic franchises and storied libraries with Netflix’s leading entertainment service and global reach. This combination will integrate world-class assets like Game of Thrones, the DC Universe, The Sopranos, and classics such as Friends and Harry Potter, with Netflix’s existing portfolio.
The companies stated the deal will offer more choice and greater value for consumers, create more opportunities for the creative community, and strengthen the overall entertainment industry. Netflix plans to maintain Warner Bros.’ current operations, including theatrical releases.
The transaction is expected to close after the previously announced separation of WBD’s Global Networks division, Discovery Global, which is anticipated to be completed in Q3 2026. Netflix expects to achieve at least $2-3 billion in annual cost savings by the third year and for the deal to be accretive to GAAP earnings per share by the second year. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and WBD shareholder approval.
Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile has passed away, according to his family. He was 101.
READ: https://t.co/hlu32ppEHi pic.twitter.com/jtB53GRgDY
— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) November 13, 2025
ABS-CBN News;
MANILA — Veteran politician Juan Ponce Enrile, a top aide of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and of the incumbent president’s father, has passed away.
He was 101 years old.
Enrile, who was being treated for pneumonia, died “peacefully” around 4 p.m., surrounded by his family in their home, said his daughter Katrina Ponce Enrile.
Here’s what JPE’s daughter, Katrina Enrile posted on her Facebook page.
Juan Ponce Enrile has lived a long and eventful life. To put his life into perspective, Juan Ponce Enrile lived thru 16 Philippine President, two World War and he served both Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. and Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos Jr. as both became the President of the Philippines.
International Criminal Court (ICC) has charge Former President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte with 3 counts of murder with crimes against humanity, spanning from his time as the Mayor of Davao City until his time as the President of the Philippines.
BBC:
The first count laid against Mr Duterte concerns his alleged involvement in the killings of 19 people in Davao City between 2013 and 2016 while he was mayor there.
The other two charges relate to times when he was serving as president of the Philippines, between 2016 and 2022, and launched his so-called war on drugs.
The second count relates to the murders of 14 “high-value targets” across the country, while the third relates to the murder and attempted murder of 45 people in village clearance operations.
Now that the ICC has charged Duterte with murder, the ball is now in Duterte’s court, and the next course of action will be decided by his defense team.
You can read the full text of ICC’s charges here.
Everyone’s after his chainsaw heart.
For the first time, Chainsaw Man slashes his way onto the big screen in an epic, action-fueled adventure that continues the hugely popular anime series. Denji worked as a Devil Hunter for the yakuza, trying to pay off the debt he inherited from his parents, until the yakuza betrayed him and had him killed. As he was losing consciousness, Denji’s beloved chainsaw-powered devil-dog, Pochita, made a deal with Denji and saved his life. This fused the two together, creating the unstoppable Chainsaw Man. Now, in a brutal war between devils, hunters, and secret enemies, a mysterious girl named Reze has stepped into his world, and Denji faces his deadliest battle yet, fueled by love in a world where survival knows no rules.
Directed by: Tatsuya Yoshihara
Based on the original work “Chainsaw Man” by Tatsuki Fujimoto (Serialized in Shueisha’s “Shonen Jump+”)
Screenplay by: Hiroshi Seko
Production by: MAPPA
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc will be in United States movie theatres this October 24th. For those reading the manga, Reze Arc, also known as the Bomb Girl Arc, is a section of the Chainsaw Man manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto covering chapters 39 to 52.
Movie Poster
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Monday (July 28) delivered his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), tackling a wide range of issues including agriculture, education, transportation, peace, and corruption.
Sun Star published a great article summarizing everything that’s been tackled in the fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
READ: A measure seeking to ban political dynasties is filed at the House of Representatives. | via @VivienneGulla
(📸: Makabayan bloc) pic.twitter.com/oxx4jBeDBq
— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) July 2, 2025
ACT Teachers Party List Representative Antonio Tinio and Kabataan Party List Representative Renee Co filed on Monday House Bill 209 or the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Act.
The measure defines “political dynasty” as a “family or clan that concentrates, consolidates, or perpetuates their political power by holding public office simultaneously or successively.”
Under the bill, “no person shall hold or run for any elective national or local office simultaneously with another within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity, whether legitimate or illegitimate, full or half blood.”
It also prohibits those within this degree of relationship to an incumbent elected official from immediately succeeding to the position.
If I’m not mistaken, similar bills have been filed before, and since the majority of political personalities are from ‘political dynasties/families,’ I doubt that this new bill will be more successful than the previously filed bills.