Manila Times

Lightning Strike Kills Yala FC Player During Match in Southern Thailand

Safwan Awae, 24, died after lightning struck the pitch during the Golok FA Cup in Narathiwat; 12 other players, including a Malaysian, were injured.

Philippines Expands Value-Added Tax Exemptions for Essential Medicines

The Bureau of Internal Revenue has extended value-added tax exemptions to more than two thousand two hundred essential medicines, a measure intended to reduce healthcare costs and improve access to treatment for Filipino households.

Police Seize Seven Hundred Million Pesos Worth of Counterfeit Goods in Cavite Raid

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group confiscated counterfeit footwear valued at seven hundred million pesos during a raid on a warehouse in Imus, Cavite, in a major operation targeting illegal trade.

Globe Business Urges Companies to Accelerate Artificial Intelligence and Cloud Adoption

Globe Business is encouraging Philippine companies to integrate cloud platforms, cybersecurity systems and artificial intelligence tools more effectively, warning that fragmented digital infrastructure increases operational and security ...

Artificial Intelligence Costs May Sustain Philippine Business Process Outsourcing Industry

JLL Philippines said the high operating costs of advanced artificial intelligence systems could slow the replacement of human workers, helping preserve the competitiveness of the country's business process outsourcing sector.

Environment Department Opens Forest Land to Sustainable Private Investment

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has opened one point one eight million hectares of designated forest land to sustainable commercial investment, aiming to encourage rural economic development while maintaining environm...

Visayas Power Grid Placed on Yellow Alert After Plant Outages

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines issued a yellow alert for the Visayas grid after forced outages at several coal-fired power plants reduced available electricity supply during a period of high demand.

Government Suspends Classes as Tropical Storm Maymay Threatens Northern Luzon

Authorities suspended classes and government operations across Metro Manila, Cavite and several northern provinces as Tropical Storm Maymay approached, while emergency agencies deployed assistance to communities vulnerable to flooding an...

China Rejects Philippine Maritime Submission as Manila Expands United States Cooperation

China rejected the Philippines' submission of nautical charts covering Scarborough Shoal to the United Nations, while Philippine Coast Guard officials met visiting United States lawmakers in Manila to discuss closer maritime cooperation ...

Philippine Manufacturing Activity Reaches Five-Month High

The Philippines Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index rose to fifty-one point eight in July, marking the strongest growth in factory output and new orders since February and placing the country among the stronger manufacturing perform...

Goldman Sachs Forecasts Philippine Economic Growth Slowed to Two Point Seven Percent in Second Quarter

Goldman Sachs estimates the Philippine economy expanded by two point seven percent in the second quarter, citing weaker consumer spending, higher fuel costs, tight credit conditions and slower infrastructure spending as factors weighing ...

Philippine Authorities Launch Nationwide Search for Senator Ronald Dela Rosa

The Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation have deployed teams across Luzon and Mindanao to locate Senator Ronald Dela Rosa after he left Senate protective custody following the issuance of an International C...

Supreme Court Clears Way for Senate Impeachment Trial of Vice President Sara Duterte

The Supreme Court dismissed petitions seeking to void the House of Representatives' impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, allowing the Senate trial to continue with witness testimony over the alleged misuse of conf...

AI Is Remaking the US Economy, From GDP Growth to iPhone Prices

The race to build data centres and buy advanced chips is lifting investment, construction and stock values, while increasing debt, import demand and pressure on technology supply chains.

Indonesia’s Free School Meals Plan Has Been Hit by Poisoning, Corruption and Cuts

President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship nutrition programme aimed to reach tens of millions of children and pregnant women, but its rapid rollout has exposed major failures in food safety and oversight.

US and Japan Step In to Support the Yen in Rare Joint Intervention

Washington joined Tokyo in buying yen after the currency fell to a four-decade low, raising the stakes for global bond markets as well as Japan’s economy.

Agricultural Scholarships Open for Coconut Farmers' Children in Negros Island Region

The Commission on Higher Education launched more than 200 scholarship places for children of coconut farmers in the Negros Island Region to encourage participation in agricultural modernization.

National Bureau of Investigation Closes Illegal Cosmetic Clinic in Metro Manila

Investigators arrested an unlicensed practitioner operating an unauthorized aesthetic clinic, reinforcing efforts to curb illegal medical procedures and strengthen consumer protection.

Four Foreign Nationals Arrested in Cavite Murder Investigation

Police arrested four foreign nationals accused of killing a Chinese citizen during a fraudulent luxury vehicle transaction in Cavite, underscoring concerns over transnational criminal activity.

Immigration Authorities Arrest Fugitive Taiwanese National in Marikina

The Bureau of Immigration detained an overstaying Taiwanese national wanted in connection with a hit-and-run case in Marikina City, highlighting closer coordination between immigration and law enforcement agencies.

Philippine Police Intensify Campaign Against Illegal Gambling Networks

Police Chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. instructed regional commands to expand the use of community intelligence as authorities step up operations against illegal gambling syndicates nationwide.

Quezon City Requires Billboards to Be Lowered Before Typhoons

Quezon City introduced regulations requiring advertising operators to lower or dismantle billboards before severe storms to reduce damage and improve public safety during typhoon season.

Philippines Awards Airborne Geophysical Survey Contract to Support Resource Exploration

The Department of Energy awarded a contract to a United Kingdom-based company to conduct nationwide airborne geophysical surveys aimed at improving geological data and encouraging investment in critical minerals and renewable energy.

Anti-Graft Court Keeps Former Public Works Chief in Corruption Trial

The Sandiganbayan rejected a prosecution request to remove former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan from the ongoing flood control corruption case involving Senator Jinggoy Estrada, allowing proceedings against all named defendants to...

Government Defends Tarlac Pax Silica Hub Against Displacement Concerns

Malacañang said agricultural workers will not be displaced by the proposed Pax Silica Hub in Tarlac, responding to community concerns over the project, which is intended to supply materials for semiconductor and solar panel manufacturing.

Election Commission Requires Conflict-of-Interest Declarations for Local Candidates

The Commission on Elections ordered candidates for the November Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to submit sworn conflict-of-interest declarations with their candidacy papers in an effort to strengthen transparency in local go...

Philippine Banks Expect Corporate Lending Standards to Remain Stable

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said more than three-quarters of banks expect to maintain existing lending standards for businesses in the third quarter, indicating resilience in the banking sector despite elevated interest rates and inf...

Alex Eala Wins Historic WTA 500 Title for the Philippines

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration congratulated Alex Eala after she became the first Filipino to win a Women's Tennis Association 500 singles title with victory at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, marking a milestone for Philippi...

Government Deploys Emergency Aid as Tropical Depression Luis Affects Thousands

The Department of Social Welfare and Development distributed relief and financial assistance to families affected by Tropical Depression Luis and the southwest monsoon as authorities responded to widespread weather-related disruptions.

Justice Department Files Charges Against 20 Cebu Public Works Officials

The National Bureau of Investigation filed criminal complaints against twenty Department of Public Works and Highways officials in Cebu over alleged irregularities in flood control projects, marking a renewed anti-corruption push in publ...

Visayas Power Grid Placed on Yellow Alert After Three Plant Outages

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines declared a yellow alert across the Visayas after unplanned outages at three major power plants reduced available generating capacity and exposed continuing supply vulnerabilities.

Japan Approves 11.5 Billion Peso Loan for Philippine Universal Health Care

Japan extended a US$187 million development loan to support the nationwide implementation of the Philippines' Universal Health Care programme, reinforcing long-standing bilateral cooperation in healthcare and development.

ST Telemedia Global Data Centres Expands Philippine Artificial Intelligence Capacity

Singapore-backed ST Telemedia Global Data Centres is increasing its Philippine capacity to 128 megawatts across Metro Manila and Cavite, strengthening the country's position as a regional hub for hyperscale cloud computing and artificial...

Foreign Direct Investment Falls to Decade Low in April

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reported that net foreign direct investment dropped 58.8% year on year to US$250 million in April, largely because of weaker debt instrument inflows despite stronger equity investments from Japan and the U...

Philippines Proposes Record 1.55 Trillion Peso Infrastructure Budget for 2026

The Department of Budget and Management earmarked a record 1.55 trillion pesos, or 5.1% of gross domestic product, for the Build Better More programme, supporting 54 flagship projects including the Metro Manila Subway and the Bataan-Cavi...

Philippine Government Debt Exceeds 19 Trillion Pesos as Infrastructure Spending Continues

National government debt surpassed 19 trillion pesos in June 2026, highlighting the fiscal challenge of financing major infrastructure projects while pursuing deficit reduction.

Philippines Reports Fifteen Incident-Free Resupply Missions to Ayungin Shoal

The Department of Foreign Affairs said a provisional de-escalation arrangement with Beijing has enabled fifteen uninterrupted resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal, easing tensions despite continuing territorial disp...

Philippines Rejects China's Declaration of Bajo de Masinloc Nature Reserve

Malacañang and the Department of Foreign Affairs dismissed Beijing's unilateral designation of Bajo de Masinloc as a Chinese nature reserve, reaffirming the Philippines' maritime claims under the United Nations Convention on the Law of t...

Senate Impeachment Court Extends Deadline for Banks to Submit Sara Duterte Financial Records

The Senate impeachment court granted commercial banks more time to provide financial documents related to Vice President Sara Duterte as prosecutors continue examining the use of confidential funds during the high-profile impeachment trial.

Philippine Senate Approves Magna Carta for Barangay Health Workers

The Senate unanimously passed legislation granting benefits, hazard pay and greater job security to barangay health workers, strengthening support for frontline community healthcare services across the country.

Marcos Administration Presses Congress to Pass Tax Reform Package This Year

Malacañang said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is urging lawmakers to approve the proposed Progress Bill and other tax reforms within the year, saying the measures are intended to strengthen government revenue without increasing the tax ...

Witness Alleges Financial Irregularities in Vice President Sara Duterte's Impeachment Trial

A former Commission on Audit official told the Senate impeachment court that the Office of the Vice President committed multiple liquidation violations and failed to submit required documentation for confidential fund disbursements.

World Bank Maintains Philippines 2026 Growth Forecast at 3.7 Percent

The World Bank kept its 2026 economic growth forecast for the Philippines unchanged at 3.7 percent, citing a slower-than-expected recovery alongside persistent inflation and subdued investor confidence.