Philippines Star

Affected communities and advocates said in a press briefing that the impacts of the oil spill on the livelihood and welfare of communities as well as the environment are far from being addressed four months after MT Princess Empress sank off Oriental Mindoro. 

The Philippine Coast Guard will soon operate a Filipino-built prototype vertical take-off and landing drone that it can use for surveillance, it said Wednesday.

The Commission on Elections has said that it will ask the Supreme Court to reconsider its ruling that struck down as unconstitutional the law postponing the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE).

Harry Roque said former President Duterte has “shrugged off” the decision of the ICC judges, which clears the way for the probe into possible crimes against humanity to resume. 

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised on June 8 the status of Mayon Volcano in Albay to Alert Level 3 after it showed an “increased tendency towards a hazardous eruption.”

The Philippine embassy in Santiago, Chile received a replica of the 1734 Murillo Velarde map, the first scientific map of the Philippine archipelago.

Commissioner Romeo Lumagui of the Bureau of Internal Revenue has issued Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 75-2023, extending the deadline for securing the new Notice to Issue Receipts/Invoices on or before Sept. 30, 2023.

The Philippine economy can grow by seven to nine percent if the country can minimize or bring its trade deficit to zero, according to an economics professor.

Multinational cybersecurity firm Kaspersky has warned that online phishing scams are circulating in Threads, the new microblogging platform launched by billionaire Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta.

The military is intensifying its anti-terror monitoring to avert any diversionary attack that may disrupt the second State of the Nation Address of President Marcos on July 24.

A total of 30 appointees of President Marcos, including Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. and Health Secretary Ted Herbosa, are still awaiting confirmation by the Commission on Appointments when Congress resumes session on July 24.

President Marcos yesterday directed agencies to strengthen programs that would benefit persons with disabilities and sustain campaigns that would remove the stigma and discrimination against them.

President Ferdinand signed the Maharlika Investment Fund into law yesterday, creating the country’s first-ever sovereign wealth fund despite some experts’ warnings that the MIF is prone to risks and mismanagement.

The Philippine government is not yet done with its rebranding schemes as the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority announced on Monday a logo design contest.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte and China’s President Xi Jinping met on Monday “as old friends” in Beijing, where the Chinese leader asked the former Philippine chief executive to continue promoting “friendly cooperation” between the two nations.

The administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stood firm in its position, asserting that the International Criminal Court lacks the authority to proceed with its investigation into the alleged human rights abuses committed during former President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial "war on drugs". 

The judges in the ICC appeals chamber decided against the appeal of the Philippine government to stop the investigation into possible crimes against humanity committed during Duterte’s bloody “war on drugs.” 

The Department of Science and Technology on Monday announced that no local government unit has been disapproved in the assessment for the Smart and Sustainable Communities Program.

The poll showed that 80% of 1,200 respondents agree with the idea of bringing back the April and May summer break for students. Eleven percent cannot say if they agree or disagree, and only 8% said they disagree. 

Dela Rosa said that he has also not made arrangements for his legal defense if summoned by the international court, saying that he would just avoid traveling to countries “loyal” to the ICC.