Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Tuesday, January 6, 2026. Today’s episode is brought to you by Wilcon Depot, The Philippines’ leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer — your Trusted Building Partner. READ: Marcos signs P6.79T budget but vetoes P92.5B in standby funds PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday enacted the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2026 worth P6.793 trillion but vetoed nearly P92.5 billion in unprogrammed allocations to reinforce fiscal discipline, transparency and accountability. Marcos said the unprogrammed allocations were reduced to the “bare minimum,” stressing that standby funds must only be tapped when “absolutely necessary and strictly in accordance with conditions set in this act.” Data from the Department of Budget and Management showed UA allocations have been steadily tightened, falling to P150.9 billion in 2026 from P363.4 billion in 2025, and far below the P731.4 billion in 2024 and P807.2 billion in 2023. READ: Retired general arrested for sedition RETIRED Air Force Gen. Romeo Poquiz was arrested Monday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 upon his arrival from Bangkok, Thailand, on the basis of an arrest warrant issued by Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 77 for charges of inciting to sedition filed by the Department of Justice. The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) earlier reported the plan for the arrest of Poquiz, a vocal critic of the Marcos administration and founder of the United People’s Initiative (UPI). The charges stem from his alleged urging of active military members to withdraw support from the government. He was brought to Camp Karingal for processing, then to the RTC Branch 77 for bail posting. READ: Anti-corruptions measures, economic relief top concerns among Pinoys STRENGTHENING anti-corruption measures and delivering immediate economic relief were identified as the most critical steps to restoring public trust in government, according to the latest Pahayag survey released on Monday, Jan. 5. Corruption and its impact on public trust ranked as the top national concern, cited by 25 percent of respondents. Closely linked to this was public anxiety over tax revenues being misused or lost to corruption, identified by 15 percent of those surveyed, reflecting persistent worries over weak accountability in government. READ: Eala, partner stun veterans Williams, Svitolina in ASB Classic doubles FILIPINA Alex Eala and American Iva Jovic pulled off a huge upset in the ASB Classic doubles, defeating tennis legends Venus Williams of the US and Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, 7-6 (7), 6-1, to reach the quarterfinals Monday in Auckland, New Zealand. The battle was intense in the first set, but Eala and Jovic refused to back down to stop their more experienced opponents. In a thrilling first set, 45-year-old Williams and 31-year-old Svitolina took a 6-5 lead. But Eala countered with a powerful serve and winner before Jovic exploited a sharp angle to tie the set at 6-all and force a tiebreak. The tiebreak was a nail-biter as Eala and Jovic saved eight set points. The duo dug deep and managed to save every single one, allowing them to take the first set in a thrilling tiebreak win. READ: Hearings on Bulacan projects begin THE Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday proceeded with scheduled preliminary investigation hearings involving anomalous infrastructure projects in Bulacan. DOJ spokesman Polo Martinez said the hearings covered cases involving Wawao Builders and Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc., which were linked to projects under the Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office (DEO) that had been marked as “100 percent completed” despite serious irregularities. Former senator Bong Revilla and Sen. Joel Villanueva are respondents in separate cases, each concerning a different project. The charges being investigated include direct bribery, corruption of public officials, and malversation through falsification, as well as alleged violations of the Government Procurement Reform Act (Republic Act 9184) and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act 3019). BUSINESS: Govt lowers growth targets through 2027 THE government has lowered its economic growth targets given continued global uncertainties and the lingering impact of a massive corruption scandal. This year’s goal is now 5.0 percent to 6.0 percent while that for 2027 is 5.5 percent to 6.5 percent, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said in Malacañang on Monday, down from the 6.0 percent to 7.0 percent set in June last year for 2026 to 2028. The target for 2028 — which will include the last six months of the Marcos administration — was kept at 6.0 percent to 7.0 percent. SPORTS: PH hosts first-ever International Longboard Qualifiers in La Union THE Philippines welcomes the new year with a Longboard International Qualifying event—the La Union International Pro—set January 20 to 24 off Urbiztondo Beach. The La Union International Pro is expected to attract one of the biggest international fields of any World Surf League (WSL) longboard event in history with nothing less than a direct pathway to the 2026 WSL Longboard Tour at stake. Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio described the La Union International Pro a “real thrill” and is excited to see the fruits of the country’s sports tourism campaign which he heads through the National Sports Tourism Inter-Agency Committee that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself created. READ: Opinion and editorial Antonio Contreras and Orlando Mercado are today’s front page columnists. Contreras talks about the University of the Philippines’ duty to the nation while Mercado’s column is about listening to the iconoclasts. Today’s editorial is about the challenges the Department of Education faces this 2026. For more news and information, read The Manila Times on print, subscribe to its digital edition or log on to www.manilatimes.net. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and LinkedIn; and be part of our communities on Viber, Telegram, and Mastodon.