(UPDATE) THE two overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were reported missing in Hong Kong have been found, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac announced on Friday. Speaking in an online press conference, Cacdac said 23-year-old Imee Pabuaya and 33-year-old Aleli Tibay were found at 10:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two had been missing for nearly two weeks. They were supposed to be on a hiking trip in the Tsuen Wan District last Oct. 4. After they were found, they were brought to a police station, Cacdac said. They were transferred to the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Hong Kong, “and were given psychosocial counseling from our social welfare attaché,” he said in Filipino. Pabuaya and Tibay will be repatriated soon,” Cacdac said in his X post, because they were terminated by their employers. “They need to explain to their employers what had happened, because according to the pair, they went missing while hiking in a country trail. They will talk to their employers, but their services were terminated and they will need to gather their belongings,” Cacdac said. “Rest assured they are in good condition, and are safe and sound in our MWO in Hong Kong,” he added.

• The Manila Times
• 16 saat, 38 dakika

(UPDATE) THE two overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were reported missing in Hong Kong have been found, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac announced on Friday. Speaking in an online press conference, Cacdac said 23-year-old Imee Pabuaya and 33-year-old Aleli Tibay were found at 10:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two had been missing for nearly two weeks. They were supposed to be on a hiking trip in the Tsuen Wan District last Oct. 4. After they were found, they were brought to a police station, Cacdac said. They were transferred to the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Hong Kong, “and were given psychosocial counseling from our social welfare attaché,” he said in Filipino. Pabuaya and Tibay will be repatriated soon,” Cacdac said in his X post, because they were terminated by their employers. “They need to explain to their employers what had happened, because according to the pair, they went missing while hiking in a country trail. They will talk to their employers, but their services were terminated and they will need to gather their belongings,” Cacdac said. “Rest assured they are in good condition, and are safe and sound in our MWO in Hong Kong,” he added.

• The Manila Times
• 16 saat, 38 dakika

TOURISM Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco welcomed the reinstatement of electronic visas (e-visas) for Chinese tourists beginning in November. Frasco said the resumption of the e-visa program would restore accessibility for one of the country’s strongest pre-pandemic tourism markets. “The suspension of the e-visa system in 2023 had a significant and measurable impact on our ability to meet tourism targets, particularly from one of our strongest pre-pandemic markets,” Frasco said. “We had long anticipated this outcome and its lasting impact on international arrivals, which is why the Department of Tourism (DOT) has consistently advocated for the reinstatement of the e-visa system since its suspension,” she said. Calling the move both “necessary and overdue,” Frasco said the relaunch addresses a long-standing gap that has affected the country’s competitiveness in the region for nearly three years. Frasco also thanked the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Embassy in Beijing for heeding the call to revive the e-visa system. “While we do not expect immediate surges in arrivals given the timing of implementation and broader external factors, this policy milestone provides a strong signal to the market that the Philippines is taking steps to improve accessibility,” Frasco said. “It restores confidence, not only among travelers but also among our tourism stakeholders who depend on timely and enabling government action,” she added. As of September, the Philippines has recorded 203,923 arrivals from China, and the DOT hopes the e-visa reinstatement will pave the way for a stronger rebound in the coming year.

• The Manila Times
• 16 saat, 39 dakika

TOURISM Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco welcomed the reinstatement of electronic visas (e-visas) for Chinese tourists beginning in November. Frasco said the resumption of the e-visa program would restore accessibility for one of the country’s strongest pre-pandemic tourism markets. “The suspension of the e-visa system in 2023 had a significant and measurable impact on our ability to meet tourism targets, particularly from one of our strongest pre-pandemic markets,” Frasco said. “We had long anticipated this outcome and its lasting impact on international arrivals, which is why the Department of Tourism (DOT) has consistently advocated for the reinstatement of the e-visa system since its suspension,” she said. Calling the move both “necessary and overdue,” Frasco said the relaunch addresses a long-standing gap that has affected the country’s competitiveness in the region for nearly three years. Frasco also thanked the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Embassy in Beijing for heeding the call to revive the e-visa system. “While we do not expect immediate surges in arrivals given the timing of implementation and broader external factors, this policy milestone provides a strong signal to the market that the Philippines is taking steps to improve accessibility,” Frasco said. “It restores confidence, not only among travelers but also among our tourism stakeholders who depend on timely and enabling government action,” she added. As of September, the Philippines has recorded 203,923 arrivals from China, and the DOT hopes the e-visa reinstatement will pave the way for a stronger rebound in the coming year.

• The Manila Times
• 16 saat, 39 dakika

TOURISM Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco welcomed the reinstatement of electronic visas (e-visas) for Chinese tourists beginning in November. Frasco said the resumption of the e-visa program would restore accessibility for one of the country’s strongest pre-pandemic tourism markets. “The suspension of the e-visa system in 2023 had a significant and measurable impact on our ability to meet tourism targets, particularly from one of our strongest pre-pandemic markets,” Frasco said. “We had long anticipated this outcome and its lasting impact on international arrivals, which is why the Department of Tourism (DOT) has consistently advocated for the reinstatement of the e-visa system since its suspension,” she said. Calling the move both “necessary and overdue,” Frasco said the relaunch addresses a long-standing gap that has affected the country’s competitiveness in the region for nearly three years. Frasco also thanked the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Embassy in Beijing for heeding the call to revive the e-visa system. “While we do not expect immediate surges in arrivals given the timing of implementation and broader external factors, this policy milestone provides a strong signal to the market that the Philippines is taking steps to improve accessibility,” Frasco said. “It restores confidence, not only among travelers but also among our tourism stakeholders who depend on timely and enabling government action,” she added. As of September, the Philippines has recorded 203,923 arrivals from China, and the DOT hopes the e-visa reinstatement will pave the way for a stronger rebound in the coming year.

• The Manila Times
• 16 saat, 39 dakika

UNITED NATIONS, United States — Nearly 80 percent of the world’s poorest, or about 900 million people, are directly exposed to climate hazards exacerbated by global warming, bearing a “double and deeply unequal burden,” the United Nations warned Friday. “No one is immune to the increasingly frequent and stronger climate change effects like droughts, floods, heat waves, and air pollution, but it’s the poorest among us who are facing the harshest impact,” Haoliang Xu, acting administrator of the United Nations Development Program, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) in a statement. COP30, the UN climate summit in Brazil in November, “is the moment for world leaders to look at climate action as action against poverty,” he added. According to an annual study published by the UNDP together with the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, 1.1 billion people, or about 18 percent of the 6.3 billion in 109 countries analyzed, live in “acute multidimensional” poverty, based on factors like infant mortality and access to housing, sanitation, electricity and education. Half of those people are minors. One example of such extreme deprivation cited in the report is the case of Ricardo, a member of the Guarani Indigenous community living outside Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia’s largest city. Ricardo, who earns a meager income as a day laborer, shares his small single-family house with 18 other people, including his three children, parents and other extended family. The house has only one bathroom, a wood- and coal-fired kitchen, and none of the children are in school. “Their lives reflect the multidimensional realities of poverty,” the report said. Prioritizing ‘people and the planet’ Two regions particularly affected by such poverty are sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia — and they are also highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The report highlights the connection between poverty and exposure to four environmental risks: extreme heat, drought, floods, and air pollution. “Impoverished households are especially susceptible to climate shocks as many depend on highly vulnerable sectors such as agriculture and informal labor,” the report said. “When hazards overlap or strike repeatedly, they compound existing deprivations.” As a result, 887 million people, or nearly 79 percent of these poor populations, are directly exposed to at least one of these threats, with 608 million people suffering from extreme heat, 577 million affected by pollution, 465 million by floods, and 207 million by drought. Roughly 651 million are exposed to at least two of the risks, 309 million to three or four risks, and 11 million poor people have already experienced all four in a single year. “Concurrent poverty and climate hazards are clearly a global issue,” the report said. And the increase in extreme weather events threatens development progress. While South Asia has made progress in fighting poverty, 99.1 percent of its poor population exposed to at least one climate hazard. The region “must once again chart a new path forward, one that balances determined poverty reduction with innovative climate action,” the report says. With Earth’s surface rapidly getting warmer, the situation is likely to worsen further and experts warn that today’s poorest countries will be hardest hit by rising temperatures. “Responding to overlapping risks requires prioritizing both people and the planet, and above all, moving from recognition to rapid action,” the report said.

• The Manila Times
• 16 saat, 40 dakika

UNITED NATIONS, United States — Nearly 80 percent of the world’s poorest, or about 900 million people, are directly exposed to climate hazards exacerbated by global warming, bearing a “double and deeply unequal burden,” the United Nations warned Friday. “No one is immune to the increasingly frequent and stronger climate change effects like droughts, floods, heat waves, and air pollution, but it’s the poorest among us who are facing the harshest impact,” Haoliang Xu, acting administrator of the United Nations Development Program, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) in a statement. COP30, the UN climate summit in Brazil in November, “is the moment for world leaders to look at climate action as action against poverty,” he added. According to an annual study published by the UNDP together with the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, 1.1 billion people, or about 18 percent of the 6.3 billion in 109 countries analyzed, live in “acute multidimensional” poverty, based on factors like infant mortality and access to housing, sanitation, electricity and education. Half of those people are minors. One example of such extreme deprivation cited in the report is the case of Ricardo, a member of the Guarani Indigenous community living outside Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia’s largest city. Ricardo, who earns a meager income as a day laborer, shares his small single-family house with 18 other people, including his three children, parents and other extended family. The house has only one bathroom, a wood- and coal-fired kitchen, and none of the children are in school. “Their lives reflect the multidimensional realities of poverty,” the report said. Prioritizing ‘people and the planet’ Two regions particularly affected by such poverty are sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia — and they are also highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The report highlights the connection between poverty and exposure to four environmental risks: extreme heat, drought, floods, and air pollution. “Impoverished households are especially susceptible to climate shocks as many depend on highly vulnerable sectors such as agriculture and informal labor,” the report said. “When hazards overlap or strike repeatedly, they compound existing deprivations.” As a result, 887 million people, or nearly 79 percent of these poor populations, are directly exposed to at least one of these threats, with 608 million people suffering from extreme heat, 577 million affected by pollution, 465 million by floods, and 207 million by drought. Roughly 651 million are exposed to at least two of the risks, 309 million to three or four risks, and 11 million poor people have already experienced all four in a single year. “Concurrent poverty and climate hazards are clearly a global issue,” the report said. And the increase in extreme weather events threatens development progress. While South Asia has made progress in fighting poverty, 99.1 percent of its poor population exposed to at least one climate hazard. The region “must once again chart a new path forward, one that balances determined poverty reduction with innovative climate action,” the report says. With Earth’s surface rapidly getting warmer, the situation is likely to worsen further and experts warn that today’s poorest countries will be hardest hit by rising temperatures. “Responding to overlapping risks requires prioritizing both people and the planet, and above all, moving from recognition to rapid action,” the report said.

• The Manila Times
• 16 saat, 40 dakika

UNITED NATIONS, United States — Nearly 80 percent of the world’s poorest, or about 900 million people, are directly exposed to climate hazards exacerbated by global warming, bearing a “double and deeply unequal burden,” the United Nations warned Friday. “No one is immune to the increasingly frequent and stronger climate change effects like droughts, floods, heat waves, and air pollution, but it’s the poorest among us who are facing the harshest impact,” Haoliang Xu, acting administrator of the United Nations Development Program, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) in a statement. COP30, the UN climate summit in Brazil in November, “is the moment for world leaders to look at climate action as action against poverty,” he added. According to an annual study published by the UNDP together with the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, 1.1 billion people, or about 18 percent of the 6.3 billion in 109 countries analyzed, live in “acute multidimensional” poverty, based on factors like infant mortality and access to housing, sanitation, electricity and education. Half of those people are minors. One example of such extreme deprivation cited in the report is the case of Ricardo, a member of the Guarani Indigenous community living outside Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia’s largest city. Ricardo, who earns a meager income as a day laborer, shares his small single-family house with 18 other people, including his three children, parents and other extended family. The house has only one bathroom, a wood- and coal-fired kitchen, and none of the children are in school. “Their lives reflect the multidimensional realities of poverty,” the report said. Prioritizing ‘people and the planet’ Two regions particularly affected by such poverty are sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia — and they are also highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The report highlights the connection between poverty and exposure to four environmental risks: extreme heat, drought, floods, and air pollution. “Impoverished households are especially susceptible to climate shocks as many depend on highly vulnerable sectors such as agriculture and informal labor,” the report said. “When hazards overlap or strike repeatedly, they compound existing deprivations.” As a result, 887 million people, or nearly 79 percent of these poor populations, are directly exposed to at least one of these threats, with 608 million people suffering from extreme heat, 577 million affected by pollution, 465 million by floods, and 207 million by drought. Roughly 651 million are exposed to at least two of the risks, 309 million to three or four risks, and 11 million poor people have already experienced all four in a single year. “Concurrent poverty and climate hazards are clearly a global issue,” the report said. And the increase in extreme weather events threatens development progress. While South Asia has made progress in fighting poverty, 99.1 percent of its poor population exposed to at least one climate hazard. The region “must once again chart a new path forward, one that balances determined poverty reduction with innovative climate action,” the report says. With Earth’s surface rapidly getting warmer, the situation is likely to worsen further and experts warn that today’s poorest countries will be hardest hit by rising temperatures. “Responding to overlapping risks requires prioritizing both people and the planet, and above all, moving from recognition to rapid action,” the report said.

• The Manila Times
• 16 saat, 40 dakika

SEN. Bong Go has declared full support for the 2026 Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) budget, as he renewed his call to strengthen the country’s uniformed services through higher pay and modernization programs. “The DILG plays a vital role in ensuring not just peace and order in our communities, but also our country’s economic stability. That’s why it’s important for them to fulfill their mandate, including our law enforcement agencies such as the Philippine National Police,” Go said. Go, author of the Bureau of Fire Protection Modernization Act, favored continued funding for the agency’s upgrades. He noted that P6.7 billion in Fire Code Revenues should be used to modernize facilities and purchase new equipment. He called for sustained support for the Emergency 911 program and hazard pay for disaster response personnel under Senate Bill 669. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth and Sports, Go urged the DILG to ensure local governments complied with the Local Government Code’s provisions on sports development and to strengthen coordination with the National Youth Commission.

• The Manila Times
• 16 saat, 41 dakika

“Quezon” was always going to be a political commentary. But between “Heneral Luna” and its criticism of those who choose personal interests over the common good, and how “Goyo” depicted blind loyalty, “Quezon” didn’t have to beat around the bush to land its mark. There are no allegories, symbolisms, or wisecrack quips secretly aimed at […]... Keep on reading: ‘Quezon’ and its unsightly reflection

• Inquirer
• 16 saat, 41 dakika

SEN. Bong Go has declared full support for the 2026 Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) budget, as he renewed his call to strengthen the country’s uniformed services through higher pay and modernization programs. “The DILG plays a vital role in ensuring not just peace and order in our communities, but also our country’s economic stability. That’s why it’s important for them to fulfill their mandate, including our law enforcement agencies such as the Philippine National Police,” Go said. Go, author of the Bureau of Fire Protection Modernization Act, favored continued funding for the agency’s upgrades. He noted that P6.7 billion in Fire Code Revenues should be used to modernize facilities and purchase new equipment. He called for sustained support for the Emergency 911 program and hazard pay for disaster response personnel under Senate Bill 669. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth and Sports, Go urged the DILG to ensure local governments complied with the Local Government Code’s provisions on sports development and to strengthen coordination with the National Youth Commission.

• The Manila Times
• 16 saat, 41 dakika

SEN. Bong Go has declared full support for the 2026 Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) budget, as he renewed his call to strengthen the country’s uniformed services through higher pay and modernization programs. “The DILG plays a vital role in ensuring not just peace and order in our communities, but also our country’s economic stability. That’s why it’s important for them to fulfill their mandate, including our law enforcement agencies such as the Philippine National Police,” Go said. Go, author of the Bureau of Fire Protection Modernization Act, favored continued funding for the agency’s upgrades. He noted that P6.7 billion in Fire Code Revenues should be used to modernize facilities and purchase new equipment. He called for sustained support for the Emergency 911 program and hazard pay for disaster response personnel under Senate Bill 669. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth and Sports, Go urged the DILG to ensure local governments complied with the Local Government Code’s provisions on sports development and to strengthen coordination with the National Youth Commission.

• The Manila Times
• 16 saat, 41 dakika

THE National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC) recently held “Music for Press Freedom,” a concert featuring top local artists at the NPC building in Intramuros, Manila. The event was part of the celebration of the third anniversary of Republic Act 11699, which mandates the observance of Philippine Press Freedom Day. Among the artists who participated were Noel Cabangon, Lolita Carbon, Musikang Bayan Band, Eat Bulaga The Clones grand finalist Vergel Soliman, Viva recording artist Queen Gomez, master rapper Andromeda, dancing duo Andrew Bantawig and Shyrra Shy, and K-Pop cover princess Sanja Jewel Rodriguez. The event was hosted by Susan Rodriguez. NPC President Leonel Abasola thanked all supporters, noting the concert’s proceeds will be allocated for the club’s operational expenses, rehabilitation, and social funds. The event was supported by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, Government Service Insurance System, Converge, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

• The Manila Times
• 16 saat, 42 dakika

THE National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC) recently held “Music for Press Freedom,” a concert featuring top local artists at the NPC building in Intramuros, Manila. The event was part of the celebration of the third anniversary of Republic Act 11699, which mandates the observance of Philippine Press Freedom Day. Among the artists who participated were Noel Cabangon, Lolita Carbon, Musikang Bayan Band, Eat Bulaga The Clones grand finalist Vergel Soliman, Viva recording artist Queen Gomez, master rapper Andromeda, dancing duo Andrew Bantawig and Shyrra Shy, and K-Pop cover princess Sanja Jewel Rodriguez. The event was hosted by Susan Rodriguez. NPC President Leonel Abasola thanked all supporters, noting the concert’s proceeds will be allocated for the club’s operational expenses, rehabilitation, and social funds. The event was supported by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, Government Service Insurance System, Converge, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

• The Manila Times
• 16 saat, 42 dakika

THE National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC) recently held “Music for Press Freedom,” a concert featuring top local artists at the NPC building in Intramuros, Manila. The event was part of the celebration of the third anniversary of Republic Act 11699, which mandates the observance of Philippine Press Freedom Day. Among the artists who participated were Noel Cabangon, Lolita Carbon, Musikang Bayan Band, Eat Bulaga The Clones grand finalist Vergel Soliman, Viva recording artist Queen Gomez, master rapper Andromeda, dancing duo Andrew Bantawig and Shyrra Shy, and K-Pop cover princess Sanja Jewel Rodriguez. The event was hosted by Susan Rodriguez. NPC President Leonel Abasola thanked all supporters, noting the concert’s proceeds will be allocated for the club’s operational expenses, rehabilitation, and social funds. The event was supported by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, Government Service Insurance System, Converge, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

• The Manila Times
• 16 saat, 42 dakika

(UPDATE) ACTING Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez has ordered the deferment of the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) planned purchase of motor vehicles worth P50 million, redirecting the funds to upgrade the client service areas of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). In a memorandum dated Oct. 16, 2025, Lopez directed concerned officials to suspend the re-fleeting of vehicles for the DOTr central office, which was originally funded under the 2024 General Appropriations Act. The move, he said, was in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive for government agencies to prioritize programs that directly benefit the public. “In compliance with the directive of the President to give the Filipino people the public transport and services that they need and deserve, the DOTr together with its sectoral offices shall undertake measures to improve delivery of services to the public,” the order states. The P50 million allocation will instead be used to enhance LTO and LTFRB client areas, including facility improvements intended for public use. The DOTr said the procurement of new vehicles may be revisited in the following year, subject to the availability of funds. The announcement came as Lopez conducted his regular “commute check” to personally assess the daily experiences of daily commuters and identify areas for improvement. Braving early morning rain, Lopez began his trip at about 6:15 a.m. from Holy Spirit, Commonwealth, Quezon City, accompanied by Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure Mark Steven Pastor, and LTFRB Executive Director Loumer Bernabe. He boarded a bus bound for Philcoa, inspected the nearby public utility vehicle stop, and later took another bus toward Kamuning. Along the route, Lopez noted improved traffic flow and a greater number of buses servicing the Commonwealth Avenue corridor, citing LTFRB’s earlier issuance of 500 special permits to increase bus availability and reduce congestion. The acting secretary said both the fund reallocation and on-ground assessments are part of the agency’s broader effort to “redirect resources where they matter most — in improving services that directly affect the daily lives of Filipinos.”

• The Manila Times
• 16 saat, 43 dakika