The holiday season presents a unique and powerful platform, a moment when the words of President Marcos can resonate deeply with every Filipino, both at home and abroad. My earnest plea is for his Christmas message to be a beacon of genuine hope—a clarion call that reminds us of the inherent strength and resilience of […]... Keep on reading: Hope and integrity: What we need to hear in the President’s Christmas message
Manila Bulletin Headline for today, December 25, 2025. Grab a copy at your favorite newsstand today or read it all on our website at You can follow us on X @manilabulletin, Instagram: @manilabulletin, Threads: @manilabulletin
MANILA, Philippines — Exercising fiscal discipline will be critical heading into 2026 as the Philippines continues to reel from the flood control corruption scandal that weighed on economic growth, the Department of Finance (DOF) stressed. According to Finance Secretary Frederick Go, agencies should direct their spending toward projects with the highest economic returns. “The key […]... Keep on reading: New DOF chief bats for fiscal discipline
MANILA, Philippines — Amending the bank secrecy law could help prevent the Philippines from again coming under heightened scrutiny by global financial watchdogs, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said, urging authorities to step up efforts to curb money laundering and the financing of terrorism. In a recent country report, the Washington-based institution said that keeping […]... Keep on reading: IMF backs easing of bank secrecy rule
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Energy (DOE) has terminated eight additional renewable energy service contracts this year as it steps up the crackdown on developers that failed to meet contractual and regulatory requirements. These brought the total number of revoked contracts in 2025 to 84. They represent an estimated 5,372.209 megawatts of potential generating […]... Keep on reading: 84 renewable energy deals revoked in 2025
MANILA, Philippines — Despite global and geopolitical headwinds, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) posted its strongest investment performance in nine years. It approved P260.89 billion worth of investments in 2025, covering 314 projects. This tally marks Peza’s highest investment approvals since 2016 and exceeds its 2024 figure of P214.18 billion by 21.91 percent. It […]... Keep on reading: Peza OK’d P260.89-B investments in 2025
MANILA, Philippines — The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is requiring all retail payment systems in the country to adopt the ISO 20022 standard that enables more seamless, efficient and secure domestic and cross-border retail payments. The requirement, laid out in Circular No. 1223, aligns Philippine payment systems with specifications set by the Bank for […]... Keep on reading: BSP requires ISO 20022 on retail payments
MANILA, Philippines — Cargos of wood from the United States are expected to post a 30-percent growth to $28 million in 2025, driven by rising demand for quality wood and challenges in local sourcing. The US Department of Agriculture-Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS) said in a report that softwood lumber, commonly used in construction, will make […]... Keep on reading: American wood exports to Philippines likely up by 30%
MANILA, Philippines — First Gen Corp. has signed a power supply agreement with Dyna Drug Corp., enabling the latter to run its major warehouse facilities on geothermal energy. This is as part of its push to lower the pharmaceutical distributor’s carbon footprint and ensure stable operations. Under the agreement, which took effect last Nov. […]... Keep on reading: Dyna Drug taps First Gen to power pharma warehouses
MANILA, Philippines — The revised Kinder to Grade 10 (K-10) curriculum has reduced classroom teaching time as teachers reallocated hours to lesson preparation, a new Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) study found. The study collected detailed time-use diaries from 696 teachers in selected pilot public schools. It found that while the curriculum aimed […]... Keep on reading: ‘Matatag’ curriculum keeps teachers’ workload heavy
(First of two parts) MANILA, Philippines — How does a sibling rivalry escalate when power enters the family? Sibling rivalry is not a childhood problem. It is a governance failure—one that simply waits for power, position or legacy to expose it. The visible tensions between President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Sen. Imee Marcos offer […]... Keep on reading: Uncovering the Marcos siblings’ conflict: A case study
MANILA, Philippines – The Social Security System (SSS) is preparing a wide range of programs for 2026, including pension increases, a microloan program, continued emergency loan support and other expansion initiatives. In its 2026 outlook, the state-run agency laid out plans for next year, saying its main goal is to enhance its servicing platforms. “We […]... Keep on reading: SSS maps out bigger, better services in 2026
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) has ordered the filing of criminal charges against self-styled “cryptocurrency trading” firm Align Assets and its officers for soliciting investments from the public without the required license. This followed a complaint lodged by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In a resolution promulgated on Nov. 27, state […]... Keep on reading: Align Assets sued for illegal investment solicitation
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy — Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday called for a global truce on Christmas Day, expressing “great sadness” that “apparently Russia rejected a request” for one. “I am renewing my request to all people of good will to respect a day of peace — at least on the feast of the birth of our Savior,” Leo told reporters at his residence in Castel Gandolfo near Rome. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and has repeatedly rejected calls for a ceasefire saying it would only give a military advantage to Ukraine. “Among the things that cause me great sadness is the fact that Russia has apparently rejected a request for a truce,” the pope said. Referring to conflicts in general, Leo said: “I hope they will listen and there will be 24 hours of peace in the whole world,” he added. Ukraine on Tuesday pulled out troops from a town in the east of the country after fierce battles with Russian forces as relentless strikes by Moscow killed three civilians and cut power to thousands in freezing winter temperatures. There was no sign of an imminent breakthrough after top negotiators from both Russia and Ukraine were in Miami last weekend for separate meetings with US officials seeking a deal to end almost four years of fighting. Pope Leo met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this month. Asked if he would accept Zelenskyy’s invitation to visit Ukraine, Leo later said “I hope so,” but cautioned it was not possible to say when such a trip would be possible. He also said that seeking peace in Ukraine without European diplomatic involvement was “unrealistic” and warned US President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan risked a “huge change” in the transatlantic alliance.
(UPDATE) THE lawyer for former congressman Zaldy Co on Wednesday rejected as false and misleading the claims by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla that Co had amassed P5 billion in bitcoin abroad and built a multi-level basement in his residence to store cash. Ruy Rondain said in a statement Remulla’s allegations were “a complete fabrication” and challenged him to identify the supposed associate who allegedly provided the information. Rondain said Remulla could keep any bitcoin he might find registered in Co’s name. Rondain also dismissed Remulla’s claim that Co’s house in Forbes Park, Makati City, had “four to five basement levels.” He said the house was designed with a split-type basement for vehicle parking, a layout guided by Forbes Park village rules that limit the allowable building area relative to the lot size. “The split-tier basement is intended only to maximize the house’s footprint,” Rondain said, stressing that it had nothing to do with storing unaccounted cash. He also rejected speculation that the basement design was meant to safeguard money because “fire moves upward.” “The public deserves facts, not misinformation,” Rondain said, emphasizing that false narratives have no place in discussions on public issues. Remulla claimed that Co’s Forbes Park residence featured a five-story basement, reportedly designed not for vehicles but for storing large amounts of cash, as a way to circumvent banking restrictions. “All the money was supposed to be put below,” Remulla said in an interview, citing fire safety experts who allegedly confirmed that the structure was waterproof and designed to protect its contents. He also said that Co had siphoned approximately P5 billion in cryptocurrency while evading arrest in Portugal. The amount, he said, was transferred to Co by his associates.
SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday said a long-standing corruption loophole in the national budget has been plugged following the removal of the Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure and Social Programs (Sagip) from the proposed 2026 General Appropriations Act, as approved by the Bicameral Conference Committee. Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, said Sagip was previously lodged under Unprogrammed Appropriations (UA) and contained large lump-sum allocations for infrastructure and social projects, including flood control, which had been linked to corruption controversies in recent years. “Unprogrammed Appropriations have many parts, and Sagip is one of them. This is where lump-sum funds, such as for flood control projects, were previously placed, which became the root of corruption investigations. This is what we said we would remove, and we have removed it in the 2026 budget,” Gatchalian said in Filipino. “So with the new form of Unprogrammed Appropriations, there is no longer any source of corruption,” he said. Sagip previously carried massive allocations: more than P50 billion in 2023, P225 billion in 2024, and P160 billion in 2025. In 2024, flood control projects amounting to P86.93 billion were placed under Sagip, drawing public scrutiny amid investigations into alleged misuse of funds and so-called “insertions” in the budget. In the proposed 2026 budget, Sagip has been completely removed, and infrastructure projects are required to be itemized and placed under regular programmed appropriations, subject to clearer planning, oversight, and accountability mechanisms. Gatchalian said the remaining components of the Unprogrammed Appropriations are limited to items that are genuinely contingent and unforeseen, such as foreign-assisted projects that still require counterpart funding from the Government of the Philippines (GOP). “This is actually included in Unprogrammed Appropriations because there are still projects for which negotiations are ongoing and others for which no contracts have been signed yet,” he said. “These projects are not certain to push through, and it is not fiscally prudent to put them under Programmed Funds because they are tentative obligations of the government,” Gatchalian said. Other items retained under the Unprogrammed Appropriations include additional funding for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program, which may be released only if excess revenues or new financing sources materialize. Gatchalian said the changes reflect the Senate’s push for greater transparency and fiscal discipline, particularly after years of concern over the use of lump-sum funds that are vulnerable to abuse.
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