Applicants from more US visa category groups are now required to set their social media accounts public, based on the latest advisory of the US Embassy in Manila. Effective March 30, visa applicants who need to change their social media privacy setting belong to the following categories: Fiancé(e)...
On Feb. 28, 2026, the United States (US) and Israel launched a surprise attack on multiple cities across Iran. Within days, oil prices surged from around $70 a barrel to well over $100. Like many others, I was stunned to see diesel prices at the gas station spike above ₱100 per liter—and...
Malacañang said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has contributed to the Philippine peso’s decline to a record low. Although Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro did not entirely attribute the weakening of peso against US dollar to the ongoing war, she said...
Singapore-based DBS Bank Ltd stated that the Philippine peso is emerging as one of Asia’s most vulnerable currencies as deepening global oil crisis exposes the nation’s heavy reliance on imported energy and the lack of government subsidies. DBS wrote in a commentary published last Friday that...
Three weeks before the official start of the Exercise Balikatan, the largest annual bilateral military drills between the Philippines and United States, Filipino and American troops swapped rifles for shovels to break ground for a two-classroom building in El Nido, Palawan on Friday, March 27. The...
The peso tumbled to a fresh record low on Friday, March 27, breaching the 60.5-level as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East intensified and the central bank signaled it sees no immediate need to defend the currency. The peso weakened to ₱60.55 per dollar, surpassing the previous historic low...
The United States has asked the Philippines, one of its closest allies hardly hit by its ongoing conflict with Iran, regarding its current energy needs, as the country battles a national energy emergency, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro has bared. Lazaro said "the...
JM Ibarra and Fyang Smith are set to make their mark as a new romantic-comedy pair in “Almost Us,” a heartfelt and emotionally charged film that takes a fresh look at what modern love stories can be. A Regal Entertainment and Project 8 Projects production, “Almost Us” is helmed by...
With tough times ahead, austerity is the new buzzword. Yes, Virginia, we are in belt-tightening mode. The legs of inflation have walked their way into every aspect of basic services, with no apparent de-escalation of hostilities on the horizon. As an emerging economy, the Philippines is believed to...
President Marcos has cited the futility of spending the country 's foreign reserves to defend the Philippine peso, which recently further weakened, hitting a new record low of P60.30 against the US dollar. In an interview with Bloomberg, Marcos stressed that the dollar 's movement is...
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States sent a 15-point plan to Iran for a possible ceasefire, an official said, even as it began to move paratroopers to the Mideast to back up a contingent of Marines heading there on Wednesday. Iran 's military scoffed at the diplomatic effort...
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Trump administration has offered a 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran, according to a person briefed on the contours of the proposal, even as the U.S. military is preparing to call up at least 1,000 more troops to supplement some 50,000 troops already in the...
