Stories Behind The Headlines
COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Nearly 5,000 low-income residents in four Special Geographic Area municipalities in…
Government officials tout the 1,600-hectare tech hub as a leap forward for AI and semiconductor manufacturing. But advocates warn it risks displacing local farming communities, straining local water supplies, and relying on fossil fuels to sustain round-the-clock operations.
BARMM health missions have benefited 4,943 low-income residents in four SGA towns through expanded medical and humanitarian services.
The U.S. imposed a 12.5% tariff on Philippine goods over forced labor import enforcement. Here’s what the decision means for trade.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. joined BARMM leaders at Camp Siongco to hand over ₱3.4 billion in peace and development funds aimed at empowering communities, upgrading emergency response, and supporting orphaned children across the region.
A BFAR-funded fishing vessel will help a Zamboanga Sibugay fisherfolk association expand offshore fishing with training and technical support.
PAGASA has issued Heavy Rainfall Warning No. 3 as the southwest monsoon unleashes moderate to heavy rains over Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay. Flooding in low-lying areas and landslides in mountainous zones are possible.
Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, five provincial governors and a Maguindanao del Sur lawmaker pledged to strengthen cooperation on peacebuilding, governance and sustainable development during a meeting in Cotabato City, reaffirming their commitment to lasting peace across BARMM.
The DENR has released 140 critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle hatchlings into the waters off Pandilusan Island in Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay, marking another milestone in efforts to protect one of the world’s most threatened marine species through collaborative conservation.
Prices are still rising — but more slowly. Zamboanga Sibugay’s inflation rate fell by nearly one full point in June, delivering welcome relief to families feeling the pinch on groceries, fuel and daily essentials.
A newlywed man was shot dead at close range while sharing a meal with his wife inside a burger outlet in Lala, Lanao del Norte. The gunman escaped on a motorcycle, and police are investigating whether the killing was linked to a longstanding clan feud, or rido.
As the Philippines builds its Pax Silica ‘Golden Node’—a vast AI-native industrial hub with data centers and chip fabs—water scarcity looms large. Who decides priorities when resources run short: global AI ambitions or local farms and communities?
Flash floods swept through Diplahan and nearby towns after the Sibuguey River overflowed, inundating vast rice fields and forcing families to evacuate. As the southwest monsoon persists, local authorities race to clear roads and deliver aid.
