Day: December 11, 2025
EXPLAINER: Is PalengQR PH Really a Step Toward Progress?
The government billed PalengQR PH as a milestone in the country’s digital transformation when it rolled out the program. This initiative, led by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), promotes QR-based cashless payments in public markets, tricycles, and small neighborhood stores. The idea is simple:
DOLE-Zamboanga Sibugay reminds firms: Release 13th Month Pay by December 24
ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Zamboanga Sibugay reminded private sector employers to strictly follow labor standards, particularly the mandatory release of the 13th Month Pay to rank-and-file workers on or before December 24. Provincial Director Elamsalih Ungad reiterated that the 13th Month Pay is a statutory obligation under Presidential
Q&A: What We Know — And Don’t Know — About Ramil Madriaga And His Explosive Claims
MANILA, Philippines – The name Ramil Lagunoy Madriaga has reemerged in the national conversation after his sworn affidavit surfaced alleging that he delivered illicit funds for the 2022 vice-presidential campaign of Sara Duterte. His claims have since circulated online, raising questions about the credibility of the claims and the identity of the man behind them.
CBCP Taps Former Rome Chaplain as New Executive Secretary of Migrants Ministry
MANILA, Philippines – The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has appointed Scalabrinian priest Fr. Ricky Gente, a former chaplain for Filipinos in Rome, as the new executive secretary of its migrant ministry effective December 1. Gente will work with Bishop Socrates Mesiona, who recently assumed leadership of the CBCP Episcopal Commission for the
EXPLAINER: Why a White Crow Appeared in Misamis Oriental — and What Makes It So Rare
A bird photographer’s snapshot from Jasaan, Misamis Oriental has drawn nationwide attention: a white crow, a creature so uncommon that many Filipinos are seeing one for the first time. But what exactly is a white crow, and why does it happen? What exactly did the photographer capture? Cagayan de Oro–based bird photographer Jun Rey Yap
World Bank Rates DA’s PRDP Scale-Up ‘Satisfactory,’ Notes Gains in Rural Mindanao
MANILA, Philippines – The World Bank has rated the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) Scale-Up “satisfactory,” noting its strong early performance in improving rural infrastructure, strengthening enterprises, and advancing value-chain planning across the country. The assessment, based on the Bank’s latest implementation review, highlighted “relevance, efficiency, and early gains” as the project
