Day: December 13, 2025
Churches Are Thinning — And not Just Among Catholics
MANILA, Philippines — Kidapawan Bishop José Colin Bagaforo warned that fewer Catholics are attending Mass. His concern struck a familiar chord across Christian denominations. Once seen as a problem mainly for Catholic and mainline Protestant churches. It is now increasingly evident even among evangelicals, long regarded as Christianity’s most reliable churchgoers. Across countries and denominations,
Scientists Find Massive Hidden Rock Layer Under Bermuda. Why it Matters
Scientists say the real mystery surrounding Bermuda is buried deep beneath the ocean floor. Researchers have discovered an unusually thick layer of rock — about 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) — sitting below the oceanic crust under Bermuda, something that has never been observed anywhere else in the world. “Normally, you have the oceanic crust, and
A 30-Year-Old Sea-Level Forecast Turned Out To Be Right. Why That Matters Now
A sea-level rise forecast made nearly three decades ago — before today’s powerful computer models and artificial intelligence — has turned out to be strikingly accurate, underscoring both the reliability of climate science and the urgency of acting on it. In its 1996 assessment, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projected that global sea
Cigarette Smuggling in Zamboanga Peninsula: Why the Crackdown Never Seems Enough
ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA – The latest seizure of ₱8.7 million worth of smuggled cigarettes off Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, is only the newest entry in a running tally that has come to define the region’s maritime problem: cigarette smuggling is not just persistent — it is systemic. For years, authorities have staged near-weekly interdictions at sea, hauling
Boatman arrested, P8.7 million smuggled cigarettes seized in Zamboanga Sibugay
ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, Philippines – Maritime police arrested a boatman and confiscated around P8.7 million worth of smuggled cigarettes off the province’s coast, authorities said on Friday, December 12. The Zamboanga Sibugay Maritime Police Station (Marpsta) identified the suspect only as “Al,” 31, a resident of Zone 2, Cawit village in Zamboanga City. Police said Al
Explainer | Anti-Political Dynasty Bill: Does It Need Charter Change?
MANILA, Philippines – A fresh debate could erupt after Ako Bicol Representative Alfredo Garbin Jr. warned that the long-delayed Anti-Political Dynasty Act cannot be enforced unless the Constitution is amended. The statement revived an old but unresolved question: Can Congress ban political dynasties using a simple law, or would doing so violate the Constitution? Here’s
