Philippines News

KORONADAL CITY - The majority of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) members approved Monday the amendments to the environment code of South Cotabato province, particularly the provision on the lifting of the ban on open-pit mining in Tampakan town.

Voting for the ban's lifting were SP board m

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Marine troops under the Naval Task Group Tawi-Tawi rescued 13 people on a small boat that caught fire off Sapa-Sapa, Tawi-Tawi, a top military official said Monday.

Brig. Gen. Romeo Racadio, Joint Task Force (JTF)-Tawi-Tawi commander, said the victims were rescued around 10:

MONEY sent home by overseas Filipinos rose 2.3 percent to US8.646 billion in the first quarter of 2022 from $8.454 billion in the same period last year.

March remittances alone reached $2.888 billion, 3.1 percent higher than the $2.801 billion in the same month last year.

According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Monday, May 16, 2022, the increase in personal remittances in March was due to remittances sent by land-based workers with work contracts of one year or more, which grew by 3.7 percent to $2.195 billion from $2.116 billion in the same month last year, and sea- and land-based workers with work contracts of less than one year, which increased by 1.4 percent to $625 million from $616 million a year ago.

Similarly, cash remittances coursed through banks grew by 3.2 percent to $2.594 billion in March 2022 from $2.514 billion registered in the same month in 2021. The expansion in cash remittances was due to the growth in receipts from land-based and sea-based workers, which increased by 3.7 percent (to $2.021 billion from $1.948 billion) and 1.3 percent (to $573 million from $566 million), respectively.

On a year-to-date basis, cash remittances amounted to $7.77 billion in the first quarter of 2022, higher by 2.4 percent than the year-ago level of $7.593 billion.

The growth in cash remittances from the United States (US), Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and Saudi Arabia contributed largely to the increase in remittances in the first quarter of 2022.

Meanwhile, in terms of country sources, the US registered the highest share of overall remittances at 41.5 percent in the first quarter of 2022, followed by Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Taiwan, Qatar, and Malaysia.

The combined remittances from these top 10 countries accounted for 79.1 percent of total cash remittances during the period. (with PR)

There is a brand-new shot in basketball.

No, it’s not from the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Not even from America’s National Basketball Association (NBA).

It is—of all places—from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

The shot inventor is not even a certified star. Not yet, anyway.

Does the name JD Cagulangan ring a bell?

Never heard?

The initial scant data on Cagulangan’s resume came from Du Hizon, Senen Glorioso’s friendly neighbor at Valle Verde in Pasig.

“He was a junior standout at La Salle Greenhills,” Du texted.

Before that, Coach Dayong, one of Leo Austria’s six assistants at San Miguel Beer (the PBA’s winningest team ever), said to me: “The first time I saw Cagulangan play, I knew immediately the kid is PBA material.”

Cagulangan unveiled his shot last week, triggering the UP Fighting Maroons’ stunning overtime victory in the UAAP men’s basketball Finals.

It clinched for UP the Game 3 decider, in the process foiling favored Ateneo’s bid for a fourth straight crown.

The shot also made Goldwyn Monteverde, the rookie UP coach, an instant sensation. He humbled Tab Baldwin, the Ateneo coach who, only a while back, insulted all Filipino coaches as “technically deficient.”

Overall, Monteverde beat Baldwin 4-1 in the league’s Season 84, ending the American’s 39-game winning streak since 2018.

What made Cagulangan’s winning shot doubly spectacular was it came with .5 of a second left.

If the jam-packed crowd of 15,135 at the MOA Arena in Pasay City had initially believed the shot would turn out to be a dud, they’d be readily absolved.

But Cagulangan proved to be of sterner stuff.

If Steph Curry has his step-back three, then definitely, Cagulangan has his step-aside three, which is so phenomenal it snapped UP’s 36-year title drought.

To execute it, Cagulangan had to break free by moving sideways to his left before uncorking the innovative shot with puma-quickness, shattering a 69-all tie and giving UP a 72-69 victory that had totally looked improbable to achieve as Ateneo was up, 69-64, with 1:40 to go.

Cagulangan played possessed.

Earlier, he buried a three. Grabbed a rebound. Fed Finals MVP Malick Diouf for a dunk: 69-all.

“I had no doubt Cagulangan would execute,” said Monteverde. “And he did.”

An “Ateneocutioner” is born.

BUTUAN CITY - Twenty-one new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases have been detected in Caraga Region over the past week, the Department of Health in Caraga (DOH-13) said Monday.

In a report, DOH-13 said the new cases were logged from May 8 to 14. At least 20 of the new cases are still

MANILA - Government employees will now be receiving a night shift differential pay, according to a new law signed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Republic Act (RA) No. 11701, signed by Duterte on April 13, grants a night shift differential pay to government employees including those in governme

MANILA - Procedural lapses allowed an alleged informant to escape a case of illegal possession of firearm during a drug buy-bust five years ago.

The Court of Appeals (CA) acquitted Christopher Dave Colangoy, noting that the firearm and ammunition allegedly seized by authorities were not prese

MANILA - The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has reduced the fees for two of its certifications for seafarers by over a third on Monday.

In a Facebook post, MARINA announced that the issuance, revalidation, or replacement of a Certificate of Proficiency (COP) has been reduced to PHP130 f

MANILA - The country's daily average of Covid-19 cases went down to 160 from May 9 to 15, or 0.30 percent lower than the previous week, the Department of Health (DOH) reported Monday.

Cases averaged 161 per day from May 2 to 6.

In its latest case bulletin, the DOH said there are 1,118 n

MANILA - Department of Health (DOH)-Technical Advisory Group member Dr. Edsel Salvana said Monday the number of Covid-19 cases remains manageable and there is no indication yet of a rise due to campaign rallies and the entry of the new Omicron subvariant.

"Right now, the numbers remain manage

MANILA - On the heels of the recent national elections, the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday called on the public to set aside politics and prioritize economic advancement through agriculture.

In a speech, DA Secretary William Dar urged Filipinos to support the incoming administration

ANKARA - The Dallas Mavericks won the NBA Western Conference semifinal series 4-3 against the regular season top-seeders, the Phoenix Suns, with huge 123-90 win in Game 7 on Sunday to reach the finals.

Luka Doncic led Mavericks to victory with 35 points, 10 rebounds while Spencer Dinwiddie ad

DUMAGUETE CITY - The prices of basic necessities and prime commodities here have gone up following the latest adjusted suggested retail prices (SRPs) issued by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Nimfa Virtucio, DTI-Negros Oriental provincial director, told the Philippine News Agency

MANILA - The Court of Appeals (CA) has turned down a physician's petition to reconsider the annulment of his marriage of 35 years as the alleged condition of psychological incapacity was not convincing.

Dr. Noel Fabian's previous annulment case was denied by the Imus, Cavite Regional Trial Co

MANILA - The Court of Appeals (CA) upheld the ruling of the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court (RTC) that sentenced the seller of counterfeit shoes and other items to up to five years in prison.

The CA affirmed the Nov. 14, 2018 decision of Mandaluyong RTC Branch 211 that found Manolo Samson gu

MANILA - The Court of Appeals (CA) upheld the ruling of the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court (RTC) that sentenced the seller of counterfeit shoes and other items to up to five years in prison.

The CA affirmed the Nov. 14, 2018 decision of Mandaluyong RTC Branch 211 that found Manolo Samson gu

DUMAGUETE CITY - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Negros Oriental is reviving its trade fair for local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to allow them to recoup their losses after more than two years of hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

DTI-Negros Oriental provincia

BATAC CITY - Officials and residents in the city of Batac, Ilocos Norte are once again showing their gratitude to their farmers through a weeklong festivity that includes activities like vlogging and doing TikTok challenges.

Hosted by the city government of Batac and led by reelected Mayor Al

LAOAG CITY- The Ilocos Norte government, through the Public Employment Service Office (PESO), is urgently in need of 55 nurses to be deployed in its public hospitals.

For interested applicants, Ann Marie Lizette B. Atuan, provincial manager of PESO, announced Monday that the program is under

MANILA - The spokesperson of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday said the recent national and local elections was one of the most successful, as he dismissed claims of electoral fraud and other forms of cheating.

DILG spokesperson and Undersecretary Jonathan M