Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco on Wednesday called for stronger integration of sustainability in national tourism policy, speaking at a forum organized by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines. Addressing participants at the 2025 Philippine Sustainability Now Forum, held at Dusit Thani Manila, Frasco said the Department of Tourism (DOT) is committed to […]

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will posthumously award the Presidential Medal of Merit to four luminaries in Philippine arts and culture, Malacañang announced on Wednesday. Palace press officer and Presidential Communications Office undersecretary Claire Castro confirmed that the honorees are National Artist for Film Nora Aunor, singer Pilita Corrales, actress Gloria Romero, and chef Margarita Forés. […]

In a landmark move celebrating heritage, identity, and belonging, Clark County commissioners voted unanimously to establish a “Filipino Town” cultural district along Maryland Parkway — marking a historic first for Nevada’s largest Asian American community. The April 15 vote formalizes a 1.2-mile stretch between Flamingo Road and Desert Inn Road as a cultural and commercial […]

Authorities have arrested three suspects in connection with the kidnapping and killing of Filipino-Chinese businessman Anson Que and his driver, Armanie Pabillo. The Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed the arrests during a press conference on Saturday, April 19. Two of the suspects, Ricardo Austria David and Raymart Catequista, were taken into custody early on April […]

In a country where the Lenten season signals fasting and the sizzle of meat falls silent, Bantayan Island in Cebu quietly breaks the rule — a tradition rooted not in rebellion, but in a rare Vatican exemption granted more than two centuries ago. The origin of this curious custom stretches back to 1824, long before […]

Philippine shares ended lower in a holiday-shortened trading week, as investors trimmed positions and booked profits ahead of the Holy Week break. The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) retreated 0.83% on Wednesday to close at 6,134.62, snapping a cautious week marked by thin volumes and defensive trades. The broader All Shares Index, however, managed a […]

A single snapshot can sometimes trigger a storm of questions. Such was the case when an image of the Philippine Pavilion at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, began circulating online — prominently featuring the U.S. flag beside it. In a follow-up to our earlier commentary on the matter, a concerned reader reached out […]

Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC) is laying the groundwork for the handover of facilities at Laguindingan International Airport in northern Mindanao, ahead of its official takeover later this month under a 30-year concession deal. The infrastructure unit of the Aboitiz Group will assume full operations of the country’s sixth-busiest airport in April, marking the first airport public-private […]

If you’re searching for something to watch this Holy Week, Netflix offers a documentary perfect for your holiday binge. “A Queen’s Runway” takes you behind the scenes of one of the Philippines’ biggest obsessions — beauty pageants — following the fierce competition of young women vying for the crown at Miss Universe Philippines, a contest […]

A curious detail caught our eye in a recent press release from the Philippine Tourism Promotions Board: a rendering of the Philippine Pavilion for World Expo 2025 in Osaka prominently features the American flag. Not the Philippine flag, whose pavilion it ostensibly is. If it were Japan’s flag, that might make more sense—the host nation, […]