Rappler Philippines

MANILA, Philippines – Minimum wage workers in Metro Manila are set to receive a P85 daily pay increase, the largest ever approved by the National Capital Region (NCR) wage board. The Department of Labor and Employment described the wage increase as “historic,” saying it would benefit more than 1.1 million workers in the capital region. The adjustment will raise the daily minimum wage in Metro Manila from P695 to P780. The increase, touted as the biggest single wage increase for NCR

Few infrastructure projects in Philippine history have spawned so much political heat, corporate intrigue, media warfare, and legal bloodletting as the Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan hydroelectric (CBK) complex. Today, the headlines belong to the Aboitiz Group after its Thunder Consortium stunned the market with a P36.27-billion winning bid for the CBK complex, defeating the Lopez-led First Gen consortium and securing control of one of the country’s most strategically important energy assets

The US House of Representatives passed legislation on Monday, June 29, that would require online platforms to provide some safeguards for children, setting up a potential clash with the Senate where lawmakers support more stringent standards. Congress has taken increasing interest in preventing harm to youth online, as social media companies have faced a backlash. The House passed the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act in a 267-117 vote with support from both Democrats and Republicans.

Sensitive lists of components and suppliers, and photos of Apple’s upcoming iPhone 18 Pro models are part of files posted on the dark web by the ransomware group that stole data from the US firm’s Indian supplier Tata Electronics, according to documents and a source. The exposure threatens the carefully negotiated business of building the iPhone, which Apple assembles from a thicket of suppliers worldwide. It could also upset Apple and its relationship with Tata given most of the

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. cancelled his planned public engagements on Tuesday, June 30, after members of the Iglesia ni Cristo staged a protest in Quezon City over the possible filing of plunder charges against Senator Rodante Marcoleta, one of its members. Marcos was scheduled to lead the inauguration of a marine litter management event in Manila Bay in the port area of the Philippine capital. He was also due at a presidential luncheon with the Foreign Corresponden

MANILA, Philippines – Members of the religious group Iglesia ni Cristo massed in Quezon City on Tuesday, June 30, in support of embattled Senator Rodante Marcoleta, who is under investigation for plunder and facing possible arrest. The rally led to the temporary closure of White Plains Avenue in Quezon City, along EDSA, due to heavy traffic buildup. “Senator Marcoleta led the investigation into what is believed to be one of the biggest cases of plunder in our nation’s history.

MANILA, Philippines – Residents of Smokey Mountain and other parts of Tondo, Manila, called on the Commission on Human Rights on Monday, June 29, to conduct an independent investigation into alleged harassment linked to the development of a waste-to-energy (WTE) plant at the former dumpsite. Residents, who formed the Manila Anti-Incinerator Alliance with environmental advocates, said in a petition that private guards had fired a gun in the area and pointed a gun at a resident. They also alleg

MANILA, Philippines – Some areas suspended classes for Tuesday, June 30, due to the low pressure area affecting the Visayas and nearly the entire Southern Luzon. This list will be updated once local or national authorities make announcements. LUZON Calabarzon Laguna Magdalena – all levels (public and private) Pagsanjan – all levels (public and private) Pila – face-to-face classes in all levels (public and private) Santa Cruz – all levels (public and private) Mimaropa

A year after the President’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), the Marcos administration has yet to deliver economic relief to millions of ordinary Filipinos. The flood control corruption scandal has metastasized beyond the administration’s ability to contain it, and the swift justice he promised is proceeding at a glacial pace.  These are failures in governance. And they share the blame for the widespread dissatisfaction with the President.  In the March 2026 surv

MANILA, Philippines – The low pressure area (LPA) inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility is affecting the Visayas and nearly the entire Southern Luzon on Tuesday, June 30. As of 3 am on Tuesday, the LPA was located over the coastal waters of San Pascual, Masbate. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the LPA has a high chance of developing into a tropical depression within 24 hours, either while crossing landmass or when it ha

Divine Adili was more than just a bruising center for the Ateneo Blue Eagles. To basketball fans, he was the 6-foot-10 big man patrolling the paint for Ateneo in UAAP Season 88 last year. To teammates, he was a brother. To his professors, he was a diligent student with dreams that stretched far beyond basketball. For those who knew him best, Divine was a young man driven by purpose, always determined to build a better future for himself and his family. At Ateneo, his towering frame natu

The nation grieves over back-to-back tragedies: a devastating earthquake in Mindanao, and the drowning of Ateneo student-athletes Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili. Coach Tab Baldwin’s wife, Efi, makes a bombshell statement. More bad news: Baste Duterte’s garbage and China’s sanctions on Gibo Teodoro. Some good news from Alex Eala. Here are the week’s most important news stories from the Philippines. #5: Tab Baldwin’s estranged wife claims she warned Ateneo: Children

It’s no secret in local sports that elite collegiate basketball teams run like pro squads. They’re virtually autonomous, managing their own programs and personnel, attracting sponsorships, and landing lucrative brand deals. But when tragedy strikes, as it did at Ateneo de Manila University, it exposes the dangers of letting a successful team become a self-governing unit. Even before the devastating deaths of players Rene Baterbonia, 18, and Divine Adili, 21 — both of whom drowned during th

United States and Pakistani leaders forecast a Sunday, June 14, signing of a long-elusive framework agreement to end fighting between the US and Iran, but Tehran cast doubt over the timing and hardline protesters in Iran voiced opposition. President Donald Trump posted on social media on Saturday, June 13, that the deal with Iran was scheduled to be signed the next day, his 80th birthday. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the two sides had agreed on a framework for a peace deal and

Jalen Brunson set a franchise NBA Finals record with 45 points and nearly single-handedly ended the 53-year NBA title drought as the New York Knicks recorded a 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, June 13 (Sunday, June 14, Manila time). Brunson scored 29 points in the second half of Game 5 as New York overcame a 15-point third-quarter deficit to win its first NBA championship since 1973. The Knicks won four of the five games in the best-of-seven series. The Knick

Rappler’s People section runs an advice column by couple Jeremy Baer and clinical psychologist Dr. Margarita Holmes. Jeremy has a master’s degree in law from Oxford University. A banker of 37 years who worked in three continents, he has been training with Dr. Holmes for the last 10 years as co-lecturer and, occasionally, as co-therapist, especially with clients whose financial concerns intrude into their daily lives. Together, they have written two books: Love Triangles: Understanding

MANILA, Philippines – Even in death, Rene Baterbonia fulfilled one of his dreams for his family.  In celebration of Baterbonia’s life, the Ateneo de Davao University will provide his six siblings full scholarships from basic education to college, school president Fr. Karel San Juan announced on Saturday, June 13.  “Although we’re deeply saddened because he’s gone, we’ll keep Bobet’s spirit alive through his dreams for his loved ones,” the Jesuit priest said in Filipino after Satu

On the evening of Sunday, June 7, I had already jotted down numbers and other background information on the education sector — issues I had previously reported on — yet I was still a bundle of nerves about the following day’s coverage. You see, I am an overthinker. June 8, the start of a new school year in public schools, would be my first time covering the opening of classes and my on-camera debut as Rappler’s education reporter. As it turned out, I was in for a more challenging coverage.

When Rene Baterbonia led Davao Region to a historic secondary boys’ basketball gold medal in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa, he shared that he simply relied on his own efforts. As the son of fish vendors and the second oldest of seven siblings, the towering teen didn’t need any more motivation as he saw basketball as a way to give his family a better life. The pride of Talocogon, Agusan del Sur, who was fondly called “Bobet” by his friends and family, was a 4Ps Monitored

MANILA, Philippines – Tab Baldwin’s estranged wife Efi has come forward to speak against the Ateneo men’s basketball team coach in relation to the deaths of players Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili. In a video posted on Saturday, June 13, by New Zealand-based lawyer Tudor Clee, Efi claimed she had repeatedly warned Ateneo to keep children away from Tab, but was instead shot down and silenced. “At the time I repeatedly told the [Ateneo de Manila] University that children