News & Current Events

Toll-free at South tollways on Christmas, New Year’s Eve
December 23, 2015

Toll-free at South tollways on Christmas, New Year’s Eve

Motorists who will be passing through the expressways leading to south will not be charged on the eves of Christmas and New Year. According to the operators of South Luzon Expressway (SLEx), Metro Manila Skyway System, and Star Tollway, toll will be waived on December 24 from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am the following day; and on December 31 from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am on January 1, 2016. Photo courtesy of skyway.com.ph For assistance, please call: SLEx hotline at 0917-OUR-SLEX (6877539) and Skyway System hotline at (02) 7767777Star emergency numbers at and
DOT Welcomes 5 Millionth Visitor with a Sweet Surprise
December 23, 2015

DOT Welcomes 5 Millionth Visitor with a Sweet Surprise

LUCKY VISIT. Gabby Grantham meets the Tourism officials who welcomed her with a surprise for being the 5 millionth visitor of the Philippines. Photo Courtesy of The Philippine Star. Imagine just planning to spend your holiday in the Philippines without expecting anything. Then suddenly, as you reach the airport terminal, a group of people welcome you with a surprise. Looks incredible, right? On December 21, Filipino American Gabby Grantham was welcomed a sweet surprise from the Philippine’s Department of Tourism (DOT) upon her arrival. Grantham is the lucky 5 millionth visitor of the Philippines, who flew via Philippine Airlines that landed at 3:48 am in Manila. According to the lucky […]
A Very Truly Filipino Holiday Shopping
December 21, 2015

A Very Truly Filipino Holiday Shopping

Manila Pavilion Hotel Christmas and New Year’s Eve feasts with Tradition and Entertainment. Manila Pavilion Hotel is offering hotel guests a Truly Filipino accommodation, a touch of Italian Shopping package and a magical entertainment exclusive evening at Boulvar Music Bar and Seasons Lifestyle Restaurant. Each year, Manila Pavilion Hotel whips a special course menu and decorations are displayed which every family will certainly enjoy for portraits. The Christmas Shopping package starts from Php 1,705 composed of Italian goodies prepared by Chef Giovanni Sias’ and a Truly Filipino room accommodation package for only Php 4,200 inclusive of value added tax, based on two people sharing, and is only available for guests […]
Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach Wins Miss Universe 2015
December 22, 2015

Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach Wins Miss Universe 2015

The entire nation celebrates today as Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach wins the Miss Universe 2015 pageant on Sunday, December 20, in Las Vegas. The title was initially awarded to first-runner up Miss Colombia, but the decision was taken back after host Steve Harvey admitted that he made a “mistake” in the announcement. Second-runner was Miss USA. The Philippines last won the title in 1973 with Margarita Moran and 1969 with Gloria Diaz. Photo courtesy of Miss Universe
Christmas Bazaars Happening in the Metro
December 29, 2015

Christmas Bazaars Happening in the Metro

It’s time to wind up your Christmas shopping! Not done with your Christmas shopping yet? Grab your shopping bag and head over to these Christmas bazaars around the metro. Find that perfect present for your loved ones as each bazaar offers various shopping finds, from fashion to food items at very reasonable prices. Check out these places and enjoy shopping!   1)  Simbang Gabi Christmas Bazaar by the Ateneo Management Association Night shopping + evening mass. Come to the Simbang Gabi Christmas Bazaar organized by the Ateneo Management Association. When: December 15-24, 2015, night bazaar starts at 6pm, mass starts at 8pm Address: Ateneo de Manila University, Katipunan Ave., Loyola […]
Metro Manila Film Festival: A Showcase of Local Entertainment
December 22, 2015

Metro Manila Film Festival: A Showcase of Local Entertainment

It’s that time of the year when Filipino movies dominate the cinemas and foreign films have to give way to locally-produced films. The annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) happens every Christmas day until the first week of January. And although you might miss your Hollywood movie watching time, it is a good opportunity to get to know the local entertainment industry through movies that give you a glimpse of the local culture. Now on its 41st year, the MMFF advocates the patronage of Filipino films by showcasing only local movies during a two-week period. This year’s festival will run from December 25, 2015 to January 7, 2016. Here are […]
Get to Know the Country’s Presidential Candidates
December 15, 2015

Get to Know the Country’s Presidential Candidates

Get to Know the Country’s Presidential Candidates The race is on for the country’s next leader. Curious about the men and women vying to be the country’s chief executive? As you may already know by now, election in the Philippines is not complete without controversies and drama. And since most of the info we have about them come from their own political ads or media reports, it’s good to know some basic important things about them on neutral ground. Let’s get to know some of them in this quick review of their background and career highlights. JEJOMAR BINAY Name: Jejomar “Jojo” Binay Current position: Vice President of the Philippines Career […]
Ride Your Way to Prizes: Cash Cab is Coming to Manila!
December 29, 2015

Ride Your Way to Prizes: Cash Cab is Coming to Manila!

Want to get rich while stuck in traffic? The popular American game show Cash Cab is coming to Manila premiering on December 22, 2015 at 8:50 pm on AXN. Hosted by Ryan Agoncillo, the show will have its encore telecast on December 24, 9:15 pm. To play the game, Cash Cab Philippines will be using a regular taxi cab for disguise. It will traverse along Metro Manila, in search of unwary passengers, with the driver (host) asking them a series of trivia questions. Every correct answer guarantees P1000 as the game gets more difficult. Strike is the term used for every wrong answer, and three strikes will mean that the […]
Japan’s apples and pears are now available in Metro Manila
December 10, 2015

Japan’s apples and pears are now available in Metro Manila

Rustan’s marketplace in Metro Manila started the retailing of apples and pears from Yamagata Prefecture, Japan from December 5th, and will continue until January 2016. Shoppers can see and buy the Japanese apple varieties of “Sinano-Gold” and “Sinano-Sweet” and the popular pear variety “La-France” at the Rustan’s Marketplace outlets. A Japanese apple variety “Fuji” is also sold from the start of January. Japanese apple variety “Sinano-Sweet” French pear variety “La-France” Marketplace of Rustan’s Cental Square BGC Japanese apple variety “Sinano-Gold” Apples and pears are the only fruits, which are permitted for exports from Japan to the Philippines, in accordance with the agreement on plant quarantine between the two countries. Why […]
Court Suspends Granting Permits to Uber, GrabCar
December 06, 2015

Court Suspends Granting Permits to Uber, GrabCar

The Quezon City Regional Trial Court on Friday issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to stop granting permits to app-based ride hailing services Uber and GrabCar and similar transport services operating under the Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS). The TRO includes the stopping of accepting, processing and approving of applications of private motor vehicles as public utility vehicles accredited and belonging to TNVS. QCRTC Judge Santiago Arenas clarified that the TRO does not apply to current operations of Uber and GrabCar, as it only disallows government offices from accepting and approving TNVS applications. […]
Pope Francis is PETA Asia’s Person of the Year
December 02, 2015

Pope Francis is PETA Asia’s Person of the Year

PETA or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has chosen His Holiness Pope Francis as PETA Asia’s Person of the Year. The first pope to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of all animals, Pope Francis has been known as a church leader who cares for animal welfare. He urged the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics and all citizens of the world to reject domination over God’s creation, treat animals with kindness, and respect the environment. In his 2015 treatise, Laudato Si’, the charismatic pope stressed the importance of treating animals with kindness, writing, “Every act of cruelty towards any creature is ‘contrary to human dignity’” and “We […]
President Aquino Thanks World Leaders and Filipino People for APEC 2015
November 20, 2015

President Aquino Thanks World Leaders and Filipino People for APEC 2015

MANILA, Philippines – His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III concluded the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit 2015 during a press conference held at the World Trade Center last November 19, 2015, Thursday afternoon. He graciously thanked the APEC leaders for their “collaborative efforts and positive spirit” in continuously working hard to achieve the goals they share to improve the economy. Photo from apec2015.ph As chairman and host of APEC 2015, he summarized what transpired during this week-long meeting and visit to Manila. APEC leaders have addressed the critical and regional global issues being faced by the Asia-Pacific region, such as terrorism, poverty, global economic growth and climate change, and talked […]
Spain Confers Heritage Award to Intramuros
December 29, 2015

Spain Confers Heritage Award to Intramuros

Manila’s historic district and walled city within the city Intramuros is recently conferred the Premio Patrimonio de la Humanidad (Heritage Award) by Spain. Philippine Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr., as Chairman of the Intramuros Administration, received the award from Jose Juis Rivas Hernandez, Mayor of Avila, Spain, who is also the concurrent president of the Group of World Heritage Cities in Spain. The award recognizes the successful conservation, restoration, and redevelopment programs of the Philippine Department of Tourism in Intramuros. Intramuros was the seat of government during a period in the Spanish colonization of the country and was declared a historic monument in 1951. It has undergone rehabilitation since […]
Road and Traffic Advisory for APEC 2015
November 03, 2015

Road and Traffic Advisory for APEC 2015

As host of this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings, the Philippines will be welcoming leaders and delegates from all over the world for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM), which will be held in Manila from November 18 to 19. These dates have earlier been announced as special non-working days. To further minimize inconvenience to the public, the government has released information on traffic and rerouting schemes to be implemented in Metro Manila from November 16 to 20, during the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week. Please be advised accordingly. Source: Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines
BenCab: The Filipino Artist
January 07, 2016

BenCab: The Filipino Artist

A Retrospective Exhibition The Metropolitan Museum of Manila takes its turn in celebrating the fifty creative years of National Artist BenCab (Benedicto Cabrera) with a retrospective exhibition that opened to the public on Oct. 5 and will run until Feb. 27 next year. BenCab: The Filipino Artist presents a rare opportunity to survey the prolific career of the artist through an assemblage of more than a hundred paintings, prints, drawings, and sculptures loaned from various institutional and private collections, many of which will be on public view for the first time. Each of BenCab’s five decades of artistic harvest is amply represented in the exhibition. It starts from his early […]
Japanese Emperor and Empress to Visit the Philippines
October 15, 2015

Japanese Emperor and Empress to Visit the Philippines

Photo from dailymail.co.uk Furthering the renewed strength of Japan-Philippines relations, the Japanese Majesties, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko are set to visit the Philippines in early 2016. The said visit is in response to the warm invitation President Aquino extended to the Imperial couple as his sign of showing the same hospitality that was accorded him during his state visit to Japan last June. During that visit, Aquino cited the Philippines’ ties with Japan as a “global example of cooperation” as the two countries “know what it is like to overcome the scars of the past and build ties of friendship that promote each other’s stability and prosperity.” The Imperial […]
Sept 25 Declared a Regular Holiday as Muslims Observe Eid’l Adha
September 16, 2015

Sept 25 Declared a Regular Holiday as Muslims Observe Eid’l Adha

Another long weekend is coming up soon as Muslims around the world observe their annual Feast of Sacrifice on September 25, 2015, Friday. President Benigno Aquino III declared the day as a regular holiday through Proclamation 1128. The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos had earlier recommended that the holiday be on September 24 but the Office of the President decided to move it a day later to effect a three-day weekend. Eid’l Adha, as the law describes, is a significant occasion in Islam faith because it is the tenth day in the month of Hajj or Islamic Pilgrimage to Mecca, a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried […]
The Philippines Ranked as One of the Best Countries for Expat Families
September 15, 2015

The Philippines Ranked as One of the Best Countries for Expat Families

Raising a family in a foreign land can be daunting, but for expats living in the Philippines, it looks like they are just in the right place – a country that in fact fosters it. A recent survey done by an international organization ranks the Philippines, a country with a culture known to be nurturing and family-centred as one of the best countries to raise a family for expatriates. Photo grabbed from marketingmag.ca Conducted by Internations.org, a global network of expats that aims to provide a solid community for those living abroad, the Family Life Index 2015 shows the Philippines at the 14th spot among 41 countries. Countries are ranked […]
Apple Unveils its Newest – the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus
September 10, 2015

Apple Unveils its Newest – the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus

iPhone fans all over the world who have been anticipating the newest from the tech giant are now all agog to get to know and get their hands on the latest release from Apple, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. This S generation of iPhone promises to bring the iPhone experience to an entirely new level with its newest features in hardware and software. The only thing that’s changed is everything. With that tagline, Apple boldly claims how this new offering alters the ways, the feel, the form, and function of iPhone in more ways than one while retaining everything we love about the brand – its greatness. It introduces […]
Yoga for Peace: A Joint Effort for Peace in Mindanao
December 28, 2015

Yoga for Peace: A Joint Effort for Peace in Mindanao

THE POWER OF INTENT. Manila and Cagayan de Oro meditates together for peace in Mindanao. . In celebration of the first-ever International Yoga Day, The Art of Living Foundation (AOLF) organized Yoga for Peace in Mindanao last June 21, held at the Art of Living Foundation Center, Makati City from 3:00-5:00 pm. It is a free two-hour session featuring yoga postures, breathing techniques and meditation. It is a simultaneous effort of Manila and Cagayan de Oro to send “ripples of peace” in Mindanao, a place of conflict for years. Regarded as the second largest island in the Philippines, and home to many ethnic minorities, peace talks and treaties seem to […]