MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has set oral arguments on April 8 and April 22 on the four consolidated petitions for certiorari assailing the legality of unprogrammed appropriations and special accounts in the 2024, 2025 and 2026 national budgets. In a press release issued yesterday, SC spokesperson Camille Ting said the oral arguments on both dates will be held at the SC Session Hall in Baguio City at 10 a.m. Prior to the oral arguments, a preliminary conference will be held on Feb. 4 at the SC Session Hall in Manila. The petitioners were specifically seeking the nullification of various adjustments made by the bicameral conference committees in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2024, 2025 and 2026, which effectively inflated the government’s national budget for those years. The SC noted that among the provisions in the 2025 GAA being questioned by the FPJPM was the increased line-item appropriation for the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Special Road Fund to P34.748 billion from P16.756 billion.

More vehicles blamed for metro trafficMANILA, Philippines — Despite getting a lower rank in road congestion rates this year by an overseas firm that studies traffic navigation, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) maintained road traffic conditions in Metro Manila did not improve as more vehicles traverse public roads and highways. MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said an average of 200,000 vehicles were added to the daily traffic volume in the metropolis as of last year, or from 3.6 million vehicles to 3.8 million cars every day. Recently, the Netherlands-based Tomtom Traffic Index 2025 study revealed Manila ranked 40th out of 492 cities in the world in terms of road congestion in 2025, based on the study’s “City” category. The additional 200,000 cars out on the roads would probably also look for parking spaces, which Artes said may also contribute to traffic congestion. We are not promising to end traffic because of the sheer volume of vehicles but at least it won’t worsen and at best relieve the flow of traffic,” he said.

Novak sees ‘good problem’ for AlexSerbia's Novak Djokovic hits a shot against Italy's Francesco Maestrelli during their men's singles match on Day 5 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 22, 2026. MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala took an early exit in the Australian Open but the impact she left was recognized by the tennis greats, including former world No. “Having too much crowd on AO or any other tennis tournament is a very good problem to have. It’s a good sign.”Djokovic’s thoughts stemmed from the record-breaking AO opener with 101,696 spectators, surpassing the 95,290 last year. Lines were long even before Eala’s match at a smaller venue, which AO noted in its official social media account for consideration of bigger venues next time.

2 Pinoys dead as vessel capsizes off ScarboroughPhoto released by the Philippine Coast Guard shows a lifeboat from the capsized M/V Devon Bay (inset) during an aerial search for the Singaporean-flagged general cargo vessel carrying an all-Filipino crew of 21 yesterday. Lower photo from the Chinese embassy shows members of the China Coast Guard with a rescued Filipino seafarer, who later received medical treatment. China Coast Guard rescues 15 crewmen; 4 still missingMANILA, Philippines — Two Filipino sailors were reported dead while four are still missing after a Singapore-flagged cargo vessel with 21 all-Filipino crew members capsized yesterday near Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal, the Chinese embassy confirmed. The Chinese embassy said as of 12:30 p.m. yesterday, 17 were rescued, of whom 14 were in stable condition. It noted that two crew members have been confirmed dead and one was in critical condition and under emergency medical treatment.

Government rolls out new scholarship for underserved studentsEducation Secretary Sonny Angara, Commission on Higher Education chairperson Shirley Agrupis and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority director general Kiko Benitez sign a joint memorandum circular establishing the framework for Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program under the PBBM-GABAY ng Bayan Program in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte yesterday. MANILA, Philippines — Students from low- to middle-income families can now enroll in priority degree and technical-vocational courses through a newly launched merit-based scholarship program, the government announced yesterday. Highlighting the administration’s goal of expanding access to quality higher education, President Marcos formally rolled out yesterday the Bagong Pilipinas Merit-Based Scholarship Program (BPMSP) as part of the administration’s PBBM-GABAY ng Bayan initiatives. The BPMSP is a joint project of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Department of Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Annual support for scholars in private institutions outside NCR may reach P98,000.

Fuel price hikes seen next weekBased on the four-day trading in the Mean of Platts Singapore, local industry experts indicated a potential price increase of P1.20 to P1.40 per liter for diesel and P0.30 to P0.50 per liter for gasoline next week. MANILA, Philippines — January is set to close with another price hike at the pump, as geopolitical risks and stronger demand drive global oil prices higher. Based on the four-day trading in the Mean of Platts Singapore, local industry experts indicated a potential price increase of P1.20 to P1.40 per liter for diesel and P0.30 to P0.50 per liter for gasoline next week. Kerosene prices, meanwhile, could climb by around P0.45 per liter. Final price adjustments will be announced on Monday and will take effect the following day.

A woman holds a Venezuelan flag as people gather outside the U.S. Capitol during Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado's meeting with U.S. senators, following an earlier meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 15, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

Purico's Cabin Resort Purico's Cabin Resort / InstagramIf you want a place that's just a two-hour drive from the Metro, check out Purico's Cabin Resort in Apalit, Pampanga. There are three types of units in the resort complex, but to fulfill your Heated Rivalry fantasy, opt for the three-bedroom pool cabin, which sleeps up to eight people. Laura's Place Laura's Place / FacebookIf you're eyeing a smaller but still cozy place, check out Laura's Place in Cabuyao, Laguna. Laura's Place / FacebookIt also comes with complete furniture and appliances, including a refrigerator, microwave, couch, television, and dining table. Laura's Place is located at Sitio Guinting, Barangay Casile, Cabuyao City, Laguna.

BTS is set to hold a free concert to mark their comeback in Seoul in March 2026. According to a Forbes report, the Seoul Metropolitan government granted conditional approval for the upcoming show, which will be held in Gwanghwamun Square. There's no date for the concert yet, but reports say BTS aims to take the stage between the dates of March 20 and 22. Meanwhile, the Chosun Daily reports that the show is tentatively titled "K-Heritage and K-POP Fusion Performance." We aim to reaffirm BTS's roots as a group in Korea and express our love for the country through this performance," HYBE said, as per the outlet.

Philippine Golf Championship to usher in Asian Tour seasonMANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Golf Championship is the new name of the season-opening event on the Asian Tour — officials confirmed Friday. “If we can host and organize world-class sports tourism events every month, we will do it — from WTA tennis to the Asian Tour,” said PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio. Last year, it was the presenting partner for the hugely successful International Series Philippines. The tournament is expected to have a world-class experience, draw golf fans and media attention as all eyes will be on Wack Wack Golf & Country Club in the first week of February. With the opening event of the season on the Asian Tour starting on home territory, he has the perfect opportunity to begin backing up last year with greater success.

Kim Chiu is selling her preloved items starting as low as P50. You have the chance to own some of the actress' personal pieces as she will be holding the Kim Chiu Closet Bazaar for five days. #KimChiuClosetBazaar2026 pic.twitter.com/Z9EXNu4rBc — kim chiu (@prinsesachinita) January 23, 2026The bazaar will be held from Jan. 28 to Feb. 1 at 33 Sct. The prices of the items will range from P50 to P2,000. All proceeds from the sale will be donated to charity.

The bar crawl of the year is arriving soon. For four nights, the Philippine Cocktail Week 2026 will turn four neighborhoods in Metro Manila into a veritable showcase of over 50 of the best bars in Manila and other parts of the world. Each night will focus on one neighborhood, with bars from China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Singapore, and Thailand pairing with local ones. If you're a Maya Black credit card holder, you can enjoy 20% cashback on drinks at participating bars. If you'd prefer not to do your nightly crawl on foot, take a Grab and use the code PHCOCKTAILWEEK to get 30% off GrabCar rides to and from participating bars.

How much does Venezuela owe China, and why is oil involved? Crude oil drips from a valve at an oil well operated by Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA, in the oil rich Orinoco belt, near Morichal at the state of Monagas.

Russian vlogger nabbed over threat to spread HIVMANILA, Philippines — Four days after the deportation of Russian vlogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy for harassing Filipinos in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, another Russian vlogger was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly threatening to spread human immunodeficiency virus or HIV in the Philippines. Chekhov went viral on social media after threatening to spread HIV in the country. The BI said Chekhov uploaded videos filmed in Taguig’s Bonifacio High Street, in which he made claims that he intended to spread HIV during his stay in the country. “Foreign nationals who come to the Philippines to spread alarm, disrespect our people and abuse our hospitality are not welcome and will face deportation,” Viado said. On Jan. 15, Estonian YouTuber Siim Roosipuu was nabbed and declared persona non grata in Dumaguete City for calling Filipinos as monkeys.

China summons PH ambassador, demands gov't rein in TarrielaMANILA, Philippines — China summoned the Philippine ambassador to Beijing on Thursday, January 22, to demand Manila "undo the negative impact" of Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela's recent public call-outs of Beijing's actions in the West Philippine Sea. They also accused the Philippine side of allowing him to make “misleading and baseless remarks” against China. The string of abrasive social media statements from Beijing's embassy began shortly after Ambassador Jing Quan arrived in Manila in early December 2025. Jing, who spent years as deputy chief of mission at the Chinese embassy in Washington, presented his credentials to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on December 11. The talk featured satirical images of Chinese President Xi Jinping alongside the text "Why China remains to be bully?"