Survival modeIn case you missed it, there has been a shift in President Marcos’ view on the impeachment of his estranged UniTeam partner, Vice President Sara Duterte. Maybe that’s why this year’s “cleanest budget ever” still contains unprogrammed appropriations (“hard pork”) and a much-expanded pile of “soft pork” ayuda for every need that politicians can endorse for patronage. Malacañang has expressed confidence that the unprogrammed appropriations will withstand SC scrutiny. * * *Over the holidays, BBM must have had an epiphany and realized the nightmare that he and his family would face in case VP Sara wins the presidency in 2028. BBM added: “Not only the legacy of my father, but even our own survival required that somebody go into politics.”These days, with his arch foe seen as the strongest contender for the 2028 presidency, and none of his relatives and supporters looming as a credible challenger, BBM is again on survival mode.

Immigration stops Russia-bound trafficking attempt at NAIAPhoto showing an immigration clearance lane at the airport from the Bureau of Immigration. MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration intercepted two Filipino men at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on January 2, preventing them from becoming victims of a human trafficking scheme bound for Russia. Immigration officers said the two initially presented themselves as tourists, but a secondary inspection showed their travel was intended to facilitate illegal employment abroad. The BI said it had received prior intelligence about a larger group targeted for trafficking to Russia, prompting officers to closely monitor passengers with inconsistent travel accounts. The two men were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for assistance and to support the filing of criminal charges against their recruiters.

Korean actress Koo Hye Sun has completed her master's program! The K-star excitedly shared the news in an Instagram post as she shared her graduation photo and gave a look at her thesis submitted to the Korean Institute of Science and Technology. "Passed my master's thesis and graduated early. In a previous Instagram post, Koo revealed that her eco-friendly hair roller, "Kurool," was selected for the 2025 Excellent Patent Award. In 2024, she pursued a master's degree in engineering at KAIST’s Graduate School of Science Journalism.

P114.5M drugs disguised as malachite seizedAuthorities inspect a shipment declared as malachite stones but is suspected to be illegal drugs on January 8, 2026. MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs said it seized P114.57 million worth of suspected illegal drugs that smugglers attempted to pass off as malachite stones. Inspection of the shipment revealed four boxes containing suspected illegal drugs weighing 4,320 grams, 3,622 grams, 4,599 grams, and 4,307 grams, respectively. This yielded in a total of 16,848 grams of suspected illegal drugs, with an estimated street value of more than P114.5 million. The Bureau will remain relentless in screening, inspecting, and stopping illegal drugs at our borders," BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said.

EDSA Busway ridership tops 66 million in 2025Public utility buses pass through the EDSA Bus Lane at the Santolan Station in Quezon City. MANILA, Philippines — The EDSA Busway recorded higher ridership in 2025, serving more than 66 million passengers, the Department of Transportation said. Its single-day peak for the year was recorded in April 2025, with 321,186 passengers taking the busway within a 24-hour period. According to the DOTr, the EDSA Busway has served a cumulative 341,307,843 passengers since operations began in June 2020. He said the planned upgrades include a more modern Kamuning Busway station and the addition of three new busway stations in 2026 to improve passenger comfort and travel speed.

BSP flags downside inflation risks in 2026MANILA, Philippines — The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas sees inflation risks in 2026 tilted to the downside, with new analysis showing a high chance that price growth could slip below the lower end of the government’s target range as global commodity prices stay benign and domestic pressures remain muted. During low inflation periods, expectations play a bigger role than current inflation. External factors also matter more when inflation risks are on the upside. Meanwhile, domestic indicators such as the output gap and credit gap were found to have little influence on 12-month ahead inflation risks compared with external shocks. On the downside, the BSP said inflation expectations are the key driver, particularly in an environment of sustained low inflation.

Yeison Jimenez, a popular singer-songwriter in Colombia, died in a plane crash just hours before his scheduled concert. “With heavy hearts and indescribable grief, Yeison Jimenez's organization and team deeply regret to announce his passing,” his representative said in a statement translated into English. The musician and his team were scheduled to travel to Medellín to perform that night. Jimenez was a known singer in the Colombian music scene. He became the first Colombian artist to sell out tickets at Bogotá’s Movistar Arena thrice and Bogotá’s El Campín Stadium in 2024 and 2025, respectively, according to Billboard.

Hong Kong banks trim deposit rates, though some lenders buck trendA Hong Kong dollar note is seen in this illustration photo May 31, 2017.

Crystal ball at the PSEPhilippine Stock Exchange president and CEO Ramon Monzon seems to have a crystal ball. Broadening is now spreading from sectors to global markets, as investors widen their opportunity set beyond the US. Why the “broadening trade” matters to the PhilippinesWhen global leadership is narrow, investors crowd into the deepest and most liquid trades. And Philippine equities offer an attractive yield buffer versus global markets. With global markets making new highs, the downside for the PSEi may just be staying range-bound for longer.

2026: When authenticity meets the machineIf 2025 was the year organizations flirted with artificial intelligence, 2026 will be the year communicators are judged on whether they can balance it with something machines still cannot convincingly replicate: human authenticity. It drafts press releases in seconds, monitors sentiment in real time, flags potential crises before they trend and optimizes message distribution with machine precision. This is why the danger in 2026 is not overusing AI, but outsourcing judgment to it. The best communicators in 2026 will treat AI as an intelligence layer, not a moral compass. Communicators who master the balance between human authenticity and machine intelligence will operate with both speed and soul.

Resolutions we can keepAlmost two weeks after the New Year, I’m sure many of us are still struggling with the resolutions we made – you know, the same ones we announced a year ago, like losing weight, buying no more (supply the object – shoes, watches, dresses), emptying the closet and being nicer to (supply the officemate or in-law). I had to think that there must be resolutions we can make and actually keep – not easy or frivolous ones, but resolutions that will make a real difference in how we think, behave and live. The days are gone when you can assume that what you see is true unless proven otherwise; if you have to assume anything, assume the opposite. It’s been said that today, especially online and on social media, people don’t read to understand, but to reply. If you can’t change the system, change a life – you might even change yours.

Ready and open for business in 2026I can already tell that 2026 will be an eventful year. This handover will be, in many ways, the closest thing to a dress rehearsal for ASEAN 2026. The private sector supports these priorities and will align its programs and proposals so that public and private efforts complement each other. ASEAN 2026 will provide the ideal platform for those voices to be amplified on a regional stage. ASEAN 2026 will also be the most significant event of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term.

Weak or strong peso“The economics doesn’t warrant defending the peso,” BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. said last Thursday. A weaker peso raises the peso value of OFW remittances and will boost consumer demand in our consumer driven economy. But there is always strong pressure for a strong peso from politicians who mistakenly think a strong peso shows a strong economy. Sectors of the economic elite who thrive on imports also want a strong peso. Either tighten standards for rural bank digital transformations, or make the digital bank licensing pathway more attractive.”Interesting times.

Lacson: Imee had P2.5 billion ‘allocables’ in 2025 budgetMANILA, Philippines — Sen. Imee Marcos has no moral ascendancy to denounce the 2026 national budget as being “tadtad ng pork” (filled with pork barrel) when she herself had billions of pesos in “allocable” funds reflected in the “Cabral files,” Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said on Saturday. Lacson said Marcos’ name appeared in the Cabral files with an allocable amount of around P2.5 billion at the NEP level, even before insertions were finalized. She said minced pork, that there is pork barrel in the 2026 budget,” Lacson told radio dzBB. “Perhaps she wants to apply as the ‘meow meow of the Senate’? We don’t want a meow meow in the Senate, but someone seems interested to apply,” Lacson said, referencing suspended Cavite Rep. Kiko Barzaga, who is known for his “meow meow” antics during House sessions.

PSE targets more capital raising, IPOs in 2026PSE president and CEO Ramon Monzon has set the exchange’s capital raising goal for the year between P170 billion and P175 billion. PSE president and CEO Ramon Monzon has set the exchange’s capital raising goal for the year between P170 billion and P175 billion. In 2025, the PSE registered a 75-percent surge in total capital raised from the sale of primary and secondary shares and warrants to P144.14 billion from P82.37 billion raised in the previous year. The PSE was originally projecting only P120 billion for capital-raising activities in 2025, but later on raised its target to P185 billion. Monzon said the PSE is also working with the SEC on reducing the public float for an IPO.