Nearly 3 million riders availed of free December train ridesCommuters from the private sector avail themselves of free rides on Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) at Antipolo Station in Masinag, Antipolo, Rizal, on December 23, 2025. MANILA, Philippines — Nearly three million passengers benefited from the government’s free train rides during the 12-day Christmas period in December, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said. The agency said the highest single-day turnout was recorded on Christmas Day, when more than 835,000 commuters availed themselves of free rides across all three rail lines. The free rides also covered members of the LGBTQIA+ community, solo parents, domestic workers, and government and private sector employees. Uniformed personnel and veterans were also included, with the program culminating in a final day when free rides were made available to all commuters.

Libreng sakay: LRT-2, MRT-3 offer free rides on Rizal DayCommuters board and alight the LRT-2 train at various stations in Quezon City and Manila on March 5, 2023. MANILA, Philippines — Two major train lines will offer free rides to commuters on Rizal Day, Dec. 30, transport authorities said. In separate advisories issued Saturday, December 27, the Light Rail Transit Authority, the concessionaire of LRT Line 2, and MRT-3 announced that they will implement free rides on Tuesday. For LRT-2, free rides will be available from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The MRT-3 will also offer libreng sakay during the same periods, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

S&P 500 surges to record after strong US economic reportTraders work on the floor of the New York stock Exchange (NYSE) during a shortened trading day before the Christmas holiday on December 24, 2025 in New York City. NEW YORK, United States — The S&P 500 powered to a fresh record Tuesday following data showing surprisingly robust third-quarter US economic growth as markets hope for a year-end "Santa Claus Rally." The S&P 500 finished up 0.5% at 6,909.79, narrowly topping a record set earlier this month. "Simply put, despite solid GDP figures and a stock market at record highs, consumers are feeling some anxiety," he said. Europe's main stock markets ended mixed"European stock markets appear to have entered a period of consolidation as we head into the final trading days of 2025," said Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets.

Full disclosure of 2026 budget allotment urgedTHE leadership of the House of Representatives is being pressed to guarantee full disclosure of budget allocations ahead of the Dec. 29 vote on the proposed 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA). The House leaders must release detailed information on how funds are allocated to each congressional district and party-list before lawmakers cast their votes on the national budget, Rep. Tobias Tiangco said on Saturday. Without any disclosure, Tiangco said, the lawmakers have no way of verifying whether certain districts or party-list groups received disproportionate budget increases. Student’s website tracks public works projectsA 16-YEAR-OLD Filipino student in California has created a website that tracks and documents public infrastructure projects and uses artificial intelligence to evaluate construction quality. Opinion and editorialMarlen Ronquillo is today’s front page columnist, claiming that US President Donald Trump’s National Security Strategy is a consequential document that is being ignored.

I am putting together this reading list for 2026 not out of self-improvement panic or New Year optimism but out of a quieter, more stubborn need to stay awake. Half of it is fiction, because understanding people matters just as much. It is not a cheerful book, but it is a clarifying one, and clarity feels like a civic duty now. The ability to finish a thought, a book, or a commitment is a defiant statement in a culture engineered to pull you elsewhere. Reading it feels like an ethical act, a refusal to turn away from despair simply because it is uncomfortable.

When Kevin Tan hosted a Christmas lunch for publishers and journalists, his comms exec Harold Geronimo asked us: What is your wish for 2026? Isidro ConsunjiPresident and CEO of DMCI Holdings;CEO of Semirara Mining Corp.My wish for 2026 is simple: that taxpayers’ money be used wisely. Florabel Co-YatcoNanay Partylist RepresentativeMy wish for 2026 is simple, yet it holds my whole heart: that my family will be healthy and truly happy. Steven TanSM Supermalls presidentFor 2026, I wish for the adoption of more sustainable business practices. Kim CamachoChairman/president of Schoolsof Encounter Foundation, Inc.My wish for 2026 is for the foundation that Lito and I are setting up in obedience to the late Pope Francis to successfully launch its first program in 2026.

New dashcam footage seen as key in Cabral’s probeFormer DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral attends the House Infra Committee's hearing into anomalous flood control projects on Sept. 9, 2025. MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has obtained new dashcam footage that it described as “very substantial” in the ongoing probe into the death of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral. NBI spokesman Palmer Mallari said the footage showed Cabral sitting on the concrete pavement between safety barriers along Kennon Road on Dec. 18, with no companion and no vehicle in sight. “We found very, very substantial dashcam footage showing Undersecretary Cabral sitting at the lowest portion,” Mallari noted. “The previous footage and photos made it appear she was sightseeing, sitting on a barrier or standing with her vehicle.

No ‘big fish?’ Ping disappointedMANILA, Philippines — Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson yesterday expressed disappointment as the government failed to fulfill its promise of catching the “big fish” in the flood control corruption scandal before Christmas. “Who else will believe in the government if promises were not kept and fulfilled? Some have been jailed, but not those our people want to see behind bars,” Lacson said in a dwIZ interview yesterday. “I share the disappointment of the citizens about what’s happening,” he added, noting that the Senate Blue Ribbon committee probe he led had already uncovered damning evidence of corruption. Christmas went by with only flood control contractor Sarah Discaya behind bars over the alleged P96.5-million “ghost” flood control project in Davao Occidental.

A firefighter works at the site of an apartment building hit during Russian missile and drone strikes, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine December 27, 2025. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

Ombudsman ready to take on ICI tasks“The Office of the Ombudsman sees this as the natural flow of things. MANILA, Philippines — The ombudsman is ready to take on the task that the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has started, should the latter cease operations following the successive resignations of two of its commissioners, assistant ombudsman Mico Clavano said yesterday. The ICI was established during the transition from one ombudsman to another to ensure quick and reliable fact-finding and investigation,” Clavano said in a statement, when sought for comment on the resignation of ICI commissioner Rossana Fajardo effective Dec. 31. “Now, with a new ombudsman ready to take on the task, the ICI was quick to relay their referrals for further fact-finding and/or preliminary investigation,” Clavano said. Thus, the exposure is high, especially for those who head the commission,” Clavano said.

Meeting the Needs of OthersIf you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it by sunset. After Cyndi and her young son Phillip spent a day searching for him, Phillip was rightly concerned for his dad’s well-being. Whether we seek to meet the needs of many—as Cyndi and Phillip have—or those of a single person, we honor Him by treating them with dignity and care. — Kirsten HolmbergHow has God supplied your needs through others? Heavenly Father, please open my eyes to the needs of others.

Anti-drug cops nabbed for ‘robbery raid’ in PasigNational Capital Region Police Office director Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberin has ordered the filing of criminal and administrative cases against the police officers who are assigned with the Eastern Police District’s drug enforcement unit. MANILA, Philippines — Eight anti-narcotics police officers and a civilian were arrested after they allegedly illegally ransacked the house of a drug suspect in Pasig City on Friday. Officers from the Pasig police station responded to the scene and confronted the anti-narcotics operatives, who failed to present documents to back their supposed anti-illegal drug operation. The operatives were disarmed of their service firearms and were placed under arrest together with their civilian accomplice. We will make sure they will answer for their violation,” Aberin said in a statement.

PNP probes disappearance of priest in TaclobanIn a statement, the Eastern Visayas Police Office said it is conducting an in-depth investigation into the disappearance of Caintoy, parish priest of San Jose de Malibago Parish in Babatngon town in Leyte, about 25 kilometers away from Tacloban. MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police is investigating the disappearance of Fr. Edwin Caintoy in Tacloban City on Dec. 23, as it urged netizens to refrain from posting unverified information on social media. In a statement, the Eastern Visayas Police Office said it is conducting an in-depth investigation into the disappearance of Caintoy, parish priest of San Jose de Malibago Parish in Babatngon town in Leyte, about 25 kilometers away from Tacloban. “The public and the media are advised to rely only on official sources for confirmed updates,” police said in a statement, noting that some netizens have posted on social media that the priest has been found.

House sets memorial service for former congressmanMANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives will hold on Monday a memorial service for the late Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop to pay tribute to his life of service and enduring contributions to legislation. A Requiem Mass will be celebrated at 9 a.m., followed by the memorial service to be led by Speaker Faustino Dy III at the Plenary Hall. Acop served as representative of Antipolo City’s 2nd District during the 15th, 16th and 17th Congresses from 2010 to 2019, and again during the 19th and 20th Congresses from 2022 to 2025. Throughout his years in public service, Acop was widely respected for his integrity, firm principles and dedication to the rule of law. “The passing of Honorable Romeo Acop is a great loss not only to his family, friends, colleagues and the communities he served, but also to the Filipino people and to the country that benefited from his faithful and dedicated service,” read a portion of House Resolution 601, which recognized his service in government and contributions to public order, good governance and the rule of law.

PNP intensifies operations vs illegal firecracker factoriesMembers of Philippine National Police (PNP) Pangasinan, together with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), conducts the ceremonial destruction of confiscated illegal firecrackers, pyrotechnics, and improvised cannons locally known as “boga” at the provincial police headquarters in Lingayen on December 27, 2025MANILA, Philippines — After an explosion killed two people in a makeshift factory in Dagupan City in Pangasinan, the Philippine National Police (PNP) vowed to intensify its operations against illegal firecracker manufacturers ahead of the New Year’s Eve revelry. Acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the incident should serve as a wake-up call for people who illegally manufacture and sell firecrackers. “You are not only violating the law, but you are also putting innocent lives at risk,” Nartatez said in a statement. “Unfortunately, this incident shows the deadly consequences when the law is ignored.”Nartatez has ordered an investigation to identify and hold accountable the people behind the makeshift factory.