South Korea supports Philippines ASEAN hostingExecutive Secretary Ralph G. Recto met with His Excellency Lee Sang-Hwa, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines, on February 16, 2026. MANILA, Philippines — South Korea has expressed support for the Philippines’ hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit this year and its desire to boost ties with the region, a key global economic player and investment destination. Strengthening relations and expanding investments were discussed during a meeting between South Korea Ambassador Lee Sang-hwa and Executive Secretary Ralph Recto last Monday, Malacañang said yesterday. “Ambassador Lee also conveyed strong support for the Philippines’ hosting of ASEAN meetings this year, noting South Korea’s keen interest in building stronger relations with the region,” the statement read. During the Korean War, the Philippines sent an expeditionary force to Korea to help South Korea defend itself from invading forces from the North.

MANILA, Philippines — Pre-trial judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have denied former president Rodrigo Duterte’s request to appeal the decision declaring him fit to participate in pre-trial proceedings. Duterte’s counsel Nicholas Kaufman had requested for leave to appeal the Jan. 26 decision of the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I. All issues cited by Kaufman are not appealable, the judges pointed out, noting that his request “mispresented” the decision. With the denial of Kaufman’s request, the Feb. 23 confirmation hearing is expected to proceed. Meanwhile, the ICC prosecutor said it takes no position on Kaufman’s request to disqualify the Filipino lawyers appointed by the ICC to represent victims in the proceedings.

DFA hits China embassy over ‘coercive’ warningActivists display anti-China placards and flags during a protest at a park in Manila on June 18, 2019, after a Chinese vessel last week collided with a Philippine fishing boat which sank in the disputed South China Sea and sailed away sparking outrage. In the current atmosphere, this framing risks being perceived as coercive and undermines constructive bilateral dialogue,” the DFA said in a statement. “The DFA once again urges the Chinese embassy to adopt a responsible and measured tone in public exchanges,” it added. Yesterday, Ji said China remains committed to managing differences and resolving disputes with the Philippine side through dialogue and consultation even as he issued another warning to the DFA. “To the Chinese government, threats or warnings of economic sanctions or consequences against the Philippines are not consistent with calls for peaceful resolution.

DepEd starts public consultations on trimester systemMANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) is continuing consultations on the proposed shift to a trimester school calendar, following Malacañang’s directive to ensure extensive dialogues with stakeholders before any implementation. DepEd emphasized that the trimester system remains a proposal and no final decision has been made. Formal policy guidelines will be issued following consultations with teachers, school leaders and other education stakeholders. Thorough studyAmid the consultations, the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) urged DepEd to ensure a thorough study of the proposed shift. Sen. Bam Aquino, meanwhile, said DepEd already has the authority to implement the trimester system through an administrative order without the need for legislation.

AI cannot duplicate human conscience, Catholic schools sayDuring the webinar titled “Education 5.0: The Human and Artificial Intelligence Nexus,” around 200 educators examined the shift from Education 4.0’s focus on digitalization and automation to Education 5.0’s stronger emphasis on ethics and humanism. MANILA, Philippines — Members of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) said artificial intelligence cannot duplicate the human conscience as they pushed for the responsible integration of AI into the teaching-learning process. They stressed that human intelligence, though bounded and imperfect, is interpretive, contextual and guided by conscience, which are qualities that AI cannot replace. The group said Catholic schools are tasked with forming learners who are technologically competent, morally grounded and oriented toward the common good. According to CEAP, Education 5.0 represents an “educational conversion” that puts the human heart at the center of innovation.

CHED incapacitated by outdated charter, staffing shortages – EDCOM 2MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is severely incapacitated in monitoring the quality of higher education institutions (HEIs) due to its outdated charter and critical staffing shortages, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) revealed. Based on CHED data, EDCOM 2 said the number of colleges, universities and undergraduate programs varies significantly across regions. In the National Capital Region (NCR), the CHED regional office has only 31 plantilla personnel overseeing 6,899 undergraduate and graduate programs – a ratio of one staff member to 223 programs. When CHED was established in 1994, the country had 1,755 HEIs and 1.58 million enrolled students. “Higher education curricula must not only be reactive to changes in the basic education curriculum, but must also be responsive to the evolving needs of learners and the workforce,” the EDCOM 2 said.

Abstain from stealing public funds, pols toldCBCP Executive Secretary of Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs, Fr. MANILA, Philippines — As the Catholic Church begins the observance of Lent, an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday advised corrupt politicians to fast and abstain from stealing public funds. “So that we may hold power accountable, let us rally together for the passage of an authentic Anti-Dynasty Bill. The CBCP also called for the creation of local, diocesan or parish-based volunteer groups that would be vigilant in monitoring public funds, programs and projects. But Garcera reminded that in order to achieve change, there should be honesty, love and a personal and communal kind of conversion.

Jollibee Group acquiring another Korean brandBringing Compose Coffee to PhilippinesMANILA, Philippines — Asian food conglomerate Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) is adding another Korean brand to its portfolio, while also announcing plans to bring South Korean value coffee brand Compose Coffee to the Philippines. “We are extremely excited to introduce Compose Coffee to the Philippines this 2026, aligned with its mission of making high-quality coffee more accessible to consumers. This planned launch strengthens one of our key strategic growth pillars — the coffee and tea segment — and positions the Jollibee Group to play a more meaningful role in our customers’ daily routines,” Jollibee Group Philippines CEO Joseph Tanbuntiong said. Compose Coffee was acquired by the Jollibee Group in 2024 to further fortify the its coffee and tea business. JFC International CEO and Jollibee Group global chief financial and risk officer Richard Shin said Compose Coffee’s entry into the Philippines reflects the group’s commitment to scaling brands with strong global potential.

Philippines takes exception to China embassy warning of trade retaliationActivists display anti-China placards and flags during a protest at a park in Manila on June 18, 2019, after a Chinese vessel last week collided with a Philippine fishing boat which sank in the disputed South China Sea and sailed away sparking outrage. Some senators have called for the expulsion of China’s ambassador as they believe Beijing’s actions and public remarks have already crossed diplomatic lines. It was in response to those calls that embassy spokesperson Ji Linpeng warned that downgrading diplomatic relations could “cost millions of jobs,” and questioned whether lawmakers were prepared to compensate displaced workers. Specifically, Ji warned that “any serious damage to diplomatic relations, including downgrading of those relations, would cost millions of jobs.”“Are these senators prepared to personally compensate those for their lost incomes? The embassy has yet to tone down its public remarks even after the DFA has made formal representations to convey its concern about the escalation of these public exchanges.

Fighter jet pilot nabbed in Zambales hid ties to China military, violated PH laws — AñoThe 30-year-old Mongolian national nabbed by the Bureau of Immigration on Feb. 12, 2026, for alleged espionage activities. MANILA, Philippines — National Security Adviser Eduardo Año has confirmed that the Mongolian national arrested in Zambales last week was a trained jet fighter pilot under China's People's Liberation Army who concealed his military background to enroll as an aviation student. Bold-Erdene held a jet fighter license from the PLA Air Force Aviation University, which he did not disclose when he enrolled as a pilot student at the Zambales aviation academy, Año said. Records shared by the bureau show the individual arrested is a graduate of the Defense University of Mongolia and the Civil Aviation University of China. Most notably, he obtained a license as a jet fighter pilot from the People’s Liberation Army Air Force Aviation University and previously served as a soldier with fighter aircraft combat experience.

Nephew of rocket attack survivor mayor killed in ambushLocal officials and the police are cooperating in putting a closure to the ambush incident in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur that left a scion of a big ethnic Maguindanaon clan dead and hurt two others, now both in a hospital. COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Gunmen killed in an ambush on Tuesday morning, February 17, the nephew of the mayor of Shariff Aguak, whose vehicle was shot with a B40 anti-tank rocket and assault rifles last month by three ambushers, which went viral on Facebook and in mainstream media. Datu Yasser and Bangen were both wounded in the incident, now confined to a hospital, according to officials of the Datu Saudi Ampatuan Municipal Police Station. Their assailants managed to escape before responding policemen and soldiers from a nearby roadside detachment could reach the scene. Two of his security escorts sustained superficial wounds caused by the rocket explosion.

DepEd says trimester plan not final after pushback from teachersA parent accompanies a student as classes open for the new school year at an elementary school in Manila on June 16, 2025. "The intent of the proposal is to support broader reforms that simplify planning, improve the use of academic time, and reduce workload pressures on teachers," DepEd said in its statement. What DepEd proposedOn February 13, Education Secretary Sonny Angara announced that DepEd was eyeing a shift from the current four-quarter system to a trimester setup for School Year 2026-2027. DepEd explained that teachers currently lose instructional time to mandatory observances and administrative tasks that crowd the school calendar. The Teachers' Dignity Coalition similarly shared its concern and said DepEd should have consulted teachers before floating the proposal publicly.

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, undefined — US President Donald Trump said Monday he would decide soon on whether to send more weapons to Taiwan, after Chinese President Xi Jinping warned him not to do so. The US must handle arms sales to Taiwan with caution," Xi said, according to China's state broadcaster. The United States approved $11-billion worth of arms to Taiwan in December, Taipei said. While Trump has adopted a softer tone on support for Taiwan in his second term, the issue remains a thorn in US-China relations. On Saturday, Beijing's top diplomat Wang Yi warned the United States against "plotting" on Taiwan, saying it could lead to a "confrontation" with China.

PSA Athlete of the Year plum inspires EalaMANILA, Philippines — Becoming the country’s Athlete of the Year is just the beginning for world tennis rising star Alex Eala. She’s also the first Filipina WTA champion and first Filipina to qualify in all four Grand Slam main draws on top of inspiring the country’s first hosting of a WTA125 event in history. Last December, Eala became the first Filipina gold medalist in the SEA Games tennis in more than two decades. “I’m so honored to be named the PSA Athlete of the Year alongside Carlos Yulo. And Eala is not yet done, strutting her stuff in the ongoing WTA1000 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with a gigantic second-round clash against world No.

Japan hails 'new chapter' with first Olympic pairs skating goldGold medalists Japan's Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara pose after the victory ceremony of the figure skating pair skating free skating final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on February 16, 2026. TOKYO, Japan — Japan hailed a "new chapter" in the country's figure skating on Tuesday after Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara pulled off a stunning comeback to claim pairs gold at the Milan-Cortina Olympics. Miura and Kihara won Japan's first Olympic pairs gold with the performance of their careers, coming from fifth overnight to land the title with personal best scores. It was the first time Japan had won an Olympic figure skating pairs medal of any color. "I feel it is a remarkable feat that opens a new chapter in the history of Japanese figure skating."