Over 400,000 kids in BARMM vaccinated vs measles, rubellaCOTABATO CITY, Philippines — Health workers in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have vaccinated 400,740 children against measles and rubella in the past two weeks, regional officials and local executives announced on Wednesday, February 4. Jet Lim, spokesperson of the BARMM parliament, said the feat was achieved with the support of Muslim religious leaders who helped disprove fallacies and superstitions about vaccines via lectures on Islamic teachings on health care and obligatory cross-sectional disease prevention efforts. “That was achieved with the help of local government units in the autonomous region and with the active involvement of the office of our chief minister in that health initiative,” Sinolinding said. Sinolinding said the MoH-BARMM is also grateful to all physicians managing the Integrated Provincial Health Offices in Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and their personnel for actively pushing forward the measles and rubella vaccination thrusts in all towns in the five provinces. He said the mayors in BARMM's three cities, Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato are also in the forefront of the measles and rubella vaccination campaign, to last until February 13.

Seaside Tawi-Tawi village razed by fireAlmost all of the houses destroyed by the fire that hit Barangay Lamion in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi were made only of semi-permanent materials. COTABATO CITY, Philippines — A fire of still undetermined origin razed no fewer than a thousand stilt houses in the seaside Barangay Lamion in Bongao island town in Tawi-Tawi in the Bangsamoro region on Tuesday night, February 3. Bongao is the capital town of Tawi-Tawi, one of the five provinces in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, whose regional capitol is in uptown area in Cotabato City. BFP regional officials and Brig. “Our units in Tawi-Tawi are helping in relief works for the residents who are now in evacuation sites,” De Guzman said.

US hosts countries for talks to weaken China's grip on critical mineralsA sample of bastnaesite ore, a mineral used in the rare earth industry to extract elements such as cerium, lanthanum, and neodymium, is displayed at the Geological Museum of China in Beijing, China, October 14, 2025. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

Tawi-Tawi seaweed industry gains major boost in 'SEAGIFT' programSpecial Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo Jr., conveying the message of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., led the ceremonial turnover on Wednesday at Bongao Port, Barangay Poblacion, underscoring that the initiative reflects the administration’s commitment to bring meaningful development to geographically isolated and conflict-affected communities. TAWI-TAWI, Philippines — Malacañang has brought a fresh wave of economic momentum to the country’s southernmost province as the Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP) formally delivered the Seaweed Economic Assistance and Government Initiative for Tawi-Tawi (SEAGIFT) — a program designed to transform the local seaweed industry into a pillar of peace and rural prosperity. “Seaweed farming has sustained households, supported local economies, and provided a dignified source of income across our island communities. “We envision a Tawi-Tawi where the seaweed industry goes beyond raw production and becomes a driver of value-adding, enterprise development, and job creation — especially for women and the youth,” the presidential aide said. Implementation will proceed in two phases:Phase I (2024–2026) focuses on production enhancement and capacity building with a P44-million allocation under BFAR’s Enhanced Philippine Seaweed Development Program.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting on the sidelines of a BRICS summit, in Brasilia, Brazil, November 13, 2019. Sputnik/Ramil Sitdikov/Kremlin via REUTERS

Banks now also secure branches within the shopping malls and adjust their working hours for the convenience of weekend mall-goers. However, while I thought that the transformation of our shopping malls was unique to the Philippines, apparently not. The same goes for the once upscale Millenia Walk that used to house only luxury fashion boutiques. I have always been amazed and envious of the underground malls of Japan and Singapore, providing relief from the heat during summer, and in Japan — from the freezing temperature in winter. Unfortunately, for us, because of our location within the typhoon belt, underground malls would be prohibitively expensive to build to ensure that they do not flood.

MV Trisha Kerstin 3 death toll rises to 45Authorities recover bodies from the sunken MV Trisha Kerstin 3 on February 4, 2026. MANILA, Philippines — The death toll from the sinking of MV Trisha Kerstin 3 rose to 45 after two more bodies were recovered by authorities, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday, February 4. This brought the death toll from 43 to 45. The sinking of MV Trisha Kerstin 3 prompted authorities to suspend the operations of its parent company, Aleson Shipping Lines, with a full-blown investigation underway. MV Trisha Kerstin 3 is not the first of the company’s vessels to be involved in an accident, with Aleson linked to at least 31 other maritime incidents.

Mark Belmonte leaves UP for NCAA schoolMANILA, Philippines -- University of the Philippines Fighting Maroon forward Mark Belmonte is taking his talents to the NCAA after exiting Diliman. Belmonte will be taking the leap to the NCAA, and he will be eligible to play in his final collegiate season in NCAA Season 103. "Mark will always have his place as a champion in Diliman. In his three years for the Fighting Maroons, he started 12 games. Next season, the Fighting Maroons will be led by new recruits Veejay Pre, Rainer Maga and James Payosing, and will continue to be anchored by Rey Remogat, Jacob Bayla and Gani Stevens.

Frayna, Fronda play to 26-move drawMANILA, Philippines -- Janelle Mae Frayna and Jan Jodilyn Fronda, two of the country’s top players, came into their fourth round duel expecting fireworks. Nothing popped though as Frayna and Fronda settled for a quick, timid 26-move draw of a Petroff showdown that didn’t alter the Philippine National Women’s Chess Championship landscape that much after four rounds in Malolos, Bulacan. That kept Frayna unflappable at No. 2 with three points alongside fellow national team staple Bernadette Galas, who also drew her duel with Cherry Ann Mejia in 31 moves of an English showdown. All 16 participants are hoping to snare one of the three berths to the World Chess Olympiad this September in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Cunningham powers Pistons past Nuggets rally; Knicks cruiseLOS ANGELES, United States — Cade Cunningham scored 29 points as the Detroit Pistons held off a late rally from the Denver Nuggets to seal a 124-121 victory in their heavyweight potential NBA Finals preview on Tuesday (Wednesday Manila time). But Denver star Nikola Jokic rallied with 10 points in the third quarter and Jamal Murray poured in 14 points in the fourth to reduce the Pistons' lead to single digits in the final minutes. Jamal Murray led Denver's scoring with 32 points while Jokic finished with 24 points, 15 rebounds and four assists. All five Detroit starters finished in double figures, with Cunningham supported by 20 points from Duncan Robinson — including six 3-pointers — and Jalen Duren 19 points. Jaylen Brown's 33 points led the Celtics scoring, with Payton Pritchard adding 26 off the bench.

Photo by JORDAN PETTITT / VARIOUS SOURCES / AFP This combination of files photographs created on February 1, 2026 shows Britain's Prince Andrew (L), Duke of York arriving to attend a Requiem Mass, a Catholic funeral service, for the late Katharine, Duchess of Kent, at Westminster Cathedral in London on September 16, 2025 ; and an undated handout photograph obtained on July 11, 2019 courtesy of the New York State Sex Offender Registry showing Jeffrey Epstein (R).

A full moon is seen shining over NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) and Orion spacecraft, atop the mobile launcher in the early hours of Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Sam Lott/NASA via AP)

This picture taken on January 8, 2026 shows a sumo wrestler sweeping the sacred clay ring "dohyo" during practice at the Kise sumo stable in Tokyo. Photo by MATHIAS CENA / AFP

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential son and House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos has filed a bill seeking to abolish the travel tax, arguing that it no longer serves its purpose and instead burdens Filipino families and slows tourism growth. "When travel becomes more expensive, fewer people move, fewer people spend and fewer opportunities circulate through the economy. Lowering the cost of travel allows Filipino families to allocate their money where it matters most," he added. He also explained that the travel tax disregards the 2022 ASEAN Tourism Agreement, under which member states committed to phasing out travel levies and taxes to promote inter-ASEAN travel. The Philippines is the only Southeast Asian country that imposes a travel tax on its citizens, separate from airport and service fees.

‘Philippines at risk of returning to dirty money list’DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — The Philippines faces a real risk of being placed back on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) gray list, although authorities are taking steps to prevent a reversal of the country’s recent gains in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) reforms. During a media information session held here, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona Jr. acknowledged that vulnerabilities remain, particularly given the country’s historical exposure to money laundering risks, even after its removal from the FATF gray list in 2025. He was also asked whether the ongoing probe into the flood control corruption scandal could affect the country’s risk profile. These are the areas that the FATF continues to monitor closely even after a country exits the gray list. Avoiding a return to the gray list, Rivera said, would require stronger prosecution of major money laundering and corruption-linked cases, tighter monitoring of politically exposed persons and better coordination among government agencies.