M8 World Championship headed outside Southeast AsiaJAKARTA, Indonesia — Moonton Games, the developer of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), has announced that the M8 World Championship will be hosted in Turkiye, the first world MLBB world championship to be held outside Southeast Asia. The announcement was made at the tail end of the MLBB esports roadmap presentation ahead of the M7 World Championship grand finals between the Philippines' Aurora Gaming PH and Indonesia's Alter Ego. Starting 2026, Moonton Games will be implementing the MLBB Championship Tour, bringing together five regions: Southeast Asia, East Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia; Europe, Middle East and Africa; and Americas, enabling more teams to reach the world stage. The M-Series World Championship has seen double hosts with Singapore (M2 and M3), Malaysia (M1 and M6), and Indonesia (M4 and M7), while the Philippines has hosted the world championship once back in 2023 (M5). The M8 World Championship is slated in January 2027.

DA halts agricultural land reclassification applicationsMANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has imposed a six-month moratorium on new applications for agricultural land reclassification to review existing policies and strengthen regulation amid concerns over the rapid conversion of farmlands. 1 dated Jan. 5, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. directed an immediate halt to the receipt and processing of Land-Use Reclassification Certification applications until June, allowing previously filed applications to proceed while deferring all appeals for the duration of the moratorium. Analysts and agricultural groups have repeatedly warned that unchecked land conversion could undermine food self-sufficiency, particularly as global supply chains face recurring disruptions. The DA said the moratorium aligns with its broader agenda for 2026, which includes improving agricultural supply chains, strengthening farm infrastructure and expanding productivity support programs to boost local output. The DA said the outcome of the policy review during the moratorium period will guide future regulations on land-use reclassification and the long-term balance between development and agricultural sustainability.

17 rescued Filipino seafarers transferred to PhilippineThe Chinese Embassy in Manila shared the emotional reunion of the rescued Filipino crew members of the cargo vessel that capsized near Scarborough Shoal on January 23, 2026. “Seventeen people have been successfully rescued, two of which ended up losing their lives. Two Filipino sailors died while four are still missing after M/V Devon Bay, with 21 Filipino crewmembers, capsized on Friday. China said its coast guard rescued the Filipino sailors. Manila acknowledged the rescue of Filipino sailors, but underlined that humanitarian assistance does not override sovereign rights.

Man City drop points in chase of Arsenal, Liverpool and Man Utd also draw

DBM rolls out third tranche of government salary hikesMANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has ordered the implementation of the third tranche of the updated salary schedule for civilian government personnel starting Jan. 1, as part of the four-year pay adjustment program. The DBM laid down detailed rules on how agencies should adjust pay. Salaries of incumbents will be aligned with the corresponding step in the new schedule, while new hires will receive Step 1 of the salary grade of their position. For those whose current pay already exceeds Step 8 of their salary grade, the circular states that their salary will be capped at Step 8 and they “shall not be entitled to salary increase” under this tranche. The circular was signed by acting Budget Secretary Rolando Toledo and takes effect Jan. 1, marking the third step in the government’s four-tranche pay adjustment program that will run until 2027.

House resumes session, eyes passage of 36 LEDAC billsWorkers do renovation works around the House of Representatives within the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City on July 3, 2024. MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives will resume session today, focusing on passing 36 remaining priority bills of President Marcos, under the 48 bills listed in the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC). The President’s son, House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, vowed to “push for a faster and more disciplined pace in the House” as legislators report back to their legislative work. “We’ve proven that the House can move quickly when we agree on the urgency and do the committee work properly. Adiong said the measure reflects lessons learned from post-conflict and disaster rehabilitation efforts, where education access often lags behind housing and infrastructure.

Perez delivers killer blitzTNT forward Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser finds an open lane to the basket as Henry Galinato looks on in Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals last night at the MOA Arena. MANILA, Philippines — When the chips were down, San Miguel Beer could count on CJ Perez to save the day. Mo Tautuaa (14) and Marcio Lassiter (10) also played solid ball in helping SMB seize control of the race-to-four contest, 2-1. Calvin Oftana produced his best output of the finals for TNT with 25. The Tropany 5G threatened to steal Game 3 as Rey Nambatac and Oftana combined for a 10-0 salvo that put them ahead at 89-86 with 50 seconds left.

Protocol and crowd controlToday, the first WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open begins in earnest. A country that has hungered for great tennis since the middle of the 1980s finally gets its wish. Frankly, it is a happy problem to have a larger audience, as acknowledged by tennis players who have seen the Filipino phenomenon. We are all happy for the return of great tennis to the Philippines. We have a great opportunity to show that we can also be refined and respectful when it is necessary.

Obiena went up against seven vaulters, including three top 10 contenders, and failed to clear 5.70m thrice to settle for third place. 5 Menno Vloon of the Netherlands took the gold with a 5.75m jump and tried to clear 5.85m thrice but failed. 16 Bo Kanda Lita Baehre of Germany (5.45m) and No. Actually, EJ just set a personal best of 5.70m with 16 steps at the SEA Games. The same deadline applies for vaulters to qualify through their world rankings which are determined by earned competition points.

FIVB affirms Liao’s mandateMANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Volleyball Federation, now under the leadership of president Tonyboy Liao, has got the blessings of the FIVB, the sport’s world governing body. “The FIVB hereby informs you that the election process at the Philippine National Volleyball Federation satisfies the legal and administrative requirements in compliance with the FIVB regulations,” said FIVB head of legal and general counsel Stephen Bock in a letter to PNVF Friday.

Revilla medical quarantine ends this weekFormer senator Bong Revilla arrives at the Sandiganbayuan on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. The anti-graft court ordered his detention at the Quezon City Jail in Payatas following his surrender over a malversation case in the Bulacan flood control scam. BJMP spokesman Jayrex Bustinera yesterday said the situation inside the Quezon City Jail has remained normal, with no reported health or security concerns during the quarantine period. He also confirmed that the Sandiganbayan conducted a surprise inspection of the Quezon City Jail amid a petition seeking Revilla’s transfer to another detention facility. Once the quarantine ends, Revilla is expected to join the general jail population, where BJMP policy limits occupancy to no more than 10 detainees per cell, with one bed per inmate.

A male immigration officer was guiding OFW passengers towards a special or dedicated lane while saying: “Dito po kayo sa lane ng OFW. Dito po kayo, dahil kayo ay mga VIP.” (Please pass through the OFW Lane, because you are VIPs.) I still remember that second-class feeling but last Friday upon our arrival, things were different. We regularly hear complaints about how jampacked the immigration counters get or that the processing is slow. Many passengers usually think only about check-in and departure time but forget to factor in processing time at immigration counters.

Pope names new Kalibo bishopPope Leo XIV delivers the Regina Caeli prayer from the main central loggia of St Peter's basilica in The Vatican, on May 11, 2025. MANILA, Philippines — Pope Leo XIV on Saturday appointed Fr. Cyril Villareal as the new bishop of Kalibo in Aklan, succeeding Bishop Jose Corazon Tala-oc who retired in June 2025. According to CBCPNews, the pontiff named the 51-year-old priest on Jan. 24 as a bishop, transferring him from the Archdiocese of Capiz to Kalibo. Villareal has been the parish priest of St. Thomas of Villanova parish in Dao, Capiz since July 2024.

‘GDP growth falters, misses 2025 target’Photo shows the skyline at the Ortigas Business Center in Pasig. MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine economy likely grew below the government’s 5.5 to 6.5 percent target in 2025 and at a slower pace compared to 2024, according to economists. This brings the full-year 2025 growth projection to 4.5 percent, below the 5.7 percent full-year expansion in 2024. For her part, Moody’s Analytics assistant director-economist Sarah Tan said the economy likely posted a 5.3-percent growth in the fourth quarter last year, bringing the estimated full-year growth for 2025 to 5.1 percent. Data on the country’s fourth quarter and full-year 2025 economic performance will be released on Jan. 29.

We saw it during the scandal-plagued presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, when separate impeachment complaints were filed against her and then vice president Noli de Castro. It became routine for a weak impeachment complaint to be filed against GMA at the start of every regular session of Congress. Critics suspect that the Marcos administration has borrowed a page from GMA’s book in the filing of the first impeachment complaint against BBM last week. Joseph Estrada, following his ouster as president, had filed an impeachment complaint in 2003 against then chief justice Hilario Davide Jr. Leni Robredo as vice president also faced an impeachment complaint in 2017, but no congressman endorsed it.