The Philippine Star - December 28, 2024

In this issue

December 28, 2024

Report spoof messages, online scams, public urged

With online scams appearing to continue unabated, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has urged the public to be more alert and report new tricks employed by scammers - including sending \"spoof\" messages - to help authorities track and prosecute them.

3 mins

Firecracker injuries reach 101, with 5 amputations

Cases of firecracker-related injuries rose to 101 after 32 new cases were recorded nationwide, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

1 min

No cyclones in next 2 weeks, but rains to persist

No tropical cyclone is expected in the next two weeks, but rains will persist in some areas in the country, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) yesterday.

1 min

Pinoy New Year Optimism Hits 15-Year Low - Poll

Most Filipinos remain hopeful for the coming year, but pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS) noted that expectations ahead of 2025 are the lowest in 15 years.

1 min

Fuel Price Rollback Expected in 2025

Following five straight weeks of increases, motorists can look forward to a fuel price rollback in the first week of 2025.

1 min

DA Urges Consumers: Buy Local Fruits

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is urging consumers to prioritize local fruits instead of imported fruits to help farmers as demand is expected to increase during the New Year celebration.

1 min

BBM review of 2025 budget almost done - Palace

President Marcos is nearly finished with his review of the 2025 national budget, which he is expected to rid of certain provisions, particularly what he deemed were unexplained \"insertions\" and cuts in some key agencies.

6 mins

DSWD says ayuda program not pork barrel

The Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is not a form of pork barrel and barangay officials are not involved in choosing its beneficiaries.

1 min

Gov't Eyes Expanded P40/Kilo Rice Program

Affordable rice will soon be available in more public markets nationwide as the government eyes the expansion of its P40 per kilo program, Malacañang said yesterday.

2 mins

Admin bets leading Senate poll - SWS

Pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS) has confirmed the results of a commissioned survey showing administration candidates leading among those running in the 2025 senatorial elections.

1 min

DOJ Urged: Start Drug War Probe

The Department of Justice (DOJ) should start its probe into the \"fake drug war\" of former president Rodrigo Duterte and his cohorts, Alliance of Concerned Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said on Thursday.

2 mins

NCR, Luzon LGUs told: Prepare for strong earthquakes, tsunamis

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla has asked local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila, Regions 1, 2, 3, 4-A and 4-B to prepare for possible strong earthquakes and tsunamis amid a series of earthquakes generated by the Manila Trench.

2 mins

Schools to deliver alternate modes of learning during calamities

While in-person classes may still be suspended, schools are now mandated to implement alternative modes of delivering lessons to students in times of natural and man-made calamities to minimize learning disruptions.

1 min

NBI in 2024: Major wins vs cybercrimes, fugitives

The National Bureau of Investigation marked 2024 as a year of significant breakthroughs, with its campaigns against cybercrime and high-profile fugitives under the leadership of NBI Director Jaime Santiago.

3 mins

Protect animals from New Year noise, fumes

As the New Year revelry approaches, the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and EcoWaste Coalition are appealing to the public to ditch firecrackers and fireworks and to ensure that cats, dogs and other pets are protected from the noise, which causes the animals trauma.

1 min

EDSA Shrine to bless politicians, gov't workers

For its Jubilee Year in 2025, the EDSA Shrine will open its doors to politicians and other government workers, giving them a plenary indulgence if they attend the celebration on Jan. 5.

1 min

Meralco Ready to Respond This Holiday

Power utility giant Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has assured its eight million customers that it is ready to respond to any power outage or electrical issues that may arise as the country rings in the New Year.

1 min

LTO Suspends Truck in Katipunan Mishap

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has ordered a 90-day preventive suspension on the registration of the truck that figured in a fatal accident at the Katipunan flyover in Quezon City that left four people dead and 25 others injured early this month.

1 min

DOH Reports 284 Road Accidents This Season

The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday reported 284 road traffic accidents amid the rush this Holiday season.

1 min

Learning continuity

This week the Department of Education ordered public schools from kindergarten to high school to shift to alternative modes of delivering lessons instead of simply suspending classes during calamities.

1 min

Preparing for 2025

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

4 mins

Celebrating the holidays 250 miles above Earth

In June, two NASA astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, set out for what was expected to be an eight-day trip to the International Space Station.

1 min

Fixing a bad budget

THE BROADER VIEW

4 mins

Instead of peace talks, GRP dangles amnesty offer

AT GROUND LEVEL - In early September this year, presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. sent a text message to The STAR saying: \"We need to continue the dialogue with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and remove the conditions that can stall our aspiration for the final peace agreement.

4 mins

Twenty years ago a tsunami killed 230,000 people; we can do better now

The New York Times On Dec. 26, 2004, one of the largest recorded earthquakes struck off the Indonesian island of Sumatra, heaving a piece of seafloor roughly the length of California about 36 feet sideways and 16 feet up. Some 6,000 aftershocks followed.

4 mins

Boracay tourist arrivals surge during holidays

Boracay Island in Malay, Aklan remains the country's top tourist destination, especially during the Yuletide.

1 min

Angat Dam nearing ideal yearend elevation

Heavy rain in the past few days has raised the water elevation in Angat Dam closer to the reservoir's ideal yearend level of 212 meters.

1 min

Ex-Albay gov disqualified from running in 2025 polls

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has disqualified a former governor in Albay from running in the 2025 midterm elections.

1 min

Floods hit Phl areas: 1 dead

Heavy rain brought by the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), shear line and low-pressure areas has caused widespread flooding across the country during the holidays, with one fatality reported in Eastern Samar, the Office of Civil Defense said yesterday.

1 min

Peru Declares Environmental Emergency After Oil Spill

Peru's government on Thursday declared an environmental emergency in a northern coastal area, where state oil firm Petroperu last weekend spilled a crude oil shipment into surrounding waters of the Pacific Ocean.

1 min

Acting South Korean President Also Impeached

SEOUL (AFP)—South Korean lawmakers impeached the acting president yesterday, as the country struggles to shake off political turmoil sparked by his predecessor's martial law declaration that shocked the world.

1 min

Israel Strikes Houthi Targets in Yemen, Killing 6

Israel struck multiple targets linked to the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen on Thursday, including Sanaa International Airport, and Houthi media said at least six people were killed.

1 min

India Announces State Funeral for Ex-PM Manmohan Singh

India announced seven days of state mourning yesterday after the death of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, one of the architects of the country's economic liberalization in the early 1990s.

1 min

Russian Missile Suspected in Azerbaijani Plane Crash

Azerbaijani and US officials believe a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the deadly crash of an Azerbaijani passenger jet, media reports and a US official said on Thursday.

1 min

'Baby Driver' actor Hudson Meek dies falling from moving car

Teenage actor Hudson Meek (in photo) has died after he fell out of a moving vehicle in Alabama, authorities said.

1 min

Oklahoma City rolls to ninth straight win

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tied his career high with 45 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 120-114 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night.

1 min

Eala set to breach world's Top 150

Alex Eala is likely to finish among the world's Top 150 in women's tennis for the first time in her career.

1 min

Two sailors die in Sydney race

Two sailors have been killed in separate incidents in the treacherous Sydney to Hobart yacht race, officials said on Friday, as a string of yachts retired in powerful winds and high seas.

1 min

PPS Netfest at Valle Verde

Junior tennis players are keeping their competitive spirits alive this holiday season as they vie for top honors and ranking points in the Palawan Pawnshop National Tennis Championships.

1 min

New Year wishes

The Game Of My Life

2 mins

Statistics Race Heats Up

NorthPort's Arvin Tolentino, San Miguel's June Mar Fajardo and NLEX's Robert Bolick led the key statistical departments after the initial salvo in the PBA Commissioner's Cup.

1 min

Coca-Cola Golf a Success at Sta. Elena

Reinforcing the value of meaningful partnerships, Coca-Cola Beverages Phils. Inc. (CCBPI) and Coca-Cola Foundation Phils Inc. (CCFPI), together with valued stakeholders, once again came together to bolster support for community-focused projects through the 2024 Coca-Cola Golf Classic golf tournament.

1 min

PBA Challenge to Uplift Quality of Officiating

PBA deputy commissioner Eric Castro said yesterday the head coach challenge is a way to uplift the quality of officiating and isn't necessarily a measure of rating a referee's performance.

1 min

Boardroom shuffles kept telcos' lines busy

Telcos undergo some of the quickest changes among all industries. A second can go by and one technology can be replaced by another.

3 mins

Ride-hailing app inDrive gives back

In the spirit of the holiday season, global ride-hailing app inDrive thanked its partner drivers for providing utmost service to their passengers in 2024 through the grand raffle of the Paskong Ka-Gulong campaign.

1 min

Dec inflation likely within 2.3-3.1% range

Inflation likely settled within the 2.3 to 3.1 percent range this month, which could bring the full-year average to 3.2 percent, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said.

2 mins

Peso Closes 2024 at 57.845:$1

The peso closed the year on a weaker footing compared to its finish in 2023 amid global uncertainties, including concerns on US economic policy under president-elect Donald Trump and persistent geopolitical tensions.

1 min

PSEi down on final trading day of 2024

The local stock market finished 2024 in the red territory, but better from last year's close of 6,450.04.

1 min

PSE Acquiring 61.9% of PDS for P2.3 B

The Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. (PSE) has come closer to its dream of integrating the local bourse with the fixed income exchange.

2 mins

BSP lifts ban on new digital banks

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will officially lift the moratorium on new digital banking licenses starting Jan. 1, 2025, allowing up to 10 digital banks, including existing ones, to operate.

2 mins

FNI abandons $50-M Bataan steel project

Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc. (FNI) will no longer pursue its plan to put up a $50-million rebar steel project in Bataan as it opts to focus on its existing business interests such as mining and port operations that would bring long-term value for the firm.

2 mins

ACEN Extends Payment Deadline for P4.7-B Loan to Greencore

Ayala-led ACEN Corp. has extended anew the repayment deadline for its P4.7-billion loan to Greencore Power Solution 3, its joint venture with tycoon Edgar Saavedra's Citicore Solar Energy Corp. (CSEC).

1 min

BCDA tells stakeholders to stop using Tarlac landfill

State-run Bases Conversion and Development Corp. (BCDA) is urging local government units and businesses to stop using the 100-hectare Kalangitan sanitary landfill, emphasizing that it does not have the authority to operate.

2 mins

Supply woes

As the fastest-growing economy in Southeast Asia, the Philippines’ energy demand will increase rapidly over the next 25 years.

4 mins

The One Essential Business Skill for 2025

The year 2024 will likely be remembered as the year when promises around artificial intelligence (AI) overshadowed genuine technological breakthroughs.

3 mins

City & Land Raising P400 M from Commercial Paper Issuance

City & Land Developers Inc. is raising P400 million from the issuance of commercial papers to support its funding requirements.

1 min

Nickel Asia unit forges retail supply deal with AboitizPower

The energy firm of Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC) has entered into a power supply agreement (PSA) with the retail electricity supplier (RES) units of Aboitiz Power Corp. (AboitizPower) for the supply of renewable energy.

1 min

Cebu Pacific ends 2024 with 91 aircraft in fleet

Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific is ending the year with a fleet of 91 aircraft, arming it up with enough capacity to serve travel demand in 2025.

1 min

Allianz PNB Life profit up 47% in Q3

Allianz PNB Life, the joint venture between the Philippine National Bank and international insurance provider Allianz, reported a 47-percent jump in earnings in the third quarter of the year.

1 min

Landbank Reaffirms Financial Stability

Government-owned Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) reaffirmed its financial strength and stability, emphasizing that its capital adequacy ratio (CAR) remains at a healthy level of 16.42 percent.

1 min

DERMASIA REVOLUTIONIZES AESTHETICS

DermAsia Corporation, under the visionary leadership of CEO Nikki Tang, together with managing director Charles Mandy and Ana Amigo Antonio, hosted the exclusive ALMA-Q Day at the iconic The Peninsula Manila in Makati City.

1 min

A 'Fabulous' Affair

The Grand Ballroom of Manila Marriott Hotel in Pasay City glittered with elegance as well-respected photographer Rupert Jacinto unveiled his \"Fabulous XII,\" a stunning threefold celebration featuring a photo exhibit, book launch, and fabulous gala night.

1 min

THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS GOES ON TOUR

As the Christmas season approached in 2022, the newly formed Alice Reyes Dance Philippines’ young up-and-coming choreographers put their imaginative minds and choreographic talents in a hubbub to create an original Christmas season offering which emerged as a Filipino version of the season’s favorite ballet, The Nutcracker, which they entitled Puso ng Pasko.

4 mins

The Ultimate New Year's Eve Party at Solaire

Solaire Resort Entertainment City and Solaire Resort North hold the \"Ultimate Solaire New Year's Eve Party,\" on Dec. 31 at The Grand Ballroom.

1 min

Philippine Showbiz Is Looking Bright For 2025

This is a catchy tagline that really is our hope for the industry in the new year. Along with the noticeable wins, we will also list down our wish-list of what we hope to see as we ring in 2025. Let us first start with the noticeable wins.

2 mins

MTRCB Reminds Operators: 'G' and 'PG' Content Only in PUVs

As Filipinos travel home for New Year's Eve and return to the metro afterward, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) reminds Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) operators and drivers that only \"G\" (General Patronage) and \"PG\" (Parental Guidance) rated content is allowed inside PUVs.

1 min

A gripping tale of strange experiences caught on camera

A group of amateur celebrity ghost hunters is embarking on an adventure where the real and reel as well as the natural and supernatural worlds intersect.

3 mins

A 'High-Caliber' 50th MMFF Lineup,

For its Golden Edition, the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) presents one of the \"best collections of films,\" but not a few have noticed the absence of the quintessential family or child-friendly entry.

4 mins

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The Philippine STAR is the flagship title of the country's largest and most successful print media enterprise, the Philstar Media Group. Owned and published by Philstar Daily Inc., The Philippine STAR is a vaunted pillar of Philippine journalism whose integrity is anchored on the Biblical motto, “Truth Shall Prevail”. The Philippine STAR is a two-time winner of the prestigious Newspaper of the Year award given by the Rotary Club of Manila.