COTABATO CITY — Cotabato City Mayor Mohammad Ali “Bruce” Matabalao has formally resigned from the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), withdrawing from the regional political party that backed his successful 2022 mayoral bid just three months before the September 14 Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections. The UBJP is the political party of the former rebel group Moro

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A 50-year-old man was found dead floating off the coastal waters of Barangay Guiwanon in Argao town, southern Cebu, on Wednesday noon, June 10, in what police initially believe was a drowning incident. The victim was identified as Randy Zamora, 50, single, and a resident of the same barangay. READ: Argao:

SARANGANI, Philippines — A humanitarian crisis across Sarangani is worsening as isolated communities in Malapatan and Glan continue to grapple with dwindling water supplies, damaged infrastructure, and limited access to relief following the recent magnitude 7.8 earthquake. Landslides, road damage, and the collapse of critical infrastructure have crippled relief operations, leaving thousands of residents dependent

BARCELONA, Spain— Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Sagrada Familia Basilica as a masterpiece of “stones, colors and light,” as he marked the centenary of the death of its architect, Antoni Gaudí, with a Mass on Wednesday to inaugurate its final soaring sandcastle spire. Leo called Gaudí’s unfinished temple, one of the world’s most visited monuments, a “sign

BAGUIO CITY — The Smoke-Free Baguio Task Force has recommended closing 41 establishments, including a funeral home, for violating the smoke-free ordinance. Dr. Donnabel Panes, the smoke-free program manager, said during the Kapihan sa DOH (Department of Health) forum that the establishments were identified as repeat offenders with more than three recorded violations. Based on the

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) mobilized on Thursday large-scale relief assistance to earthquake-stricken Southern Mindanao, which included essential supplies and a fleet of patient transport vehicles (PTVs). The latest effort, in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive for a swift and comprehensive government response to the earthquake, follows PCSO’s initial

MANILA, Philippines — At least three Ateneo de Manila University officials are persons of interest in the case involving the drowning of basketball players Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said on Thursday. In a press briefing at Camp Crame, CIDG Director Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II said

MANILA, Philippines — The resort management and several local officials have also been subpoenaed by the Philippine National Police–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) in connection with the fatal drowning of two Ateneo de Manila University players. In a press briefing in Camp Crame on Thursday, CIDG director Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II announced

ANGELES CITY, PAMPANGA, Philippines — The Vatican officially elevated the Holy Rosary Parish Church here, also known as “Pisamban Maragul” (Big Church), into a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church during a solemn proclamation on Wednesday. The historic ceremony was led by San Fernando Archbishop Florentino Lavarias and Archbishop Charles John Brown, the Apostolic