Author: gqSbgCfmna

November 24, 2025 | 9:56am

MANILA, Philippines — Signal No. 1 has been raised in parts of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao as Tropical Depression “Verbena” maintains its strength southeast of the Philippines.

As of 7 a.m. on Monday, November 24, the state weather bureau PAGASA reported that Verbena was estimated to be 290 kilometers east of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte.

It is packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center, with gustiness of up to 55 kph.

Areas under Signal No. 1 may experience strong winds ranging from 39 to 61 kph within 36 hours, posing a minimal to minor threat to life and property.

The following areas are currently under Signal No. 1:

• Occidental Mindoro: Southern portion (Magsaysay, San Jose, Rizal, Calintaan)
• Oriental Mindoro: Southern portion (Bulalacao, Mansalay, Roxas, Bongabong)
• Romblon
• Palawan: Northern portion (Araceli, Taytay, El Nido, Dumaran), including Cuyo and Calamian Islands
• Mainland Masbate
• Eastern Samar: Central and southern portions (Sulat, San Julian, City of Borongan, Maydolong, Balangkayan, Llorente, Lawaan, Balangiga, General Macarthur, Giporlos, Quinapondan, Hernani, Salcedo, Guiuan, Mercedes, Taft)

• Samar: Central and southern portions (Hinabangan, Marabut, Basey, Santa Rita, Villareal, Pinabacdao, Calbiga, San Sebastian, Daram, Talalora, Zumarraga, Almagro, Santo Niño, Tagapul-An, City of Catbalogan, Jiabong, Motiong, Paranas)
• Biliran
• Leyte
• Southern Leyte
• Cebu
• Camotes Islands
• Bohol
• Negros Occidental
• Negros Oriental
• Siquijor
• Iloilo
• Capiz
• Aklan
• Antique (including Caluya Islands)
• Guimaras

• Dinagat Islands
• Surigao del Norte (including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands)
• Surigao del Sur: Northern portion (Carrascal, Cantilan, Madrid, Carmen, Lanuza, Cortes, San Miguel, City of Tandag, Tago, Bayabas, Cagwait, Marihatag)
• Agusan del Norte
• Agusan del Sur: Northern portion (Sibagat)
• Camiguin
• Misamis Oriental: Northeastern portion (Magsaysay)

Track and intensity outlook.

Verbena is currently moving westward at 20 kph. It is forecast to follow a generally west-northwestward track, and is expected to make landfall or pass close to northeastern Mindanao on Monday afternoon. It will then proceed to cross Visayas and the northern portion of Palawan until Wednesday, November 26.

It is anticipated to exit into the West Philippine Sea by Wednesday morning.

PAGASA warns that Verbena may slightly intensify before making landfall over northeastern Mindanao, but it will likely traverse the Philippine landmass as a tropical depression.

However, it is forecast to intensify further into a tropical storm once it emerges over the West Philippine Sea.

November 24, 2025 | 9:44am

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino-laden Xipto Esports, fielding four Filipino players, saw a quick campaign in the 2025 Valorant Game Changers Championship after getting eliminated in the first round of the lower bracket at the hands of fellow Pacific bet, South Korea’s Ninetails.

Xipto Esports began its campaign with a 0-2 defeat to European team Karmine Corp GC.

In its do-or-die match against Ninetails, Xipto Esports started with a solid 3-0 run in its map pick of Pearl only for Ninetails to go on a 12-consecutive-round win. Even though Xipto managed to take another round, the lead was enough for Ninetails to take the opening map at 4-13.

On Bind, Xipto Esports managed to reset and take the lead at the half (8-4) and carry on the momentum as it switched to the defensive side. Hoping to secure the sweep, Ninetails seemed to be mounting a comeback, but Xipto Esports’ slim lead at the first half was enough to tie the series and force a decider, 13-8.

Xipto Esports, however, was not prepared for Ninetails on Split as the South Korean squad took a 0-5 lead. With the crowd on its side, Ninetails dominated the remaining rounds to close out the series with the win, 5-13, eliminating Xipto Esports at ninth to 10th place.

An emotional squad shared in the post-match conference that since their win at the regional Pacific Game Changers a month ago, the team had faced difficulty in preparing for the world championship given the disasters that had plagued the country.

“After the VCT Pacific GC a month ago, we probably just practiced for like five to 10 times max, that’s it. Because of super typhoon, because of visas and everything. Next time, we’ll prepare more before coming here. Not in a way that we couldn’t practice as a team, but maybe we could have done more as an individual, like grind more or something,” said Xipto’s in-game leader Mary Grace “capriciouS” Sabado.

Sabado’s teammate Leanne “Grahams” Ti-in, who resides in Bacolod, had been affected by Typhoon Tino and had to play at a computer cafe as she didn’t have electricity and connectivity for a couple of weeks to practice with her teammates.

Xipto Esports’ coach Nikhil “Sieh” Bhansali, who himself faced visa issues, agreed with the assessment.

“We feel like we didn’t practice enough and we’re not able to show our best because of that. It’s like, didn’t practice enough is the easy thing to say, but to be honest, our last month has been insanely chaotic. I had visa delays as well, and it’s just not been the right setup for us leading into this home ground [match], like you said, where we’ve got many cheering against us. I don’t want to use that as an excuse. The fact is, we just couldn’t show our best,” said Bhansali.

Philstar.com

November 24, 2025 | 9:42am

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine tech scene remains a bright spot. While venture capital has slowed across Southeast Asia, the Philippines continues to attract investor interest, securing  $86.4 million in funding in the first half of 2025. 

This performance placed the country fourth in the region, even as overall equity investments fell 20.7% to a six-year low, according to DealStreet’s Southeast Asia Startup Funding Report.

But this success brings a new challenge: scaling up. Philippine companies are great at getting started, but they often struggle to find the massive investments and support needed to expand globally. 

For ambitious tech and fintech founders, the question is no longer how to win in the Philippines, but how to conquer the world. 

The good thing? The answer could be just a two-hour flight away. Hong Kong offers a purpose-built platform to help high-growth Philippine firms make that global leap.

Leveraging Hong Kong

Hong Kong presents a purpose-built platform for this global leap, not merely as another market to enter, but as a strategic springboard. It has been tested and proven by the region’s most ambitious ventures, from high-growth tech unicorns to established family conglomerates. 

For instance, Singapore’s unicorn car marketplace, Carro, leverages Hong Kong as a key market in its regional operations and has attracted investment from Hong Kong-based firms to fuel its expansion. 

The city’s appeal extends far beyond technology, with ventures in consumer products, creative industries, and more choosing it as their base.  

Most tellingly, even the Philippines’ most established business families are making the move, signaling a powerful vote of confidence. 

The Kho family, a major Philippine conglomerate, recently established its family office in Hong Kong to manage its portfolio of over $3 billion. They cited their “unwavering confidence” in the city as a leading international financial center and its vital role as a gateway to Chinese Mainland. 

So, when serious capital seeks global reach, many turn to Hong Kong. But why exactly? 

The ‘super-connector’ advantage

Hong Kong’s power comes from its unique “One Country, Two Systems” setup. This gives Philippine firms the best of both worlds: access to China’s massive market while operating under a familiar, international business system trusted by global investors.

This guarantees key advantages:

• A common law legal system that protects property, contracts and ideas
   
• Free flow of money, information and talent with no currency restrictions
   
• A simple and low-tax system protected by law

This setup is a smart way to structure a business. A Philippine company can set up its global headquarters in Hong Kong to protect its international money and intellectual property, and at the same time, it can manage its operation in Chinese Mainland. 

For any company wanting to grow in Asia, getting into Chinese Mainland is essential. Hong Kong is the main gateway to China’s Greater Bay Area (GBA)—a massive economic zone with over 87 million people and a GDP of $1.67 trillion.

By setting up in Hong Kong, Philippine firms can sell products directly to millions of customers in the GBA, collaborate on R&D with top Chinese tech firms in the region’s “innovation corridor”, and most importantly, access Global capital.

Companies are also encouraged to seek investment and list on Hong Kong’s stock exchange, the number one global IPO hub.

InvestHK: Partner in making a name outside the Philippines

Understanding the strategic “why” of choosing Hong Kong is the first step.

The practical “how” is made remarkably simple by Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), the dedicated government department responsible for attracting and facilitating foreign direct investment. It is like a “GPS for businesses to help every “driver”—that is, every entrepreneur—chart the best route, avoid obstacles, and move forward with speed and confidence.

It offers free of charge hands-on support through every stage of a company’s expansion—from the initial concept and registration process to offering guidance on visa and immigration policies, tax and legal requirements, and market entry strategies.

InvestHK conducted a visit to the Philippines with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta (HKETO Jakarta) earlier this year to promote Hong Kong’s latest business opportunities. 

“We want to see more opportunities, particularly for tech companies and entrepreneurs, to expand overseas and Hong Kong is the best place to do it,” Alpha Lau, director-general for Investment Promotion at InvestHK, said in a Philippine media roundtable during her visit.

“Companies come to Hong Kong because we want them to win, to make money, and to make a name for themselves outside of the Philippines,” she said.

For the Philippines’ most ambitious founders, the path to going global has never been clearer. 

With accessible funding, a pro-business tax system and direct access to the world’s largest market just across the border, everything is in place. Hong Kong offers a powerful, synergistic platform where every essential element for international success is aligned. All that’s left is to take the leap—because the springboard to global success is waiting in Hong Kong.

Editor’s Note: This #BrandSpace story is created with Invest Hong Kong. It is produced by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.

November 24, 2025 | 9:34am

MANILA, Philippines — Follow this page for updates on “Verbena,” the 22nd tropical cyclone to enter the Philippine area of responsibility this year. Can’t view the live updates? Click here.

Philstar.com

November 24, 2025 | 9:22am

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte refused to say whether she is prepared to assume the presidency should President Ferdinand Marcos vacate his post.

She deflected questions as calls from her own political camp for Marcos to resign have intensified.

“I will not answer that right now because we will have chaos,” Duterte told News5 when pressed on whether she was ready to succeed Marcos. Under the Constitution, the vice president is next in the line of succession.

Duterte’s remarks come as the administration grapples with public outrage over multibillion-peso “ghost” flood-control projects and explosive drug allegations made by a member of the Marcos family itself. During an Iglesia ni Cristo rally earlier this month, Sen. Imee Marcos publicly claimed her brother, the president, and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos were drug addicts.

Malacañang and the Marcos family have denied the Imee’s accusations, calling them a form of desperation and noting that Marcos had already subjected himself to a drug test, which turned out negative.

Duterte, however, still said the president should take a drug test in light of persistent rumors about people they had allegedly partied with.

“If you are the president, vice president or government official, you cannot say no when challenged to undergo a drug test, neuropsychiatric exam or other exams related to competency,” she said.

Malacañang also pushed back, pointing out that Duterte’s own father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, had openly admitted to using marijuana and abusing fentanyl.

“Did she order her father to undergo a drug test?” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said, adding that the president is focused on governance while “others have shown signs of uncontrollable anger issues.”

Her own father, Rodrigo Duterte, was also dared to undergo and make public a neuropsychiatric exam while he was president, but the calls fell flat.

Against this backdrop, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson rejected proposals circulating online—including a transition council and a purported military-backed “reset”—calling them unconstitutional even as retired generals reportedly offered him a position in a proposed junta.

“I hope such military-backed intervention would not happen because nothing good can come out of it,” Lacson said in a dzBB interview, urging the public to continue expressing outrage over anomalous flood-control projects but to reject “extra-legal and unconstitutional ways” of changing leadership. — Based on reports from The STAR