Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun has made his first on-air television appearance in over a year, following his 2025 hiatus.

Kim appeared as a special guest on the live broadcast Mahakarya RCTI 37, a special program celebrating the 37th anniversary of RCTI, held in Jakarta on Aug. 23. RCTI is one of Indonesia’s leading privately owned commercial free-to-air television networks.

During the event, Kim thanked the audience before performing Dreaming, a song from the South Korean hit drama Dream High (2011), in which he played Song Sam-dong, one of the main protagonists.

Kim, 38, became embroiled in a controversy in March 2025, when claims emerged that he had been in a relationship with late actress Kim Sae-ron while she was a minor. Kim Sae-ron was found dead at her home in Seoul in February 2025. She was 24.

LOOK: Kim Soo-hyun officially returns following controversy

The allegations led to a criminal complaint filed by Kim Sae-ron’s family in May 2025, accusing Kim Soo-hyun of dating her while she was underage and violating the Child Welfare Act.

Kim Soo-hyun’s side acknowledged that the two had dated but denied that their relationship began while she was a minor, and disputed an audio recording released by her family as an artificial intelligence fabrication.

In July, South Korean police cleared Kim Soo-hyun of allegations that he violated the Child Welfare Act, deciding not to refer the case for prosecution.

Kim also filmed a commercial for a Philippine fashion brand on July 14, marking his first official activity since March 2025.

Some 43.46 percent, or 49 of the 113 state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the Philippines, are set to receive lower budgets next year under the National Expenditure Program (NEP).

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), which submitted the NEP to Congress on Aug. 11, said the proposed 2027 budget places the Filipino people at the center of the administration’s final full-year spending plan ‘through major investments in education, health, social protection, food security, infrastructure, jobs, and disaster resilience.’

‘We crafted a budget that prioritizes education, health, social protection, food security, infrastructure, digitalization, and disaster resilience, while remaining consistent with fiscal responsibility. The goal is to spend strategically where public funds can create the greatest and most lasting impact for every Filipino,’ DBM Acting Secretary Kim De Leon said.

But the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) described the lower proposed allocations for 43.46% of SUCs as ‘massive budget cuts.’

The NUSP said the budget for SUCs in 2027 was cut by more than P3.3 billion, to P134.6 billion from P137.9 billion in 2026, with the University of the Philippines System facing P2.95 billion in cuts.

Among the SUCs set to receive some of the largest cuts are Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), Camiguin Polytechnic State College (CPSC), Leyte Normal University (LNU), Biliran Province State University (BiPSU), Philippine Normal University (PNU) and J.H. Cerilles State College (JHCSC).

‘How can we expect these universities to provide quality education when funding is being withheld year after year?’ the NUSP asked, as it cited several other problems in the sector, including the worsening shortage of classrooms, learning equipment, teachers and support for students who rely on public education.

It said ‘SUCs should serve as a bridge for millions of Filipino youth, but the Marcos Jr. administration is now depriving us of our future,’ adding that the ‘government continues to shortchange us, while enormous amounts of the budget go toward corruption and fascism.’

Based on NUSP-compiled data from the NEP, the proposed budget for MMSU in Ilocos Norte was cut by 28.88%, to P1.25 billion from P1.75 billion, while CPSC’s budget was cut by 28.31%, to P205.75 million from P286.99 million.

LNU’s budget was cut by 25.91%, to P458.55 million from P618.94 million; BiPSU’s by 25.34%, to P621.39 million from P832.33 million; PNU’s by 25.26%, to P1.17 billion from P1.56 billion; and JHCSC’s by 23.24%, to P463.76 million from P604.17 million.

For the NUSP, the call of the Iskolars ng Bayan across the Philippines is clear: ‘Provide adequate and substantial funding for education.’

It said ‘this should no longer be a matter for the House of Representatives and the Senate to debate year after year,’ adding that the ‘Filipino youth should no longer have to beg for adequate and substantial funding for our future.’

Based on the same data, the SUCs with the largest budget increases are Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST), Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology (ZSCMST), Caraga State University (CarSu), North Eastern Mindanao State University (NEMSU) and Siquijor State University (SSU).

SPAMAST’s budget rose by 22.66%, to P327.06 million from P266.64 million; ZSCMST’s by 22.62%, to P419.94 million from P342.46 million; CarSu’s by 22.11%, to P1.45 billion from P1.19 billion; NEMSU’s by 22.11%, to P1.74 billion from P1.42 billion; and SSU’s by 20.56%, to P245.08 million from P203.28 million.

Across regions, Eastern Visayas has the highest number of SUCs facing budget cuts, with Eastern Visayas State University the only institution among the region’s 10 SUCs expecting an increase next year.

Eastern Samar State University, LNU, BiPSU, Northwest Samar State University, Palompon Institute of Technology, Samar State University, Southern Leyte State University, University of Eastern Philippines and Visayas State University are all facing decreases in their respective budgets.

Meanwhile, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Davao Region, Soccsksargen and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao each have one SUC facing a budget cut, out of six, eight, three, six, four and five institutions in their respective areas.

Caraga is the only region without an SUC facing a budget reduction next year

FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-List Rep. Brian Poe questioned on Monday the National Bureau of Investigation’s lack of funding for agents or attachés stationed abroad as he called for stronger support for the bureau as it tackles an increasing number of transnational crimes involving Filipinos.

Under Republic Act No. 10687, specifically Section 7(F), the NBI is authorized to designate attachés or representatives in Philippine embassies abroad, Poe pointed out at the House Committee on Appropriations budget briefing for the Department of Justice (DOJ).

He noted, however, that the law requires the funding for such positions to come from the NBI’s own budget,

Asked whether an allocation for this purpose was included in the current year’s budget, NBI Director Melvin Matibag said there was none.

According to Matibag, the NBI has been hoping to address the lack of funding for overseas NBI representatives, as it considers the possibility of deploying attachés to selected areas abroad to work with foreign counterparts in tackling transnational crimes.

He noted that embassies from Europe and the United States already have counterparts in the Philippines who have assisted the NBI in pursuing cases that cross national borders.

Matibag welcomed Poe’s intervention, saying he hoped funding for NBI attachés could eventually be included in the bureau’s ‘wish list.’

More agents needed

But the NBI chief also underscored another pressing problem: The bureau needs more agents as it only has around 300 agents nationwide.

If the NBI wanted to deploy agents abroad, it would need to hire more.

‘This is quite alarming,’ Poe said, as he noted that the NBI has not ‘a single centavo’ of funding for even a single international representative to be attached to Philippine embassies abroad despite the growing number of cases with international links.

Poe cited the wide range of responsibilities now being handled by the NBI, including investigations involving the following:

Philippine offshore gaming operators or POGOs

scam networks

cyber fraud

online gambling

Interpol-related cases

human trafficking

online child sexual abuse or exploitation materials

‘The list goes on,’ Poe said, adding that Congress should seriously consider the issue during Congress deliberations on the proposed DOJ budget.

Accountability and law enforcement

Poe also linked the lack of overseas NBI representation to the broader issue of accountability and law enforcement, particularly in pursuing suspects and fugitives outside Philippine jurisdiction.

The government, he said, must ask how it could effectively go after international fugitives when the NBI has no dedicated funding for representatives abroad.

The proposed expansion of the NBI’s personnel and the possible deployment of attachés overseas could strengthen the Philippines’ ability to coordinate with foreign law enforcement agencies, share intelligence, follow cross-border criminal networks, and pursue cases that do not stop at the country’s borders.

Ensuring that the NBI has enough agents, eventually including representatives in key locations abroad, is not merely a matter of expanding the bureau, he said. It’s necessary to enable it to pursue criminals abroad.

A heavy rainfall warning is on effect in Zambales and parts of Bataan on Tuesday afternoon, the state weather bureau said.

In an advisory issued at 2 p.m, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Zambales and the municipalities of Dinalupihan, Hermosa, and Morong in Bataan are under yellow rainfall warning, indicating 7.5 to 15 millimeters of rainfall is expected within the next three hours.

Meanwhile, light to moderate with occasional heavy rains may prevail over the following areas within the next three hours:

Cavite

Rizal (Rodriguez, San Mateo, Antipolo, Cainta)

Batangas (Nasugbu, Lian, Calatagan, Balayan, Tuy)

Nueva Ecija (Gabaldon, Zaragoza, San Antonio, Santa Rosa, General Tinio, Penaranda, San Leonardo, Jaen, San Isidro, Gapan, Cabiao, Laur, Palayan, Cabanatuan)

Quezon (General Nakar)

Laguna (Calamba, Cabuyao, Santa Rosa, Binan, San Pedro)

Similar conditions are being experienced over the following areas, which may persist within the next three hours.

Bataan (Abucay, Bagac, Balanga, Limay, Mariveles, Orani, Orion, Pilar, Samal)

Metro Manila (Valenzuela, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas)

Pampanga (Angeles, Porac, Floridablanca, Lubao, Guagua, Santa Rita, Mabalacat)

Tarlac (Capas, Bamban, San Jose, Santa Ignacia, Camiling, San Clemente, Mayantoc)

Bulacan (Meycauayan, Obando, Marilao)

Pagasa said that the southwest monsoon or ‘habagat’ may affect parts of Luzon on Tuesday and is expected to continue to bring rains in the next few days

The House Committee on Labor and Employment has sponsored a measure that aimed to strengthen workers’ safety against climate-related threats and hazards.

The measure is called House Bill No. 10559 under Committee Report No. 552 which seeks to strengthen the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) framework by integrating adjustments to weather.

‘Health should not be sacrificed for a livelihood. Life should not be sacrificed for a job,’ House Committee on Labor and Employment Chairperson Ramon Jolo Revilla said on Tuesday.

‘And it should never come to pass that a worker has to choose between earning for their family and protecting themselves,’ he noted.

He mentioned that the unpredictable weather has become a daily occupational risk to workers, primarily those working outdoors.

‘For construction workers exposed to intense heat and employees who must report for work amid heavy rains and severe weather, climate change is no longer an abstract issue but a danger they confront in earning their livelihood,’ he emphasized in a statement.

Revilla added that the measure also seeks to impose stiffer penalties for Occupational Safety and Health violations, which resulted in the injury or death of a worker.

He, however, clarified that the move is not intended to criminalize ‘ordinary mistakes,’ but to penalize ‘willful or grossly negligent violations that put workers in danger.’

These wrong moves include deficiencies in training or protective equipment that are disregarded by the company or employer.

Kit Harington has been cast as Gilderoy Lockhart for the second season of ‘Harry Potter’ series, taking over the role from Nicholas Hoult who departed the project due to ‘scheduling issues.’

Harington’s casting was confirmed by Deadline, saying HBO reached out to the British actor after Hoult’s existing commitments conflicted with the ‘Harry Potter’ filming schedule.

According to the outlet, Hoult was supposed to film the Lockhart scenes while simultaneously working on two prior projects. However, the ‘Harry Potter’ production schedule was later adjusted, creating a conflict with his other commitments.

Deadline said Harington was ‘excited to take over the role.’

Prior to his casting in the series, Harington had already portrayed the role of Lockhart in the audiobook ‘Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions’ released in December 2025.

Harington is joining the cast led by Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout, who respectively play Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.

The second season of the ‘Harry Potter’ series will adapt the second book in the JK Rowling series, ‘The Chamber of Secrets.’ /

Taal Volcano in Batangas has shown signs of renewed unrest after recording 162 volcanic earthquakes over the past six days, according to data from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Taal recorded 34 volcanic earthquakes and one episode of volcanic tremor lasting 256 minutes in its latest bulletin on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

The increase in seismic activity followed a series of elevated readings in recent days. Taal recorded 14 volcanic earthquakes on Aug. 20, followed by 46 on Aug. 21, 29 on Aug. 22, 19 on Aug. 23, and 20 on Aug. 24.

Phivolcs also recorded nine episodes of volcanic tremor over the six-day period.

From Aug. 16 to 19, Taal registered only single-digit numbers of volcanic seismic events each day.

Phivolcs explained that volcanic earthquakes are generated by magma-related processes beneath an active volcano, distinguishing them from tectonic earthquakes, which are caused by movements along faults.

Volcanic tremors, meanwhile, are continuous seismic signals characterized by low-frequency oscillations that typically last for more than a minute.

In its latest bulletin, Phivolcs also reported sulfur dioxide emissions of 271 metric tons, classified as ‘weak.’

No upwelling of hot volcanic fluids was observed in the main crater lake on Taal Volcano Island (TVI), which lies in the middle of Taal Lake. No volcanic smog, or ‘vog,’ was detected either.

Despite the continued seismic activity, Taal Volcano remains under Alert Level 1, indicating a low level of unrest.

Authorities reiterated that entry into TVI, designated as the volcano’s Permanent Danger Zone, remains strictly prohibited, particularly in the vicinity of the main crater and the Daang Kastila fissure.

Civil aviation authorities have also been advised to warn pilots against flying over TVI, as ash from a sudden eruption could pose a hazard to aircraft.

Payments for supplies such as chairs, as well as medicines and food went directly to informants and agents of the Office of the Vice President (OVP), according to a witness.

OVP Assistant Secretary Lemuel Ortonio was called to the witness stand by the prosecution team on Tuesday in connection with Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds (CFs).

Ortonio, who also serves as assistant chief of staff at the OVP, was later declared a hostile witness by the Senate impeachment court.

During her direct examination of the witness, private prosecutor Mae Divinagracia asked for proof that the OVP’s CFs were indeed used for supplies.

‘Ma’am the explanation that was provided to me Ma’am was that binigay po ang pera directly dun sa mga informants and agents and the informants and agents na po ang bumili ng mga medical and food supplies,’ Ortonio said.

(Ma’am, the explanation that was provided to me Ma’am was that the money was given directly to the informants and agents, and the informants and agents themselves purchased the medical and food supplies.)

‘So it’s the acknowledgement receipt which is the proof of the release of the funds to the informants or the agents,’ he added.

Presiding Officer and Sen. Francis Escudero later pursued the prosecutor’s line of questioning.

‘Ang ginamit nyo na pang food and medicine sa confidential fund, binigay nyong deretso sa recipient and presumably, sabi ng recipient, ibibili ko ng pagkain ito, ibibili ko ng gamot to?’ Escudero asked.

(The confidential funds you used for food and medicine were given directly to the recipients, who presumably said, ‘I’ll use this to buy food’ or ‘I’ll use this to buy medicine.)

‘Based on the information, your honor, provided by the security officer. That how it was, ganun yung procedure on how the medical and food aid (was given),’ the witness said.

Ortonio was apparently referring to Duterte’s former security officer Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, who was designated by the vice president to handle the P500 million in confidential funds released to the OVP.

The payments for the said supplies had no official receipts, according to the witness, still citing information from the security officer.

He gave the same answer when Escudero asked about the chairs also bought by the OVP using the CFs.

‘Regarding the chairs, based on the information also provided by the security officer, no receipt as well because the representation was that yun ang ipamimili nila (the funds would be used) for the tables and chairs,’ Ortonio said,.

‘So what you’re saying is ‘binigay din yung pera sa informant,’ quote and quote that is your wording, para sya ang bibili ng chairs at yun yung bayad sa kanya? Quote and quote,’ the presiding officer went on.

(So what you’re saying is that the money was also given to the informant-quote, unquote, those are your words-so that the informant could purchase the chairs, and that was the payment to the informant? Quote, unquote.)

The witness confirmed the statement.

‘So literally, may informant, imbes na bigyan ng kung ano binayaran ng cash para bilhin yung tables, yung chairs, yung food, yung medicine?’ Escudero asked.

(So literally, there was an informant who, instead of being given whatever was paid for in cash, was given the money to purchase the tables, chairs, food, and medicine?)

‘Yes sir. That’s based on the information that was provided sir by the security officer,’ the witness answered.

When using the regular budget of the OVP, however, Ortonio said their office buys medicines directly from partner pharmacies and releases them directly to beneficiaries.

‘In the form of medicine na?’ Escudero asked, to which the witness answered in the affirmative.

Since they use the regular budget of the OVP, Ortonio said the payment for medicines comes with official receipts

Motorists face higher fuel costs starting Tuesday, Aug. 25, as diesel prices rise by P2.31 per liter, according to the Department of Energy. The increase comes despite the DOE’s assurance that double-digit price hikes are not expected in the coming weeks.

Gasoline and kerosene prices will also go up, by as much as P1.08 and P0.95 per liter, respectively.Below are the oil prices monitored and gathered by Inquirer team as of Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026

Titan Ultra rookie Bryan Sajonia underwent surgery on his left ACL almost two weeks after getting hurt in a PBA Governors’ Cup game against San Miguel Beer.

The Giant Risers posted a photo of Sajonia being flanked by team manager Jessica Arsalon and physical therapist Reez Jacinto following the procedure that took place on Tuesday.

‘The procedure was successful, and Bryan will now begin his recovery and rehabilitation,’ the Giant Risers said. ‘We also wish to clarify that the surgery was specifically for Bryan’s left ACL and lateral meniscus injury.’

Sajonia sustained the injury during the third quarter of Titan Ultra’s 143-113 loss on Aug. 12 at Ynares Center in Antipolo, when his left knee buckled during a fastbreak play.

It was a major setback for Sajonia, who has been one of the bright spots amid the Giant Risers’ struggles throughout the 50th season.

The injury also came a day after NLEX import DeQuan Jones broke his right leg in a game against TNT at the same venue.

Jones has since undergone two surgeries at Cardinal Santos Medical Center.

Before Sajonia’s injury, Titan Ultra was already shorthanded with an injury suffered by fellow rookie Mark Omega due to a scary fall against Macau