Sun.Star Cebu
257 VOTES SEND VP TO SENATE TRIAL
THE House of Representatives’ decision to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, May 11, 2026, marks a watershed moment in Philippine politics. This vote represents the first time a single government official has faced two separate impeachment...
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EVERY DROP COUNTS.
With nearly onethird of Metro Cebu’s water supply lost to leaks and “non-revenue water,” MCWD is overhaulilng its distribution system to ensure that the water produced actually reaches the people who need it. New management aims to cut losses and...
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MODERNIZATION PLAN SET FOR FUENTE CIRCLE
CEBU City is planning a major renovation of Fuente Osmeña Circle to address serious safety concerns and improve the landmark’s function. Mayor Nestor Archival met with representatives from the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday, May 5,...
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ASEAN LEADERS CALL FOR PEACE IN MIDEAST
MEMBERS of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have called for peace and an immediate deescalation of tensions in the Middle East as the 48th Asean Summit concluded Friday, May 8, 2026, in Cebu. The regional bloc focused on practical...
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BINALIW SAFETY FIRST: CITY REJECTS REOPENING
Four months after the deadly trash slide that killed 36 people, Cebu City is refusing to resume dumping operations at the Binaliw landfill despite a partial clearance from environmental regulators, insisting that public safety — not waste capacity —...
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GOK-ONG CONFIRMS FEES COLLECTED IN CARBON MARKET
With unverified daily fees reportedly reaching P300 per vendor, Cebu City officials scramble to regulate a parallel payment system that threatens to drive up food prices THE ongoing dispute over who collects money from Carbon Public Market vendors...
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SUMMER PLAY.
Afternoon light stretches long shadows across a neighborhood open court in Mandaue City, where residents in Banilad squeeze in a game despite the lingering summer heat. As Cebu continues to experience warm, dry weather, moments like these offer a brief...
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ASEAN SUMMIT CUT FROM 5 TO 3 DAYS
THE 48TH Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit (Asean) will proceed on a streamlined three-day schedule in Cebu from Wednesday, May 6, to Friday, May 8, 2026, following a directive from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to scale down preparations...
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CEBU CITY WEIGHS BAN ON OFFICIAL KIN IN DEALS
A LEGISLATIVE effort to block relatives of city officials from government deals highlights the difficult boundary between public integrity and private rights. Why it matters The Cebu City Council is currently weighing a measure that would prohibit...
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BUSINESS AS USUAL.
A man selling bottled water has no time for the chants and protest signs as he passes members of cause-oriented and labor groups holding a rally in Cebu City on the 124th Labor Day, Friday, May 1, 2026. He continues to earn a living for his family,...
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INAYAWAN REHAB.
Once a vast landfill that received Cebu City’s waste, the former Inayawan landfill has been reclaimed by grass and time. Beneath the green surface rest decades of buried trash—echoes of a polluted past. Today, it stands as a quiet symbol of change,...
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CITY COUNCIL DEFERS CBRT SRP ROUTE PLAN
Concerns over revenue loss and commercial bias have prompted Cebu City officials to delay endorsing the latest DOTr transport expansion plan THE Cebu City Council has deferred its support for the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) proposal for bus...
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BINALIW LANDFILL REOPENS; 36 DEATHS STILL UNEXPLAINED
Despite the loss of critical records in a fatal landslide, the Binaliw waste facility has secured government clearance to restart limited operations THREE months after a waste facility in Barangay Binaliw was the site of a tragedy that claimed 36...
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KADAUGAN SA MACTAN.
Monday, April 27, 2026, marks the 505th commemoration of the Victory at Mactan, featuring a reenactment of the historic battle at the Liberty Shrine in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. Content creator Elcid Camacho portrayed the legendary hero Datu Lapulapu,...
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CEBU BOARD BLOCKS BRT CAPITOL STATION
A dispute over a proposed transit station in front of the Cebu Provincial Capitol highlights the complex challenge of modernizing urban infrastructure without compromising legally protected historical landmarks or jeopardizing critical international...
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ON A CLEAR DAY.
A clearer view of the Cebu City skyline emerges as air quality across Metro Cebu improves to “fair” on Friday, April 24, 2026, following several days of haze and elevated pollution levels, according to the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7. Data...
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CLEANING THE COASTLINE.
A large volume of trash was cleared from the coastal area in Barangay Pasil, Cebu City, on Thursday, April 23, 2026, as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 continued cleanup operations ahead of the Association of Southeast Asian...
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IN PURSUIT OF JUSTICE.
Families and friends of the late Kingston Ralph Cheng gather outside a building in Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City, that temporarily houses courts on Thursday, April 23, 2026, calling for justice on the first day of trial in his fatal hit-andrun case,...
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OSMEÑA, RAMA CLASH OVER COUNCIL RULES
THE friction between administrative rules and political advocacy often creates gridlock in local governance. When a presiding officer steps into a debate, it challenges the tradition of neutrality intended to keep legislative proceedings fair. This...
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CEBU CITY CRACKS DOWN ON ‘ILLEGAL’ EARTHMOVING
UNAUTHORIZED earthmoving and backfilling operations in upland barangays of Cebu City have triggered a wave of ceaseand-desist orders (CDO), underscoring growing tensions between rapid urban expansion and the safety of critical infrastructure and...
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TOXIC AIR GRIPS CEBU
A SEVERE drop in air quality driven by local emissions and stagnant weather patterns has triggered health alerts, underscoring systemic environmental vulnerabilities in the region. Gov. Pamela Baricuatro has directed provincial and district hospitals...
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METRO CEBU AIR TURNS HAZARDOUS
SEVERE pollution episodes in Central Visayas expose the vulnerabilities of a growing metropolis, demonstrating how extreme heat and localized emissions combine to create lasting public health hazards. The mechanics of stagnant air When the air...
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PHOTO BY JUAN CARLO DE VELA
AFTERNOON JOG. Chasing the golden hour before the shadows of tomorrow creep in, children and their loyal companion race through the sun-drenched streets of Gullas Heights. On this pristine Friday afternoon, April 17, 2026, in Minglanilla, every stride...
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WORKERS ON THE WALL.
Workers clean the walls of Fort San Pedro in the port area of Cebu City on Friday, April 17, 2026, in preparation for a series of events this May, including National Heritage Month, the fort’s founding anniversary on May 8 and upcoming Asean Summit...
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NEW CHIEF.
Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. (center) presides over the turnover of command ceremony between Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan (left) and Brig. Gen. Arnold Abad at Camp Sergio Osmeña Sr., the headquarters of Police Regional...
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MONT RESUMES WORK, DISPUTES FLOOD CLAIMS
MONT Property Group Inc. is resuming its hillside development after stoppage orders were lifted and a recent scientific study challenged claims that the project caused severe flooding during typhoon Tino in November 2025. The controversy surrounding...
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BILLIONS UNACCOUNTED; MCWD PROFIT DROP 89%
Despite growth in assets and workforce, a 20222024 performance audit of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District reveals an 89 percent income collapse, unresolved financial disallowances, and recurring annual losses of P117.7 million due to infrastructure...
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SOLAR
panels are an increasingly common sight across households and establishments in Cebu City as residents take advantage of the region’s intense heat and sunshine. Cebu experiences high solar irradiance levels year-round. This makes the area a viable...
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DOE: DIESEL COST TO GO DOWN P20
PHILIPPINE motorists anticipate substantial relief at the pump in mid-April 2026 as international oil markets temporarily stabilize. The Department of Energy (DOE) projects significant per-liter decreases across petroleum products, led by an estimated...
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MANDAUE PLUGS PAY, GARBAGE GAPS
A NEARLY P198 million supplemental budget resolves months of delayed gratuity pay for non-regular government personnel while addressing critical logistical hurdles in local garbage collection. The Mandaue City Council passed Ordinance 76-2026,...
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STRAINED SECTOR.
Public utility vehicle drivers and operators line up at the Commission on Elections office in downtown Cebu City on Friday, April 10, 2026, to obtain their Certificates of Voter Registration, a requirement for accessing government financial assistance...
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REMEMBERING PATRIOTS.
The Cebu City Government, led by the Cultural and Historical Affairs Office, marks Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Cebu Veterans Memorial in Plaza Independencia on Thursday, April 9, 2026. Cebu City Vice Mayor...
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STILL SUFFICIENT.
Despite the recent intense heat, Buhisan Dam in Barangay Buhisan, Cebu City remains well supplied with water, as seen in this aerial photo taken Wednesday, April 8, 2026. The dam continues to serve as a vital water source for several areas, including...
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TRANSPORT SHUTDOWN LOOMS AS FUEL PRICES SURGE ANEW
THE transition to modernized public utility jeepneys (MPUJs) in Cebu is facing a systemic threat as soaring operational costs and dwindling passenger numbers push transport cooperatives toward a total shutdown. What began as a government mandated...
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STUDENTS
from a university in Cebu City evacuate their classrooms after feeling tremors from a magnitude 5.4 earthquake that struck Bogo City in northern Cebu on Monday, April 6, 2026.
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5 FIRES DISPLACE 350 ACROSS METRO
Following a month of significant fire activity in March, these latest blazes in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu force a critical re-examination of urban infrastructure and the systemic risks facing the region’s most crowded neighborhoods THE...
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TIMEOUT.
Children rest from the intense heat after flying kites at the Good Shepherd in Banawa, Cebu City on Saturday, April 4, 2026.
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EIGHTEEN
carrozas join the Pasos procession from the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral on Holy Wednesday, April 1, 2026. The carrozas featured religious images that depicted scenes from the Passion of Jesus Christ. Hundreds of Catholic devotees walked alongside the...
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ECHOES OF THE OLD ROAD.
As gasoline prices continue to climb, the rhythmic clip-clop of the tartanilla feels less like a memory and more like a potential solution. On Monday, March 30, 2026, these iconic horse-drawn carriages continue to ply their trade along Leon Kilat St....
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PHOTO BY JUAN CARLO DE VELA
“BENTENG BIGAS” PROGRAM. Eligible residents from Barangays Pasil, Suba, and Sawang Calero register for the “Benteng Bigas” program at the Cebu City Sports Institute on Monday, March 30, 2026. The initiative allows vulnerable groups, agricultural...
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RETAILERS PAUSE PRICE INCREASES
Major manufacturers and retailers have pledged to freeze prices on essential goods until April 17, 2026, to shield Filipino households from rising global trade costs. This voluntary agreement bypasses traditional legal triggers for price controls,...
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METRO CEBU TURNS TO EVS, FREE RIDES
To combat the cascading effects of international conflicts on local gas pumps, Cebu officials are turning to subsidized rides and strict energy conservation, laying the groundwork for a broader shift away from fossil fuels AS INTERNATIONAL conflicts...
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Transport group holds 2nd strike in a week
METRO Cebu’s second transport strike in a week sparked conflicting reports Friday, March 27, 2026. The Cebu chapter of transport group Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) claimed widespread disruption, but a city...
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WASTE-TO-FUEL PLANT EYED
THE Cebu Provincial Government is eyeing turning its plastic garbage problem into a local fuel supply. The Capitol plans to open a waste-to-fuel facility this April at the materials recovery facility near the abandoned Marcelo Fernan Palace of Justice...
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DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
Secretary Vince Dizon, together with Cebu Gov. Pam Baricuatro and Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr., inspect the ongoing riprap construction along the Mananga River in Isla Verde, Barangay San Isidro, Talisay City, on Wednesday, March 25,...
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IN FULL STROKE.
Student-athletes slice through their lanes during a swimming event in the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association at the Cebu City Sports Center on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, as competitors push for the lead in one of the meet’s tightly contested...
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PROTEST.
Several transport groups stage a mobilization outside the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) 7 office in Cebu City on Monday, March 23, 2026. Partidong Manggagawa-Sentro Cebu, National Confederation of Transportworkers Union,...
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READY FOR CVIRAA 2026.
Nearly 500 police personnel receive a blessing from Rev. Fr. Benedicto John Sarchez Jr. during their official deployment following a send-off ceremony in the City of Naga on Saturday, March 21, 2026. These officers will provide strict security at all...
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GO-TO PLACE.
As Holy Week 2026 approaches — observed from March 29 to April 5 — one of the most visited destinations is The Good Shepherd at Celestial Garden in Banawa, Cebu City. Here, life-size statues vividly portray the Passion of Christ, offering a powerful...
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CEBU LGUS STRUGGLE TO ENFORCE WASTE LAW
Failure to execute waste management plans leads to high costs and lost lives decades after the passage of RA 9003 TWENTY-FIVE years after the enactment of Republic Act (RA) 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, local government...
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HALO-HALO LANE.
Modern public utility vehicles and traditional jeepneys are now allowed to use the dedicated lanes of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit starting Thursday, March 19, 2026, nearly a week after the lanes were exclusively used by CBRT buses (Cibus). In the photo,...
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REOPENED LANES.
The dedicated lanes for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit reopens to modern and traditional public utility jeepneys (PUJs) on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. The move follows mounting public complaints following the system’s initial rollout on Saturday, March 14.
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Mt. Manunggal keeps Magsaysay legacy alive
SIXTY-NINE years after the tragic crash that claimed the life of former President Ramon Magsaysay, the memory of his final flight to Mt. Manunggal continues to live on in the hearts of residents of Barangay Magsaysay, Balamban. On Tuesday, March 17,...
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BREAKING POINT.
As global tensions drive diesel prices up by over P20 per liter, Filipino transport workers and commuters face a double blow of record-high pump prices and rising base fares. While the House fast-tracks House Bill 8418 to allow for emergency tax cuts,...
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CEBU CITY CLEARS SRP TRASH HEAP
FOLLOWING a deadly landfill collapse, Cebu City faces mounting logistical hurdles and a billion-peso price tag as it scrambles to replace long-distance waste hauling with permanent infrastructure. Cebu City authorities confront a severe logistical...
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SUROY-SUROY SUGBO IN PRIVATE HANDS
IN A landmark shift in tourism strategy, the Cebu Provincial Government will no longer lead the organization of the long-running tourism caravan, Suroy-Suroy Sugbo. Instead, the Capitol has decided to transition the program’s future implementation to...
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Passenger confusion mars Day 1 of CBRT’s initial run
PASSENGER confusion over boarding and disembarking locations emerged as an early challenge when the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) system began its initial operations on Friday, March 13, 2026. While the dedicated lanes allowed for faster travel times...
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STILL UNAFFECTED.
Amid escalating Middle East tensions and the oil crisis triggered by the US-Israel attack on Iran, vendors at Carbon Public Market in Cebu City continue to offer a variety of vegetables at more affordable prices as of March 12, 2026. Despite global...
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FUEL VOLATILITY HITS SUPPLY CHAIN, POWER GRIDS
THE Philippines is facing a compounding economic shock as surging global fuel costs, driven by Middle East tensions and supply chain bottlenecks, hit two of the nation’s most critical sectors: inter-island maritime logistics and domestic electricity...
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PALACE: FUEL STABLE; HOUSE BACKS TAX CUT
AS TENSIONS in the Middle East drive global crude prices toward critical thresholds, the Philippine government is fast-tracking legislative and administrative measures to buffer the domestic economy from an impending oil price shock. While the...
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DIESEL ‘PAST P80’ AS OIL PRICES CLIMB
Global geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Middle East, are driving staggered fuel price hikes (See table), threatening to exacerbate the already high six percent inflation rate in Central Visayas. Echoing the economic shocks seen during the...
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ROAD DISCIPLINE.
THE Cebu City Transportation Office has ramped up enforcement against counter-flowing and other violations, particularly for motorcycle riders. It said counter-flowing disrupts the normal flow of traffic and increases the risk of accidents. The agency...
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AFTERNOON BLAZE.
A firefighter rests after battling a fourth-alarm fire that engulfed several houses along J. Panis St. in Sitio Univille, Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City, on Saturday afternoon, March 7, 2026.
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UNSUITABLE SITE.
The Environmental Management Bureau 7 has rejected Cebu City’s use of a portion of the South Road Properties near Pond A as a temporary waste holding area. Despite the decision, the City has continued dumping garbage there before hauling it to a...
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ANTI-WAR PROTEST.
SOME 299 Filipinos returned home safely from Dubai on Thursday, March 5, 2026, amid rising tensions in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the group, which...
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TRANSPORT GROUPS FAVOR SUBSIDIES OVER FARE HIKES
FACED with volatile global oil markets, Cebu’s transport sector is prioritizing government intervention to maintain operational stability and protect commuters from rising travel costs. Transport cooperatives in Cebu, led by the Federation of Cebu...
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OIL SHOCK: RETAILERS BRACE FOR PRICE HIKES
CEBU consumers may soon feel the impact of escalating tensions in the Middle East as rising global oil prices threaten to push up fuel costs, transport expenses and, ultimately, prices of basic goods on supermarket shelves. While industry leaders...
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FIRE PREVENTION MONTH.
Fire trucks and emergency rescue vehicles from the Bureau of Fire Protection, Cebu City Fire Stations, various government agencies and volunteer groups rolled through the main thoroughfares of Cebu City during an annual motorcade on Sunday, March 1,...
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TOURISM CHIEFS MOVE TO PROTECT BOOKINGS
AS THE summer travel season approaches, the Cebu Association of Local Tourism Officers (Calto) is intensifying its campaign against a persistent threat: online booking scams. While travelers look for sun and sand, digital fraudsters are increasingly...
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CANDLES FOR JUSTICE.
Families of drug war victims hold a candle-lighting vigil at the United Church of Christ in the Philippines-Center for Development Education and Training along Osmeña Blvd. in Cebu City on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, coinciding with the fourth and final day...
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PHOTO BY JUAN CARLO DE VELA
DANGEROUS PLAY. Despite the risk of slipping and falling into the Mactan Channel, children run along the concrete base of the South Road Properties viaduct pillars off Barangay Ermita, Cebu City on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.
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NEW MACHINES.
Faster and more efficient relief operations are expected to benefit disaster-affected communities in the Visayas and Mindanao following the installation of five mechanized production systems at the Visayas Disaster Resource Center in Barangay Tingub,...
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EDSA ANNIVERSARY MARCH.
Various civil and religious groups march from the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño to Plaza Independencia in downtown Cebu City for the “Panagtagbo,” commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Edsa People Power Revolution on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026.
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A YEAR TO FIX BINALIW; TRASH COSTS DOUBLE
THE struggle to manage urban waste often remains invisible until a system failure turns a logistical challenge into a public crisis. When infrastructure collapses, cities are forced into high-stakes scrambles that drain public funds, strain neighboring...
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