Ilocos Sur town rolls out cashless payments in markets, transport

Inquirer.net - Oct 18, 2026

SAN ILDEFONSO, Ilocos Sur — The municipal government of Santa Lucia in this province recently launched the Paleng-QR PH Plus program to promote cashless transactions among market vendors, transport operators, small businesses and consumers. The initiative, spearheaded by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in partnership with the Department of the Interior and Local Government

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Oct 18, 2026

Super Typhoon Champi to enter PAR on Oct. 20; to be named Rosal

MANILA, Philippines — Super Typhoon Champi is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Tuesday, Oct. 20, and will be named Rosal, bringing strong winds and heavy rains to northern Luzon and Bicol, according to the weather bureau. In its 5 a.m. bulletin on Sunday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services

Oct 18, 2026

Motorcycle-riding men rob gas station in Ilocos Norte

SAN ILDEFONSO, Ilocos Sur — Police are investigating a reported holdup at a gasoline station in Currimao, Ilocos Norte, where two motorcycle-riding men allegedly threatened a pump attendant with a gun and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash early Saturday, Oct. 17. The Currimao Municipal Police Station said the incident occurred at 12:10 a.m.

Oct 18, 2026

P1-M shabu seized in South Cotabato; 4 arrested

KORONADAL CITY — Authorities arrested four people, including a woman, and seized at least P1 million worth of suspected shabu in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Rizal Poblacion, Banga, South Cotabato, on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 17. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Region 12 (PDEA-12) identified the suspects as alias “Kim,” 26, and alias “Van,” 33, both

Oct 18, 2026

2027 budget not being used for Duterte’s impeachment trial – Ejercito

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. JV Ejercito vowed to keep the 2027 national budget from being used for Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment. “There’s no truth to that; nothing like that is happening. That’s all I can say. If anyone should know about that, it should be me,” said Ejercito, who also chairs the Senate finance

Oct 18, 2026

PCG seeks help in search for missing fisherman in Occidental Mindoro

CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is seeking the public’s help in locating a fisherman reported missing at sea off Paluan, Occidental Mindoro. In a public appeal posted on Sunday, Oct. 18, the Coast Guard Station Occidental Mindoro identified the missing man as Joshua Matugas, a resident of Barangay Tayamaan in

Oct 18, 2026

China slams Japan’s Takaichi over Yasukuni ritual offering, warns of ‘remilitarisation’

China has condemned Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for sending a ritual offering to Tokyo’s war-linked Yasukuni Shrine, a move that threatens to further strain ties between the neighbours. At the start of Yasukuni’s three-day autumn festival on Saturday, Takaichi sent a ritual tree-stand offering to the shrine in her capacity as prime minister, although she did not visit in person. Minoru Kiuchi, minister in charge of economic growth strategy, visited the controversial site the same day,...

Oct 18, 2026

AFP modernization needs sustained funding amid threats — Ejercito

MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) modernization program needs sufficient and sustained funding to strengthen the country’s defense posture amid budget constraints and mounting external threats, particularly in the West Philippine Sea, Sen. JV Ejercito said. “In the Senate, we have been consistent in supporting the AFP modernization, as well as in