Taal Volcano in the province of Batangas was placed under Alert Level 3 on Thursday, July 1, after a phreatomagmatic eruption. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) announced in a bulletin on Thursday afternoon that Taal Volcano's main crater "generated a short-lived dark phreatomagmatic plume one kilometer high" at 3:16 pm. Phreatomagmatic refers to "an eruption that involves both magma and water, which typically interact explosively," according to the United States Geological Survey. The eruption prompted the Alert Level 3 announcement. "This means that there is magmatic intrusion at the main crater that may further drive succeeding eruptions," Phivolcs said, referring...

  Trigger warning: Suicide After a glimpse with international fame as perhaps one the young biggest global pop stars to emerge from the Philippines, the Filipino pop singer Jake Zyrus, formerly known as Charice Pempengco, shared about his journey in the latest vlog of Toni Gonzaga. During the interview, Jake shared how he got depressed and committed suicide as he was afraid of coming out. “I tried to kill myself a few times.” Jake said. “I think I was 18, 19?” He answered when Toni asked him how old was he when he tried to kill himself. He also explained...

Senator Risa Hontiveros  filed a resolution on Monday, June 28, to honor the Philippines' triumph at the 2016 landmark arbitral ruling that favored Manila's claims in the South China Sea, which also commemorates the efforts of late former President Benigno Simeon Aquino III’s administration. Senate Resolution No. 762 seeks to declare July 12 as National West Philippine Sea Victory Day to recall the triumph of the Philippines in the ruling, which also invalidated China's massive claims in the South China Sea.  “PNoy is the father of our 2016 victory at The Hague. If not for his unwavering commitment to put the...

  Former Philippines President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino 3rd passed away on Thursday, former Interior secretary Manuel Roxas 2nd has confirmed. He was 61. "PNoy RIP (rest in peace). [He] was rushed to hospital early this morning and passed after efforts to revive failed. Please pray for him. Salamat (Thank you)," Roxas said in a statement. Reports said Aquino was brought to the Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City early Thursday for undisclosed reasons. Aquino had been suffering from various illnesses since 2019. He had been undergoing dialysis for at least five months and had recently undergone a heart operation. He...

  While other food delivery riders have been suspended after homophobic remarks over McDonald’s BTS Meal, Benjamin Baetiong earned rewards for simply being a decent human being. Baetiong was a subject of a social media campaign launched by BTS fans (aka ARMYs) which saw him receive donations upwards of PHP 45,0000. The rider initially shared how grateful he was to McDo’s newest offering, which has led to a surge in deliveries. “Lakas ng BTS meal ngaun. Umaarangkada na.. kme mga Foodpanda rides.. masayang dedeliver sa inyo ang bts meal.. kya mga bts fans.. dyn.. gogogogo na order na kyo,” said...