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The Supreme Court has issued the final list of successful examinees of the September 2025 Bar Examination.
Out of 11,425 exam takers, 5,594 have achieved the 75% passing grade, resulting in a 48.98% overall passing rate.
The oath-taking and roll signing are scheduled on February 6, 2026, according to Bar Chairperson Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier.
With reports from Dante Amento
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has raised the status of Mt. Mayon to Alert Level 3, indicating that the volcano has reached a higher level of volcanic unrest.
“Volcanic quakes and tremor may become more frequent. Further increase in SO2 flux. Occurrence of rockfalls in summit area. Vigorous steaming / sustained crater glow. Persistent swelling of edifice," based on PHIVOLCS criteria.
PHIVOLCS further reported that the occurrence of Pyroclastic Density Current (PDC), or locally known as uson, began at 12:26 PM (January 6, 2026). The PDC lasted more than two minutes and descended within two kilometers from the crater. This is also classified as the most dangerous volcanic hazard due to the combination of fire, ash, and volcanic gases.
The agency anticipates the potential occurrence of lava flow, minor explosive eruptions, lava fountaining, and even the escalation of the alert level.
The Chief of the Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division (PHIVOLCS), Ma. Antonia Bornas explained the possibility of escalating the alert level of Mt. Mayon.
"Maaari pong tayong magtaas ng Alert Level 4. Magkakaroon po tayo ng explosive eruption. Hopefully, makikita po natin ito sa ating monitoring parameters lalong lalo na po yung pagtaas ng Sulfur Dioxide na siya pong mangangahulugan na mayroong mabilis na umaakyat na magma,” she said
[“We can escalate it to Alert Level 4, wherein we’ll have the explosive eruption. Hopefully, we will see it on our monitoring parameters, especially the increase of Sulfur Dioxide, which will signify that there’s a rapid ascent of magma.”]
Furthermore, the PHIVOLCS recommends the immediate evacuation of residents within the 6-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ).
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) ordered the execution of the “No Entry Policy” and forced evacuation within a 6-km (PDZ).
With reports from Ryan Salatandol, Evan Alvarez, and Marje Pelayo
The Department of Tourism (DOT) revealed the top tourist destinations during the 2025 holiday season.
The agency believes that the long holiday break paves the way to strengthen domestic tourism, as many Filipinos traveled to different local tourist destinations.
The following destinations, along with the respective number of tourists as reported by the DOT, are as follows:
Based on the data issued by the tourism department, Boracay and Baguio City remained the top choices of travelers during holiday season.
Furthermore, the data indicates that despite the cooler seasonal climate, majority of travelers considered going to islands and beaches for their holiday getaways.
MANILA - President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signed the General Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2026, officially approving the ₱6.793 trillion national budget.
The education sector secured the largest amount from the national budget, with an allocation exceeding one trillion pesos. This allocation aligns with the UNESCO benchmark for education spending, equivalent to the 4.4% Philippines’ GDP.
“The education sector has received the largest share of the national budget amounting to P1.35 trillion, equivalent to 4.4 % of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Particularly for DepEd, we will be allocated P1.015 trillion to ensure that quality education reaches every learner across the country,” based on the issued statement by DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara
Sec. Angara stated that this is the first time the Philippines has reached this milestone.
“For the first time in Philippine history, the nation has allocated more than 4 percent of its GDP to education, to ensure that quality education is delivered to every Filipino learner.” Sen. Angara added.
DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara discloses the plans for addressing concerns and challenges in the sector this year.
For classrooms and school buildings, ₱85.3 billion will be allotted for 165,000 classroom backlogs, ₱65 billion for the construction of 24,964 additional classrooms, and ₱7.7 billion for the repair and rehabilitation of existing facilities.
Additional textbooks and learning materials are also included in the target, which will utilize ₱19.5 billion for the production.
Also, Sec. Angara stated that, aside from the improvements to physical infrastructure, all public schools must have access to digital tools and reliable internet connectivity. With this, ₱10.6 billion will go to the DepEd Digital Computerization Program (DCP).
₱25.3 billion will be allocated for the Expanded School-Based Feeding Program to support students’ health conditions.
The department also plans to open more vacancies for teaching positions, school counselors, and administrative officers.
With reports from Jed Nerecina
MANILA — Manila Mayor Isko Moreno has officially declared the suspension of classes and local government offices in the city on January 9, 2026.
The suspension applies to all levels, both public and private schools. No online classes will be conducted on this day
Local government frontline units will remain operational to ensure the security and order of the public, as a massive influx of devotees is highly expected during the Feast of Black Nazarene in Quiapo.
“Frontline services of the City Government of Manila such as those concerning peace and order, public services, traffic enforcement, disaster risk reduction and management, and health will remain operational,” according to the issued statement issued by Manila the Public Information Office (MPIO).
The MPIO added that suspension in private companies and national government offices located in Manila will depend on the discretion of their respective management.
