Liam Demafelix
Reporting from the TSR newsroom.
They’ll play gay for views — but will they even lift a finger for LGBTQ+ rights?
Gay culture has never been more profitable online. But for Miss Earth Philippines Joy Barcoma, the creators cashing in on it owe the LGBTQ+ community a lot more than a performance. The beauty queen took to Facebook on March 25 to weigh in on the growing queerbaiting controversy, calling out…
Harvard’s 85-year study reveals the six habits that predict a long, happy life
Most of us spend our lives chasing happiness without ever stopping to ask what the science actually says about how to find it. Fortunately, one of the world’s leading experts on the subject has been paying close attention — and the answers, while sometimes surprising, are well within reach for…
Kiko Pangilinan announces task force formed to protect food security amid oil crisis
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan announced Tuesday, March 31, that the AGRI-AGRA Team has formed a dedicated task force to monitor the Middle East crisis and shield the country’s food security and agriculture sector from its effects. The team brings together the Department of Agriculture (DA)…
The eTravel scam you need to know about before you fly this Holy Week
As millions of Filipinos head to airports this Holy Week, scammers have found a way to cash in on the rush — setting up fake websites that charge unsuspecting travelers fees for a government service that costs nothing. The Bureau of Immigration (BI) raised the alarm Wednesday, April 1, as it…
GSIS rolls out ‘Balik Ginhawa’ relief program, gives members lump-sum refund of 3-month loan amortizations
Government workers with outstanding GSIS loans may soon receive a welcome financial boost — the state pension fund is offering to credit the equivalent of three months’ loan amortizations directly to their accounts in one lump sum, for those who choose to apply. The Government Service Insurance…
DOH chief Herbosa hit yet again with graft charges, this time over P1.4-billion expired medicines, vaccines
Health Secretary Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa and 16 other Department of Health officials were slapped Tuesday afternoon with a fresh batch of criminal and administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman — this time over more than P1.4 billion worth of medicines and vaccines that allegedly…
Teachers’ association, transport group urge national government to adopt Manila’s free ride program nationwide
A teachers’ association and a transport group on Tuesday, March 31, separately voiced support for Manila’s free jeepney ride program, with both calling on the national government to adopt a similar initiative as fuel prices continue to squeeze commuters and drivers across the country. The Manila…
Isko Moreno raises jeepney subsidy to ₱3,500 to offset fuel price hike
Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso announced Tuesday morning, March 31, that the city government is increasing its subsidy for participating jeepney drivers from ₱3,000 to ₱3,500, funded by ₱661,000 in savings generated from the program’s first day of operations on Monday. The…
Sales of secondhand electric vehicles surge as fuel prices hit record highs
The war in Iran is sending shockwaves through global oil markets, pushing petrol prices to record highs and driving a surge in secondhand electric vehicle sales. The average cost of petrol in the European Union rose 12% to 1.84 euros per litre from late February to mid-March, according to European…
Manila’s free ride program designed to benefit operators, drivers, gas stations, and commuters all at once
(UPDATED) Over 60,000 passengers had already boarded free jeepneys in Manila by 2:30 p.m. Monday, March 30, and Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso says that is only the beginning. Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau (MTPB) Director Dennis Viaje reported to the Mayor that 60,228 passengers were…
Marcos is betting on an energy deal with China, but analysts aren’t so sure
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made a striking claim in a television interview: a reset of the Philippines’ ties with China was, in his words, “happening now.” Speaking to Bloomberg, he also said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which prompted him to declare a national energy crisis after…
Wikipedia, the web’s go-to encyclopedia, has just declared war on ChatGPT
Wikipedia has officially barred its 260,000 volunteer editors from using large language models like ChatGPT to generate encyclopedic content, citing the technology’s tendency to hallucinate fake facts, broken links, and fabricated citations that violate the site’s strict standards on verifiability…
Astronaut spots something horrifying floating in space, and it’s staring back at you
Something is growing inside the International Space Station — and the moment NASA astronaut Don Pettit posted a photo of it, the internet completely lost its mind. Viewers were convinced they were looking at a hatching alien egg straight out of a 1979 horror film, with panicked commenters begging…
Global oil price surge far from over
The most punishing oil price surge in modern history isn’t over yet. Global oil prices extended their historic climb on Monday, March 30, as Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched their first attacks on Israel since the start of the Iran conflict, deepening fears that a widening war in the Middle East…
Have a break-in? About 12 tons of KitKat bars stolen before Easter in Italy
A large shipment of KitKat chocolate bars was stolen while in transit to distributors, a major candy crime that occurred just days before Easter Sunday. According to Agence France-Presse, the stolen truck was carrying 413,793 units from a “new chocolate range,” totaling about 12 tons, when it was…