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California declares state of emergency ahead of El Niño
LOS ANGELES — California’s governor on Monday declared a state of emergency as the US west coast readies for what is expected to be a damaging El Niño. Forecasters say the coming months could bring powerful and damaging storms to the region because of this weather pattern, with the threat of…
CICC sets ultimatum for Reddit, Discord: Set up offices in PH within 24 hours or face restrictions
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has given Reddit and Discord a 24-hour ultimatum to establish offices in the Philippines or face possible restrictions. The move comes as the CICC addresses growing concerns over the use of online platforms among the youth, citing the…
El Niño weather pattern enters record territory—scientist
The strengthening El Niño weather pattern has tied for the most intense on record on a widely-used metric, a senior scientist told AFP Monday, even as its influence is already being felt from Central America to Indonesia. Zeke Hausfather, a climatologist at Berkeley Earth and co-author of…
Global diesel prices hit record highs, further rises possible
Diesel prices have rallied in Europe and the United States to record highs as wars in Iran and Ukraine sharply cut exports from some of the biggest producers such as Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with little options to prevent further gains. Diesel futures in Europe closed at…
Gemini hacked three companies in first known breakout by Google’s AI
Google’s Gemini model accessed the internet and hacked other companies during a test of its cybersecurity capabilities, the first known example of the company’s AI systems autonomously committing such an act. The hacks occurred in May during a cybersecurity test conducted by Irregular, an…
PCSO gross revenues grew to ₱64 billion in 2025, and the charity fund grows with it
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office generated ₱64 billion in gross sales last year, revenue that flows directly into the charity fund used for medical assistance, educational grants, and mandatory contributions to government agencies, PCSO General Manager Melquiades “Mel” Robles said…
‘Bayanihan on wheels’: how the Cebu earthquake produced the Philippines’ first mass mobilization of government ambulances
When a powerful earthquake struck Cebu in September 2025, the provincial governor made a single call to every mayor in the province. Because every municipality now had a PCSO patient transport vehicle, every single one was able to send an ambulance to the disaster site. This produced what PCSO…
Chinese EV maker BYD recalls more than 180,000 cars over brake pedal risk
China’s market regulator said on Friday electric vehicle maker BYD will immediately recall more than 180,000 cars to resolve a manufacturing defect affecting a brake pedal component. The exercise covers 183,211 Qin and Tang series vehicles produced between 2014 and 2022, as the defect in a…
PCSO earns responsible gaming certification from the World Lottery Association in two years, a process that normally takes six
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) reached Level 3 of the World Lottery Association’s responsible gaming certification in just two years, a process that normally takes six. In addition, PCSO General Manager Melquiades “Mel” Robles has been elected Vice Chairman of the Asia Pacific…
PCSO now pays doctor’s fees through its Guarantee Letter, a first under the Marcos administration, but some private doctors are not cooperating
For the first time, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s (PCSO) Guarantee Letter can now be used to cover a patient’s doctor’s professional fee, the one item that previously remained unpaid even after PhilHealth, the Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients program, senior citizen…
Physical sweepstakes tickets disappeared with the digital age, but PCSO says there is a good reason to revive them
The traditional physical sweepstakes ticket, the kind Filipinos once purchased from vendors outside churches, in markets, and along city sidewalks, no longer exists at the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). But PCSO General Manager Melquiades “Mel” Robles said Saturday that plans to…
‘Hindi umuurong sa pagtulong’: Why PCSO still provides medical assistance even after funding Universal Healthcare services
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) technically sends nearly half of its entire charity fund to PhilHealth for Universal Health Care, which means that when a patient receives help from PhilHealth, part of that money came from PCSO. And yet, when that same patient walks into a PCSO…
‘Pag tumutulong ka na, wala nang boundaries’: PCSO brings medical equipment to hospitals across the Philippines
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) sent medical equipment to Naga City—including X-ray machines, a 2D Echo unit, and an ultrasound machine—after learning that the city’s general hospital had no ICU section and had lost eight dengue patients as a result. PCSO General Manager…
A mayor refused PCSO’s ambulance over political differences. PCSO gave it to a barangay captain instead.
A mayor in the Philippines refused to accept a patient transport vehicle from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) because of political differences with the administration. The PCSO responded by finding a willing barangay captain in the same area who accepted the unit on behalf of the…
PCSO distributed 1,800 patient transport vehicles in three years, triple what previous administrations gave in six
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has distributed approximately 1,800 patient transport vehicles in the first three years of the Marcos administration, more than triple the roughly 600 units that previous administrations gave over an entire six-year presidential term. PCSO General…