WATCH: ST Rosal enters PAR, Taal activity top INQToday newscast

Inquirer.net - Oct 20, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — Here are INQToday’s top stories this afternoon: Super Typhoon Rosal, internationally known as Champi, has entered the Philippine area of responsibility, prompting the raising of Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 over parts of Northern and Southern Luzon; Taal Volcano recorded a minor phreatic eruption on Tuesday; and House lawmakers are eyeing

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Oct 20, 2026

Super Typhoon Rosal enters PAR; Signal No. 1 in 5 Luzon areas

MANILA, Philippines — Super Typhoon Rosal (international name: Champi) entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Tuesday morning with Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 raised over parts of Northern Luzon and Southern Luzon, according to the state weather bureau. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that Rosal entered

Oct 20, 2026

Marcos vows reforms to boost investor confidence, stock market

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday vowed that the government will continue to pursue reforms to boost investor confidence and help the stock market grow. He made the statement during the listing ceremony of Mynt Inc., the parent company of GCash, on the Main Board of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). The

Oct 20, 2026

Sara Duterte skips OVP budget hearing at Senate

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte did not attend the budget hearing of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) at the Senate on Tuesday. To defend the office’s P785 million budget for 2027 in Duterte’s stead is OVP Chief of Staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez along with other staff members. “The vice president is

Oct 20, 2026

2 soldiers wounded in Sultan Kudarat honored; receive cash aid

COTABATO CITY – Two soldiers who were wounded in a recent clash with a lawless armed group in Sultan Kudarat province were honored for courageously performing their duties. Brig. Gen. Ricky Bunayog, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division and Joint Task Force Central, awarded the Wounded Personnel Medals to Sgt. George Tusan and Cpl. Gexter

Oct 20, 2026

Beyond the price tag: The hidden cost of rice in the Philippines

Rice is commonly perceived as an expensive staple food in the Philippines. However, market prices often exclude substantial environmental and social externalities generated during production. Building on Teodoro C. Mendoza’s 2021 True Cost Accounting (TCA) study of Philippine rice production, this paper reassesses whether rice remains “expensive” when climate, water, ecosystem and other hidden costs

Oct 20, 2026

OIL PRICE WATCH as of Oct. 20, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — After two straight weeks of oil price increases, gasoline prices will roll back by at least P4.30 per liter and kerosene by P1 per liter on Tuesday, while diesel prices will rise by P2.60 per liter. The Department of Energy (DOE) said the adjustments reflect movements in the global oil market amid

Oct 20, 2026

Water container sales surge in Bulacan amid service cuts, El Niño

CITY OF BALIWAG — Water buckets, drums, and other branded containers have been flying off the shelves for more than a week now as residents deal with ongoing water service interruptions in many Bulacan towns and the “Super El Niño.” At Imelda Drum Trading along Maharlika Highway in Barangay Tarcan in Baliwag City, average daily

Oct 20, 2026

Homeplus' recovery falters as sales slump, buyer search stalls

Homeplus, which narrowly avoided liquidation and resumed operations in August, is struggling to regain its footing as weak sales and stalled takeover efforts cloud its recovery, according to industry officials Monday. The uncertainty has also prompted a wave of voluntary resignations among employees. A major supermarket chain, Homeplus is currently undergoing court-led rehabilitation after struggling for years with the decline of the country’s hypermarket sector and consumers’ shift to online shopping. In July, the Seoul Bankruptcy Court briefly terminated the proceedings after the embattled retailer failed to secure the minimum 200 billion won ($150 million) in fresh funding needed to carry out its restructuring plan. Homeplus reversed that outcome only after obtaining emergency financing from Meritz Financial Group, its largest creditor, at the last minute. The retailer reopened all 67 of its remaining stores nationwide on Aug. 13, hoping to put its recovery back on track. Sales reached 10.63 billion won on the first day, followed by a daily average of 8.7 billion won over the nex

Oct 20, 2026

N. Korea, Russia discuss ways to expand exchanges in education

The education ministers of North Korea and Russia have met in Pyongyang and discussed ways to expand exchanges in the education field, the North's state media reported Tuesday, amid deepening cooperation between the two nations. North Korean Education Minister Ri Yong-chol and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Kravtsov, held talks the previous day, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). A Russian delegation, led by Kravtsov, arrived in Pyongyang on Monday. "At the talks, the successes and experience gained by the two countries in the field of education were shared, and the issues of further boosting bilateral exchange and cooperation were discussed," the KCNA reported, without disclosing other details. In a separate dispatch, the KCNA said the Russian delegation toured the Pyongyang University of Education No. 2, a major educational institution for training teachers in the North, the previous day. The two nations signed a "supplementary agreement" to establish and operate a Russian education center in North Korea under a partnership between the Pyongyang university and Russia'

Oct 20, 2026

DaouKiwoom-CJ consortium picked as preferred bidder for debt-laden JoongAng Ilbo

Creditors of JoongAng Ilbo Co. picked DaouKiwoom-CJ consortium as the preferred bidder for one of the major South Korean newspaper publishers as they closed bidding for the debt-laden company earlier in the day, industry sources said Monday. According to the sources, the DaouKiwoom-CJ consortium beat Orion and four others in a race to take over JoongAng Ilbo, a deal estimated at between 400 billion won ($300 million) and 500 billion won. In July this year, JoongAng Ilbo entered the debt workout program, led by main creditor Hana Bank and other lenders, amid liquidity problems at its parent, JoongAng Group. Creditors' debt collection has been suspended for three months, allowing the company to avoid court-led rehabilitation proceedings. JoongAng Holdings owns a 64.7 percent stake in JoongAng Ilbo and is controlled by the founding family of JoongAng Group.

Oct 20, 2026

Lee welcomes 'dramatic rebound' in potential growth outlook

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday welcomed a rise in the country's potential growth rates as "a dramatic rebound" in the national economy's "basic physical strength." Lee wrote the message on his X account, referring to a recent upward revision of the country's potential growth rate projections by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to 2.14 percent this year and 2.2 percent in 2027. The figures mark the first consecutive annual increases in about 40 years. The president "welcomed" the projections, describing them as marking the first back-to-back increases since the late 1980s, when the country benefited from low oil prices, low interest rates and a strong won against the U.S. dollar. "It marks a dramatic rebound in the Korean economy's basic physical strength," he said, describing the trend as "a very positive sign." Based on the improvements, Korea will have to focus on sustaining growth and ensuring that its benefits are shared fairly by all, he noted.

Oct 20, 2026

Battery CEO's 4-year sentence upheld over fire that killed 23, mostly foreigners

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a four-year prison sentence for Park Soon-kwan, CEO of lithium battery maker Aricell, over a factory fire that killed 23 workers, mostly foreigners, more than two years ago. The court dismissed appeals by prosecutors and the defendants, leaving intact an appellate ruling that sentenced Park's son, Park Joong-un, a senior executive at the company, to seven years in prison, along with a fine of 1 million won ($750). The court also upheld an 800 million won fine against Aricell. The fire at the company’s factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, on June 24, 2024, killed 17 Chinese nationals, one Lao national and five Koreans, and injured nine others. The blaze began on the second floor of Building No. 3, where workers inspected and packaged finished batteries, and spread rapidly as batteries exploded. The CEO was indicted on charges of failing to fulfill his statutory safety obligations, including checking for workplace hazards and preparing a manual for responding to serious accidents. The Supreme Court affirmed the lower court’s ruling that the chief e

WATCH: ST Rosal enters PAR, Taal activity top INQToday newscast

MORE NEWS

Super Typhoon Rosal enters PAR; Signal No. 1 in 5 Luzon areas

Marcos vows reforms to boost investor confidence, stock market

Sara Duterte skips OVP budget hearing at Senate

2 soldiers wounded in Sultan Kudarat honored; receive cash aid

Beyond the price tag: The hidden cost of rice in the Philippines

OIL PRICE WATCH as of Oct. 20, 2026

Water container sales surge in Bulacan amid service cuts, El Niño

Homeplus' recovery falters as sales slump, buyer search stalls

N. Korea, Russia discuss ways to expand exchanges in education

DaouKiwoom-CJ consortium picked as preferred bidder for debt-laden JoongAng Ilbo

Lee welcomes 'dramatic rebound' in potential growth outlook

Battery CEO's 4-year sentence upheld over fire that killed 23, mostly foreigners

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