Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Thursday, January 1, 2025.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Wilcon Depot, The Philippines’ leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer — your Trusted Building Partner.
READ: Coast Guard challenges Chinese research ship
THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday challenged the presence of a Chinese research vessel operating near the northern coast of Luzon, even as maritime monitoring groups said Beijing has been conducting intrusive patrols in the country’s resource-rich Reed Bank, which is within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Using Canada’s Dark Vessel Detection program, the PCG detected the Chinese Research Vessel (CRV) Tan Suo Er Hao on Tuesday, Dec. 30, moving within about 19 nautical miles off Cagayan province. In response, PCG commandant Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan immediately deployed a PCG Islander aircraft to conduct a maritime domain awareness (MDA) flight to verify the vessel’s activities and assert the country’s sovereign rights.
READ: ‘Welcome 2026 with hope, purpose’
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on every Filipino to usher in 2026 with hope and purpose in steering the country to greater heights in 2026. In his New Year’s message, Marcos enjoined everyone to have a shared commitment to national progress toward the Bagong Pilipinas by exercising unity and compassion. He also encouraged everyone to pause and reflect on the past year’s experiences, stressing the value of learning from challenges while setting a hopeful direction for the future.
READ: Global trend worries UN refugee chief
The outgoing United Nations refugee chief fears an increasingly fragmented world is fueling global conflicts and crises, and inflaming hostility toward people desperately fleeing for safety. Reflecting on his decade at the helm of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi said one of the most worrying developments had been how divisions had left the world seemingly incapable of resolving conflicts — and increasingly unwilling to deal with the repercussions. The Italian diplomat said in his final interview as UN High Commissioner for Refugees that this fragmentation of geopolitics that has caused the emergence of so many crises is perhaps the most worrying thing. He noted “a growing hostility, a rhetoric by the populist politicians targeting and scapegoating people on the move.”
READ: Stroke cases up in holidays
THE Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday said there is an increase in cases of stroke, heart attack and asthma this holiday season. According to its latest report, since Dec. 21, a total of 288 cases have been reported — a 5-percent increase compared to the same period last year. On Dec. 31 alone, a total of 31 cases have been logged, with acute stroke being the leading cause of death among the other cases monitored by the agency. The DOH also advised the public to avoid the 4M’s when preparing their New Year’s Eve feast: matatamis (sweet), maalat (salty), matataba (fatty) and mamantika (oily). In an interview with The Manila Times, Dr. Paolo Demapelis, a gastroenterologist, urged Filipino families to prioritize their health as they celebrate New Year’s Eve, warning that overindulgence — particularly on salty foods — can have both immediate and long-term health consequences like stroke and heart attack.
BUSINESS: PH consumer demand to stay resilient in 2026
FILIPINO consumers will remain one of the economy’s strongest pillars in 2026, with Maybank IBG Research pointing to steady remittances and easing cost pressures combined to support incomes and purchasing power. In its report titled “Philippine Strategy — Year Ahead 2026: Let it simmer,” Maybank said it is keeping the country’s consumer sector as one of its key overweight calls for next year, citing “sustained growth in OFW (overseas Filipino worker) remittances and continued expansion of the BPO (business process outsourcing) industry” as the main drivers of household income and consumption. The research firm also pointed to a shift in government spending priorities as another support for demand.
SPORTS: Edgecombe lifts 76ers in OT win vs Grizzlies
MEMPHIS, Tennessee — VJ Edgecombe scored 25 points, including a three pointer with 1.7 seconds left in overtime to give the Philadelphia 76ers a 139-136 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in a tight game on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila). Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 34 points each, but it was Edgecombe who suffered through foul trouble early, who carried Philadelphia through the fourth quarter, scoring 13 points in the period. His 25-footer clinched the win for Philadelphia, which snapped a three-game losing streak. Edgecombe was the third overall pick in the draft in June out of Baylor. Ja Morant led Memphis with 40 points, including 18 in the fourth to bring Memphis back into the game. Cedric Coward finished with 28 points and 16 rebounds, career-highs in both as the Grizzlies lost their second in a row. Coward’s three-point attempt to tie the game as time expired bounced off the front of the rim.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras and Danton Remoto are today’s front page columnists. Contreras said that the tandem of former president Leni Robredo and former Philippine National Police chief Nicolas Torre III, backed by President Ferdinand Marcos, is the only way to stop Vice President Sara Duterte from being elected as president in the coming elections. Meanwhile, Remoto reflects on 2025 and said that it is the time to be grateful.
Today’s editorial is titled uncertainty and hope for 2026.
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Source: HEADLINES: Coast Guard challenges Chinese research ship | Jan. 1, 2026
