Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – Tropical Depression Pilandok maintained its strength on Sunday afternoon, August 30, and is enhancing the southwest monsoon or habagat. In its 5 pm bulletin on Sunday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Pilandok was located 1,180 kilometers east of extreme Northern Luzon. It is moving northwestward slowly, with maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 55 km/h.

Ten years ago, when funds allocated to confidential and intelligence expenditures skyrocketed under the Duterte administration, I asked then Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno for his thoughts on what safeguards should be put in place to prevent potential abuse of these funds. Diokno’s response then: “We just have to trust him (President Rodrigo Duterte) na mabuting tao siya (that he is a good person),” he said. I was astounded. Trust?

BATANGAS, Philippines – A century-old pottery tradition in San Juan, Batangas, faces the risk of fading into memory. In Barangay Palahanan, however, one family remains steadfast, determined to keep this heritage alive despite the challenges of changing times. While they continue to shape earthenware by hand in makeshift workshops on sunny days, their production is frequently disrupted by the monsoon season.

MANILA, Philippines – A loan application in the Philippines doesn’t always come with crisp bank statements and complete payslips. It may instead be a blurry rural bank form, a handwritten record folded one too many times, or screenshots of GCash transactions from someone outside the formal banking system. But somewhere in that jumble could be evidence that the borrower can repay. Young Filipino founder Carmel Limcaoco wants AI to do the digging.

The death toll in Nepal and Tibet from last week’s catastrophic floods hit 750 on Sunday, August 30, with 3,044 missing, authorities said, while rescuers moved to higher ground as rain swelled river levels. Rescue operations have been suspended several times since Friday, August 28, because of bad weather and concerns that a lake formed across the Nepal-China border by a mudslide from Wednesday’s glacier collapse could trigger fresh flooding after it began overflowing into rivers in Nepal.

Rappler’s People section runs an advice column by couple Jeremy Baer and clinical psychologist Dr. Margarita Holmes. Jeremy has a master’s degree in law from Oxford University. A banker of 37 years who worked in three continents, he has been training with Dr. Holmes for the last 10 years as co-lecturer and, occasionally, as co-therapist, especially with clients whose financial concerns intrude into their daily lives.

MANILA, Philippines – The 99th Academy Awards are happening on March 14, 2027, and the Philippines wants in. The country aims to take home its first-ever Best International Feature Film title at the prestigious cinema awards, and has started its bid by shortlisting eight films. These entries were handpicked by a National Selection Committee following a criteria of 50% artistic merit, 30% cultural relevance, and 20% capacity to campaign.

I went into Dear You expecting a tear-jerker. I came out thinking about my Gua-kong, the small boat that carried him out of China, and the life he built on this side of the sea. How wonderful, then, that a Teochew story could closely echo across so many Filipino-Chinese families. But before I get ahead of myself, a bit about the movie first.

MANILA, Philippines – The low pressure area inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility has developed into a tropical depression at 8 am Sunday, August 30. Tropical Depression Pilandok was located at 1,225 kilometers east of extreme Northern Luzon, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). It is moving west northwestward at 15 kilometers per hour, with maximum sustained winds of 45 km/h and gustiness of up to 55 km/h.

Sa 2028 pa ang pambansang halalan, pero noong Biyernes ng tanghali eleksyon na ang usapan sa isang hotel sa Maynila. At hindi mapigil ng pagbabalik ng habagat yung mainit na kuwentuhan ng mga taong matatayog ang pangarap. Pabiro pa nga silang binansagan ng tambay na ito na “dreamers” dahil nga sa tayog ng inaambisyon nila. Bahagi ng National Leadership Congress ng Philippine Chamber of Cooperatives (Coop Chamber) na ginanap nung maulan na Biyernes na iyon ay isang press briefing.