Friday, July 24, 2026

The subpoenas are no longer just an order on paper. On Day 9, the impeachment court began firing off demands to six banks, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and the Anti-Money Laundering Council for the financial records of Vice President Sara Duterte and husband Manases Carpio, as the defense wrapped its cross-examination of NBI Director Melvin Matibag. Matibag told senator-judges the hunt for the person allegedly hired to kill President Marcos has narrowed to fewer than 20 people, and that the bureau is closing in (via Inquirer).

The trial is about to take a two-day breather, and the timing is no accident. Presiding Officer Francis Escudero said there will be no hearing on July 27, the day of Marcos's State of the Nation Address, and none on July 28 either, to give the Senate minority room to prepare its traditional contra-SONA. Proceedings resume July 29 on a new 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. schedule (via Inquirer).

Monday's SONA will be big on security and short on spectacle. Malacanang promised a simple, dignified address with no celebrity directors or A-list performers for Marcos's penultimate SONA (via PNA). The NCRPO, meanwhile, goes on full alert starting Thursday, July 24, deploying 21,261 officers reinforced by 3,000 more from Bicol and Cagayan Valley (via PNA).

Kiyapo has picked up speed, and extreme Northern Luzon is squarely in the crosshairs. PAGASA said the tropical depression is on track to pass very close to mainland Cagayan on Friday, July 24, before making landfall or a close approach over the Babuyan Islands by Friday evening, and it could strengthen into a tropical storm, even a severe tropical storm, before it hits. Signal No. 1 is already hoisted over 13 areas (via Rappler).

The bigger threat may be the water, not the wind. Forecasters warned of moderate to intense rain over Northern Luzon in the next 48 hours, with flooding and landslides the main danger as Kiyapo edges toward tropical storm strength and drags the southwest monsoon along with it. The system is expected to exit the country by Saturday morning (via Rappler).

If you drive anywhere near the Batasan on Monday, plan around it now. Metro Manila police roll into full alert on July 24 ahead of the SONA, and they have already flagged temporary road closures and traffic rerouting around the Batasang Pambansa Complex to ease the expected congestion. The plan also includes a no-fly, no-drone zone over the area and a nationwide suspension of permits to carry firearms on SONA day (via Manila Bulletin).

The government is betting on trade deals and farm goods to keep exports humming. The Department of Trade and Industry said free trade agreements and agricultural products should help sustain last year's momentum, when merchandise exports jumped 15.2 percent to $84.41 billion. Manila is chasing FTAs with the European Union, Chile, and Canada, and is reviewing its economic partnership with Japan, which both sides hope to finalize in November (via BusinessWorld).

Foreign money, though, is still keeping its distance. Analysts said the outlook for foreign direct investment stays weak through the rest of 2026, weighed down by global uncertainty and a cooling domestic economy, a soft patch that undercuts the job creation the country needs (via BusinessWorld).

The bargain hunters showed up just in time. After two straight losing sessions, the PSEi edged up 0.24 percent, or 15.27 points, to close at 6,283.12 on Wednesday, July 23, as investors picked over cheaper valuations. Thursday's market had not closed as this digest went out (via BusinessWorld).

The peso, however, is not budging off the floor. It stayed pinned at its all-time low of P61.75 against the dollar on July 23, as a fresh flare-up in the Middle East kept inflation fears and a firm greenback bearing down on the currency (via BusinessWorld).

Some relief at the wet market, if you know where to look. Key farm prices eased in early July, with regular milled rice slipping 0.7 percent month on month to P49.30 a kilo and pork kasim down 0.8 percent to P339.43, though it remains far pricier than a year ago. Not everything cooperated: tomatoes jumped 14.9 percent to P97.05 a kilo (via BusinessWorld).

The pump is the wallet's real headache. With Middle East tension keeping global oil elevated, another round of pump price hikes is looming next week, up to P3 a liter, piling onto the brutal July 21 adjustment that added as much as P10.68 to diesel (via PNA).

The PBA serves up a Friday doubleheader worth blocking off. Barangay Ginebra faces Blackwater and Magnolia takes on Meralco on July 24 as the Governors' Cup elimination round grinds on toward its August break for the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers (via Inquirer).

Alex Eala's hardcourt reckoning is almost here. The Filipina opens her North American swing at the Mubadala DC Open in Washington from July 27, playing singles and reuniting with Venus Williams in doubles, all a tune-up for her confirmed spot in the US Open main draw in New York (via Philstar).

The face of a generation of courtroom TV has passed. Atty. Jose Sison, the longtime host of the drama anthology Ipaglaban Mo, died at 88, drawing tributes from viewers who grew up on his on-screen lessons in law and justice (via PEP.ph).

Reuniting with an ex on set is its own kind of work. Kathryn Bernardo admitted it took a big adjustment to work alongside former love team partner James Reid on their new project, a candid note that set showbiz timelines buzzing (via PEP.ph).

Things got heated behind the camera. Director Erik Matti traded sharp public words with photographer Neil Daza, telling him to be straight with him because he is a straight-talker himself, a spat that spilled onto social feeds (via PEP.ph).

Adventurous eating, Ilocos edition. A Philstar Life writer sat down to a plate of ant eggs at Sitio Remedios, turning an unusual regional delicacy into a small meditation on how far a curious palate will travel (via Philstar Life).

Dumaguete is more than a stopover. A travel feature makes the case for the City of Gentle People, weaving its history and heritage together with a stay at The Henry for anyone plotting a slower southern getaway (via Philstar Life).

Crypto just quietly walked into your remittance. BPI is tapping stablecoins to speed up dollar-to-peso transfers, betting the technology can shave time and friction off the international money flows that millions of Filipino families depend on (via NewsBytes.ph).

The government's dev day got mixed reviews. The eGovPH Hackathon 2026 rolled out nine new government APIs for developers to build on, but participants griped about registration problems, delays, and the judging process (via NewsBytes.ph).