Wrong timing: LTFRB rejects fare hike bid
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IN MET R MANILAO
THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board said there will be no fare hike for traditional and modern jeepneys as the government VOL. XXXIX • NO. 295 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES DECEMBER 7, 2025
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SIGNAL 1 UP IN 19 AREAS DUE TO ‘WILMA’
said it was not the right time for fare adjustments following the series of typhoons to hit the country and coming after a big-time rollback that lowered diesel prices. “A fare hike will have a big impact on the economy as a whole, especially since many provinces are yet to recover from the effects of calamities such as the past earthquakes and typhoons,” Transportation acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez said. Transportation groups have been seeking a P1 to P2 fare hike from the current P13 minimum fare for traditional jeepneys and the P15 minimum fare for modern jeepneys.
A study by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development showed that a P1 to P2 base fare hike for jeepneys would increase the country’s inflation rate in the next two years. Aside from affecting commuters, he said the fare hike would also affect the prices of basic goods. On the other hand, LTFRB Chair Vigor Mendoza said five regions, including three of the most populous regions in the country, are against a fare hike. These include Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol Region, Central Visayas and Metro Manila. Turn on A4
Fil-Ams told: Monitor US bill seeking dual citizenship end High Court to weigh Trump bid to halt birthright citizenship
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By Charles Dantes
T
HE Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Saturday urged FilipinoAmericans to “closely monitor” a newlyintroduced bill in the United States Senate that seeks to end dual citizenship. “Our Philippine Foreign Service Posts in the United States are closely monitoring the bill and advise the Filipino-American community to do the same and exercise caution in renouncing their citizenship,” the Embassy said in an advisory. “Renunciation of Philippine citizenship is an irreversible legal action,” it added. The embassy said the bill will still undergo “several stages of lengthy deliberation” in the US Congress and may or may not advance, depending on lawmakers’ decisions. “The bill is currently a legislative proposal and has not yet been enacted into law… US lawmakers will have to carefully consider the provisions of the bill, given its possible significant impact on major immigrant groups in the country,” it said. The advisory also highlighted that past attempts to challenge Turn on A4
Remember blessings amid challenges—PBBM By Charles Dantes
GIFT-GIVING. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. leads the ‘Balik Sigla, Bigay Saya 2025 Nationwide Gift-Giving’ at the Kalayaan Grounds in Malacañan Palace on December 6, 2025 that gathered over 3,000 attendees, including children from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Centers and nearby barangays. Revoli Cortez
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomed thousands of children to the Kalayaan Grounds in Malacañang for the “Balik Sigla, Bigay Saya 2025” nationwide gift-giving program, saying their presence brought back the genuine spirit of Christmas to the Palace. Speaking before the crowd of young participants Friday, the President said the Palace is usually a place filled with serious work and weighty decisions, but the children’s visit changed the atmosphere. “Only now, with all of you children here, you can see everyone smiling… and everyone felt the true spirit of Christmas again because we saw your smiles,” Mr. Marcos said. Turn on A4
Guo, 2 others transferred to Correctional By Rex Espiritu THE Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) confirmed that dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo was transferred Friday night to the Correc-
tional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City. Guo was found guilty of qualified human trafficking and meted the penalty of life imprisonment and a P2-million fine over criminal activities uncovered in an illegal POGO
hub in her town. “The BJMP confirms that, at 10:48 p.m. on Dec. 5, 2025, Alice Guo, Rachel Joan Carreon, and Jamielyn Cruz were officially received by the CIW, Bureau of Corrections, following the turnover of custody from the BJMP Pasig City Jail Female Dormitory,” Turn on A4
Remulla: Bato still in PH, last traced in Pampanga By Pot Chavez
TRANSFER. Former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo undergoes processing at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) where she was transferred late Friday night, along with other inmates Rachelle Carreon and Jaimielyn Cruz. The three were found guilty of qualified human trafficking in connection with a raided POGO hub in Bamban in June 2024. Bureau of Corrections
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OMBUDSMAN Jesus Crispin Remulla on Saturday said they are monitoring the whereabouts of Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, who has been skipping Senate sessions since last month since news of a looming arrest warrant against him from the International Criminal Court broke. “I guess he is still here. He is supposed to be in Pampanga,” Remulla said. “We are tracing his whereabouts once in a while. We are able to trace him,” he added. Remulla was the first to disclose that the ICC has already issued an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa in connection
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LET IT SNOW! The Kartilya ng Katipunan in Manila is transformed
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into a Winter Wonderland during the city’s Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. Richmond Chi
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