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EALA SET FOR HISTORIC RETURN IN 1ST WTA TEST ON PH SOIL By Peter Atencio
BSP TO DEFEND PESO AT 60:$1 LEVEL—BSP BUSINESS / B4
EXPECT Alex Eala to step onto the court today before the biggest home crowd of her young career when she finally plays on Philippine soil for the first time since breaking into the WTA rankings and establishing herself on the global tour. A sold-out audience is set to fill the newly built, mid-sized gallery at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center, eager to witness the 20-year-old Filipino star compete in front of her countrymen. The occasion marks Eala’s first-round match in the inaugural Philippine Women’s Open, a WTA 125 tournament—and her first official WTA appearance at home.
NEW ROUND OF GOV’T SALARY HIKES IN JAN. BUSINESS / B4
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Alexandra Eala at the newly refurbished Rizal Memorial Tennis Center
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 345 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P20 • MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2026 •
Better health benefits for middle class sought Recto to DOH, PhilHealth: Boost zero balance billing too By Rio Araja and Jimbo Gulle
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XECUTIVE Secretary Ralph Recto has directed the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to expand their health benefit packages, particularly for middleincome contributors who are paying the most for the national healthcare system.
Romualdez bill eyes schools in isolated areas By Rio N. Araja THE House of Representatives keenly awaits Senate approval of a House-approved measure authored by ex-Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez designed to provide easier access to education for children in the country’s most remote and conflict-affected areas. Next page
FAILED AMBUSH. An assailant, bottom left, fires a rocket-propelled grenade launcher at the car of Mayor Datu Akmad Mitra Ampatuan, top right, in a failed attempt yesterday morning in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao. Bottom right shows the bulletpeppered car of the attackers and a dead assailant slumped in the front passenger’s seat. Bombo Radio photo grab/Contributed photos
In a statement Sunday, Recto stressed that contributors, especially middle-class Filipinos who consistently pay taxes and PhilHealth premiums, should receive benefits commensurate with their contributions. He also told both agencies to strengthen the implementation of zero balance billing (ZBB) to improve healthcare affordability and access. The directives were raised during a meeting on January 20 with Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and PhilHealth Next page
DA freezes new agricultural land reclassification By Othel V. Campos AGRICULTURE secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. announced yesterday an immediate freeze on all new agricultural land reclassification applications to reinforce national food security and curb the rapid conver-
sion of farmlands. Under Department Circular No. 1, signed on January 5, Tiu Laurel imposed a moratorium on the acceptance and processing of land-use reclassification certification applications, effective immediately and running through June 2026.
The pause gives the DA time to reassess its regulatory framework and strengthen oversight as urban expansion and infrastructure projects continue to encroach on agricultural areas. Applications filed before the freeze will still be processed, but all appeals are suspended until the moratorium is lifted. Next page
PBBM’s health no trivial matter, says Palace
IN REMEMBRANCE. An Special Action Force officer stands guard at
a tarpaulin with the photos and names of the 44 SAF officers who died in an attack on a Muslim rebel lair to capture Malaysian bombmaker Zulkifli Abdhir, alias Marwan, in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province in 2015. Seventeen Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters and five civilians also died in the firefight on January 25, 2015. Manwar was killed in the raid. Cherrie Anne Villahermosa
MALACAÑANG on Sunday called for restraint, sincerity and compassion following remarks by Senator Imee Marcos on the recent health condition of her brother, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., stressing that the Chief Executive’s illness should not be trivialized or politicized. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the President’s health should be treated with seriousness and genuine concern as he recovers from a medical condition that required brief hospital observation. “Huwag natin gawing biro ang kalusugan ng Pangulo. Huwag maging
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Maguindanao mayor survives slay attempt; 3 attackers killed By Nash Maulana MAYOR Akmad Ampatuan of Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao del Sur reportedly escaped unscathed from an ambush Sunday morning, but two of his bodyguards were wounded. Three of the suspected ambushers were killed during a hot pursuit operation by a joint police-Army team.
“The mayor is safe,” Anwar Kuit Emblawa, the mayor’s executive assistant, told reporters in a text message. He said Ampatuan was in his bulletproof black sports utility van when attacked around 6:30 a.m. in Barangay Poblacion, Shariff Aguak. His backup vehicle, a pickup, was also peppered with bullets. Next page
Jonvic claims ex-NBI men helping Atong By Vince Lopez DEPARTMENT of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla on Sunday said that retired National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) officials may be
helping gaming tycoon and fugitive Charlie ‘‘Atong’’ Ang. According to a Bilyonaryo.com report, Remulla said he is looking into allegations that low-ranking former NBI agents are assisting the country’s No. 1 most wanted individual. Next page