28+ min ago (717+ words) MOURNING. People paste sticky notes with well-wishes for those affected by the deadly fire at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex, in'Tai'Po, Hong Kong on November 30, 2025. Lam Yik/Reuters More than a thousand people turned out on Sunday, November 30, to pay tribute to the victims of Hong Kong's deadliest fire in more than 75 years, as Beijing warned it would use a national security law to crack down on any "anti-China" protest in the wake of the fire. The cause of the blaze, which killed 128 people and left 150 still missing at a high-rise apartment complex, remains under investigation, amid public anger and dismay over missed fire risk warnings and evidence of unsafe construction practices. Mourners waited in a queue stretching for more than a kilometre along the banks of a canal near the burnt-out Wang Fuk Court housing complex to lay…...

2+ hour, 36+ min ago (401+ words) POWER. Ateneo discus thrower Russel Ricaforte in action during the UAAP athletics competition. MANILA, Philippines " Earlier this year, Ateneo's Russel Ricaforte made headlines after the collegiate star broke a 34-year-old national discus throw record, tallying a 54.14 meter heave during the "Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) weekly relays back in August." The record of 52.10 meters"was previously held by Fidel Repizo, dating back all the way to 1991 during the 16th Southeast Asian Games hosted by the Philippines. "During that moment, I knew I could break it. It was just a matter of whether I could execute it mentally," he shared. "After I did it, it was really fulfilling and an unbelievable feeling, like I was dreaming." In his final UAAP outing this November, Ricaforte only further cemented his legacy, recording a 52.62-meter discus throw to set a new UAAP record…...

3+ hour, 20+ min ago (1281+ words) MANILA, Philippines " Pursed lips, a soft wince, and that familiar asim (sourness) that wakes up the palate. We all know the experience of suka (vinegar). As Filipinos, we love our vinegar: it's that sour kick that contrasts our richer, meatier dishes, and the brightness to our kinilaws and ensaladas. Not only is it the best partner to dried fish, but it is the savory-sour foundation of our adobo, and more. And this love isn't new. "Vinegar has been around since pre-colonial times," culinary consultant and chef Bettina Arguelles told audiences at November's Terra Madre Asia Pacific Festival, the Asia Pacific region's biggest sustainable gastronomy event, held in Bacolod for the first time. Because of our tropical climate, she said, our ancestors relied heavily on vinegar, salt, and other souring agents to season and preserve food while traveling or working the…...

8+ hour, 55+ min ago (770+ words) SYMBOL OF PEACE. Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David holds a cage with a dove, a symbol of peace, during the Trillion Peso March at the EDSA People Power Monument in Quezon City, November 30, 2025. MANILA, Philippines " "What's next?" The resignation call is one key difference between the two major protests in Metro Manila on Sunday, November 30, the 162nd anniversary of Filipino hero Andres Bonifacio's birth. It is also the reason why Metro Manila protesters did not converge at EDSA as they did last September 21, the first Trillion Peso March that drew hundreds of thousands of protesters." On Sunday, at the EDSA People Power Monument in Quezon City, protesters sought to hold both Marcos and Duterte, as well as their allies, accountable for systemic injustice. At Luneta in Manila, protesters called for the resignation of both Marcos and Duterte. "Why are we here at…...

9+ hour, 16+ min ago (249+ words) Calls to jail the corrupt are fast morphing into calls for a transitional government to be established to undertake wholesale reforms of government and politics. But is a transitional government legitimate? Is it consistent with the Constitution? Importantly, La Vi'a underlines that a transitional government is not a civilian-military junta which would subvert the Constitution. Rather, it still takes the Constitution as starting point; it departs from the strict letter of the constitution but does not throw it out entirely. So far so good, but how can this work in the real world? The acting president will have to be onboard plans for a transitional government. Otherwise, under the constitution, he will simply call for a snap election without undertaking any constitutional or legal changes. Additionally, the acting president will still need the support of Congress to enact constitutional and…...

9+ hour, 42+ min ago (668+ words) The flood control corruption scandal has gripped the entire nation " prompting a series of mass protests, calls for accountability, and collective anger among the Filipino people." It sparked an outrage like no other, and with good reason. When public officials deceive the very people they're supposed to serve, it would really only be a matter of time before it would catch up to them. Until then, the rage persists, and will naturally become a part of the mundane." Chants and symbols from demonstrations have turned into everyday sayings and icons that have made their way into music events, art markets, and even the clothes we wear." Just look at Identity Apparel, a clothing brand whose socks and t-shirts have turned into subtle calls for action." "POV: You can't [rally at] EDSA for fear of being deported, but you can show…...

10+ hour, 26+ min ago (695+ words) ANTI-BBM. Supporters of former president Rodrigo Duterte march along CM Recto Avenue in Manila to call for the resignation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, on November 30, 2025. MANILA, Philippines " Just a few minutes" walk from the Mendiola Peace Arch, the message was unmistakable, whether from pro- or anti-Duterte groups: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should resign. The plea for Marcos to step down is a major point of discord among various opposition groups rallying against corruption on Sunday, November 30, which was why separate protests were held in two major locations in the metropolis " one in Manila area, and another along the historic EDSA." In the Philippine capital, two major groups traversed Recto Avenue but on different time slots: leftist groups who urge both President Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte to resign, and pro-Duterte supporters whose call for accountability spares the second…...

10+ hour, 46+ min ago (1089+ words) Just beyond Baguio's borders, Itogon shelters'Mt. Camisong, a mountain retreat experience that captures the essence of the Cordilleran culture in every detail. Launched last February, the park and events place had also unveiled their private dining hall: Alapaap, taking from the Tagalog word that means "cloud" or "the upper heavens." True to its name, Alapaap lifts regional cuisine to new heights through thoughtful flavors and techniques, grounded in a shared sense of community and care for the environment. Mt. Camisong's vice president for food and beverage, chef Stanley "Stan" Suva, stands at the helm of the kitchen, leading it with a deep respect for Cordilleran traditions and local ingredients. His background as an avid outdoorsman and his love for cooking over firewood on camping trips reveal themselves in Alapaap's affinity for earthy, open-fire flavors. Though Kapampangan by heritage and raised…...

13+ hour, 9+ min ago (753+ words) QUEEN. Miss Grand International 2025 Emma Tiglao waves to the ground during her homecoming parade. JOJO BRAGAIS' INSTAGRAM PAGE MANILA, Philippines " A month since the historic back-to-back wins for the Philippines at the 2025 Miss Grand International (MGI) pageant in Thailand, new queen Emma Mary Tiglao officially came home to the country carrying not just a crown, but the experiences that proved how dreams take time before they become a "finally." For more than a decade, the Philippines had hoped to capture its first golden crown from Miss Grand International. That long-awaited moment surprisingly arrived earlier this year when CJ Opiaza earned the title after initially being named first runner-up, later assuming the crown following the resignation of India's Rachel Gupta. CJ's coronation already marked a groundbreaking milestone for the country, but what followed became even more historic when Emma secured the…...

14+ hour, 16+ min ago (948+ words) Rappler's Life and Style 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. Dear Dr. Holmes and Mr. Baer, Lately, I can't help asking myself, "Why get married at all?" My thoughts on this stem heavily on my own experiences. I've had an ex who is curt, demanding, and brutally disrespectful to me. I've had another one that is basically loyal to her emotions and can't regulate her emotions and heal her wounds that eventually ended up becoming my own trauma! I've been hurt a lot by…...