PH Peso Weakens to 12-Year Low

The peso yesterday breached its 12-year low, hitting 53.56 to the dollar. This exceeded the P53.55 threshold that was set in July 2006. But the local currency ended the trading session at P53.55 to the dollar, reports Inquirer.net.

Sen. Trillanes Defies Pres. Duterte's Arrest Order

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV

A Philippine senator who is President Rodrigo Duterte's fiercest critic in Congress remained holed up in the Senate on Wednesday to avoid what he considers an illegal arrest after Duterte voided his amnesty for his role in failed coup plots as a former rebel military officer., reports AP/Yahoo News.

PH Inflation Hits 9-Year High in August

Inflation topped 6 percent in August to mark a fresh nine-year high, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Wednesday (GMA News). inflation clocked in at 6.4 percent in August, the fastest in over nine years since inflation came in at 6.6 percent in March 2009.

PH to Get Lion's Share of U.S. Security Aid to India-Pacific

The Philippines is set to receive the biggest chunk of security assistance from the United States in the Indo-Pacific region ($60M of $300M), a visiting American official told Filipino reporters on Wednesday, August 29 (Rappler). https://www.rappler.com/nation/210699-philippines-get-biggest-chunk-us-security-aid-indo-pacific-region

Record Number of Filipinos Get UK's Chevening Scholarships

A record-breaking number of Filipinos have been awarded the prestigious Chevening Scholarships by the British government to pursue postgraduate degrees in the United Kingdom (Inquirer.net).

Activist-Journalist Jon Melegrito Wins AARP Hero Award

Jon Melegrito

Filipino American activist and journalist Jon Melegrito, a tireless advocate for Filipino World War II veterans, won the 2018 AARP AAPI Hero Award in the Volunteer Hero Category (Inquirer.net).

Boracay Will No Longer Be a Party Island

Rebranding Boracay into a normal tourist destination instead of a party island comparable to Ibiza or Majorca will be the government's priority with its reopening, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said Wednesday (GMA News).

Fil-Canadian Is the New Head of Canadian Medical Assn

Dr. Flordeliz Osler

Dr. Flordeliz “Gigi” Osler, Filipino Canadian doctor, is the newly-elected president of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), which represents Canada’s 85,000 physicians, medical students an internists (Inquirer.net).