The Philippine Star - May 18, 2025

In this issue

May 18, 2025

Filipino chef reflects on feeding 5 US presidents

WASHINGTON - Cristeta Comerford, a longtime White House executive chef who recently retired after nearly three decades of preparing meals for five presidents and their guests, says first families are \"just regular people\" when they're at home in the private living areas of the Executive Mansion.

4 mins

VP Sara ready for impeach trial, wants 'bloodbath'

Her lawyers may be against letting her face a Senate impeachment trial, but Vice President Sara Duterte said she wants it to proceed because \"I really want a bloodbath.\"

2 mins

Speaker has supermajority support, says House leader

House Deputy Speaker and Quezon Rep. Jay-Jay Suarez affirmed yesterday that the question of House leadership in the incoming 20th Congress is already settled, asserting that Speaker Martin Romualdez enjoys the backing of a \"supermajority,\" with at least 240 lawmakers — more than two-thirds of the 315 elected congressmen — signing a manifesto of support.

1 min

Filipino chef reflects on feeding 5 US presidents

Cristeta Comerford, a longtime White House executive chef who recently retired after nearly three decades of preparing meals for five presidents and their guests, says first families are \"just regular people\" when they're at home in the private living areas of the Executive Mansion.

4 mins

Comelec proclaims winning senators

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) officially proclaimed yesterday the 12 winning senators in the recently concluded midterm polls.

4 mins

Senators Looking for Leaders Who Will Maintain Independence

As questions loom over the fate of Sen. Francis Escudero as Senate President, newly proclaimed senators are intent on finding a leader who will uphold the independence of the upper chamber.

2 mins

Tagle: Pope Leo brings a calm warmth

Pope Leo XIV brings a calm warmth, shaped by prayer and missionary experience, according to Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.

2 mins

On verge of delisting, Akbayan rises to the top

Akbayan party-list faced delisting in 2022 after failing to secure enough votes for a House seat, only to be saved by the Supreme Court after it affirmed the cancellation of the An Waray party-list's registration.

2 mins

PMA Graduates Urged To Serve With Honor

President Marcos yesterday urged the graduates of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) \"Siklab-Laya\" Class of 2025 to serve the nation with honor, dignity and love, as he emphasized that modern battles now go beyond physical warfare and require mental sharpness and compassion.

2 mins

Acquittal 'possible'

Not necessarily a lawyer

1 min

Court order needed to cancel Roque passport

Without a court order, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) cannot cancel former presidential spokesman Harry Roque's passport.

1 min

10 ex-POGO Workers Nabbed for Scam Activities

Ten Chinese nationals who formerly worked for a large Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) were arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Bataan for engaging in scamming activities.

1 min

Extra pay for teachers on poll duty

Teachers who served as members of the Electoral Boards (EBs) during the May 12 polls are getting an additional P1,000 compensation, according to the Commission on Elections.

1 min

Go thanks Rody for victory

Re-elected Sen. Bong Go attributed his top finish in the Senate race to former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is awaiting trial in The Hague for crimes against humanity in connection with his administration's bloody war on drugs.

2 mins

Fleet cap still under review, LTFRB assures Movelt riders

Riders employed by motorcycle ride-hailing mobile application Movelt were assured their jobs would be kept as the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) declared it would not yet implement its plan to reduce the firm's fleet.

1 min

PDEA: P60-B drugs seized since 2022

Law enforcement agencies have confiscated illegal drugs valued at P60.13 billion under the administration of President Marcos, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency reported yesterday.

1 min

Conduit gets 20 years terror financing

An alleged conduit of the terrorist organizations ISIS-Philippines (ISIS-P) and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) was sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for multiple counts of terrorist financing in violation of Republic Act 10168 or the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012.

1 min

Help 2 Pinoys Facing Fraud Raps, DFA Urged

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is being asked to help two Filipino businessmen who have been arrested and allegedly wrongly charged with fraud in the United States.

1 min

DILG Says LGUs Should Adopt Cashless Payments

Local government units should adopt cashless transactions to ensure transparency, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said yesterday.

1 min

JTI factory gears up for stronger demand

EYES WIDE OPEN

3 mins

With the elections over, time to get the country back on track

Democracy was in full display during the May 12 elections that saw more than 55 million Filipinos exercising their right to vote.

4 mins

Parents exploiting children

EDITORIAL

1 min

China's first police corgi has 400,000 followers and a nose for trouble

World view

3 mins

Taiwan Seeks Participation in World Health System

Point of View

2 mins

Pope Leo XIV: What's in a name?

BREAKTHROUGH

3 mins

The June 2025 priority dates

IMMIGRATION CORNER

1 min

SM Group, Mastercard Name Ten Outstanding STEM Students

Ten outstanding STEM students (TOSS) have been officially selected for the 2025-2026 academic year, through a joint initiative between SM Retail's Shop & Share program and Mastercard, in support of the SM Foundation's College Scholarship Program.

1 min

P20/kilo rice now available in Bulacan

People belonging to vulnerable sectors in this city were the first to benefit from the rollout of the P20-per-kilo rice in Bulacan.

1 min

Pope's 1st Pinoy appointee is bishop of Infanta

Pope Leo XIV has made his first appointment for the Philippines, designating Fr. Dave Dean Capucao bishop of the Prelature of Infanta in Quezon province.

1 min

Batangas fire destroys P340-M property

BATANGAS - Up to P340 million worth of property were destroyed in an overnight fire that struck a warehouse of a cable company in Tuy, Batangas on Friday.

1 min

Leviste Wins in Historic Landslide

Leandro Legarda Leviste won in a historic landslide as representative of the first district of Batangas in the newly concluded midterm elections.

1 min

Israel Launches Fresh Gaza Offensive

JERUSALEM (AFP) - The Israeli military yesterday said it had launched \"extensive strikes\" as part of a fresh offensive in Gaza, after rescuers reported 100 people killed in the besieged Palestinian territory.

1 min

Pope Leo Expected to Live at Vatican's Apostolic Palace

Pope Leo XIV is expected to live in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, unlike the late Pope Francis who shunned the palace in favor of a Vatican hotel, according to several Vatican officials.

1 min

Combs' ex Cassie wraps grim week of testimony

Casandra Ventura, the ex-girlfriend of music mogul Sean Combs, on Friday finished four grueling days on the witness stand in his sex trafficking trial, testifying in graphic, deeply personal terms about years of abuse including rape.

1 min

Arab League summit kicks off in Baghdad

Regional leaders met in Baghdad yesterday at the annual summit of the Arab League, with the war in Gaza expected to once again loom large.

1 min

Joaquin Phoenix stars in COVID-era thriller

Joaquin Phoenix stars in the darkly satirical \"Eddington,\" which premiered at the Cannes film festival on Friday, a biting take on America's culture wars set in a small New Mexico town.

1 min

Ukraine war talks yield POW swap, but no truce

Russia and Ukraine agreed on a large-scale prisoner exchange, saying they would trade ideas on a possible ceasefire and discussed a potential meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin in their first direct talks in over three years on Friday.

1 min

Street kid wins gold in squash

Ashton Rain Medino hit paydirt in his first international competition, sweeping four matches without dropping a set in bagging the Boys U11 title at the third SEA Junior Squash Championships in Vajiravudh College, Bangkok last Tuesday.

1 min

Lady Blazers closer to Final 4

St. Benilde overpowered San Beda, 25-17, 25-19, 25-18, yesterday to move a step closer to the NCAA Season 100 women's volleyball Final Four at the EAC Gym.

1 min

HIGH FIVE FOR NU BULLDOGS

It's National U's world and every UAAP team is just living in it.

1 min

Italian Open: Sinner,

Jannik Sinner set up a blockbuster Italian Open final with Carlos Alcaraz by beating Tommy Paul 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 on Friday.

1 min

Bugna triple kill in Cebu

Kathlyn Bugna scored another impressive triple kill, including two in singles play, at the Lapu-Lapu City National Junior Tennis Championships last Thursday in Cebu.

1 min

Italian Open: Sinner, Alcaraz Dispute Title

The pair at the French Open next month. A win for Sinner against his rival would see the men's Rome title go to an Italian for the first time since Adriano Panatta in 1976.

1 min

Shopwise Bike Fest today

The spirit of community, health and fitness comes alive today as the Shopwise Bike Fest returns to the Vermosa Sports Hub in Imus City, Cavite, drawing 2,862 cyclists from all ages and backgrounds.

1 min

Never Give Up On A Dream

Sporting Chance

2 mins

Knicks send Celtics crashing out

The New York Knicks thrashed the Boston Celtics 119-81 to send the defending champions crashing out of the NBA playoffs on Friday.

1 min

Global jitters cloud PH growth prospects

It may be too early to let go of the six to eight percent growth target in the medium-term, but adjusting the upper end in the short-term may be possible amid uncertainties in global trade, according to the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev).

2 mins

Coal Plants Face Higher Insurance Fees

Amid the country's bold shift toward clean energy, insurance companies have sharply raised premium rates for coal-fired power plants, according to the Department of Energy (DOE).

1 min

Career and money wisdom

It's hard to imagine lawyer Liwayway Vinzons-Chato as a housewife sewing curtains, cooking family meals and cutting her children's hair. That's because for those in the know, she has broken many glass ceilings for women throughout her career in public service.

5 mins

Getting your data ready for a conversational commerce world

The Philippine retail sector has seen one of its biggest years yet with about P4.7 trillion revenue generated in 2024, around four million daily visitors at the famous SM Supermalls, and a fast-growing e-commerce sector.

3 mins

Regrets and lessons

If life came with an \"undo\" button, we'd all be professional time travelers or masters of awkward apology tours.

3 mins

Sanctity of gov't contracts

If the Philippine government can renege on its contractual obligations just like that, then what message does it send to prospective investors?

3 mins

Mega Prime Foods Eyes IPO in 2-3 Years

Canned sardines maker Mega Prime Foods Inc. (MPFI) is preparing for a public listing in two to three years as part of its growth plan.

1 min

GCash loans surpass P250-B mark

E-wallet leader GCash has exceeded a quarter of a trillion pesos in loans disbursed, stamping its mark as one of the most preferred lending options of Filipinos right now.

1 min

Pagcor Remits P13B to Treasury

State-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) has remitted nearly P13 billion in dividends to the Bureau of the Treasury.

1 min

Hidden Agenda

From B4

1 min

Global

From B1

1 min

Phl Counting on 14.2-GW New Power Supply by 2030

Over 14,200 megawatts (MW) of new capacity are set to come online by 2030 to strengthen the country's power supply, according to the Department of Energy.

1 min

Another HMO placed under conservatorship

The Insurance Commission (IC) has placed health maintenance organization (HMO) Getwell Health Systems Inc. (GHSI) under conservatorship amid its inability to address requirements from the government.

1 min

Security Bank Profit Up 7% in 3 Months

Security Bank Corp. reported a seven-percent rise in net income to P2.8 billion in the first quarter, driven by robust growth in both interest and non-interest income.

1 min

UBS bullish on gold amid global uncertainty

Global investment bank UBS has painted a bullish outlook for gold, projecting prices to rally toward $3,500 per ounce by the end of the year, citing a confluence of factors including continued US Federal Reserve policy easing, strong investor demand and rising diversification needs amid ongoing global economic uncertainty.

2 mins

Carlo Calma Weaves an Architectural Feat in Osaka

The Philippine Pavilion is a vibrant celebration of Filipino identity and ingenuity that blends cultural storytelling with sustainable design.

2 mins

Palawan Group of Companies Wins Seven Stevie Global Awards for Empowering Filipinos Through Financial Services

The Palawan Group of Companies (PGC) earned a momentous international distinction at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, taking home seven major awards, including two coveted Gold Stevies for Excellence in Innovation and Brand Development.

2 mins

Furne One's bridal collection takes you to the sea

Many starry-eyed couples dream of a wedding by the sea.

4 mins

A Pulitzer for Pinoy Sounds

Original Pilipino Music (OPM) is on a roll these days. First off, Multo by the alt band Cup of Joe became the first Filipino recording to enter the global charts.

2 mins

LOOK FORWARD TO MARRIED LIFE

Engaged couple Jerald Napoles and Kim Molina look forward to their next journey as husband and wife.

2 mins

The Company marks 40 years of music and stories in landmark concert

Four decades. Seventy-one music industry awards. Thirty albums. Thousands of performances. Countless memories. Asia's premier vocal group The Company is celebrating an extraordinary 40-year journey in music with \"Company40,\" a major concert event happening on June 14 at The Theatre at Solaire.

2 mins

HOW TV HOSTING HELPED MELAI HEAL

MELAI CANTIVEROS WALKED ONTO the stage of ABS-CBN's Pinoy Media Congress 2025 as a TV host and celebrity and walked off as an inspiring conference speaker. The country's beloved \"Pambansang KUANtie\" was

2 mins

Read all stories from The Philippine Star

The Philippine Star Newspaper Description:

The Philippine Star is your go-to source for reliable, up-to-date news on politics, business, sports, entertainment, and global affairs. As one of the Philippines' most respected newspapers, it provides in-depth reports, expert opinions, and exclusive interviews, keeping you informed on the nation’s most important developments. Whether it’s breaking news, government policies, financial updates, or lifestyle trends, The Philippine Star ensures you stay ahead with accurate and insightful journalism.

Stay informed—subscribe today!