Mines and Geoscience Bureau director Michael Cabalda said Monday, Febuary 23, that Woggle Corporation sent him a “very strongly-worded” letter asking Cabalda to retract the temporary suspension order he issued following the protests against Woggle’s mining exploration activities in Dupax del Norte, Nueva Vizcaya. 

Cabalda said he issued a temporary suspension order as part of his mandate as public servant, which is to preserve peace. Cabalda speaks on Monday in a Senate hearing probing Woggle Corporation's mining exploration activities and alleged lack of consultations. Locals oppose Woggle's activities citing lack of due process and proper consultations with the communities. What the company passed off as consultation, according to advocates, was an information, education, and communication session.

Representatives from Woggle Corporation are a no-show in today's hearing.

DENR welcomes the appointment of Usec Juan Miguel Cuna as acting secretary, following Raphael Lotilla’s appointment as PH’s ambassador to the Holy See.

Statement here:

Senator Risa Hontiveros filed a resolution urging a probe into the implementation of vessel monitoring system which affects small fishers and their preferential right over town waters. 

“If these systems are not fully enforced or properly coordinated, then they fail in their most important mission of safeguarding the livelihood of municipal fishers and preserving our marine resources,” Hontiveros said in a statement Tuesday, March 3.

The Fisheries Code was amended in 2014 to prevent, deter, and eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in Philippine waters.  Municipal, commercial, and distant water fishing operators are required to comply with the vessel monitoring measures that seek to monitor vessel location and speed.

Watch out for a total lunar eclipse on March 3, visible in Manila and other parts of the Philippines. The moon will enter totality at 7:04 pm, while the maximum eclipse will occur at 7:34 pm. The eclipse will end at 10:25 pm. @here

Below is the full press statement from PAGASA!

DOST-PAGASA S&T Media Service
23 February 2026
Quezon City

TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE
03 March 2026

On March 3, 2026, the Moon will be totally eclipsed in Manila and other parts of the Philippines for about 59 minutes and 24 seconds. This Total Lunar Eclipse will be completely visible over Eastern Asia, Australia, the Central Pacific, and most of the Americas.

Weather permitting, the public is invited to observe the Moon on March 3, 2026. The maximum eclipse happens at 7:34 PM, with the Moon entering totality at 7:04 PM. During the Umbral Phase, the Moon will remain in the Earth's primary shadow until 8:03 PM and leave the Umbral shadow at 9:17 PM. The Moon will rise in Manila at 5:58 PM, already partially eclipsed. These stages will continue until the Moon emerges from the Penumbral shadow at 10:25 PM. [Figure 1 on the attached PDF below]

During the maximum eclipse, the Umbral shadow cast by the Earth will obscure 100% of the Moon's disk. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as a BLOOD MOON, as it appears red during the eclipse due to the way Earth’s atmosphere filters and scatters sunlight. [Figure 2 on the attached PDF below]

The predicted times of occurrence of the major phases of the Total Lunar Eclipse in different Metropolitan areas of the Philippines on March 3, 2026, are shown in Table 1 (Shown on the attached PDF below).

The Total Lunar Eclipse is very easy to observe. A modest pair of binoculars will provide an excellent view of the Moon's surface, but not required. Contrary to solar eclipses, observing a lunar eclipse is completely safe and does not require any protective eyewear.

"You'll always be my LUNA"

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSiFcQQDhYi/?igsh=MXFyNjZpang3dmZwaA==

This is interesting @Tsoko! I didn't know Uruguay's power grid is now run mainly by renewables 😲 Sana magaya rin natin

The FAO delegation, led by FAO director-geenral Qu Dongyu, visits the central office of the Department of Agriculture on Monday, March 16.

Hi @Jee Geronimo - Rappler Rappler might be interested to write about the 30 years of mining disasters in marinduque, more activities will happen next week organised by various groups, also happy to share the link of the online event yesterday https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18GrpNpNtF/?mibextid=wwXIfr thank you

The landfill project in my area (Calauan), approved by the town's council last month, was disapproved by the Provincial Board of the Province of Laguna after public opposition and per the recommendations by a report submitted to the Board.
https://laguna.gov.ph/news/disapproved-unanimous-decision-of-the-laguna-provincial-board-vs-calauan-landfill

SPACE JELLY FISH WHAT?! 

The Philippine Space Agency on Sunday sought to address the interest sparked by “lights sighted over parts of the Philippines on the evening of 11 April 2026, at around 7:40 pm.” 

PhilSA said the lights that formed what looked like a jellyfish in the sky were “highly likely due to the passage of the Jielong-3 rocket” launched by China. 

“The phenomenon is commonly called a ‘space jellyfish,’ which occurs when a rocket's exhaust plume, released at high altitudes, is directly illuminated by sunlight while observers on the ground remain in darkness. 

“The expanding plume fans out in the thin upper atmosphere and scatters sunlight, creating a luminous, jellyfish-like glow visible over wide areas during twilight conditions,” the space agency explained.

Today we learned. :) 

Photo by Jeanda Alora-Getongo/PhilSA