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Metro Manila, Philippines – The death toll from the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that devastated Mindanao has risen to 65, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported on Monday, June 15. The number of injured individuals has climbed to 1,447, while disaster response figures show that the disaster has affected 176,186 families, or approximately 736,386 individuals. To date, 14 cities and municipalities have declared a state of calamity. According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), a total of 6,058 aftershocks have been recorded as of Monday following last week’s massive tremor. These aftershocks have ranged in magnitude from 1.2 to 6.4. Early estimates from the OCD project up to ₱1 billion in infrastructure damage across the region, with 10,023 homes classified as totally destroyed. In a positive development exactly one week after the devastating earthquake struck, the General Santos International Airport officially resumed commercial operations on Monday.

(Reuters) – U.S. and Iranian officials said on Sunday they had agreed on a framework to end their war, halt the U.S. blockade of Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a preliminary pact that sent oil prices falling but leaves the fate of Iran’s nuclear program to further negotiations. “The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform around 5:30 p.m. ET local time in Washington (2130 GMT) on Sunday. His post came shortly after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has served as a mediator, announced a deal had been struck early on Monday local time. The memorandum of understanding is scheduled to be officially signed on Friday in Switzerland. The precise terms were not immediately known. Sharif said in a post on X that the pact called for “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.” Lebanon has…

Metro Manila, Philippines – PhilHealth announced on Sunday, June 14 it is investigating the case of a man who died of a brain hematoma but did not receive any benefits despite being a longtime contributor. This comes days after his widow spoke out about the situation. According to Maria Lourdes Sulit in a now-viral Facebook post, her husband, Marvin, suffered a brain hematoma, but the family could not afford a life-saving operation that cost around ₱4 million. They were referred to another hospital where treatment was cheaper.  However, Sulit said they were still required to pay a ₱1 million deposit. “With time running out and no way to raise that amount immediately, we had no choice but to wait for Marvin to die. It was heartbreaking and devastating,” she wrote on Friday, June 12. “At 12:29 AM on June 4, Marvin passed away, he was admitted at around 5.59 am,”…

Metro Manila, Philippines – Sen. Joel Villanueva said on Sunday, June 14, that he would attend a special session of Congress if President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. were to call one. “Sa pagkakataon po na magkaroon ng special session, tutuparin po natin ang ating sagradong tungkulin sa ilalim ng ating Saligang Batas. We will be there,” Villanueva said in a video message to the Jesus is Lord Church, the religious group founded by his father, Eddie Villanueva. [Translation: “In the event that there is a special session, we will fulfill our sacred duty under the Constitution.”] Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano has counted Villanueva in his bloc, which refuses to recognize the new majority and the leadership of Senator Win Gatchalian. “The Senate staff should not be caught in the middle of this political fight. Hindi po pwede puro away na lang. Bilang mga lingkod-bayan, prayoridad po natin dapat ang siguruhin na…

Metro Manila, Philippines – The death toll from the devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Mindanao has risen to 61, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported on Sunday morning. According to government data, 54 of the fatalities were recorded in SOCCSKSARGEN, while seven were reported in the Davao Region. The number of injured individuals has climbed to 1,403, while at least 40 people remain missing. Disaster officials stated that the earthquake has affected 173,000 families, or approximately 724,000 individuals. Around 2,000 of these families are currently staying in evacuation centers. Meanwhile, 13 cities and municipalities have declared a state of calamity. The OCD has initially recorded up to ₱1 billion in infrastructure damage, with nearly 10,000 homes totally destroyed.