The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines announces three new cohorts of the English Access Program Scholarship in Davao City, Bohol, and Bataan, benefiting 150 high-achieving Filipino students. The program is a partnership between the U.S. Embassy’s Regional English Language Office, the Philippine Department of Education, and public schools in each location.
Students and teachers selected through a competitive, merit-based process gain invaluable skills from American innovation and excellence in English language content and instruction, preparing them to enter the workforce.
Funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the two-year, intensive after school program strengthens English proficiency while building digital, leadership, and critical thinking skills among public school students aged 13 to 15. Participants also participate in cultural activities, including celebrating American excellence in partnership with U.S. officials as part of America’s 250th anniversary and the 80th anniversary of U.S.-Philippine diplomatic relations in 2026.
“By focusing on advanced literacy and professional-level communication, we are preparing these high-achieving students for the demands of the global workforce,” said U.S. Embassy Regional English Language Officer Jeff McIlvenna. “Their success is a direct investment in the future of the U.S.-Philippine relationship and our shared goals—ultimately making both our nations safer, stronger, and more prosperous.”
On January 8, the Regional English Language Office launched the first 2026 cohort at Pablo M. Piatos Sr. Integrated School in Bunawan, Davao City, with 50 exceptional students joining from various schools across the area.
“The English Access Scholarship Program plays a significant role in raising the English proficiency of learners, especially those from far-flung schools. Through well-structured weekly lessons, interactive, learner-centered activities, and support from mentors, the program builds learners’ confidence and communication skills in English, empowering them to express themselves more effectively and opening wider academic and future opportunities,” said Department of Education Davao City Assistant Superintendent Rebecca Sagot.
The second cohort launched on January 10 in Panglao, Bohol, with 50 students at Lourdes National High School.
The third cohort, also with 50 students, will launch on January 17 at the City of Balanga National High School in Balanga City, Bataan.
Since its inception in 2004, over 200,000 students in more than 85 countries have received the English Access Program Scholarship, including nearly 1,500 alumni in the Philippines. Educators in the program also join a global network of Access teachers to strengthen their instructional skills through American English excellence to better serve their communities.

The Philippine Navy (PN) on Monday announced that one of the six offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) it ordered from South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), the prospective Rajah Sulayman (PS-20), arrived in the country on Jan. 17.
The vessel is scheduled for technical inspection and assessment before it is commissioned and officially accepted into service.
“The PN’s newest OPV, the future BRP Rajah Sulayman (PS-20), has arrived in the country from South Korea, which marks another significant addition to the Navy’s growing modern fleet, on January 17, 2026,” PN public affairs office chief Commander Marie Angelica Sisican said in a statement.
South Korean media earlier reported that the ship departed Ulsan on Jan. 13 for its voyage to the Philippines. Upon entering Philippine waters, the vessel was met off the coast of Zambales by the country’s first guided-missile frigate, BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), in accordance with standard naval protocols.
“After completing coordination and meeting procedures at sea, the future BRP Rajah Sulayman will begin post-delivery activities and technical checks,” Sisican said.
She added that BRP Rajah Sulayman is scheduled to undergo acceptance and pre-commissioning processes before its formal entry into active service.
“(This) underscores the PN’s commitment to strengthening its maritime defense and law enforcement capabilities through a modern, multi-domain, and self-reliant force,” Sisican said.
BRP Rajah Sulayman was launched on June 11, 2025, at the HD HHI shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea.
The BRP Rajah Sulayman is the first of the six OPVs ordered from shipbuilder HD HHI, worth around PHP30 billion in 2022. (PNA)

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Philippine health authorities are poised to tap into a wealth of invaluable data that could potentially leapfrog universal health care (UHC) across the country: in 2024 alone, PhilHealth processed some 15 million claims, a rich source of potential health care insights.
“Claims data tell a much bigger story than just the cost of care,” explained Dr. Valerie Gilbert Ulep, Program Director of the Philippine Institute of Development Studies’ Health Economics and Finance Program (PIDS-HEFP). “They show us not just who gets sick, but how the country’s health care system responds, and whether that response is fair and effective.”
Smarter, better health claims
At a recent workshop co-organized by PIDS-HEFP and the World Bank Group, with support from the Australian Government through the Advance UHC partnership, health sector policymakers and data experts explored how health insurance claims data can drive smarter, evidence-based decisions for universal health care as the Philippines transitions to a new provider payment mechanism mandated by Republic Act No. 11223, or the UHC Law.
Held at the Marco Polo Ortigas Manila, “Data-Driven Decision-Making for UHC: Leveraging Health Insurance Claims Data” highlighted how PhilHealth’s vast trove of claims records could become a powerful tool for improving efficiency, accountability, and equity in healthcare delivery. The workshop provided insights into how healthcare claims data can be used when conducting health systems analysis.
Connecting statistics with patients’ stories
The goal of the workshop is to equip health-sector policymakers and data analysts with the capacity to “see beyond spreadsheets,” to connect statistics with patient stories and policy outcomes.
According to World Bank Lead Economist Dr. Ajay Tandon, analyzing PhilHealth claims can reveal where hospitals are efficient or overburdened, and whether patients are receiving timely, appropriate treatment.
Preliminary analysis showed that one in three inpatient PhilHealth claims are for ambulatory-care-sensitive conditions—that is, conditions for which timely and effective primary care can help reduce the risks of hospitalization. This pattern possibly points to both supply- and demand-side issues in primary healthcare access, according to PIDS analysts.
For example, by examining trends in key areas and procedures such as cesarean deliveries, readmissions, and tobacco-related illnesses, policymakers can spot inefficiencies and redirect resources to where they matter most.
Moving forward with DRGs
The workshop built on the HEFP’s broader initiative to institutionalize Diagnosis-Related Groupings (DRGs), a new payment mechanism mandated under the UHC Law that rewards hospitals for quality and efficiency rather than volume of services. The same data analytics underpinning the training will be essential for calculating fair DRG rates and monitoring their impact once implemented.
Over the past year, PIDS-HEFP has led a series of high-level engagements with PhilHealth, the Department of Health, and professional medical societies to prepare hospitals for the upcoming DRG pilot tests. The new claims analytics effort forms part of that continuum, transforming raw administrative data into insights that can potentially shape long-term policies.
The workshop is the latest in a line of capacity-building and stakeholder events spearheaded by PIDS-HEFP this year, from the nationwide rollout of the DRG awareness campaign to technical briefings for hospital administrators and policy forums with medical societies. Each initiative reflects a shared vision: a transparent, data-driven health financing system that delivers “Dapat, Sapat, Tapat” care for every Filipino. PIDS-HEFP

MANILA – The United States Mission to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has welcomed the Philippines’ upcoming chairship of the bloc next year.
“We now welcome the Philippines as the ASEAN Chair for 2026. (We look) forward to working together to drive growth, create opportunities, and deepen ties that benefit both America and the region,” it said on Wednesday.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. formally accepted from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim the bloc’s chairship this year during a turnover ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Oct. 28.
As chair, Marcos said the Philippines will steer the bloc towards initiatives that would “fortify peace and security anchors, strengthen prosperity corridors, and advance people empowerment.”
The ASEAN, with Manila at the helm, will be launching a series of high-level meeting under the theme “Navigating Our Future, Together” next year.
At the 13th ASEAN-US Summit on Oct. 26, Marcos recognized the US’ active and meaningful engagement with ASEAN across all three its pillar —political-security, economic, and socio-cultural.
In his intervention speech, he thanked Washington DC’s support in promoting peace at seas, combatting transnational crime, counter-terrorism while acknowledging its important role in advancing economic development in the region.
“We recognize that the global economic landscape is marked by uncertainty. ASEAN values its partnership with the United States and seeks to build practical, strategic, and forward-looking collaboration that delivers concrete outcomes for our businesses and citizens alike,” he said. (PNA)

Philippine forces trained last week to defend Balabac, a strategic island in Palawan that is set to host a new military base dedicated to South China Sea operations.
Philippine Marines and Coast Guard special forces held joint maritime boarding operations in t

he vicinity of Balabac Island, which has been recognized as a strategic basing location by Manila amid its push to increase the country’s defensive capabilities. The quiet island is located next to a strait of the same name separating the Philippine province of Palawan from Malaysia and near several South China Sea hotspots.
According to a Philippine Coast Guard release, the boarding drill was meant to “prevent hostile forces from establishing a foothold in the vicinity” of Balabac Island. A high-altitude insertion also dropped force reconnaissance Marines onto Balabac during the exercise in what the Philippine Navy claimed was a demonstration of their ability to operate and seize objectives in a “contested littoral environment.”
The activity was one of several across the Philippines held under Marine Aviation Support Activity 2025, an annual bilateral U.S.-Philippine Marine exercise focused on enhancing aerial interoperability. Last year’s iteration saw U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs drop precision-guided munitions on targets in the South China Sea.

The presence of the Coast Guard Special Operations group in the drill comes as both Washington and Manila seek to bolster Philippine law enforcement capabilities in more territorial defense activities. Special operations forces from the Palawan-based agency have received training from U.S. Navy SEALs. The Philippine National Police also deployed its Special Action Force during Balikatan drills and to the frontlines of the Philippine-Chinese territorial dispute in the Spratly Islands.
In 2023, Balabac Island was selected as one of nine sites across the Philippine archipelago to host American-funded facilities and rotationally deployed U.S. forces under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. The move coincided with increased tensions between Manila and Beijing over maritime features in the South China Sea, including the nearby Second Thomas Shoal.
The strait, one of several going through Philippine waters, has also seen increased attention from American and Chinese forces. Washington and Beijing have utilized the strait for transiting warships, including aircraft carriers, in previous years between the first and second island chains.
Philippine policymakers have recently noted the military implications of these transits and have passed a new archipelagic sea lanes law to strengthen the country’s sovereignty. Chinese carriers, destroyers, cutters and spy ships have reportedly traversed Philippine archipelagic waters without notifying Manila.
Manila plans to construct significant naval and air base infrastructure at Balabac, including a pier capable of hosting destroyer-sized vessels and a three-kilometer-long runway. Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gibo Teodoro has noted the importance of these future facilities in maintaining Philippine presence and maritime domain awareness capabilities in the South China Sea.
Recent Philippine Senate hearings have revealed that these projects are delayed as a result of funding shortfalls. ( 

Drones promising for PH defense

As this developed, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said drone systems are one of the areas that can thrive for the Philippines ‘ Self-Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP) program.
Teodoro, in his speech at the Navy’s Drone Warfare Summit delivered by Assistant Secretary for Defense Technology Research and Industry Development Augusto Gaite, said Filipino engineers and innovators are now developing prototype systems for surveillance, logistics, disaster response and maritime domain awareness.
The Navy’s Drone Warfare Summit is set from Monday to Wednesday at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center, Olongapo City, Zambales.
“The challenge now is now to scale these innovations, to bridge the gap between prototype and production, between concept and capability,” Teodoro said.
The DND chief also added that the rapid evolution of drone systems, whether in the air, on land, at sea, has fundamentally changed the way nations prepare and respond to threats. (PNA)