Here are today’s headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:
- Atin Ito’s civilian mission to Pag-asa trailed by Chinese ships
- DOTr eyes finishing the Unified Grand Central Station by 2027
- Inspired by Yulo brothers, young NCR gymnast bags 5 Palarong Pambansa golds
- Hamas agrees to US proposal on Gaza ceasefire, Palestinian official says
- Filipino folk icon Freddie Aguilar dies
https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/may-27-2025
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00:00Today on Rappler
00:06Chinese Coast Guard ships tail Atenito's civilian convoy to Pag-Asa Island in the West Philippine Sea.
00:18The DOTR says it aims to finish Metro Manila's Unified Grand Central Station by 2027.
00:24Athletes from NCRN Western Visayas set new records in the 2025 Palarumpambansa.
00:30Hamas has agreed to a new Gaza ceasefire proposal from the U.S. in hopes of ending the war.
00:35And Filipino folk music icon Freddy Aguilar dies at the age of 72.
00:41Two China Coast Guard ships are seen tailing the Atenito maritime convoy on its way to Pag-Asa Island in the West Philippine Sea.
00:48The Philippine Coast Guard said the two Chinese vessels stayed within four nautical miles of Atenito's ship, the Capitan Felix Oca, as it sailed around 58 nautical miles off of El Nido, Palawan.
00:58The PCG ships Melchora Aquino and Malapascua are escorting the convoy and issued radio challenges to the Chinese vessels.
01:06The convoy will run until May 30.
01:08Atenito plans to hold an unprecedented sea concert in the waters of Pag-Asa Island, the Philippines' largest inhabited island in the West Philippine Sea.
01:16The expedition includes some 150 people, including singers Noelle Cabangon and Ebe Dancel, the rock band Rouge, rap collective Moro Beats, and the pop-pop group Horizon.
01:26There are also artists from Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and South Korea.
01:30The Akbayan Party List, which is part of the Atenito Civilian Coalition, condemned the China Coast Guard's actions.
01:36The Transportation Department says it aims to complete the unified Grand Central Station for Metro Manila's train lines by 2027.
01:45Based on the project design, the MRT-7 will share a joint station with the MRT-3 and the LRT-1 at EDSA Corner North Avenue, Quezon City.
01:53Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon says the station's timely completion is crucial because the MRT-7 is expected to start operating in 2026.
02:02The P2.8 billion common station project was awarded to BF Corporation and Foresight Development and Surveying Company in 2019.
02:10It was supposed to be completed in 2022 but was delayed multiple times due to the pandemic.
02:16The MRT-7 will be operated by the San Miguel Corporation.
02:19It will run from North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.
02:23LRT-1, which now runs from Fernando Poe Jr. Station in Quezon City to Dr. A. Santos in Sucat, is being extended from Paranaque City to Bacaor, Cavite.
02:33MRT-3 starts at North Avenue in Quezon City and ends at Taft Avenue in Pasay.
02:40NCR standout Arman Hernandez Jr. dominates the artistic gymnastics competition in the elementary boys' division of the 2025 Palarong Pambansa.
02:48The eight-year-old snagged five gold medals on Monday, May 26, for the individual all-around, floor exercise, vault, and horizontal bar in Cluster 1.
02:57The student-athlete from Don Carlos Village Elementary School in Pasay City also helped NCR capture the team all-around crown his fifth gold.
03:05He also won a bronze and mushroom.
03:07Hernandez says he grew fond of gymnastics after seeing videos of the brothers Carlos and Eldru Yulo on social media.
03:21Meantime, Bacolod's Mico Villarán from Western Visayas breaks a 15-year record in the secondary boys' 110-meter hurdles.
03:29He clocked in at 14 seconds in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa.
03:32Villarán won a gold in last year's Palaro in Cebu City, but it was steeped in controversy.
03:38He was announced to have broken a previous record of 14.68 seconds set in 2010.
03:43But Villarán's record was afterwards nullified because the Cebu City Sports Center's track oval did not meet the standard 400-meter distance.
03:51Now that he has officially broken the record, Villarán says he felt joy and gratitude
03:56and an even bigger hunger to fulfill his dream of making it to the national team.
04:02A Palestinian official says Hamas has agreed to a new proposal for a Gaza ceasefire, paving the way for a possible end to the war.
04:09The proposal by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was received by Hamas through mediators.
04:14The deal includes a 70-day truce.
04:17Hamas is expected to release 10 hostages, while Israel will release Palestinian prisoners, including those serving long prison terms.
04:24Israel effectively ended a January ceasefire with Hamas on March 18 and renewed its military campaign in Gaza.
04:31Hamas has said it is willing to free all remaining hostages and agree to a permanent ceasefire if Israel pulls out completely from Gaza.
04:39Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel would only agree to a temporary ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages.
04:47He also said the war can only end if Hamas is eradicated.
04:51Filipino folk singer and OPM icon Freddy Aguilar passed away on Tuesday, May 27.
04:59He was 72.
05:01Partido Federal na Pilipinas lawyer George Briones confirmed the news to Rappler in a text message.
05:06Aguilar was a former National Executive Vice President of the party.
05:10An ABS-CBN News report says Aguilar died at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City.
05:14Aguilar's wife, Jovi Albao, posted a photo from the hospital on May 22 with the caption, quote,
05:20Stay strong, things will get better.
05:23It may be stormy now, but it can't rain forever.
05:26Aguilar rose to fame in the late 1970s for his poignant and socially resonant songs.
05:31His 1978 hit song Anak became a global phenomenon, released in 53 countries, and translated into over 50 languages.
05:39The Senate honored Aguilar in 2018 with Resolution 658 to recognize his great contributions to Philippine arts, music, and culture.
05:48Some of Aguilar's music was used in activism.
05:51His version of the song Bayan Ko became an unofficial anthem of the 1986 People Power Revolution.
05:57The Senate resolution also mentioned Katarungan, Pangako, Luz Viminda, and Bindanao as, quote,
06:02songs that echoed the state of the nation.
06:04And that's today's wrap.
06:08I'm Cara Oliver.
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