Philippines grants visa-free entry to Chinese | The wRap - video Dailymotion

rapplerdotcom

Here are today’s headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:  - Philippines grants 2 week visa-free entry for Chinese nationals - US to suspend immigrant visa processing for 75 nations - Ex-DPWH chief Bonoan gave Malacañang wrong flood - Recto, Ledesma face plunder, graft complaints over PhilHealth fund transfer - Iran warns neighbors it could strike US bases if Washington intervenes in protests  https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/january-15-2026/

Transcript

00:00Today on Rappler

00:06The Philippines will grant two-week visa-free entry to Chinese nationals beginning Friday,

00:17January 16. The United States will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for 75 countries.

00:23Senator Ping Lakson says former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan gave the wrong flood control

00:29project coordinates to Malacanang. Executive Secretary Ralf Recto and former PhilHealth CEO

00:34Emanuele Desma Jr. face charges for the 60 million peso PhilHealth fund transfer.

00:39And Iran warns it may strike U.S. bases in neighboring countries if Washington intervenes in support of protesters.

00:48The Philippines will grant visa-free entry to Chinese nationals for up to 14 days beginning Friday,

00:53January 16. The Department of Foreign Affairs says the arrangement will be in effect for a year,

00:58subject to review before its expiration in 2027. The new visa rule covers Chinese nationals entering

01:04the country for both tourism and business. It is not extendable or convertible to other kinds of visas.

01:10The privilege will also only apply to entries via the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and the

01:15Mactan Cebu International Airport. Upon arrival, Chinese nationals will only need to show a passport

01:20valid for at least six months beyond the stay, a confirmed hotel booking, and a return or onward

01:25ticket to the next country of destination. China is the latest country that was recently granted

01:30visa-free entry privileges by the Philippines. Earlier, Indian nationals were allowed to enter

01:35for 14 or 30 days without a visa. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is suspending

01:42processing of immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries. It will impact applicants from Latin

01:48American countries, including Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay, Balkan countries such as Bosnia and

01:53Albania, South Asian countries Pakistan and Bangladesh, and those from many nations in Africa,

01:58the Middle East, and the Caribbean. The Philippines is not on the list. The pause will begin on January 21.

02:05State Department official Tommy Piggott says the agency would use its long-standing authority to

02:09bar potential immigrants deemed likely to exploit U.S. generosity. Trump has pursued a sweeping

02:14immigration crackdown since returning to office in January 2024.

02:20Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Laxon says former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan had given

02:25Malacanang the wrong coordinates to alleged ghost flood control projects. Laxon adds the wrong coordinates

02:31led to a bloated count of ghost flood control projects. Asked why Bonoan would deliberately inflate

02:37the number of ghost flood control projects, Laxon said the former DPWH chief may have been trying to

02:42cover up his tracks. Bonoan has been in the United States since November 2025, despite saying he would

02:48return by December 17. Laxon also says the Blue Ribbon Panel will also look into other new developments

02:54regarding the flood control scandal when it resumes its hearings on Monday, January 19.

02:59Meantime, a fire broke out Wednesday afternoon, January 14, at the DPWH Cordillera Administrative Region

03:05Office. The fire originated in a room where records are kept. No injuries and only minimal damage were reported.

03:11Executive Secretary Ralph Recto and former PhilHealth CEO and President Emanuel Ledesma Jr. are facing

03:18multiple complaints over the state insurer's transfer of P60 billion in excess funds to the

03:24National Treasury. The Supreme Court ordered the return of the funds in December, declaring the

03:28transfer was unconstitutional. A group of doctors and lawyers filed the cases with the Office of the

03:33Ombudsman on Thursday, January 15. Recto and Ledesma are facing charges of technical malversation,

03:39graft, plunder, and grave misconduct. The complaint states that Recto and Ledesma exhibited, quote,

03:44gross inexcusable negligence in the transfer. In a statement last December 22, Recto reiterated his

03:50innocence, citing the SC ruling which says there was no criminal liability on his part as former

03:55finance chief. Tehran warns neighbors hosting U.S. troops that it would hit American bases if

04:02Washington strikes. This as Iran seeks to deter Donald Trump's threats to intervene on behalf

04:07of protesters. Three diplomats say some personnel in Al-Udaid airbase in Qatar had been advised to

04:13leave the main U.S. airbase in the region. But there were no immediate signs of a large-scale

04:17evacuation of troops, as took place in the hours before an Iranian missile attack last year.

04:22Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in support of protesters in Iran, where a rights group

04:26said 2,600 people have been killed in a sweeping crackdown.

04:33And that's today's wrap. I'm JC Gotinga. Thank you for watching. Click the link below for the full story.

04:37For more updates, download the Rattler app.

Philippines grants visa-free entry to Chinese | The wRap

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended