00:01Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declares a state of national energy emergency on Tuesday, March 24.
00:09Iran denies there are ongoing talks with the United States, contrary to U.S. President Donald Trump's claims.
00:15A Reuters report says China is mapping the ocean floor in the Pacific, Indian, and Arctic oceans in preparation for
00:22submarine warfare.
00:23Prosecutors say former DPWH engineer Henry Alcantara's testimony proves Zaldico sought infrastructure projects.
00:32And President Marcos approves the shift to a trimester system for public schools starting school year 2026 to 2027.
00:46Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declares a state of national energy emergency on Tuesday, March 24.
00:53This as the effects of the U.S. and Israel's war on Iran continue to threaten the Philippines' energy supply.
00:59Marcos puts up the unified package for livelihoods, industry, food, and transport, or uplift a coordinated and whole-of-government
01:06response framework for the crisis.
01:08He also mobilizes his cabinet secretaries to, quote, implement the necessary response measures to mitigate the ongoing crisis.
01:16The state of national energy emergency will remain in force for up to a year unless Marcos extends or lifts
01:22it earlier.
01:22Meantime, budget airline Cebu Pacific cancels and limits several overseas flights in response to the rising cost of fuel.
01:30It says Tuesday, global fuel prices have more than doubled compared with 2025 averages.
01:36Flight disruptions will begin as early as April 13, with some canceled until October.
01:41Visit Rappler.com for the list of flights that will be canceled.
01:47Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bakir Khalibaf, denies talks are ongoing with the United States, contrary to claims made by U
01:54.S. President Donald Trump.
01:55Trump wrote on Truth Social, there are very good and productive conversations about a complete and total resolution of hostilities
02:02in the Middle East.
02:03But a European official says while there had been no direct negotiations between the two nations, Egypt, Pakistan, and Gulf
02:10states were relaying messages.
02:12A Pakistani official and the second source also tell Reuters, direct talks on ending the war could be held in
02:18Islamabad as soon as this week.
02:20Meantime, Iran launches multiple waves of missiles at Israel.
02:23This after Trump postponed the bombing of Iran's power grid because of what he described as productive talks with unidentified
02:29Iranian officials.
02:31The missiles triggered air raid sirens in parts of Israel, including Tel Aviv, where blasts from interceptions were heard.
02:39China is conducting a vast undersea mapping and monitoring operation across the Pacific, Indian, and Arctic oceans.
02:46Experts say this is crucial for waging submarine warfare against the U.S. and its allies.
02:50Ship tracking data reviewed by Reuters shows the Dongfanghong 3 spent 2024 and 2025 exploring the seas near Taiwan and
02:58Guam and around strategic stretches of the Indian Ocean.
03:01The ship tracking data also shows China's seabed surveying effort also focused on militarily important waters around the Philippines.
03:08It also surveyed waters near Guam and Hawaii and near U.S. military facilities on Wake Atoll in the North
03:14Pacific.
03:15The Dongfanghong 3 is a research vessel operated by the Ocean University of China.
03:20At least eight other research vessels Reuters tracked conducted seabed mapping while another ten carried equipment used for mapping.
03:29State witness and former DPWH Bulacan District Engineer Henry Alcantara alleged in his affidavit,
03:35Zaldi Ko sought infrastructure projects in Bulacan.
03:38Ombudsman prosecutors say the connection of the two allegedly proves that Ko is a contractor of government projects.
03:44Alcantara and Ko allegedly met in 2019.
03:47The prosecutors also say Alcantara knows Ko and personally met him at High Street.
03:51Under many laws, including the 1987 Constitution no less, conflict of interest is strictly prohibited.
03:57Alcantara's testimony is key to the prosecution's case before the Sandigan Bayan 6th Division,
04:02which alleges Ko committed malversation over irregularities in a 289.4 million peso flood control project in Nahuhan, Oriental Mindoro.
04:11In his affidavit submitted to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee in September 2025,
04:15Alcantara claimed that he delivered kickbacks to Ko at his residence in Pasig City and at a hotel parking lot
04:21in Taguig City.
04:24President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approves the proposal of the Education Department to shift from a quarterly to a trimester system
04:30for public schools beginning school year 2026 to 2027.
04:34The shift aims to address the long-standing issue of compressed learning periods caused by class suspensions due to natural
04:40hazards and overlapping major events.
04:43Consultations were conducted with educational institutions even though the proposal did not undergo pilot testing.
04:49Under the DepEd's plan, the new academic calendar will have a total of 201 days divided as follows.
04:55The Alliance of Concerned Teachers calls the approval of the trimester system rushed and half-baked.
05:00But the Education Department notes changing the academic calendar is only one of the government's plans for the education sector
05:07as it faces a massive crisis.
05:11And that's today's wrap. I'm JC Gutinga. Thank you for watching. Click the link below for the full story. For
05:16more updates, download the Rappler app.
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