Thursday, January 1, 2026
2026
January
January 2 – A ban on light electric vehicles from using major roads in Metro Manila is implemented. It was originally scheduled on December 1, 2025, and was supposed to be enforced nationwide.[1]
January 5 – Retired air force general Romeo Poquiz is arrested on charges of inciting to sedition in relation to a Facebook post criticizing the Marcos administration.[2]
January 6 – PHIVOLCS raises Alert Level 3 over Mayon volcano in Albay following a magmatic eruption.[3]
January 8 – The Binaliw landfill in Cebu City collapses, destroying a building used by its employees. Thirty-six people are killed. On January 13, a state of calamity was declared in the city as a result.[4]
January 13 – Philippines–United Arab Emirates relations: A Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement is signed between the Philippines and the UAE during President Marcos' visit to Abu Dhabi, marking the first free trade agreement between the Philippines and a Middle Eastern country.[5] return the social networking site Multiply, led by founder Peter Pezaris and CEO and owner Stefan Magdalinski, as a global social networking platform, would be now managed by Multiply Group, the Abu Dhabi-based investment holding company through Multiply Media Group (MMG), uniting the three market-leading out-of-home (OOH) companies under its portfolio to create a new media powerhouse headquartered in the United Arab Emirates (as well their operations, the international subsidiary Multiply International and the social networking portion including 11 million users with hosted blogs, videos, photos and messaging would recovered.
January 14 and 16 – Twenty-one individuals, including fourteen police officers (three have been in police custody), are arrested in a manhunt operation for gaming tycoon Atong Ang, accused mastermind in the disappearance of sabungeros particularly in the alleged abduction and killing of at least four in early 2022. Ang remains at large.[6]
January 15: Japan–Philippines relations: The Philippines and Japan sign three bilateral agreements in Manila, including one allowing their defense forces to exchange logistical support—the second major defense accord following the implementation of the reciprocal access agreement in 2025; and another for funding of the new facilities of the Philippine Navy and the proposed wireless broadband connectivity for the Sulu Archipelago.[7]
The Brave Pioneer, the Philippines’ first methanol dual-fueled bulk carrier ship, is inaugurated at the Tsuneishi Cebu Shipyard in Balamban, Cebu.[8]
January 15–19 – Pope Leo XIV visits the country for a five-day state and pastoral visit for the 41st world youth day.[6] This is the second papal visit to the Philippines in the 21st century.[8]
January 16:A court in Manila acquits former Negros Oriental representative Arnie Teves of murder over the 2019 killing of Negros Oriental Provincial Board member Michael Lopez Dungog.[9]
The Department of Information and Communications Technology orders the blocking of Grok AI in the Philippines over its usage in generating illicit images of women and children.[10]
January 19:President Marcos announces the discovery of an estimated 98,000,000,000 ft3 (2.8×109 m3) of gas reserves from the Malampaya East-1 field.[11]
An impeachment complaint is filed in the House of Representatives against president Bongbong Marcos on charges related to the arrest of Rodrigo Duterte, his alleged drug use and involvement in the flood control scandal and issues over the national budget.[12]
Former senator Bong Revilla surrenders to the Philippine National Police after an arrest warrant is issued against him by the Sandiganbayan over the Flood control projects scandal.[13]
January 20 – Bangsamoro chief minister Abdulraof Macacua signs into law Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 86, restoring the number of single-member parliamentary districts in the Bangsamoro Parliament from 25 to 32 in response to the 2024 Supreme Court ruling that excluded Sulu from the BARMM.[14]
January 21 – Corey Dickpus, former vice mayor of Lubuagan, Kalinga, dies after a police encounter in his residence. He has been in the national most wanted list since 2001, being implicated in various criminal cases including a double murder in 2000 while serving as a barangay captain.[15]
Predicted and scheduled
January:
The country will host the ASEAN Tourism forum to be held in Boracay and Cebu.[16][17]
Construction of the New Manila International Airport located in Bulacan will begin.[18]
The country's first Michelin Guide will be released.[19]
February 16 - The House of Representatives votes to impeach President Marcos, Jr., with an impeachment case filed against him regarding his alleged links to
March 9 – Impeachment trial against Pres. Marcos, Jr. begins at the Senate, the first for an Asian head of state
March 14 – A special election will be held in the 2nd district of Antipolo to select a new member of the House of Representatives following the death of Romeo Acop in December 2025.[20]
March 31 – The first election for the Bangsamoro Parliament will be held in accordance to a Supreme Court order issued about two weeks prior to the originally scheduled date, October 13, 2025.[21]
August – EDSA rehabilitation will be completed.[22]
November 2 – The barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, originally scheduled on December 1, 2025, will be held in accordance with Republic Act No. 12232, which was signed into law by President Marcos on August 13, 2025. The recall plebiscites for Cabanatuan, Tarlac, and San Jose del Monte voted Yes to a highly urbanized city, while Palawan would be split into three provinces, led into the initial 2021 rejection to 2026 ratification into the division of the province into three provinces. [23]
November 4 – The one year state of national calamity ends, which was declared on November 5, 2025, as set by Proclamation No. 1077.
November 21 – The country's television industry is set to complete the long-overdue transition from analog to digital broadcast.[24] The process has been in effect since November 2025, following the issuance of guidelines by the National Telecommunications Commission, initially commencing in Mega Manila.[25][26]
December – The Senate will start to move to its new building in Taguig.[27]
Date unknown
Australia–Philippines relations: The Philippines will sign an upgraded defense pact with Australia.[28]
The entire Maharlika Highway network will undergo full rehabilitation.[29]
The Cavite Bus Rapid Transit System will commence partial operations.[30]
The country will host the ASEAN Summit.[31]
The first-ever solar-powered podcar transport system in Southeast Asia will start its operations in Ilagan, Isabela.[32]
The MRT-3 will be handed over by the Metro Rail Transit Corporation to the national government upon the end of its build-lease-transfer contract.[33]
The MRT Line 7 will be operational for its initial 12 stations from North EDSA in Quezon City to Sacred Heart in Caloocan.[34][35]
The status of Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur, as a highly urbanized city will be determined, pending a plebiscite in accordance with Proclamation No. 1247.[36]
The world's largest solar power plant will be completed in the Bulacan–Nueva Ecija boundary.[37]