Country Focus
Evening
26 September 2026
Country Focus Current Affairs — 26 September 2026, Evening
26 September 2026
Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Maria Theresa Lazaro addressed the general debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York on 26 September 2026. She said more than 50 active conflicts are under way in the world and that disputes must be resolved through diplomacy and law, not violence and might. She repeated the Philippine call for an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, and backed a two-state solution. She described UNCLOS as the constitution of the oceans and noted that 2026 marks a decade since the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, which she called final and legally binding. She also called for reform of the Security Council to make it more representative, transparent and accountable.
Speaker:
Maria Theresa Lazaro, Secretary of Foreign Affairs
Session:
81st UN General Assembly
Active conflicts cited:
More than 50
Arbitral award recalled:
2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award
Why it matters for exams: Links the South China Sea arbitral award, UNCLOS and Security Council reform, all recurring topics in international relations papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNCLOS United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea — The 1982 treaty that sets the rules for territorial seas, exclusive economic zones and the use of the oceans.
2016 Arbitral Award South China Sea Arbitration (Philippines v. China) — The 2016 ruling of a tribunal under UNCLOS that rejected China's nine-dash-line claims against the Philippines.
General debate UN General Assembly general debate — The annual high-level segment each September where every member state addresses the Assembly.
26 September 2026
Wage Order No. NCR-28 took effect in the Philippines' National Capital Region on 26 September 2026, raising the daily minimum wage by P60. The minimum for non-agricultural workers rose from P695 to P755. Workers in agriculture, in retail and service establishments with 15 or fewer workers, and in manufacturing establishments regularly employing fewer than 10 workers now receive P718, up from P658. The increase covers about 1.1 million minimum wage earners. The order came from the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-NCR and was affirmed by the National Wages and Productivity Commission. Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino urged employers to strictly comply with the new rates. The earlier Wage Order NCR-27 remains under challenge in court.
Wage order:
Wage Order No. NCR-28
Daily increase:
P60
Non-agricultural minimum:
P695 to P755
Agriculture and small establishments:
P658 to P718
Workers covered:
About 1.1 million
Why it matters for exams: Shows how the Philippines fixes minimum wages region by region through tripartite boards, a useful comparison with wage-setting in India.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
RTWPB Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board — A regional body of government, employer and worker representatives that sets minimum wages in each Philippine region.
NWPC National Wages and Productivity Commission — The national body under the Department of Labor and Employment that reviews regional wage orders.
NCR National Capital Region — The Metro Manila region, made up of Manila and its neighbouring cities and one municipality.
26 September 2026
Filipino weightlifter Albert Ian Delos Santos won the bronze medal in the men's 70kg category at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on 26 September 2026. He lifted 141kg in the snatch and 183kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 324kg. North Korea's Ri Won Ju won gold with 349kg and Japan's Masanori Miyamoto took silver with 342kg. Delos Santos, 20, is the Asian junior champion and was competing in his first Asian Games. His father and coach, Alvin, a Southeast Asian Games medallist, died in March.
Event:
Men's 70kg weightlifting
Medal:
Bronze
Total lifted:
324kg (141kg snatch, 183kg clean and jerk)
Gold medallist:
Ri Won Ju (North Korea), 349kg
Why it matters for exams: Asian Games medallists, host cities and events are frequently asked in sports current affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Snatch Snatch — The weightlifting lift in which the bar is raised from the floor to overhead in one continuous movement.
Clean and jerk Clean and jerk — The two-part lift in which the bar is first brought to the shoulders and then driven overhead.
26 September 2026
The Philippine weather agency PAGASA said in its 11 a.m. bulletin on 26 September 2026 that Severe Tropical Storm Queenie, international name Surigae, was nearing typhoon strength over the Philippine Sea. It was about 575 km east-northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, with maximum sustained winds of 110 kph and gusts of up to 135 kph, moving west-northwestward at 10 kph. No tropical cyclone wind signal was in effect, and PAGASA said Queenie was unlikely to directly affect land areas. Waves of up to 2 meters were expected over the seaboards of Isabela, northern Batanes and eastern Davao Oriental. PAGASA said Queenie would likely intensify into a typhoon on 26 September and was expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility between the afternoon and evening of 27 September.
Local name / international name:
Queenie / Surigae
Maximum sustained winds:
110 kph
Gusts:
Up to 135 kph
Position (11 a.m. bulletin):
About 575 km east-northeast of Itbayat, Batanes
Wind signal:
None raised
Why it matters for exams: Explains how tropical cyclones carry both a local Philippine name and an international name, and what the Philippine Area of Responsibility is.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PAGASA Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration — The national weather and climate agency of the Philippines.
PAR Philippine Area of Responsibility — The sea and air area within which PAGASA monitors tropical cyclones and gives them local names.