Good day. Here are the top stories for The Manila Times on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.Today’s episode is brought to you by Wilcon Depot, The Philippines’ leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer—your Trusted Building Partner.READ: Iran war spreads across Middle East, US embassy in Kuwait burnsIran and Iranian-backed militias fired missiles at Israel and Arab states, apparently hitting the US Embassy compound in Kuwait, while Israel and the United States pounded targets in Iran as the war expanded on Monday with statements of defiance and increasing casualties. Fire and smoke rose from inside the embassy compound in Kuwait City and an alarm wailed after the Iranian attack, which came not long after the US issued a warning to Americans there to take cover and for others to stay away. There were no immediate reports on damage or casualties. Meantime, as the American and Israeli airstrikes continued, top Iranian security official Ali Larijani vowed defiantly on X that “we will not negotiate with the United States.” Israel and the US bombed Iranian missile sites and targeted its navy, claiming to have destroyed its headquarters and multiple warships. More than 200 people have been killed since the start of the strikes, according to Iranian leaders. Also on Monday, Israel bombarded Lebanon, expanding conflict across the region after the massive Israel-US attack on Iran that President Donald Trump launched to topple Tehran’s ruling clerics. Israeli forces pounded targets across Lebanon including Beirut, after Hezbollah, the Tehran-backed armed Shiite Muslim movement, fired rockets towards Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 31 people and wounded 149 others, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said. READ: 80 Filipinos ask to fly home amid airstrikesAT least 80 Filipinos in Dubai have requested to be repatriated to the Philippines as Iranian missile attacks damaged a luxury hotel and the airport, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said on Monday. In a briefing in Malacañang, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said they are now preparing for repatriation assistance but this could take a while as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) airspace remains closed. The official said the UAE is under Alert Level 2. Mandatory repatriation would only be in effect should the alert level be raised to 4. For now, the government is giving priority to in-country assistance to Filipinos, mostly overseas workers, including basic needs such as food, water, and shelter. Although there is no order yet for a mass repatriation of the 2.5 million Filipinos in the Middle East amid the ongoing crisis there, Cacdac said the Philippine government is “ready for such an eventuality, with the proper public and private resources.” READ: 2 impeachment complaints vs VP Sara sufficient in formTHE House Committee on Justice on Monday declared the third and fourth impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte to be sufficient in form, setting the stage for a debate on their sufficiency in substance on March 3. The third impeachment complaint, endorsed by Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima, was filed on Feb. 9, 2026. The complainants, which included priests and lawyers, alleged, among others, that Duterte committed culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayed public trust in connection with confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for 2022 and 2023 and confidential funds allocated for 2023 to the Department of Education (DepEd), which Duterte led as secretary before she resigned in 2024 from that post. At the start of the panel’s review of the impeachment complaints, Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro on Monday corrected claims that the Supreme Court already dismissed the accusations filed earlier this year against the vice president. The fourth complaint was filed on Feb. 18, 2026 by lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera and was endorsed by Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., chairman of the House Committee on Human Rights, and Deputy Speaker and La Union 1st District Rep. Francisco Paolo Ortega V. Cabrera said Article II of the complaint alleged that Duterte “betrayed the public trust and committed acts of graft and corruption by grossly abusing discretionary authority over confidential funds appropriated to the” OVP and DepEd. The complainant also alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and other high crimes. Earlier in the day, the panel set aside the first of four impeachment complaints filed earlier this year against Duterte, saying it violated the constitutional ban on more than one complaint filed against an official within a year. READ: QCGH among Newsweek’s top PH hospitalsTHE Quezon City General Hospital (QCGH) has been recognized as one of the country’s top hospitals by the New York City–based weekly news magazine Newsweek, Mayor Joy Belmonte said Monday. The QCGH has been ranked 24th nationwide and standing out as the only Level 3 local government unit (LGU) hospital with 10 fully accredited departments and a fellowship training program included in the Top 33 hospitals in the Philippines, Belmonte said. Conducted in partnership with global data-as-a-service company Statista, the ranking evaluated 2,500 hospitals across 32 countries, according to the city’s Public Affairs and Information Services Department (PAISD). Hospitals were assessed based on recommendations from medical experts — including doctors, hospital managers, and other health care professionals — along with hospital quality metrics, existing patient experience data, and Statista’s Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Implementation Survey. With a 250-bed capacity, the tertiary hospital located in Barangay Bahay Toro has been delivering modern health care services since its establishment in 1968. The PAISD said that QCGH currently offers 10 fully accredited training programs in Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics-Gynecology, Pediatrics, Family Medicine, Anesthesiology, Pathology, Radiology, Otolaryngology, and Ophthalmology — ensuring high-quality, safe, and standardized patient care. The hospital is also the first LGU-run hospital in the Philippines to offer a fellowship training program in geriatric medicine, highlighting its commitment to providing specialized care for senior citizens. BUSINESS: Manufacturing PMI hits over 8-year highPHILIPPINE manufacturing conditions saw a marked improvement in February as production and new orders accelerated and business confidence also rebounded, S&P Global said on Monday. The purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for the sector rose for a third straight month to 54.6, up from January’s 52.9 and the highest since November 2017’s 54.8. PMI readings above 50.0 point to growth, while those below are a sign of a contraction. The expansion in output — the second month in a row and the fastest since November 2018 — was said to have driven the PMI rise. Order book volumes accelerated to their highest in over eight months and new clients and bulk buying activity by customers boosted new sales. Raw material purchases grew at the fastest pace since January last year and companies also built up stocks, including those of finished goods, at a faster pace. Employment in the sector continued to expand for a second straight month, but the pace of job creation was modest and was not enough to prevent a buildup of backlogs. Increased purchasing, coupled with bad weather, led to logistics issues with average delivery times rising for a third consecutive month. Lower operating costs allowed manufacturers to lower prices, albeit fractionally. Sentiment for the year ahead turned positive and respondents said this was due to hopes of further gains in demand trends. SPORTS: Knicks snap the Spurs’ 11-game winning streakMIKAL Bridges had 25 points, Jalen Brunson scored 24 and the New York Knicks snapped the San Antonio Spurs’ 11-game winning streak with a 114-89 victory on Sunday (Monday in Manila). After going unbeaten in February, the Spurs were shut down to open March, never recovering from the Knicks’ 26-2 run in the first half and losing for the first time since Jan. 31 in Charlotte. Victor Wembanyama bounced back from two quiet offensive games with 25 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks, but a Spurs team that became the first in NBA history to go unbeaten and score at least 110 points in every game while playing at least 10 in a month fell flat after a fast start. Mohamed Diawara had 14 points off the bench for the Knicks, who also beat the Spurs earlier this season to win the NBA Cup in Las Vegas. READ: Alex Eala’s stardom likened to Taylor Swift, Manny Pacquiao, Michael JordanALEXANDERA “Alex” Eala has been turning heads not just with her play on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tour, but also with her ability to pack venues with fans wherever she plays and her overall fast-rising popularity. No wonder some pundits are likening the world no. 31 player’s stardom to that of star singer Taylor Swift, boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, and basketball legend Michael Jordan. The 20-year-old Eala gears up for debut at the Indian Wells slated from March 4 to 15. Seeded 31st, Eala gets a first-round bye as she automatically secured a second round berth. At the Tennis Channel live episode Monday in Manila, player-turned-analyst Genie Bouchard playfully replied “yeah, Taylor Swift” when asked about any women star she remembers who gets the support Alex has been getting wherever she goes. Turning serious, the former world no. 5 said Eala’s stardom resembles that of former Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and even Filipino boxing great Manny Pacquiao. Days earlier, 4-time Grand Slam champ Kim Clijisters likened Eala’s stardom to that of Michael Jordan. Opinion and editorialIn its editorial, the Times writes about foundational learning at the Department of Education. Read the full version on print or digital or listen to The Voice of the Times. Antonio Contreras and Orlando Mercado are today’s columnists on the front page. Contreras writes about Sovereignty as shield: When legal rhetoric becomes political armor; Mercado on strong leaders and strong laws.For more news and information, read The Manila Times on print, subscribe to its digital edition or log on to www.manilatimes.net. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and LinkedIn; and be part of our communities on Viber, Telegram, and Mastodon.

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