HEADS UP: Top News Stories You Need to Know Today, March 24

Here’s a Heads Up from reportr on the top news stories that you need to know today, March 24:

POLITICS EXPLAINED

• The Robredo and Marcos rallies in General Trias, Cavite show the politics of governors and mayors endorsing candidates for president and other national posts. Should their dealings influence how you vote?

ELECTION NEWS

• ‘Barda’ is not the way to convert voters to presidential candidate Leni Robredo’s fold, according to her second daughter, Tricia.
• Frankie’s said its staff would undergo “comprehensive sensitivity and core values training” following a viral incident where a server allegedly heckled customers supporting Leni Robredo for president.
• Comelec has allowed the Office of the Vice President to resume its COVID response programs, even as Robredo campaigns for the presidency.
• Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio stood firm with her partnership with Bongbong Marcos as some groups paired her with other presidential bets.

TRENDING NEWS

• A congressman’s son who went viral after he was caught in CCTV footage punching a security guard is seeking peace with the victim.
• Here’s how Disney’s “Encanto” and TikTok turned social storytelling through music into an art form.

NEWS YOU CAN USE

• Thailand is open to tourists, including those from the Philippines. Here are the requirements.
• We kid you not. MRT rides are free for a month from March 28 to April 30 to mark the rail line’s successful rehabilitation.
• Super Typhoon forecasts are now less confusing as PAGASA aligns its definition with the U.S. JTWC used by international media.

NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

• President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law that will open airlines, telecoms and shipping to full foreign ownership, a move aimed at encouraging competition.
• Duterte also issued the country’s 10-point plan to revive the economy from the pandemic.
• The Balikatan war games between Filipino and U.S. troops resumes March 28 after a pandemic hiatus with the “largest ever” edition, as Washington continues to see China as a threat to regional security.
• The P500 monthly ayuda or cash aid for poor families can be distributed as early as April for a total three-month run, the budget department said.
• BTS is the world's top artist in terms of revenue from record sales and streaming, according to an industry tracker.
• Okra slime can be used in place of toxic chemicals to remove microplastics from waste water, chemists have found.