It ' s all about nature, culture, and sumptuous food as GMA News TV ' s Weekend Getaway visits Mindanao this Friday!

Together with program host Drew Arellano, this episode ' s weekend warriors visit Dolphin Island in Ozamiz and the manmade islet, Passig Island, in Davao del Sur. They also get to experience bat cave exploration in IGACOS or Island Garden City of Samal, which holds the Guinness World Records for the most number of fruit eating bats in the world!

GMA Network rings in the New Year with the launch of its first afternoon prime drama for 2013 - FOREVER, which features riveting performances from some of the biggest Kapuso stars today. It will air beginning January 21 after Eat Bulaga.

Forever promises to steal the viewers' hearts as it follows a captivating storyline that explores the enduring power of love between two individuals who will let fate determine if they are meant to be together despite time, distance, and the obstacles that conspire to keep them apart.

MANILA, Philippines - There was no shootout. Instead there was excessive use of force, and 13 men in a two-vehicle convoy drove into an ambush by a joint police-military contingent in Atimonan, Quezon last Jan. 6.

GMA Network replies to Sarah Lahbati's allegations based on her tweets last night, January 9, 2013.

Sarah mentioned "It has been three days since Ms Annette Gozon Abrogar uses GMA news to bombard me and make my image look bad." GMA Network categorically denies this. GMA News has fairly aired both Sarah's tweets and the Network's statements thus she cannot accuse anyone of using the Network's News Department to make her image look bad.

The Low Pressure Area (LPA) east of Surigao City has developed into a 300 km diameter Tropical Depression named "Bising," and PAGASA(Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) raised storm signal no. over Samar Island and the Bicol region with the exception of the province of Masbate.

LEGAZPI CITY—“BAYAN MUNA” Party list Representative Teddy Casiṅo in a statement sent to Bicol newsmen on Tuesday (Jan. 8) called for a probe on the finding of a US- made unmanned aerial vehicle or “drone” found off the coast of San Jacinto  town on Ticao island in Masbate last Jan.7 and demanded that the US government stop its espionage operations in the country.

“Dapat talagang imbestigahan ang pang yayaring ito dahil tila minamanmanan tayo ng mga dayuhan sa sarili nating bansa at napakaraming tanong na dapat sagutin.

MANILA, Philippines - A mammoth crowd waiving white towels and handkerchiefs and shouting “Viva Señor Nazareno” joined this year’s Black Nazarene procession that started at 7:12 a.m. yesterday at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park.

MANILA, Philippines - A mammoth crowd waiving white towels and handkerchiefs and shouting “Viva Señor Nazareno” joined this year’s Black Nazarene procession that started at 7:12 a.m. yesterday at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park.Trouble erupted early as several devotees eager to climb the Black Nazarene, despite tight security and a double railing barrier, breached the police line before the procession started, causing injuries to some.

GMA Network addresses all issues raised by Sarah Lahbati - starting from her posts in the social networking and microblogging site Twitter, which were eventually picked-up by the press.

The Network maintains its stand that Sarah Lahbati violated her contract, as follows:

MANILA, Jan. 8, 2013— As devotees of the Black Nazarene continue to grow, the Quiapo Parish Church has tried to improve its formation programs and catechizing people about the devotion.

Citing superstition or occultism in the devotion, Quiapo Church parish priest Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio said they are doing everything to address these concerns.

“There are things that still need to be purified in our expressions. Human as they are, our expressions need to achieve their perfection,” Ignacio said.