Incoming Labor Secretary Francis “Tol” Tolentino brings to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) a career spanning four decades of public service—from the mayoralty of Tagaytay City to the halls of the Philippine Senate. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. named Tolentino to the post, according to an announcement made by Malacañang on Monday, May 25. Tolentino will replace outgoing secretary Bienvenido Laguesma.…
TOKYO, May 25 (Reuters) – Toshifumi Suzuki, the founder of Seven-Eleven Japan and widely regarded as the father of Japan’s convenience store industry, died of heart failure on May 18, Seven & i Holdings (3382.T), Seven & i Holdings said on Monday. He was 93. Born in Nagano in 1932, Suzuki joined retailer Ito-Yokado in 1963 after working at a book wholesaler.…
SINGAPORE, May 25 (Reuters) – Oil prices hit two-week lows on Monday on optimism that the U.S. and Iran were moving closer towards a peace deal even though they remained at odds over key issues, including blockades on the Strait of Hormuz that continued to restrict oil supply from the Middle East. Brent crude futures fell $4.71, or 4.55%, to $98.83 a…
With an intensifying El Niño forecast to grip most of the Philippines by the last quarter of 2026, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is urging communities not to wait—laying out a practical set of low-cost interventions that households, farmers, and local governments can begin acting on immediately. Science Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said the single most important step any household…
With the perceived ouster of career health officials, Malacañang now stands accused of putting institutional stability and expert leadership at risk for political convenience. The uproar follows the exit of Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire and other veteran DOH officials in what appears to be a politically motivated shake-up. About 55 professional medical groups signed a joint statement expressing concerns of what…
The Laguna Lake is fast deteriorating into the country’s “biggest septic tank,” Biñan City Rep. Walfredo “Arman” Dimaguila Jr. warned on Saturday, August 2. In an interview on DZRH News’ Special on Saturday, Rep. Dimaguila urged the Marcos Jr. administration to take urgent and science-based action to rehabilitate the vital water body affecting millions across Southern Luzon and Metro Manila. “Magkakaroon na…
The Iran war is showing why the Philippines can’t afford to neglect its farmers
A war thousands of kilometers away is beginning to ripple through something as basic as the Filipino dining table. The conflict involving Iran has pushed oil prices higher, disrupted key shipping routes, and strained global supply chains—especially for fertilizer, a critical input for food production. Farmers are already feeling the pressure. Fertilizer prices have surged by as much as 30% to 40%,…